Ah, remember the time when you were the centre of your kids’ universe, when you could do no wrong and everything about you fascinated them? You could throw them in the air, smother them with kisses, crow like a rooster, dance along to the Wiggles and they thought that was just great.
And then they started school …
In Australian schools, children are taught to read phonetically: They learn their letters and the sounds they make – both individually and in combination with other letters (eg ‘ch’, ‘th’, ‘sh’). In this way, they learn how to read and build words from their component phonemes.
Topics: Literacy, Primary School, Prep
So you've been scheduled 10-15 minutes to drill the teacher about your child's performance and well-being at school. You've just received your child's school report and have a number of issues to discuss. How do you make the most of your brief meeting?
Topics: Teachers, High School, Primary School
In an increasingly digital age, it's easy to view handwriting as a dying art. Few people own fountain pens; most written correspondence is tapped directly into devices. In Finnish schools, children are no longer taught cursive (joined-up) writing but move straight to keyboards two years after learning their letters.
Topics: Literacy, Primary School, Preschool, Prep
As young as eight, I would hop on my bike after school, cycle a few blocks and knock on my friend's door to see if they could play. We would kick balls in the street or ride to the woods for fort building and games of tag and 'capture the castle'. If my parents worried, they never showed it.
Topics: Teens, High School, Primary School, Social Skills, Friendship
When my boys were little, I used to compare them (unkindly maybe) with puppies. Providing they had plenty of affection and were allowed to run around a lot outside, they were happy. Preschoolers are natural little whirlwinds of energy and need masses of exercise. Physical activity keeps little ones fit, healthy and strong, helps them relax and sleep better and is FUN!
Topics: Social Skills, Preschool, Prep, Health, Sport
