Parent Portal

The Ministry of Education have created a parent portal with practical information for parents.

http://www.parents.education.govt.nz

Ten Read-Aloud Commandments

Here is a great guide to reading to your child.

http://memfox.com/for-parents/for-parents-ten-read-aloud-commandments/

Maths

This an excellent link to a website used by teachers, called nzmaths.
However, the family page gives good advice on how you can support your child in maths at home.
It also helps explain the programme teachers are using.

http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/families

Current Events

This is a lovely website for New Zealand children of primary school age. It features current events as well as other activities that are easy for children to read. Four or five new stories are put onto the website per day.


Click here:
http://www.kiwikidsnews.co.nz

What 3 to 7 year olds need to learn - Nathan Mikaere-Wallis

Nathan Mikaere-Wallis has been a lecturer at the Christchurch College of Education, lecturing in human development, brain development, language and communication and risk and resilience. He has visited Wellington and spoken to parent groups at Tawa College. In this podcast he talks about what parents need to do with their 3 - 7 year old in order for them to succeed as learner in later life. Some of his ideas may surprise you. Click on this link to hear his interview with Katherine Ryan on Radio NZ National:

How to Help At Home

Go to the link below to find out how you can support your child at home in Reading, Writing and Maths. The pamphlets are divided into students who have been at school for 1,2 and 3 years and Years 4,5,6,7 and 8. http://nzmaths.co.nz/national-standards-pamphlets

Listening to Your Child Read

Listening to Your Child Read: 

What to Do When Your Child Gets Stuck on a Word

Helping to Find Great Books for Ages 10+

For children with reading ages of 10+ years, search this website for quality books. The school library has many of the titles, otherwise you may search for them at the local Tawa Library or at the Wellington Library.

http://readitlovedit.com/home.html

Please Read to Your Child

There is a direct link between children who are read to and their reading success at school, see research below.  Not only is it important for pre schoolers to be read to but poorer readers will rely on adults to read to them so they can access the rich literature their peers enjoy.

Children are never too old to read to. As your child moves through the school they will become more and more independent in their reading, however, children still love to listen to stories and you should continue to read to them. Remember to put on the 'voices'! If your child is an able reader, you can take turns to read a page each or you may start a chapter and get them to finish it.

The single most significant factor influencing a child's early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.
National Commission on Reading, 1985

Research shows that families play an important role in children’s reading success. By reading aloud with your children and encouraging them to read on their own, you are helping them become better readers, better listeners, and better students. You are also helping them build vocabulary and language skills, and helping them gain knowledge about
the world around them. When you read aloud together, children learn quickly that reading is important. And most of all they learn that reading is fun!
Reading is Fundamental