How does organization affect learning?

A tidy desk creates order in the mind. When everything has its place and nothing unnecessary takes up space besides school supplies, the brain is less distracted. This makes it easier for children to focus on their study materials, homework, or the content they need to learn for the next test.Another advantage: school supplies are easier to find. The excuse that a notebook “couldn’t be found” or the watercolor paints “just disappeared” no longer counts. And: children who organize their school things at home also experience less stress when packing their school bag. This way, their walk to school isn’t overshadowed by the worry of forgetting something important.

How can I create a productive learning environment at home?

Many parents wonder what their children really need in order to learn at home without disturbance and with motivation. Pay attention to the following:Optimal conditions: Every child needs a different learning environment: some require absolute silence to concentrate, while others enjoy background noise or movement around them. What matters is that your child has a fixed place to do homework, set up in the way that works best for them. Learning posters or a pinboard might help them stay organized. Others may need a particularly distraction-free space for math tasks.A pleasant learning environment also includes an ergonomic workspace. Desk and chair should match the child’s height.Good lighting is equally important. If your child uses a screen, make sure the monitor is at eye level so they sit in a healthy posture.Small desk = easier to stay organized: A desk should be large enough to spread out notebooks, books, and pens. But generally speaking: the smaller the desk, the easier it is to keep it tidy. There’s less temptation to pile things there that don’t belong.Create a positive learning atmosphere! Children should be surrounded by personal items, motivational quotes, or decorations they enjoy. This naturally makes learning easier.

Organizing school supplies — how does it work? Our 12 tips

1. Smart storage for school supplies in the children's room

When pens, books, or the school backpack have a fixed place, it’s easier for children to stay organized and find what they need quickly. Good storage solutions include desk drawers or rolling cabinets. Individual compartments in each drawer make sorting easier. All books, binders, and notebooks go into the appropriate compartment and can be taken out with one grab. To maintain an overview, you can label the drawers or – if your child can't read yet – decorate them with colored paper.

2. Buy school supplies together

If your children shop for school supplies with you, they develop a completely different relationship to them. They choose notebooks, folders, and pens themselves. This creates a sense of responsibility and motivates them to keep their belongings neat.

3. Establish routines for the school day

Tidying the backpack, cleaning up the desk after homework, and regular decluttering all help. At first your child may need support, but small habits make organizing school supplies quick and easy.

4. Encourage children to tidy up

Sorting through supplies regularly helps children see what they have. Broken pens, empty glue sticks, or binders that no longer close can be discarded and replaced.

5. Pack the school bag in the evening

You can practice with your child to spend five minutes in the evening packing their backpack. In the morning rush, it’s easy to forget a notebook or unfinished homework.

6. Print and hang up the timetable

Once your child has received their timetable and all after-school activities have been planned, print it out and hang it somewhere visible so both you and your child always know what needs to be packed for the next day.

7. One color, one subject

Especially for younger children who cannot yet read what’s written on the folders, it helps to assign each subject a color. Some teachers also suggest specific colors: math might be blue, arithmetic green, reading yellow. With one grab, the right folder goes into the backpack. Once a subject is associated with a color, this system often stays with children throughout their school years.

8. Use task lists and checklists

Encourage your children early on to work with lists. They quickly get used to writing down everything they need to do. This makes it easier for them to stay structured and organized. Younger children can use picture-based checklists, while older children benefit from written lists to keep track of tasks in German, math, English, and more.

9. Digital tools to organize schoolwork

If your child uses a tablet or laptop for school, digital organization and note-taking apps can help them manage their schoolwork more independently. Examples include:

• Free tools like Google Drive for storing notes, homework, presentations, and documents

• Microsoft OneNote or Evernote for digital note-taking and planning of larger projects

• Calendar apps for entering upcoming deadlines and appointments, helping children learn time management

10. How do we organize old school materials?

After several school years, old materials often pile up on desks or in drawers. It can be difficult to part with special notebooks, folders, or drawings. Help your children organize these meaningfully.You can use boxes sorted by school year or subject, making important documents easy to find later. If space is limited, consider digitizing the most important materials together. Not-quite-full binders or notebooks can often be reused.

11. Don’t forget the lunchbox!

Come home, unpack lunchbox, empty backpack, repack for tomorrow — it takes about five minutes. You can practice this routine together early on. That way, half-eaten sandwiches won’t mold in the backpack. A lunchbox and water bottle with a fun design makes them even harder to forget.

12. Talk to your kids about organizing their school supplies!

It’s important that you continuously support your children in staying organized. Talk to them about what challenges them and what they enjoy. This allows you to help right away and offer tips to make organizing easier.