Information for Families

INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES - PARTICULARLY THOSE OF CHILDREN STARTING AT SCHOOL

Contact With The School

• Enquire about your child's progress at regular intervals
• Make an effort to attend school events
• Attend parent/teacher interviews
• Parent/caregiver meetings at school are valuable for meeting others
• Become a parent help
• Assist on school or class visits

How Can I Help My Child's Learning?

The school day is only part of your child's learning.  If you want to help your child to succeed there are many other ways you can help -

• Read your child lots of stories.
• Encourage your child to use the library.
• Encourage sharing books and reading some of the words with you.
• Encourage writing (letter, stories etc), drawing, making things, colouring-in.
• Have a place at home to display work.
• Play games together.  Many, such as "I Spy" help learning considerably.
• Sing and say rhymes together.
• Don't panic or worry if your child seems to be taking time to learn new information.
• Avoid comparing progress with that of other children as children all develop at different rates.
• Establish regular bedtimes so that your child doesn't become over-tired

 

Before Starting School

Your child's transition to school can be made easier if he/she can -

• use a handkerchief and is always encouraged to carry one
• go to the toilet independently (boys have a urinal)
• wash and dry own hands
• tie own shoelaces
• dress independently
• use scissors
• recognise own name when written down - use a capital letter followed by lower case letters

Does Your Child Have Opportunity For?:

Colouring In - drawing - sharing books - having stories read to him/her - doing jigsaws - using glue, string, scissors, sellotape etc - listening to instructions and having a chance to carry them through - saying and playing counting rhymes and games - playing and sharing with other children - singing - listening to tapes - looking after own belongings.



Helping Your Child At Home

Your child will bring home a number of items each day.  These may include books, completed work, artwork etc.  There is a reason for sending these home as they can help you understand what our child is doing each day.  Please set aside some time to talk about them and where appropriate -

• listen to your child read
• enjoy favourite poems with your child
• help with the learning of new words
• talk about and display artwork
• read to your child if a library book is brought home

Reading

• Make children feel good about themselves.  Your child should never think that     reading is a hopeless task.
• Find a lot of opportunities to read together and to use what you read to carry over into an activity - eg: baking a cake, finding a telephone number
• Always find something good to say about your child's reading
• Be patient when your child reads (listen, avoid growling)
• Talk to your child's teacher if you are worried
• Read your child stories that are too difficult for your child to read by themselves - or read them with your child reading the words they can manage also
• Talk about interesting parts of books or poems you have read together
• Run your finger under the words as you read a book together