What is most important for your child to learn?

[PrimaryTeacher2018]

The school I am working in is looking at redesigning what we are about. We don't want our children to be drilled with Maths and English, to miss out on the other important, and somewhat more creative, subjects and skills. However, we would love to make these decisions by considering what parents/carers/relatives think would make the biggest impact on children.

What is the most important thing a child can learn in school? What things would hold them back most in life if they haven't been exposed them in school?

Thinking to a primary school you are currently engaged with: what are the children missing out on? If you could suggest one or two things for the school to implement what would they be?

Thanks!

Definitely get rid of homework in primary. The research shows that it is a waste of time and in our house causes upset and arguments. It particularly drives me mad when ds has worked hard on his homework and there isn't a mark on it to show that it has been looked at. My ds1 had an excellent teacher who believed playing family board games was far better than any homework. Of course reading together is vital but don't punish the children who don't read at home as it is not their fault.

Being able to speak up in front of an intimidating set of people/audience. This could be speaking on stage in school, also speaking freely to teachers & head, which later leads to speaking up in meetings, events, intimidating crowds.

More important to put your idea out there than just having it in your mind.

To question things. To understand the difference between fact and opinions. To understand that there are more than one (or two, or three) ways of looking at things. To understand that sometimes even good, nice people think they're telling the truth when they aren't, because they are saying what they believe but they actually don't know whether it's true.

It all boils down to questioning things, thinking analytically and making your own mind up.

In the twenty first century I think that's the most important thing.

To finish things. I used to find it very frustrating when kids would start a piece of work then not go back to it at the next lesson.

To be able to speak in front of others-do presentations.

As a teacher myself I see creative subjects squeezed out of schools left right and centre and I really hope more schools like yours will wake up and try and go things differently.
My own child's school was chosen precisely because they value music, art, drama, PE just as highly as academic subjects and it really shows in the confidence of the children. Creative subjects even in the youngest years are taught by subject specialists across the whole school and I think this has the biggest impact of all.

I agree with lorisparkle about reading longer books aloud to children as a class even (in fact especially) once they can read themselves.

When I was a secondary school English teacher I read the whole of the set text GCSE books aloud to my bottom sets, who to be fair would never have done the reading set as homework, and my head of department constantly criticised me for it, but you could hear a pin drop in those lessons - probably the only time those classes of teens were quiet and still in their entire secondary school careers.

Almost everyone enjoys and gets a lot out of being read to if it's done well, and many people (outside MN obviously) never actually read an entire novel in their lives.

I still remember our teacher reading The Wolves of Willerby Chase and Children on the Oregon Trail to us in year 6 (or top juniors as it was then) 30+ years ago!

At my dc’s primary the teachers read aloud to their class for 20 minutes at the end of every day.

Learning to love stories and reading for their own sake, without having to pick the grammatical construction to pieces!

Social responsibility, environmentally aware and resilience.
Plus nurturing curiosity and love of learning and equipping students to go and pursue learning independently

Critical thinking.

In brief, these are the characteristics for effective learning. Loads more info out there too.

To be kind and able to negotiate for what they need and see that modelled.
To be given freedom to make choices and learn how to make good choices
To be able to get fascinated in a subject and really run with it
To be exposed to a wide range of music, art, history

Reading and being read to for pleasure is also way up there. My children do this at home but I know many who don’t get this chance

Maths and English.

Creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, curiosity, the ability to ask questions and seek answers, problem solving, awareness of the world, kindness.
From teachers a respect and value of the many different types of intelligence beyond just being good at maths and English.
No SATS!

anothernotherone

You sound inspirational.

A love of books

Knowing times tables off by heart

Kindness, politeness, good manners, and consideration for others.

The love of learning and how to learn.
Social skills
Competition = how to be a good winner / looser.
Taking risks

How to follow their interests - how to find information
A love of reading/ learning
How to be a good friend

“How to follow their interests - how to find information”

That’s an interesting one. I know someone who’s head of year 7 in a grammar school and she says that private school kids know more and state school kids are better at knowing where to find stuff out.

Resilience

DS was a bombscare for the first three years of primary, now like a different child. School have been amazing. The change that delights me most is the love of learning. He is just fascinated by the world and loves reading and writing. I feel like the rest of his education will fall into place now. A few years ago I was terrified for what his future held if he continued as he was.