A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization & Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students

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1 A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization & Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students Executive Function and its Role in the Learning Process As your child transitions from elementary to middle school, the demands of school shift dramatically. In elementary school, your child has been in an environment where she only has one primary teacher, and one classroom setting. Middle school requires an adjustment to multiple teachers, multiple assignments and multiple schedules. Managing this increased workload requires the ability to plan, organize, strategize, pay attention to details, and manage time and space or what is called Executive Functioning. Executive Functioning is defined in many ways, but in general, it describes the processes that people use to control their behavior and to get ready to respond to different situations. Sometimes, Executive Functioning is referred to as the boss or the conductor of the thinking and academic processes we need to orchestrate to accomplish tasks and navigate situations. If you d like to read more about Executive Functioning and the role it plays in learning, you might link to this article: By the time your child reaches middle school, the kinds of demands related to Executive Functioning include: Manage more complex, long-term tasks Complete between 1-2 hours of homework Learn to manage competing schedules and demands Use an organization system to manage projects Follow a complex schedule and complete long-term projects Inhibit rule-breaking in absence of visible authority For many children, the increased demand on executive functioning skills is challenging and can make the transition years (entering 6 th grade, entering 9 th grade) difficult! Fortunately, there are organization tools that when used systematically, can help students be much more successful in navigating these transitions. 1 A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization and Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students

2 English History Science Spanish Math Lee Pesky Learning Center Parent Resource Series September 2012 Helping Your Child Stay Organized at Home In this parent resource guide, we outline a system to support your child s ability to learn more efficiently through a system of organization and note-taking that gives him the tools to plan, to organize, to strategize and manage their workload. Organizational Notebook Organization tools work best when they are used consistently. An Organizational Notebook, like the one shown in the diagram below can help keep kids organized, learn one process for keeping all of their schoolwork together, and focus on learning. At the beginning of the school year, each student receives a large, 3-ring binder. The binder is organized by subject, with each subject having a color-coded tab. Under each content area are expanded, color-coordinated tabs. Notebook View From Top Directly under each tab are other tabs of the same color titled: 2 A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization and Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students

3 Expanded View of From Side English History Science Spanish Math This Organizational Notebook system allows the student to keep all of their assignments and schoolwork in one place to help prevent lost assignments, messy notebooks and stress! How it works: At the beginning of the year, every child begins with a 3-ring binder organized by subject with color-coded tabs. For each subject, 3 color coordinated tabs are included: In the section for each subject, the date and assignment are recorded. When the homework assignment is completed, it is placed in the section under the right subject, so that it is ready to turn in. The section is used to store daily notes by subject area. For many students, it is helpful to use a common note-taking system, such as Cornell. The focus on using a common system helps to reduce the demands of the task if notes are taken the same in Science, Math, History, and English, the student can focus on the content rather than the process. Cornell are described after this section. Keeping dated and organized helps make studying or reviewing notes to complete projects much easier. The section is where completed, reviewed assignments, tests and quizzes are kept. This also keeps work organized so if your child needs to review these assignments for finals or other projects, it is readily available. Additionally, having a record of completed assignments ensures that if an error in grade recording happens it can be easily resolved! 3 A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization and Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students

4 What you can do to help! As parents, you can support your child use this system by: Daily checks at the beginning of the year, phasing to weekly, then less frequently as the system is learned. Ensuring the notebook stays neat, and that your child has supplies. Helping your child with time management at home, and with activities Cornell Note taking can be challenging for students, and it is important that they learn this critical skill to help them become successful, independent learners. One system that works really well for note-taking is a system called Cornell. This system can be used across classes to help students focus on and retain important information and concepts to support their learning. When this system is used consistently across classes by your child s teachers AND supported at home, students can focus on learning! Here is a picture of what Cornell look like: The notes that your child takes during class can then be reviewed briefly every day. This helps with retaining information. For some students, an added benefit is to attach an image to the notes and information, that they then associate with the concept or information providing multiple strategies can help your child access and remember information more easily. 4 A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization and Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students

5 What you can do to help! Review or make sure your child reviews her notes daily Help them study by asking them the questions they ve developed Check their summaries periodically Ensure your child has the materials needed to make this system work! Here is a sample of what using Connell can be like: Source: on September 7, A Guide to Executive Functioning, Organization and Note-Taking for Parents of Middle School Students