Goal setting for the older learner Additional Information: for first-time goal setters it is important for an adult to assist the child in creating appropriate goals. Introduction: Holistic goal setting is the most beneficial form of goal setting as it looks at the primary factors in your life. Holistic goal setting creates and maintains a form of balance for the individual. It also helps develop time management skills. The four areas of Goal Setting: The primary factors of holistic goal setting are: Social (friends, family, personal social goals and societal duties/goodwill) Mental (school, academic, intellectual, logic, mathematical, language and conceptual) Physical (health, sports, activities and well-being) Emotional (emotional, psychological, religious, relationships and holistic well-being) Creating your Goals: First Step: Decide on your Goal Prior to deciding on your goal please refer to Learning how to set realistic goals then select a goal for each area; you may select up to…

Learning how to set realistic goals: Many children battle with goal setting. Their goals tend to be unrealistic or based on the standard answers they believe are expected of them. With that in mind, I provide this goal-setting method with an explanation detailing how to help young learners choose healthy and realistic goals. When discussing goals I like to use the elastic band analogy: if you pull the band too tight, it will snap, but if you hold the band loosely there will be no tension and the band cannot perform its function. The aim is for the band to be slightly stretched in order to perform the necessary task, but not so tight that it snaps. This is what your child’s goals should reflect – an elastic band optimally performing its function. If their goals are too easily reached (the elastic band is too loose) then it does not…

Recently, I read a very interesting article about common parent 'mistakes' in our society today. This sparked off an idea to write about different behaviours we should avoid when raising our children. The content I will discuss will be based on a variety of sources, my professional and personal experience. I hope the points raised will open up some doors for you to consider with regards to parenting. Parenting Behaviours to Avoid - Part OneBeing too Competitive “Are you too competitive?” Whilst, it is healthy for a little bit of competitiveness when it is at your child’s expense then you need to take a step back. Sometimes, without even realising it, to promote our child we hurt another child, we compare our child so much that they may begin to feel incompetent or when they cannot achieve our expectations (which may be too high) they feel like a failure. This…

Listening is an invaluable skill that forms part of your child’s social, emotional and life skills. But are you listening to your child? Does your child feel as though you are listening to them? It is very difficult to pay attention to our children sometimes; we are busy, over worked, frustrated, tired among many other things. The brutal truth is that if we are not listening then we cannot expect our children to listen. Rather than discuss what we do wrong, this article will show three steps to improve the communication between your child and you. Let children be heard. Here are three steps to help you really listen to your child: Children often feel that they are not heard because they cannot express themselves. If they are at a loss for words or cannot identify the feeling, emotion or experience they encountered then help them try to name it.…

Part Three A follow on from ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ These questions look at the expectations for homework, tests and exams as well as the basic administration questions such as contact points and dates. If you have not read ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’, ‘Understanding the Questions to ask at Teacher and Professional Meetings: Part One’ and ‘Understanding the questions asked at Teacher and Parenting Meetings: Part Two’ please take a moment to read these articles first. Reviewing and understanding the questions - the benefits of the right answers Questions 11 – 17 11. Expectations (i.e. homework, tests and exams – time, assistance and outcomes) It is difficult to determine exactly what each teacher expects from their class. There are some basics that remain the same but sometimes teachers have specific systems or expectations for their class. Usually, Foundation Phase requires parent involvement…

Listening is an invaluable skill that forms part of your child’s social, emotional and life skills. This allows them to have a holistic and healthy development in their early years. Here are a few questions about listening and your child: 1. Does your child hear or listen? 2. Does your child just ‘hear’ or are they listening in a conversation? 3. What is your understanding of the concept ‘to listen’? The understanding and answers to these questions are essential to help you and your child learn effective listening skills. 1. Hearing or Listening: A child who listens understands and responds within the given context. A child who hears does not take in what is being said and reacts inadequately. Hearing is the ability to use our ears to hear different sounds whilst listening is far more complicated. Listening is the ability to give meaning to the sounds we hear through…

Part Two A follow on from ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ The first few questions have shown a great deal about your child. These questions are a useful base to ground the following questions. If you have not read ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ please take a moment to read this article first. Reviewing and understanding the questions - the benefits of the right answers Questions 6 – 10 6. What are my child’s differences (socially, emotionally, physically and mentally)? This question is a repeat of number 3 but with a specific focus on differences as these are the areas you will need to address in order to assist your child. Why repeat the question? Frequently, information can be overlooked or left out during meetings accidently. By reiterating the question at a later stage this can reinforce the focuses because these will be repeated.…

Reviewing and understanding the questions: - the benefits of the right answers Part one A follow on from ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ The responses and communications received about ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ show that the questions are clear but the understanding of what answers to expect is more complex. The value of these questions is how the answers address the concerns you may have or the knowledge you may wish to gain to support your child. Therefore, the article to ‘Understanding the Questions to ask at Teacher and Professional Meetings’ arose. If you have not read ‘What to ask Teachers and Professionals during Meetings’ please take a moment to read this article first. Reviewing and understanding the questions: the benefits of the right answers Questions 1 – 5 1. What does my child enjoy? This question is to establish your child’s strengths…

Meeting with professionals, who work with your child, is a priority. It can be very daunting, especially for parents whose children have difficulties. Frequently, the professionals end up talking and the parents try desperately to follow the conversation and very often only pick up on the negative information. A small but interesting fact: it takes 9 or more positive remarks to cancel out the effects of a negative one. Sadly, many parents leave these meetings feeling overwhelmed and disappointed. Being prepared is one of the best steps one can take. Here are some questions to help you find out your child’s strengths, where the difficulties lie and how you can help your child. Hopefully, this will allow you to leave these meetings with ideas, empathy and positive information about your child. Of course, there will be areas of concern but as a parent you will feel more confident in how…