What is Organization & Planning?

For students, Organization and Planning refers to the ability to strategically structure their time, prioritize tasks, set goals, and manage their workload by creating a system to effectively complete assignments and study materials, often utilizing tools like calendars and to-do lists to stay on track and minimize stress. Essentially, it’s the practice of actively managing their academic life in a structured way to maximize efficiency and achieve success.

Key aspects of Organization and Planning include:

• Time management: Allocating specific time slots for studying each subject, completing assignments, and taking breaks
• Prioritization: Identifying the most important tasks and tackling them first.
• Goal setting: Establishing clear academic objectives and creating steps to reach them
• Task breakdown: Dividing large projects into smaller, manageable steps
• Tool usage: Utilizing a planner or digital calendar to record due dates, important events, and study schedules; developing a consistent method for taking organized notes in class
• Study space organization: Maintaining a dedicated study area with necessary materials readily available

ExQ helps students build strong Organization and Planning skills to help them reduce stress and anxiety, improve their academic performance, enhance their levels of focus and productivity, activate better time management, and build increased confidence in managing their daily workload.

Join Sucheta Kamath, CEO & Founder of ExQ for a webinar where she will discuss five factors that interfere with children’s ability to transition into various learning environments and seven Executive Function Habits that prepare them to engineer solutions for their own learning challenges.

Through patented technology, ExQ offers measurable, scientific data that helps educators quantify and validate students’ Execution Function strengths and challenges in nine areas of Executive Function.

As an example, in one metro-Atlanta area school, in the initial Benchmark Assessment, students demonstrated an opportunity to improve their Organizational and Planning skills. At the end of the ExQ class, the data revealed that the impact of the training resulted in a 34% improvement, from an initial Benchmark Assessment score of 40% to a final score of 74%.

Learn more about ExQ’s patented approach to helping schools benchmark and measure their students’ growth in Executive Function skills.

High school teacher, Ann Allen, has seen how the pandemic left students struggling with Organization and Planning, focus and self-awareness, but she’s also seen the transformative power of ExQ. After using ExQ’s patented curriculum, Ms. Allen shared how students began taking the time to slow down, review their work, and build essential Executive Function skills that are often overlooked in traditional classrooms.

One of Ms. Allen’s students, who overcame significant challenges with learning, became a powerful example of growth and persistence under her guidance. Ms. Allen believes education is life-changing, urging students to set bold goals, stay focused, and embrace the journey toward their future with confidence and purpose.

Hear Ann Allen’s experience teaching with ExQ in her own words!

Organization and Planning skills are closely linked to literacy because they enable students to effectively process and manage information while reading and writing, allowing them to follow sequences, identify key details, structure their thoughts, and ultimately communicate ideas clearly on paper. Strong Organizational and Planning skills help students navigate the complexities of reading and effectively translate understand meaning, and organization their thoughts.

Key points about this connection between effective Organization and Planning skills and literacy include:

• Reading comprehension: When reading, good Organization and Planning skills help readers track the plot, characters, and important details by mentally organizing information as they progress through the text.
• Writing process: Planning and Organizing thoughts before writing allows writers to structure their arguments, build a logical flow, and effectively convey their ideas.
• Sequencing information: Both reading and writing often require understanding the order of events or ideas, which relies on strong Organizational skills.
• Note-taking and summarizing: Efficiently taking notes and summarizing key points from a text relies on the ability to identify relevant information and organize it logically.

Skills like Organization and Planning fall under the umbrella of Executive Function, skills crucial for overall academic success, including literacy development. Learn more about the link between teaching Executive Function and helping students learn to read.

Organization and Planning skills are significantly linked to student mental health as they directly impact a student’s ability to manage stress, feel a sense of control over their workload, and achieve academic success, which can positively influence their self-esteem and overall wellbeing. Conversely, poor Organization and Planning skills can lead to increased anxiety, frustration, and feelings of overwhelm, negatively affecting mental health.

Key points about the connection between Organization and Planning and good mental health include:

• Stress reduction: When students can effectively plan and organize their time, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by looming deadlines and large projects, leading to decreased stress levels.
• Improved self-efficacy: Successfully managing tasks through good Organization and Planning builds confidence in a student’s ability to handle academic challenges, enhancing their self-esteem.
• Academic performance: Efficient Organization and Planning allows students to prioritize tasks, study effectively, and complete assignments on time, contributing to improved grades and academic satisfaction.
• Reduced anxiety: The uncertainty and chaos associated with poor Organization and Planning can trigger anxiety, while having a structured approach can alleviate this worry.

Learn more about the importance of teaching students Executive Function skills such as Organization and Planning to help build strong mental health.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but the students who come to college most prepared are usually those who have well honed Organization and Planning skills.

Organized students generally keep materials for a given class in the same place, have separate folders on their computers for different projects or courses, and work and study in a controlled fashion. For a paper, they keep checklists and a running knowledge of what they must do first, second, and third. Organized students also find out what environments and times of day are best for them and plan their studying accordingly.

Learners with strong Executive Function skills know how to apply themselves to their coursework and career goals. The critical Organizational and Planning skills learners need to be well prepared for college and careers include:

• Creating a study routine: Prepared students develop a routine that helps them get into an ideal frame of mind. This routine can be as simple as choosing a time or location that’s conducive to learning. For instance, some students may meditate or do yoga stretches to help them relax before a study session.
• Note-taking: Knowing how to take notes — whether typing on a laptop or using pen and paper — is a crucial skill. Prepared students capture relevant information from their lectures.
• Time management: Students must know how to manage their schedules. They may have to make some sacrifices to balance classes, social life, work, and studying.
• Organization: By staying organized, students stay on top of what assignments are due and when. A calendar or agenda can help them study and prepare for assignments and tests.

Learn more about Executive Function skills and the most prepared students this article, authored by ExQ Founder and CEO, Sucheta Kamath, where she explains five key learning habits that promote intentional self-discovery and create the best prepared student for success in school and beyond.