Plan your Work, Work

your Plan: How better organization leads to happier students and improved academic gains in reading and math.

A Presentation for Rivers Eve Elementary School - 10/24/2016

Presenter: Malcolm E. Anderson, Ph.D.

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Introduction

• Dr. Malcolm E. Anderson

• Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, Multicultural Counseling and Research

• Private Practice 20 years, (Individual, Family/Parenting, Couples/Marital Therapy and Communication)

• Licensed Psychologist in GA, September 2000

• Associate Professor Clinical Psychology

• High school lacrosse coach 20 years in Georgia

• Father (17 years), Husband (24 years).

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What Will We Learn Today?

• The relationship between organizational skill development and confidence.

• The relationship between confidence and success.

• The importance of consistency in predicting school success particularly in reading and math.

• The role of family development and structure to ensure consistent success in reading and math.

• The role of a family plan in maintaining these consistent successes.

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Organizational Skills

• Attention and concentration issues can be detected early in development.

• Distractibility and consequent anxiety compound the issue as the child experiences sleep disturbances which contribute to further inattention, poorer academic performance and parental/teacher anxiety.

• Early organizational strategies can minimize and, in many cases eliminate attention/concentration problems which often lead to difficulties in reading and math.

• Early organizational success leads to greater confidence and trust in the child’s independent work and success.

• Greater confidence leads to internal rewards and reduces fear of failure in new learning challenges.

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Organization=Focus=Success

• General Concepts to consider:

• Consistency of your Plan

• Disciplined Encouragement

• Enthusiasm and Monitoring

• Preparation and Repetition

• Prioritizing and Generalized Home Applications

• Age-appropriate adjustments

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“No one is born with great organizational skills …

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Math and Reading

• Fundamental learning tools that require daily practice.

• They require attention, concentration and memory skill development

• These skills can be cross developed simultaneously to enhance math and reading preparedness and progression

• They can also be family activities.

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Study Plan

• Develop a study plan for after school

• Include the homework from the folder

• Help with the organization of the folder

• Create calendars and lists to prioritize the homework

• Chunk the work into time frames, categories and practicality of workload.

• Review and look for mnemonic opportunities

• Take Breaks to Refresh and Restart so as to Recall and Refocus! This is important for the process of memory and attention. C

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Family Organizational Plan

• Mirror your family plan to your school organizational plan

• Provide tasks and chores for your children that will assist in organization, memory and attention

• Sorting, categorizing, reorganizing, counting, reading instructions.

• Premack Tasks and rewards

• Be a consistently involved parent in your monitoring, practice, and enthusiastic reward.

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Organizational skills are learned and practiced daily

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

6:00 Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP

7:30 Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake up

8:00 Wake up Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

8:30 Breakfast Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Free Time

9:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time

10:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time

10:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Reading Work

11:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Review Math

11:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Chores and Tasks

12:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Chores and Tasks

12:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Lunch Time

1:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Lunch Time

1:30 Lunch Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time

2:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time

2:30 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time

3:00 Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Free Time Free Time

3:30 Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Free Time Free Time

4:00 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time

4:30 Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Free Time Free Time

5:00 Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Free Time Free Time

5:30 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time

6:00 Dinner Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time

6:30 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner

7:00 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner

7:30 Family Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Dinner

8:00 Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time

8:30 Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time

9:00 Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual

9:30 Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep

10:00 Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep

Organizational Study Grid

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References

• Websites of interest• KidsHealth.org

• Scholastic.com

• FamilyEducation.com

• Books• Positive Parenting in Action, Laura Ling and Rebecca Eanes

• Positive Parenting: The essential guide, Rebecca Eanes

• Positive Parenting with a Plan, Matthew Johnson, Psy.D.

• Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell (2005).

Malcolm E. Anderson, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist3355 Medlock Bridge Road, Norcross, GA 30092

(770) 582-0532

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