Organizing Student Materials in Low-Lit and Beginning Levels

Adapted from Organizing Student Materials, Jessica Grace Jones, Literacy Minnesota, 2008.

Purpose: One of our many jobs as teachers and tutors is to prepare students for independent study. This includes helping students think of ways they can study and learn on their own, teaching them strategies for studying, and setting expectations for independent study. One of the foundations of independent study is keeping materials (handouts, assignments, and notes) well organized. If you follow the steps below during every lesson, you can consistently reinforce a system for keeping materials organized.

Preparation Time: None.

Materials: See procedure below.

Preparation: Make sure to three-hole punch all handouts.

Procedure:

1. Review the following expectations with learners as needed:
   • Every student must have a spiral notebook. (These could be purchased by the students or provided by the learning center.
   • Every student must have a three-ring binder. (Purchased by the student or provided by the learning center.)
   • All handouts should go in the three-ring binder with the most recent ones in the front.
   • Students must bring their handouts to every class.
2. As they arrive, ask students if they are ready with a pencil/pen, notebook, and binder. (Get the noisy pencil sharpening out of the way before you start class!)
3. Take time at the beginning of the class to identify which handouts the students received during the previous class.
4. Encourage students who arrive early to review notes and handouts from yesterday.
5. Write the day’s date on the board. Throughout the class, remind students to write the date on the top of each new handout.
6. If possible, give students a few minutes at the end of class to organize their papers before leaving.