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The
ABCs of Helping Kids Succeed
The organized
child -- while seemingly an oxymoron, it doesn't have to be. And what better
time to get things off on the right foot than the beginning of a new school year?
The earlier you start good organizational habits with children, the more successful
they will be in learning and in life. Make organization a part of their everyday
routine and soon it will be as second nature as washing their hands and brushing
their teeth.
As with all things, having the proper tools is half the battle. Before you load
up the backpack for the first day of school, consider the following tips from
Mead. After more than 125 years of helping kids succeed, they have found getting
kids organized with the help of the right supplies is really as easy as ABC.
A
-- Age Appropriate One
size certainly doesn't fit all when it comes to school supplies. "The needs
of elementary school students are completely different from those of middle
and high schoolers," explains Dana Griffith, MeadWestvaco marketing manager.
Be sure to keep in mind the little things when stocking up supplies for the little
ones. Features such as wide ruling and larger index cards are a must for students
who still print fairly large and are mastering handwriting skills. Scale
is an important thing to keep in mind, as well. A cumbersome five subject notebook
or a backpack bigger
than the child won't help with organization, it just makes kids sloppy and uncomfortable.
Look for items that fit comfortably in young hands -- slightly smaller notebooks,
thicker writing instruments and compact carrying devices. B
-- Be Specific Subject
specific that is. For each major subject, students should have a separate notebook
and folder to help them organize handouts, homework assignments and notes, as
well as a designated take-home folder for permission slips and correspondence
between school and home. Clearly label the notebook and folder with the subject
and the student's name -- a lifesaver when an item is inevitably left behind in
the classroom or found out on the playground. This simple practice eliminates
a panicked search for the math homework and tearing through the backpack in tears
looking for the permission slip for tomorrow’s field trip. Parents
can take the subject-specific route one step further by seeking out supplies that
have reference materials built-in. Notebooks and folders that incorporate tools
such as multiplication tables, commonly misspelled words, and state capitals serve
double duty by helping kids stay organized while putting useful information at
their fingertips. For those who wish to be ultra-organized, a cool carry-all like
the Mead/Scholastic Wrapper Keeper groups the necessary books, notebooks and folders
together by subject so students can just grab and go. C
-- Color is Key Even
a preschooler knows his colors -- so what better way to teach kids to organize,
even before they can read. Organizational experts agree that color can be a strong
memory jogger and teachers have been requesting matching notebook and folder colors
for years. As a student peers into his desk or locker, one of the easiest ways
to identify all the necessary supplies for the next class is to color coordinate.
A new line of school supplies from Mead and Scholastic make color-coding a cinch
by offering notebooks, folders, index card holders, book sleeves and carry-alls
in a subject-specific, color coded system that lets kids keep it all together
with style. And, color-coding doesn’t have to stay in the classroom. Parents
can carry the concept through at home with colorful storage bins in study areas,
colored paper and markers for assignment lists and color-coordinated magnets to
display A+ work. Once
the kids are organizational gurus and the school year is underway, parents can
focus on the even more daunting task of getting themselves organized! Source...
ARA Content - www.mead.com
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