Practicing Reading Writing and Math Skills Does Make Perfect

Revise, revise, revise! Revision is one of the mostyour child. They will be the first to blame
important coaching strategies you need tothemselves, and think that it is because they are
develop when coaching your child reading, writing,not intelligent enough.
and maths skills. Do not take for granted that theWhen your child learns a math, reading, or writing
skills you taught them yesterday, or a fewskill or idea remember to use as many of your
minutes ago, or last week have been retained inchild's senses as possible. Your child should be able
their long-term memory. Check whether thoseto see, hear, and do something when learning.
skills are still there until you are sure that they canMake it interactive. The more your child interacts
effortlessly remember them. When we revise, Iwith the skills and ideas taught, the easier and
tell my students that they are creating newquicker they will place new information in their
memory pathways and allowing old ones to growlong-term memories.
over, and that takes time and extra practice.- They can hear your explanations and also tell
First check that the ideas and skills taught in theyou what they know about that skill.
last coaching session with them are easily- They can see how to do the skill.
remembered, before coaching the next new idea- They can physically do something to understand
or skill.Your child may forget reading, writing, andit better. Especially if you are teaching basic maths
math skills and ideas you teach them because...skills,or phonics skills, make sure that your child
- You have not yet found the right way tocan move equipment around, or play a game.
explain a math, writing or reading idea or skill so- Teaching someone else new skills or ideas helps
they understand and remember it, orthem remember more easily. Students who
- The child believes they cannot remember abecome a reading tutor for another child of
math skill or reading or spelling word, so does not,slightly lower skill level can improve their reading
ormore than the student they are tutoring.
- Another more basic math, reading, or writing skillRemember to...
or idea needs to be taught before they can- Deeply believe that your child will remember
understand the one being taught.over time.
You may end up revising a reading, writing, or- Re-teach any information they are not
math skill or fact you thought they knew for halfremembering, calmly and in a matter-of-fact
or even a whole coaching session sometimes. Bemanner. Remember that this is just part of the
patient with your child and with yourself. Oftenlearning process we all go through at time.
prompting them is enough to help them- Look to yourself and your coaching
remember, but sometimes you must teach thestrategies.Do not blame the child. What can you
idea or skill over again and again and again. Believedo to make the coaching easier for your child?
that if your child does not understand the idea orGood luck and get in contact with me if you have
skill you are coaching, it is because you have notany questions.
coached it well enough yet, and explain this to