How To Choose Age-Appropriate Student Planners

School planners provide students with a place to record their homework assignments, keep track of important due dates, make notes and plan their academic week, month, semester and year – but they have the power to do much more than that. A simple tool such as a day planner can help a student develop important skills at any age. Using a day planner can help a student be more responsible, engaged, organized and flexible to changes in schedule. And by ensuring timely completion of all sequenced assignments, a day planner can even help a student better develop habits of mind such as curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity and the ability to think about and reflect on their own learning processes, which are all habits that should be instilled from kindergarten to college. Different day planners are more appropriate for different age groups, though, so if you’re thinking of purchasing a planner for your student, there are a few things you should keep in mind.



What to Look for in a Student Planner (At Any Age)

Whatever the age of the student, there are some basic things that one would expect to find in a day planner. Here are a few essentials that you should always look for when choosing a student planner:

• Affordability – no need to pay an arm and a leg to stay organized and on top of assignments


• Sections for Everything – from homework to tests to weekend plans to important due dates, it’s all there


• Extra Space – make sure there is some extra room to write random notes, lists and reminders


• Calendars Galore – a good day planner should include weekly, monthly and annual calendars to keep track of short-term and long-term due dates

What to Look for in an Age-Appropriate Student Planner

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all day planner for students of all ages. This is why retailers and manufacturers offer academic planners that are designed to meet the needs of each grade school level (as well as different types of planners for college), so students have tools that are specific to their needs at the current academic level. Consider examples from retailors like www.meridianplanners.com or www.schoolmate.com:

• Primary Elementary Grades – Students in the primary elementary grades (1st and 2nd) need planners that provide them with basic tools for success in reading and writing.


• Upper Elementary Grades – From 3rd through 5th grades, elementary school students can benefit from planners that allow them to track progress in reading, assessments and behavior, and keep track of exchanges between teachers and parents.


• Middle School – Middle school students are ready for a more complex planner with space to keep track of block schedules, organize different subjects, write down assignments and more.


• High School – By high school, students need a planner that allows them to keep track of future goals, college prep activities, a wide range of homework assignments, important due dates, test dates and social activities.

It’s never too early to begin instilling important traits such as responsibility and organization in young students, and it’s also never too late to develop these habits, with age-appropriate tools.

Kelly is an educational counselor who has worked at all levels of K12 learning. She has helped many students with organization and time management skills, which are vital to academic success. She believes student planners are one of the best tools out there for cultivating these traits, and thinks parents and teachers alike should investigate their options for purchasing agendas.