How can you help your child?
There are many ways parents can help their child with their learning
Homework
Homework is any learning activity that pupils are asked to do outside of normal lesson time. The school believes homework is important for the following reasons:
It is a valuable way of providing parents/ carers with an opportunity to know about their child’s work in school.
The setting of tasks to be undertaken at home will usually be linked to current class-work and may include activities such as:
We will not set homework for its own sake or because a child is being taken out of school for a family holiday.
‘Well planned homework makes an important contribution to pupils’ progress at school and helps pupils achieve high standards.’
(Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and training in Wales – Homework in primary and Secondary school 2004)
What homework will be given?
Reading
This will always be a homework task. We hope that parents will take time to listen to their child/ren every day or at least 3-4 times each week and also to read to their children even in Years 5 and 6.
All families have been given a copy of the Parents-Child Reading Toolkit. This contains useful information and good ideas such as question prompts to help you to help your child become a better reader. A copy is also available on the school website.
Other reading activities may include reading – learning letters / blends, reading aloud to parents, reading for pleasure, reading for information
Maths
To help children to be better at maths they need a sound knowledge of number bonds, tables, units of measurement e.t.c. so that at when they want to work out a problem this information is in their heads (or at their finger tips) ready to help them, rather than having to look at a sheet or use other resources.
Parents can help them by putting some time aside every week (every day if you can) to go over these important facts and figures - a little and often is best for things to stick in the mind
If your child finds maths tricky or finds that tables and bonds etc are hard work to learn, it doesn’t mean they won’t ever be able to learn them but it does mean they will have to work harder than people who find learning this kind of maths easy.
Don’t be put off – be determined. A little bit of learning every day is the way they will get there! They will have lots more confidence to tackle maths problems if they know facts like tables, bonds and doubles really well.
The websites below may also be of interest to you
There are many ways parents can help their child with their learning
Homework
Homework is any learning activity that pupils are asked to do outside of normal lesson time. The school believes homework is important for the following reasons:
- To bridge the gap between home and school
- To encourage self-discipline and personal organisation, especially in KS2
- To support learning
- To allow parents/ carers to take part their child’s education and share in their child’s learning
It is a valuable way of providing parents/ carers with an opportunity to know about their child’s work in school.
The setting of tasks to be undertaken at home will usually be linked to current class-work and may include activities such as:
- learning number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables, doubles and halves etc
- learning spellings and spelling rules
- words / poetry for assemblies / concerts etc, - Church services, Christmas concert, Urdd, Kerry eisteddfod etc
- completion or extension of work begun in class – e.g. finishing off a worksheet
- additional research – e.g. looking for information about stars, people in history etc
- collecting information – e.g. nutritional information on food packaging
- investigations – e.g. shapes of shadows
- discussion – e.g. asking grandparents about their school life
We will not set homework for its own sake or because a child is being taken out of school for a family holiday.
‘Well planned homework makes an important contribution to pupils’ progress at school and helps pupils achieve high standards.’
(Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and training in Wales – Homework in primary and Secondary school 2004)
What homework will be given?
Reading
This will always be a homework task. We hope that parents will take time to listen to their child/ren every day or at least 3-4 times each week and also to read to their children even in Years 5 and 6.
All families have been given a copy of the Parents-Child Reading Toolkit. This contains useful information and good ideas such as question prompts to help you to help your child become a better reader. A copy is also available on the school website.
Other reading activities may include reading – learning letters / blends, reading aloud to parents, reading for pleasure, reading for information
- Click here to download a copy of the Parents-Child Reading Toolkit
- Click here to download a copy of 'How parents can help their child to read'
- Click here to visit the BBC web page - How to help with primary reading
- Say the sounds - On this page, listen to a recording of how to 'say sounds' correctly
- Teach your Monster to read - An online game which helps with the first steps of reading
- Make Time to Read - The Welsh Government's literacy campaign to encourage children to read more
Maths
To help children to be better at maths they need a sound knowledge of number bonds, tables, units of measurement e.t.c. so that at when they want to work out a problem this information is in their heads (or at their finger tips) ready to help them, rather than having to look at a sheet or use other resources.
Parents can help them by putting some time aside every week (every day if you can) to go over these important facts and figures - a little and often is best for things to stick in the mind
If your child finds maths tricky or finds that tables and bonds etc are hard work to learn, it doesn’t mean they won’t ever be able to learn them but it does mean they will have to work harder than people who find learning this kind of maths easy.
Don’t be put off – be determined. A little bit of learning every day is the way they will get there! They will have lots more confidence to tackle maths problems if they know facts like tables, bonds and doubles really well.
- Hit the Button - a super site to help with learning tables and number bonds
- Helping with maths
The websites below may also be of interest to you