Free Tools for Helping Students to Plan and Organize for School

Planning, time management, and organization don’t come easily to many students. In fact, for a large number of learners, these skills are some of the most challenging and the most misunderstood.

Free tools that help students plan and organize for school, featuring a child packing a backpack alongside printable planners and multisensory Orton-Gillingham–based reading remediation activities.

I often work with students who want to stay on top of their work but feel overwhelmed by long assignments, packed schedules, and unclear expectations. They aren’t unmotivated. They simply haven’t been taught how to plan in a way that works for their brains.

That’s why I’m always looking for practical, low-pressure ways to help students build executive functioning skills, especially during times when learning feels uncertain or demanding.

Why Planning and Organization Are So Hard for Students

Executive functioning skills develop gradually, and they don’t mature at the same pace for every learner. Skills like organizing materials, estimating time, remembering deadlines, and breaking down projects rely on brain systems that are still developing well into early adulthood.

When students struggle in these areas, it can look like:

Missed assignments
Disorganized notebooks or digital files
Difficulty starting or finishing work
Studying hard but forgetting material
Feeling stressed, discouraged, or “behind.”

Without the right tools, students often internalize these struggles as personal failures. In reality, they simply need explicit strategies and supportive systems.

Small Tools Can Make a Big Difference

One of the most effective ways to support executive functioning is by giving students concrete, visual tools that guide them step by step.

Simple supports like:

Breaking assignments into smaller parts
Writing tasks down consistently
Using checklists and planners intentionally
Creating routines that reduce mental load

These strategies help students move from feeling scattered to feeling capable.

Over the years, I’ve gathered and refined many of these tools into a larger executive functioning resource, but I also believe in letting people try before they commit.

Free Sample Pages: Planning and Organization Support You Can Try Today

To make these strategies accessible, I’m offering free sample pages from my executive functioning resource, Planning, Time Management, and Organization for Success.

The sample pages reflect the kinds of tools I use regularly with students to help them:

Clarify assignments
Organize their work
Plan their time realistically
Develop routines that actually stick

They’re designed to be flexible, student-friendly, and easy to adapt across grade levels, from elementary school through college.

👉 CLICK HERE FOR FREE SAMPLE PAGES

A Thoughtful Approach to Executive Functioning

At its core, executive functioning is about more than productivity. It’s about helping students develop a sense of agency: learning how to plan, adjust, and follow through in ways that support both academic success and emotional well-being.

When students are given the right tools, something shifts:

They feel less overwhelmed
They gain confidence in their ability to manage school demands
They begin to trust themselves as learners

That’s always the goal.

An Invitation

If the free sample pages are helpful, you’ll find that the full resource expands on these ideas with structured guidance, customizable planners, and strategies that grow alongside the student.

But whether you use the sample or the full resource, my hope is the same:
that students feel supported, capable, and empowered to take ownership of their learning.

👉 CLICK HERE FOR FULL PUBLICATION

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.