A Parents Point of View

Parents who take on the responsibility of supervising their own children deserve a medal!

It takes a great deal of patience and courage. Some parents find it enhances and strengthens their relationship with the children.  Others find it can become a strain having to work with their children during “school hours” and then “after hours”.  Take heart, most parents see their children off at the beginning of the day and then not again until they greet them at four in the afternoon.

 Because you are having a great deal more contact with your children it may cause friction.  Try not to change your personality as you walk through the classroom.  You should not become a military figure or someone different, be yourself, a mother or father.  Behaviour, rules and expectations should be consistent so that they flow over into everyday living.  Children need this routine and consistency, given this they will be more responsive as they know what is expected of them.

 As a parent you also have obligations to other people within your family, don’t neglect them by becoming totally engrossed in school work, they need time out from hearing about school just as much as you do.  To alleviate some of this pressure on you, use other family members to assist with some aspects of your children’s work.

  

When we are Learning

Learning to read and write are much the same as learning to talk.  Think about children you know, who are beginners at talking. Children learn to talk when:

 ·        Talk is all around them

·        They need to use it for their own needs

·        Adults treat their attempts seriously and sensibly

·        They want to ask for and receive help when they want it

·        The important people in their lives never doubt they will talk

 Now substitute the word writing for talk e.g writing is around them.

Children’s attitudes to writing are strongly influenced by you!  You are part of the motivation, therefore it is really important to respond to their needs.

 Think about a task you had to learn recently and the parallels can be seen.

For example, when learning to drive a car, the learner is:

 ·        Surrounded by people who can drive and do drive

·        Learning to drive because s/he wants to learn

·        Willing to try and practice

·        Confident to ask for help, advice and demonstrations

·        Able to see room for perfecting his/her driving skills

·        Assisted by someone who assumes s/he will eventually be able to drive

 Again, if we think of this in the context of writing, we can begin to appreciate how a person might learn when “driving a pencil” for the first time (with destination in mind).

 ·        Imitating others

·        Observing others experiences

·        “Doing”

·        Interacting with others

·        Choosing the strategy that is most suitable

·        Experimenting

·        Making mistakes (taking risks)

Positive Feed Back

Ways to encourage your children

 ·        Look for positives

·        Build on the strong points

·        Be Friendly

·        Let them know what you appreciate about them

·        Recognise effort

·        After taking firm action, resume talking in a friendly manner

·        Allow the students to “own” the problem, indicating your faith in their ability to tend to it

·        Accept them for who they are, not who you would like them to be

·        Put yourself in their shoes and see it from their viewpoint

·        Avoid nagging.

 Often we can become over ambitious in striving for excellence. Approaches towards perfect work can have a harmful effect on your children. If children associate certain areas with having to produce perfect work they may avoid them, if they are not confident in pursuing such a high expectation. 

 If there is a chance of failure and a chance of avoiding failure - which option are you going to take?  As a consequence, the children don’t develop the courage to risk.  It is very important for you to have realistic expectations for you children.  After all, imperfection only means you’re human! When all else fails, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Question

 Is the work too difficult?

  Is the work too easy?

  How do I help with this problem?

 Is this activity too long?

 It is too hot/cold in here?

 Am I talking too much?

 Am I listening to them?

 

  

Action

Discuss it with the child and the radio teacher or travelling teacher.

 Look at extending the work, use books for resources and the teachers ideas.

 Phone Camp Education, we are always here to help.

Have a break continue the activity tomorrow. Take some short cuts.

 Change the conditions to suit the climate.

 Cut down on the amount of chat. Give the children time to think.

Give the children time to talk it over with you.