Top Tips & Support For Parents

Tips: Helping Your Child To Read

Here are some easy ways you can make reading a part of every day:

• Don’t worry about how long you read for. Every minute spent reading makes a bigger difference than you realise!
• Don’t worry about what your children are reading: recipes, cereal packets, Argos catalogues… It’s all useful! Keep books and other reading materials close by.
• Reading to children of all ages is helpful. If your little one isn’t reading by themselves yet, read with them.
• Ask lots of questions: Who, what, where, when and why and ask them to summarise when you’ve finished.

 

Tips: On Doing Jobs or Playing With Your Children

The TRUST Approach (EEF)

Here is a tool to help your child think and talk about the world around them. The TRUST Approach can
be used when you are talking with your child, such as when you are reading, doing jobs together or
playing:

• Take turns to talk about what you are going to do. Say things like: “I’m going to wear my red jumper today. What colour jumper would you like to wear”
• Recap the plan as you are working. Say things like: “Why do you think that happened?”
• Use lots of encouragement. Say things like: “What great ideas… Let’s see what happens!” Share what you know to help your child.
• Say things like: “Have you learnt about…at school?”
• Tune-in and be interested. Say things like: “I didn’t know you knew so much about…!”

Tips: Supporting Mathematics Learning At Home

Maths can feel like a difficult subject to cover at home. Here are a few tips from the EEF for how you can support Maths learning every day:

• Board games like Snakes and Ladders or other games with numbered spaces can be great for Maths learning. You can even make your own!
• Meals and snack times can be great to teach lots of concepts, like sharing, talking about time, counting how many carrots you have, estimating the number of beans or comparing sizes of potatoes.
• Use Maths words in conversation and play. This can include talking about size (“Which is bigger?”), order (“Which is first?”), shapes and more.
• Stories can be great opportunities for Maths learning. One great free resource for Maths stories is https://www.mathsthroughstories.org/recommendations.html but you can use other books too!
• Use manipulatives like bricks or toys of different sizes or amounts. Measuring items, scales, construction materials, puzzles, sorting and pattern materials are also great sources for discussion! 

 

Tips: The Home Learning Routine

Here are some easy steps to help you to build a great home learning routine with your child.

• Point it out when your child is doing something right and say "Well done!".
• Talk with your child about each other’s learning struggles and coping strategies. Don’t be afraid to be open about getting it wrong and trying a different strategy.
• No one knows your child as well as you. Speak to your child and trust your judgement about what works for them above any general advice.
• Regular routines help support positive behaviour and learning
• The Learning at Home Checklist (below)