That means that children need to develop a system for organizing their studying—and their time—so they can be successful.

As a parent, you may not be able to do anything about a messy room. But you can help your older child learn how to organize schoolwork.

Get ready. Make sure that your child has the right supplies. A looseleaf binder can hold papers, notes, homework, and handouts for each class. A calendar is essential both to record upcoming assignments and to plan time to complete them.

Get set. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," says the old adage. It's true. At the beginning of the year, help your son or daughter plan how to handle schoolwork. Ask, "When do you want to schedule your homework time?" Then have your child write down a schedule. (You might show your child how you get yourself organized. Do you make lists? Use a calendar? The same system may appeal to your child.)

Go. Once your child has a plan, help him learn how to carry it out. Although you make homework your child's responsibility, you can show your support in many ways. They include:

• Respecting your child's study time. That means no radio, no TV, no phone calls.
• Working on your own projects near your child. You can pay bills, write letters, or read a book, and you create a sense that "we're all in this together."
• For longer projects, help your child learn to divide and conquer. Breaking a big job down into small tasks helps her experience success.

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