Preschool and kindergarten aren't too early to teach time management skills. |
Perfect
Your Child's Time Management Skills
Evelyn
E. Smith
M. S.
in Library Science, University of North Texas (2012)
It's
often easy to pick out which students haven't learned how to manage
their time since they only settle down to work after frequent
prodding and monitoring, often putting off working on their
assignment until after they've run after every excuse possible. Good
students, however, know that they need to start work quickly and stay on task. Moreover, since even the most
unmotivated student will need to learn time management skills to
succeed in the work place, parents and teachers need to start teaching
time management skills beginning in kindergarten.
Brayton-Chung,
Abby. (2013, April 28). Tips for teaching kids time management,
planning, and organization (a. k. a.--executive function skills).
Mama OT. Retrieved from
http://mamaot.com/2013/04/28/tips-for-teaching-kids-time-management-planning-and-organization/
What
are executive function skills?
Executive
function skills are cognitive skills that are used to execute a task.
For
example, it takes a long list of executive skills to get dressed each
morning (Brayton-Chung, 2013, April 28, para. 1).
Executive
function skills begin to develop in infancy and continue to develop
into adulthood!
Thus,
it's important to give children a “solid foundation” in
self-management (Brayton-Chung, 2013, April 28, para. 2).
Executive
function skills help children complete chores and homework, save
money . . . , follow rules, and keep track of belongings.
Difficulty
planning school projects, not knowing how to estimate how long doing an assignment will take, difficulty remembering sequential details in a story, and
having a hard time recalling information while doing something else
are signs that students are having difficulty learning executive skills
(Brayton-Chung, 2013, April 28, para. 3-4).
Tips
for developing executive skills in children:
- Time Management:
- Planning:
The ability to create a plan and follow it when completing
a task.
- Organization: Keeping track of information and materials.
Parents
can set up a “Get-Ready-Do-Done” work space—a scheme that
employs visual, spatial, and sequential organization skills.
Children can also keep their homework in a special folder. A visual
reminder in the form of a photo of a child ready for school can also
remind children not to forget lunch money and school supplies.
(Brayton-Chung,
2013, April 28, para. 6-10)
Council
for Exceptional Children. (2015). Time management for gifted kids.
Family
Education.
Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved from
http://school.familyeducation.com/organization/gifted-education/38344.html
Learn
to Tame Time
Distracted
by special interests and overwhelmed by scheduled activities, gifted
students sometimes have a hard time managing their time, so parents have to
become management experts (Exceptional Children, 2015, para. 1).
Know
Your Child
Parents
need to know their child, or rather, they need to know his or her
learning style. Does he or she analyze or visualize, think
step-by-step, or holistically, Knowing how a student learns helps teachers and parents help him or her pick out the right planning tools whether he or she relies
on a grid, a picture, a to-do list or a flow chart. However, since
many gifted and talented children don't want to structure their time,
when a parent guides him or her in doing so, the parent needs to be both
flexible and creative. But plotting out just one day might prove to
a child how limited his or her choices are and thus allow him or
her to focus on priorities (Exceptional Children, 2015, para. 2-5).
Know
Your Plan
Time management skills help children complete class assignments on time. |
- Set some ground rules before the gifted child can “master” time.
- Discuss what the child will do when he or she first gets home from school.
- Make finishing homework the student's first priority.
- Plan a homework space with his or her unique study needs in mind.
- Have reference works within easy reach [and discuss what Online reference sources his or her teacher will probably find acceptable. For example, most teachers don't allow students to use Wikipedia as a reference].
- No cramming: Emphasize that studying smaller amounts of information as the week progresses is smarter than staying up late to study for a test.
- Stay involved, although by middle school, children should be able to complete their homework without Mom or Dad's help.
- Too much work: When a student has more studying to do than he or she can accomplish, teach him or her to prioritize, allotting the maximum amount of study time where its needed most.
- Plan leisure activities ahead of time so the gifted child can take time out to “recharge.
(Exceptional
Children, 2015, para. 6-14)
Time
Tools
When
setting aside tools to help the gifted student manage his or her
time, choose aids that match how he or she thinks. Logical,
analytical thinks like to organize while “creative, holistic, or
'feeling' thinkers have looser ways of being organized”
(Exceptional Children, 2015, para. 15-17).
Time management apps for kids are available Online. http://www.smartappsforspecialneeds.com/2013/11/reader-recommended-of-apps-for-behavior.htm |
Charts
and Pictures
Planning
by Picture
Use
a time chart that looks like something a gifted child likes; for
example, a picture of a pizza or hamburger can help him or her visualize what
he or she needs to do (Exceptional children, 2015, para. 18-19).
Hmm—If homework is the meat, what does that make the pickles?
Planning
by Pie Chart
Print
out some blank pie charts, so he or she can daily plan out his or her
activities (Exceptional Children, 2015, para. 20).
Grids
and Lists
Here
the priorities will change each day, but the gifted child will also
need to balance long and short term goals (Exceptional Children,
2015, para. 21-22).
Planning
by Activity/Planning by Time/Planning by To-Do List
Children can list activities by how much time they will take,
or schedule activities by the hour, or prioritize activities with a
to-do list (Exceptional Children, 2015, para. 23-25).
Crawford,
Leslie. (1999). The instant guide to time management for kids:
Teaching children organizational skills is key to helping them
succeed in school and life. Great
Schools. Retrieved
from
http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/1560-time-management-for-kids.gs
Researchers
have linked the mastery of time management skills beginning in
childhood with later success in life. That means that such
self-discipline predicts academic success better than I.Q. does since
academic problems increase with age if children can't keep to a
schedule (Crawford, 1999, para. 4).
Because
“girls tend to be better at time management than boys,” males
don't do as well in high school and at the university level
(Crawford, 1999, para. 5).
Even
so, from toddler to teenagers, children can learn time management
skills that will help them build “internal self-discipline”,
although building this skill set occurs one step at a time (Crawford,
1999, para. 6-7).
Timely
Tips
Body
beautiful:
Post a “to do” chart for children in the
bathroom, so even preschoolers can daily check off tasks like
brushing their teeth and putting dirty clothes in a laundry hamper
(Crawford, 1999, para. 10).
http://mrssolsclass.blogspot.com/2012/08/chore-charts-for-kids.html |
A
family timeline:
Parents and children can create a timeline for
the entire family, allowing even small children to pinpoint important
events in their lives (Crawford, 1999, para. 11)
Leaner
screen time:
Include children in decisions to budget their TV
time, cutting back on TV viewing time to open up their schedule for
other activities (Crawford, 1999, para. 12). This teaches children
the economic concept of Opportunity Cost; for example, Mom might explain that
the family can go to the Y twice a week if they don't watch TV that
night.
Excuses
don't count:
Elementary and middle school children need to
manage their own time in the afternoon particularly when both parents work, so help them list the tasks
they need to do after school and post a chart, so they can check off
each task (Crawford, 1999, para. 13).
Homework
helper:
Regularly help children prepare a homework chart, noting
what they need to do in each subject every night (Crawford, 1999,
para. 14).
8
tips toward better time management for children. Tutorfi.com.
Retrieved from
Tutorfi.com
provides the following tips for helping children to learn to manage
their time wisely:
Like
adults, older elementary-school aged children and middle school students should be able to
- Use a calendar and/or day planner that has enough space to list times for projects.
- Take a few minutes every day to look over the calendar and update their daily to-do list.
- Break large assignments into smaller, more-easily managed tasks and then aim for realistic goals and deadlines.
- Complete the most important tasks they need to do first.
- Be flexible and allow for interruptions to their scheduling.
- Save their most difficult tasks for when they can think the most clearly.
- Learn when to say no when faced with multiple options on how they can best use their time.
- Carry along flash cards or vocabulary cards that they can study while waiting in line or for an appointment.
Evans,
Garret D. (2013). Time management for kids. EDIS.
University of Florida IFAS. Retrieved from
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he795
While
parents don't manage their children the way a manager supervise employees,
helping children structure their day helps the whole family make the
time spent together more enjoyable . Most of these strategies
require parents to teach children how to adhere to a schedule, but
doing so increases the family's quality time (Evans, 2013, para. 2,
4, 6-7).
Morning
Routine
“It's
like waking a bear from its cave.”
Children
sleep more deeply than adults, and they also need to get at least
eight to ten hours of sleep nightly, so they might need some extra
help getting up in the morning:
- Parents need to wake up 15 to 20 minutes before their children, showering and dressing before they oversee their children's morning routines.
- After waking the children, parents can then make breakfast while the children are dressing, although Mom or Dad might need to check to see if they are getting ready.
(Evans,
2013, para. 8-12)
Make
a Chart
Help
children remember morning tasks as they check off each task
completed. At the end of the week, reward them with a pleasurable
activity if they have completed their morning tasks (Evans, 2013,
para. 13).
Don't
Demand Perfection
Sometimes children don't want to get up out of bed. |
Going
into Grizzly's Cave (Waking up Your Child)
Start
the night before by reminding children that they will need to wake up
at a particular time to complete their morning routine. Then help
them prepare their own personalized “Morning Routine “ chart
(Evans, 2013, para. 15).
Give
children three to five minutes to wake up before greeting them in a soft
and pleasant voice. Truing on a radio alarm clock playing soft
classical or soothing elevator music can set a calming mood for some
children. If they are still in bed after three to five minutes, open the curtains and softly remind them that it is time to get dressed. Return a few minutes later, turning on a radio or TV outside their
reach, so they can't go back to sleep (Evans, 2013, para. 17-18).
Warn
younger children that if they don't get up they will lose any rewards
they might earn if they keep to a morning routine. Older children,
however, can be reminded of what will happen if they don't get up;
for example, “You'll be late to school again.” If the children have
too much trouble getting up, however, put them to bed 30 minutes earlier in
the evening (Evans, 2013, para. 20-27).
After
School
Mom
and Dad should spend 20 minutes of quality time with their children
when they come home from school or after Mom and Dad get home from
work. Ask the children about their day or involve the family in a
physical activity. School children need to expend some energy before making a
transition into doing homework (Evans, 2013, para. 28-34). This can
be as simple as saying, “Let's walk the dog around the block.”
After
Dinner
Dedicate
this time to completing household chores and homework, although some children may be able to complete some of their chores before dinner
time. Require the children to tackle their homework as soon as
possible after dinner. If they are on task and finish their
homework, then give them a three to five minute exercise break every 20 or 30 minutes,
depending on their age and ability to concentrate (Evans, 2013, para. 35). For instance, they might take out the dog, or Mom might suggest, "You look like your loosing your concentration. How about emptying the trash for me,"
Don't
allow them anywhere near the T.V., video games, or any other “fun”
activities until they have done all their homework. After the kids
complete their homework [Mom or Dad needs to check to see if they
have completed this task], allow them some free time as a reward, or
better yet, spend some leisure time with them (Evans, 2013, para.
36-46). For example, teach your children a skill like knitting or
woodwork, or else everyone can take turns reading aloud. Parents,
however, shouldn't allow any TV viewing an hour before bed.
Avoid
Power Struggles
Have
children complete their homework in a place where Mom or Dad can keep
an eye on them, ensuring that they stay on task and staying on call to answer questions. If children refuse to complete
their homework, parents should keep them in front of their books until its time to
go to bed (Evans, 2013, para. 47-52).
Bedtime
Note:
Don't let the children choose when they will go to bed. Put them on
a schedule. They also need at least 30 minutes of quiet, down time
before they settle down to sleep. Again, create charts, so children
can self-monitor their own bedtime routines. Also reward their
progress and any earnest attempts to keep to the schedule with
calming activities, such as reading aloud, before going to bed
(Evans, 2013, para. 53-62).
Dealing
with the “I needa's”
Requests,
like “Mommy, I needa
a drink” or “'I needa
use the bathroom” are attempts to delay going to bed. To keep this
from happening, ask the children one last time before they go to bed
if they need a drink of water or if they heed to go the bathroom.
Then tuck them into bed. While parents often talk or read to their
children at this time, don't make reading them to sleep a habit
(Evans, 2013, para. 63-65).
Children can learn to relax by performing yoga and deep breathing exercises. |
Teach
the kids how to “self-soothe”
Elementary-school age children can relax themselves to sleep with deep-breathing exercises, by repeating a mantra, or imagining a relaxing place (Evans, 2014, para.
66-71).
Hagel,
Denny. (2012, May 5). Easy tips and tools to teach your children
time management! The
Missing Secret to Parenting: Parenting the Way Nature Intended.
Retrieved from
http://missingsecrettoparenting.com/easy-tips-tools-teach-children-time-management
Do
you ever feel like if you could just get your children
to understand the
value of managing their time you could let go of a lot of stress?
( Hagel, 2012, May 5, para. 1).
A
parent [and teacher] must act as drill sergeant, reminding a child to
hurry up! (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para. 2).
Since
a child learns best while having fun, approach teaching time
management skills in a light-hearted manner (Hagel, 2012, May 5,
para. 3).
As
soon as a four- or five-year-old can recognize numbers, give him or her a digital
alarm clock, a kitchen timer, [and a digital watch], emphasizing that he
or she has reached an important milestone (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para.
4 & 5). Later, make sure he or she knows how to tell time using
a non-digital, or analog, clock.
Online activities help kids tell time. See:
http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/telling-time-games.html |
Decide
together how much time he or she needs to accomplish each specific
task. For example, talk about the morning routine and write out all
the tasks the child needs to do before school as well as how long it will take to accomplish each task (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para. 7).
Teachers can similarly do the same with school activities.
Show a [kindergarten] child how to use a digital clock [while at the same time teaching him or her how to tell time with traditionally clocks]. In the
beginning, double check to see if he or she has set it correctly and has set the alarm when he or she should get up in the morning (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para. 8).
Emphasize
that it's important to start each day at a predetermined time (Hagel,
2012, May 5, para. 9).
Have
the child list all his or her activities and tasks he or she must do before heading off for school, setting the kitchen timer for the number of
minutes necessary to accomplish each task (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para.
10).
A
parent will need to monitor the child at first before he or she
masters time management. Mom and/or Dad might also offer the child
a small reward each week if he or she has successfully adhered to a
schedule (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para. 11).
Since
learning how to be a good steward of one's time is a long-term
process, don't expect the child to always management time well
particularly if doing so depends only on receiving an award (Hagel,
2012, May 5, para. 12).
Repetition
and reinforcement, however, will help a child understand “the feel
of time passing” while respecting a child's effort in managing his
or her time helps teach responsibility (Hagel, 2012, May 5, para.
13-14).
Kennedy-Moore,
Elizabeth. (2014, March 28). Time management for kids. Psychology
Today. Retrieved from
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/growing-friendships/201403/time-management-kids
Because
time management is “a key part of executive functioning skills”,
even very young children need to understand the concept of time while
seven to ten-year-old kids have the number skills necessary to use
clocks and calendars (Kennedy-Moore, 2014, March 28, para. 1-2).
Parents
can ask four “key” questions to help their child develop “a
sense of time”:
- What comes next?
Young
children need predictable routines, so preschoolers will understanding that certain things happen on certain days”, Older children can
write special events on their own calendars.
- What happened before?
This
question helps children recall experiences and predict future events.
- How long?
Knowing
how long certain activities will take is “a difficult but an
essential skill. Once child can count, use this to mark time.
Parents can also talk about the length of time routine activities
will take and use stop watches and kitchen timers to teach this
concept.
- Which first?
Knowing
which task is a priority helps a child set goals. Elementary-school children,
for example, need to understand when to choose long-term benefits
over short-term gains.
(Kennedy-Moore,
2014, March 28, para. 3-7)
One
final thought: “Don't expect adult style productivity from
children” (Kennedy-Moore, 2014, March 28, para. 8).
Kumar,
Clare. (2014, May 27). How to teach your child time management.
Today's Parent. Retrieved from
http://www.todaysparent.com/family/education/time-management-tips-kids/
This
Canadian Web site offers some timely tips that should help parents
(and teachers) teach children how to manage time:
- It's never too late to teach time management.
Canadian
post-secondary students would advise their younger selves how to
manage their time better and how to improve their self discipline.
However, the school curriculum rarely touches on these topics (photo 1).
Different children have different learning styles. |
- Provide [learning] tools that suit each child's learning style:
Visual,
auditory, and kinaesthetic, or hands on, tools all help children learn (photo 2).
- Create a study zone that promotes focus.
“Multitasking
is a myth, “so set up a distraction-free study zone that helps
students work independently. Adjust this study area periodically if
students aren't doing their homework (photo 3).
- [Teach kids how to] “use the right time management skills”:
School-issued agendas and planners can be effective time management tools for younger students while older students can use calendar apps on their PCs or smart phones (photo 4).
- Schedule time for homework on the calendar.
- Coach self-discipline.
Teach
children self-discipline by giving older elementary and middle school students the responsibility of
managing projects on their own after explaining why they should focus
on work rather than allowing themselves to be distracted. It's also
important to occasionally let them learn the consequences of
mismanaging their time. They additionally benefit from seeing adults
model time management (photo 6).
- Manage sleep and energy for top performance.
Poor
nutrition and not enforcing appropriate bedtimes can sabotage school
work as well as set a “vicious cycle of poor attention and chronic
lack of energy”. Students also need to take frequent physical
breaks (about every 30 minutes) from their school work because of their short attention spans*
(photo 7).
- Keep technology up-to-date.
Make
sure [older] students have access to reliable up=to=date PCs (photo
8).
- Lightened the load.
Make
sure students have a “sturdy, light-weight, and durable backpack
where they can stash cell phones (out-of-sight during class) and
neatly keep assignments and notes (photo 8).
“Time managent is the thinking skill that helps prioritize tasks and complete activities in a timely fashion “ (Thinking Skills, 2015, para. 1).
O'Connor,
Anne. (2015). Time management for kids. Better
Homes and Gardens.
Retrieved from
http://www.bhg.com/health-family/parenting-skills/responsible-kids/time-management-for-kids/
A “supercharged
kid” who successfully fit lots of activities into his or her schedule
isn't born that way. Rather his or her parents help their child balance homework and
after school activities as well as budgeting free time. After
all, the difference between success and failure often depends on the
ability to mange one's time (O'Connor, 2015, para. 1-3).
- Set the right example.
A child often models his or her behavior after a parent's behavior, so if Dad or Mom needs to
reassess his or her own time management skills, the entire family will
function better (O'Connor, 2015, para. 4-6).
- Start early.
Even a toddler can learn to manage time by turning tasks like picking up toys into a game. A school age child can also begin to understand “time constraints” and to make
choices about which activities he or she wants to participate in; for
example, “We have time for either Boy Scouts or soccer”
(O'Connor, 2015 para. 7-8).
- Give each child a calendar.
Beginning
in first or second grade, every child needs his or her own calendar
where he or she can write down what he or she needs to do (O'Connor,
2015, para. 9).
A wide variety of free calendar templates are available Online.
A wide variety of free calendar templates are available Online.
- Color code each subject and activity.
Color
code the child's schedule, giving each school subject and activity
its own color on the calendar. Then place projects for each school
subject in its own color-coded folder (O'Connor, 2015, para. 10).
- Find a place for everything.
Every
item in a household—whether keys, backpacks, or shoes—needs its
own special place. Put clutter in a clutter box (O'Connor, 2015,
para. 11-12).
- Choose activities wisely.
Don't
over schedule after school activities. Give a child time to play apart from organized activities
(O'Connor, 2015, para.13-16).
- Leave time to daydream.
Sit
down with each child and together and prepare a chart of all the
scheduled activities that he or she needs to do.. In the time left over,
the family can block out time to spend with friends or in
unstructured free time (O'Connor, 2015, para. 17-20).
- Use the reward of you.
Reward
expected behaviors with time spent with Mom and/or Dad (O'Connor,
2015, para. 21-22).
- Be patient.
Take
pleasure in the small steps towards time management that a child takes in the right direction
(O'Connor, 2015, para. 23).
Smith,
Erin O. (2015). Time management activities for kids. Ehow. Demand
Media. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5005963_time-management-activities-kids.html
It's
never too soon [or too late] to start learning how to
prioritize (Smith, 2015, para 1).
Draw
Pictures That Prioritize Daily Activities
Have each child divide a sheet of
paper into four squares and then draw activities for the day in the
order of their importance (Smith, 2015, para. 2).
Organize
Activity Materials
To
make sure everyone is aware of what importance should be given to certain activities, putting away toys and sports equipment,
school supplies, and materials needed for chores in separate
color-coded bins, organizing their placement by where they stand on a
list of priorities (Smith, 2015, para. 3).
Play
“Time Me”
Set
a kitchen timer to determine the amount of time a child may spend in
chores, homework, and free time (Smith, 2015, para. 4). For
example, set the timer for 30 minutes of music practice.
Use a kitchen timer to teach time management skills. |
Let
Your Child Be Your Shadow
As
a child shadows a parent at work [or follows Mom or Dad as she or he
accomplishes household tasks] the parent explains what he or she is
doing and why, allowing the child to take notes as the day progresses
(Smith, 2015, para. 5).
Play
the “Time Management” Game Show
Give
the child three choices for daily activities and ask him or her to
place them in the order of their importance, rewarding appropriate
choices (Smith, 2015, para. 6).
Reid,
Sandra F. (2005). Teaching time management to children with ADHD.
Additude: Strategies and Support for ADHD and LD. Retrieved
from http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/991.html
Since
prioritizing and scheduling doesn't come easy for a student diagnosed with
ADHD, Reid offers the following strategies:
- Practice time estimation, making a game out of how long certain tasks will take.
- Use an analog clock (rather than a digital clock) since this helps an ADHD-diagnosed student to visualize the passage of time more easily.
- Set a timer to motivate targeted behaviors: This particularly helps for moving between activities in class.
- Put it on paper:
- Provide the class with a written out schedule that breaks time into meaningful chunks. Again, to emphasize the time allotted for each task, set the timer;
- Allow time at the end of class to let each student write down assignments in a planner, going over the assignment aloud while also putting it in writing;
- Make sure that everyone records the correct date when the assignment is due and mark this on the correct day on his or her personal calendar. Here, study buddies can check each other;
- If a student has difficulty copying assignments, provide him or her with photocopied instructions;
- Make sure each student also jots down tests, class trips, and extracurricular activities.
(Reid,
2005, para. 1-11)
What
Is Time Management?
Remind your kids of the chores they need to do with post-it notes. |
Thinking
skills: Time management. (2015). Learning Works for Kids. The
Gadget. Retrieved from
http://learningworksforkids.com/skills/time-management/
“Time managent is the thinking skill that helps prioritize tasks and complete activities in a timely fashion “ (Thinking Skills, 2015, para. 1).
Playing
certain video games can help both boys and grils practice time management skills
during an immersive gaming experience (Thinking Skills, 2015, para.
2). A three-minute video provides a kid-friendly definition of time
management as well as listing several video games that teach time
management skills, including,
Super
Puzzle Fighter:
http://game-oldies.com/play-online/super-puzzle-fighter-ii-turbo-capcom-cps-2
(free-of-charge);
Echochrome:
http://www.gamestop.com/ps3/games/echochrome/88367
(Download for $9.99);
The
Learning Skills' time management Web page provides links to related
posts that offer video gaming apps that teach attention span, memory
and time management skills if the user joins Learning Works
for Kids, which is free-of-charge.
See:
Apps
to Improve ADHD attention span, memory, and time management. (2014,
October 5). Learning Works for Kids. Retrieved from
http://learningworksforkids.com/2014/10/apps-to-improve-adhd-attention-span-memory-and-time-management/
Video
games can help children diagnosed with ADHD improve their planning,
organizational,and mindfulness skills, but only if they are fully
engaged while playing them. Those apps described as games are most
likely to improve sustained attention span, memory and time
management (Apps, 2014,
(October
5, para. 1-2)
Apps to improve Attention Span
- Bugs and Buttons 2: This game helps students zero in on details, matching and finding visual patterns (http://learningworksforkids.com/apps/bugs-and-buttons-2/).
- Tupsu (the Furry Little Monster). This game promotes learning to focus on a problem from five to ten minutes (http://learningworksforkids.com/playbooks/tupsu-the-furry-little-monster/).
Apps
to improve Working Memory
Learning to play a music instrument teaches memory skills. |
- Robbx Studio: Recalling items builds working memory. (http://learningworksforkids.com/apps/roblox/').
- GeoDash: Employing scaffolding skills in a multiple-step process,game players must come up with strategies to reach the next skill level. (http://learningworksforkids.com/apps/geodash-wild-animal-adventure/).
Apps
to improve Time Management
- Hay Day: Performing tasks on a virtual farm helps players learn time management skills. (http://learningworksforkids.com/playbooks/hay-day/)
- Choremonster: Players must complete each virtual task on schedule.(http://learningworksforkids.com/apps/choremonster/).
A quick Web search
also turns up several, free-of-charge time management video games:
Time management
games. (2015). Big Fish Games, Inc. Retrieved from
Big Fish allows
users to try before they buy time management games, starting up
$2.99, including Farm up, Bloom! Share Flowers with the
World, Three Muskeeters: Victoria's Quest, and 12
Labours of Hercules III: Girl Power.
Time management
games. (2015). Candystand.com. Retrieved from
http://www.candystand.com/play/time-management-games
Youda Camper, Youda
Farmer, Youda Farmer 2, Laundry Day, Momma's Diner, and What's for
Dinner as well as a large number of other video games furnished by
Candystand.com teach virtual time management skills.
Of course, helping
Mom or Dad fix breakfast or complete a honey-do list will also teach
real world time management skills.
.
Time
management: You vs. the clock. (2015). It's
My Life. PBS Kids.
CastleWorks. Retrieved from
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/index.html
This
short post written in second person, helps teach children the
essentials of time management.
Managing
time means:
- Children need to learn how to balance everything they have to do vs. all they want to do;
- They need to understand how much time each activity will take to accomplish;
- They also need to plan how to do all that they want to do.
(You
vs. the clock, 2015, para. 7)
Time management apps can help kids achieve goals, make a budget, choose
priorities, plan daily schedules, and plot out a weekly planner and a
monthly calendar while appropriate hyperlinks can give themadvice on helping with chores,
school work, sports and activities, and time wasters.
Time
management for teens and kids. (2015). Life Organize It.
Retrieved from
http://www.lifeorganizeit.com/timeanagement-for-teens.html
Parents
can help their tween or and teen by limiting his or her
extracurricular activities by concentrating on what he or she excels
in, or by teaching better time management skills (Life Organize It,
2015, para 1 & 2).
Just
as successful adults manage their time by planning, multitasking,
goal setting, delegating, and dealing with procrastination, high
school, middle school, and older elementary school students also need
to perfect time management skills (Life Organize It, 2015,
para 3).
- Write Reminder Notes and To Do Lists
Parents
can model writing their own to-do lists (Life Organize It, 2015,
para. 4). Go to http://galleryhip.com/to-do-list-printable-for-kids.html
for free printable to do lists.
- Ask the Teacher for Help
Explain
that it is often necessary to seek outside help if a student doesn't
understand an assignment (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 6). Not
only can he or she ask a teacher to clarify the assignment, but the
student can seek individualized help since many schools, libraries,
and churches provide on-site after school tutors.
Additionally, many libraries provide links for free online tutors, such as these Web sites:
Additionally, many libraries provide links for free online tutors, such as these Web sites:
- Eduwizards. (2015). Online tutor. https://www.eduwizards.com/online-tutor.php
- Get math help, online math tutor. (2015). Mathtutorvista.com. Retrieved from http://math.tutorvista.com/
- Tutor Chat Live. (2015). Retrieved from http://tutorchatlive.org/
- HippoCampus. (2015). NROC. Retrieved from http://www.hippocampus.org/
- Teach Your Child to Set Boundaries
Encourage a child to speak up if he or she has trouble balancing chores, homework, and outside activities (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 8).
- Help Your Child Get Organized
Emphasize
that good organization saves time and frustration (Life
Organize It,
2015, para. 9-10).
- Teach Them to Prioritize
Discuss
and then model how to prioritize activities both daily and for
long-term projects like science and history fair entries or how to
best manage fitting in practicing a musical instrument each night
into a child's busy schedule (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 11).
Each night, Mom and/or Dad needs to plan out with each child everything he or she needs to do tomorrow, writing out a to-do list (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 12-13).
Explain why it's not best to put tasks off and why everyone should start on his or her work as soon as possible (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 11-12).
Make sure your child participates in aerobic exercise
daily: Students who regularly exercise
make better grades. (2014, March 8). http://evelynelainesmith.blogspot.com/2014/03/ways-to-improve-your-childs-grades-3-of.html
The Homework App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/homework-app-your-class-assignment/id561371952?mt=8
If you know of any other apps that will help teenagers and young adults succeed in school, please publish them here.
- Plan, Plan, Plan
Each night, Mom and/or Dad needs to plan out with each child everything he or she needs to do tomorrow, writing out a to-do list (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 12-13).
- Avoid Procrastination
Explain why it's not best to put tasks off and why everyone should start on his or her work as soon as possible (Life Organize It, 2015, para. 11-12).
- Use Free Time Wisely
Periodically
talk about how everyone can best use his or her free time (Life
Organize It, 2015, para. 13).
- Use a Daily Planner
Beginning
in third grade,provide each child with a daily planner and calendar
(Life Organize It, 2015, para. 14).
____________
Other blog pages in the Ways to Improve Your Child’s Grades
series:
Doing well in school makes learning fun! |
Don't believe that IQ can't be changed: Tweaking IQ's upward takes effort: But academic performance & working memory can improve. (2015, August 21). Retrieved from
Give your child social skills training: Teaching manners and social skills doesn’t stop at age seven. (2014, July 18). Retrieved from http://evelynelainesmith.blogspot.com/2014/07/ways-to-improve-your-childs-grade-5-of.html
Improve your child's grades: A check list. Simple steps that can assure your child's academic performance. (2015, October 18). Retrieved from http://evelynelainesmith.blogspot.com/2015_10_01_archive.html
Limit and Monitor the Use of Social Media: How social media influences academic success. (17 February 2014; revised 2015, January 6). Retrieved from https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6180686702778716801#editor/target=post;postID=7228483845226909971Make
Make sure your child has a regular bedtime and enough
sleep. (2014, January 18). Retrieved
from http://evelynelainesmith.blogspot.com/2014/01/ten-ways-to-improve-your-childs-grades.html
Read to your child daily: Read aloud and along with children to ensure
their success. (2014, July 11). Retrieved from http://evelynelainesmith.blogspot.com/2014/07/ways-to-improve-your-childs-grades-4-of.html
__________
There’s a free
app for that!
The following apps will help middle school, high
school, and college students with time management and study skills:
Bibliographies:
EasyBib: http://www.easybib.com/
The Homework App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/homework-app-your-class-assignment/id561371952?mt=8
iStudiezPro: http://istudentpro.com/
My homework app: https://myhomeworkapp.com/
Rescue time: https://www.rescuetime.com/
If you know of any other apps that will help teenagers and young adults succeed in school, please publish them here.
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