When we first started working on homework routines with our son, I wasn’t trying to teach him how to use a planner. I was just trying to figure out how to get homework done with less struggle.

We started with something very simple: a star tracker. This is what we’ve used to get my son into an effective homework routine:

He could earn stars for completing the things we were working on, and those stars could eventually be exchanged for rewards. At first, that was really all we needed.

But as we kept using it, I realized the tracker was doing something else for us. It gave us a way to look back at the week and actually see what was working. This simple star tracker eventually became the system we use now: our Weekly & Monthly Planner.

Our Sunday Planning Routine

I’ve been reading the Executive function Playbook by Michael Mcleod. He talks about how kids with ADHD have a limited time horizon. They cannot see beyond the “now”. That’s very consistent with what I’ve observed with my son. He will avoid doing some of his non-preferred tasks, like doing homework. By building the habit of note-taking, I’m hoping to help my son build a skill to help him remember deadlines, homework details, plan, organize and prioritize tasks.

In addition to his daily homework planner, we also use a weekly & monthly planner together.

Weekly & Monthly Planner

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Right now, our weekly check-in is pretty simple. We take a few minutes to sit together and go through his daily planner and then I write things down on our weekly planner.

This planner can track rewards, goals, main tasks, and celebrate wins from the previous week.

Here’s our usual talking points:

1. Look back at the week. How did it go? What worked? What was difficult?
2. Count his stars and rewards. Did he reach his target? What did he earn?
3. Celebrate a win. What is he proud of from the week?
4. Troubleshoot. Is there anything we should change for next week?
5. Set a new goal. What does he want to work on?
6. Choose his reward. What is he working toward this week?
7. Check the monthly calendar. What’s coming up that we need to remember or prepare for?

The most challenging thing for me, is to stay consistent every week! At this stage, we’re both building the habit. The fact that my son relies on my consistency so he can develop planning and organizing skills, keeps me very motivated!

At the end of each month, you can use the brain dump page to explore new ideas that came up (there’s always something), celebrate what went well, set goals for next month, write down rewards you can look forward to, and a simple check list to build a habit of keeping school stuff organized.