Your child learns every day and everywhere, at home, at school, and in the community.  When families and schools work together children are more likely to do better at school.

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The difference your family can make

You can help your child to be a confident and enthusiastic learner. You can encourage them to believe they will do well at school. You can let them know that trying hard and doing their best is what matters.

Families make a difference when they help children learn new things, read and support their interests.

Parents don’t need to be experts – supporting and encouraging your child will give your child the best start in their learning.

Learning within your family

When your family does things together you build and encourage a positive approach to learning.

A family that learns together:

• read together
• has a quiet space to unwind or do homework
• has plenty of ways to learn at home
• supports social and emotional wellbeing.

How your family can be part of your child’s learning

Read together

You could read:

• picture books before bed
• a traditional family recipe
• map and street signs
• an email from grandparents or relatives who live overseas.

Write together

You could write a:

• shopping list
• letter to a teacher

You could make:

• an invitation for a friend
• a birthday card to a cousin
• a scrapbook of a family holiday.

You could also:

• record facts
• draw and colour-in with brothers and sisters
• address an envelope to a grandparent.

Talk together

Talk, talk, talk, and then talk some more. Point things out and ask open questions. You could:

• encourage your child to ring their relatives to talk about something they have done at school, or something they have learnt.
• talk about big ideas, passions, interests, favourite food, movies and books
• chat when you travel to and from school
• make up stories — kids love making up silly stories and nonsense rhymes.

Learn together every day

You can learn together when you:

• play a game of cards
• do a crossword or number puzzle
• build with Lego or blocks
• cook and bake
• set the table
• sort the recycling
• care for a pet
• match shapes and pictures
• make a pattern with beads.

Play together every day

You could:

• pretend or imagine
• play games
• build a cubby
• play hide and seek
• have a game of soccer with the neighbours
• try out different sensory experiences like sand, water, rocks, and sticks.

Laugh together every day

You can get a smile or a laugh when you:

• tell a joke
• make up rhymes and riddles
• hold a family concert
• watch a funny movie.

Move together every day

To get up and move you could:

• go for a family walk or bike ride
• dance
• jump on the trampoline
• swim
• play backyard cricket
• plant a vegetable patch
• swing and climb at the park
• play ball games
• run, skip, hop and jump.

Go somewhere there’s room for your child to run, explore and climb trees.

Explore together

You might not get to explore every day, but a little goes a long way. Some ideas to try are:

• go to the museum or art gallery
• have story time at the library
• take a bus ride to the city
• listen to a concert
• shop together at the fruit markets
• swim at the local pool
• camp in the backyard with cousins
• have a picnic at the lake.