By now you are all back in the swing of another term and no doubt getting busy with Winter sports and afterschool activities. A reminder that the colder terms can mean we are more susceptible to being unwell. If your child is unwell please communicate with your tutor and they will offer a possible makeup time for you to consider. Please note that a makeup lesson can not always be provided at school, so may take place via Zoom (if suitable for your child) or at the tutors home.
MATHS: HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AT HOME
You may have seen/heard the discussions in the media lately about maths in our New Zealand Primary Schools and concerns around student achievement in regard to maths. Here is a link to a RNZ discussion around Maths in schools.
We as parents and tutors know that maths can be a challenge to support our children with. They seem to be learning numeracy in a different way to what we were taught, which leaves many parents struggling to support their child to master strategies. We have pulled together some practical ideas and tips for you if you are looking for some ways to support numeracy knowledge at home.
Here is a video from the NZMaths website that was made specifically for parents and caregivers. It reminds us to chat about maths as part of our everyday lives. It is a short, informative video that is just intended to remind us of how we can incorporate discussions about numeracy in our daily lives.
https://nzmaths.co.nz/introductory-video
The Ministry of Education has a parent page that includes tips and ideas for supporting your child with their learning depending on their age/year level. Follow this link to see some practical suggestions for supporting your child. We know that many kids love being on devices and using technology to practice skills. We have included below a couple of websites that offer a range of FREE maths games. Having your child play some of these will help to consolidate their basic math skills and provide them with an alternative and fun way to practice!
Online FREE Math Games Website:
https://www.mathplayground.com/math-games.html
https://www.multiplication.com
We recommend a website called IXL if you are looking for a paid option to support your child’s Math learning. There is a HUGE range of activities to support your child’s learning, no matter what level they are working at. Please let us know if you’d like us to sign your child up for an annual subscription for $40. Literacy: Hell Pizza Reading Challenge.
A huge thank you to the NZ Book Awards and Hells Pizza for collaborating to create a reading challenge for New Zealand Primary aged students. Many of our Learning Support students will be participating in this challenge which sees students read books/paragraphs and tick off a pizza wheel which they can then exchange at Hells Pizza franchises for a FREE kids pizza! Yum!
Check out the video below and this website to find out more about the challenge and also feel free to chat to your child’s tutor about the Reading Challenge.