Family Matters Newsletter - January 2007

Organization Breeds Success

Sheila Gains, Colorado State University Extension - Arapahoe County

Have you ever met a child who couldn't find the socks he's holding in his hand, or one who knows exactly where everything goes in his room and regularly puts it there? Every child's personality and approach to organization will be different, but a few basic skills can help children learn to improve their organizational skills, which contributes to school success.

That's the message from researchers and clinicians at the New York University (NYU) Child Study Center. Questionnaires from 180 teachers detailing the organizational techniques of more than 900 students in grades three through eight were studied to develop methods for teaching organizational skills to children.

Teaching organizational skills to children can help them feel in control, gives them a sense of accomplishment and helps them succeed in school. If you start young, these important skills will be in place as homework loads increase and tasks become more complex, however it's never too late to learn organizational skills. In fact, adults seem to be constantly looking for new ways to stay organized, as is evidenced by the booming business of stores that sell products to help us organize our time and stuff.

The NYU study focused on teaching children techniques to manage three aspects of their school life: materials such as paper, pencils and books needed for their schoolwork; their time when completing school assignments; and, to plan their actions in order to meet learning goals. Researchers report that teachers believe children with good organizational skills get more out of the school experience, and parents report less stress in helping their children with assignments when their children stay organized.

Here is some practical advice for parents wishing to improve a child's organizational skills from the work of Richard Gallagher, Ph.D., and staff of the NYU Child Study Center:

Make sure your child knows what to do and when to do it. Provide a reliable way to list homework, assignments and due dates. (A simple note pad that is always with your child will work.)

Provide a folder or binder for your child to store and transport papers to and from school. Insist your child use this folder or binder rather than stuff papers in her book bag or backpack.

Regularly review assignments with your child. For each assignment ask your child to identify and assemble all the needed materials such as books, papers and pencils. Ask your child when the assignment is due and have her, or help her, mark the date on a calendar.

Create a consistent place for your child to complete homework. Stock that place with needed supplies. Ask your child if there is anything else she will need to complete the assignment. Make sure the location is free of distractions.

Help your child put all supplies away when finished and put the assignment in a folder/ binder and backpack for the next day. Ask your child if anything else is needed for school the next day. Doing this the night before avoids mishaps and saves rushing around in the morning.

Help your child find a specific time to study and complete assigned work each day. The time may change to accommodate after school activities. The discussion about scheduling a regular time and how to plan around activities can help children build time management skills.

For large projects, ask your child to think about and list the steps needed to complete the project. This will build your child's ability to plan ahead.

Praise and reward your child for using these skills. Do not assume that new behaviors will stick. They will need to be taught, practiced and reinforced in order for them to become routine. Your involvement, interest and role modeling of these behaviors will let your child know how important you think it is to plan ahead and be organized.

For more details about this study visit the NYU Child Study Center's website.

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Nutrition Tidbits

  • Bread - to use the word "bread" in its name, a bakery product must weigh a half-pound or more after cooling. Anything under a half-pound is a "roll" or a "bun."
  • Chili - Chili con carne can't be less than 40 percent meat. Chili con carne with beans must be at least 25 percent meat.
  • Mixed nuts - Must consist of four or more shelled tree nut ingredients, such as almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts. If the mixture also contains more than 50 percent peanuts that must be stated on the label.
  • Spaghetti with meatballs - must contain not less than 12 percent meat.

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Encourage Children to Try New Foods

Children ages 18-24 months may begin to refuse to try new or even previously accepted foods. This stage may last until five years of age. This happens to coincide with the time children begin to explore their world and their limits. Luckily, their preferences do change and we can often persuade them to eat new foods by offering them regularly and encouraging them to "taste it." Studies show that it takes 8-10 exposures for a child to readily accept a new food item.

It is important to encourage children to eat the foods presented to them, but forcing a child to eat is often a recipe for disaster. There can be power struggles and everyone may get upset. Children want to be in control of what goes into their mouths and stomachs. Offering them a choice (as long as it is a healthy choice) may give them that feeling of control. The bottom line is to offer new foods to children regularly along with foods that are familiar, and encourage them to taste it.

For more information on a variety of Consumer and family topics, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.

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