Product Description

The overstuffed backpack, the missing homework, the unused planner, the test he didn't know about. Sound familiar? When the disorganized child meets the departmentalized structure of middle school, everything can fall apart. Even the academically successful child will start to falter if she misses deadlines, loses textbooks, or can't get to class on time.

This practical book is full of hands-on strategies for helping parents identify and teach organizational skills. Educational consultant Donna Goldberg has developed these methods by working with hundreds of students and in this book she provides:

• Assessments to gather information about your child's learning style, study habits, and school requirements

• Guidelines for taming that overstuffed binder and keeping it under control

• PACK -- a four-step plan for purging and reassembling a backpack or locker

• Instructions for organizing an at-home work space for the child who studies at a desk or the child who studies all over the house

• Ways to help your child graduate from telling time to managing time

• Special tips for kids with learning disabilities and kids who have two homes...and more

The Organized Student is a must for any parent who has heard the words, "I can't find my homework!"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24020 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"Donna Goldberg writes with the head of a professional and the heart of a mom. Her tips, tricks, and techniques are extraordinarily sensitive to the time constraints of today's families. Don't keep this book on your bookshelf. Keep it on your nightstand because you'll refer to it again and again."

-- Rick Lavoie, author of It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend

"Of all the how-to books I've read, this one gets first prize. I predict that levels of parent-child frustration will drop significantly if they take the lessons to heart."

-- Clarice J. Kestenbaum, M.D., professor of clinical psychology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

"Donna Goldberg has been a pioneer in helping students get organized and achieve more in school."

-- Barry J. Izsak, president, National Association of Professional Organizers

Download Description
"Hands-on strategies for teaching your disorganized child how to organize for school success! The overstuffed backpack, the missing homework, the unused planner, the test he didn't know about. Sound familiar? When the disorganized child meets the departmentalized structure of middle school, everything can fall apart. Even the academically successful child will start to falter if she misses deadlines, loses textbooks, or can't get to class on time. This practical book is full of hands-on strategies for helping parents identify and teach organizational skills. Educational consultant Donna Goldberg has developed these methods by working with hundreds of students and in this book she provides: Assessments to gather information about your child's learning style, study habits, and school requirements Guidelines for taming that overstuffed binder and keeping it under control PACK -- a four-step plan for purging and reassembling a backpack or locker Instructions for organizing an at-home work space for the child who studies at a desk or the child who studies all over the house Ways to help your child graduate from telling time to managing time Special tips for kids with learning disabilities and kids who have two homes...and more The Organized Student is a must for any parent who has heard the words, ""I can't find my homework!"" "

From the Inside Flap
"THE ORGANIZED STUDENT is the best! At last a book kids and parents can really USE. If your child--or you--suffer from the slings and arrows of outrageous disorganization, buy this book! The suggestions in here really work." -- Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of DELIVERED FROM DISTRACTION

"Donna Goldberg writes with the head of a professional and the heart of a mom. Her tips, tricks, and techniques are extraordinarily sensitive to the time constraints of today's families. Don't keep this book on your bookshelf. Keep it on your nightstand because you'll refer to it again and again." -- Rick Lavoie, author of It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend

"Of all the how-to books I've read, this one gets first prize. I predict that levels of parent-child frustration will drop significantly if they take the lessons to heart." -- Clarice J. Kestenbaum, M.D., professor of clinical psychology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Customer Reviews

Great ideas
I like this book for parents of students who don't know where to begin and need a good overview. It is a how to on organizing techniques and esp. good ideas for kids making the difficult transition from homeroom instruction to different classes throughout the day, which is where the system usually falls apart with many kids.

Necessary Help For Students & Parents
I am going to urge all the parents of my middle school students to purchase this book (before school even starts) and begin working with their children to set up the systems referenced.

Implementing successful systems of organization for homework and classwork is not generally taught in school, and, as a result, students, parents, and teachers suffer. I will attempt to implement this book in the forthcoming school year as a practical guide for keeping organized.

There are very few students (IMHO) who innately have the organization skills needed to be successful. The lack of direct instruction in this area (organization) is clearly missing from both the school/classroom curriculum and many parental words of wisdom.

It is easy to tell a child to be organized. However, that is just not good enough! The authors write that organization has to be taught, just like any other subject with which students are unfamiliar. The instruction needs to be incremental, there must be maps (for lockers and backpacks), and there must be regular review and assessment of the organizational systems students are using.

Teachers and parents cannot expect students to get truly organized on their own. This book is really written for parents who are interested in helping their children learn to get organized. Parents will have to commit a good amount of time and effort, but the return will be huge.

The only point I have a minor disagreement with is the timetable for implementation. Whereas the authors recommend that the process of implementing the systems discussed in the book should unfold over quite a few weeks/months, I think students at my school (with the packed curriculum we have) would benefit with a more rapid implementation of the systems. I think to some degree parents will have to speed up the pace and get the systems set up more rapidly than what is mentioned in the book. It will take some time, and I think getting ready as much as one can before school starts will be a big help.

With this minor point aside, I think the authors are spot on with their concepts and strategies, and I have high expectations for this book and how it is going to help my students be more successful.

Organization really does help
This book is very well written and was recommended to us by the developmental medicine physician my son sees for his ADHD. I think it has a great deal to offer with alot of useful suggestions (especially how to set up a binder). We adopted alot of what she said and it did help my son (and also his sister without ADHD) but some of the ideas were over the top for a fifth grader. The child also has to see the value of organization because if he doesn't work on it and buy into it you will waste alot of time and money.