Layered EducationWhat it looks like
- Missing or lost work
- Underestimates how long tasks take
- Backpack and digital files in disorder
ADHD and Executive Functioning
Organization, Time, and Materials
Systems for lost work, missed deadlines, and long assignments.
Why it happens
Organizing and judging time are executive skills. Students need a system that is taught and practiced, not a reminder to be more organized.
Try this tomorrow
- Teach one shared system: one folder, one place for due dates
- Backward plan one long assignment together
- Run a two-minute materials check at the door
If two of you are in the room
Co-teaching pairs can split this between them, and swap who takes which part so both teachers work with every student.
One teacher
Runs the opening routine and posts due dates in the same spot every day.
The other teacher
Does quick planner or folder checks with a few students each day.
What the research can and cannot tell us
Organization skills training has good evidence for students with ADHD, mostly in elementary and middle school. High school studies are fewer, and most public examples come from younger grades.
Resources
5 resources for this topic, drawn from 4 organizations. Everything opens free, and the ones from other organizations open on their own sites.
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Time Management for Students
Teach the estimate, schedule, monitor routine and backward plan a long assignment. High school examples and sample schedules.
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Materials Organization
Teach a notebook system with a fading self-check. Examples are from younger grades and need light adapting.
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Study Skills and Organization Strategies
Twelve strategies to choose from, including common-mistake checklists, sub-task breakdowns, and study schedules.
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School Success Kit for Kids With ADHD
Sixteen tools and routines, such as color-coded calendars and backup supplies, to share with students and families.
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Developing Executive Function With Priority Lists
A teacher models how to sort and rank tasks so students learn to manage their time. Middle school example. Transcript included.
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These resources are shared for professional learning and planning. They are meant to inform your professional judgment, not replace it. Each student's IEP and your district, state and federal requirements always come first. Listing a resource here is not an endorsement by Layered Education. This is educational information only, not legal advice.
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