Thu May 23 2013

Working Together for Success

Some more suggestions for supporting your child
during the run up to end of Key Stage 2 tests

'How was school today dear?'          'Boring'
'What did you do then?'                 'Nothing'

Sound familiar? You really want to help your son or daughter but all you seem to get in the way of a reply is a grunt or a shrug? The following ideas are simple but could have a powerful influence on your child's results over the coming months.

We shall be doing similar things in school and we hope that you may be able to use some of these ideas at home

  • Help your child to divide work up into small, manageable portions. Get them to work in 20 - 30 minute bursts with a rest break in between.

  • Ask your child to name the lessons he/she has had that day. Choose one subject and ask them to explain what they learned in that lesson. Explaining it to someone else is a very powerful way of reinforcing their own understanding.

  • Offer challenges to test them e.g. 'You've got exactly five minutes to tell me everything you know about ... ... '

  • Be direct about your praise or your concerns ... ... don't just moan!

  • Offer short-term rewards to encourage motivation (a McDonald's at the weekend rather than a new bike at the end of the tests!)

  • Set clear guidelines for watching television, playing computer games etc. versus time for revision and homework.

  • Early nights! Try to ensure that your child get sufficient sleep and also starts the day with a proper breakfast.

  • It is important to try to get all of the SAT's revision and homework done but also to have some relaxation time - to chill out and bring down the stress levels.

  • Keep in mind the targets set by teachers in exercise books and on your child's last report.

Encouraging ways to help children learn

  • For Science ... ... Ask them to tell you the 'Ten things I need to remember about this topic are ... ...'

  • For English ... ... Ask them what three things make a good story ... ... what do you need to remember about writing a newspaper report ... ... or a play script ... ... or a formal letter ... ... or a diary? What spelling rules would it be useful to remember?

  • For Maths ... ... Ask them to come shopping with you! In the supermarket ask questions about prices ... ... 'How much cheaper is a 400g jar of coffee than 2 jars of 200g? How much will 4 tins of cat food cost?'

  • Talking is important - to you, to the mirror, to the family cat, to anyone who has a few minutes to listen!

  • Working and revising with a friend can be useful too - it's amazing how much you can remember and learn together.