Helping your child to study at home PFG January 2019
The challenge to stay involved There are many reasons why parents might be less involved in the secondary school years: Teenagers naturally become more autonomous, play a more active role in their education and begin to question their parents authority. For parents this means that the way they used to support their child s learning may start to become more difficult Secondary schools are set up differently from primary schools, with different structures and processes in place to communicate student progress. As a child grows older, parents may feel less confident about being involved in their child s learning, particularly as the content of school work becomes more complex or they take on specific interests In secondary school, the style of communication changes and parents may feel that there are fewer invitations to participate, both from students themselves, and from schools
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Be sensitive to how teenagers want to be more independent, while giving structure and support (easier said than done!) Have a supportive parenting style that is warm, responsive, and firm but democratic (rather than relying on one-sided parent control and decision-making) Enable and encourage your child to engage in autonomous or joint decision-making Help your child to develop their own schedules, routines and processes for managing school, homework and other aspects of their lives Allow your child to take an active role in solving their own problems Sustain consistent levels of parental support and supervision and maintain adequate level of discipline (e.g. some house rules in relation to screen time, chores, etc.)
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Discuss aspirations and expectations for learning Communicate and reinforce the value of education for your child s future Express high but realistic educational goals for your child Have aspirations for and encourage your child to complete school and go onto further education or training Have discussions about post-school education options, courses and careers Talk positively with your child about the things they are good at, provide specific praise Encourage them to learn from their mistakes and help them to develop resilience Be wary of your own educational biases and baggage creeping in.
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Create a stimulating and supportive home learning environment Have books and other learning resources available at home In your home life, show that learning and education are valuable. For example, parents reading at home, having conversations about learning Take your teenager places outside of school, such as cultural activities, sports, trips to museums, libraries, community events, music, theatre and more Help support them and keep them healthy. For adolescents, it is particularly important to get enough sleep (between 9 and 10 hours), Parents can also provide support for stress and emotional anxiety, provide good nutrition, and help young people with time and resource management
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Maintaining child-parent interaction relevant to learning Have frequent discussions about school, learning and educational matters this includes actively listening too! Engage in conversations and choices around future course selection, further education and careers Discuss big ideas around politics, society, science and culture and link these to school work where possible Talk about books, movies, documentaries, television, online media (e.g. what your child is reading or watching) Encourage critical literacy skills such as checking multiple sources of information and verifying facts through research Ask questions in ways to encourage a discussion, rather than yes or no answers
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Provide appropriate support for homework Support your child to develop their own routines for doing their homework and managing other activities like sport or work Ensure your child has a quiet and organised space for doing their homework your local library might be a good spot if there isn t room at home Try to avoid direct involvement in homework when your child does not need help, particularly as they get older Show interest in what your child is learning and doing at school and what homework they may have (e.g. during chats at the dinner table) Do not do your child s homework for them allow them to grapple with challenging problems If your child is struggling, let the teacher know.
Here are some examples of things that parents can do throughout secondary school Provide appropriate support for homework Develop a protocol/agreement for the use of social media and mobile devices Ensure they are fed and watered Ensure breaks are taken but that time between breaks is focused Be aware that your child s method of working/revision may not tally with yours but if it is working for them then you might need to bite your lip!
Send Your Teen to School Ready to Learn- breakfast A nutritious breakfast fuels up teens and gets them ready for the day. In general, teens who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school. You can help boost your teen's attention span, concentration, and memory by providing breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber, and protein, as well as low in added sugar. If your teen is running late some mornings, send along fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, cereal bar, bagel or a sandwich.
Send Your Teen to School Ready to Learn- sleep Teens also need the right amount of sleep about 8½ to 9½ hours each night to be alert and ready to learn all day. But early school start times on top of days packed with classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and friends mean that it's common for teens to not get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is linked to decreased attentiveness, decreased short-term memory, inconsistent performance, and delayed response time. Most teens also have a change in their sleep patterns, with their bodies telling them to stay up later at night and wake up later in the morning. Ideally, teens should try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. You can help by reminding your teen before bedtime to turn off the phone and limit the use of technologies. Napping during the day can also push bedtimes back, so it's best if teens don't nap after school. Many teens try to catch up on sleep on weekends but try to keep your teen's sleep and wake times within 2 hours of what they are during the week.
Finding out what they are doing 1) Track ClassCharts so you know what is being set and when it is due 2) Launch evenings provide dates of assessment windows and the HoY/SSO can also supply this information
Keeping Track You will be notified on ClassCharts if homework has not been completed. Students are given a warning and chance to rectify before a sanction is set Data releases will allow you to track how your child is progressing against their expected progress
Things you can do to support and enrich Buy study guides/copies of texts/textbooks Access to relevant apps and websites Read and discuss news articles/current affairs Try and take children to connected enrichment activities e.g. a performance of a play that they are studying Read what they are reading and then discuss it or chat about it
Preparing for tests and exams- does your child know the following? 1) When is the test? 2) What will it be covering/testing? 3) How will it be marked? 4) How long will it be? 5) Is it classroom based or N6/Sports Hall? 6) If it is part of a formal exam cycle, do they have a copy of their examination timetable? These are e-mailed to students and have the times, location, duration and seating details on. They will also need water in a clear unlabelled bottle and equipment needs to be in a clear pencil case 7) What equipment do they need for the test/exam?
Study Kit List- think about some of the following: Folders Highlighters Ruler Flashcards Poster paper and marker pens Stick on whiteboard sheets and whiteboard pen or wipe clean Revision guides Text books/set texts Internet access A4 note pads Different colour pens Blank paper for mind maps
Revising for tests- where is your child at?
KEA revision
Techniques to make sure you KNOW IT Reading revision guides/study guides Reading notes and books from class Using subject specific websites with explanations Reading textbooks Discussing it
Techniques to make sure you EMBED IT Make posters Do quizzes Create mind maps Make and use flashcards Summarise ideas Transform ideas into pictures and diagrams Highlight key ideas Talk it through/explain it to someone Put key ideas onto post-it notes and decorate the walls
Techniques to make sure you APPLY IT Complete practice questions- especially for wobbly areas Try different examples of the same thing Complete past papers- many available on the exam board websites Re-do test questions/papers and improve them Read mark schemes and highlight what you are confident with and what you need to improve Create your own exam questions
Some suggestions for you to help Test them Ask them to talk an idea/concept through with you Sit together and mark work- even if it s just looking at if it makes sense or if they are using the right words If you know the subject/have read it, have a discussion about it
Any questions?