Learning disability specialist Diane Shepard offered her study skills workshop at our fall program last year in Menlo Park. It was so well received that we are bringing her back on October 24 to Mercy High School in San Francisco. Please join Diane as she offers tips and strategies to help students enhance their personal learning strengths. Here is an article about Diane's approach to effective organizational tools, which ran in our Fall 2008 newsletter.

Creating and Using Effective Organizational Tools
by Diane Shepard

Effectively organizing materials, creating learning tools, and identifying personal study areas can be one of the most daunting tasks faced by many students. With the start of the fall semester, parents and students are often scrambling to put together supply lists, shopping to find just the right backpack, and getting ready for the start of classes. Along with all the purchases to help create a more organized approach to improving success in the classroom, there are some practical strategies that may be of help.

Develop a personal student success "tool kit"

Going to school is work and requires specific academic tools and strategies to succeed. Using an effective "tool kit" helps students have the right tools at the right time. Here are some ideas students can use to improve organization at school and home:

• Binders are Better.   Depending on specific class requirements, each student can use a medium-sized three-ringer binder or series of smaller three-ring binders for each subject to keep different course topics organized. Three-ring binders allow students to add and delete materials as the course progresses. I don't recommend spiral notebooks because they aren't flexible for adding or adjusting paperwork. Having a binder for each subject allows for identification of each unit or subject topic, allows for the use of subject dividers that can be colored-coded and easily identified, and keeps all course handouts in one place. Having a course calendar or syllabus at the front of the binder makes it easy to know what is required each day, week, or semester. Keeping that course calendar in a plastic sleeve makes it even more noticeable and accessible.
• "Five-Second Rule."   A well-organized binder allows students to find essential course materials easily. I like to tell students about the "Five-Second Rule." It simply means that if their course materials are organized, they should be able to find any piece of paper, handout, or assignment within five seconds. Many students struggle with finding the right piece of paper quickly. Often while they're looking, the teacher goes on with instructions or course information. Students can quickly become frustrated and angry as a result. At home, practice finding course paperwork quickly. Parents can make a game of the "Five-Second Rule."
• The "Cockpit Office."   Just as a pilot flies a plane using a variety of navigation tools, they also have those tools within arm's reach. Using this same idea for organizing a personal study area can be very effective-especially for students who can be easily distracted. Moving around the house to find a stapler, paper clip, pen, pencil, or other materials can add up to lost time and loss of concentration. Consider developing a "cockpit office" that includes essential study tools in a brightly lit and personal setting. All students in the family can benefit by shopping for or re-organizing their materials for use at their own desk or study area. When using their own tools, they are less likely to have to hunt for those materials in other areas of the house. Using a zippered pouch in their binder or backpack can accomplish the same idea when at school. It's important to remember that those tools are personal tools and are not to be borrowed by other family members. Students take pride in having their own materials at their desk.

An important aspect of using your tool kit or "cockpit office" successfully is to go through it daily, adding or deleting pages, updating projects, restocking supplies, and organizing so it's ready for the next day. Students' tool kit and personal study area may be their most important organizational tools. Materials and supplies kept within arm's reach can be seen and used easily. Creating and using effective organizational tools and developing a "cockpit office," or personal study space, can help improve grades, increase participation, and build confidence.


About the Author: Diane Shepard specializes in teaching and learning strategies for diverse learners, faculty, and staff at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A certified Learning Disability Specialist and Educational Diagnostician, Diane brings her skills as a special educator and faculty development specialist—and as an honest-to-goodness magician!—to work with students to help them become more effective learners.