Many people are talking to us at the moment about their children either preparing for, or completing assessments at school. This time can bring about a lot of angst for both parent and child, so we thought we would share a few ideas to help.
Impact of the pandemic
We must remember that children have missed a considerable amount of school. This, obviously, does not mean that they will not catch up; however, they will need time, enrichment and encouragement to gradually fill the gaps and build strong skills and understanding for their future learning. The journey of each child’s development should be respected and understood – children need to go through all the stages of development as they grow and learn.
At the moment, many of them still need time to find their way through all the different things they are trying to learn and master. Not least of all they are still learning to connect socially with friends and peers, as well as continuing their academic education, and this will be using a lot of their energy,
Be kind to yourself
We are also hearing that many parents feel very guilty about their role in home learning. We urge you to be as kind to yourselves as you would be to a friend. Your child will have learnt a great deal about pulling together in a crisis and doing the best we can – something which each and every one of you did. It is time to put the guilt behind us and celebrate where we are, and help our children enjoy learning and aspiring for their future.
Assessments, resilience and determination
Assessments are part of learning and you can help your child be ready for them and learn from them:
- The most important thing is to help them to understand they can only do their best! That does not mean being perfect – it just means that they try.
- Encourage them to improve on what they can do and not measure themselves against others. Improving on their own achievements is where we need to direct them towards, as this is within their grasp and that develops motivation.
- Let them know that teachers also use the assessments to plan how they can help them learn more effectively.
- Remind them it is normal and okay to feel a bit worried and nervous, and that others will be feeling like this too.
- Help them to keep a healthy balance in their lives by doing things they enjoy: spending time outside, relaxing, being with their friends, reading, exercising and generally being a child!
As parents, remember that each assessment and report at parents’ evenings is just a step along the way in their lives. There will be ups and downs for your child as there are for us all. What we want is for our children to become educated people who value and enjoy learning – it is a lifelong journey for everyone and provides a wealth of pleasure and, at times, challenges. Please visit our website for more resources and tips to help your child flourish.
Please contact us if you would like more information about how to help your child:
enquiries@tutoryourchild.co.uk
