Setting goals, time management, task initiation, prioritization and planning, responsible decision making, and self-regulation are all elements under the umbrella of “organization.”
Daily, our students must organize their thoughts, their time, and their materials in order to get things done and grow as learners, thinkers, and citizens.
An emphasis on these essential skills begins in the 2nd grade and continues until our graduates cross the stage and receive their high school diploma. Through direct strategy instruction, modeling, reinforcement, and positive feedback, The Craig School’s organizational system is woven through our students’ instructional program and customized to each student’s needs allowing optimum learning and functioning.
The Craig School Binder, integrated across all classrooms and grades is a color-coded, multi-tabbed, customizable binder that allows students to independently classify and store academic materials in a systematic, accessible manner. Material is then transferred to an Academic Portfolio used to manage academic material, keep relevant and current materials accessible, and communicate with parents samples of work showing their progress and academic growth.
Systematic teaching of note-taking and planning strengthens our students’ understanding and memory, giving them the tools needed to break larger projects into manageable chunks and helps them learn how to allocate time for long-term projects.
Checklists bolster memory and drive independence. Checklists are tools our students can use to make sure they have met all requirements of an assignment by creating a feedback form allowing our teachers and students to communicate effectively about the important goals of the assignment.
Subject-specific visual guides and reference sheets help our students improve their reading comprehension, filter main ideas from details, follow arguments, and identify key points.
Graphic organizers scaffold and support student learning by helping our students organize, clarify, and simplify complex information helping them construct understanding through the exploration of the relationships between concepts.
A modified Check In Check Out (CICO) intervention is incorporated at all grade levels at The Craig School. In the lower and middle schools, this is called Homeroom and in our high school, we call it C.O.A.C.H. CICO is a systematic way to support student needs by providing daily time before the school day begins and at the end of the school day for students to meet with a teacher to set and review goals, make a connection, and practice organization, planning, and prioritization skills. Teachers provide helpful, positive feedback to our students. The benefits of this intervention include improved student accountability, internalization of success and completion of goals.
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