Mindfulness

Many children today are stressed and anxious. We recognise that to learn well in school, children need to pay attention and be able to focus.  Teaching mindfulness to children through our eight-week Pause, Breathe, Smile programme helps them focus on one thing at a time while supporting social and emotional wellbeing.  Read more about the Pause, Breathe, Smile programme https://mindfulaotearoa.nz/ Research shows our mindfulness in schools programme: increases calmness  improves focus and attention enhances self-awareness helps with conflict resolution and the development of positive relationships reduces stress.

Sailing at Lake Rua

Sailing on Dry Land

Learning Links

This is what you may typically think of as homework.  We call it learning links because we hope to make links between what children are learning at school to what they are learning at home.  Predominantly I give very little homework on a weekly basis, however I often give spelling, basic facts and reading to support learning needs and practice new skills.

Spelling words come from the NZ essential words lists, created from the words used in 90% of all writing.  

Basic facts include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division which support all areas of maths learning.  I have many ideas and suggestions to help learn these, pop in and see me about it.  

Reading for most children is something of personal choice for about 10-20 minutes each night.  This could include, junk mail brochures, magazines, picture books, chapter books, shopping lists, letters, kiwi kids online news http://kiwikidsnews.co.nz or any other texts. I may send books home for some children.

Research on Homework fromJohn Hattie (prominent NZ education expert), in his book ‘Visible Learning’ said... 

“The overall effects (of homework) are positive, but there are some important moderators.” 

In his book he stated the following about homework:

• Increasing the amount of homework did not lead to greater achievement.
  
• Parent support for homework has a positive effect on achievement, whereas direct
  instruction by parents can have the opposite.
  
• Task oriented homework, such as the rehearsal of basic skills, had higher effects
  than homework requiring deep learning or problem solving. Effects were also
  higher when homework was not complex, or when it had a novelty aspect.
  
• Projects were one of the least effective forms of homework.
  
• A large amount of homework or lack of monitoring tends to lower student
  achievement. For many students homework reinforces the fact that they cannot
  learn by themselves and cannot do schoolwork.
  
• Effects are higher when involving rote learning, practice or rehearsal of subject
  matter.

I may occasionally set additional work, which will be optional.