Acing School

Helping Your Child Excel at School and Beyond

“My child looks different – will he fit in?”

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Fitting in with other children and friendship groups is one of most important aspects of supporting children’s wellbeing at primary school.

But some children have more hurdles to jump over than most.

The following question was posed recently from a concerned mum.

 “We want our son to fit in and make friends when he starts prep next year. He is a happy, confident child but our concern is that he has a large birth mark on his face. Lucas accepts this completely but should we warn him that some children at school might be mean to him? We are concerned that he won’t be ready to handle teasing.” [Read more…]

Camps build independence and confidence – please let your children go!

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Parents worry about agreeing to their children going on camp – letting them out of their sight and putting trust in the teachers.

But do trust that the teachers really care and the children benefit and grow in independence, resilience and confidence.

Being away from home (even under the watchful eye of the teachers) can be a real rite of passage for the primary student.

So please let them go! [Read more…]

Does your choice of preschooling have a standard of care?

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Finding the right day care or kinder program for your three and four year old is the start of many decisions parents make on the long road to provide the best educational opportunities for their children.

Having listened to endless conversations with parents of young children about where to go, when to go and which one to choose, it’s clear that choosing is not as simple as years ago.

In the past there may have been less understanding of the importance of preschool education, less choice of centres and less competition for places.  Even now, working parents may have a smaller range of preschools to choose from as location and travel narrow options to fit in with a busy overcrowded life.

Your child comes first, so what’s the most important things to look for.

[Read more…]

Do preschoolers learn anything or is it just playing all day?

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Most parents would feel really chuffed, on many levels, if their preschooler was showing signs of reading simple books. Some children will, but many won’t.

Does this mean that those who are beginning to read are brighter, more capable and will succeed more in life than those who are still not reading by school?

Of course not! Most of us reading this post will not have been reading before school, however we always aspire for the best for our children.

So what do we want from our preschools when it comes to more academic endeavours which support children’s progress? [Read more…]

Taking a precious toy to school is risky business!

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Most schools strongly dissuade parents from allowing their child to take precious gifts and toys to school or preschool.

Teachers know too well how toys or important keepsakes can be broken or lost at school – they are just kids!

It’s devastating for the child, and often their parents, when this happens.

So it is self-preservation for all that there are strict rules around precious ‘show and tell’ items.

However, with a little planning, a child can share something precious with their school mates and bask in the delight or envy which arises!  [Read more…]

Leaving a crying child is breaking your heart!

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Your child is finding the first few days (or weeks!) at school difficult and you are finding it heart-breaking to leave him in the classroom crying.

You’ve read the books, scanned the articles, done the preparation for preschool but despite all this effort, your child is really reluctant, if not anxious, about staying without you.

In most cases, it’s the parent crying, as their baby leaves the nest!  If this happens to you, you will adjust.  Just make sure your child doesn’t see your tears.  They can be contagious!

When your child’s crying persists, it is heart-breaking. What can you do?

[Read more…]

Promoting self-belief in our children

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How does it happen, that when comparing two children of the same potential ability that one child will persist and conquer a task while the other will not?

We constantly encourage our children….. take that next step into the water, try the next maths task or have a go at writing a little story, but sometimes with little success.

Often it comes down to what social scientists call a child’s self-efficacy or belief in themselves to complete the task or succeed in specific situations.

One’s self-efficacy can play a major role in how a child approaches challenges.

What is self-efficacy? How can parents foster this?

[Read more…]

Preschool starts next week. Am I ready?

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Christmas is over, hot January is well underway and your child is looking forward to starting ‘kindy’ for the first time.

The whole family is excited about this new adventure!

Things are looking good. You have managed to book your child into your chosen preschool and you have marked the attendance days and start time on the fridge calendar. Tick!

It is only a week till starting …. it is time to check your list to make sure all is in readiness for a smooth start.  [Read more…]

How would your child go with the ‘marshmallow test’?

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It’s all about self control!

A Stanford University professor and psychologist, Walter Mischel, conducted a famous series of studies on delayed gratification in the late 1960s and early 1970s with 4 year old children. The children were given a marshmallow but were told that if they did not eat the marshmallow immediately but waited until researcher returned to the room after about 15 minutes, they would be given two.

This study which has been repeated many times since, but what was the pay-off?  [Read more…]

All children lie at some time!

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Most children have been caught out in a lie!

Parents know this and often intuitively know the reason behind it. It can be more difficult for the teacher when the child lies about things at school, but the reasons are probably the same!

We all know that lying is to be strongly discouraged.

Lying children can lead to lying adults who are not trusted by those who get to know them.

It is hurtful when the teacher tells you your child has been caught out in a lie! You want to defend your child but far better to work with the teacher to find out the reasons why.

[Read more…]

Those early preschool days were great, but are the wheels coming off!!

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There has been nothing but excitement over the Christmas period.

Grandparents and friends are all smiling encouragement about how much fun it will be to go to preschool.

But now it is three weeks into the new school year and the wheels are coming off! Your child is tired and he says that he has ‘been there, done that preschool stuff ‘and now wants to stay home with you.

Worse still, you have returned to work and there is much adjustment happening in the home. You certainly don’t need a reluctant child!

There is no silver bullet but with some reflection, you can get this back on track.   [Read more…]

Someone stole my jumper! Maybe or maybe not!

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Lost jumpers, missing pencil cases and misplaced drink bottles drive all parents mad! Children who are careless with their possessions or disorganised, are the bane of parents’ and teachers’ lives.

Understandably, parents who have to buy the third expensive jumper for the year can be very angry – not only with the child but sometimes with the teacher!

Children under the stress of having lost yet another thing can also resort to the quick answer of ‘someone stole my jumper’! Anything to get themselves off the hook!

The jumper has gone,  so is theft a reasonable conclusion or not?

[Read more…]

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