Helping your child at home

There are a number of ways parents can assist their children in their learning. Parents can encourage children to be enthusiastic, interested and independent. Each child is an individual who will have strengths and needs and will learn at varying rates. Encourage children to improve but try not to compare your child with others. Provide positive experiences and discussions. Please ensure that the school is informed if there are any changes in circumstances which may impact on a child’s learning at school. All children are encouraged to read at home for enjoyment. Parents can support their child’s reading by

  • reading stories to/with children
  • helping children when they need it – Pause, Prompt, Praise
  • ensuring that reading time is an expectation at home
  • ensuring that reading time is enjoyable
  • visiting and exploring the local library with children and, if needed,  helping them with selecting books.      

Homework

We believe that homework should be meaningful, interesting and relate to the class programme, without developing into a stressful situation for everyone at home. Teachers will communicate the classroom homework expectations to parents through class newsletters. Please discuss any concerns with individual teachers. If children are unable to do their homework because of family circumstances please inform the teacher.

Learning about maths

Help your child explore the everyday world of maths.

Maths is around us everyday and everywhere. Maths is a big part of the world we live in. All the technology we use is developed with maths - buildings, bridges, computers, phones, television and transport. Even the new international standard rugby ball was designed with maths!

Your child needs to learn good maths skills for their future.

In the past, children were taught one way to solve a problem, even if they didn't understand how they got to the right answer. Today, your child learns why their answer is correct and is encouraged to solve problems, use logic and reasoning, and explain what they do with maths ideas.

What about basic facts?

Children need to know and be able to recall easily and quickly certain important facts. We all remember learning our tables - this is still very important at a certain stage. As children develop, different basic facts need to be known. Their confidence and success with maths depends on it. Initially one more and one less than a number is important, then addition and subtraction facts, then multiplication and division facts.

To access some excellent web sites that promote Basic Facts learning, click here!

To access the Brick Basic Facts Chart click here

What about times tables?

It is important that children understand how addition, subtraction, multiplication and division works before they memorise their basic addition and subtraction facts and their times tables. But once they do understand how the numbers work, they then need to learn the facts and tables, so they are able to recall them quickly and easily without having to work them out.

For example, they may start with the addition facts to five (0+5, 1+4, 2+3, 3+2, 4+1, 5+0) and to 10, then two, five and 10 times tables.

To access some excellent websites that promote Times Tables learning, click here!