Starting school for the first time is a major milestone for children and parents. Leading family relationship expert, Dr Karen Phillip, shares her tips to make the transition to school easy and fun. Have a few trial lunch days where you pack the child a...
Whether your child is in primary or high school, starting somewhere new can be scary and daunting. We have some advice from a clinical psychologist and an education expert, to help kids and parents with the transition....
An illustrated book and a card game look at ways to engage kids in storytelling and critical thinking away from their devices! Take Heart, Take Action by Beci Orpin (Lothian Children’s Books, hardback $19.99) Age Group 4+ years This simply designed book for children is ‘a reminder for everyone,...
Current approaches to assessing and reporting what a student is learning may not be the best way to represent individual progress in school reports, writes Geoff Masters. A child whose learning is lagging behind that of other children can be judged to be ‘failing’, even though...
Speech and language problems needn’t be a life sentence. But early intervention is important, writes Catherine Best. Every parent cherishes their child’s first words. Those meaningful, gabbled sounds that chart their development from passive infant to interacting person. Speech and language define how we engage with...
Education is for every child, with or without a disability....
Paula Murphy comes to realise that her daughter is being bullied at school. She would often cry herself to sleep. Do you know what question I ask my daughter every day after school? It is not, ‘Were you the best in class today?’ It is not,...
As a practising teacher-librarian, Megan Daley has some tips and tricks for how to make the most of your school library and teacher-librarian. As an ambassador for the MS Readathon, she has some thoughts on how it can help your child to develop empathy for...
The change from single-use plastic bags has helped provide funding for another round of grants for a sustainable hands-on project for schools and preschools. Woolworths and Landcare Australia are inviting Australian primary schools and early learning centres to apply for a Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants grant...
Mary Curtin tracks her autistic son’s transition to school through his teacher’s written commentary. Every day [Andrew] brings home a ‘communication book’, in which his teacher or aide writes a few lines about his day. They note how he behaved in class, interacted with the other...
