There is something so invigorating about being given a fresh start to stay organized and on top of all of our commitments. Whether you are trying to get your family organized for the New Year, new school year, or just because you desperately need to, a school planner can be the perfect tool.
From early on, my son’s school started distributing school planners to each student to track their homework and upcoming exams. Having a planner has been incredibly helpful to my kids (am me!) to make sure they don’t miss any assignments and so they can schedule time throughout the week to study for quizzes and tests. In fact, planners offer so much more than just a place to write down homework.
Benefits Of School Planners
- Keep track of all commitments. Kids have hectic schedules between homework, tests, extracurricular activities, social outings, and family time. By having one place to write down all of the moving parts, your kids will stay on track and not get overwhelmed by their to-do list. In addition, Dr. Maggie Wray, success skills coach and mentor for teens and young adults, explains how writing down assignments in real time as the teacher announces them makes it so much easier for students to remember their assignments. Plus, it takes the pressure off of having to memorize what the teacher said because it’s right there in black and white.
- Manage time. Planners offer a visual reminder of tasks that can be crossed off when finished to help our kids stay on task and get things done in a more productive way than a long laundry list or trying to remember everything by heart. The daily, weekly, and monthly calendar features can be especially helpful so students can see an overview of a chunk of time to help them better plan and balance their commitments.
- Be more mindful. Planners help free up space in our kids’ brains so they can focus on other important things like creativity or critical thinking skills. Having a written plan frees up working memory, which makes it easier for them to focus on the task at hand. When students jot down their assignments and activities in a planner, their brains can stop struggling to keep track of everything they have left to work on. Instead, they can be more mindful, pay closer attention, learn more effectively, and complete their work more efficiently.
- Helps your child achieve goals. Planners can guide your children so they can easily set and achieve their goals throughout the year. From small goals like finishing their daily math homework to larger goals like making honor role, their planner will help bring their dreams to fruition. Set aside time each month with your children to review their goals using the SMART goal approach and help them track their steps for each goal by using their planner. With each milestone they check off their list, they will feel a major sense of accomplishment.
- Serves as a journal. Today, planners are so much more than just a calendar. Many include inspirational quotes and writing prompts so students can record their thoughts, feelings, and memories. I especially love journals that include a place to list what we are thankful for on a daily basis since gratitude is so critical to a happy, healthy lifestyle. Encourage your older children and teens to use their planners as a journal and to keep them so they can look back at them years from now.
Tips For Using A School Planner Effectively
The teachers at my son’s school require parents to review and sign the school planner everyday so we are engaged in the process, which I think is a wonderful idea. Here are some other tips to make sure your kids are using their planner effectively:
- Ask them to keep their planner with them at all times, such as in their backpack.
- Create a habit of looking at their planner as soon as you and your children get home after school. It may also be helpful to look at it again in the morning before school to see what is coming up on the agenda.
- If your teachers do not require a planner, work with them to make sure they are on board with your efforts.
- Use a paperclip, bookmark, or other marker to keep the previous weeks’ pages of the planner together so it always opens to the current week. This will reduce confusion and frustration hunting for the right page.
- Always use positive reinforcement regarding our child’s organizational efforts. Be sure to point out progress when you see it.
- Teach your kids to check their calendar in the planner before agreeing to appointments or tasks.
Choosing The Best School Planner For Your Kids
It can be overwhelming trying to decide which school planner to buy for your kids. Look for ones that have a daily homework list, daily action or to-do list, tabs or bookmarks, monthly calendar pages, a place to write down long-term goals, and a place to track grades. Also, ADDitudeMag contributor Susan Kruger, M.Ed., suggests purchasing a simple, thin, spiral-bound planner that uses a weekly layout with a separate space for each day.
What experience do you have with your kids using school planners to stay focused and organized?
I know I stay on task and am more organized when I have a to-do list. I haven’t quite gotten on board with a paper planner, but I use my phone calendar and a to-do list app. This is a great exercise for kids!
Love this! I definitely need my own planner to function every day (which, this year is the Passion Planner and I am loving it so far 🙂 ), but even though we have all sorts of routines in place for our kids, I haven’t given much thought to giving them a planner of their own. I can see where this would be a huge benefit for my oldest especially, who struggles with distraction and shares her mother’s tendency to be scattered. Thanks for the great tips! 🙂
Little miss isn’t quite old enough yet for this – but I love the idea!
It seems like a super productive and fun activity for kids. Great Content. ❤️
I just bought my kids a weekly planner for homeschool! I feel more encouraged reading your post on how it benefits them. I appreciate your tips! I plan to do something fun for them for keeping up with their planner as a reward.
My school began handing out planners in the sixth grade. We were required to use them as part of our Englush grade. I loved it, but for some, it was like pulling teeth, and by the time they were no longer a requirement, I was one of the few who still used them. But planners are very popular these days, and I bet it’s a novelty for kids who are used to working primarily on screens vs paper. Really interesting.
Definitely going to try this with my son when he learns his days of the week!
I will have to try this with my son! Thanks.
I love the idea of having a school planner for kids! To be honest, I use a planner for the exact same reasons, or I will definitely forget something at work or at home.
People always underestimate the importance on organization on mental health
Planner is very much important for kids to keep them focused and motivated. Great article!
Planners are so important to keep the kids on task. Our boys’ school provides planners for the kids and require them to write in it every day and parents reviewing and signing off on it. It helps them stay on task.
My oldest son has does a lot of his school online right now, and I was just wondering if a physical planner would help him keep better track of his assignments. You have me convinced! Thank you!
I think this is a great routine to teach our kids from a very young age! Thank you
I love a good a planner! Even when I was a kid, I loved them! It’s definitely important now as so many kids are switching to online learning. All those changes can make it hard to remember everything. Thanks for these great tips!
These are all such great tips! I think we tend to forget how helpful things like this can be for kids. I know I’ve gotten myself planners to help, but didn’t realize how helpful it can be for kids too! Great post!
My kids’ school gives them a weekly work plan that breaks down what they need to work on daily. It works wonders! Even younger elementary kids can benefit from having a planner because it helps them know what to focus on. Great advice!
This is a wonderful post! It’s so helpful thank you for the advice 🧡
Really nice idea! thanks
Love this and as an adult planner user I think it helps so much to write tasks down.
I can definitely vouch for you on this! I keep a blank notebook for my to-do lists as well as a planner to write all of my deadlines down. Once I finish each assignment or task it gets checked off in my notebook and highlighted in my planner. Such a great system. Thank you for sharing!
Lists and realistic goals help me a lot. I’m much more productive and motivated with a to do list to work from.
I used to love my planner that we were given in high school. Used as a diary and with notes from teachers too, meant I could work towards the goals in my education.