Love Learning

More evidence of a teaching failure in NZ schools. Love Learning is here to help.

Agencies dispute over how to solve low literacy and numeracy scores High failure rates in new literacy and numeracy tests have led to friction between the Qualifications Authority and Ministry of Education.

Love Learning has compiled 10 top tips to help parents guide their child through the new school year and help them avoid the "struggle zone". All of these tips are designed to reassure parents that there are strategies that can be used right now to support children who are struggling at school.
Top Tip #10/10
Get help - It may be time to involve a tutor. But it is critical to be informed about what tutoring services actually offer. Otherwise there is a risk that you will just end up investing your hard-earned money in an unnecessary education insurance policy or enrolling your child into a homework factory.
This will not solve your problem. Instead, consider investing your time in learning about what effective teaching and learning actually looks like.
In this way, you are likely to be more effective at supporting your child. (see tip #6)

https://lovelearning.nz/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-a-reading-tutor-for-your-child/

Love Learning has compiled 10 top tips to help parents guide their child through the new school year and help them avoid the "struggle zone". All of these tips are designed to reassure parents that there are strategies that can be used right now to support children who are struggling at school.
Top Tip #9/10
Compassion first - Trust your instincts, trust your child. If your child is not thriving at school or is just "hanging in there", then it may be time to view it as a "red flag".
The concern you have been suppressing up until now, may actually be justified.
And note, just because you had to tolerate a negative school experience as a child, it doesn't justify your child having to tolerate the same negative experience as you had to.
If you think your child is in the "struggle zone" it is then time to locate the source of that struggle. The school system is not always perfect. Which means there is plenty of scope fro the "teaching and learning disconnect" to have a negative impact on your child. But rather than look for scapegoats, apply a problem solving approach.
Start a conversation. A friendly chat with your child's teacher, highlighting your observations about your child is a good place to start.

https://lovelearning.nz/ten-guiding-principles-to-help-support-your-teaching-practice/

Love Learning has compiled 10 top tips to help parents guide their child through the new school year and help them avoid the "struggle zone". All of these tips are designed to reassure parents that there are strategies that can be used right now to support children who are struggling at school.
Top Tip #8/10
Resist labels - My child is dyslexic/has too much energy/can't focus/is anxious...
Check your belief systems at the door. Every child can learn if they are exposed to effective teaching. It is that simple. Effective teaching creates effective learning.
But before the learning takes place, you may need to invest time and energy into boosting the child's motivation and curiosity quotient. I describe this as "getting ready to learn". It is a different problem to solve than teaching a child to read.
It is relatively straightforward to achieve but it is essential if you want a child to be a good reader. By boosting motivation and curiosity you are increasing the chances of a child being an effective learner. In teacher speak, it is called "student agency". ie. the student is at the heart of their learning growth.

https://lovelearning.nz/the-impact-student-agency-has-on-improving-student-learning-outcomes/