The majority of students who come to see me are involved in a comprehensive literacy and/or numeracy program where several elements are being simultaneously taught. However, there are times when I start working with a student specifically for spelling. In recent weeks I have been asked about what this program looks like, here is an… Continue reading Intensive Spelling Interventions
The corporate world is filled with acronyms and SMART goals have certainly appeared in a project or strategic plan in probably every workplace across the globe. It is something we can apply to students in their study plans as well. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based. There are some derivations of this (realistic… Continue reading SMART Goals
It is wonderful our students have access to so many wonderful technologies to support their learning. It is worrisome that at times these technologies just make life harder. I have assisted some of my students over the past few weeks with tablet-based assignments that frankly make something that is regularly quite simple very complex. In… Continue reading Which technology when?
Exams are not particularly fun and all of the effort seems to be focussed on getting to the exam and then being glad they are over. To a degree I understand this, however the teacher in me feels there is a lost teaching opportunity by not spending some time once you get the exam results… Continue reading Taking Stock After Exam Results
I have yet to meet anyone who is sunshine and flowers 24 hours of the day, there are definite early risers and night owls in the world! This is also the case for children and teenagers. There are some commitments we cannot change - the school day sticks out in my mind! 9-3pm is hard for… Continue reading Your’s Child’s Optimal Learning Time
As a tutor much of my work with high school students involves assignment planning and completion. In previous posts I've explained the process I work through when the assignment sheet arrives in my session. This is a great scaffold when there are weeks to complete this. Unfortunately there are just as many occasions when my students… Continue reading Assignment Confusion – asking teachers for help!
For many parents the beginning of their journey into finding help for their children's learning needs is the small voice in the back of their heads telling them something is not right. In the lucky cases this is also supported by a classroom teacher who can help steer the parent in the right direction for… Continue reading Where to Begin? A Simple Guide for Parents of Children with Suspected Learning Disabilities
The Naplan (National Assessment Program – Literacy & Numeracy) is held each year during May for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Australian schools. Students take part in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation) and Numeracy tests over the course of three days. Naplan Anxiety Many children can become anxious… Continue reading Naplan Preparation
