Learning and Teaching

A mesage from Mrs Hodgetts

It was around this time last year, that I wrote an article about one of my favourite books called, All the Ways to be Smart. The reason I shared it was that it was just about the report time and it was a great reminder that being smart is not just about reading, writing, or getting the right answers at school. Instead, it shows that there are many different ways to be smart, including:

• being kind and caring towards others
• asking questions and being curious
• using your imagination and creativity
• trying your best and not giving up
• understanding your feelings and the feelings of others

Throughout the book, children are reassured that they are already smart in their own unique ways, even if those strengths look different from others and not the traditional academic interpretation of the word, smart.

Another great book, along a similar genre is called, The Smart Cookie. The story follows a cookie who doesn’t feel smart at school. While other classmates seem confident and quick with answers, the cookie struggles with reading, maths, and speaking up, which leads to feelings of doubt and worry.

Everything changes when the teacher gives the class a task to create something original. After trying and failing at different ideas, the cookie discovers a strength in writing a poem. Sharing this poem helps the cookie realise that being smart isn’t about getting everything right—it’s about finding your own strengths and expressing them.

You amy like to read one or both of these books with your children.