That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life

I have to admit that Ana Homayoun's That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life sat on my bookshelf for two years too long. In my first year as the Head of Middle School at Crystal, I purchased the book as soon as I read the title. I purchased it, placed it on the bookshelf, and tried to keep my head above water. I finally pulled it off the shelf this spring and read it cover to cover in one weekend; remember that I have a one year old son, so reading a book in a single weekend is like reading a book in a single sitting. I then ordered a copy for each sixth grade advisor; it is our team summer read.Too many education books are rich on theory and thin on solutions. The parent or teacher of a disorganized and distracted middle school student does not need much theory. They need to know what to do today, tomorrow and next week. Homayoun hits the nail on the head with this book. The majority of this title is filled with specific strategies, not just tips, for organizing and studying. On the first read I filled the pages with underlinings and marginalia. Since then I have added post-it notes to mark favorite pages for meetings with parents and teachers. The theory she does provide, a taxonomy of disorganized boys, will serve to assuage a parent's concerns; oh phew, he is not the only one with these problems!My only criticism is that the title might cause parents of girls to miss this invaluable resource. While her taxonomy of boys is rather gender specific, all of the tips for organization apply to both sexes. Homayoun has tried to fill the need with a new book on girls, The Myth of the Perfect Girl. Though this new book makes a number of good points about the hyper-connected social lives of girls, it is not as rich on specific tips for organization. If you have a disorganized and distracted boy OR girl, start with That Crumpled Paper.Theory is great and psychology studies are interesting. But, when you have a student seeing Cs, Ds and Fs because homework is never turned in and every test seems like a surprise to your student, neither are much good. Homayoun has the solution and the steps to follow to implement.

This book is amazing. It is almost as if the author has been watching my son all semester long. He is a sophomore in HS. He went from struggling to pass several classes, to getting "A's" on the first two tests in those same classes after getting this book. The author says to not expect immediate results, but he is getting results! I read the book and required him to make the changes she suggested.The changes were simple, like requiring a daily planner and scheduling 2 hours of study each day (except Friday) and 4 hours on weekends (we do 2 on Sat and 2 on Sunday). Also, turning off electronics and distractions as well as organized binders for each class. When my son finishes early, I have him spend his extra time making sure his papers are in his binders in the right section. He also makes flash cards for vocabulary and puts together study sheets at least 2 days before a test. Yes, there is software to help, but the act of writing the words, formula's, etc is helpful in learning. I also enjoy helping him learn by quizzing him with the cards.He used to have papers stuffed in stacks and loose notes everywhere. He thought he knew what assignments were due because each teacher posted them on the website, but he struggled to prioritize and look ahead. Having the planner makes such a difference. We created a planner just for him, listing each class in order with space to write down the assignment. Now he can get the big picture, and recognize when he has several tests coming up so he can prepare early.We almost took away his xbox because of his terrible grades. The author convinced me to let him keep it, but only to allow it "after" all studying is done. He has something to look forward to when he works hard.I can't thank the author enough for giving my son the organizational tools he needed to succeed. I know there will be bumps in the road and efforts may slip, but I'll just get the book back out and re-fresh our minds to get back on track. I saved hundreds of dollars in tutoring.

As a disorganized person myself, I really needed this book for my son! It not only helped with tips on organizing, but helped explain that my son may appear not to care about his grades, but really does care deeply. Which is how I've felt all my life. We just have never given him the proper tools to know how to get organized and stay that way. Most of his problems were not finding his homework that was already done, so he could turn it in. Getting poor grades in grade 6 was really effecting self esteem. This book wants your child to think about his dreams and to make goals toward making those goals, school related and otherwise. In just a few short weeks his grades have come up and he now feels more confident again so that he can shoot for the moon and get back to thinking about what his aspirations are. There are also great tips about keeping him from being distracted at home. This book was recommended to us by my son's psychologist who specializes in gifted children and has co written a book himself.We just had a meeting with my son's teachers and when I showed them the book, one teacher said " I think I have that crumpled paper that was due last week right here!" We did get a good laugh. But there was also a comment about how incredibly organized his book bag and binders were and how you don't usually see them looking that neat with boys in middle school.The only problem I had was when first reading about helicopter parenting, and how you have to let them learn for themselves, I backed off totally and he quickly began slipping. It was too overwhelming for him because, as I said, we had never given him the proper tools or taught him any way to get organized. So I realized, he still needs some help and guidance before he can be completely set free. We are on our way! My son and I are very, very grateful that this book was recommended to us!

Excellent strategies for the resolution of a set of common problems. Not wholly innovative but well worth reiterating. Love the title! Minus one star because of American 'Aren't I great?' attitude of the author. OK, she is obviously a successful mentor for teen boys and their families but I'm a doubting Brit. and I'd have welcomed a few 'hard to fix' cases and the ones that got away. that would have convinced me of the reality of all the case studies.

Yes, this is a book based on the American school system but most of the advice is easily applicable to the UK.I found this an interesting read and it has helped me understand my son and how to motivate him into being more organised and self motivated to work and achieve.

This book has some good ideas however it is VERY American and tailored to the American schooling system which makes it hard to read for an English person! An English "translation" would be a great idea!

This concise book is full of sensible and achievable organizational strategies for boys. Simple, clear, and easy to follow. The last chapter on implementation is short but very worthwhile. I think this book is a must read for both teachers and parents of boys - with or without organizational issues.

Excellent information!