Supporting my DC with classroom skills at home

[MrsElizabethShelby]

I am really proud of my eldest DC 6. They were at expected for all except art and design technology for which they attained greater depth.

I cannot describe how proud I am.

The concern that teachers have is that they are easily destracted and can be avoidant. Slow to work through the practical tasks and hardly ever gets to complete the questions to imbed the practical learning.

I want to help improve their concentration and speed but I can't afford tutoring programmes so need to try at home.

I feel they have such potential and I need to gently push for them to try harder but I was never academic myself so worry I'm not pushing hard enough/ I'm pushing too hard.

Iv looked online and classroom skills seem to be aimed at adults teaching programmes not children?

I don't get much chance to see their teacher so any advice you can give would be very much appreciated.

I'm a private tutor, working with primary pupils, as well as secondary school kids.

To improve concentration and speed, it's largely a case of practice makes perfect. Most bookshops (in my town we have The Works and WHSmith) as well as some supermarkets sell practise at home books like these ones: www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/browse_author_books?author=Collins+Easy+Learning&catalogId=10051

I often recommend to parents finding a book like this that seems a good level for their child (maybe one for English and one for maths), and then finding the time to sit down with them and work through it. You'll quickly find out how long they can concentrate for at a time, and that's the right amount to start with, even if that's only a couple of minutes. An exciting new notebook to do their work in, or even a mini whiteboard might work as a bribe if they're reluctant.

If your child concentrates for, say, five minutes the first time you try it, then consider doing five minutes once or twice a day for the first week. Then seven minutes and see how that goes. Small increases in time working will improve concentration, and lots of praise for focus rather than achievement.

Please feel free to PM me if you want to.

Best of luck!

Your DC is 6, so what been at school a year? There aren’t many 6 yr olds who aren’t distracted. You do know most kids get a good report at that age, don’t get ahead of yourself and start pushing them. If they’re doing well in general let them be and find their feet no need for tutoring at this age 🙄

@bookworm4 I'm trying to be supportive of my child's education. I never had any kind of encouragement or support because my parents apparently knew ' I would never be academic'

So shoot me for wanting better education and home support for my DC. yourself.

Thank you @PlantsPlantsPlants that's some really good advice and Ile take a look at those books. If I have any questions il let you know. 🙂

At aged 6 it doesn’t have to be workbooks. What is the child ‘into’? Find a topic that interests them, and then encourage them to do something relating to that topic.

For example, if they’re into space, and arty, get them to draw the planets, maybe write some facts. Or get some Lego and see if they can follow the instructions to make the model – or get ‘general’ Lego and see if they an make a building or a machine or whatever. If they like puzzles, try some wordsearches or simple Sudoku etc.

It’s easier to concentrate if there are no other distractions nearby. Turn the TV /IPad off and put the other toys away.

Make it easy for them to focus on something they really enjoy. This will develop their concentration skills and be fun too.

Make sure that in the summer holiday he has time that stretches out in front of him with nothing planned and no screens. A day in the house where he can get into something like playing with his farm or whatever he likes where he’s not going to have to go out to Tesco or anything.

Read chapter books at bedtime instead of picture books
Watch ‘better quality’ TV with more complicated storylines
Do puzzles and play board games together
Have an ongoing project with no pay off for a few weeks (making a cardboard castle, gardening, learning to sew)
Get him to help you plan a day out in the city. Where shall we go first, where shall we have our lunch, how will we get from this place to that place. Then do it.

I’m so glad your child is succeeding, and you’re working hard to support them. I agree with pp, find the things that interest them outside school and help them develop concentration and task completion that way. Praise their hard work, especially if they get to the end of something successfully. If they leave a task you can say ‘how shall we finish this off, what more can we do?’ Puzzles and problem solving activities are really good for this, but support them when you think they’re getting disheartened.
Workbooks are useful, especially if they enjoy them, but it’s really important to encourage self motivation and engagement generally.
Maybe you could think about a class or course in something you’re interested in for yourself? It’s never too late to learn new things, especially if you didn’t get a fair chance first time round.

Oh and small competitions between you especially in the car, times tables, spotting road signs, thinking of animals for each letter of the alphabet, word association, anything that gets them thinking and engaging.