How can I increase dds confidence?

[scrappydappydoo]

DD1 is in yr1, she's quite sensitive soul and needs lots of reassurance and encouragement. Lately she's been getting very despondant about her schoolwork - in tears as she's the only one still on red book band and everyone else gets different spellings to her because of this. She's been throwing lots of tantrums - throwing books around and saying she's 'rubbish at everything' :( I don't know what to say to her apart from that if we keep practicing she'll soon get better and trying her best is the most imporatnt thing, but its getting harder and harder to motivate and encourage her. It hasn't helped that her teacher has been off sick for the past 3 weeks so she's had a succession of supply teachers so I don't have anyone at school to ask about this. How can I help her?

Make reading fun with her. Make a game of it. Act out plays and stories using toys and accessories. If a story is about a girl in a castle, build a castle and use a doll.

Make the stories come alive and then use the doll to read the words to her and ask her to copy the doll.

Use teddies to help with spellings.

All sounds silly but making learning fun is the best thing you can do. if you drill or force a child to do something they wont.

get junior scrabble and ask her to find the letters of the words she is learning (and letter cards would do) and then learn the letters of the words through games.

use sand/flour/soil to practice spellings

use shopping games to learn to count

Dont do anything formal, make a game of everything so she doesnt even realise she is learning.

When you are out, look at shop names, can she identify them, can she read them? - Over time, with practice, she will, and as she starts to become familiar with words she will be happer to start reading posters, road signs, notices etc looking for words she knows.

Dont get disheartened. Dont pressurise her. Enjoy her while she is young

There are some online resources you might be able to do with her e.g.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/
pbskids.org/lions/games/blending.html
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html

Reading graphic novels, comics and magazines with you or by herself may make her more enthusiastic and confident about reading.

A big pack of post it notes and you ask her to label everything in the house-perhaps start with body parts for humour.

Lots of access to pens and paper to scribble and draw.

And everything Iamseeingstars said too.

Great - thank you! Will try all those ideas.

I think you do need to have a word with someone at school about how upset she is and how under confidant about school. I appreciate that this is tricky when the main teacher is off sick. She needs reassurance at school too.