Executive Functioning: Organization

Oct 31

Supporting Executive Functioning: Organization Skills in the Classroom

When we think about "organization," it’s easy to picture tidy desks or color-coded folders. But for students, organizational skills are much more than keeping things neat. They’re a foundational part of executive functioning that affects how well they can plan, prioritize, and follow through on tasks.

In the classroom, organizational challenges often show up as:

Missing materials or incomplete assignments
Difficulty starting tasks or following directions
Disorganized writing or project work

Let’s break this skill down into key areas and explore how we, as educators, can support it.

1. Organization of Materials

When students know where to find their materials, they’re more likely to use class time productively. Disorganization can cause unnecessary delays and increase frustration—for both the student and the teacher.

Try this:

Build in a 2-minute “reset” routine at the end of the period for students to organize their materials.
Use visual checklists or desktop tools that help students self-monitor.
Teach and model how to label and store materials so students know where things go (and why it matters).

2. Organization of Tasks

This is where planning and prioritization come in. Many students struggle not because they’re unwilling to do the work, but because they aren’t sure where to start or how to structure their time.

Try this:

Model how to break down assignments using a timeline or checklist.
Use sentence stems like: “First I’ll… Then I’ll… Finally I’ll…” to help students verbally plan.
Scaffold task planning by working as a class to outline multi-day projects together.

You can also explicitly teach students to preview instructions, gather materials before starting, and identify the steps needed to complete a task, skills that often go unspoken but make a huge difference in work completion.

3. Classroom Routines to Support Organization

Even small routines can help students internalize organizational strategies. Checklists, packing routines, and consistent expectations reduce cognitive load and help students stay on track.

Try this:

Keep a class “to-do” board visible and reference it regularly.
Post daily or weekly checklists for what students need (e.g., homework folders, supplies, assignments).
Use consistent verbal cues and routines to signal transitions and wrap-up tasks.

Want more tools and examples to support EF in your classroom?

Check out our Spotlight PD: Supporting Executive Functioning Through the Grade Levels.

This 1-hour on-demand training gives you a clear, practical framework to support attention, planning, regulation, and goal-setting from kindergarten through high school.

Executive functioning is one of the most talked-about topics in education right now, but most educators are asked to support EF skills without ever being shown how.

This training changes that.

You’ll get a simple 5-step framework, real examples from K–12 classrooms, and ready-to-use tools you can implement right away, without needing a separate curriculum or a total schedule overhaul.