Developing planning skills continues to be one of the barriers to success for children, teenagers, and adults.

Every year, people spend millions of dollars on planners and organizers, because they realize how important planning and organizing are for success.

This executive functioning skill is needed in every phase of a child’s life and is especially important for children who struggle to learn.

What is planning?

Planning is the thinking skill children use to figure out how to accomplish a goal. It helps them think about something before they begin to work on it, make a set of plans to accomplish the task, and complete the assignment on time. In other words, prioritization, sequencing, and foresight.

In addition, it helps them guess how difficult a situation will turn out to be, use past knowledge to solve a new problem, and do things step by step.

Whether your child is packing her backpack for school, saving money to buy something special, needing to start a new project, or playing certain games, like bowling, she must first plan.

Why is planning important for learning?

As children move through the grades in school, planning and organization become increasingly important. It is essential for play, language, social interaction, personal management, and academic performance.

Your child needs to plan ahead when:

1. Following directions
   • When given a direction, your child must be able to focus on what needs to be done, then
   • Come up with a plan to get it done.
2. Required to complete an experiment in science class        
   • Your child must be able to mentally organize all the steps needed.
3. Asked to write an essay
   • Your child needs to be able to categorize information and make comparisons between different topics.
4. Working on a mathematics word problem. She must plan
   • How to approach the problem, and
   • What operations and formulas to use.
5. Reading comprehension
   • Your child must be able to put events in order or show the relationships between different characters in the story.

On a daily basis, planning skills are vital for students to succeed in the classroom.

How can you tell if your child has trouble with planning?

Children with weak planning skills struggle to handle information in an effective and logical way. They often have difficulty:

• Setting priorities
• Making plans to carry out an action, or complete a task
• Sticking to a task
• Getting things done – she may appear lazy or disinterested
• Keeping track of personal items – frequently lose things like lunch boxes and sweaters at school
• Being generally organized – unaware of time frames
• Putting her thoughts on paper

How can you help your child develop planning skills?

Weak planning skills can make learning more challenging, but not impossible. The good news is that there are ways to strengthen these skills. Here are some strategies:

1. Checklists
   • Help your child get into the habit of creating to-do lists for assignments, household chores, and to remind them to bring appropriate materials to class.
   • Have them keep a small pad or notebook for each category.
   • Teach them to cross off each completed item from the list. This way, they will feel a sense of accomplishment.
2.  Prioritize homework assignments
   • Before beginning homework, let your child number the assignments in the order in which they will be done.
   • Teach them to use the curve method: start with the shortest and easiest, place the longest and most difficult in the middle, then do the others at the end.
3. Have a designated study space
   • Keep your child’s study supplies and materials in the same place and have her study there, every time.
   • That place needs to quiet with few or no distractions.
4. Choose a specific study time and stick to it
   • The best time is usually not right after school, since children need time for their bodies to unwind and their brains to recover.
   • Include your child in making this decision.
5. Keep notebooks for all subjects organized
   • Organize your child’s papers in binders or notebooks to keep track of them.
   • Use dividers to separate topics, and/or indicating what is to be done and what is finished.
6. Conduct a weekly clean-up session
   • Encourage your child to go through and sort out her backpack and notebooks/binders, every week.
   • Have a separate file in your home for old tests and papers.
7. Create a household schedule
   • Establish and stick to regular routines at home, especially meal times and bedtime. This helps your child fall into a pattern at home that helps her brain plan better.
   • Children with regular bedtimes are more rested in school the following day.
8. Keep a family master calendar
   • Have a large wall-sized calendar that lists all of the family’s commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, school vacations, major events at home and school, etc.
   • Note and highlight dates when your child has exams and when her projects are due.
9. Prepare for tomorrow the night before
   • Before going to bed, every night, have your child pack her schoolwork and books in her backpack.
   • Set out her clothes, accessories, and everything that she needs for the next day of school in a designated place.

Helping your child develop a roadmap to accomplish her goals is important. It requires your willingness to create the structure, model, and reinforce routines for your child. Of course, you must choose strategies that are appropriate for the age of your child.

Your encouragement and support will contribute greatly to her progress in improving her planning skills. When omissions occur, gentle reminders help. Most importantly, set a good example.

Which strategy can help you or your child develop better planning skills?