Supporting Your Child Through Primary Years

by Pascal Press | November 23, 2021

Primary school lays the foundations of your child’s personal and academic growth. Being an advocate for your child’s learning is a rewarding experience and is proven to accelerate results. Studies show that a family’s support is more impactful to a child’s learning than a parent’s income or education. You are your child’s first and most influential teacher; your support and home environment are more impressionable than you may expect!

Establish a partnership with your child's school

Get to know who is supporting your child each day, and the responsibilities they possess in assisting your child to grow and prosper. An awareness of the school environment will help you relate to your child’s daily experiences and will assist you to liaise with the correct person when you require extra help. Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher and make it known that you are dedicated to their development. A clearly established two-way flow of communication between parent and teacher is a brilliant way to nip any potential learning problems in the bud.

Enforce Homework

Ensuring your child completes their homework in a timely manner is one of the best things you can do for their progress. Be inquisitive about what your child is learning in class and let them know that it is important to complete homework each day. Create a healthy (device-free) and structured routine each weekday to ensure they stay on top of their workload. Let them know when they are done for the evening, to encourage rest and recuperation for the upcoming school day.

Support at-home learning

At-home learning should assist to strengthen the key skills students require for school studies. Screen time is often a distraction for children; however, an online learning program will help them more than it will harm them. Kids often view phones or tablets as entertainment; therefore, this could be a great opportunity to integrate a spelling or maths program into weekend play. Encouraging your child is to read is a brilliant way to engage your child in learning outside of the classroom. Not only do books increase vocabularies and reinforce grammar principles, but they also require focus and attention which complement school studies.

Use additional learning resources

If you feel you need a helping hand, don’t be afraid to recruit a tutoring service or supplementary workbooks to tackle topics that may seem daunting to your child. You can’t be expected to know how to do everything and there are abundant resources to help your child succeed. You know your child better than anyone – consider how they best absorb knowledge and try to offer resources that fit the bill. If you demonstrate a positive attitude to your child about areas they could improve, they are likely to respond in a similar way. No child is perfect at everything and it’s important that they know this too.

Watching your little ones grow and prosper is a fulfilling experience. With the tips above you can be an active participant in their leaps and bounds.

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