Materials Management
Excerpted from Study Skills and Academic Competence by Patricia W. Newhall. ©2007 Landmark School, Inc.
Suggested Strategy Master Filing System |
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Materials |
Any papers or handouts for the unit being studied in class must be filed in the colored subject folder along with class notes. Additionally, an attached case with space for pens, computer discs, calculators, etc., ensures that students will always have what they need at hand. The binder goes back and forth to school daily. |
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System |
Put the master filing system together along with the students. Explain to them how and why the system will benefit them. Model for them what the system looks like, and help them use it every day until it becomes habit. The key to this system is regular cleanouts of folders. Ideally, the cleanout will be done as part of preparing for a test or other project for the unit. If students must use all the unit information to complete a project or a study guide, they will begin to see how the system benefits them. For example, students may use the materials in their folder to create a unit study sheet that has important vocabulary, a summary of the main ideas of the chapter or unit, and questions. After the test, this sheet can be attached to the unit packet and filed in a classroom cabinet to be used later for exam preparation. Consistent use and guided practice are the keys to success! |
The best way to teach materials management is for a school, or a team of teachers, to settle upon a system by which students will
organize their school materials — books, papers, pencils, equipment, etc. The system should be designed to account for everything students need to participate in the school day and do their homework. Ongoing visual and oral reminders of the system will help students stay on track, as will a rewards system for maintaining the materials management system. An individual teacher or a parent may also help a student create an organizational system, but the requirements of all teachers must be taken into consideration.
The success of any organizational system depends upon its usefulness to the students using it. The point of keeping materials organized is to make learning more efficient and effective. If materials are organized and accessible, time can be managed more effectively, and information will be easier to organize. Classroom activities should be designed that make this connection clear. For instance, if a pop-quiz is scheduled, the teacher might allow students to refer to the materials in their binders while taking the quiz. Students who follow the system will do well.
Once a system that works for most students is implemented consistently, changes for individuals may be made — no one system works for every child. Teachers need to help students find the system that works and then ensure that they follow it consistently.