Newby Primary School

There are so many ways to help your child at home! The beauty of all of them is that they don't need to cost anything or take any time. Below is a list of websites that you might want to use to help support your own understanding of how to help - websites for your child can be found under the 'Pupil Zone'. 

When we think about how you can help your child at home we think about the word TRAIN.

T - Time - The most important 'gift' you can give to your child is your time. Involve them in cooking tea, cleaning the house, making decisions etc. Take time to play card games, board games each week. Curl up on the sofa together to watch a film at the weekend. Your undevoted attention during this time encourages children to talk, to listen and to be 'in the moment'.

R- Read - A child who reads for 15-20 minutes a day is statistically proven to achieve better during their time in school. When your child is in Reception, Year One and Year Two, they will still need to read to you and for you to read to them if you can. We run regular 'Sharing Stories' sessions to support you in doing this. In Year 3 to Year 6, children can read to themselves but it would be even better if they could read to you.

A - Acknowledge effort not outcome. It's really important as parents that we praise our children for the effort they have made and not focus too heavily on the outcome. For example, if your child reads every night, praise them for it. It doesn't matter if they're not quite working at the level they should. The most important thing is that we acknowledge their efforts. Similarly, if on Sports Day they don't get the Gold medal, celebrate their effort - asking school to give them a Gold Medal doesn't support your child in understanding strengths and weaknesses. It also doesn't encourage a positive work ethic or approach to life. 

I - Interests - Spend some time finding out what your child is interested in and help them to develop that interest. Again, this doesn't have to be all consuming. If your child is interested in Art, why not ask Family and Friends to buy them art resources for Eid or their next birthday? If they're particularly interested in History, why not take them to one of the many free museums across Bradford and West Yorkshire. By investing in their interests you will support them in developing independence, curiousity and talent. 

N - Natter - The more you talk to your child about anything and everything, the better prepared they are for learning. By talking to children in English or in your home language, their vocabularly develops, their understanding of feelings and emotions improves, they are better able to hold conversations with their peers and other adults, the list of benefits goes on. Talk as often as you can and about anything you can. 

Below are some websites which will give you some ideas about things you can do at home. Equally there are some 'top tips' to help you better understand the 'TRAIN' analogy we've briefly discussed above.