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The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond
A must-read for parents, The Organized Student contains hands-on strategies for teaching your disorganized child how to organize for success in middle school and high school, with special tips for kids with ADD/ADHD and learning disorders.
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
-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!”
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
-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!”
246 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2005
47 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 17, 2008
08.17.08
Finished the book a few weeks ago and have decided to promote the book to parents and try to implement the systems with my niece who is entering 9th grade this year.
This book is geared to parents, and it is not the kind of book that you just give to a child and tell him or her to read it. Rather, it will take trial and error, patience, and persistance to implement. The systems and techniques described by the authors will not be easy as teen and tween behaviors are difficult to modify. Nonetheless, organizing takes effort and we must start somewhere. The lack of organizational skills, in my opinion, contributes to epidemic proportions of poor performance.
It is not enough for a parent (or a teacher) to tell a child to get organized. Parents and teachers have to teach a child the ways of being organized.
I will set up a GoodReads discussion group for parents who choose to take on the organizational challenges set forth in the book.
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I am currently reading this book with the intent to draw heavily on it for next year. I am considering strongly urging parents to read the book, and we will work towards shared knowledge (students, parents, & teacher) and participation in the systems of organization presented in the book.
Finished the book a few weeks ago and have decided to promote the book to parents and try to implement the systems with my niece who is entering 9th grade this year.
This book is geared to parents, and it is not the kind of book that you just give to a child and tell him or her to read it. Rather, it will take trial and error, patience, and persistance to implement. The systems and techniques described by the authors will not be easy as teen and tween behaviors are difficult to modify. Nonetheless, organizing takes effort and we must start somewhere. The lack of organizational skills, in my opinion, contributes to epidemic proportions of poor performance.
It is not enough for a parent (or a teacher) to tell a child to get organized. Parents and teachers have to teach a child the ways of being organized.
I will set up a GoodReads discussion group for parents who choose to take on the organizational challenges set forth in the book.
--------
I am currently reading this book with the intent to draw heavily on it for next year. I am considering strongly urging parents to read the book, and we will work towards shared knowledge (students, parents, & teacher) and participation in the systems of organization presented in the book.
February 24, 2021
Suggested some helpful ways to think about a child who has trouble with organization, instead of getting frustrated and blaming. Very detailed suggestions for mapping out a plan. Some of the book seems a little dated; for example, it suggests a certain type of seven-period academic planner that was pretty difficult to find. One interesting concept in the books, which I saw in another similar one, is that digital clocks are making it tougher for kids to grasp the concept of time and how quickly it is passing. They can't see that 15 minutes takes up one quarter of an hour, and so don't really grasp periods of time in relation to each other as well as they used to be able to do with analog clocks. Interesting approach to messy rooms too - basically, if it's not having an impact on their ability to do their work and therefore their grades, don't worry about it.
July 10, 2017
If you have children pre fifth grade I highly recommend this book. I wish I would have read it when my kids were younger. I didn't read it until they were in high school. This is a great how to help the student who just can't pull it together and the mom/dad who is struggling to figure it out.
January 11, 2018
This book took me over six months to read cover-to-cover, but I think that it's probably better to read and refer to as needed rather than to sit down and read all at once. It's an invaluable resource to support a child who is supporting and understanding a disorganized child.
June 2, 2020
Required book for an education course. While I didn’t get much from it as a teacher, I do think this is good for parents looking to help their struggling child.
January 27, 2019
I am extremely impressed by this how-to book on student organization. I actually have been using these techniques to organize my non-profit files and the students I have worked with in the past year. Also, personal organization for myself. Wow, I am impressed how these techniques do work; I am not carrying around so much stuff. I actually have created a little nook to keep files on hand in the workplace. My log book is so orderly, it's amazing. I was never so organized as an undergraduate carrying my research and all of my textbooks around with me. Geez, I wish I found this book earlier in my life. Organization is now a craft.
This book explains step-by-step hands-on techniques for students K - 12 and college preparation. These organizational techniques are divided into segments of organizational tasks toward teaching the student how to organize their study area, desk (or portable office), computer files, backpack, binder, learn, implement and allocate time management skills and archive study materials for future reference through the use of tangible strategies.
Each student is different toward which technique or blend of techniques they choose to implement and grade level of the student should be taken into consideration prior to which techniques are sensible to implement. Teachers don't always teach their students academic organizational skills in the classroom because they say they don't have the time to allocate for such tasks; these teachers fail their students academically by depriving their students the basic knowledge of study skills necessary for academic success. Neither do most parents know how to teach their children academic organizational strategies; in today's competitive academic atmosphere, most parents are taken aback by what their children must do to become a successful student. Parents expect teachers to provide their children with the academic strategies necessary for academic success.
I found the strategies helpful. I trained my 3rd Grade students in the art of academic organization in the classroom. I adopted the binder, desktop filing system, the planner and classroom organization techniques for both myself and my students. Organizing my lesson plans and notes improved my ability to teach the curriculum; my students were able to keep their work organized in their desks; the desktop was organized as shared space with a single box to hold pencils, crayons, rulers and paper; the planner was introduced on legal sized paper for visual effect and illustrated due dates by subject and week (we used crayons for color coding). My students were able to complete their tasks both in the classroom and at home with the use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic hands-on tools we applied in the classroom toward our personal organizational strategies.
This book explains step-by-step hands-on techniques for students K - 12 and college preparation. These organizational techniques are divided into segments of organizational tasks toward teaching the student how to organize their study area, desk (or portable office), computer files, backpack, binder, learn, implement and allocate time management skills and archive study materials for future reference through the use of tangible strategies.
Each student is different toward which technique or blend of techniques they choose to implement and grade level of the student should be taken into consideration prior to which techniques are sensible to implement. Teachers don't always teach their students academic organizational skills in the classroom because they say they don't have the time to allocate for such tasks; these teachers fail their students academically by depriving their students the basic knowledge of study skills necessary for academic success. Neither do most parents know how to teach their children academic organizational strategies; in today's competitive academic atmosphere, most parents are taken aback by what their children must do to become a successful student. Parents expect teachers to provide their children with the academic strategies necessary for academic success.
I found the strategies helpful. I trained my 3rd Grade students in the art of academic organization in the classroom. I adopted the binder, desktop filing system, the planner and classroom organization techniques for both myself and my students. Organizing my lesson plans and notes improved my ability to teach the curriculum; my students were able to keep their work organized in their desks; the desktop was organized as shared space with a single box to hold pencils, crayons, rulers and paper; the planner was introduced on legal sized paper for visual effect and illustrated due dates by subject and week (we used crayons for color coding). My students were able to complete their tasks both in the classroom and at home with the use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic hands-on tools we applied in the classroom toward our personal organizational strategies.
January 7, 2014
This book came highly recommended by my kids' developmental pediatrician, and I bought it reluctantly, expecting yet another unrealistic book promising miraculous transformations through elaborate sticker charts and token-and-reward systems. I was pleasantly surprised!
Donna Goldberg, who has worked professionally with hundreds of disorganized middle and high school students on a one-on-one basis, shares a wealth of insight into what it's like to be a student today and the variety of challenges kids face in managing paper, space, and time. The book is sprinkled with assessments to help you understand your child's school day, questions I never thought to ask but that immediately helped us to identify and solve some of the problems my son was having. Questions like, Where is your locker in relation to your classes? How often do you get to go to your locker throughout the day? How much time do you have between classes, and is there one teacher who always lets you out late?
Goldberg stresses that there are many different methods of organization, but the one that works best for your child will be the one that she or he chooses and sets up rather than something external that parents or teachers impose upon the child. Consequently, there are lots of options and variations for each area addressed in the book.
I read through this book off and on over a period of several months to understand the whole philosophy and process prior to attempting to implement anything, highlighting and flagging as I went along. Then I went back and reread highlighted sections to create an action plan for addressing these issues with my sons in the order suggested by the author. So far I've helped my 5th grader to reorganize his backpack and streamline his class binders (he doesn't have a locker yet) and the next step with him will be to set up his "portable office" for doing school work at home. With my older son, who has been lugging around a 50 pound backpack, I will have to tread carefully and ease him into streamlining his paper flow before we even think about his desk, but I think he may even like to read a few chapters of this book on his own to help him understand why we are doing this and "what's in it for him."
I highly recommend this book to any parents of middle school or high school students, but especially for those who are disorganized and/or who suffer from ADHD related executive functioning weaknesses, but with this caveat: You and your child will need to invest some significant time into implementing the strategies in this book in order to gain anything from it. If you're expecting to read the book and then instantly see miracles, you're going to be disappointed.
Donna Goldberg, who has worked professionally with hundreds of disorganized middle and high school students on a one-on-one basis, shares a wealth of insight into what it's like to be a student today and the variety of challenges kids face in managing paper, space, and time. The book is sprinkled with assessments to help you understand your child's school day, questions I never thought to ask but that immediately helped us to identify and solve some of the problems my son was having. Questions like, Where is your locker in relation to your classes? How often do you get to go to your locker throughout the day? How much time do you have between classes, and is there one teacher who always lets you out late?
Goldberg stresses that there are many different methods of organization, but the one that works best for your child will be the one that she or he chooses and sets up rather than something external that parents or teachers impose upon the child. Consequently, there are lots of options and variations for each area addressed in the book.
I read through this book off and on over a period of several months to understand the whole philosophy and process prior to attempting to implement anything, highlighting and flagging as I went along. Then I went back and reread highlighted sections to create an action plan for addressing these issues with my sons in the order suggested by the author. So far I've helped my 5th grader to reorganize his backpack and streamline his class binders (he doesn't have a locker yet) and the next step with him will be to set up his "portable office" for doing school work at home. With my older son, who has been lugging around a 50 pound backpack, I will have to tread carefully and ease him into streamlining his paper flow before we even think about his desk, but I think he may even like to read a few chapters of this book on his own to help him understand why we are doing this and "what's in it for him."
I highly recommend this book to any parents of middle school or high school students, but especially for those who are disorganized and/or who suffer from ADHD related executive functioning weaknesses, but with this caveat: You and your child will need to invest some significant time into implementing the strategies in this book in order to gain anything from it. If you're expecting to read the book and then instantly see miracles, you're going to be disappointed.
December 8, 2014
I am an adult 37-year-old college student and purchased this book for myself. I am very excited to try the suggestions for time management and DeskSet up. I have been reading organization books over the years. I find the more I read the easier it is to become more organized. This is one of the better books that I've read on organization. I would recommend this book. A lot of organization books I find great tidbits that I use. This book I intend to follow step-by-step for time management and Desk set up specifically for school. I just want to give someone who is just starting out some inspiration. Don't give up if you feel discouraged because you are not doing everything the book recommends try one thing that you know you'd like to do and commit to doing that. I'm the kind of person who needs to do something over and over again in order for it to sink in. It takes months and sometimes years of trying different things in order to decide what works well. Also things change and your needs change so you'll need to change in order to accommodate. Don't give up and don't expect perfection.
September 26, 2022
The Organized Student by Donna Goldberg and Jennifer Zwiebel provides open-eyed, compassionate, practical advice for kids and parents who've hit the limits of their patience, energy and resources around challenges of staying prepared for academic efforts. The authors are unconcerned with the "whys" of a child's disorganization: those answers are best found with the help of diagnosticians and therapists. But the "hows"... OH YES.
There's a huge number of sensible suggestions in this book, from how to approach potential arguments about a child's need to get organized, to what to look for to use as simple paperwork storage, to how to assess a student's concept of time and that impact on his/her/their performance. Importantly, Goldberg and Zwiebel's definition of "student" is generous - these are methods which are as relevant in elementary school as in graduate school. I would argue their techniques can be adapted for all us ordinary working Joes and Janes. And despite the book's 2005 publication date, it's timeless. Although I admit I'd be curious to see v2...
Lauren Williams, Certified Professional Organizer, Owner, Casual Uncluttering LLC, Woodinville WA USA
There's a huge number of sensible suggestions in this book, from how to approach potential arguments about a child's need to get organized, to what to look for to use as simple paperwork storage, to how to assess a student's concept of time and that impact on his/her/their performance. Importantly, Goldberg and Zwiebel's definition of "student" is generous - these are methods which are as relevant in elementary school as in graduate school. I would argue their techniques can be adapted for all us ordinary working Joes and Janes. And despite the book's 2005 publication date, it's timeless. Although I admit I'd be curious to see v2...
Lauren Williams, Certified Professional Organizer, Owner, Casual Uncluttering LLC, Woodinville WA USA
November 9, 2013
I can recommend this book, based on the fact that I have a very disorganized kid in my house (who rather takes after his mother, in fact). The general idea of the book is that parents have to help kids, who are being asked to keep it together much younger than ever before. At the same time parents need to step up, they need to understand that whatever Fabulous System they use to keep themselves organized may not work for their kid. Let the kids explore how to set things up, since they know their school schedule and classroom needs best.
I needed to hear this. My son needed to figure this out too. We've implemented several of the things Goldberg recommends, and I'm sure I'll be referring to this book a lot over the years. I'll probably just buy a copy so I can have it at hand as necessary.
I needed to hear this. My son needed to figure this out too. We've implemented several of the things Goldberg recommends, and I'm sure I'll be referring to this book a lot over the years. I'll probably just buy a copy so I can have it at hand as necessary.
June 4, 2012
I made it to page 140, ironically, stopping at the chapter I probably need the most: Understanding Time Management--The Basics. I only ended there because the library needs the book back. The Organized Student is useful for those of us who are organizationally challenged. I wish my parents had read it and taught me some of the precepts, but then again, the book only came out seven years ago. In the spirit that it's never too late and with a nod to the fact that not everyone is born or sees the benefits to being organized, this is a useful text that can help students and others succeed.
May 10, 2008
She has a program, and she's pretty much selling it: This is the one way to organize a desk, this is the one way to organize a backpack, etc. There are some options for personalizing based on learning style, but no acknowledgement that maybe a tackle box isn't the best solution, so here are some ways to explore other solutions.
I did like the stress throughout on not just setting up systems but learning skills; this could be generalized to all sorts of people who aren't students.
I did like the stress throughout on not just setting up systems but learning skills; this could be generalized to all sorts of people who aren't students.
November 1, 2019
I read this book to prepare for teaching a class to high school students on scheduling. It was super helpful in learning about their mindset for why they don't hand in finished homework, do homework, and keep updated planners. As the book was written many years ago, I gave it grace on being so outdated (I had forgotten about PDAs!). Overall, it was great to learn from the author's years of experience in helping students get organized.
July 16, 2008
I read this (quickly, granted) because Mr. Harris recommended it. Also, because, I believe, FMS will be recommending it to parents in the Magnet Program.
Overall, a good book, with helpful suggestions both for organizing and working with your child as s/he develops his/her own systems. I did think the reference to Vail and her thoughts on time interesting as well.
Overall, a good book, with helpful suggestions both for organizing and working with your child as s/he develops his/her own systems. I did think the reference to Vail and her thoughts on time interesting as well.
February 8, 2009
If you have a child who is disorganized at school, this book WILL help! The difference in my child is fantastic--it also helps you as a parent (especially if you are innately organized or somewhat so) to realize that organization is a skill to be learned, but must make sense to the person doing the organizing. It doesn't have to make sense to everyone else. I found this so simple, yet so novel!
August 19, 2009
Even though it is meant to help students in Elementary and Middle School certain things can be taken for the college student such as the planner section as well as the notebook and book bag areas. I skimmed through the book for the sections that could help me but I think thank it would help students in the classroom as well.
January 25, 2012
A good guide for parents of kids with executive function difficulties. Not as applicable to my three online-schooled kids (no papers or books to haul back and forth from school, and workspace & desk supplies are quite different, plus all our planning is already set up online) but there were some good insights and it gave me ideas for new things to try.
May 24, 2017
This book is for people whose children need help with how they organize their locker, or their backpack, or their binder. It also contains tips for following a process: do this first, then that.
The best thing about this book is that it contains simple, pragmatic tips that don't come from mom! And because they don't come from mom, I'm betting that they're listened to more!
August 23, 2012
I had to read this one because I'm teaching an organization class to 6th graders right now. This one is fine. I like Where's My Stuff better, I thought it was more fun and straightforward for kids than this one. But this one had its good points too.
August 12, 2014
A fabulous guide that teaches an adult how to teach organziation to a student in middle school or higher grades. An essential nuts and bolts handbook that will assit with setting up something that will work for your child's style. Great resource!
June 29, 2008
Loved this book. Great ideas for organizing teens and even younger students.
July 6, 2009
Some kids can't get organized no matter what systems you put in place. Thought this book might help #1 son, but no.
January 20, 2010
Now that I have a middle & a high school student, I'm reading about organization techniques to help keep them on top of their school work.
May 22, 2010
This had practical helpful hints that may actually help my students stay organized. I wasn't expecting to find anything new here, but I found tips that might even help ME stay organized.
August 8, 2010
I'm only halfway through this book, but I've learned a lot already. Getting a handle on a student's paper chaos is outlined step by step.
April 28, 2011
Lots of good ideas in here!
June 10, 2011
Very detailed and useful for a variety of situations. I'm applying this not only to my kids, but myself too!
June 23, 2011
Great book. Very helpful. I plan to use the ideas in this book for my students and for my personal child.
I really like the specific information on how to set up the home desk and bookbag.
I really like the specific information on how to set up the home desk and bookbag.
June 30, 2012
Love to reference and this book is great for transitioning from elementary to middle and again middle to high school reminders and tips!!
August 4, 2012
Some good ideas for getting my ADHD 7th grader more organized.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews