The Learning Resource Centre has a wide range of resources on many topics for parents. You are very welcome to visit the Learning Resource Centre or phone on 9562 8000 to borrow.
Some suggested resources are:
- Maggie Dent Saving our Adolescents, Black Duck Wisdom
- Biddulph, Steve—Raising Boys
- Carr-Gregg, Michael and Shale, Erin—Adolescence—A Guide for Parents
- Faber, Adele and Mazlish, Elaine— How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
- Grant, Ian and Cowan, John—The White Water Rafting Years—A Common-sense Guide to Parenting Teenagers
- Street, Helen and Porter, Neil—Better Than OK—Helping Young People to Flourish at School and Beyond
Literacy is a very important skill to learn and it is more than being able to read and write, speak and listen. Certain literacy behaviours assist students to become effective learners who are confident and motivated to use their literacy skills broadly. They include students managing their own learning to be self-sufficient; working harmoniously with others; being open to ideas, opinions and texts from and about diverse cultures; returning to tasks to improve and enhance their work; and being prepared to question the meanings and assumptions in texts.
As a parent you can assist your child to build their literacy skills. Here are some ideas for working together on literacy.
- Model reading. Sit and read magazines or books and talk about your reading.
- Read to your child and check their understanding about what you have read to them with these ‘unpacking questions’
- What was that about?
- Who do you think the target (intended) audience is?
- What values and beliefs did the writer show?
- How did they try to persuade us to think like they do?
- How are the main points in this relative to us and our context?
- Buy your child a magazine in something of interest to them and get them to read the articles and tell you about them using the unpacking questions.
- Talk about what is happening in the world. Watch the news and discuss what is happening, why and some possible consequences.
- Watch some documentaries together and discuss using the questions that unpack the text.
- Watch some films together and discuss using the questions that unpack the text.
- Practice oral presentations with your child. They must present in front of peers and the more they practice the less daunting it is.
- Do spelling tests for fun.