How To Effectively and Efficiently Use the Calendar App on an iPhone

by Jordan Feldman

Nearly every modern smartphone comes with a pre-installed calendar app. If your child does not have a smartphone, I suggest supporting them in creating a Google account. Not only will your child have access to Gmail, Docs (comparable to Microsoft Word), Slides (PowerPoint), Sheets (Excel), etc., they will have access to the Google Calendar. 

Once you click into the Calendar app, you will have the ability to view your calendar in a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly format. The viewing of different formats is easily interchangeable - just take time exploring the app. 

Let’s fast-forward to Monday, April 6, the first day back from most public schools’ spring break. This day and following week is a great time to model a typical week in the life of a student. Use your finger to scroll to the month of April on your Calendar app. Touch the number 6 (day of the month) located underneath the M (for Monday) on your calendar. 

For the sake of this blog post, below are theoretical assignments that a middle or high school student may be assigned on the first day back from spring break:

History: Handout on the Greek and Roman Empires due Wednesday, April 8

Science: Lab on Chemical Reactions - Thursday, April 9

Math: Quiz on Two-Step Equations - Friday, April 10 

Foreign Language: Vocabulary Quiz - Friday, April 10 

English: Argument Essay Draft due Friday, April 10 

English: Argument Essay Final Copy due Friday, April 17

If the school policy at your child’s school is to remove the cell-phone while the student is in class, I strongly encourage you to buy your child a planner or ask the school for one. Even if your child has access to their phone while in class, I strongly recommend that every student has a planner. Students should get into the habit of writing down every single assignment they are assigned in their planner. 

Once the daily/weekly assignments are written in their planner, students should put them into their Calendar app. In order to do so, follow these steps: 

1. Open the Calendar app 

2. Touch the number 6 in the month of April

3. Touch the + sign in the upper right corner

4. Under “Title”, type the following: 

1. History HW: Handout on the Greek and Roman Empires

5. Touch the white circle in the “All-day” section (the white circle will turn green after touching it)

6. Under “Starts”, make sure the date reads Apr 6, 2026

7. Under “Ends”, touch April 6, 2026 and change the date to Wed Apr 8, 2026

8. Touch “Add” (written in red lettering) in the upper right corner 

This assignment will now appear in the Calendar app for the days of Monday, April 6, Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8. Once students input all of their assignments into their Calendar app, they will have access to viewing said assignments. As long as the student gets into the habit of checking their Calendar app every day, multiple times a day, they will see the assignment and remember to complete it.

Effectively and efficiently utilizing the Calendar app will lead students to improving their memory, organization, and performance on homework, projects, and assessments.