Helping your child at home

There are many ways in which you can encourage your child to work well and to ensure a good start. We hope that you will find the following suggestions helpful.

1. Read interesting stories to your child and share the pleasure with them that books can give. Visit the library and encourage your child to choose appropriate books. Teach nursery rhymes and songs, do things with your child which will encourage conversation and give opportunities for discussion.

2. We teach reading through the Read Write Inc program. Please try to help your child to sound out the letters in words and then to ‘push’ the sounds together to make a whole word. Help your child to focus on the sounds, rather than the letter names. You can hear how to say the sounds correctly here:

For more information about Read Write Inc and their latest updates, you might like to follow their Facebook page: facebook.com/miskin.education

3. Show an interest in the things your child has to say about school. Praise and encourage her/him and spare some time to hear her/him read and read with him. Give her/him opportunities to practise her/his writing skills e.g. thank you letters, party invitations, messages, letters to Grandma etc. Please only use capital letters at the beginning of names and sentences.

4. Let your child help with cooking and shopping which will give him/her practice in recognising shapes, weighing, counting, measuring and handling money. Consider giving a small sum of pocket money on a weekly basis.

5. Give your child opportunities to draw, paint, cut and stick. Please teach him/her to use a knife and fork.

6. Encourage your child to finish a task, tidy up after him/herself, to dress and undress and use the toilet.

7. Send your child to bed at reasonable time during the school week. Children need 10-12 hours sleep depending on their age.

The school recognises that you as parents and carers are the first educators of your children and we therefore encourage you to liaise closely with staff. We ask all parents to work with us to ensure that your children will have a happy, secure, productive and rewarding school experience.