Learning Specialists 

5 HOT TIPS FOR READING AT HOME

1. Reading at home is not a test!! 
   Talk about the illustrations and the title before reading. Read the blurb and talk about the author, talk about any unusual words, read a page here and there as your child flicks through the book, discuss the characters. 
2. Develop a routine that works for you.
   Whether it's morning or night, it really does not matter.
3. The less you interrupt the better.
   This supports readers confidence, resilience and independence. You don't need to pick up every error that is made.
4. The pictures are there to help!!
   Using the pictures to assist in reading the words is a great strategy and should be celebrated instead of discouraged.
5. Choose your words carefully.
   Avoid using judgement words such as 'good' reading. Instead say things about the strategies the reader is using e.g. 'I like how you skipped the word and read on when you came to that tricky word.

5 GOLDEN RULES FOR ENJOYING MATHS AT HOME

1. Maths is everywhere. Cooking, shopping, packing things into bags and boxes, planning a journey… even the buildings all around you. The more you look, the more you will see.
2. Being wrong is OK. Don’t feel bad about mistakes – they are part of learning. If you, or someone else, gets the wrong answer, then talk about it. How did you get there? See if you can come up with a better way to work it out.
3. Believe in your own ability. Everyone has the potential to understand and enjoy maths. Numeracy capability is not inherited, but attitudes are contagious. If you don’t feel confident, this is more likely to have come from your life experience than your genes. You have the ability: you’ve just not had the chance to develop it. You probably use maths more than you give yourself credit for. So avoid suggesting that people in your family aren’t good at maths. Your children will believe it, and make it come true.
4. Struggling is normal and healthy. If you can’t figure something out straight away, then you’re not alone. In fact, you are sharing an experience with professional mathematicians. It’s their job to get stuck on hard problems – sometimes for years! Some hints for getting unstuck include: Keep trying, try different methods, and try explaining what you don’t understand to someone else.
5. Talking about the ‘how’ is interesting. Different people bring different talents to maths – and solve problems in different ways. If you ask someone else how they worked something out, you’ll learn something – even if you were both right.