Gifted School-Age Children

Hi all: My gifted 10 year old is doing so well in so many ways, that I hate to complain...but, I am really getting worried about her lack of organizational skills. Like many gifted kids, she only rarely touches down to earth. We make sure that we check the homework over every night, make sure it goes back into the back pack to be turned in, and half the time she doesn't bother to turn it in. She of course is graded down for this(a practice I totally support) which is just silly, when it is all done and correct. She never knows when assignments are due (probably because she is reading or not paying attention in class) constantly forgets papers or books that she needs at school, etc. We have tried not to make a big deal about it, but it is a big deal, and will be bigger next year in middle school.

I would love some ideas, as we have determined that we must start our own curriculum on this issue. My smart and sweet girl is an absent minded professor in the making! I am very organized, so I really am frustrated by the situation.

Our ideas so far: a planning session for a few minutes every evening, a binder with sections and pockets for each subject, bright post-it notes with "turn this in" on them, incentives for successful days or weeks, etc. Are there any books or even home-school type materials on this subject? Many thanks.

I'm not sure, but all I might be able to do is commiserate. DS13 in 8th still has these issues on occasion; just last night in fact, he realized he forgot to turn in an IN-CLASS assignment in science that he'd spent loads of time Thursday night telling us all about! It has gotten better in the last few years, but I think that just comes with time and maturity - he hasn't really used any of the tools they've provided like I think he should (I'm also terribly organized), such as the planners they get at school. He now writes in his (didn't last year) but doesn't refer to it on a regular basis! But truly, what used to be maybe weekly or every other week trips back to school to get a book or assignment has now come down to maybe once every 2 months. This is the first year they get deducted for turning things in late; maybe that helped in his case!

The thing that seems to help him when it comes to things that are NOT in the daily task (like please go see a teacher about this or that, or please bring this home tonight) are to tell him right before I drop him off. He seems to do better with this than if I wrote a note (which he refuses to let me do; not sure why as it's not like someone else would see it!!).

Not sure this helps, but as I said, I can definitely commiserate!! I can't tell you how many 'NHI's (not handed in) he's had in middle school and he ALWAYS has done the work!

Sue