Supporting Learning

Taking an active interest in a child’s school is a powerful way of letting the child know that their education and progress are important.

There are many ways in which learning can be supported within the home environment. For younger children this often involves more informal learning experiences, whilst for those who are older this may take the form of exam revision.

Some examples of how learning can be supported include:

• reading with the young person and asking them questions about the text e.g. “What do you think will happen next?”
• practising spellings
• offering experiences, such as exploring the local community. This can build on a child’s understanding of the world and support others areas, such as maths when working out change in a shop
• being on hand to help with homework
• using online sources such as BBC Bitesize (which covers primary and secondary school) and GCSE Pod

Good home-school communications make it easier for problems to be resolved quickly if difficulties arise for the child in school. An informal meeting with a trusted member of staff can often resolve any emerging problem before it becomes a much bigger issue.