How can I help my child get organized and stay motivated in school?

Question

My child struggles to keep up with assignments, often forgets due dates, and waits until the last minute to study. I’ve tried planners and reminders, but nothing seems to stick. What can I do?

Answer 1

Often, students will have larger habits that get in the way of their educational goals. Here are a few strategies that I've found helpful for any age (they'll just need to be modified to fit the student's age, goals, etc.)

Identifying Goals: The student needs to identify the goal(s) that are really important. Often, students just drift through school without asking what they want. My students identify goals like becoming MVP on their soccer team, starting a business, or getting into their top college choice. Whatever it may be, the goal needs to be clearly set and needs to have a firm place in the student's mind.

Finding the Time: Once the goal is set, students need to know what time they actually have. Students can't spend 24 hours a day on academics, business development, or sports. The student needs a realistic understanding of the time they have and the time that is needlessly wasted. That hour and a half between dinner and practice can be an effective time to work on branding a product or masting subject verb agreement. Students are often surprised to learn that time doesn't just happen; we have to make time for what we want.

Breaking Down Goals: Now that we have our overarching goals and the actual time we made for accomplishing those goals, it's time to ask what prerequired (prereq) goals we need to accomplish in order to reach our overarching goals. An overarching goal would be getting into our top school choice. Some prereq goals would then be maintaining a certain GPA, earning a certain score on the SAT, writing a college admission essay, etc. These prereq goals need to be broken down even further until they become concrete, actionable tasks, which I like to call action goals. For example, eventually, the student might eventually make the following recognition: "For my English tests and essays, I don't know when to use a semicolon." The student can then make an action goal: "Learn how to properly use the semicolon in conventional English." Often, the student won't know what they need to know. Here's where they'll need to make an discovery action goal. For example: "Ask my teacher what I'll need to know for my final" or "Talk to a S&C coach about what I need to move to the next level."

Making Time for Action Goals: Now comes the part of the process where students figure out where they can fit their action goals into their time blocks. Smaller chunks of time can be assigned to shallow work (like revieing AP history flashcards or replying to important emails) and larger portions of time can be spent on deeper work (like planning a business proposal, mastering how to use semicolons correctly, or working on a college admissions essay). This is where the the rubber meets the road for studying: the student will need to realistically estimate what time they'll need for their specific action goals.

Regularly Reevaluating: If the student's strategies aren't working, they may need to be more realistic about their time. They might not have accounted for the time needed to drive to practice, or how long it would take to learn how to use the semicolon. In the end, the student will need to learn flexibility in planning and how to roll with the punches.

Implementing these strategies has been a cornerstone for my students as we work towards their goals. I hope they find a wider audience here and prove useful to others!

Answer 2

📅 1. Build a Simple, Consistent Routine

Kids thrive with predictable schedules. Set regular times for homework, breaks, and study. This helps create habits that don’t rely on willpower alone.

📝 2. Use Visual Tools That Work for Your Child

Planners and reminders are great—but only if they’re easy to use and fit your child’s style. Try:

1. A colorful calendar on the wall
2. Sticky notes in key places
3. Digital apps with alerts (if they like tech)

Make it fun and interactive so it feels less like a chore.

⏳ 3. Break Tasks into Small, Manageable Steps

Large assignments or studying can feel overwhelming. Help your child divide work into smaller chunks with mini-deadlines. Celebrate each small success!

🎯 4. Connect Motivation to Interests and Goals

Find out what excites your child or what they want to achieve. Linking schoolwork to their interests or future goals helps make motivation more meaningful.

👩‍🏫 5. Provide Support and Accountability

Sometimes kids need a little extra help staying on track. As a tutor, I work with students to build personalized organization skills and motivation strategies—plus regular check-ins to keep momentum going.

📩 Feel free to reach out if you want guidance tailored to your child’s unique needs! Message Michele by scrolling to the bottom of her profile page.

Answer 3

This is one of the most common challenges I hear from parents, and it usually points to a need for support in executive functioning, not just time management.

Many students have the intention to stay on track but lack the strategies to do it consistently. What they need is a system that matches their personality and routine. I work with students to build simple, repeatable habits around task tracking, study blocks, and planning that actually work for them. This may include weekly check-ins, digital planners, visual reminders, or even breaking assignments into smaller, manageable steps with deadlines built in.

The key is consistency, not perfection. With structured coaching and accountability, students can learn how to take ownership of their time and tasks. Once they start seeing progress, motivation often follows naturally