Supporting Your Child as they Begin their Learning Journey
You’ve dropped them off with bleary, tear-filled eyes on their first day of primary school. How did they get so big so quickly? And how can I support them in their education as they begin to learn to read, write and count? Supporting your child’s Literacy and Numeracy development need not be complicated or time-consuming. Here are 6 teacher top tips:
Read for enjoyment. I cannot stress this enough. Children need to see reading as something which is exciting and enjoyable, otherwise reading homework will become a chore very quickly. It’s great to get into a routine of reading together every night before bed. Not only does this boost their Literacy skills, but develops relationship and sets a calm relaxed tone before bed.
Revise phonics sounds. Often this is the thing that can scare parents the most - ‘It’s not the way we learned it at school.’ But phonics doesn’t need to be scary, if 5 year olds can do it, so can you! Think about the sound the letters make in words. Your child will likely be able to tell you how they pronounce the sound in school. Practise matching the sound to the corresponding letter. Then practise putting 3 sounds together to make simple words. Our 3 Sound Words Spelling Box focuses on these early phonics skills. With colourful magnetic letters and engaging games, your child can develop their new skills in a fun and engaging way.
Look out for real life Numeracy. Point out numbers around you eg. on house doors, packaging etc. Talk about the numbers, which is bigger, which is smaller, which number comes next. Practise counting different items. Talk about the time and link this with different types of clocks. Children learn best when what they are learning is linked to their real-life experiences. It gives their learning purpose.
Use visual aids to support their homework. Our Numeracy Toolkit was designed with this in mind. It is the perfect homework companion with bright, colourful visuals which help children develop their understanding of key concepts. It also contains interactive addition and subtraction frames to engage children’s interest.
Don’t overwhelm them with questions at the end of the school day. Children will understandably be tired at the end of a school day. Allow conversation to flow naturally later in the day rather than bombarding them with a list of questions as soon as they get into the car.
Let them learn at their own pace. Children will flourish in their own time. They have different strengths and not all children learn at the same pace. Avoid comparing your child’s progress to other children. This is not helpful for you or your child. See your child as the individual that they are and support them where they are at.
If you aren’t sure which resources are best matched to your child’s ability, contact us and we will be happy to point you in the right direction.