educating your kids

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:16

I forget to mention earlier when on about the phonics then you can get some good stuff for early years I guess I can link to Amazon in this case: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phonics-Alternative-Spelling-Alphabet-Posters/dp/1903619122

They also do books etc. We've got that poster up in the kitchen. Also got a load of these ones which are really good: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0721709222/ref=ox_ya_os_product

Get into the habit from the off - come in from school quick snack and drink and then some work any work to get them into the routine even if it's just draw a robot. It's about the pattern you come in and you work you don't just play straight away.

RDM · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:17

Xordium said:
See my earlier post about things like sprouts being used as a reward from the off "if you tidy your room up you can have sprouts" said very enthusiastically.

She loves sprouts as food, she doesn't however love the idea of sprouts as a replacement for presents. Especially as she knows she will get loads of sprouts as it is a Christmas dinner staple. It also means I can put the occassional sprout in my wife's present pile and have the joy of her being interrogated by my daughter on what she did wrong.

trigger-happy · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:17

Just keep the kids away from the anti-school sub culture. That's how many kids get put off learning.

clv101 · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:18

AHarvey said:
clv101 said:

And none of us got our smarts from smart phone apps!

Click to expand...

No, but they weren't around then and if they were and can be used to teach then why not use them. Looking down your nose and coming out with comments like that provide zero input into a thread.

My input to the thread is that don't think smart phone apps have any place in the early development of children. In today's environment kids are swamped by such artificial stimulus - which I'm of the opinion is a bad thing.

subbytna said:
OP : I'm going to against the grain and say take her away from technology to the simple things in life.

BF-Bert said:
I'd go with any activity that involves human interaction rather than an app.

Spot on.

Reemul · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:21

RDM said:
I hate phonics with a passion, I realise it is the best way to teach most kids to read but it isn't always the best way to teach all kids. My daughter does much better at word recognition rather than word building.

The thing is it works. C A T does not in alphabet names sound like cat, of course you can teach a child to learn using the name of letters it just takes longer and causes more confusion.

It always amazes me that parents think they can teach better than teachers or think they know better, When that plasterer or electrcian comes round I don't go to him, nah don't do it that way you should do it like this, I let him do his job. Teaching and Football has way too many armchair experts.

Edit to add RDM I am not saying this is you, just in general from feedback my wife gets all the time.

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:27

Reemul said:
It always amazes me that parents think they can teach better than teachers or think they know better, When that plasterer or electrcian comes round I don't go to him, nah don't do it that way you should do it like this, I let him do his job. Teaching and Football has way too many armchair experts.

If you met the teacher who oversees the class my lad is in you may make that comment back.

I do think I can teach my children better than most teachers seem to be able to do. I can offer them hours of one to one time which they can't. I can offer them application of knowledge into real life situation that an awful lot of teachers can not. What the teachers can do far better than me though is to teach my children how to pass the criteria that are set to measure their learning progress which is whole different thing.

Morba · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:32

Xordium said:
If you met the teacher who oversees the class my lad is in you may make that comment back.

I do think I can teach my children better than most teachers seem to be able to do. I can offer them hours of one to one time which they can't. I can offer them application of knowledge into real life situation that an awful lot of teachers can not. What the teachers can do far better than me though is to teach my children how to pass the criteria that are set to measure their learning progress which is whole different thing.

You are an exception to the rule, even you must realise this

RDM · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:33

Reemul said:
The thing is it works. C A T does not in alphabet names sound like cat, of course you can teach a child to learn using the name of letters it just takes longer and causes more confusion.

Surely that depends on the child? Or are we saying that all children learn equally well the same way? If so that goes against an awful lot of teaching theory.

Reemul said:
It always amazes me that parents think they can teach better than teachers or think they know better, When that plasterer or electrcian comes round I don't go to him, nah don't do it that way you should do it like this, I let him do his job. Teaching and Football has way too many armchair experts.

An interested and involved parent however may have a little more insight in to how their particular child learns well. Children aren't really like a sink to fit or a wall to plaster where there is "One best approach". With the best will in the world a primary school teacher does not have the time to tailor learning at an individual level, too many kids, not enough time. So they teach in methods that work the best for most of the kids. Which is phonics.

Reemul said:
Edit to add RDM I am not saying this is you, just in general from feedback my wife gets all the time.

It would be counter productive to teach against the method being taught in school, so we obviously support how they do it. Even if it isn't exactly the best way to teach our child it would do more harm to go against them and try to teach her another method in the little time available to us.

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 10:49

Morba said:
You are an exception to the rule, even you must realise this

No I don't think I am the materials are out there for a couple of quid each I've linked them already. Any parent who is sufficiently motivated can spend time with there kids every day and make a massive difference. Whether they chose to do that is another thing. If you think that 2 hrs one to one with a parent is worse than 5 hrs one to twenty-six with a teacher then I think you overestimate what teachers can do with such class sizes. What you can't do at home though is give them that social interaction they all quite clearly need. I am not saying the barrier is necessarily the teacher but more the environment and the class sizes the teacher is expect to perform in. The way to achieve success is for parents and teachers to both teach using the same materials and methods.

Morba · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:20

Xordium said:
No I don't think I am the materials are out there for a couple of quid each I've linked them already. Any parent who is sufficiently motivated can spend time with there kids every day and make a massive difference. Whether they chose to do that is another thing. If you think that 2 hrs one to one with a parent is worse than 5 hrs one to twenty-six with a teacher then I think you overestimate what teachers can do with such class sizes. What you can't do at home though is give them that social interaction they all quite clearly need. I am not saying the barrier is necessarily the teacher but more the environment and the class sizes the teacher is expect to perform in. The way to achieve success is for parents and teachers to both teach using the same materials and methods.

You clearly have not spent much time with many people if you really think that the majority of parents are better than their childrens teachers.

Reemul · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:23

Xordium said:
No I don't think I am the materials are out there for a couple of quid each I've linked them already. Any parent who is sufficiently motivated can spend time with there kids every day and make a massive difference. Whether they chose to do that is another thing. If you think that 2 hrs one to one with a parent is worse than 5 hrs one to twenty-six with a teacher then I think you overestimate what teachers can do with such class sizes. What you can't do at home though is give them that social interaction they all quite clearly need. I am not saying the barrier is necessarily the teacher but more the environment and the class sizes the teacher is expect to perform in. The way to achieve success is for parents and teachers to both teach using the same materials and methods.

Your point is valid and working in conjunction with the teacher and your child should produce superb results. But having a jumped up numpty who thinks they can do better regardless of teaching methods etc is a bit of a joke and then when it all falls down, who will they blame, the teacher of course nothing to dow ith them being an ass who couldn't get it right or support in the correct way.

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:26

Morba said:
You clearly have not spent much time with many people if you really think that the majority of parents are better than their childrens teachers.

Ok go and now re-read that post because that is not exactly what I said or in the previous one is it.

Morba · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:27

Xordium said:
I do think I can teach my children better than most teachers seem to be able to do.

Xordium said:
Ok go and now re-read that post because that is not exactly what I said or in the previous one is it.

?

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:28

Reemul said:
But having a jumped up numpty who thinks they can do better regardless of teaching methods etc is a bit of a joke and then when it all falls down, who will they blame, the teacher of course nothing to dow ith them being an ass who couldn't get it right or support in the correct way.

Yes, if both are pulling in different directions then it would just cause 'confusion and delay'.

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:30

Morba said:
?

Xordium said:
I do think I can teach my children better than most teachers seem to be able to do. I can offer them hours of one to one time which they can't. I can offer them application of knowledge into real life situation that an awful lot of teachers can not. What the teachers can do far better than me though is to teach my children how to pass the criteria that are set to measure their learning progress which is whole different thing.

Morba said:
You are an exception to the rule, even you must realise this

Xordium said:
No I don't think I am the materials are out there for a couple of quid each I've linked them already. Any parent who is sufficiently motivated can spend time with there kids every day and make a massive difference. Whether they chose to do that is another thing. If you think that 2 hrs one to one with a parent is worse than 5 hrs one to twenty-six with a teacher then I think you overestimate what teachers can do with such class sizes. What you can't do at home though is give them that social interaction they all quite clearly need. I am not saying the barrier is necessarily the teacher but more the environment and the class sizes the teacher is expect to perform in. The way to achieve success is for parents and teachers to both teach using the same materials and methods.

Which does not say this;

Morba said:
You clearly have not spent much time with many people if you really think that the majority of parents are better than their childrens teachers.

Reemul · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:30

Morba said:
You clearly have not spent much time with many people if you really think that the majority of parents are better than their childrens teachers.

It's the same as people who think teachers work 6 hours a day rather than 7 days a week and it's a simple job, I don't know why my wife does it, but she says she loves the job, me I think the parents and society treat her very poorly and if I got treated in my job like she does I would be telling them all to get lost.

Everyone knows a poor performer at work, this doesn't make them all like it but as usual don't let that stop a parent looking for an excuse as to why they can't be bothered to hear their own child read or help them do their homework or support their child or even visit on parent's day. Do you know on average less than 50% turn on on parents day to hear how their child is doing. yet these same parents let their children stay up late playing games or watching TV and coming in to school shattered and certainly not ready to work hard and learn, still that is also the teachers fault.

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 11:34

Nice ninja on the post there.

MeEsH BaKkA · 13 Sep 2012 at 12:16

Slightly off topic and depressing but...

This is pretty much the one thing that's stopping me having kids now, I want them to have a very good education and don't feel that's something I could provide right now. I did very well in junior and the very beginning of senior schools and went to particularly good ones untill my parents split, and I ended up in Harlow and achieved no higher than an D (U in math and English...) in my GCSEs. It has not affected my life too much as I'm now 25 and earn good money, have my own house and company, I just dread not being able to educate or motivate my kids not to do well in school/uni. Perhaps more than a touch hypocritical....

Oh and the thought of my kids being left alone with my thick as **** GF watching Jeremy Kyle and loose women instead of doing something creative or productive whilst I'm at work

Xordium · 13 Sep 2012 at 12:31

MeEsH BaKkA said:
I just dread not being able to educate or motivate my kids not to do well in school/uni.

So motivate by them by saying if you don't do well then you'll end up:

MeEsH BaKkA said:
watching Jeremy Kyle and loose women instead of doing something creative or productive

Skidder · 13 Sep 2012 at 12:37

MeEsH BaKkA said:
Slightly off topic and depressing but...

This is pretty much the one thing that's stopping me having kids now, I want them to have a very good education and don't feel that's something I could provide right now. I did very well in junior and the very beginning of senior schools and went to particularly good ones untill my parents split, and I ended up in Harlow and achieved no higher than an D (U in math and English...) in my GCSEs. It has not affected my life too much as I'm now 25 and earn good money, have my own house and company, I just dread not being able to educate or motivate my kids not to do well in school/uni. Perhaps more than a touch hypocritical....

Oh and the thought of my kids being left alone with my thick as **** GF watching Jeremy Kyle and loose women instead of doing something creative or productive whilst I'm at work

Sounds like you need a new GF. Your brain is telling your balls not to reproduce by making up some nonsense about your future children's education .