EXAMPLE 1

CONFIDENCE
Confidence is the full trust and belief in oneself, a self-reliance and assurance in one's abilities. The 'litmus test' for the degree of confidence a student has can be tested by how they approach new challenges. Lack of confidence is one of the greatest barriers to successful learning. Children who lack confidence have yet to learn that:

• Making mistakes is an essential part of learning.
• Important people love us for who we are, not for what we can do.
• We all have many skills that we have not yet discovered.
• Being successful means doing your best, not being better than other people.

Listed below are some ways in which you can help your child to become more confident, and therefore more successful as a learner:

• Be excited and interested in their achievements, no matter how small.
• Build on any special strengths with praise and new opportunities.
• Ensure that your children feel safe and supported in taking risks. Every child needs to learn that it is fine to make mistakes and that trying and not succeeding straight away is part of learning.
• Take a child's interests and activities seriously. Let them see that their experiences are valuable.
• Ensure all challenges are realistic. Nothing succeeds like success and the more success children have the more confidence they bring to any new challenges.
• Carefully consider the place of competition in the life of the child. Despite what some people think, an individual's success in life, in the things that matter, does not depend on being faster, stronger or smarter than other people. Success is about doing your best and being proud of yourself.

"If you think you can or if you think you can't, you're right either way." Henry Ford

EXAMPLE 2

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOUR CHILD AVOIDS READING?

Remember that each child is an individual and there is a wide range in reading development and ability. Never compare your children with others and certainly don't make comparisons between your own children. Each one of us learnt to walk and talk in our own time, so it is with learning to read.

Children who dislike reading are generally those who are having difficulty with the task. They develop avoidance strategies to delay the activity. At home they will want to go to the toilet, or they'll be hungry, thirsty, tired, hot, cold, itchy or feeling unwell. Many children use television or other homework as an excuse. They even use other chores to avoid reading.

For many families, reading time can swiftly become battle time.

Try these strategies to help the struggling or reluctant reader at home:

• Make reading time short, frequent, enjoyable and unavoidable. Draw up a contract with your child which includes dates, times and durations. Begin with 5 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Make sure you discuss the purpose of the contract and reassure them that you want to help and support them. Children need to know that adults sometimes avoid doing things they don't like, but learning to read is far too important to ignore.
• Try the 'I read, you read, we read' approach. When it is your turn to read, make sure you read with enthusiasm and expression so that your child sees it as a fun activity. Encourage your child to follow the words with their finger if it helps. You set the pace when you read with your child and this will help to develop confidence. When it is their turn to read be firm and encouraging, praising their efforts and rewarding persistence.
• The parrot approach is a structured way of helping your child learn to read. You read a sentence or phrase and ask them to repeat it. Keep up this 'my turn, your turn' method throughout the book and continue until they reach a point where they want to read it to you.
• Be confident that your child will learn to read, but remember that everyone learns to read at a different pace. Talk to them about being patient and persistent and let them know that it will eventually happen.

The single most important thing you can do to help your child is to READ TO AND WITH him or her regularly.

“You may have tangible wealth untold, caskets of jewels and coffers of gold; richer than I you can never be - I had a mother who read to me.” Strickland Gillian