January is of course the season for New Year’s resolutions, but rather than making promises that you’ll never keep (and then feel bad for not keeping), we’re big advocates of setting some goals and then creating a step by step action plan designed to help you achieve them.
When it comes to your children, one of the big things that may be on your mind at the start of the year, is the array of tests and assessments they’re going to have to do in the next two terms. For secondary school children there are key assessments both at the beginning of this term, but also, for some schools, later in the year too. These are an important indicator of what level your child is at, as well as where there may be gaps in their learning. These assessments are also a chance for them to start learning how to work in a test or exam environment.
For younger children, SATs are another important indicator of progress, that may be used to help your child’s placing at secondary school next year. It’s important not to underestimate the importance of SATs, not least because they can be a stressful and challenging time for your child.
Your action plan
The truth is, helping your child prepare for assessments and tests in itself can be stressful and challenging. From a parent’s point of view, we are well aware that it’s not always easy to find the time to help your child revise or prepare. And it’s entirely natural at the end of a long day, to want to sit down and spend some R & R time with your child, rather than battling with SPAG, maths, and other conundrums.
Then of course, there are the changes to how things are taught now compared to when you were at school, which can leave you baffled at how your child is attempting a particular maths challenge. And for older children, there’s often quite of a lot of resistance when you suggest they do their homework or revision, let alone if you suggest you do it with them to help.
All of which means you need a structure and framework to help ensure your child’s learning and preparation take place almost like clockwork. And with this in mind, we’d suggest the following framework which works well for some families:
Agree some SMART goals
SMART goals are common in business management. SMART stands for goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time based. When it comes to your child’s schoolwork, you might want to start with their target grades. For some children you will want to set a goal that pushes them a little (perhaps achieving a grade better than their target grade – “achievable”), for others it will be maintain their grades. Of course, you may have other goals that are more suitable for your child, and that’s fine, because they need to be “relevant”. Just make sure the goals you set together with your child are specific, for example to get a grade 6 in English.
Assessment grades are pretty easy to measure … you get the test results, and they are naturally time based (the date of the test is the deadline). But do keep track of their progress along the way, perhaps with a weekly, fortnightly or monthly check in.
This may seem like a simple system, but it makes it easy to be laser clear on what your child is aiming for. What’s more, if you write down your child’s goals, research shows that together you are 80% more likely to succeed!
Set realistic weekly expectations
Once you know what your child’s goals are, it’s a case of working out how to help them achieve them. Try and work out how much work your child needs to put in. You may need some input from their teacher or tutor to help with this. But if you can, agree with your child how often they will do their homework. Perhaps once or twice a week (whatever is appropriate) they do one hour after school before they see their friends. As much as possible, set it in stone. Although your child may resist for the first couple of weeks, by week three or four, this should be an established routine that just happens. It’s on the calendar, they know the rules, it is what it is.
That said, cut them some slack too. If your child always does sport on a Monday after school and is always shattered by Friday, neither of these days are a good day to insist on a homework session. Similarly, insisting they do five hours revision every Sunday may be an ask too far.
Get everything in place
Homework often requires materials, whether that’s a copy of the text they are covering in English, maths worksheets or a revision book from the library or bookshop, again, it’s worth asking your child’s teacher what your child needs so that you have the materials to hand as and when you need them.
Accept all the help you can get
We’re often not very good at asking for help, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. Our lives are so busy and keeping up with your child’s schoolwork can feel like a real struggle. Most teachers are willing to help whenever they can, with extra materials and advice.
In 2019, the BBC published research that showed that 25% of UK secondary school children were getting some sort of private tuition. That was before the pandemic of course, so that figure is likely to have increased and it’s really no surprise. Private tuition can be so helpful in terms of building confidence, covering any gaps in learning, or helping those children who need to be stretched a little to fulfil their potential. It also takes the pressure off you as a parent, as you have a professional who should be familiar with the curriculum stepping in to help your child.
Acknowledge and celebrate success
This is the fun part. And you don’t necessarily have to wait until after their tests to celebrate and reward. Your child is likely to experience lots of successes along the way, even if it’s just a case of having done the required amount of homework each week. Rewards and celebrations don’t need to be big or expensive. The point is to acknowledge what’s been achieved whether that’s with a milkshake and a slice of cake after school, a trip to the cinema or just a big gold sticker on a chart.
Sound like a plan?
If the above sounds almost too good to be true, why not get in touch with us? We provide affordable, weekly private tuition in a small group setting. We understand the curriculum and we create a programme for each child individually. We can help set goals, identify what needs to be done, keep track of progress and take some of the pressure off you - and that is a good way to start the new year!
