TEACHING & LEARNING 

HOME LEARNING HEROES: TRADING CAPES FOR CONVERSATIONS

BY IVAN SESKIS (Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning)

We all know parents are superheroes; they juggle work, meals, uniforms, and school runs and somehow still manage to find that one missing sock or shoe just before they jump in the car to get the kids to school on time. 

As parents, we all want to support our kids in life and especially with their education. Sometimes it’s hard to know what this looks like. 

Some of the most powerful support you can offer your kids isn't about knowing all the answers; it's about setting the stage for curiosity, effort, and routine.

Some practical, low-stress ideas that help promote oral language development and support your child's learning outside of the classroom.

• Create time and space for conversations with your child. 

  You could ask, ‘I wonder' questions:

  I wonder what happens outside when it's autumn?'

  I wonder what the clouds are made of?

  I wonder what you would pack if you were to live on the moon for a week?

  I wonder what makes someone a good friend?

   

• Paraphrasing what your child has said models more complex language and extends their understanding. For example, if your child says, ‘Look, there's a bird,’ you could respond, ‘Wow, you have good eyesight; the kookaburra is camouflaged in that gumtree, which makes it harder to see, and you spotted it. Well done!’

   

• Play Learning Games: Incorporate games that naturally build skills, such as board games and card games for numeracy and strategic thinking or storytelling games for language.

   

Supporting your child's learning at home is less about being an expert and more about fostering curiosity, conversation, and routine. Simple, low-stress strategies like asking "I wonder" questions and incorporating learning games are powerful ways to build essential skills.