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What can you expect from your third grader when it comes to being responsible
with his/her backpack?
First of all it is your third grader’s responsibility to take care of his own backpack.
What does this mean in every day life?
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Your child should put into his backpack what he needs for his
day at school. It is not Mom or Dad’s job to do this. If your child forgets to put something into his bag, let him take
the consequences at school. He will remember next time.
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Remember to give to you any communications that his teacher sends home. Parents can ask
if there is any notes from the teacher, but parents should refrain from going through the backpack searching for any communications
from school.
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Be responsible to hand in his homework when he gets to school and put into his homework
folder any papers that need to be done at home for homework.
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Put homework into his backpack as soon as he finishes it.
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Have his backpack ready to go and sitting by the door (or other designated place) before
he goes to bed, so that it is ready for the morning rush.
I know that this seems like a lot for some third graders to do and that it may take a few
months to get into this habit. However, if your third grader can learn these simple steps to being organized with his/her
backpack, it will carry over into all of his school years and you will be surprised how responsible your child will become.
Organization Skills Teaching
organization skills to your third grader can be one of the most challenging yet one of the most important skills that
you can teach, one that will carry over into their adult life. How do you get started? - Buy a backpack and
at least one or two pocket folders.
- Label the folders or the pockets of the folders with “PAPERS TO TAKE HOME”
and “PAPERS TO TAKE TO SCHOOL”.
- Make sure your child puts papers into the correct pocket and remind
him to do the same at school.
- If your child has homework papers to take to school or a note to the teacher, have your
child put it in the folder and then put the folder into his backpack.
- Keep the backpack in the exact same place everyday.
This way he/she will always know where it is. If the pocket folder is taken out of the backpack, remind your child to
put it back into the backpack.
- NEVER do this for your child. A third grader is old enough to do this on his
own. If he forgets and leaves the folder at home because he did not put it into his backpack but left it on the kitchen
counter, then he can take the consequences at school for forgetting. He/she will remember the next time.
- When
your child remembers to have everything in the right place, a word of praise will go along way in ensuring that he/she remembers
again.
- Some children will earn this quickly and for some it will take a good chunk of the school year. It is
worth it and your child will reap the benefits of learning to be organized all through his/her school years!
- One last
thing. Every once in a while have your child do a thorough cleaning of the inside of the backpack. You will be
surprised at what he/she has been hauling around to and from school for many weeks! (half eaten cupcakes, broken pencils
and crayons, small toys, coins, old papers)
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