Thinking Organized For Parents and Children: Helping Kids Get Organized for Home, School & Play [Paperback]

Rhona M. Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Rhona Gordon has seen firsthand how difficult school can be for many students. Some children have formal diagnoses such as ADD or ADHD, others have simply been labeled lazy, and still others say they "just don't care". Gordon disagrees, "I have never met a student who does not want to succeed in school. Many kids just don't know how to accomplish it."To teach children new strategies that will help them better plan and complete everyday tasks without stress, Gordon developed the Thinking Organized approach. After helping hundreds of students in her private practice, she compiled her time-tested strategies into a book. Thinking Organized For Parents and Children offers six hands-on planning tools: organization of materials, time management, study skills, memory tools, note-taking, and written language. Each chapter is a step-by-step guide for parents and their children to learn and practice these key skills, which give students the tools to independently manage their personal and academic obligations, laying the groundwork for a successful life. Includes helpful glossary of terms, extensive, detailed resource section.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A licensed speech-language pathologist, Rhona Gordon has been teaching effective organizational strategies for over 30 years. In her private practice and instructional seminars, Rhona's successes with struggling students and frustrated parents have made her eager to share her strategies with others. In addition, Rhona frequently contributes to parenting publications, presents at industry conferences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thinking Organized; 1 edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979003415
• ISBN-13: 978-0979003417
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #615,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars addresses the problems and offer solutions, November 7, 2007

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thinking Organized For Parents and Children: Helping Kids Get Organized for Home, School & Play (Paperback)

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (10/07)


Every time I see the same children coming to school late, I feel like handing them this book. Or at least sharing it with their parents! The author had the disorganized student in mind as she developed a program to help children be successful in school. She is a speech and language pathologist, as well as an organizational specialist. Rhona has worked with a variety of organizations and students during her thirty years in these fields. While primarily designed for 5th - 12th graders, she does discuss ways to modify the information for younger students.

She starts by defining executive functions, which are a group of skills used to set and meet goals. Gordon says these are the "...underlying basis for successful academic achievement." There are six aspects covered: material organization, time management, studying strategies, memory techniques, note taking for reading comprehension and written language. As she states, ultimately the goal is for independence for the child, but until that happens, habits and routines most be formed.

The book is formatted so you don't have to read the whole thing to work on a specific area. There is also a web site with more information, including worksheets and handouts. The style is straightforward and accepting of all students and their families. I appreciate the checklists in each chapter which serve as a review of the key elements discussed. The author also includes "homework" to reinforce new skills and fun activities to do with the family. Learning styles, which are taught to teachers, are addressed as well. It is a great idea to let students know their styles so they know how they need to take in information for it to be meaningful to them.

This is definitely something that students will need support with. Anyone who works with students can use the processes outlined to help make students more effective. Pointing out the benefits of the strategies always motivates students to continue striving for improvement. Short vignettes about previous students are included to illustrate the points and a complete list of resources is included at the end for readers interested in doing more research.

Instead of blaming children for their failures, "Thinking Organized for Parents and Children" addresses the problems and offer solutions and success stories. I would buy this one in bulk to share with fellow teachers, parents and anyone else who deals with children. As the saying goes, when you know better, you do better!

Book received free of charge.