“The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.”
National Commission on Reading (USA), 1985
Research shows that children who read proficiently in the early school years generally perform better at every stage of their education.
Topics: Parenting, Literacy, Primary School, Preschool, Toddlers
So its the school holidays and the weather sucks. The sound of the TV is ever-present and, despite your best intentions, the kids have been on their iPods/PlayStation/Xbox/Wii far longer than you know is healthy. We all know too much screen time is damaging for kids but policing it is an eternal challenge. We hear you!
Here are some strategies for controlling screen time in your house:
Topics: Parenting, Teens, High School, School Holidays, Internet, Primary School, Technology, Preschool, Toddlers
A hotly debated subject among my fellow Year 3 mums is whether it is okay to move their 7-8 year old to the front of the car.
Legally in Australia, children may travel in the front passenger seat of a car from the age of seven (officially, they are permitted to travel in the front from the age of four should all available seats in the back be occupied by younger children). However, the National Child Restraint Guidelines recommend that all children under 12 should travel in the back of the car and use a booster seat until they are tall enough for an adult seatbelt.
Topics: Parenting, Primary School, Safety
I enjoy writing. My kids don’t (or so they say). Maybe it’s an association with spelling drills and school essay assignments but my boys do not naturally get excited at the prospect of putting pen to paper. Oh, they have friends who keep journals and who write stories at home for fun (imagine!) but not my boys.
Topics: Literacy, Teens, High School, School Holidays, Primary School
It was a little bit of a panicked morning compared to usual. We drove down the road on the way to school and my pre-preppie exclaimed, "I forgot my bag!". Indicator on, ready to pull over, I exclaimed, "I didn't get it either!" Then, a calm six-year-old boy's voice said, "It's OK...I've put what she needs in the boot!" Like I always say, my kids are not perfect but I my six-year-old is one of those kids who is thoughtful and organised FAR beyond his years.
Topics: Parenting, Primary School, Preschool, Prep, Planning
I have a general weakness for all things pink, vintage and nostalgic. So when all these features appeared before my very eyes recently, in one adorable little package, a 1950’s vintage Noddy clock became mine.
Actually, I justified the purchase on the grounds that it had clear numbers on the face and that it would be an excellent teaching tool for helping our six year old to learn to tell the time.
Topics: Parenting, Primary School, Sleep, Prep
