Planning and prioritization tips for struggling learners

Key Takeaways

Audience Spotlight: Struggling Learners and Everyday Planning Challenges

Many parents notice that their children find it difficult to plan ahead or decide what to do first. For struggling learners, this can lead to missed assignments, forgotten chores, and frustration over unfinished projects. If your child seems overwhelmed by to-do lists or avoids starting homework, you are not alone. Planning and prioritization tips for struggling learners can help your child build confidence and independence, transforming daily challenges into growth opportunities.

Definitions

Planning means deciding what steps are needed to reach a goal, then organizing those steps in a sensible order. Prioritization is choosing which tasks matter most and should be done first. Both are important parts of executive function and help children manage their time, energy, and focus.

Why Do Struggling Learners Find Planning and Prioritization Hard?

Experts in child development note that planning and prioritization require children to juggle many mental tasks at once. This includes remembering instructions, estimating how long things will take, and predicting what might happen next. For struggling learners—especially those with ADHD, learning differences, or anxiety—these skills can feel especially daunting.

Many teachers and parents report that even bright, motivated students can freeze when faced with an unstructured assignment or a busy week. Common barriers include: trouble breaking tasks into smaller steps, difficulty deciding what is urgent or important, and stress about making the “wrong” choice. Without planning and prioritization tips for struggling learners, children may procrastinate, avoid starting, or give up altogether.

Planning & Prioritization: Home Strategies for Every Grade

Whether your child is in elementary, middle, or high school—or you are homeschooling across ages—these strategies can help:

• Elementary (K-5): Use picture schedules or simple checklists. Ask your child what needs to be done before playtime. Praise “first, then” thinking: “First finish your math, then you can draw.”
• Middle School (6-8): Encourage your child to list homework by due date and estimate how long each task will take. Use color-coded folders for each subject. Discuss together which assignments are most important.
• High School (9-12): Teach your teen to map out projects on a calendar. Help them identify “must do” versus “nice to do” activities. Reflect on what went well (or not) each week, and adjust plans together.
• Homeschool (All Grades): Involve your child in setting daily or weekly learning goals. Review and adjust plans after each unit. Invite your child to help create routines—this builds buy-in and independence.

Executive Function and the Path to Independence

Strong planning and prioritization support executive function, which is the set of mental skills children use to manage themselves and their work. For struggling learners, strengthening these skills does not happen overnight. It requires practice, patience, and the right support. When parents model planning (“Let’s make a grocery list together”) and talk through how to help students prioritize, children learn by example.

Visual cues like wall calendars, sticky notes, or apps can make invisible plans more concrete. Routines—such as packing a backpack the night before—help turn planning into a habit. Encourage your child to reflect: “What should we do first? What can wait until later?” Small, repeated successes build lasting confidence.

Parent Question: What If My Child Gets Overwhelmed by Big Tasks?

It is common for struggling learners to freeze or melt down when faced with large assignments or unfamiliar routines. The key is to break down big tasks into bite-sized pieces. For example, if your child has a science project due in two weeks, help them brainstorm steps: pick a topic, gather materials, do the experiment, make a poster. Put each step on its own sticky note or checklist item.

Ask your child to decide which step to start with and when to do it. Celebrate progress at each stage—not just the final result. This approach not only makes big projects more manageable but also teaches lifelong skills in planning and prioritization.

Building Prioritization Skills: Concrete Tools and Routines

• Use “Must-Should-Could” Lists: Ask your child to sort tasks into “must do,” “should do,” and “could do if time allows.” This helps them practice deciding what is urgent.
• Visual Aids: Color-code calendars or use stickers for high-priority tasks. Visual reminders reinforce what comes first.
• Daily Check-Ins: Spend a few minutes each morning (or evening) reviewing what needs to be done. Adjust the plan together as needed.
• Time Estimates: Have your child guess how long a task will take, then check afterward. This builds realistic planning habits.

For more ideas, visit our Time Management resource page.

Encouragement and Growth: Reframing Planning Struggles

Remember, setbacks are part of learning. If your child forgets an assignment or leaves out a step, treat it as valuable feedback. Ask, “What can we try differently next time?” Share your own stories of making mistakes and finding solutions. Planning and prioritization tips for struggling learners are not about perfection—they are about building resilience, self-awareness, and independence over time.

It may take many reminders, charts, or trial runs before routines stick. Celebrate small wins, like remembering to pack lunch or finishing a reading log without being asked. Your ongoing support and positivity are the foundation for lasting success.

Tutoring Support

If planning and prioritization continue to cause stress for your child, you are not alone. K12 Tutoring partners with families to build these skills in a supportive, personalized way. Our experienced tutors can help your child break down big tasks, set goals, and develop routines that work at home and in school. With encouragement and the right strategies, struggling learners can become confident, independent planners.

Related Resources

• Time Management for Kids: Build Better Routines (Without Nagging) – Positive Parenting Solutions
• 5 Steps for Collaborative Goal Setting – Edutopia
• What Is Time Management And Why Is It Important? – NSHSS

Trust & Transparency Statement

Last reviewed: October 2025
This article was prepared by the K12 Tutoring education team, dedicated to helping students succeed with personalized learning support and expert guidance. K12 Tutoring content is reviewed periodically by education specialists to reflect current best practices and family feedback. Have ideas or success stories to share? Email us at [email protected].