Lucy Calkins would rather see parents helping their kids get organized than simply prepping them for tests. "What location is to real estate, organization is to school work," says the Reading and Writing Project Director. "Kids need systems that work. If you try one, evaluate it together. If it doesn't work, try another."

Her comments come in support of other experts who also advocate helping children recognize the benefits of good organizational skills. Calkins cites an example of her own son whom she helped to devise a system for keeping track of the pens that he needed for his middle school math class. Their efforts resulted in him always having extra pens in both his locker to grab on the way to class as well as an emergency cache in the classroom. "He got it," she says.

The article, entitled "Organized Children is Not an Oxymoron" appeared in the October 9 edition of Boston.Com.

Published Monday, Nov. 17, 2003