Getting organized is key to success at school. If you have a child with ADHD, you may be very familiar with their tendency to lose pens, forget books, submit unfinished school work, have endless piles of papers stuffed in the school bag, etc. However, teaching your child with ADHD how to become organized is absolutely possible! This is a great way to help ADHD kids succeed.

Why should kids be organized?

Being organized makes everything else easier. It helps learners work faster and it’s vital to their success in the classroom. Being organized will help a learner complete assignment on time or prepare materials for projects in advance. This way they will be able to achieve results.

Tips to help an ADHD learner get organized

Divide tasks into smaller pieces to help ADHD kids perform better

You can start by helping your child break down school projects or household chores into smaller tasks or steps. For example, if they have a school project the next day, ask them if they have packed everything they need to complete the project. They may nod and say yes, but prompt them to think about whether they need anything else. “That’s great”. You packed everything, but do you think you may need an additional item because it was listed on the material sheet for the project? “You may give them some hints, but let them think about the process. Teach them that each project has a beginning, middle, and end.

Make checklists

Now that they know what items they need, you can ask them to organize the all the material, worksheets and books on their desk. Ask them where they can find these items and how to pack them into their school bag. Once children know all the steps involved with a particular task, ask them to make a checklist for that specific task. For instance, you can ask them to make a to-do list for packing a school bag. Teach them how to organize books in a bag, how to group things together, what to pack, and what not to pack. This will give them a sense of responsibility. Moreover, they will avoid carrying unnecessary items to school and won’t leave behind any important materials or items such as their glasses. You can encourage them to make their list using a smartphone, tablet, or dry-erase board. This will keep them motivated to follow the list.

Teach the use of a calendar

Encourage learners to note down important tasks on a calendar, journal, or planner, whether it be digital or paper. Then help them evaluate the time they need to complete the task or project. Once they have completed the task, ask them if they were successful in completing the task in the time allocated. Then you can help them adjust the schedule for next time. This will also help them learn how to plan due dates for school assignments or projects, memorize the due dates and complete the project in the time allocated.

Set a routine

Create a plan to help learners comprehend and process what to anticipate throughout the day. The set routine will add discipline to their work. You can use picture schedules, planners, or other time management apps to encourage them to follow the routine.

In conclusion:

With these useful tips, you will no longer experience half-eaten lunches, or receive a teachers’ note that was buried in piles of paper and never made it, into your hand. The executive functioning skill of planning and organizing is important to ensure classroom success. It’s possible to teach a child with ADHD how to plan and organize. Motivate and encourage them to keep practicing this skill and make them aware of the necessity of good planning and organizational skills in order to achieve classroom success.

Illegible and untidy handwriting is common in children with ADHD. The good news, is that there are many ways to tackle untidy handwriting and to improve a learner’s fine motor skills. Even though they know what to write, they struggle with writing it down neatly. You will often hear from a teacher, “Sarah’s writing is all over the place. I just can’t read her answers.” Children with ADHD can learn to write neatly. They need to practice their fine motor skills in order to achieve motor fluency required for neat handwriting. Moreover, writing down their thoughts can be demanding and requires practice to achieve proficiency. A child with ADHD tends to rush, which will contribute to untidy handwriting. Let’s look at some factors that can help your child improve their handwriting.

5 factors to improve untidy handwriting

Get a good grip

You can find many pens or pencils with rubber grips at any online stationery store. Use the grip and teach your child where and how to hold their pencil. The rubber grip positions your child’s fingers at the right spot and keeps them there while they write.

Muscle memory

Repetition is key. Have your child practice writing the same thing a number of times. This will help them remember the strokes. To strengthen your child’s fingers have them use a spray bottle and clean windows. This will also strengthen their wrist. Small wrist movements is essential for neat handwriting. You can help your child by placing a book under their arm to practice using their wrist instead of their shoulder when forming the letters.

Teach your child to hold the pen closer to the edge so that they have the correct posture on the page. However, they should hold the pen firmly, or else holding it loosely will not get correct writing formations. Help them understand the importance of a steady wrist. Although the wrist should be slightly elevated, it should not be pointing in an upward direction.

You can add a wrist guard to keep the wrist down on the table or get an elevated writing board which will help your child strengthen their wrist and will also encourage the correct wrist elevation for neat handwriting. Let your child know, that they can use their dominant hand to write and the other hand to support.

Line spacing

Some children can’t distinguish the lines, slowing down their writing speed. You can introduce your child to ruled lines and show them where the lines begin and end. Practicing at home, will make it more familiar for them when they have to write in between the lines in class. They may face spacing issues too. In this case, you can teach them to use a finger space between the words for correct spacing. Remember, their letters don’t have to be artistic but legible.

Body posture

In order for your ADHD child to learn self-management and independence when it comes to handwriting make them aware of their body posture before they begin a worksheet. Make sure they sit up straight, feet flat on the ground, elbows above the table. Because right posture helps in rectifying shabby writing. Therefore, keep reminding them to correct their posture. Through practice, they will get used to the correct body posture which will help them improve their writing in the long run.

Key takeaways

Due to illegible handwriting, your child may encounter difficulties in the classroom frequently, especially in the early years of schooling. If these difficulties prevail, then it won’t take long for them to get discouraged. Therefore, follow the aforementioned steps and support your child improve their handwriting skills to ensure their success in the classroom.

Normally, every child will have dips in self-esteem as they go through different phases of life. Pressure of starting a new school, exams, homework, extra lessons may affect your child’s confidence. Many kids have an abundance of confidence and will easily pass through their difficult stages. But if your kid is a little afraid of the world, then he could be lacking self-esteem.

Self-esteem represents a person’s subjective sense of worth or value. In simple terms, it means how much you value yourself regardless of any situation. You can easily notice it in your child when they seem to feel good about themselves. And this idea of feeling good is what we call “self-esteem.”

However, some kids feel they’re not as good as others or they have lack confidence. The lack of confidence stops them from trying new things. They doubt their abilities and are always hard on themselves. In this case, parents should build the child’s self-esteem. How, you ask? In this article, let’s discuss how to build a child’s self-esteem.

1. Discover strengths
A child with low self-esteem focuses on their weaknesses. So find ways that can help them recognize their strengths. If they enjoy painting, then buy art supplies and allow them to paint. Don’t forget to appreciate their efforts. This will not only make them understand that different kids have different potencies, but will inspire them to appreciate their own.

2. Take risks
Just as you take healthy risks to solve your problem, let your child branch out to try new activities or develop new skills. This will not only build their confidence, but a sense that they can tackle anything that comes their way.

3. Praise their efforts
Constant praising can erode self-esteem. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the effort your kid goes to in trying to achieve something. So, if they have completed their homework given by their primary school tutor but did not get a top grade, be sure to praise them for their efforts.

4. Add household chores to their To-Do list
Delegate responsibilities to your child. Let them unload the dishwasher, set the table, fold sheets, or sweep floors. This allows them to demonstrate their competence to get the work done and feel that their assistance is valuable in the house.

5. Constructive criticism
Your words can either make or break your child. The way you communicate with your child translates into how they feel about themselves. Rather than bashing them harshly, offer constructive criticism. Encourage them to solve their problem and recognize when they’ve done it. For instance, instead of saying, ‘you are terrible with homework,’ try ‘how do you think you did with your homework today?’

6. Challenge negative thoughts
You may notice your child speaks badly about themselves. Stop them right away, instead challenge them to see what they can do rather than what they can’t. Try using the following affirmative sentences.

Image credit: https://biglifejournal.com/

Final thoughts
Having self-esteem does not mean you are more important than others or being arrogant. Therefore, maintaining a healthy balance is very important. Teach your child important values such as being kind, good manners, empathy, gratitude, etc. Ultimately, building your child’s self-esteem contributes to positive social behavior, regardless of circumstances.