It’s about that time of year where us parents must shift our organizational focus a bit because summer vacation is coming to an end and school is back in session! This means adjustments to new routines, changes to the schedule, and different (more important) clutter to organize. Read on for our expert tips to make organizing your kid’s schoolwork and assignments as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Assignments, event flyers, projects, report cards…back-to-school season brings an influx of STUFF into your home daily! To best organize all the new paper clutter your children are bringing home from school, you want to begin by creating a dedicated “school space”. Choose ONE spot inside your home for working on school assignments and storing school items (backpacks, laptops, chargers, books, etc.)

The spot you choose for this workspace should be in a quiet area, so your child(ren) has(have) better focus and can be more productive. It doesn’t have to be fancy or large; a small desk in a quiet room/corner with space for a storage solution nearby will work great!

If you have school-aged children in your home, you definitely need to set up a command center! (As far as home organization goes? It’s life-changing!) I wrote about my “Big Five” command center ideas here, but the following are musts for organizing kids’ schoolwork:

• Keep the command center easily visible (so upcoming deadlines are easy to see)
• Establish folders to organize papers
• Include:
  • a calendar or whiteboard
  • writing utensils (pens/pencils/markers)
  • notebooks & sticky notes

For the paper organization, we recommend establishing “To-Do” and “Done” folders. All homework, projects, and papers needing attention will go into the “To-Do” folder. Once assignments are completed or ready to be turned in/returned to school, they move to the “Done” folder.

And the family calendar is key to a successful command center! If you have multiple children, consider using a different assigned color for each child. On the white board/calendar mark down:

• Assignment due dates
• Project deadlines
• Quiz and test dates
• Any upcoming field trips or school events

We also suggest including “mini deadlines” that you set for yourself/your children to help make schoolwork and large projects more manageable. (This is especially helpful for families with ADHD-friendly homes!) For example, if your child has a project due on December 1, you obviously want to include that deadline on the command center calendar. Then, take a look at the timeframe you have until December 1 and “chunk” the assignment. Maybe you come up with the “mini deadlines” of:

• “Research topics/information for ___ ‘s project” by October 20
• “Gather and purchase materials for project” by October 30
• “Create posterboard/presentation/display” by November 20
• “Practice presentation” from November 20-December 1

Add these new deadlines to the calendar as well. Chunking assignments and breaking the larger projects up into smaller “mini deadlines” will help prevent last-minute stress and set your child up for success with the assignment/project!

You want to establish a daily backpack routine to help keep everything “school” organized. Have your child empty their backpack immediately after school; dedicate the first five minutes of arriving home to this quick routine to prevent lost assignments/ papers. Go through any new papers they’ve brought home and place them in their designated folders.

If they have homework or complete any additional assignments, have them immediately put the completed work back into their backpack for a return-to-school the following day.  You may consider having color-coded folders for each subject; i.e., Blue = Math, Green = Science, etc. This allows kids to easily identify what folder to place their papers into. You also want to create a routine around repacking their backpack before bedtime each night; it’s much better to have the backpack ready-to-go the night before as opposed to scrambling during a chaotic morning rush!

Create digital folders for each child, each school year. Inside the folders for each child, include folders for each school subject, as well as a folder for any other important school year documents. Your digital storage may look something like this:

• 2026-2027 School Year
  • Child 1
    • English
    • Science
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • 26-27 Documents

• • Child 2
    • English
    • Science
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • 26-27 Documents

Teach your kids to save their documents/files using a uniform naming system and ensure they know which file to put them in, so that items are easier to find (i.e., “English_Homework_Sept. 2026”). At the end of the year, digitize accumulated items throughout the year, such as:

• Report cards
• Test scores
• Artwork
• School records

Digitizing these items allows you to preserve the memories from this year of their life while also minimizing the physical clutter in your home. If you do choose to keep a physical file or binder as well…be selective! Keep only what you feel is actually worth keeping so you don’t have too much clutter build-up.

It is certainly easier to begin the school year with good intentions (organized folders, mini deadlines, backpack routines, etc.) than it is to STAY on top of those intentions throughout the year. This is why creating a “weekly check-in” is critical. Each week, spend 10-15 minutes reviewing the school week with your child. Check their records for any missing assignments, take note of upcoming assessments, and discuss whether they have any supplies needing to be replaced. At the end of each week, during this check-in is also a great time to clean out their backpack so it’s refreshed for the following week.

A quick, focused check-in each week will help prevent major issues or problems. Or, if a problem arises, it will be caught early. You should also check in with your child about what has worked well/what isn’t working for them with your organization systems/routines. The goal is to create a system that’s easy to maintain every day. The best organization isn’t about perfection, but rather, establishing a system that your child (and you!) will actually keep up with consistently.

As much as I love summer and everything about the quality family time it allows, there is something so refreshing about back-to-school season. Does starting a new school year bring stress and chaos? Absolutely. But it also brings the potential for growth and hope of a fresh start. This back-to-school season, if you’re hoping to feel less stress and more hope…we can help! Reach out or give us a call if you’d like to assign us the task of back-to-school organization so you can have more free time on the family calendar!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia