Mrs. Thorp’s Third Grade Blog

Teaching organization skills to your third grader can be one of the most challenging yet one of the most important  skills that you can teach, one that will carry over into their adult life.

How do you get started?

1. Buy a backpack and at least one or two pocket folders.
2. Label the folders or the pockets of the folders with “PAPERS TO TAKE HOME”  and  “PAPERS TO TAKE TO SCHOOL”.
3. Make sure your child puts papers into the correct pocket and remind him to do the same at school.
4. If your child has homework papers to take to school or a note to the teacher, have your child put it in the folder and then put the folder into his backpack.
5. Keep the backpack in the exact same place everyday.  This way he/she will always know where it is.  If the pocket folder is taken out of the backpack, remind your child to put it back into the backpack.
6. NEVER do this for your child.  A third grader is old enough to do this on his own.  If he forgets and leaves the folder at home because he did not put it into his backpack but left it on the kitchen counter, then he can take the consequences at school for forgetting.  He/she will remember the next time.
7. When your child remembers to have everything in the right place, a word of praise will go along way in ensuring that he/she remembers again.
8. Some children will earn this quickly and for some it will take a good chunk of the school year.  It is worth it and your child will reap the benefits of learning to be organized all through his/her school years!
9. One last thing.  Every once in a while have your child do a thorough cleaning of the inside of the backpack.  You will be surprised at what he/she has been hauling around to and from school for many weeks!  (half eaten cupcakes, broken pencils and crayons, small toys, coins, old papers)

Here in the midwest parents and children are getting ready or at least thinking about getting ready for school to start.  What can you do to help your child be ready for that first day of classes?

• A week or two before  school starts, have your child gradually start waking up earlier.  This way he/she will be ready  for sleep earlier and by the time school begins in September, your child will be able to get up and going in time for school to start.
• If your child has not cracked open a book or read much during the summer, it is not too late to start.  Teachers can usually tell which children have read during the summer and which ones have not. If your child is young, read to your child.
• Practice basic math facts with your child.  Adding and subtracting if they are going into third grade or younger and multiplication and division if they are going into fourth grade and higher.
• Take your child to the school and introduce him/her to the teacher.  This will ease your mind and your child’s.
• Ask your child what he/she thinks they will learn in school this year.  What would they like to learn?

What else do you do to help your child be ready for the first day of school?  Let others know, post a comment.