Parents are bombarded with new "cures" and "treatments" for their child's learning needs. It's difficult to resist trying them all. Making decisions about when to start and stop a course of treatment is unfortunately a waiting game. I wish there was a magic number - 4 weeks, 1 term, 6 months a year ... but… Continue reading How Long Do You Stay the Course?
Today I got to teach one of my favourite lessons, Times Tables Tricks. Learning times tables can generate an almighty sigh of frustration from students and parents alike. Over the years I have refined the way I present times tables to reduce these down to 24 tables to learn by rote. I start with an… Continue reading Times Tables Tricks
I wish I could provide some magic cure here, but I yet to find one! What I do have to share are an array of strategies I have used and have needed to revisit in recent weeks for a few of my high school students. Sentence Starters I always allow my students 5-10 minutes planning… Continue reading Writing Help for Reluctant Teenagers
I've been purchasing resources from the website TeachersPayTeachers for a while and have decided to share my resources as well on this site. Some resources will be free, others for a small fee. You are welcome to visit my store http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Samantha-Hornery.
Fine motor difficulties, including holding the pencil, cutting with scissors, and letter formation is often relegated to the domain of an Occupational Therapist for specific assistance. I make these recommendations all the time. However teachers are also able to affect significant changes in this area (I'll post some ideas for fine motor activities in the… Continue reading Fine Motor Apps for Teachers
This week I was able to demonstrate "genuine" learning for one of my students. It was an experience that was unplanned but a welcome reminder of the need to constantly be learning. There are some new additions to the HSC curriculum and I was confronted with one during a tutoring session this week. There are… Continue reading Demonstrating the Learning Experience for Real!
The first term of school has come and one and if you're the parent of a high school teenager, the cracks may be starting to show. There are two aspects of high school life that can present challenges for academic success (or survival!): 1. Organisation & 2. The actual work. The second is something that… Continue reading Helping Your High School Teenager
