Physical therapy course: A guide to pursuing a career in PT
Physical therapy is a dynamic, rewarding field dedicated to improving patient health, restoring mobility, and enhancing overall quality of life. As the profession evolves, physical therapy courses have become more accessible through various educational pathways, including in-person programs, online courses, and hybrid learning experiences. Whether you are an aspiring physical therapist, a parent supporting a student in a DPT program, or simply curious about the field, this guide covers everything you need to know—from academic requirements and continuing education to practical tips for balancing life and study.
In this article, we will also explore an in-depth perspective on how parents can effectively support their children through the rigorous demands of a physical therapy course. You will find comprehensive information on physical therapy associations, clinical practice, patient care, occupational therapy, athletic training, and more. By the end, you will have a solid understanding of what a physical therapy education entails and how to succeed in this challenging yet fulfilling career path.
Understanding the physical therapy profession
Before diving into strategies for success, it’s important to grasp the scope and significance of physical therapy as a profession.
Definition and scope
Physical therapy (often abbreviated as PT) is a health care profession focused on diagnosing, evaluating, and treating individuals with movement disorders, injuries, or disabilities. Physical therapists employ a wide range of techniques, such as exercises, manual therapy, and patient education, to help individuals regain mobility and optimise function.
Role of physical therapists
Physical therapists are integral members of the healthcare team. They often collaborate with occupational therapy practitioners, athletic training specialists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. The ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes, promote independence, and enhance overall health.
Job outlook and labour statistics
According to labour statistics, the demand for physical therapists continues to rise due to factors like an ageing population and an increased focus on preventive care. Physical therapy offers a robust career path with opportunities for professional growth in various settings, including hospitals, private clinics, sports medicine centres, rehabilitation facilities, and schools.
How to become a physical therapist: step-by-step guide
1. Earn a relevant undergraduate degree
While it is not strictly necessary to major in a specific subject, many future physical therapists pursue a bachelor’s degree in exercise, kinesiology, biology, or health sciences. These majors cover essential prerequisites like anatomy, physiology, and other sciences required by most physical therapy schools.
2. Complete the DPT program
Aspiring physical therapists must enrol in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This graduate-level program typically lasts three years and integrates classroom-based and clinical practice experiences to ensure comprehensive education.
Curriculum: DPT programs often cover topics such as biomechanics, neuroscience, pharmacology, therapeutic exercises, patient care, and evidence-based practice.
Clinical Rotations: Students must participate in hands-on clinical experiences in various healthcare settings, enabling them to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.
3. Pass the National Licensure Exam
After graduating from a DPT program, you must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to obtain licensure. Each state has its own regulatory requirements, so be sure to check with your state’s physical therapy association or licensing board for specific guidelines. Without a license, you cannot legally practice physical therapy in the United States.
4. Obtain additional certifications (Optional)
While not mandatory, physical therapists can pursue further specialisation or certification in areas such as sports physical therapy, orthopaedic physical therapy, geriatric physical therapy, pediatric physical therapy, and more. These certifications often require additional coursework, clinical experience, and sometimes passing a speciality exam.
5. Engage in continuing education
Physical therapy is a continually evolving field. As such, many states require continuing education credits for license renewal. This can include live webinars, online courses, workshops, and in-person seminars offered through platforms approved by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Engaging in continuing education ensures that physical therapists stay updated with the latest treatments, research, and best practices.
Common physical therapy course requirements
If you’re considering enrolling in a physical therapy degree or a physical therapy course, you may wonder about prerequisites and other criteria. Most DPT programs require:
A bachelor’s degree with a competitive GPA (usually above 3.0).
Prerequisite courses include anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Volunteer or observation hours in a physical therapy setting.
Standardised test scores (such as the GRE), although some programs waive this requirement.
Letters of recommendation, typically from healthcare professionals or academic mentors.
Requirements may differ for those seeking physical therapy courses at the undergraduate or certificate level (such as a physical therapist assistant program). Always consult the specific institution or program for up-to-date admission requirements.
Parental support during a physical therapy program
Pursuing a career in physical therapy is a significant and challenging journey that requires years of academic work and clinical practice. Physical therapy students face the stress of demanding coursework, long study hours, and intensive training. With the complexity of the physical therapy curriculum, parental support can be crucial in helping students navigate these challenges.
Parents often play a pivotal role in their children’s academic success, especially in professional programs like physical therapy. Providing meaningful support can ease emotional strain and help students remain motivated. Below are some effective strategies for parental support.
Foster a positive emotional support system
The emotional demands of a physical therapy program are often underappreciated. Students may feel overwhelmed by the volume of information, clinical placements, and career expectations. You can help by listening, offering reassurance, and creating a safe space for students to express frustrations.
Encouragement goes a long way—remind your child that challenging periods are temporary and that they have the ability to succeed. Helping them reframe negative thoughts and focus on progress can boost their confidence.
Help manage time and stress
Time management is one of the most significant challenges for students pursuing a physical therapy program such as a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. The workload often involves late-night study sessions, clinical hours, group projects, and exams. Many students also balance part-time jobs or other commitments while attending school full-time, which can lead to high stress and fatigue.
Be involved but respect boundaries
While it’s important to be involved, respecting boundaries is essential. Allow your child to share their progress when they’re comfortable. Offering help with household tasks can also reduce their stress without feeling intrusive.
Provide financial and logistical assistance
The financial burden of physical therapy education can be significant. Parents can support students by helping with tuition, living costs, or small gestures like covering transportation expenses. Guidance on budgeting and navigating scholarships can also ease financial stress.
Promote work-life balance and self-care
Maintaining a work-life balance is vital for long-term well-being. Encourage your child to prioritise self-care by taking breaks, engaging in physical activity, and making time for hobbies. Remind them of the importance of sleep and healthy eating.
Celebrate achievements and milestones
Recognising and celebrating even small achievements can boost motivation. Whether completing a tough exam or finishing a clinical placement, these moments deserve acknowledgement. Be present to celebrate major milestones like graduation—it’s a proud moment for both student and parent.
Importance of professional associations and continuing education
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) APTA is a prominent physical therapy association that sets high PT education, practice, and ethics standards. Membership offers an extensive library of evidence-based practice research, career resources, and networking opportunities.
American Physical Therapy & Beyond Other related organisations, such as the American Occupational Therapy Association (for those interested in occupational therapy) and various athletic training associations, often collaborate with APTA on research, conferences, and educational events.
Continuing Education and Live Webinars Physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and other clinicians frequently participate in live webinars and workshops to fulfil continuing education requirements. These sessions provide up-to-date insights into the latest treatment techniques and emerging research in clinical practice. Many of these resources are accessible as online courses, with all rights reserved by the respective providers or professional bodies.
FAQs
Below are common questions people ask about physical therapy schools, DPT programs, and more.
How long does it take to train for physical therapy? Generally, it takes about 7 years—4 years for an undergraduate degree and around 3 years for a DPT program. Some accelerated programs or combined bachelor’s-doctorate tracks may shorten this timeline.
What degree is best for physical therapy? You will ultimately need a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to practice as a licensed physical therapist. For undergraduate studies, majors in exercise science, kinesiology, biology, or health sciences are common.
Is physical therapy harder than nursing? Both fields are challenging but differ in scope. Physical therapy focuses on rehabilitation and movement science, requiring a DPT, while nursing covers a broader array of patient care responsibilities, typically requiring a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). The difficulty depends on individual aptitude and interests.
Is physical therapy school hard? Yes, PT school can be rigorous, involving extensive coursework, clinical rotations, and comprehensive exams. However, strong study habits, time management, and support systems can ease the demands.
Do physical therapy schools require organic chemistry or the GRE? Many PT programs require some chemistry coursework (including organic chemistry) and the GRE, but requirements vary. Always check individual school prerequisites.
Can physical therapy school be done online? Hybrid and online DPT programs exist but typically include mandatory in-person clinical residencies or labs. 100% online PT programs are not common because of the hands-on nature of the profession.
When do physical therapy school applications open? Most programs open applications around late spring or early summer for admission the following year. Check with the specific program or the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) for exact dates.
What do physical therapy schools look for? Schools generally look for a strong academic record, volunteer or work experience in a physical therapy setting, solid GRE scores (if required), and letters of recommendation.
Does physical therapy require a doctorate? In the U.S., you must hold a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) to become a licensed PT. There is no longer a bachelor’s- or master ’s-level route to licensure.
Is a physical therapy degree worth it? For many, it is. A PT career offers job stability, a competitive physical therapist salary, and the opportunity to significantly impact patient lives. However, the cost and rigour of education should be carefully considered.
How many years does it take to study physical therapy? Depending on the route, it can take 6-7 years or more (bachelor’s degree + DPT). Some programs offer accelerated tracks.
Can I study physical therapy online? Fully online physical therapy degrees are rare due to clinical components. However, some prerequisites and continuing education options, including free physical therapy courses or certificate programs, may be found online.
Is physical therapy school worth it? Physical therapy school can be very rewarding if you have a passion for helping others, value movement science, and are prepared for rigorous study. It offers a robust career path and numerous speciality options.
Is physical therapy school hard to get into? Competition can be high, and most programs have strict academic requirements. A strong GPA, relevant clinical experience, and good letters of recommendation can improve your chances.
How does physical therapy school work? It usually involves a combination of lectures, lab work, clinical simulations, and real-world clinical rotations to prepare you for patient care across diverse settings.
Can you practice physical therapy without a license? No. You must pass the NPTE and meet state licensure requirements to practice legally as a physical therapist in the United States.
Final thoughts
Embarking on a physical therapy course—a DPT program, certificate, or continuing education—can be challenging and immensely rewarding. From mastering core sciences to engaging in hands-on clinical practice, students are prepared to improve patient outcomes in various healthcare settings. Parental support, professional mentorship, and resources like live webinars, online courses, and in-person workshops are critical to student success.
Whether you’re a student exploring physical therapy course requirements, a parent offering support, or a practising therapist looking to expand your skill set, remember the importance of maintaining balance, staying current with evidence-based practice, and investing in continuing education. By leveraging organisations like the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), networking with seasoned professionals, and embracing a growth mindset, you can navigate this academically rigorous field and develop a meaningful, impactful career that transforms lives.
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How to help your child with writing informative essays
Writing informative essays is a powerful way to share knowledge, express ideas, and explain complex topics in a structured and clear manner. Whether your child is writing for school or working on a research paper, learning how to write an informative essay can help them organise their thoughts and communicate effectively. In this guide, we’ll break down the steps to writing informative essays, providing tips, examples, and strategies to ensure success.
And, if you need a bit more help, a writing tutor for kids in New Jersey can help children overcome common challenges such as writer’s block, poor grammar, or difficulty with structure. Tutors can also empower kids to become more confident and competent writers, setting them up for success in their academic pursuits.
What is an informative essay?
An informative essay is a type of academic writing that aims to educate or inform the reader about a specific topic. Unlike persuasive essays, which attempt to convince readers to adopt a certain viewpoint, informative essays present facts and explanations without bias. The purpose of an informative essay is to present a well-rounded view of a topic using reliable data, research, and clear explanations.
Why do we write informative essays?
Writing an informative essay is essential for several reasons. It encourages kids to:
Develop critical thinking skills: Informative essays require kids to research and analyse information, improving their ability to think critically about a topic.
Enhance writing abilities: This type of writing teaches students how to structure their thoughts logically and present them clearly.
Increase knowledge: The research process helps kids learn about new topics, which promotes a deeper understanding of various subjects.
The structure of an informative essay
An informative essay typically follows a standard five-paragraph structure. This format allows for clear communication and easy readability, ensuring that each part of the essay serves a specific function.
1. Introduction
The introduction sets the stage for your essay. It introduces the topic and provides essential background information. A good introduction should:
Hook the reader’s attention: Start with a compelling fact, question, or statement to draw the reader in.
Include a clear thesis statement: The thesis statement is the main idea of your essay. It outlines what the essay will discuss and provides a roadmap for the reader. Example:
“While the history of the Eiffel Tower is fascinating, its architectural significance, design, and impact on Parisian culture are often overlooked.”
2. Body paragraphs
The body paragraphs form the core of the essay, where the bulk of the information is presented. Each body paragraph should:
Start with a topic sentence: This introduces the main idea of the paragraph and ties it back to the thesis.
Provide evidence: Use facts, data, or quotes to support the information presented.
Conclude the paragraph: End with a sentence that summarises the point and transitions to the next paragraph.
In an informative essay, you may have between three and five body paragraphs, depending on the length and complexity of the topic. Each paragraph should focus on a single key point that contributes to the overall thesis.
3. Conclusion
The conclusion summarises the key points made in the body paragraphs and restates the thesis in a fresh way. A strong conclusion should:
Reinforce the thesis: Remind the reader of the main idea of the essay.
Summarize the key points: Provide a brief overview of the arguments made in the body paragraphs.
Leave the reader with a thought: End with a final thought or call to action that encourages further exploration of the topic.
Steps to writing an informative essay
Writing an informative essay may seem challenging, but by breaking it down into manageable steps, your child can approach the task confidently.
Step 1: Choose a specific topic
One of the most important steps in writing an informative essay is selecting a topic that is both interesting and manageable. Ensure that the topic is specific enough to provide detailed information, but not so broad that it becomes overwhelming. For example, rather than writing about “history,” focus on a specific aspect, such as “the history of the Eiffel Tower.”
Step 2: Research the topic
Before starting to write, your child should gather information from credible sources, such as books, articles, academic papers, and websites. Researching thoroughly will help them gain a deeper understanding of the topic and provide the foundation for their essay.
While researching, students should take notes on key points, facts, and quotes that they can include in the body paragraphs. Encourage them to note the source of each piece of information, as citing sources properly is essential in academic writing.
Step 3: Create an essay outline
An outline is an essential tool for organizing the research and ideas before beginning to write. It helps structure the essay and ensures that each section is clear and focused. Here’s a basic structure for an informative essay outline:
Introduction
Hook
Thesis statement
Body Paragraph 1
Topic sentence
Supporting evidence
Concluding sentence
Body Paragraph 2
Topic sentence
Supporting evidence
Concluding sentence
Body Paragraph 3
Topic sentence
Supporting evidence
Concluding sentence
Conclusion
Restate thesis
Summarize key points
Final thought
Step 4: Write the introduction
Once the outline is complete, your child can begin writing the introduction. This is where they will set the tone of the essay and provide background information to the reader. They should aim to grab the reader’s attention right away, and ensure the thesis statement is clear and precise.
Step 5: Write the body paragraphs
The body paragraphs will form the bulk of the essay. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, followed by supporting evidence, such as statistics, facts, or quotes from sources. Each paragraph should end with a sentence that wraps up the discussion and smoothly transitions into the next paragraph.
Step 6: Write the conclusion
In the conclusion, your child should summarise the key points made in the body paragraphs and restate the thesis in a fresh way. They should aim to leave the reader with a lasting impression or a thought-provoking idea.
Step 7: Revise and edit
Once the first draft is complete, your child should read through the essay to check for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy. They should look for any areas where the writing can be improved, such as awkward phrasing or unclear arguments. Encourage them to check for spelling and punctuation errors as well.
Common challenges in writing informative essays
Students often face various obstacles when writing informative essays, especially if they are new to the process. Here are some common challenges and tips for overcoming them:
1. Writer’s block
Many students struggle to start writing, feeling overwhelmed by the task. To overcome writer’s block, encourage them to break the assignment into smaller tasks. They can start by writing a simple outline, jotting down key points, or even freewriting their thoughts without worrying about grammar or structure.
2. Organising ideas
Some students may have difficulty organising their ideas into a logical structure. Using graphic organisers or mind maps can help students visualise how their ideas relate to one another. Encourage them to group similar points together and to ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single main idea.
3. Grammar and sentence structure
Proper grammar and sentence structure are crucial for clarity. If your child struggles with these aspects, consider having them work with a tutor or using grammar-checking tools to identify mistakes.
4. Citing sources properly
Accurate citations are essential in academic writing. Make sure your child understands how to properly cite their sources in the required format (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). There are plenty of online tools that can help generate citations automatically.
How can writing tutors support kids struggling with essays?
Writing tutors play a crucial role in helping kids who struggle with writing essays. By providing personalised guidance, tutors can help children develop the skills they need to improve their writing and feel more confident in their abilities. Here’s how writing tutors can support students:
Breaking Down the Process: Tutors can break the essay-writing process into smaller steps, making it less overwhelming for students. They can guide kids through brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revising.
Targeted Feedback: Writing tutors can provide constructive feedback on areas where the student may be struggling, such as organisation, clarity, or grammar.
Building Confidence: One-on-one tutoring helps kids build confidence in their writing abilities. Tutors can celebrate small successes and encourage students to keep improving.
Tailored Instruction: Tutors can identify specific weaknesses in a student’s writing and tailor their teaching methods to address those areas. For example, a tutor may focus on improving a student’s thesis statement or help them develop stronger topic sentences.
Tips for writing an informative essay
Start with a clear thesis statement: Your thesis is the foundation of your essay. Make sure it’s clear, specific, and directly related to the topic.
Use credible sources: Ensure that your information comes from reliable, authoritative sources.
Stay focused: Each paragraph should focus on a specific idea related to your thesis. Avoid straying off-topic.
Be clear and concise: Avoid unnecessary fluff. Stick to the point and use straightforward language.
Revise and edit: Don’t be afraid to make changes. Writing is a process, and revisions are essential for creating a polished essay.
Informative essay FAQs
What are the 5 elements of informative writing?
The five key elements of informative writing include:
A clear thesis statement
Organised body paragraphs
Clear topic sentences
Evidence and examples
A conclusion that reinforces the main idea
How do I write an informative essay on a book?
When writing an informative essay on a book, focus on summarising the main themes, characters, and events. Be sure to use specific examples from the book to support your points.
How do I start writing an informative essay?
Start by selecting a specific topic, conducting research, and creating an outline. Once you have your outline, you can begin writing your introduction, followed by the body paragraphs, and finally the conclusion.
What are some interesting topics for informative writing?
Some interesting topics for informative writing include:
What is the difference between an informative essay and an explanatory essay?
An informative essay provides factual information on a topic, while an explanatory essay explains how or why something works or happened.
Final thoughts
Writing informative essays is an essential skill for students, and by following the steps outlined in this guide, your child can develop strong writing abilities. With clear thesis statements, well-organised body paragraphs, and a supportive environment, children can master the art of informative writing. Whether they’re writing an essay for school or a research paper, these strategies will help them become more confident and competent writers.
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How to become a quality engineer: early signs to spot
Have you ever wondered how to become a quality engineer or if your child might have the makings of one? Recognising the early signs of engineering potential can be an exciting process for nurturing their future career. Quality engineers are pivotal in making sure products and processes meet the highest standards, from manufacturing to software development. So if you spot these traits early, you can help guide your child towards a fulfilling career in quality engineering.
In this article, we’ll explore the key indicators that your child might be destined to become a quality engineer and how you can support their journey. Whether they’re curious problem solvers or detail-oriented builders, these early signs could be the first steps to becoming a certified quality engineer. Let’s dive into how to become a quality engineer and identify the traits to watch for in your young aspiring engineers.
What is a quality engineer and how to become one
A quality engineer is a professional who makes sure the production process meets established quality standards. They are responsible for designing quality tests, troubleshooting issues, and implementing improvements.
Role of a quality engineer
Quality engineers develop tests and inspections to identify product defects and make sure that quality standards are met. They collect and analyse data from quality tests to identify trends and areas for improvement. When defects or problems are identified, quality engineers diagnose the root cause and develop solutions to prevent recurrence. They continuously seek ways to improve manufacturing processes, reduce waste, and increase efficiency.
Quality engineers are vital in a range of industries, each with its own set of standards and requirements. In manufacturing, quality engineers ensure products are made consistently and meet safety and quality standards. This includes everything from automotive parts to consumer electronics. In software development, they focus on testing software to ensure it is bug-free, user-friendly, and meets client requirements. In the medical field, quality engineers play a crucial role in ensuring that medical devices are safe for use and meet stringent regulatory standards.
Quality engineer job description, salaries, and skills
The responsibilities of a quality engineer can vary depending on the industry, but common tasks include:
Developing Quality Control Processes: Creating and implementing protocols for quality control to ensure products meet required standards.
Conducting Inspections and Tests: Performing regular inspections and tests on products and materials to identify any defects or issues.
Data Analysis: Analysing data from tests and inspections to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Reporting: Documenting quality control activities, findings, and improvements.
Collaboration: Working with other departments such as production, engineering, and management to develop and implement quality improvements.
Key skills for a quality engineer
Quality engineers require a blend of technical and soft skills in their roles:
Analytical Thinking: They need to analyse complex data and identify patterns and trends.
Statistical Analysis: They need to be proficient in statistical methods to analyse data and implement quality control measures.
Problem-Solving: They require kills to identify root causes of defects and develop effective solutions.
Attention to Detail: They need to be meticulous in performing inspections and tests, so no defects are overlooked.
Communication Skills: They should be able to clearly document findings and collaborate with different teams.
Average salary and career prospects
Quality engineering offers competitive salaries and strong career prospects. Salaries can vary widely based on experience, education, and industry.
Entry-Level: Entry-level quality engineers can expect to earn an average salary of around $55,000 to $70,000 per year.
Mid-Level: With several years of experience, quality engineers can earn between $70,000 and $90,000 annually.
Senior-Level: Senior quality engineers or those in managerial positions can earn upwards of $100,000 per year.
Career prospects
Advancement Opportunities: With experience, quality engineers can advance to senior positions, such as Quality Manager or Director of Quality.
Industry Demand: There is a strong demand for quality engineers in various industries, so there is good job security and growth opportunities.
Early signs your child might become a quality engineer
One of the earliest signs that your child might become a quality engineer is a natural curiosity and a strong desire to solve problems. Children who ask many questions, try to understand how things work, and enjoy figuring out solutions to challenges display traits crucial for quality engineers. This innate curiosity drives the analytical and diagnostic skills needed to identify and rectify quality issues in products and processes.
For example:
Exploring Mechanics: A child who takes apart toys to see how they function or who enjoys building complex structures with blocks demonstrates an interest in mechanics and problem-solving.
Puzzles and Brain Teasers: Enjoyment in solving puzzles, brainteasers, or playing strategy games shows a propensity for critical thinking and problem-solving.
Interest in building and designing
Children who enjoy building, designing, and creating new things often have the foundational skills needed for engineering. This interest can manifest in various ways, from constructing elaborate LEGO projects to designing and building models or even writing simple computer programs. These activities develop spatial awareness, creativity, and technical skills.
For example:
Construction Toys: Playing with construction toys like LEGO, K’NEX, or model kits helps your child understand basic engineering principles and fosters an interest in building and designing.
Creative Projects: Engaging in arts and crafts, model building, or DIY projects shows a child’s inclination towards creating and designing things.
Attention to detail
Attention to detail is a critical trait for quality engineers. Children who are meticulous, careful, and pay close attention to task details often excel in roles that require precision and accuracy. This trait is essential for conducting thorough inspections, identifying defects, and ensuring that products meet quality standards.
For example:
Detailed Artwork: A child who takes their time to create detailed artwork or who carefully organises their toys and belongings demonstrates attention to detail.
Careful Observation: Children who notice small changes in their environment or who are good at finding differences in pictures or puzzles are showing early signs of this crucial skill.
How childhood activities can develop relevant skills
Many childhood activities can help develop the key skills needed for a career in quality engineering. Encouraging your child to engage in these activities can nurture their potential and interest in this field.
Building sets and kits
Activities that involve building sets, model kits, or robotics kits can help develop technical skills, spatial awareness, and an understanding of mechanical systems.
Science experiments
Conducting simple science experiments at home or in school fosters a scientific mindset and encourages analytical thinking and problem-solving.
Programming and coding
Learning basic programming and coding through kid-friendly platforms can enhance logical thinking and technical skills.
Encouraging exploration and learning in STEM fields
Supporting your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is crucial for developing the skills necessary for a quality engineering career. Here are ways to encourage exploration and learning in these fields:
STEM toys and games
Provide toys and games that promote learning in STEM subjects. These can include electronic kits, chemistry sets, and educational software.
STEM programs and clubs
Enrol your child in after-school programs, clubs, or camps that focus on STEM activities. Robotics clubs, coding classes, and science camps are excellent options.
Educational resources
Utilise books, online courses, and educational videos to further your child’s knowledge and interest in STEM subjects. Many resources are designed to be engaging and interactive for children.
Nurturing potential in your child
Create an environment that provides resources to build your child’s curiosity. The following can help nurture those natural essential skills to become a quality engineer.
Workshops and clubs
Robotics Clubs: Joining robotics clubs can help children learn about mechanics, electronics, and programming, which are key aspects of quality engineering.
Science Workshops: Enrolling your child in science workshops where they can conduct experiments and learn about scientific principles can enhance their problem-solving skills and curiosity.
Engineering Camps: Summer camps focused on engineering and technology offer hands-on experience with building projects, designing experiments, and understanding engineering concepts.
Online resources
Educational Websites and Apps: Websites like Khan Academy and apps that teach coding (e.g., Scratch) provide interactive ways for children to learn STEM subjects.
Online Courses: Platforms like Coursera and Udemy offer courses in various STEM fields that are suitable for children and teens. These courses can introduce them to topics like programming, electronics, and basic engineering principles.
At-home projects
DIY Kits: Purchase DIY kits for building robots, electronic circuits, or simple machines. These kits provide practical experience and help children understand how things work.
Science Experiments: Conducting simple science experiments at home with everyday materials can stimulate interest in scientific inquiry and engineering.
Supporting STEM education in school and at home
STEM education is foundational for any future engineer, so supporting your child’s learning in these areas both in school and at home can set the stage for a successful career in quality engineering.
In school
Encourage STEM Subjects: Support your child in taking STEM subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.
Engage with Teachers: Work with your child’s teachers to identify strengths and areas for improvement in STEM subjects. Teachers can provide additional resources or recommend advanced classes.
Participate in Competitions: Encourage participation in science fairs, math competitions, and coding challenges. These competitions can inspire children and provide them with recognition for their efforts.
At home
Create a Learning Environment: Set up a dedicated space for studying and exploring STEM topics. Equip this space with books, tools, and materials that stimulate learning.
Be Involved: Take an active role in your child’s learning by discussing STEM topics, helping with projects, and exploring subjects together.
Foster a Growth Mindset: Encourage a growth mindset by praising effort and persistence in learning new skills. Emphasize that challenges are opportunities for growth.
How to become a quality engineer – education requirements
A solid educational foundation in high school is essential for students aspiring to become quality engineers. Focusing on certain subjects and engaging in relevant extracurricular activities can set them on the right path.
High school subjects
Mathematics: Courses such as algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics are fundamental. Mathematics develops problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.
Science: Physics and chemistry are particularly important. These subjects provide an understanding of the principles that underpin engineering.
Computer Science: Learning programming and software development is crucial for modern engineering roles, including quality engineering.
Engineering Electives: If available, take electives in engineering or technical drawing. These courses offer early exposure to engineering concepts and practices.
Extracurricular activities
STEM Clubs: Joining clubs focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can provide additional learning opportunities and foster a passion for these subjects.
Robotics Teams: Participating in a robotics team can give hands-on experience in designing, building, and programming robots, which are key skills for engineers.
Internships and Job Shadowing: Seek internships or job-shadowing opportunities in engineering firms. Real-world experience is invaluable for understanding the daily responsibilities of engineers.
Guiding your child towards a career in quality engineering
The journey to becoming a quality engineer often begins with obtaining the right educational background. Here are the key educational steps:
Bachelor’s degree
Most quality engineers start with a bachelor’s degree in fields such as industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related discipline. These programs tend to cover essential topics such as quality control, manufacturing processes, and statistical analysis.
Students will engage in courses like quality management, operations research, production systems, and materials science. These subjects provide the foundational knowledge to understand and improve quality in manufacturing and other industries.
Master’s degree
While not always mandatory, getting a master’s degree can significantly enhance expertise and career prospects. Degrees such as a Master of Science in Quality Management or a Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering offer advanced training in quality control methods, Six Sigma methodologies, and leadership skills.
These programs often include courses in advanced statistical methods, quality improvement techniques, project management, and strategic quality planning.
Certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Certifications play a crucial role in validating the skills and knowledge of aspiring quality engineers. Two prominent certifications are:
Six Sigma Green Belt
This certification focuses on process improvement and quality management using Six Sigma methodologies. It teaches techniques for identifying defects, analysing data, and implementing effective solutions.
Process: Earning a Six Sigma Green Belt involves completing a training course and passing an exam. Some programs also require candidates to complete a project demonstrating their ability to apply Six Sigma principles.
Benefits: Holding this certification enhances problem-solving skills and can improve job performance, making candidates more competitive in the job market.
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Offered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the CQE certification is designed for professionals who understand the principles of product and service quality evaluation and control.
Requirements: Candidates need a combination of education and work experience, followed by passing a rigorous exam that covers various aspects of quality engineering.
Benefits: The CQE certification is globally recognised and demonstrates a high level of expertise, which can open doors to higher-level positions and greater career advancement opportunities.
Training and internships
Practical experience is vital for aspiring quality engineers. Internships and on-the-job training provide hands-on learning opportunities that are essential for applying theoretical knowledge in real-world situations.
Internships
These short-term work experiences, often completed during the summer or as part of a cooperative education program, allow students to:
Work on real projects under the guidance of experienced engineers.
Gain exposure to industry practices and quality control processes.
Build professional networks and enhance their resumes with practical experience.
On-the-Job training
After graduation, many entry-level quality engineering positions include formal training programs. These programs:
Provide a comprehensive understanding of company-specific processes and quality standards.
Offer mentorship and guidance from senior engineers, helping new hires develop both technical and soft skills necessary for career progression.
Securing the right training programs and internships requires proactive research and networking:
University Career Services: Many universities have career services departments that help students find internships and job placements. These services often include resume workshops, interview preparation, and connections with industry partners.
Online Job Portals: Websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor list numerous internship and job openings. Search for positions with titles such as “Quality Engineering Intern” or “Manufacturing Intern.”
Professional Associations: Organisations like ASQ offer job boards, networking events, and other resources for finding internships and training programs. Membership in such associations can provide access to exclusive opportunities.
Networking: Attend industry conferences, join relevant LinkedIn groups, and participate in webinars to connect with professionals in the field. Networking can often lead to learning about opportunities that are not advertised publicly.
Becoming a Certified Quality Engineer
The Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) certification is a prestigious credential that signifies a high level of competence in quality engineering principles and practices.
Requirements
Education and Experience: Candidates need a combination of education and work experience in quality engineering. For example, a bachelor’s degree plus three years of experience, or equivalent combinations.
Examination: Candidates must pass a comprehensive exam that covers a wide range of topics, including quality management systems, product and process design, statistical process control, and continuous improvement.
Process
Application: Submit an application through the ASQ website, detailing your education and work experience.
Preparation: Study for the exam using ASQ’s recommended resources, such as the CQE Handbook, online courses, and practice exams.
Exam: The exam consists of multiple-choice questions and is offered at testing centres worldwide. It tests knowledge in areas such as quality management, control charts, design of experiments, and more.
Benefits of becoming a Certified Quality Engineer
Career Advancement: Certification can lead to promotions, higher salaries, and more job opportunities. It demonstrates a commitment to quality and excellence in the field.
Skill Validation: The CQE certification validates your child’s expertise and knowledge, making them a more attractive candidate to employers.
Professional Recognition: Being CQE certified is a mark of excellence recognised by employers and peers, which can enhance your professional reputation and credibility.
Preparing for the certification exam
Preparing for the CQE exam needs a strategic and disciplined approach:
Create a Study Plan: Develop a detailed study schedule that covers all exam topics. Allocate more time to areas where you feel less confident.
Use Official Study Materials: Utilise ASQ’s study guides, handbooks, and practice exams. These resources are specifically designed to help candidates prepare for the CQE exam.
Join Study Groups: Engaging with peers who are also preparing for the exam can provide support, motivation, and shared resources. Study groups can help reinforce learning through discussion and collaborative study.
Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle in quality engineering. Staying updated with the latest industry trends, tools, and techniques is crucial:
Professional Development: Attend workshops, seminars, and webinars to keep your child’s skills current. Many organisations offer continuous learning opportunities.
Reading and Research: Regularly read industry journals, articles, and books to stay informed about new developments and best practices.
Additional Certifications: Consider pursuing further certifications like Six Sigma Black Belt or Lean Manufacturing to broaden your child’s expertise and demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement.
Quality engineer career paths and advancement
Quality engineering offers various career paths and types of engineers, each with unique focuses and opportunities for specialisation:
Quality Assurance (QA)
QA engineers ensure that products meet specified quality standards before they reach the market.
Responsibilities: Developing and implementing quality assurance tests, analysing test results, and collaborating with production teams to resolve issues.
Career Progression: QA Engineer → Senior QA Engineer → QA Manager → Director of Quality Assurance
Quality Control (QC)
QC engineers work on inspecting and testing products during the manufacturing process to ensure they meet quality specifications.
Responsibilities: Conducting inspections, monitoring production processes, and identifying defects.
Career Progression: QC Engineer → Senior QC Engineer → QC Manager → Director of Quality Control
Process Quality Engineering
These engineers focus on optimising manufacturing processes to enhance product quality and efficiency.
Responsibilities: Analysing production processes, implementing process improvements, and ensuring compliance with quality standards.
Career Progression: Process Quality Engineer → Senior Process Quality Engineer → Process Improvement Manager → Director of Process Quality
Potential for advancement to senior positions
Quality engineers have numerous opportunities to advance to senior roles, including:
Managerial Roles: Moving into management positions such as Quality Manager, where responsibilities include overseeing quality assurance/control teams and implementing quality strategies.
Director and Executive Positions: With significant experience and proven leadership skills, quality engineers can advance to roles like Director of Quality or Chief Quality Officer (CQO), where they influence company-wide quality policies and practices.
Quality engineer jobs by industry
Quality engineers are in demand across various industries, each offering unique challenges and opportunities:
Manufacturing
Ensuring the quality of products such as automotive parts, electronics, and consumer goods.
Job Roles: Quality Engineer, Manufacturing Quality Engineer, Production Quality Manager.
Software development
Focused on software testing and quality assurance to ensure bug-free and user-friendly applications.
Guiding your child towards a career in quality engineering involves recognising early signs of potential, providing the right educational opportunities, and supporting their continuous learning and professional development.
It’s important to understand the educational pathways, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt and CQE, and emphasise the importance of practical experience through internships and training, so you can help your child build a strong foundation for a successful career in quality engineering.
Additionally, preparing for certification exams and exploring various career paths within quality engineering can lead to numerous advancement opportunities. With the right guidance and support, your child can thrive in this dynamic and rewarding field.
FAQ on becoming a quality engineer
General questions on becoming a quality engineer
Q: What is a Quality Engineer?
A: A quality engineer is a professional responsible for ensuring that products and processes meet established quality standards. They design quality tests, troubleshoot issues, and implement improvements to enhance product quality and efficiency.
Q: What does a Quality Engineer do?
A: Quality engineers develop tests and inspections to identify product defects, analyse data from quality tests, diagnose the root cause of issues, and implement solutions as a preventative measure to avoid recurrence. They also continuously seek ways to improve manufacturing processes and ensure compliance with industry standards.
Q: How do I become a quality engineer?
A: To become a quality engineer, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field. Gaining practical experience through internships and on-the-job training is crucial. Certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt and CQE can also enhance your qualifications.
Q: What degree do you need to be a quality engineer?
A: A bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field is required to become a quality engineer.
Q: What degree is best for a quality engineer?
A: Degrees in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering are among the best options for aspiring quality engineers as they provide a strong foundation in quality control and manufacturing processes.
Q: What do you need to become a quality engineer?
A: You need a relevant bachelor’s degree, practical experience through internships or job training, and preferably certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt or CQE. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills are also essential.
Q: How long does it take to become a quality engineer?
A: It takes four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. Additional time may be required for gaining practical experience and obtaining certifications, so the total time can range from four to six years.
Q: How hard is it to become a QA engineer?
A: Becoming a QA engineer can be challenging as it requires a solid educational background, practical experience, and strong analytical and problem-solving skills. However, with dedication and the right resources, it is achievable.
Q: What qualifications do I need to be a quality engineer?
A: You need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, practical experience, and preferably certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt or CQE. Strong technical skills and attention to detail are also important.
Q: Who can be a quality engineer?
A: Anyone with a relevant educational background, practical experience, and the necessary skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail can become a quality engineer.
Q: Why did you decide to become a quality engineer?
Q: Why do you want to be a quality engineer?
A: Common reasons include an interest in ensuring product quality, a passion for problem-solving, and the opportunity to work in diverse industries. A person might want to be a quality engineer because of an interest in maintaining high standards of product quality, a desire to solve potential problems, and the potential for career growth and job stability in various industries.
Specialised questions on quality engineering careers
Q: How can you become a water quality engineer?
A: To become a water quality engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering or civil engineering with a focus on water quality. Practical experience and certifications related to water treatment and environmental protection are also beneficial.
Q: How do I become a quality assurance engineer?
A: Becoming a quality assurance engineer requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as computer science or engineering, practical experience in quality assurance processes, and knowledge of testing methodologies and tools.
Q: How do I start a career in quality engineering?
A: Start by obtaining a relevant bachelor’s degree, gain practical experience through internships, pursue certifications like Six Sigma Green Belt or CQE, and apply for entry-level quality engineering positions.
Q: What does it take to be a quality engineer?
A: It takes a relevant bachelor’s degree, practical experience, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and preferably certifications such as Six Sigma Green Belt or CQE to be a quality engineer.
Q: What education is needed to become a quality engineer?
A: A bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field is typically needed to become a quality engineer. An advanced degree and certifications can further enhance qualifications.
Q: What to study to become a quality engineer?
A: Study subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering courses like quality management, operations research, and statistical analysis.
Certification and career advancement
Q: How do you become a certified quality engineer?
Q: How to become a certified quality engineer?
A: To become a certified quality engineer, you need to meet the education and experience requirements set by ASQ, apply for the certification, and pass the CQE exam. Follow the steps outlined by ASQ, which include fulfilling the educational and professional experience requirements, preparing for and passing the CQE exam, and maintaining the certification through continuous learning and professional development.
Personal and general interest questions
Q: How can I be a good engineer?
Q: How can I become a good engineer?
Q: How do I become a good engineer? Q:
Q. How do you become a good engineer?
Q: How to become a good engineer?
A: To be a good engineer, develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills, gain practical experience, continuously learn and stay updated with industry trends, and communicate effectively with your team. Focus on your education, seek mentorship, stay current with technological advancements, and cultivate both technical and soft skills.
Q: How to become a good engineering student?
A: Stay organised, manage your time effectively, seek help when needed, engage in hands-on projects, and build a strong foundation in your core subjects.
Q: Will I be a good engineer?
Q: Will I be a good engineer quiz?
Q: Would I be a good engineer?
A: Reflect on your strengths in problem-solving, analytical thinking, and attention to detail. Seek feedback from mentors and educators to gauge your potential and areas for improvement. Take online quizzes designed to assess your skills and interests related to engineering. These quizzes can provide insights into your suitability for an engineering career. Consider your aptitude for mathematics, science, problem-solving, and your interest in how things work. Seek guidance from educators and professionals in the field.
*Collaborative feature post*
7 ways to get preschoolers interested in science and maths
It’s never too early to introduce maths and science topics for kids. It’s even encouraged to expose children as young as preschoolers to these subjects. Doing so creates a strong foundation that can lead to future academic success. While many parents would love to lay the groundwork for this, some aren’t certain how to get their children interested in maths and the sciences.
There are great ways to get preschool kids excited about science and math. The trick is to blend these subjects into everyday life in fun ways and talk positively about them. It’s also important to find a preschool where teachers are really good at making learning exciting.
In this article, we’ll go over some creative ideas that can help your little ones become interested in and love science and math.
What is basic science for kids?
Basic science for kids is all about making science and math interesting topics to learn and a fun part of their day. Interesting science topics can use playtime, stories, and everyday stuff to teach them cool facts and ideas. For example, playing with blocks to learn about shapes or going on a nature walk to learn about plants and animals. It’s about keeping things simple and fun, so kids get curious and want to learn more!
Incorporate play-based learning maths and science topics for kids
The best way you can spark your child’s interest in any subject is through play using educational toys and games. For example, consider letting children play with blocks and other building toys to help introduce basic maths and engineering concepts. This makes the learning process fun and further encourages young learners to explore the topic.
It’s also a good idea to enrol your child in a preschool that employs play-based learning. For instance, Kinderland School in Singapore integrate various approaches to effectively teach their students. Among these is engaging children in various activities that support their overall development. You can read reviews about Kinderland to get an idea of what goes on inside the classrooms. Additionally, you can check out Kinderland’s preschool curriculum and you’ll discover that the school incorporates a variety of elements into its pedagogy to enhance learning and literacy in young children. Aside from maths, science, and language, the school also leverages the benefits of art and music in lessons to help improve children’s concentration and memory.
Engage in storytelling
Another method to get your children interested in science and math is through storytelling. That’s because it can be a powerful tool for captivating young minds. Telling stories boosts children’s listening and comprehension skills. They tend to be more attentive, especially when the narrative is engaging. Listening to stories also helps develop children’s imagination. It encourages them to make up the scenes in their minds.
So, look for books that seamlessly weave science and math concepts into the narratives. These can be stories that involve problem-solving, counting, or concepts about nature. Read these stories to your children and see the learning transform into an exciting adventure for them.
Link math to children’s daily lives
Every day is a chance for your child to learn about math without even realising it. Think about the regular things you do together. You can count steps when you’re out for a walk, or count the buttons when getting dressed. When you’re cooking or baking, let them help measure the ingredients. This way, they get to see numbers, shapes, and sizes in real life, which makes math fun and interesting for them.
Go on outdoor adventures
Similarly, identifying science in fun activities sparks curiosity about the world around pre-schoolers. With hiking, camping, and engaging in other outdoor adventures, children get exposed to the basic concepts of biology, chemistry, and physics, in a natural setting. They can discover different flowering plants while having fun outside, and they can observe how butterflies fly and how water striders glide on water. They can also learn about how the campfire changes the original state of wood.
Grow things in the garden
Science experiments are everywhere if you look hard enough! Gardening is another great way to get pre-schoolers interested in science. You can talk about plants’ growing cycle and how different elements contribute to their development. Consider tackling how the sun, water, soil, insects, and fungal matter all work together to support the plants’ growth. You can also delve deeper into composting, which may open up the opportunity to discuss recycling and taking care of the environment.
Get children involved in grocery shopping
Grocery shopping naturally involves maths, particularly counting and sorting items. You can encourage your preschoolers to count the number of apples, bananas, or other items as they place them in the shopping cart. Ask their help to sort fruits and vegetables by colour or type as well. These tasks help enhance mathematical skills while adding an element of fun to the experience.
Besides helping you fill your grocery cart, engage your child in comparing and contrasting different food products. Discuss the sizes, shapes, and quantities of items on the shelves. For example, ask questions like, “Which cereal box is bigger?” or “How many cans are in a pack?”
Use positive communication
To spark your child’s interest in science and math, it’s important to have a positive outlook on these subjects. Try not to say things like “math is hard” or “science is complicated,” as this might make your child feel scared of these topics. Instead, encourage and support them positively. Talk about science and math as exciting things to learn. By mixing play and everyday activities with these subjects, you can make learning fun. This approach helps to build a child’s curiosity and sets a good foundation for their future education.
Science topics for elementary school and preschool
Here are some other science topics for elementary school and preschool that could spark a love for science and maths!
Basic science topics for primary school
Basic Plant Life Cycle (e.g., parts of a plant, what plants need to grow).
Animal Habitats (e.g., where different animals live).
These interesting science topics are age-appropriate and can spark curiosity and a love for learning about the natural world.
FAQ
What do you teach a 5-year-old about science?
Other questions asked were:
What science topics should I teach my 5 year old?
Teaching a 5-year-old about science is all about exploring and discovering the world around them in a fun way. You can talk about things like:
Nature: Go outside and look at different plants, insects, and animals. Talk about how plants grow and why animals look different.
Weather: Discuss sunny days, rain, and snow. You can explain why the weather changes and what clouds are.
Space: Look at the stars and moon at night. Talk about what they are and introduce basic ideas about the solar system.
Simple Experiments: Do easy experiments like mixing colors or floating and sinking objects in water to learn about basic concepts.
Remember, it’s all about interesting topics about science fun and engaging for them!
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Boost math learning: parent-teacher collaboration ideas
Helping your child get better at math is something both parents and teachers need to work on together. It’s not just about what happens in school; the role of parents is fundamental to this process! You can help make sure your child understands math and feels good about learning it.
In this article, we’ll talk about why it’s so important for parents and teachers to work as a team and we’ll share some tips for successful parent-teacher partnerships, set common goals, and use teamwork to make math fun and interesting for your child.
Consistency is key to reinforcing mathematical concepts. When you and your child’s teacher align your approaches, your child receives a unified message about the importance of mathematical skills, which will foster a deeper understanding of the subject.
3. Addressing individual learning needs
Every child is unique, and when you and the teacher work together, you can help your child in their special way. By talking and sharing ideas, you can come up with great ways to make the most of what your child is good at and help them with the things they find tough. If you struggle to solve math problems, you can also visit MathMaster, an app that will assist you in your math journey: math-master.org.
Establishing healthy parent-teacher relationships for early learning success
Here are five ways to build parent-teacher partnerships and collaboration strategies developed by teachers:
1. Open communication channels
The fundamental importance of teacher parent communication revolves around talking openly, so the importance of parent involvement is crucial. Having regular meetings, sending emails, and using apps or websites that let you chat helps you connect to school and home. This way, you can always keep each other updated on how your child is doing.
2. Sharing learning objectives
One of the key parent-teacher collaboration strategies includes making sure you and the teacher understand the math goals and what’s expected. When everyone knows what the math lessons are about, it’s easier for you to help with these topics at home, which supports what’s being taught in the classroom. Including parents in the classroom would help with this part of the collaboration, but not all schools allow for it for security reasons.
3. Interactive workshops and seminars
A great way to enhance teacher parent collaboration is to attend workshops and seminars about teaching math because you’ll get to learn about the latest ways teachers are doing it. Plus, you’ll pick up some handy tips to help your kid with their math. These workshops can talk about different math subjects, ways to solve problems, and fun activities you can do together.
4. Using technology for updates
You can’t operate a successful parent and teacher collaboration without the use of technology in this day and age! Technology can help you keep track of how your child is doing in real-time. Online platforms, apps, and emails are great for getting updates on their tests, projects, and activities you can do at home to help with their math learning.
5. Encouraging math-focused family activities
Try to include math in your family’s fun times, not just homework. How about playing math games on a family game night? Or use cooking to practice measurements. Even everyday things can be a chance to have fun with math and make it more interesting.
Collaborative strategies to reinforce math learning at home
Here are some parent teacher collaboration ideas that you can reinforce at home with your child:
1. Setting a positive tone between teacher and parents
Remember how important it is to stay positive about maths. A big part of the teacher and parent collaboration involves getting rid of any worries about maths, encouraging them to keep going, and helping them see challenges are just chances to learn more.
2. Creating a dedicated math space
Families can set up a special learning environment at home just for maths. Fill it with maths books, puzzles, and learning games. This area will be a constant reminder of how important maths is in your everyday life and will help with overall academic achievement.
3. Real-world math applications
Try to use real-life maths in your daily routines. Things like working out your shopping budget or doing a bit of DIY around the house are great ways to put those maths skills to use in practical situations.
4. Regular progress check-ins for a successful parent and teacher partnership
A successful collaboration with parents and teachers includes regular catch-ups because you can monitor how they’re doing in maths. Working together to spot areas they can improve on, and cheering on their successes really helps show you’re all in it together to support their maths learning.
5. Homework support strategies
Give yourself some good ways to help with your child’s homework. Set up a quiet spot for them to work, stick to a regular homework schedule, and be there to help with their questions, but try not to give away the answers straight away.
Parent-teacher collaboration struggles and overcoming challenges
There can be a number of reasons why getting together with a teacher can be a struggle. Here are some issues you could run into and why continuing parent teacher communication is important, even if it’s challenging:
1. Time constraints
Remember, both you and your child’s teachers might be short on time. Using online meetings, being flexible when you meet up, and keeping communication clear and to the point can make collaboration between parents and teachers easier, even when you’re both busy.
2. Differing teaching approaches
Understand the way you teach at home might differ from how it’s done in the classroom. Having a detailed collaboration between teachers and parents means you can learn about their teaching methods. You’ll also get a better idea of what’s happening at school and can support your child more effectively.
3. Addressing math anxiety
Work together to tackle maths worries by sharing resources, and tips, and running workshops for both you and the teachers. Building parent-teacher relationships through a supportive atmosphere that recognises these anxieties helps make everyone feel more positive about maths.
Success stories: examples of effective parent-teacher collaboration
Below are some parent teacher collaboration examples you can try now:
1. Math nights and family workshops
If your school puts on Maths Nights or family workshops, they’re a great chance for you to get stuck in and see how maths is taught. These events are all about learning together and they show you how maths is used in real life.
2. Regular newsletter updates
If teachers send out newsletters with updates, tips, and activities all about maths, it helps keep you in the loop and be involved in the management of what’s going on. This regular catch-up makes you feel more like a team. Parents and teachers working together helps students do better in maths.
3. Interactive online platforms
If your child’s school uses interactive websites or apps for regular updates, online meetings, and resources, it makes it easier for you and the teachers to keep working together and stay in touch.
Parents meaningful questions you should ask your childs teacher
When you’re having a chat with your child’s teacher about maths, there are some good questions you can ask to get involved and help out. Here’s what you might want to ask:
“How’s my child doing in maths?” Start with the basics. This gives you a clear picture of their progress and any areas they’re good at or might need extra help with.
“What part of maths are they finding tricky?” Knowing this helps you understand what to focus on at home. It’s not just about the struggles; it’s about how you can support them to get better.
“Can you show me an example of their work?” This is great because you get to see exactly what they’re doing, and the teacher can explain it in a way that makes sense to you.
“What maths topics will they be learning this term?” This one’s good for staying ahead. You might find games or activities at home that tie in with these topics.
“Are there any resources or activities we can do at home?” Teachers often know about fun maths games or websites that can make learning at home a bit more interesting.
“How can I help my child with maths homework without giving away the answers?” It’s all about helping them think for themselves, not just telling them what to do.
“Is there a way we can make maths more real and fun at home?” Practical stuff, like measuring when cooking or working out change when shopping, can make maths feel more relevant.
Conclusion
Working together, you and your child’s teachers can help them get the hang of maths. By talking openly, understanding what they need to learn, and using teamwork, you can create a space where your child doesn’t just learn maths but gets it. This teamwork lays the groundwork for a love of learning and mastering maths skills, which will be useful as they grow up. So as we start this journey, remember, it’s not just about maths–it’s about helping each child reach their potential and feel confident with numbers.
FAQ
Why are healthy parent-teacher relationships important?
Other questions asked were:
Why is parent-teacher collaboration important?
Why is it important for teachers to collaborate with parents?
What is the importance of parents and teachers working together?
It’s really important for you as a parent to have a good relationship with your child’s teachers because when you and the teachers get along and talk easily, it helps your child in a few ways. First, if there’s something tricky going on with your child’s learning or behaviour, you and the teacher can sort it out together. It’s great for their mental health!
Also, when your child sees you and their teacher working as a team, it makes them feel more secure and supported. Plus, you get to understand what’s happening at school better, so you can help with homework and stuff at home. Parents and teachers are partners in education, so it’s all about making sure your child gets the best support from both home and school
What are the three C’s – how to form a constructive parent-teacher partnership?
The ‘Three Cs’ for a good parent-teacher partnership is a friendly guide to help you work well with your child’s teacher:
Communication: This one’s key for a good parent and school partnership. Keep the lines of chat open with the teacher. It means just being clear and honest when you’re talking about your child’s progress, any concerns, or even the good stuff happening at home that might affect school life.
Collaboration: You and the teacher are like a team for your child’s education. It’s all about working together, sharing ideas, and sometimes coming up with plans to help your child do their best. It’s not just about meeting at parents’ evening; it’s about being involved and interested all school year round.
Consistency: This is about making sure what’s happening at home and school lines up. So, if the teacher is focusing on certain behaviours or ways of learning, try to support that at home too. It helps your child to have the same sort of rules and expectations whether they’re at school or in the living room.
Remember, it’s all about making school and home a team effort for your child’s learning and growth.
What are the benefits of parent-teacher collaboration?
Other questions asked were:
What are examples of parent-teacher collaboration?
Why is parent-teacher relationships important?
When you and the teacher work together, loads of good things can happen for your child. Here are some benefits:
Better understanding: You’ll get a clearer picture of what your child’s doing at school and how they’re getting on. The teacher can fill you in about classroom stuff, and you can share what’s happening at home. It helps everyone understand your child better.
Support for your child: When you agree with the teacher, your child gets consistent support. They know what to expect both at home and at school, which can make them feel more confident.
Spotting problems early: If there are any issues, like struggles with reading or getting on with others, you and the teacher can spot them quicker. That means you can work out how to help your child sooner rather than later.
Boosting learning: With you and the teacher both cheering them on and helping in different ways, your child can get a boost in their learning. It’s like having a tag team to help them do their best.
Building relationships: It’s not just about schoolwork. This teamwork helps build a strong community around your child. They see that adults in their lives are working together for them, which is a positive thing.
So, in a nutshell, teaming up with your child’s teacher is a win-win. It’s good for you, the teacher, and most importantly, your child.
How to make parent events at school meaningful?
If you’re thinking about how to make school events focused on maths useful for you as a parent, here are some tips for successful parent-teacher conferences at your child’s school, which are meaningful and help with working together with the teachers:
Interactive workshops: Suggest having workshops where you can actually get stuck in with maths activities. It’s not just about watching; it’s about doing. This way, you can experience what your child is learning in a fun and hands-on way.
Q&A sessions: Good to have a bit where you can ask questions. Maybe you’re wondering about the maths curriculum or how to help with homework. A Q&A gives you the chance to get those answers straight from the teacher.
Real-life maths examples: Ask to include sessions that show how maths is used in everyday life. It could be about budgeting, cooking, or even DIY projects. This helps you understand how to make maths more relatable and fun for your child at home.
Information on resources: It’s really helpful to get a list of resources like websites, apps, or games that you can use at home. These can be great for making maths practice more engaging.
Parent-teacher chat time: Having time to chat informally with the teachers is great, as a parent’s interaction with teacher offers the chance to build a bit of a relationship and share any specific concerns or successes about your child’s maths learning, whether that be face-to-face or through regular phone calls.
Parents’ feedback to teachers: After the event, maybe suggest a way to give feedback. It helps the school know what worked and what they could do differently next time.
These events are a chance for you to get involved and understand more about how maths is being taught to your child, and how you can support them. Plus, it’s a good way to show your child that you’re interested in what they’re learning.
How do I create parent and student reports that are useful for my child’s maths teacher?
If you’re looking to make some useful reports for your child’s maths teacher then parent engagement is key. Here are some simple ways for parents to help teachers:
Keep a record of homework: Jot down how your child gets on with their maths homework. Note which bits they found easy or hard, and how long it took them. This gives the teacher a good idea of their strengths and areas to work on.
Observe their learning: While they’re doing maths, watch out for things like whether they’re guessing answers or if they’ve got a particular method. Sharing these observations can be really helpful.
Include their attitude: Mention how they feel about maths. Are they confident, frustrated, or maybe indifferent? The teacher can use this info to help make maths more enjoyable for them.
Talk about maths at home: If you do any maths-related activities together, like cooking or shopping, jot down how your child handled the maths parts. It’s useful to know how they apply maths in real life.
Ask your child’s opinion: Sometimes, just asking your child how they think they’re doing in maths can give you and the teacher some good insights.
Keep It simple and honest: You don’t need to write an essay. Just simple points about how your child is doing with maths will do. And honesty’s key – it’s all about helping your child, after all.
When you’ve got all this together, hand it over to the teacher. They’ll likely find it really useful to get this extra perspective on how your child is doing with maths. Remember, parents working with teachers can offer a fuller picture of your child’s learning, which will help their teacher in the long run.
*Collaborative feature post*
How to help your child build their foundational maths skills
In a world increasingly driven by data, the ability to navigate numbers is not just an academic requirement, but a vital life skill. Yet, for many parents, helping children build their foundational maths skills can seem like a daunting mountain rather than an accessible journey.
As parents, our involvement in our child’s early education is pivotal, particularly in laying the groundwork for success in maths because foundational math skills are not just about counting or solving simple arithmetic problems; they are the building blocks for critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning.
From integrating math into daily activities to leveraging technology wisely, this article will equip you with the tools and resources for developing basic math skills and the insights necessary to guide your child through their mathematical journey.
So, let’s begin!
Understanding foundational math skills and assessing your current math skills
To help your child understand foundation mathematics, assess where your math foundations lie first. You should be able to explain what foundation maths skills entail, such as counting, basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), understanding shapes, and grasping simple measurements. Then you can build on your foundation in mathematics and use it as a stepping stone in developing math skills for more complex concepts and problem-solving abilities.
Remember, your attitude towards maths is what your child’s perception will be when learning the subject. So aim to stay positive and encourage a math learning environment at home.
What are the basic math skills that everyone should know?
You should have a profound understanding of fundamental mathematics before you help your child in maths. But what are basic math skills? Here is a foundational math skills checklist to consider building on before you help your child with their foundational maths skills too:
Number Sense: Understanding and working with numbers, including recognising numbers, counting, and basic number patterns.
Basic Arithmetic: Proficiency in the four fundamental operations – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Fractions and Decimals: Basic understanding and manipulation of fractions and decimals, including simple calculations and conversions between them.
Measurement: Knowledge of basic units of measurement (length, weight, volume, time) and the ability to measure and estimate using these units.
Time: Ability to read clocks, understand calendars, and calculate time intervals.
Basic Geometry: Understanding basic shapes, their properties, and spatial relationships.
Money Management: Basic skills in handling money, including understanding currency, making change, and basic budgeting.
Data Interpretation: Ability to understand and interpret simple graphs and charts.
Problem Solving: Application of math skills to solve practical problems, involving logical thinking and reasoning.
Percentage: Understanding percentages and their calculation, which is useful in various contexts like sales, statistics, and finance.
Why is it important to develop mathematics skills?
Developing mathematics skills is important for several reasons, both in academic contexts and in everyday life. Here are some reasons why it’s important to develop your child’s foundational maths skills:
It promotes critical thinking and problem-solving
Math teaches kids how to approach complex problems, break them down into smaller parts, and solve them logically. This skill applies to various life situations and professions.
It provides a foundation for advanced learning:
Proficiency in basic math is essential for understanding more advanced concepts in mathematics, sciences, engineering, and technology. A strong mathematical foundation opens doors to many educational and career opportunities.
Helps with practical tasks daily
Math skills are used daily, from managing money and budgeting to cooking, shopping, and planning. These skills help kids make informed decisions, like comparing prices, calculating interest, or measuring ingredients.
Helps with technological and scientific advancement
Mathematics is the language of science and technology. Advances in these fields rely heavily on mathematical principles, making math skills crucial for innovation and progress.
Enhances analytical skills
Math enhances analytical and logical reasoning skills. It teaches kids how to analyse data, recognise patterns, and draw conclusions, which are valuable skills in any field.
It builds confidence and independence
Proficiency in math boosts confidence in your child’s ability to handle various tasks independently, from everyday chores to complex professional assignments later in life.
It provides global competitiveness
In an increasingly universal world, strong math skills are important for keeping up with technological and economic developments, ensuring kids can remain competitive amongst their peers.
Enhances financial literacy
Understanding math is key to financial literacy, which includes managing personal finances, understanding loans, investments, taxes, and saving for the future.
Maths support other subjects
Math skills support learning in other areas, such as physics, chemistry, biology, economics, and even arts, as they often involve mathematical concepts.
Prepares kids for the future workforce
Many of the fastest-growing careers require strong math skills. Whether in IT, healthcare, finance, or engineering, math is a foundational skill that enhances employability and adaptability in a rapidly changing job market.
How do you get your child interested in math?
So it’s clear mathematics is not just about numbers and equations; it’s a critical tool for navigating and understanding the world, fostering logical reasoning, and enabling personal and professional growth. But how do you encourage your child to be interested in maths?
Getting your child interested in learning maths involves a blend of creativity, practicality and a whole heap of enthusiasm. There are tons of ways you can encourage your child to delve deeper into their maths learning. Here are some actionable ideas you can try now:
Relate maths to their interests and incorporate maths into daily activities
Connect maths concepts to things your child already enjoys. For example, if they like cooking, you can encourage them to measure ingredients. If they’re into sports, you can discuss the statistics from their favourite game.
You can also play board games or card games that involve counting, strategy and problem-solving like Monopoly, Uno, or chess. You can also take them grocery shopping and get them to help with budgeting, comparing prices and calculating discounts. Play a fun game and guess the total cost of the items in the cart to see who was the closest in the end!
Find out what their frustrations/challenges are when learning foundational maths skills
Some young learners find maths particularly hard, with weaknesses in this area leading to problems in school, future jobs and overall emotional wellbeing. Some children suffer from specific challenges, like developmental dyscalculia (DD), a condition characterised by difficulties in learning and understanding arithmetic.
It’s important to find out where the reluctance is coming from, as it could be something small which is holding them back. If it is a condition like DD, there are ways to help with basic math, which we will go through later in the article.
Create a positive math environment at home
Your attitude towards maths can influence your child’s attitude. Show excitement and interest in math yourself, and they are more likely to mirror it.
Another way to show positivity is to create a math-friendly space in your home. You can do this by setting up a dedicated study area with accessible maths tools like a calculator, geometric shape sets, a protractor and graph paper. Decorate the area with maths-specific posters, for example, charts like the multiplication table or motivational quotes and even audio devices which can help in strengthening mental math. All these help promote a positive environment to learn maths!
Use interactive games and apps
There are many educational games and apps designed to make math fun. These tools use engaging activities and challenges to teach math concepts and integrate math into other fun activities. Here are some fun ways you can utilise educational toys and tools to enhance learning.
Interactive Maths Activity Book, which includes home math games and activities for preschoolers
I have created a Maths Activity Book Canva template* for parents to print out and personalise for their preschooler. It contains over 50 pages of all kinds of maths problems, but it is set out in a very fun and engaging way, so your child doesn’t even know they’re learning maths! You can find out more about the Maths Activity Book and what it includes here.
Calcularis 2.0 is a computer program designed to help children who have trouble with math, especially those with developmental dyscalculia (DD). The program uses games to teach different math skills, like adding and understanding numbers, and it changes based on each child’s way of learning.
Researchers studied how well Calcularis 2.0 works by testing it with children who have DD. These children used the program for 20 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week, for 12 weeks. Their math skills were tested before, right after, and three months after using the program.
The results were positive. The children who used Calcularis 2.0 got better at math tests*, understanding where numbers are in space, and comparing the sizes of numbers. These improvements were only in math; their reading and spelling didn’t change, showing that the program specifically helps with foundational maths skills. Even three months after finishing the program, the children still showed these math improvements.
The study also found that children who didn’t have problems with reading or spelling, and those who were less anxious about math, improved the most. This suggests that being nervous about math might make it harder to get better at it, even with training.
In conclusion, Calcularis 2.0 was a helpful tool for children with DD and it’s recommended for both individual and group use as an addition to regular math lessons. However, it’s important to remember that this program is not a replacement for learning directly from teachers. This is especially true for children who get very anxious about math, as they might do better with personal teaching.
Overall, Calcularis 2.0 offers a supportive way for children with dyscalculia to improve their math skills through interactive and tailored learning.
How to teach maths at home – encourage questioning and explorations
Encouraging questioning and exploration is key in fostering a child’s curiosity and interest in math, especially when building foundational skills.
Create an open environment when creating homeschool activities for kids. Make the environment a safe space for your child to ask questions and make mistakes. They must express their thoughts and questions without fear of criticism.
Ask open-ended questions that don’t have a single right answer. For example, “How many ways can you think of to solve this problem?” Encourage ‘Why’ and ‘How’ questions and take the time to explore the answer together. If you don’t know the answer, research it together or turn it into a discovery project.
How to be great at math – go on math-related outings
Visit science centres, museums, or other places where they can engage in math-related activities and ask questions about what they see and experience.
How to become good at math – watch educational TV shows and videos
There are many educational programs and online videos that teach math in an entertaining and visually appealing way.
How to develop math skills – set challenges and rewards
Create fun math challenges or competitions with small rewards. This can motivate children and make learning math more exciting.
How to increase math skills – nvolve them in financial decisions
Basic budgeting or planning for a family outing can be great ways to teach older children about numbers and finance.
How to increase your math skills – encourage maths through art and creativity
Incorporate math into art projects, such as using geometric shapes for collages or understanding proportions in drawings.
How to make mathematics easy – involve school and join maths groups/clubs
Helping your child improve their math skills involves working together with their school. Regularly talk to your child’s teacher about how they are doing in math, what they find hard, and how you can help them at home. Get to know what your child is learning in math at school. This helps you support them with similar activities at home, for example, using the same foundational math skills worksheets that the school uses.
Attend meetings and events at school like parent-teacher conferences. These are good chances to learn more about how math is taught at the school. If your child is struggling with math, ask the school if they offer extra help like tutoring or after-school math clubs. If your child needs more help, work with their teacher to make a plan that sets goals and outlines how to achieve them.
Keep asking the teacher how your child is doing in math, not just in grades but also in their interest and confidence in the subject. Motivate your child to join math-related activities at school, like math clubs or competitions. These can make math more enjoyable.
Build a good relationship with the school. Appreciate their efforts and stay open to advice from teachers. Working together can create a better learning environment for your child.
As parents and educators, our role transcends beyond teaching numbers and equations; it involves instilling confidence, curiosity, and a problem-solving mindset in our children. By making math relatable and engaging through real-life applications, interactive tools, and personalised learning strategies, we can help demystify this subject and reveal its inherent beauty and logic.
But, remember, every child’s math journey is unique, and patience and understanding are key. Celebrating small victories, providing consistent support, and staying actively involved in their learning process are essential in maintaining their interest and motivation. As we guide them through the early stages of this journey, we are not just teaching them math; we are equipping them with tools to navigate the world, fostering independent thinkers, and perhaps, inspiring the mathematicians, scientists, and innovators of tomorrow!
FAQ
What is foundational knowledge of mathematics?
Other questions asked were:
What is fundamental skills math?
What are the mathematical skills in the foundation phase?
What are foundational math skills?
What is foundational mathematics?
What is functional math skills?
What skills does math develop?
Why are basic math skills important?
What is basic math skills?
Why are foundational skills important?
Why are mathematical skills important?
How to build a strong mathematics foundation?
What is early learning foundational skills mathematics?
How do you go about defining foundational math skills?
What is the importance of foundational math skills?
Foundational knowledge in mathematics refers to the essential concepts and skills that form the basis for understanding more advanced mathematical ideas. You can find out more information about these foundational maths skills in my article above.
What basic math skills are required by most jobs
You must have basic math skills to effectively perform various tasks in most jobs. These foundational math skills examples include:
Basic arithmetic
Understanding fractions and percentages
Measurement and estimation
Budgeting and financial management
Data analysis
Time management
Problem-solving
Using technology for math
Inventory management
Basic geometry
*This post is sponsored by Constructor, the creators of Calcularis. Links marked with a ‘*’ are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click through to buy at no extra cost to you – thank you for your support!
What motivates a child to do well in school?
Numerous factors contribute to children losing interest in their studies, and the situation has worsened because of the pandemic. An estimated 1.5 Billion students worldwide were forced to adjust to the new norm and study online, which blurred the lines between home life and study.
As a parent, you play an active role in the success of your child’s education. In fact, studies have shown that parents who are actively involved in their child’s schooling are more likely to raise successful children. But what motivates a child to do well in school?
There are many things you can do to help your child have a great school year, and it’s important to note that your encouragement will be an ongoing process throughout their education. In this article, we’ll go through how to motivate kids early and continue the process to help our children be the best versions of themselves they can be.
How to motivate a child to learn – start early with the school prep
Although most of us would view the term ‘pushy parent’ in a negative light, we still can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy when our child doesn’t appear to be reading, but their best friend does.
Hampstead Hill, advises that not every child will be ready for a book at the same time and within a school year there can be a year’s age difference between the youngest and the oldest child. People often talk about summer born children being at a disadvantage, especially during their formative school years, and to a certain extent, they are playing catchup throughout this time. During the Foundation Stage, there can be vast differences between four and five-year-olds and their subsequent ability levels.
Parents motivate children to do well in English and mathematics, often to the exclusion of other areas of learning and development. The new Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (EYFS) states there are seven areas of learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development, and Communication and Language. These are classed as prime areas. The remaining specific areas are Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
As the wording of the Foundation Stage curriculum suggest; a child needs to establish firm foundations and skills before they can embed these into more sophisticated learning. As cliched as it sounds, rather like the construction of a house; without laying the firm foundations, the rest of the building would collapse.
How to motivate your kid in school – Develop the foundations
Personal, Social and Emotional development is perhaps the most important of all areas of learning and development. Your child should first learn how to function socially and how to form strategies to look after themselves. After all, what good is it to recite the words of Shakespeare if they can’t boil an egg? An oversimplified analogy indeed, but to motivate a child to want to learn, the fundamental areas must come first.
Activities to develop personal, social and emotional abilities
Providing activities for your child that encourage turn-taking and sharing
Setting up role-play areas that reflect our multi-cultural society
Selecting books, puppets and toys to help your child explore their own and others’ feelings and viewpoints
Introducing activities that require collaboration, e.g. ring games, parachute activities, etc.
Physical Development
A child does not have the immediate ability or strength to pick up a pencil and write. So kids develop their large (gross) motor movements through physical activity, which will lead to more refined, smaller (fine) motor movements later.
Activities to develop gross motor skills
Throwing and catching a large ball
Encouraging your child to move in different ways and at varying speeds, balancing, target throwing, rolling, kicking and catching
Making large swirling movements with ribbons
Using large paintbrushes and water to make drawings/patterns outside
Marking large-scale patterns/movements in sand, paint, water etc
Activities to develop fine motor skills
Using grabbers/kitchen implements (remembering safety first!) to hunt for treasure in the sand.
Using tweezers to hunt for treasure in the sand (as fine motor ability becomes more refined)
Encouraging making patterns with fingers in the sand, shaving foam, gloop cornflour/water mix.)
Providing activities that allow the opportunity and motivation for school children to practice manipulative skills, etc. cooking, painting, clay and playing instruments.
Activities to develop Communication and Language
The importance of establishing speaking, listening and communication skills has at last been recognised and implemented. When learning a new language, we can always comprehend more than we can speak. Similarly, we are more capable of speaking a language than reading or writing it, at least to begin with. It seems it has taken a long time for the government to realise the skills of listening, speaking, comprehension, reading and writing are not simultaneously achievable but hierarchical.
Planning for lots of rhyming and rhythmic activities and as your child progresses, point out the rhymes/talk about similarities in rhyming words. Using rhyming from the youngest of ages cannot be underestimated and its bearing on your child as a future competent reader.
Encouraging your child to interact with other children and perhaps sing songs together, describe an event, and listen to their peers doing the same.
Providing opportunities for your child to talk for a wide range of purposes, e.g. describe what they have constructed, explain, instruct, discuss, justify their decisions.
Reading your child stories which incorporate repetitive phrases and repeated refrains/structures.
How to motivate a child to do well in school – the academic assessment journey
There are different paths you can take during your child’s academic years, and these paths depend on your socio-economic status, your mentality about education, and your child’s academic ability.
The second path veers off towards the end of Year 6, where you have an option to send your child to a grammar/consortium school. Your child would need to take the 11+ exams to get into these schools.
The third path is the private route, where your child will meet an array of assessments during their academic years, starting with the 7+ exam so they have the chance to attend an independent prep (private) school. The 8+ exam is structured in the same way as the 7+ but is taken in January when pupils join the school the following September. Again, this is to be in with the chance to get into an independent prep school.
Then you have the 11+, which is where you may begin the hunt for a tutor to prep your child for either grammar schools or private schools. This path is probably where you will find the most competitive amongst parents. They are all vying for the same top schools, and as these schools are oversubscribed, it’s slim pickings to get the school of choice.
You may be a parent who doesn’t want all that for their child, and that’s perfectly ok. Perhaps you have a family business, or your child wants to be the next Vanessa Mae or Jackson Pollock. Maybe you want your child to attend a good school, but you don’t want to pressure them down the private school route so early. Explore Learning or Kumon may be too much at this point and really all you want to do is enhance your child’s learning a bit at home.
Gaining knowledge doesn’t have to stop when the school bell rings. Enhanced learning, whether it be through play or kid’s worksheets, encourages your child to step outside of their comfort zone and absorb new information like the sponges that they are. The more they learn, the more learned they become.
Of course, I must point out that I am never ok with forcing a child to learn. I believe in education and extracurricular activities, but I don’t feel comfortable pushing my child to the point of social outcast or emotional breakdown. Children are still children, and they need to have the chance to blow off steam and play every day.
“Give your child an edge over the competition!” Exam Papers Plus
So, how can parents help make their children successful in school?
How to help your child get motivated in school – create structure for your child to avoid cramming
Long-term retention is greatly improved by daily, brief study sessions instead of intensive sessions only once weekly. Help your child create a study schedule to space out their practice on various subjects. Your child can break concepts into manageable chunks and take them one day at a time. Hire academic assistance from TopEssayWriting to get help with subjects like Math, Science, and more. Experts will teach you how to develop good writing skills.
Ways to motivate your child to do better in school – find alternative methods to studying
It can get tiresome for kids to read through their notes and textbooks again. Your child can only focus for so long before their eyes begin to glaze over. Try alternative strategies, such as the below, if your child has trouble with their studies:
Find a new explanation of the topic in an online video.
To help them visualise science concepts, ask them to create a picture or diagram.
Find a captivating podcast or audiobook on the subject they are studying.
Children learn in various ways. Use what you discover to be most effective for your child. Just make sure to stay on task and stay away from online distractions like rabbit holes.
What motivates a child to do well in school? Adopt a positive attitude toward learning
Fun learning and positive reinforcement are probably the most effective way of learning, and there have been some proven ways of enhancing learning at home through play. Role-plays are popular, and so are practical projects, like baking (using maths to calculate recipe ingredients).
Writing stories or poems are great at broadening your child’s imagination and building on their vocabulary and handwriting skills. Kids’ worksheets are proven to be one of the most effective ways of enhancing learning, especially if the worksheets cater to the current school curriculum. We live in a digital age, so, unlike back in my day when you’d have to go to a shop to buy past papers, you can now download and print out a worksheet whenever you’re ready. We’ll talk more about worksheets in a moment.
Don’t shy away from praising your child
Everyone enjoys receiving praise, so as a parent, it is crucial to do so to keep your kids motivated. Positive parenting and recognising their accomplishments (big and small) could be all the motivation they require to persevere. Ensure to emphasise effort over results to convey to your child that trying is more important than succeeding.
Let them know they have made you proud and that they should be of themselves as well. They put in a significant bit of effort and are making significant progress. They will be eager to advance if you occasionally throw in a special treat or outing!
Don’t over-function for your child
Don’t annoy your children by being on top of them all day. They are still children and they need space to be children.
Become involved in your child’s school
Be sure to meet your child’s teachers and establish a partnership with them. After all, you both have the same goal; to help your child do well at school. Get to know who is who around the school, not only in terms of the staff but also the other parents and kids. Offer to help at school, especially during extracurricular activities. If your child sees how involved you are in their learning experience at school, they will more likely try harder in the long run.
Be available during homework sessions
No child wants to sit by themselves and do their homework if they know other people in the house are having a good time. What motivates your child to do their homework? Get involved with them! Sit with your child during homework sessions, not only to make sure it gets done but also to answer questions they might have. If you struggle with the answers yourself, you and your child can explore books together and other sources on the internet to discover the answer together. Homework time can actually become quite a bonding experience.
Online platforms
It took me a while to find a reputable online resource that could provide me with not only extracurricular activity sheets the kids could do at home, but a learning journey we could follow throughout their academic years. Here are my favourites:
Brighterly.com helps kids aged 3 – 11 complete their maths journey with fun, easy, and effective maths classes.
TheSchoolRun, at first glance, looks complicated to use, but it’s so detailed and resourceful, it will have everything you need to help your kids through their primary education.
EdPlace* is great for 11+ prep and catching up with the school curriculum if your child is behind or enhancing their learning if they’re cruising. It’s important to challenge your child if they can take more and take a step back if they can’t. A happy medium is important here and online platforms like EdPlace are great for this, especially with their rewards system. You can find more information on how EdPlace works for the 11+ here.
Tutorfair offers online tutoring to enhance your child’s learning. It’s not always about cramming and exam preparation, but some relaxed educational learning will avoid boredom setting in and help students keep the information they learned in their previous school year,
“We envision a world where every student has easy access to great tutors.” Tutorfair
Worksheets and activity Sheets
Kids’ worksheets are a great way to provide your child with some extra practice. They come in bite-sized chunks and in all shapes and sizes, from tracing to writing stories.
There are tons of resources online that offer free worksheets, but if you’re looking to make a real difference in your child’s academic ability, I would suggest you opt for premium worksheets which offers engaging and effective worksheets that enhance your child’s academic journey, from 7+ to GCSE.
How do you encourage your child to take an interest in worksheets?
It’s important that you are present and engaging. A mother of six boys once told me that for your kids to achieve success, they need to feel confident that they can do anything. And to achieve that feeling, they need to feel loved and reassured; reassured that no matter how well they do in their exams, their parents will still love them. No matter what their mark is, they will always succeed in their parent’s eyes.
But, how do you encourage your child to learn without putting them off? Before you bring out the worksheets, here are some tips to encourage your child to sit down with a worksheet at home:
Keep an eye out for any weaknesses in their learning at school and talk to them about it.
Find out what they would do and what they’re really not interested in doing.
Talk about learning at home positively and prepare them before you start.
Set short periods of time in the day when you can work on a worksheet together and use a reward system like stickers or points if they complete that worksheet (points or stickers can go towards a larger reward of their choice). My brother-in-law once told me his parents used to offer him and his brother 5p a worksheet and he would save the money to buy sweets, chocolate or a toy in the end. This is a great way to enhance money maths skills without the child even knowing it!
Whatever result your child achieves when completing a worksheet, remember they are trying their best to impress you. If they fail, pick them up, stay positive, and start again.
How to motivate your children – monitor technology use
Many children spend more time playing video games, watching television and browsing the web than they do completing their school work. Be sure to monitor their leisure time and offer some suitable alternatives when you think they’ve spent too long on their technological devices. You could introduce some educational board games to encourage learning in a group environment. Monopoly is a great way to introduce and develop money maths, and Scrabble enhances vocabulary and English skills.
How to motivate children – ask your child about their day
When you see your child at the end of the school day, ask them lots of open-ended questions about their lessons. Talking about their school day will help them solidify what they learned, and it will show them you’re interested in their academic development.
How to help a child with anxiety at school
If your child has shown symptoms of stress at school, but they seem fine at home, then there may be something they’re not telling you that is hindering their development. It’s important to note that, like separation anxiety, school anxiety is not connected with behaviour or poor parenting. Your child’s worry is a cry for help, and it will often be dressed with feeling ill or causing tantrums, which may look like inappropriate behaviour.
Don’t get tough on them and tell them off, instead find out first if the anxiety isn’t coming from bullying, problems with friends or their schoolwork. Speak to the teacher and ask them if they’ve seen anything out of the ordinary that may cause this anxiety at school. Chat to your child and ask them if there is anything concerning them.
Monitor your child’s behaviour and empower them by telling them you are on their side and whatever is happening, you will help them. If they don’t want to talk, you can’t force them, but soon enough something will slip, and you will eventually find out what is causing the anxiety at school. It’s essential to tackle this issue as soon as you can, as it may inhibit your child from doing well at school.
How to encourage a child to study
When working on how to motivate a child to study, practice makes perfect and the sooner your child develops their unique work ethic, the better they will be at school and, ultimately, at work when they’re adults. You are one of those rare lucky parents if your child says they want to study instead of going outside to play. However, if your child isn’t like that – and most children aren’t – the critical point to note here is that you don’t want to force your child or use any negativity linked with studying, for example, don’t punish them with studying.
Motivating children in school to study should be a welcome addition to enhanced learning, and your child should want to be better and work harder at what they want to achieve. But, ‘How do I teach my child to study?’ you frantically ask yourself. It’s a long process if your child puts up a fight, but developing good study skills is vital, and so you should put in the long fight.
Designate a certain study time and place every day or select times in the week. Establish goals, so the child understands what they need to do, and they don’t become overwhelmed with the workload. Then motivate your child to study and keep going.
How to motivate your child – help your child stay organised with a work corner
Teach your child organisational skills with a study corner which they associate with working. This could either be in their bedroom or at the dining table; wherever they feel the most comfortable to work.
To equip your children with planning and organisational skills use furniture built for organisation. The Tidy Books ForgetMeNot ticks a lot of boxes for managing a busy child’s life.
Motivating children in school – ‘The Summer Slide’ during the summer holidays
A lot of children become ‘lazy’ during the summer holidays and forget skills they learned in the previous school year. The term is actually called ‘The Summer Slide’, coined by educational psychologist Harris Cooper, who found that US schoolchildren regress in all subjects over the summer holidays, by an average of 1 month in spelling skills, and by 2.6 months in maths (Cooper, 1996).
“Students will score lower on the same test at the end of the summer than they did at the start,” Downey, 2004
What motivates your child academically – prevent ‘The Summer Slide’
It is important to keep up with the schoolwork, but you may wonder how to motivate a child to do homework during the summer. It is just as vitally important that kids get their downtime over the summer and rest well before the school season starts, especially those students who have had to tackle exams before the holiday. Motivating kids in the summer is tough, but there are some fun and effective ways to promote learning over the summer break.
Summer learning should be all about fun, whether you are the educator yourself or you are enlisting in the help of a nanny or tutor. But discovering activities that children can enjoy and spinning them into fun ways of learning serious topics from next year’s curriculum will ensure that children are having fun and learning skills in advance that will help them in the classroom. A good way would be to create a treasure hunt with subject-specific clues. It will also keep them occupied, depending on how easy or difficult you make the questions!
Riveting reading
Six weeks of summer provides perfect opportunities to encourage your child to read. Harris Cooper found the poorest children lose the most reading skills, while those better off actually improved over the summer. Even just reading four to five books over the summer has a positive impact on a child’s reading skills.
If you have a reluctant reader, you can be inventive and work towards their hobbies and interests. My third child is three and loves numbers. So, I write the numbers down from one to ten in words on sticky notes and pop them around the house. I then write the actual numbers and ask her to find all twenty sticky notes.
Then we work together to match the numbers to their written version. Even if she has no clue what the words say, I’m providing her with a subconscious memory of how the numbers look like words.
Also, she’s a huge Peppa Pig fan, so reading the same book repeatedly every night may be tedious for me, but invaluable for her to improve her reading skills and ability to grasp phonics. I point to the words as I read them, enunciating the phonemes and encouraging her to read some of the simpler words again back to me.
There’s actually an awesome challenge online that caters towards the more tech-savvy, paper-phobic child, called the Summer Reading Challenge, which rewards children with stickers, summer reading bookmarks and certificates for free. You can also step out of the house and pop into the local library, which has a goldmine of books that children can choose from for that all important summer reading.
We have tons of books in our house, but I’m pretty sure the kids appreciate a trip to the library and reading in a different setting. It also motivates them to keep up with the reading, as they’ll want to go back and read more.
Marvellous maths
My eldest applies basic maths to daily activities and my middle boy is obsessed with numbers, so I try to incorporate maths into our activities during the day. As I cook and bake all the time, I involve the kids and adapt recipe quantities to familiarise them with dividing, multiplying and using very basic fractions (one, half, quarter). Again, even if my little one is staring blankly at me when I tell her we need to divide a recipe quantity by four, I know I am setting up a base for her to work from when she is introduced to the maths jargon at school later.
Another great way is to tell the time throughout the day. Pointing out when it’s one, two, three o’clock and then counting down the hours until dad gets home enables them to understand the dissection of time and relate it to specific times in the day. Breakfast is at 8am, which is four hours before lunchtime, at 12 o’clock etc. Time calculations can prove a challenge for children as they are working from a base of 60, rather than the normal 10s and 100s they learn from numbers. So give it time if it takes a while for them to click with it all.
Children are natural entrepreneurs and setting up a lemonade stand, for example, is a fast-track way of increasing not only their maths skills, but their business skills too. Be there to supervise them and help them calculate their profit margin and hourly earnings. Make sure you also monitor their lemonade recipe to ensure that they are actually producing something drinkable!
Puzzles like Kakuro and Calcudoku are really useful to getting older children going on the four main operations (+, -, x, ÷) really quickly. Be warned, they are head scratchers!
Whirlwind writing
Patience is definitely a virtue when motivating children to practice writing. My eldest showed absolutely no interest in writing until he was in school, to which he then produced a remarkably accurate list of all the letters in the alphabet and even penned a few three and four-letter words as well – to say I was astonished is a massive understatement! However, he couldn’t hold a pen properly until well into his school years. My daughter is three and held the pen properly almost instantly. They’re all so different.
Make writing fun. During long car journeys, you can hold challenges for the best storyteller. Not only will this help the kids’ linguistic creativity, but it will stop them bickering in the car. A great way to get kids writing too is to send postcards to their friends. It only takes a couple of lines on the back of the postcard, so it’s not overwhelming, and they get to write to their friends, which helps increase their social circles too.
Super science
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll find getting creative with science surprisingly tricky. So what is a good way to motivate your child with science?
Upon deeper inspection, science is actually all around us and can be taught to kids so they understand.
Take advantage of our flailing British summer weather and, after the next rain shower, draw chalk circles round a few puddles to observe the water cycle. Kids learn about water evaporation, as the puddle slowly reduces in size.
We have a large garden, so we try to collect as many plants as possible and discuss the differences and similarities between them. My sister bought the boys an ant farm, so we had fun creating an ant kingdom during the last days of summer. If you don’t have a large garden, just stop by your nearest park, which is bound to have way more creatures and plants waiting for you and the kids to discover!
Final thoughts on what motivates your child
What motivates a child in school? Focus on your child’s interests but show an interest in all aspects of your children’s lives
Focusing on what your child enjoys and supporting your child’s learning style too can help then channel their energies into their passion. It’s amazing what you’ll learn just by listening!
What motivates your child to do well in school? Ensure a goodnight’s sleep and frequent plays
Although it is simple to ignore your child’s extracurricular activities and sleeping patterns, these factors are crucial to their success. In the U.S., a mere 35% of the population rated their sleep quality as “good”.
Motivate your child to play outside during and after study sessions while taking study breaks. Additionally, a restful night’s sleep for your child, free from worries, is just as crucial. It’s important to support children’s mental health and a large chunk of that comes from having a good sleep hygiene.
How do you motivate your child to do better in school? Find a mentor for your child
Help your children to find a mentor to help enhance their learning because it’s an awful lot of work to do it all by yourself, especially when you have other kids to manage,
FAQ
What not to do to motivate your child?
Other questions asked were:
What Motivates Your Child And What Does Not?
Why Isn’t My Child Motivated
Ways Parents Can Motivate Children To Learn Do Their Best
What are some motivations in school?
How do you motivate your child to do better in school?
How to motivate a child to do better in school?
How to motivate a kid to do well in school?
What motivates my child at school?
Forcing your child too much can push the the other way. And, remember, if they’re doing it for you, they’re not doing it for them. You take your foot off the pedal and they will run away. Keep it light, fun and go at their pace.
My 12 year old son is not interested in studies nor is he seriously into any sports or other hobbies/activities. He comes out bad in his exams and sits around playing video games or watching TV the entire time. Is it too early to worry about this or is there something that can be done?
How to motivate a lazy child when they’re not interested in doing anything? You can find the answer here.
How do I motivate my 20 year old son who refuses to go to school, get a job or help around the house?
Other question asked were:
What motivates students to do well in school?
How to motivate my child to study?
how to get your child interested in school?
how to improve child’s performance in school?
child not engaged at school. how to motivate a child to go to school
child not interested in school. how to motivate a child who is unmotivated?
How can we motivate kids to think?
What are some ways to motivate a child who does not want to study or do homework but cares deeply for her friends and family?
How do you motivate a non-competitive child?
What are some ways to motivate a child to do well in school and at home with homework?
how do i motivate my child to do well in school
At this age, it’s important you learn how to teach a child to study independently. Demonstrating the importance of school is also key by showing him the benefits of getting an education. Find more information here: https://qr.ae/pGxPgU
My teenage son is so lazy and doesn’t seem motivated to do anything. Is it my fault as a parent?
Other questions asked:
What motivates kids to go to college?
How do I know what motivates my child?
What are some good ways to motivate a child that is struggling in school but excels in sports?
When considering how to motivate a lazy child in school, you need to work out what is causing the lack of ambition. Find out how to motivate your teenager to do better in school here: https://qr.ae/pGxPgc
My 17 year old son does not go to school anymore. He thinks it is a waste of time. What should I do?
Another question asked is:
How to motivate teenage son in school?
How to motivate a teenager to study
how to motivate teenager to study?
how to motivate your teenager to do better in school?
What is the best way to motivate a child?
How do you motivate an eighth grader to do well in school?
You might wonder how to motivate a child who is unmotivated to go to school. Find out how to motivate your teenager to do better in school here: https://qr.ae/pGxPgB
*Collaborative feature post with Charlotte Banks whose specialty of the professional writer is editing academic publications. She has written various literary works, including essays, case studies, term papers, and presentations. Most of Charlotte’s free time is spent reading and honing her writing abilities.
*Some links are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you click through to buy at no extra cost to you
List of things you need for university
If you are a parent with a child starting university, then this post is for you. If you are a parent with a child who will start university in the future, then this post is also for you.
I remember my first day at university (a long, long time ago!), where I felt very much out of my comfort zone. I had taken a private student loan during my gap year between college and uni and worked to save up for my whopping tuition fees and accommodation costs. However, everything ended up being a lot more expensive than I had initially imagined and, to say that I had learned a lot of difficult financial lessons during my time as a student, was a massive understatement. Student life was harder than I thought!
You don’t want your child living on baked beans on toast throughout university, so a simple education on how to cook basic pasta and rice dishes, along with staple sauces like Bolognese, white/cheese and pesto sauce will encourage a healthy and varied diet, with better results at uni all-round.
A good current bank account with student perks
Lots of bank accounts offer interest-free overdrafts when your child opens up a bank account, along with many other perks like discounts to well-known brands and stores. So, it’s worth shopping around to check which bank account best suits your child’s situation. Moneysavingexpert.com has tons of information on the student current accounts available at the moment, so I’d advise checking there first.
It’s also worth giving your child a lesson in managing their finances. If you need some budgeting tips, check out this article.
A current workable CV to help them get a part-time job at university
If you help your child create a great workable CV, even if it doesn’t include any actual work experience, they will have a good chance of getting a part-time job during university during their job search and stand on their own two feet financially, which will teach them valuable lessons later in life.
Summer school to prepare your child for uni life
Preparing your child for university involves more than just equipping them with practical life skills and essentials. Enrolling them in a pre-university summer school can be a pivotal step. These programs, available for students aged 16-18, offer an immersive experience into university life and studies, significantly enhancing their university applications.
Whether opting for free programs aimed at students from under-represented communities or paid courses covering a variety of subjects, these summer schools provide an invaluable opportunity for your child to explore their academic interests, experience the university environment, and bolster their readiness for higher education.
A laptop means your child can type notes in lectures and complete their assignments in their room, in the library, in the park, at their friend’s house or in a club (whatever floats their boat). You can also keep in contact with them via Skype, email or messenger. A laptop means versatility, security and no excuses to not work!
Here are some great student-friendly laptops out in the market today:
Apple M1 MacBook Air
2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop: Apple M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID; Space Grey. Buy from Amazon now*
HP Pavilion x360 14″ 2-in-1 Laptop PC 14-dy0002sa, Touch Screen, Intel Pentium Gold, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, FHD, Natural silver with Stylus Pen and Microsoft 365 Personal 12 months included. Buy from Amazon now*
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Ultra-Thin 12.4” Touchscreen Laptop (Platinum) – Intel 10th Gen Quad Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Windows 10 Home in S Mode, 2020 Edition. Buy from Amazon now*
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T 14 inch Laptop – (Intel Core i7-1165G7, 8GB, 512GB SSD, Full HD Touchscreen Display, Windows 10, Racing Green). Buy from Amazon now*
LG gram 17Z90P Silver, Windows 11, Ultra-Lightweight 1,350g, 17-inch laptop, Long lasting battery up to 19.5 hours, Intel Core i5-11th Gen, 8 GB, SSD 512 GB. Buy from Amazon now*
*Links marked with a ‘*’ are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.
How to help your child revise for their 11 plus exams
*This article is Part Two of the Eleven Plus Exams Series under Kids Mental Health where we talk about the revision aspect of the eleven plus exams. If you haven’t read Part One yet, which is about mentally preparing your child for the 11 plus exams, then please read that first.*
*This article is based on the school system in the United Kingdom. Your school system may differ if you’re in Scotland, Northern Ireland or abroad. Please check the guidelines in your area.
*We were gifted with an annual subscription package from EdPlace, but all thoughts are 100% our own
In my first article on how to mentally prepare your child for the 11 plus exams, I talked about the dreaded panic you feel when you realise your child needs to take the 11+ this year. I also discussed the lead up to the revision portion of the eleven plus exams, i.e. mentally preparing your child for the extra workload, finding out which schools are in your area and working out which 11 plus exams your child will take. You can find all this information in my first article here.
In this article, we dig into the actual revision preparation, i.e. what resources we used, where we got our information from and how we devised a plan to ensure our eldest is exam ready by this September using a variety of resources, including EdPlace* which a fantastic online platform to aid your child’s learning. We started six months before the exams which are a little late in the game, but still doable. Ideally, you’d want to start preparing your child in Year 3 and gradually build their knowledge.
Thankfully, I have been involved in my kids’ education since they were wee babies so we haven’t started from a blank slate and we hired a tutor for my eldest back in September of Year 5. Gillian is amazing because she has worked so hard to build Aron’s knowledge and has the patience of a saint. You can find Gillian’s details here (no poaching please!) in case you’d like to hire her to help with your child’s eleven plus. I’ll discuss hiring tutors, as well as other online resources, and how they can help in more detail below.
What is 11 plus?
I touched upon what the 11 plus is in my first article here, but for ease, the eleven plus exams are tests taken by Year 6 primary school students for a chance to enter via Year 7 transfer to grammar secondary schools. You would need to check whether your area offers the 11+ though as Wales and Scotland no longer have the grammar school system.
You’ve mentally prepared your child, now it’s time to get stuck in with the revision. But, where do you start?
Luckily, the schools we’re working towards all offer tests by the same examination board, GL assessment, which means the Maths and Verbal Reasoning grammar school tests will be very similar amongst two of the schools in our list. If our son passes the Maths and Verbal Reasoning portion of the 11 plus test then he will be invited to take the English test later in September for one of the schools.
In the first article I talk about what Verbal Reasoning, Maths and English cover so please check that out here. Some schools will require you to take a Non-Verbal Reasoning test too, so make sure you find out at the beginning the topics your child needs to revise.
When will the 11+ tests take place?
In our area (Hertfordshire) the 11+ tests take place at the beginning of September when your child is in Year 6.
What will the 11+ tests look like?
The schools we have selected will have one Mathematics paper which will cover approximately 50 minutes and is based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum. The Verbal Reasoning tests will also take 50 minutes. Tests are usually multiple-choice except for English which is a one-hour comprehension paper and includes an extended creative writing piece, which is written internally.
Independent schools will have their own entrance criteria so make sure you check their website for more details because it’s very important to know which 11 plus test your child is taking so you don’t waste unnecessary time.
Devise a revision plan according to the time you have left
Once you know which tests your child is taking and when those tests will take place, it’s time to equally divide the revision required for each of these subjects according to how much time you have left until the exams. As recommended in my first article, don’t allocate more than two hours a day to work intensively on 11+ because your child will have school during the day and other extracurricular activities. Any more than two hours will be overkill unless you’re absolutely sure your child can take it and you’re weeks away from the exams and still have a lot to do.
You can spread the two hours throughout the day or you can group them together with a small break in between, depending on how and when your child works at their best. My son works better after school so he takes a small break and then he studies until dinnertime.
In the beginning, you shouldn’t focus on timed tests but familiarising your child with the level of work required and what’s expected of them. We divide the two hours equally between Maths, Verbal Reasoning and English with slightly more time allocated to Maths and Verbal Reasoning. So, for example, Maths revision is 45 minutes long, Verbal Reasoning is 45 minutes and then English is 40 minutes, plus or minus and with a small snack/movement break in between.
What tools can you use to help you revise for the 11 plus grammar test?
Once you’ve worked out a plan of revision action, you can start to incorporate tools and resources to enhance your child’s learning. We use all three methods below but you can use any one or all of the tools/resources to help your child revise for the 11+. These are:
Hiring a tutor
We spoke about Gillian above who has been with us for eight months now and we’re very happy with the progress our son has made so far. We initially hired Gillian to help our son stay on par with Year 5 schoolwork once a week and perhaps go beyond what was expected but now we focus purely on 11+ work in the form of activity books and 11 past papers. Gillian then sets us homework based on the free 11 plus papers with answers which we follow throughout the week and we also book extra sessions during holidays if required.
Activity Books / 11 Plus Past Papers
Google ‘11+ practice papers‘ and you’ll be bombarded with a wide variety of paper-based resources catering for all kinds of pupils and exam boards. We use Letts Ten Minutes Tests* and Familiarisation Papers from the school’s website as well as some other great workbooks from The Works and Amazon. Again, make sure you get the right paper from the right examination board as CEM verbal reasoning exam looks very different to the GL 11 plus verbal reasoning exam for example.
Also, check on your local online 11 plus forum for more information on what parents are using in your area. It’s always great to connect with other parents during this time as you may be able to find tips and tricks on revision techniques that may work for your child too.
But which 11 plus books do we need to prepare for the 11 plus exams?
Some of our favourites which we’ve worked through systematically since February are:
11+ Maths Practice Papers Book 2: For the 2021 GL Assessment Tests (Collins 11+ Practice) – Buy from Amazon here*
11+ GL Verbal Reasoning Practice Book & Assessment Tests – Ages 10-11 (with Online Edition): perfect preparation for the eleven plus (CGP 11+ GL) – By from Amazon here*
KS2 Reading SATs Question Book: Collins KS2 Revision and Practice Paperback – Buy from Amazon now*
Leap Ahead: 10-11 Years Maths (Leap Ahead Workbook Expert) Paperback – Buy from Amazon now*
Collins KS2 SATs Question books – 5 books set Product Bundle – Buy from Amazon now
Key Stage 2 Maths: Don’t Panic SATs (Help With Homework) Paperback – Buy from Amazon*
A few points to note about these paper-based resources is to avoiding buying books that are too difficult as they can overwhelm your child. If you have time on your hands, start with Key Stage 2 books which are for your child’s age and year group then progress onto tests to gauge which topics your child is doing really well on and where there may be holes in their learning. Then focus on the holes using workbooks specified for that topic.
Again, make sure you pick the right topic and examining board. CEM and GL assessment papers use a different format so focus on the past papers from the right examination board.
A few months before the grammar school exams you can progress onto familiarisation papers which are past papers taken from the school’s website. You don’t need to worry about timed 11 plus test papers at this point because the aim is to find out which topics your child is struggling with and which they’re doing really well in so you can focus on bringing everything up to par.
Once you’re happy that your child can work through the papers with ease, you can start timing them a few months before the test. This is a vital part of the revision plan because your child needs to know what it feels like to sit a 50-minute test without any breaks.
Don’t forget to submit special circumstances if you feel your child needs extra time and support during these tests. You will need a letter from your child’s school to submit as evidence. Follow the school’s special circumstances protocol to a ‘T’ so you don’t miss out on extra support for your child.
Online Platforms like EdPlace
To further enhance your child’s learning it’s recommended to use all sorts of visual resources. Paper-based activities are great to work on with you and your child’s tutor, but online and interactive resource platforms like EdPlace can encourage a deeper insight into where your child is in their 11+ journey and the areas they need to improve. It’s also great to change things up and make learning fun too.
EdPlace can base your child’s results on algorithms that will help suggest the right topics your child should work on. Online platforms can automate a lot of the guesswork like timed exams and automatic results, which means fewer human marking errors too.
We’re working with EdPlace to help our son pass his 11+ exams and so far we are very impressed with its interface and usability. We’ll go into more detail about how EdPlace can work for your child too.
What is EdPlace?
EdPlace has been dubbed the smartest revision app for GCSEs, 11+ and SATS and boasts thousands of resources that correspond with the school curriculum and exam boards.
Check out the video below from EdPlace’s founder, Will Paterson, who talks about his struggles at school and how support helped him get his best grades later.
https://youtu.be/aJbRuC0XIrg
“EdPlace students see 150% progress in English, maths and science.”
Will Paterson, Founder and CEO of EdPlace
How do you use EdPlace for 11+ prep?
For the purposes of this article, I will show you what you get with the Annual Family Membership account.
The first thing you need to do is log in as a parent:
Sign up for your parent details and then you set up your child(ren)’s student account(s). You can assign up to four children to the annual membership. You input their student username and set a password (if the username is not available there will be an ‘X’ next to it. You may have to add numbers to the end to find an available username.) You then add your child’s year, in our case Year 4 and Year 5. Once you’ve added your child you click on ‘save and get started’. You’ll receive email notifications that all accounts are set up and your child is ready to start learning.
Once you get to this stage you’ll be taken to your parent home page which looks something like this:
Here you can view your parent account and your child’s student account, or you can jump straight ahead to get started with EdPlace’s catch-up assessments.
Your parent account
On the very far left of your screen, you will find the tools you’ll need to navigate your parent account.
In the middle of the page, you have your child(ren)’s account summary where you can check how each individual child is doing. The top part of the summary where there are a number of activities assigned already is the auto-assign kicking in.
You will have an option to auto-assign activities based on your child’s school year and scores which you can change at any time. What this essentially means is that you have access to everything (so English, maths and science will be auto-assigned). The 11+ topics fall outside of the auto-assign, however, so you would need to select these manually.
Really, it depends on how you’re going to manage the revision plan as the more activities your child does the more effective the auto-assign becomes as it will assign topics based on your child’s performance.
I would recommend keeping the auto-assign on and manually assign 11+ topics on top of the auto-assign anyway. You have the recommendations at the top which mean EdPlace can recommend an activity and it will continue to reassign activities based on your child’s performance.
At the bottom of the summary section, you can also set rewards. EdPlace uses a point system where your child can earn points for every completed activity. For example, 50 points could equal a pizza night or whatever your child is interested in working towards.
The blue button at the top, where it says ‘My EdPlace’, is your home button, so if at any point you get a bit lost, just click on that button and it will take you back to the summary area.
Browse and assign topics
Down the side of the parent account, you also have the ‘Browse and Assign’ option where you can find a list of activities from Year 1 to GCSE. The great thing here is that if your child is excelling on a particular topic you don’t need to stay within their year, you can move on to the next year and encourage them to try some of the activities above their current level.
Similarly, if your child is struggling on a particular topic, you can go back a year and work on the foundational topics with them before they move on to their current year’s work.
Working towards your child’s level to begin with is a great way to boost their confidence if the current work set is too overwhelming.
Your child’s student account
When your child logs in to their own account the assigned activities will show up already. They will see a condensed version of what we see under our parent accounts.
In their student account, your child can see the scale moving towards their rewards to give them that added incentive to keep working hard. They can also request a reward if there isn’t one set. The added incentive makes for such a great way to personalise your child’s journey and encourage them to keep going.
Your child can check out their to-do list too and browse the activities recommended by EdPlace and the topics you have assigned.
Your child can choose an activity based on what they learned at school that day
When your child comes home from school they may want to pick a particular activity they worked on at school that day, so they can browse activities and enhance their learning further.
You can, of course, have the option to turn recommendations off but if you want your child to become independent with their learning it’s probably best to leave it on.
The 11+ activities
If you click on 11+ activities, for example in Year 5, you can see a list of activities categorised by maths and numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, spatial and non-verbal reasoning, and English.
At the very top the activities are further categorised as ‘general’, CEM’ and ‘GL’. If you know the exam board your child is sitting for the 11+ you can choose 11+ activities specific for those exams.
So Aron is sitting maths and verbal reasoning via GL and if he passes he will sit his English in the next round of exams, so it’s great that activities are further categorised into the types of questions that will be specific to what he’ll be sitting in the exam. I also know which areas he’s struggling in so we could focus on those topics from an earlier year or via the general category and make sure he gets them right before moving on to the 11+ topics.
If you click on one of the topics, for example, ‘Place Value’ under Year 5 11+, and then choose a sub-topic, you can preview the activity and view the questions first before you assign the activity. The topics range in levels too from Level 1 to Level 3. One blue dash is Level 1 and three blue dashes are Level 3. What this means is that you have nine levels as each level is broken down into three levels as mentioned before and then you have three levels for Year 4 and three levels for Year 5.
So if your child is struggling on a topic they can start with Level 1 but if they’re flying they can jump straight to Level 3.
At the top of the activities page, you also have ‘Question Types’, ‘Assessments’ and ‘Exam Practice’. Exam practice is a great place to start if your child is doing well in particular topic as these involve exam prep with a timer.
If your child can complete the difficult questions in the allotted time then they’re ready. But, if they’re getting them all right but they’re too slow then you know that’s something they need to work on going forward.
The practice papers are all created by EdPlace 11+ tutors, designed in the style of the different exam boards to best replicate the experience and give students a chance to practice in examination conditions.
How to tackle the 11+ practice papers on EdPlace
Essentially kids need to spend no more than one minute per question which is so daunting. That’s why EdPlace* has built the platform in such a way to not cause sheer panic and build up the child’s skill slowly and naturally so they are ready to tackle the 11+ once they start Year 5. This is why starting slowly in Year 3 is beneficial as you can build your child’s skill and knowledge gradually and without them knowing. Make it fun at that age by calling it ‘detective work’ rather than the 11+ and by the time they start in Year 5, you can start on timed questions and full revision practice.
With the exam questions, you could do a couple in an evening in the lead up to the test, but during the summer you can start on the timed questions as there are 57 questions so that’s quite a long stint of time.
You won’t see exam questions or practice papers in Year 3 as your child is too young at that age and they don’t need the extra pressure of exam-style questions. It’s all about getting to grips with the skills and progressing rather than testing and competing at that age.
In Year 3 EdPlace* breaks the skills down in a very simple form, which creates a foundational ground for learning.
Viewing the results
When you click on scores under ‘progress’ you will start to see percentage results next to each activity completed. You can click on 11+ and check out which are the best performing topics and how many activities have been completed already.
EdPlace app
You can download the EdPlace app too via iPhone* and Android* so your child can complete activities on the go. The great thing is they can also complete their activities on the PS4’s browser and on the iPad, so there’s no excuse to not get it done if they’re not at a desk!
How to sign up to EdPlace
EdPlace offers three membership models, depending on whether you are a parent, a teacher or a tutor.
Parents can subscribe to a free account which offers:
Up to five activities a month
One student account
English, maths, science and 11+
Key Stage 1 to GCSE
You can also opt for an Annual Individual account which offers the added bonus of unlimited activities and premium content. Or you can opt for the Annual Family subscription which means you can add up to four student accounts to the membership. The Annual Family account is perfect for us as our middle child who is in Year 4 can have his own account and work towards the 11+ alongside our eldest.
If you opt for monthly membership the prices are slightly different. Click here* for the most up-to-date prices on each membership.
EdPlace offers membership models for teachers and tutors too so it’s worth checking them out too if this applies to you.
Why you should sign up to EdPlace
EdPlace* have a free account where five 11+ activities can be completed on a monthly basis, and the account functionality remains the same with the metrics.
EdPlace is a fantastic interactive online platform that encourages and motivates children to complete short, visual lessons and tests which enhances their 11+ learning. The lessons are so well put together and there is an encouraging teacher’s explanation should the child get the question wrong.
Both of my boys have enjoyed completing just three assignments a day which are a short ten questions each to keep them engaged and when completed I, the parent, receive an email report which shows me where they’ve done well and where they need more practice. This functionality alone massively helps me work out what to assign next, not only on EdPlace but to my son’s tutor because we can work hand in hand on building the gaps in his 11+ knowledge.
Make learning fun!
11+ is stressful in itself so if we parents can make it a fun process for our kids then it will help them gain confidence in their ability to get through it all. I see my son’s face drop when he knows he has to complete set work after school, but building in a fun platform like EdPlace amongst the tutoring and paper-based activity sheets can boost his motivation to continue working hard.
EdPlace’s reward and badges system can also help to motivate your child into seeing how well they’re doing in each topic, so it’s a great addition to the 11+ revision journey.
The 11+ should be accessible for all children, should they want it
I started in February and I had no idea what I was doing with the 11+. I find that some parents are reluctant to volunteer information on how to help for whatever reason. So, I want to change that. Why can’t it be a level playing field for all children? We live in an affluent area so parents have tutors and their children often end up in independent schools, so I feel for those parents who can’t afford to have tutors or independent prep. So, EdPlace* is a great tool to offer those children from poorer socioeconomic areas the fighting chance to also get into a grammar school.
Be there for support
EdPlace’s ethos aligns very much with mine; support, hard work and confidence. Support is key to helping your child succeed and the more you can are involved in their 11+ journey the more chances they have of passing.
Hard work and confidence go hand in hand in the sense that the more confident your child is in themselves the harder they are likely to work towards their goals. And work ethic is incredibly important, even more so than acing the grammar school entrance exam because even if they get kicked down with poor scores, they can get back up and continue to work to improve on those scores.
This is why I say to never criticise your children’s work. Wherever you see an improvement focus on that and ignore the rest. For example, when you go through the 11 plus questions and answers, if your child got 3 out of 10 in one of the maths tests, focus on what they got right and build into the next revision the 7 they got wrong. Through practice, they will improve on those marks.
You may have a million things to do during the day, including looking after other children, but being present in your child’s learning can be invaluable for their progression. Even if you don’t do any of the actual work with them, actively engage with them and praise their work ethic if they’ve had a particularly great day of revision. Love and support can go a long, long way to helping your child gain the confidence they need to ace these exams. And if they don’t pass, the extra work they did will help them progress in Year 6 anyway.
Positivity is key!
Will 11 plus exams go ahead during the pandemic though?
The pandemic has affected the children the most in my opinion and a lot of parents will be asking themselves, ‘Will the 11 plus be postponed?’ So far we have not received any indication that the 11 plus exams will be cancelled but chances are if cases increase that they will do the test virtually. Check your grammar school’s website to make sure you’re up to date with any changes to the 11 plus exams.
We don’t want kids to feel broken if they fail their 11+, we want to arm them with the power and knowledge that hard work does pay off. Start off small and slow then grow. I think this is the key to success as long as you have a great work ethic and every child gets a fighting chance to make it work!
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