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Navigating Homework Stress

Premier Tuition — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 06:49:13 +0000

Eliminate Homework Stress for You and Your Child

We’ve all been there.

You’re sitting down to help your child with their homework. The dinner is cooking, the washing machine is running, the TV is on in the next room, and your other children are interrupting from time to time, asking questions or wanting you to do something for them.

It’s overstimulating and overwhelming. For everyone.

The child completing their homework lacks focus. They’re a little bit giddy. They’re doing ok but making some mistakes. Too many of mistakes, you think.

Somewhere, in the back of your mind, a teeny tiny voice (so tiny you may not be aware it’s actually there) is saying things like: “this is bad,” “they should know this,” “they’re falling behind at school.”

Consciously, you’re trying to help your child with their homework but subconsciously, you’re worried for your child. You think they’re falling behind in school and that IT’S YOUR FAULT.

You snap. You didn’t see it coming but you yell. Mayhem ensues, however brief, and now you’re riddled with guilt.

You know you acted rashly. You know you should have been more patient. You remember the times your parents weren’t patient with you and you swore that you’d never be the same with your children. But something just snapped.

What was it?

Understanding Homework Triggers

As parents, we often become triggered by the difficulties our children face when they’re completing their homework. Not necessarily because they’re not doing it well but because:

a) We’re overwhelmed by the environment we’re in and the multiple other distractions that are going on around us.

b) No matter how hard we try to explain something, it’s not sinking in.

c) We’re subconsciously worried that our child is falling behind in school and that this is somehow our fault.

Moving Forward

In order to overcome these homework triggers, it’s important to do the following:

a) Create an environment that’s conducive to completing homework. Wait until the dinner is cooked and the chores are done. Do what you must to make sure your other children are looked after and occupied. Aim to create an environment that’s calm, quiet and distraction-free.

b) If the way you explain something is not sitting with your child, try to incorporate visual aids and hands-on materials which can help to make abstract concepts more concrete. See if there are any YouTube videos or online activities that will help your child to see the concept from a different perspective.

c) Manage your own expectations in advance. Take a few seconds to remind yourself that every child is unique. Every child learns differently and in different stages. If your child genuinely cannot do something, that’s ok! They’re not meant to know everything. Identifying potential issues at an early stage is actually a very good thing as it will allow you to take the steps necessary to either get them support or support them yourself.

Next Steps

If you’re concerned in any way about your child’s progress in school, make an appointment to talk to their teacher. Even if your child is falling behind in a certain subject or area, there’s absolutely no reason why these issues cannot be overcome, allowing them to lead a happy and successful life at school.

At Premier Tuition Centre, we understand that each child has unique learning needs. That’s why we offer personalised tuition to primary school pupils in Irish, English, and Maths, including Specialist Dyslexia Tuition with an Orton-Gillingham trained tutor.

Our experienced tutors are dedicated to providing individualised support to help your child overcome challenges and thrive academically.

Learn more about our classes by clicking on the links below.

Dyslexia: How to Support your Child

AnneMarie Brosnan — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 16:49:54 +0000

3 Easy Ways to Support Your Child with Dyslexia

Did you know that dyslexia affects 10% of the population?

Indicators of dyslexia can vary from age to age but some of most common signs present as:

✅ difficulties with learning the connection between letters and sounds

✅ difficulty repeating multisyllabic words

✅ confusion with small words

✅ poor concentration

If your child has dyslexia, here are some ways that you can support them:

1. Read to your child. Children with dyslexia often develop a dislike of reading because they find it so challenging. Make the experience enjoyable by reading to them. This means that they get to experience the benefits of reading but none of the stress or anxiety that often goes with it.

2. Children with dyslexia often have low self-esteem because they recognise that they learn differently to their peers. Talk to your child about this in a positive way. Help them to develop their talents and focus on the things that they do well. Actively promote positive thinking by regularly using phrases such as “you can do it” or “you are good/smart enough”, “you are intelligent”.

3. Get familiar with assistive technology which can help your child achieve their full potential. Text-to-Speech software can be used to support academic learning while apps like Audible have hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books available to download at the click of a button.

Get an experienced tutor who has worked with children with dyslexia before. Children with dyslexia should be taught in a direct, explicit and multi-sensory way that is often quite different to traditional approaches.

"Children with dyslexia should be taught using direct, explicit and multi-sensory approaches" - AnneMarie

Specialist Dyslexia Tutors

If you’d like to learn more about our specialist dyslexia tutors, get in touch with us today.

Tuition is available to primary school pupils from Senior Infants to 6th Class live online through Zoom or at our tuition centre in Castletroy, Limerick.

Understanding Phonological Awareness and how best to support your child

AnneMarie Brosnan — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:00:27 +0000

What is phonological awareness?

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognise sounds in spoken language. It is the foundation to learning to read. Phonological awareness is an auditory skill – activities that develop phonological awareness can be practiced with your eyes closed.

Most children do not need to be taught phonological awareness skills. However, children who do not develop phonological awareness need direct, explicit instruction.

What about phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness is a subset of phonological awareness. It is the last skill to develop within phonological awareness. It is the ability to identify and manipulate the smallest units of sound (phonemes) in spoken words. For example, being able to hear /m/ and /a/ and /p/ in the word “map” requires phonemic awareness. Significantly, according to David Kilpatrick, 30-40% of children need to be taught this skill.

How can I develop my child’s phonological awareness skills at home?

The phonological awareness activities that you practice with your child should be appropriate for their level. They should gradually increase in complexity and at a pace suitable for them – you don’t want to overwhelm them!

Begin by exposing your child to songs and poems that rhyme. Recite your favourite nursery rhymes, watch rhyming songs on YouTube or sing and dance the Hokey Pokey with them. This is a fantastic way to help develop your child’s phonological awareness skills at home because it’s fun and enjoyable.

Progress by marching or clapping the words of a sentence (I – like – Ice – Cream) and then clapping or marching the syllables of a word (El – e – phant). As your child develops these skills, you can move onto more complex activities, such as:

Identifying rhyming words (“Do these words rhyme? / What word rhymes with ____?”)
Identifying the first, last and middle sound they hear in words, in that order
Blending individual sounds into words (“What does /m/ /a/ /p/ say?”)
Segmenting words into sounds

Once they have mastered these skills, the last step is learning to add, subtract, and substitute sounds to make new words.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, our would like more information about the type of literacy tuition that we provide, please contact us.