It is important for primary school students to understand the order of operations as they start to learn the basic principles of maths. An easy way to remember the order of operations is through an acronym called PEDMAS. 

What is the Order of Operations?

In simple terms the order of operations is almost like a check list to help students solve equations that involve multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.  

It is vital for students to memorise the order of operations as it is easy to calculate the wrong solution from an equation if the student does not follow the order of operations.

For example, without the order of operations students may be left thinking does 10 x 5 − 3 mean that we start with 10, multiply 5, and then subtract 3 more leaving 47? Or does it mean that we are subtracting 5 − 3 then multiplying by 10 leaving 20? 

To ensure your student has a great understanding of the order of operations maths tutors come in handy as the one on one session will grow students’ confidence with this new concept. 

How to Memorise the Order of Operations

A good way to memorise the order of operations is through the mnemonic device PEDMAS. 

PEDMAS is an acronym that stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction. 

1. Parentheses take precedence over all other operators. The first step is to solve all the operations within the parentheses. Work out all groupings from inside to out.
2. Exponents, also known as powers, (x^b) b, is seen as the exponent. After you solve what is inside the parentheses, solve for exponents. 
3. Multiplication and Division are solved moving from left to right. Now multiply and/or divide whichever comes first in the equation. 
4. Addition and Subtraction are also solved moving from left to right. Add and/or subtract whichever comes first in the equation. 

This acronym assists ALL learners, but especially auditory learners. The table below can assist visual learners.

Why is the Order of Operations Important?

The order of operations is essential as it prevents students from making common mistakes and ensures they obtain the correct answer. It also helps students easily recognise when the order of operations is necessary in resolving mathematical equations. 

Below are two examples of an expression one not following PEDMAS and one following PEDMAS: 

Not following PEDMAS:

Following PEDMAS:

The red arrow indicates where the student started their calculations. When using PEDMAS the student started solving what was inside the parentheses and then moved to multiplication. Whereas the student who didn’t use PEDMAS started with 4 multiplied by 3 which gave the wrong answer. 

As you can see in the example the order of operations is essential to getting the right answer when solving mathematical equations. PEDMAS is an important part of getting an A in maths!

Order of Operations Examples

Example 1:

5 x 2² = ?

Using PEDMAS solve the exponents: 2 ⁴ = 4

From there multiply 5 by 4:   5 x 4 = 20

Therefore, using PEDMAS the correct answer is 20

Example 2: 

2 + 5 x 3 = ?

Using PEDMAS solve 5 multiplied by 3: 5 x 3 = 15

From there add 2 to 15: 2 + 15 = 17

Therefore, using PEDMAS the correct answer is 17

Example 3:

30 ÷ 5 × 3 = ?

Using PEDMAS divide 30 by 5: 30 ÷ 5 = 6

From there multiply 6 by 3: 6 x 3 = 18

Therefore, using PEDMAS the correct answer is 18

Learning the Order of Operations Can Be Simple!

For most students’ mathematical equations with many arithmetics, factors can seem daunting, and they may find themselves unsure of where to start solving the equations. 

That’s why the order of operations is essential! It provides students with confidence and comfort when calculating long mathematical equations. You can find more maths strategies here.  

Are you looking to improve your maths grade but unsure where to start? A Team Tuition is here to help. Our tried and true tutoring and mentoring methods can help your child improve in any Maths level with at-home and online tutoring and mentoring. Find a maths Academic Personal Trainer near you today!

References:

Splashlearn, 2022, “Order of Operations – Definition with Examples”, 2022 SplashLearn, https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/algebra/order-of-operations 

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What is the Pythagoras Theorem? 

The Pythagoras Theorem states that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle is equal to the square of the length of the longest side, known as the hypotenuse. 

The theorem can be written mathematically as:

a² + b² = c²

Below, you can see a visual representation of the theorem: 

This article will show you how to use the Pythagoras Theorem, but if you are still struggling with the concept, maths tutoring may be beneficial! 

When to Use the Pythagoras Theorem

The Pythagoras Theorem is an essential mathematical concept for right triangles that has a wide range of applications in many fields. 

Here are some of the uses of the Pythagoras Theorem:

• Finding the length of the sides of a right-angled triangle: The Pythagoras Theorem helps you find the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side) or one of the shorter sides of a right-angled triangle, given the lengths of the other two sides.
• Checking whether a triangle is right-angled: If you know the lengths of the three sides of a triangle, you can use the Pythagoras Theorem to determine whether it is a right-angled triangle or not.
• Distance and displacement: The Pythagoras Theorem can be used to calculate the distance between two points in a two-dimensional space or the displacement between two points in a three-dimensional space.
• Navigation: The Pythagoras Theorem is used in navigation to calculate the distance between two points on a map or the distance between two cities on a globe.

The Pythagoras Theorem is a foundational concept that you need to understand to succeed in maths subjects. Mastering the Pythagoras Theorem will help you build a strong foundation in mathematics that you can build on for future maths classes.

How to Use the Pythagoras Theorem 

How to use the Pythagoras Theorem to find a missing side of a right triangle: 

1. Start with: 

a² + b² = c²

2. Put in what you know: 

10² + 24² = c²

3. Calculate: 

100 + 576 = c²

686 = c²

4. Swap sides: 

c² = 686 

5. Square root: 

c = √686

c= 26.2

Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse is 26.2 cm.

Pythagoras Theorem Examples

It is easiest to learn maths by working through examples! 

Question 1: Find the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle with legs of length 3 cm and 4 cm.

Solution: Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can find the length of the hypotenuse as follows:

• a² + b² = c²
• 3² + 4² = c²
• 9 + 16 = c²
• 25 = c²
• c = √25
• c = 5cm 

Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse is 5 cm.

Question 2: Find the length of the shorter leg of a right-angled triangle with a hypotenuse of 10 cm and the longer leg of 8 cm

Solution: Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can find the length of the shorter leg as follows:

• a² + b² = c²
• a² + 8² = 10²
• a² + 64 = 100
• a² + 64 (-64) = 100 (-64)
• a² = 36
• a = √36 = 6 cm

Therefore, the length of the shorter leg is 6 cm.

Question 3: Determine whether the triangle with sides of length 5 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm is a right-angled triangle.

Solution: We can use the Pythagorean Theorem to check whether the triangle is a right-angled triangle or not as follows:

• a² + b² = c²
• 5² + 12² = 13²
• 25 + 144 = 169
• 169 = 169

Since the equation is true, we can conclude that the triangle with sides of length 5 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm is a right-angled triangle.

Question 4: A 15m ladder is placed against a wall so that the base of the ladder is 9m from the wall. What is the height at which the ladder touches the wall?

Solution: We can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the height at which the ladder touches the wall as follows:

Let the height at which the ladder touches the wall be “h.” Then, we can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find h as:

• a² + b² = c²
• 9² + h² = 15²
• 81 + h² = 225
• h² = 144
• h = √144 = 12 meters

Therefore, the ladder touches the wall at a height of 12 feet.

Learn the Pythagoras Theorem Fast!

You know know that the Pythagoras Theorem is a maths theory that you can use to help solve questions about right triangles! It is one of the foundational concepts that will help you succeed in almost every maths subject. If you are currently struggling in maths, feel you need extra support or simply want to get an A in maths, A Team Tuition is here to help by providing one to one support.  

Looking to improve your maths grade but unsure where to start? A Team Tuition is here to help. Our tried and true tutoring methods can help you improve in any subject with at-home and online tutoring. Find a maths tutor near you today!

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What is Long Division?

Long division is a method to divide big numbers, breaking down large numbers into much smaller numbers in a sequential fashion. Long division also serves as one of the ways we use our four basic mathematical operations in primary school (addition, subtraction and multiplication being the others).

The process of long division can be done in just a few short steps. Let’s learn these steps in this article, along with a few easy examples to help get you started to make long division as easy as possible, whether you’re working with 2 digits, or 2000 digits.

Elements of Long Division

There are four major elements you need to do long division. They are as follows:

Dividend – The number that you want to divide into.

Divisor – The number you want to divide by.

Quotient – The answer of the long division problem. Sometimes this word is also a synonym for division (For example, the quotient of 30 and 6 is 5).

Remainder – How much is left over if the divisor does not perfectly go in the dividend.

Below is an example of all four terms in practice.

For a lot of long division exercises, the dividend is generally bigger than the divisor. If the divisor is bigger than the dividend, then you’ve got yourself a fraction. 

If you can understand these four terms, then long division becomes a lot easier to handle.

Long Division Step-By-Step

If your child is more of a visual learner, then this visual step-by-step chart below could help.

STEP 1: We work from left to right in long division. So, the first thing to do is to look at the first digit of the dividend. If we can, let’s ask ourselves ‘How many times does the divisor go into the digit of the dividend’? 

STEP 2: Write the quotient (result of the previous step) at the top of your sum. 

STEP 3: Multiply the new digit with the divisor.

STEP 4: Once we have the answer at the top, we need to subtract (take away) the new quotient digit with the multiple of the digit’s dividend we were looking at.

STEP 5: And so, after this process we just went through with the first digit, we move onto the next digit on the right. We bring that number down next to the subtracted answer. 

STEP 6: Repeat steps 1-5 until you run out of numbers in the dividend. Once every number of the dividend has been completed, you will have come to your long division answer!

STEP 7: Check your answer. To check your answer, remember:

Dividend = Divisor x Quotient + Remainder

Visual Guide: 

STEP 1: Divide the digits first.

4 goes into 6 once, with some remainder. 

(6 ÷ 4 = 1) 

We can now write 1 above the 6.

STEP 2: Write the quotient at the top. 

Remember to put the quotient above the correct digit!

STEP 3: Multiply the result with the divisor.

1 x 4 is 4

STEP 4: Subtract! 

6 – 4 is 2, so the remainder is 2.

STEP 5: Bring the next column down.

We bring down the 8 next to the 2, so it becomes 28

STEP 6: Repeat previous steps until result. 

We’ve finished with the left column, so it’s time to work with the right column.

STEP 7: Check your answer!

68 = 4 x 17

It’s always important to check.

Long Division Examples

 1. 935 ÷ 5:

So, 935 ÷ 5 is 187.

Now, what happens when you divide numbers that don’t go evenly into each other. In other words, what happens when you have a remainder? In this same example, let’s also take a look where the first digit of the dividend is smaller than the divisor, and where the divisor has two digits.

2. 203 ÷ 15

If we were to look at the first digit of the dividend (203), we can see that 15 cannot go into 2. In this case, we now must look at both the first and second digits. Here, 15 can now go into 20.

Sometimes, there will be worded questions you can solve by using long division. Let’s try one.

3. Simon grew 393 oranges on his farm this year. He wants to sell those oranges to three buyers, who all get the same number of oranges. How many oranges does each buyer get?

The dividend will be 393, and the divisor will be 3. So, the problem we need to look at is 393÷3.

So, each buyer gets 131 oranges from Simon.

Learning Long Division Can Be Simple!

So, there you have it. Long division is a lot less tricky than it looks, but with these simple steps, anybody can do long division easily!

Looking to improve your child’s maths grade but unsure where to start? If you need any more maths tutoring strategies, A Team Tuition is here to help. Our tried and true tutoring methods can help your child improve in any subject with at-home and online tutoring. Find a maths tutor near you today! 

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Well, there is!! It’s called the Long Multiplication Method. 

The Long Multiplication method is a simple way to multiply large numbers. As long as you’re confident with your timetables, you’ll be tackling these sums in no time.

Knowing how to do Long Multiplication is important for the progress of Primary School students, as they begin to apply the basic principles of Mathematics to help them solve more complex problems. 

What is Long Multiplication?

Long multiplication is a way to multiply large numbers by using the multiplication table. It helps us find the answer when multiplying numbers that are bigger than 10 and only requires basic multiplication knowledge.

Maths tutoring is available to those students who may need additional assistance with their Timetables, or for those who would benefit from one-on-one support as you try to understand the step-by-step Long Multiplication method. 

Long Multiplication Step-by-Step

For our step-by-step guide on the Long Multiplication method, let us use 66 x 54 as an example. 

For those of you who are visual learners, there is a visual example of each step provided. 

For those of you who are aural learners, read this guide aloud to yourself, or to a tutor or parent/guardian. 

Kinaesthetic learners would benefit from following along by visualising each step with a tutor or parent/guardian using objects found around the home.   

Example: 66 x 54 

1. Write out the equation with the two numbers on top of each other. The larger number on the top and the smaller underneath it. Place the multiplication sign (x) to the left-hand side of the bottom number and draw a straight line underneath the equation. This stands for the = sign.
   
2. Then, working from right-to-left, multiply the last digit of the bottom number with the last digit of the top number. In this case, the sum will be 6 x 4, which equals 24. This is a two-digit number. So put the 4 underneath, and carry the 2.
   
3. Then multiply the last digit of the bottom number with the first digit of the top number. This again is 6 x 4. But this time, we have to add the number 2 remainder to the final answer. Think of it as 6 x 4 + 2. So instead of 24, the answer is 26.
   
4. Place a 0 below the answer, as shown. Then multiply the first digit of the bottom number with the second digit of the top number (5 x 6 = 30). Place the answer next to 0, and carry the 3.
   
   
5. As with step 3, now multiply the first digit of the bottom number with the first digit of the top number, remembering then to add the reminder number 3 to your answer. In this case, it will be 5 x 6 + 3 = 33. Add the answer.
   
6. The final step is to then add together the two answers under the line. This will give you the final answer. In this example, you would use your knowledge of addition to solve 264 + 3300, which equals 3564.

So, as you can see, you can use the Long Multiplication method, applying skills you have already learnt in Mathematics, to discover that 66 x 54 = 3564. 

This step-by-step guide to Long Multiplication will work when multiplying any two numbers larger than 10. Even ones over 100!!  

Long Multiplication Examples

Here are a few examples of long multiplication questions where you need to multiply numbers over ten: 

1. 43 x 25 =
2. 123 x 18 =
3. 340 x 98 =
4. 357 x 103 =
5. 2030 x 43 = 

Try your best to use the Long Multiplication method to solve these equations. Once you have done so, use a calculator to see if you arrived at the correct answer!  

Learning Long Multiplication Can Be Simple!

If you are faced with a multiplication equation that, on paper, looks complicated and overwhelming, the Long Multiplication method is your best friend. 

Long Multiplication is a method of multiplying numbers larger than 10 that only needs your knowledge of the ten times Multiplication Table! 

Above, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to solve such equations using the Long Multiplication method, alongside examples that you can use to practice your knowledge and skills. 

Are you looking to improve your, or your child’s, maths grade but unsure where to start? A Team Tuition is here to help. Our tried and true tutoring methods can all students improve in any subject with our at-home and online tutoring services. Find a maths tutor near you today! 

The post How to Do Long Multiplication? Definition & Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on A Team Tuition.

We are bombarded with persuasive writing every day. From political press conferences to why you need to buy fast food, it is something our children are exposed to constantly. 

For this reason, teaching persuasive writing to children gives them the skills to navigate the world they live in and to make informed decisions about the information they receive.⁽¹⁾ 

In this article, we are going to take a look at persuasive writing for kids and how we, as parents, carers, and tutors, can help them develop the essential skill of persuasive writing.

What is Persuasive Writing for Kids?

In the Australian Curriculum, kids begin learning persuasive writing techniques as early as Grade 3. Introducing these ideas and techniques early, and providing appropriate writing help for kids, positively shapes a child’s long-term educational success, and sets them up for success in the future.⁽²⁾

Elements of a Persuasive Writing Paper 

So, what does a persuasive writing paper involve? 

At a primary school level, students need to be able to clearly say what the topic of their paper is, which side of the argument they are on, and why they think that is the right side. This structure and approach to communicating an idea can be difficult for children to understand and put into practice. 

Children tend to communicate through narrative, telling stories drawn from their own experiences to explain their points of view. However, with practice and easy-to-use structures, every child is able to understand and master this form of writing. 

If you are interested in improving your child’s English grade or practising persuasive writing with them, there are some sample persuasive writing topics listed below. 

Persuasive Writing Techniques For Kids

There are many techniques used in schools to help kids of all ages learn how to write persuasive papers, and these techniques can also be practised at home. We’ve included three techniques that you can use with your child to help them develop their persuasive writing skills.

Use a Writing Template for Kids

Templates are powerful tools that allow kids to physically see the structure of a persuasive writing paper and to organise their thoughts. Depending on the age of the child, you, or you’re childs’ tutor, might use a writing template that looks something like this⁽³⁾:

To use this, or other templates, you would talk through each section of it with your child before beginning to write, making sure that they understand the structure and taking time to fill it out slowly.
 

Add-In Transition Words

After organising their thoughts and writing their persuasive paper, the next step for your child is to go back through the paper and add in transition words. These are words and phrases such as ⁽⁴⁾:

• For example
• Therefore
• In conclusion
• In my experience
• According to research

Your child may be unfamiliar with some of the phrases used in persuasive writing, but you can help them by talking with them about what each one means, and discussing where they would like to use it in their paper.  

Help Your Child Edit

After writing their paper and adding in transition words, the final task for your child is to edit their work. Editing can be difficult, especially for younger children, and they may need a lot of support to read over their work again checking grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. 

It can be a difficult task for us as adults too, but editing with your child has rich rewards. It allows them to see the value of doing good work to the best of their ability, teaches them editing skills that will be required of them throughout their schooling, and provides an opportunity to work together and discuss your child’s writing and opinions on a deeper level.

Persuasive Writing Topics For Kids

As children develop and mature, so do their abilities to write and think critically. We can see this reflected in the complexity of the topics provided by schools for persuasive writing papers. It’s worth noting, that while younger children may have a harder time developing a persuasive argument and using words related to the genre, this does not mean that they are incapable of writing a persuasive essay. 

Listed below are some persuasive writing prompts organised by age groups. At the end of this article, you will find links with additional writing prompts for your perusal. 

Year 3-5⁽⁵⁾

•  Pets should be allowed in schools.
• School lunch breaks should be longer.
• We should all grow our own vegetables.
• The best dessert in the world is…

Year 6-8⁽⁶⁾

•  Kids should be allowed to use their phones in school.
• The greatest book ever written is…
• The best way to define success is…
•  Students should have a greater say in what they learn.

Year 9-12⁽⁷⁾

• What is a skill that everyone should have?
• What is the best show on television today?
• What is the media’s responsibility to the public?
• Do you believe our government should invest in space exploration?  Why or why not?

Persuasive Writing For Kids Can Be Simple!

It may sound daunting at first, but persuasive writing for kids can be simple, and even fun as they engage with new ideas and possibilities. 

Introducing these skills early, and building on them throughout school, is crucial for educational success and for success later in life. The more support children have in developing these skills at home the better, but the time and resources to do this are not always available for parents and carers. 

If you’re concerned about your child’s persuasive writing skills, remember that there is always help available through programs run in schools and services such as A Team Tuition. With the right support, every student can master persuasive writing!
 

Are you looking to improve your child’s English and writing skills but unsure where to start? A Team Tuition is here to help. With our tried and true tutoring methods, we can help your child improve in any subject with at-home and online tutoring. Find a tutor near you today!

1. “Persuasive Writing | Classroom Strategies.” Reading Rockets, 2022, https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/persuasive_writing. 
2. Crowhurst, Marion. Persuasive Writing at Grades 5, 7, and 11: A Cognitive-Developmental Perspective. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. 11 April 1983. Education Resources Information Center, American Education Research Association, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED230977.pdf. Research Paper.
3. “Persuasion Map.” Read Write Think, 2022, https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/persuasion. 
4. “How to Teach Persuasive Writing for Children – Speech And Language Kids.” Speech And Language Kids, 4 November 2021, https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/teach-persuasive-writing-children/. 
5. “15 Persuasive Writing Topics & Prompts for Elementary Students.” Journal Buddies, 14 February 2022, https://www.journalbuddies.com/writing-2/persuasive-writing-prompts-for-elementary-students/. 
6. “Persuasive Essay Topics (31 Ideas!) • JournalBuddies.com.” Journal Buddies, 25 September 2018, https://www.journalbuddies.com/writing-2/persuasive-essay-topics/. 
7. “Persuasive Essay Prompts • JournalBuddies.com.” Journal Buddies, 1 November 2020, https://www.journalbuddies.com/prompts-by-grade/persuasive-essay/. 

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Could Your Child Benefit from Term 5 Holiday Tutoring?

Looking forward to the holidays? After a hard year at school, it’s tempting to sit back and leave it all behind during the summer break, but that can really see your child start the new school year at a disadvantage.  

In this article, we’ll tell you all about Holiday Tutoring – or “Term 5” as we call it – and how it can help your child break the struggle cycle. 

Holiday Tutoring in Australia

The summer break is long… as much as 8-weeks long for some private schools. A lot of learning can be forgotten in that time. If your child feels that they finished the school year with gaps in their understanding, holiday learning can give them the confidence boost that they need going into term one. 

Holiday tutoring is not a new idea. International students do holiday tutoring to lay the foundations for future learning, and it is very common in East Asia, especially in Japan and China. 

How Term 5 Accelerator Programs can help your child

Term 5 holiday tutoring is tailored to your child’s specific needs. Wherever your child feels they struggled during the last school year, A Team Tuition’s tutors will create a targeted approach to help them pick up the bits they missed and consolidate their learning. If your child is moving into Year 11 and is concerned about meeting the requirements of ATAR study, holiday tutoring can prepare them with the study skills they need. 

Term 5 might not be your child’s favourite way to spend the summer break, but our Academic Personal Trainers are matched with your child to share interests and learning styles, making tuition enjoyable and engaging. With times and locations to suit your family, you have the convenience of fitting learning around days out, family events, and activities with friends, so your child doesn’t miss out on any of the fun! 

Holiday tutoring is also an asset for international students returning to learning in Australia. The available programs cover all subject areas including International Baccalaureate, ATAR, and the national curriculum. 

Catch up and get ahead!

Holiday tutoring is not just for catching up on missed learning, and your child doesn’t have to be struggling to benefit from Term 5. Holiday tutoring lays the right foundations for your child to get ahead and stay on top of their learning in the coming year.  

Give your child a flying start for next year with holiday tutoring!
Contact A Team Tuition today.

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We at A Team Tuition are incredibly excited about this schooling year, and all the wonderful things that will happen! You’re probably getting ready to get back into the swing of school life. We want to help you get your best foot forward – so here are our top 5 back to school tips and tricks to get ahead of the education game right from the very start of the year!

Tip 1. Plan for the year ahead

If there’s anything this blog is aimed at doing, it’s making plans for the year ahead!

It’s so important in life to have a specific plan in mind for whatever you’re tackling. Without having a plan, it’s guaranteed that you will be caught unaware, and react last minute to new things that suddenly happen in front of you.

This is especially true when it comes to school. A Team Tuition firmly believes that school is not something you should simply stumble through blindly – your education should be an opportunity for you to succeed, and it needs specific strategies and planning to tackle it effectively.

The best way to do this is to plan, using the resources that are provided to you. Many schools have Academic calendars available with lucrative due dates for your assessments (this can sometimes be called an assessment calendar).

These are vital to helping you succeed! Having these due dates will allow you to pencil them in ahead of time, and therefore plan when to start them, what days to work on them, when to study, and so on!

If your school doesn’t provide an assessment calendar, don’t fret! Assignments and exams actually have a typical term structure anyway – you will usually have an assessment of some kind during weeks 5 to 6, and then again around weeks 8 to 9 of term. This is because your teachers will typically measure your progress halfway through term, and see if you grow in understanding and level of effort through until the final weeks.

To help you plan for this, consider having a diary or day planner! They are super useful not just for school, but also for helping you plan extracurricular activities, social events, and any other personal events!

Make sure, too, that you allow breathing space for things to not go according to plan. Make sure you have things in place, like extra time/days or potentially people to help you, if you find that what you originally had in mind becomes far too much! Life can suddenly throw things at you without notice, be it sickness, a sudden holiday, or any other event or element.

Tip 2. Set goals, review goals

Yes, yes, we know – you hear this all the time when a new year comes around. Everybody’s telling you to set goals, be practical, use the SMART method – trust us, we hear it from everyone too!

However, there’s definitely a reason we have included it in our back to school tips and tricks. Setting goals is one of the main ways to help yourself stay on track and focus on something specific, rather than just blunder around in the dark.

Having goals, essentially, is having vision.

Vision is so important because it helps to give you direction and purpose; without it, the decisions you make are usually influenced by how you feel in the moment. In school, this usually results in avoiding things (like homework) until you have no choice but to do it (hello all-nighters).

This is vital in any area of life, not just school. Imagine yourself as an archer, hoping to shoot an arrow into a bullseye for a grand $100,000 prize. With clear sight of the board in front of you, it’s far easier for you to hit the target, and nab yourself a ton of cash.

But imagine if someone suddenly puts a blindfold over your eyes, and you can’t see anything, or aim for anything in particular.

That’s what not having goals is like. You still have a chance of achieving success, but without the clear vision and focus that goal-setting provides, there’s a far heavier chance that you’ll miss.

My advice? Set your goals this year. Make them SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Don’t make your goal “I want to shoot a bow and arrow” – focus on setting boundaries, and allowing it to be SMART:

“I want to be able to shoot an arrow into a bullseye within three months

time so that I can win $100,000. To do that, I will practice shooting with

a bow and arrow every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday for the next

three months until I can shoot a bullseye.”

Now that might feel like an incredibly long goal, but it’s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You also essentially have two goals in one – one overarching goal, with a set place to get to, and another goal that will allow you to get to said set place.

Doing this for school also helps you grow and develop your goal-setting ability for your other areas of life! A Team Tuition strongly believes that you should have more than just school goals – it’s also important to have personal goals, and career goals.

We want you to achieve success in every area of your life, and having clear goals towards that success helps hone in your talent and abilities. Once you’ve got a clear vision, being successful becomes far easier!

Tip 3. Have an accountability partner

The reason most people fail in achieving their goals is because they attempt to go into it alone. An accountability partner is someone who you tell your goals and aspirations to, and who then help keep you on track towards achieving those goals.

You’ll find that if you establish an accountability partner for yourself, you will be kept on track far more than if you just stumbled around alone. Even with clear goals set in mind, having someone back you up and keep you accountable is amazing for the days where you genuinely just don’t feel like putting in the effort, or you’re struggling to have the confidence to believe in yourself.

When picking an accountability partner, you should be very particular about who you go with! Pick someone who is dedicated to their school work, but will not hesitate to encourage you, help you, or pull you back in line if you’re slacking off. This can be a good friend, a class partner, or, ideally, your Academic Personal Trainer! Tutors have been trained to keep their students accountable and help them through any struggles they’re facing in meeting their goals.

You should aim to utilize them – and any other accountability partners you have – as a way of discussing your strengths and weaknesses with someone who can help you develop and grow! They also should be able to help motivate and inspire you, especially when things don’t go according to plan (as mentioned in tip 1) or you struggle to meet your goals (tip 2).

Tip 4. Become familiar with your learning style

Very few people will think to familiarize themselves with their learning style. However, we at A Team Tuition believe that your learning style is the crux of your schooling, and one of the most important things you need to know about yourself.

We won’t go into too many details as to what a ‘learning style’ is – you’re welcome to read our previous blog all about it to gain some insight. The most important thing to know is that your learning style helps classify the exact way you learn best. This is the more vital back to school tips and tricks!

There are three main learning languages: visual (learning through what you see), aural (learning through what you hear), and kinaesthetic (learning through what you do). Figuring out which one you are might seem tricky – luckily our tutors are trained specifically to help you recognize your learning language, and how to fit it to the way you learn and study!

For more info on learning languages, make sure you read our other blogs all about the different types and how they help optimize your learning! It’s incredibly important to do so, as it affects the next tip greatly:

Tip 5. Know & grow your study habits

Study habits are vital to helping you become the absolute best student you can be.

To do your best work, you need to know how you learn best. Whilst the aforementioned learning languages are an important factor of knowing your study habits, there are so many more aspects to consider.

Have you ever thought about when your mind is most active? Or what environment you feel most comfortable learning in? Or if you have different ways of learning for different subjects?

If not, you definitely need to!

Being self-aware about your learning and personal habits is incredibly important. It helps stimulate comfort, and helps make learning feel like something you want to do, rather than something you have to do!

For example, when I write, I hate sitting still at a desk or staring at a blank wall. I would much rather be sitting on a comfy, soft couch, or propped up on my bed, typing away for hours. I love to be surrounded by visual aids like mind maps or pages of hand-written colour-coded notes.

My mind also doesn’t feel active at all in the early mornings, so my best writing tends to come when I write from mid-afternoon onwards.

Now, I can still write if the conditions aren’t what I like best, but my writing will actually take longer because I’ll be feeling sluggish, and often even get frustrated at the work I’m doing.

I know all these things because I sat down with people who helped me reflect on myself and my habits, and what habits were being detrimental. Since doing that, I’ve been able to make my writing better, and be faster at it as well!

There are so many other habits, and definitely ones that factor in with your learning style – such as which study methods are best for you, or what your best study habits inside the classroom would be.

I would encourage you to do some self-reflection on your schooling, either by yourself, with a studious friend, a family member, or your A Team Tuition tutor.

Within no time, if you pay specific attention to the back to school tips and tricks, you’ll find yourself finding school not only much easier, but also a lot more fun!

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The post 5 Great Back to School Tips and Tricks For Students appeared first on A Team Tuition.

It’s been a year of ups and downs – well, mostly downs! – and a lot of disruption, and you may have noticed your child’s report card looking a little less than impressive – particularly if your child is in Year 10 or 11. If your child’s results aren’t setting the world alight with their brilliance, you might consider school holiday tutoring. This suggestion will probably be met by groans and moaning, but the benefits can be massive! Read on to find out how you can get your child into school holiday tutoring with A Team Tuition these school holidays!

The benefits

School holiday tutoring is always going to be met with complaints from your child – but we think the benefits speak for themselves!

• Revision. School holiday tutoring can be tailored to focus on revising what your child learned the previous school year. Studies show that school-aged students display a dip in their academic ability after an extended holiday. Teachers also speak of a noticeable backslide in the performance of their students post-holiday. Revision during the holiday period can help your child to feel more confident about themselves when returning to school. They also have an assured head-start for the term over their peers.
• Routine. School holiday tutoring can continue your child’s academic momentum. Routine is also very important for children and helps them feel secure. Returning to the swing of things can be difficult after an extended holiday and continuing with tuition makes this transition much easier.
• Maintaining and developing good study habits. The reinforced structure of school holiday tutoring can help create a schedule your child can maintain throughout their academic career and even on to university.
• Tackling gaps in their learning. School holiday tutoring gives students the opportunity to revise and reflect not only on what they learnt in the school year, but also on what they struggled with. A tutor can help your child to bridge any gaps in their knowledge and work through any problems they might have had with the material studied in the previous year. They’ll be back on track for the new school term and will have gained new skills to help them tackle new topics.

How can you get your kid interested?

You already know the bad news here – your kids aren’t going to want to do school holiday tutoring. The good news though, is that our tutors at A Team Tuition are experienced with kids of any schooling level, and they understand that making tutoring sessions enjoyable and engaging is the key to success. Your child’s tutor can turn what seems like a chore during the school term into something fun and entertaining. They’ll develop a unique study plan based on your child’s individual needs. And it doesn’t have to be every day, or even every single week – just enough to keep them on track!

To book your child’s School Holiday Tutoring sessions, contact A Team Tuition today!

The post Tutoring During School Holidays? Yes, it’s a thing! appeared first on A Team Tuition.

PE is not a subject where you can lock yourself in your room and study for hours on end. Most schools allocate not 10, or 20% to the physical aspect of this subject, but 50%!  So, some simple advice to start of this blog: be prepared to become both physically and mentally fit to find yourself excelling in PE. Lucky for you, we’ve got a few tips to cover on how to master both elements in your next PE assessment! Exercise – it focuses your mind, makes you feel accomplished and is needed to perform sports at a high level. 

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Step 1: Exercise – it focuses your mind, makes you feel accomplished and is necessary to perform sports at a high level.

Doing physical exercise is probably the best place to start for many, many, many reasons. It circulates nutrient-rich blood around your body, gives you a sense of accomplishment and increases your lifespan, bone density and cardiovascular strength (all important things).  Exercising in every sense (running, weightlifting, swimming etc.) is going to make you feel more relaxed. Your brain secretes good neurotransmitters for an ‘exercise well-done’ which in turn, positively affects your brain’s functioning capacities and gets your body into tip-top shape to allow for the upcoming sports of the year.

“That’s easier said than done. When am I meant to do this? Sure, it makes sense to exercise but I don’t have time because I’m too busy studying after school, or I’m just too tired after school!”

Set your alarm for 5am, get out of bed, have a glass of water to kick-start your metabolism and start pacing around the house to wake up. Have your workout completed and be back at home by 7am to make your breakfast, (that way you can ease into the rest of the morning knowing that you are already making a head start to your day while most others are still fast asleep!).  As a fun side note – exercising in the morning helps you contain your emotions and so little pesky things that may annoy you throughout the day, won’t be as much of a worry. That extra serotonin release works wonders.

STEP 2: EAT NUTRITIOUS MEALS.

“Food is fuel, you get picky about what you put in the tank, your engine is gonna die” – Ratatouille.

The main point of this step is to make sure that you eat!  Skipping a meal because you’re too lazy to make it isn’t doing yourself any favours.  But more importantly, make sure you eat good foods. Unsure if a certain meal is good for you? Google its nutritional value.

Now why exactly are we eating wholesome foods?  Eating wholesome foods provides nutrients for your body to grow with all that exercise you’ve hopefully been doing in Step 1.  But academically, it’s providing fuel for your brain which enables it to think at a higher level and for longer periods of time thereby, increasing the efficiency of your study time.  Eating healthily is not only about building your physique to master the sports you’re going to be playing all year, but also about increasing your baseline academic alertness every day.

Step 3: Practice the sports you must learn – how else will you become good at them?

“Aww man we have to do swing dance? Why can’t we do regular sports like basketball or touch football…”

In every subject that you do, there’s going to be one particular course that you’re dreading – PE is no different. Not wanting to do swing dance? That’s probably the case for everyone, so take it in your stride. Get ahead of the pack and pick your swing dance partner in advance (find someone you know is trying to achieve that same ‘A’ as you).

Now it’s time to turn to YouTube and stream that sport until you are swing dancing in your sleep.  Start your day with 20 minutes of YouTube tutorials on swing dance techniques. No one else will know…

Is your sport not swing dancing? Is it something like surfing?  Rent a board, borrow a board, purchase a board – it doesn’t matter. Grab yourself aboard and to the beach you go. Practice on the sand before you hit the waves.  Whatever the sport, volleyball, soccer, touch football just get yourself out there and practice at least twice a week if you can.

If you don’t practice, then that’s you flushing half of your mark right down the toilet.  You can study as hard as you want but it will mean nothing if you can’t perform well when partaking in the sport.  Now that you’re physically fit and healthy, you have to remember the relevant academic skills to get you that ‘A’.

Step 4: Talk to your teacher and be specific.

In my experience, Physical Education assignments are very finicky, and that’s usually because your teacher has an idea that they clearly want you to express.  When I was in high school, I remember a really smart student receiving a B on an assignment because it wasn’t quite what the teacher wanted. You’re going to want to roll with the punches, and how do we do that? By talking to the one from whom the punches fly, the teacher!

I spent many Wednesday afternoons hanging back in the PE staff rooms with my task sheet, laptop, assignment, and questions all primed and ready to go for my teacher.  You have to be specific at this stage, you can’t just be like “so uhhh, what do you think?” A teacher will be less inclined to assist when they think you want them to check everything without having done anything yourself. It’s best to convey precisely what you’re struggling with.

For example:

“So in paragraph 2 I’m trying to convey that aerobic exercise has a causal effect on the increased elasticity in veins and arteries, do you think my evidence and phrasing of this idea is fluent enough?”

This question does a few things. Firstly, it shows the teacher you actually care about your assessment. This in turn, may change and pre-conception they may already have of you. Secondly, it narrows the teacher’s thinking to address that specific concern, which means they are more likely to give you good, direct and positive feedback.

If you just hand them 500 words and you say, “So…waddaya think?”  Their interest diminishes because you’re giving them too many examples to comment on which may accidentally put them in a position where they just want to hurry up and get you out of there as quickly as possible.

Make sure you’re doing all of this before everyone else.  About three days before the assessment is due, everyone is doing this to one degree or another and it just fatigues the teachers’ helping powers.

Step 5: Make sure all your references are authoritative journal articles or books – PE has some heavy science aspects, so you want strong sources!

Ask yourself – Where are you getting your references from for your assignments?  If you say google.com, I’m afraid you don’t have the right answer…and you’re missing out.  The theoretical side of Physical Education focuses heavily on: health, biomechanics and social science. To be able to proficiently discuss these topics,  you need to make sure that your references are 100% scientific!

“Well, where do I find sources then?”

Don’t worry I’ve got your back. You’ll destroy the competition when you wield the mighty sword that is: Google Scholar.  Open up your browser to just regular, inferior Google and type in ‘Google Scholar.’ Google Scholar is a database purely for scholarly literature. It contains frequently cited articles from experts of all fields.

Find key scholarly articles by typing in key words relevant to your assignment in the search bar, (words like “Anaerobic exercise” “Cognitive development” etc) read the abstract of the articles, determine if it’s relevant and then add it to a blank document to track your research (otherwise termed your document of treasures).

Academic references are worth their weight in gold, you will use them in university, so get used to using them now. Your teacher will be impressed and it boasts all kinds of points in your knowledge and understanding.  Just make sure when citing those articles (by clicking the citation commas underneath each link) that you make sure they are always relevant to your assignment!

Step 6: Use PE specific language – Knowledge and Understanding!

Do you feel like sometimes you’re writing an English assessment instead of a Physical Education one?  Occasionally, I would neglect using course specific words because A) there were so many of them, and B) I would forget what they mean.  Teachers love when students use course specific words because it demonstrates an application of the knowledge that they have been taught (when you use them appropriately, obviously).  So, whilst sitting in class, try to nab and create a list of course specific words.

Now for you visual learners out there, this one is for you.  When you hear a word in class that you would never use outside of the classroom, that’s when your spidey-sense should tingle.  Write the word in the back of your book, and either write a REALLY simplified definition, or draw a small thumbnail picture that represents the word so you know if you should use it in an upcoming assignment.

For example, consider the word ‘Anaerobic.’ Draw a picture of a stick man running really fast!  What about ‘Adenosine Tri-phosphate’? Try drawing a lightning bolt, or an explosion.  Accumulate 30 of these, then when the time comes for you to write your assessment, you’ve already established a mental connection to that word by trying to summarise it with a picture,.  If you have 30 applicable and well-placed course words in your assignment, you are going to sky rocket ahead of everyone else and the teacher will know that you’ve listened!

Step 7: Writing an assignment is just like exercising – Treat it like a workout!

When lifting weights, you usually go hard for a set and then take a break, and then go hard again and repeat that process until the muscle is worn out.  When you’re writing your assignment treat each draft like a set.  If you only do one set at the gym, you’re either A) Not doing much work, or B) putting way too much stress on your body all at one time.  If you think about it from the perspective that each attempt at an assignment draft is a session, you have to do at least three drafts (sets) before you can even think about getting that A (or building that muscle).

Like setting out your training routine, create a skeleton with all your ideas laid out in a flowing order and then refine, refine and refine again. Make sure everything is EXACTLY as you want it to be articulated, nothing less – just like an exercise program.  You’re aiming for fluent writing that anyone could read and understand.  Being concise and articulate is where you get those sweet communication marks.  To help you do this, make sure you write a sentence or two that describes EXACTLY what you want your assignment to convey.  For example, at the start of your assignment you may write, “This report aims to reveal specific academic barriers with school students in relation to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.” Having something like this at the top of your document keeps your writing focused, and each draft on task.

Once you’ve made your three sets (drafts), you can then hand in your full draft to the teacher for them to provide written feedback.  Having a teacher there to help is like having a spotter while you’re doing a squat: they want you to succeed so they help give you important feedback to correct your overall form (assignment) and can help strengthen your assignment to that ‘A’ standard, or at least, push you over the line to get an A.  Exercising can be fatiguing, but writing assessments also causes mental fatigue. Treat your assignment like an exercise regime and it could work wonders on your work ethic!

Now it’s time to act!  Get your mind and body ready, put in that hard work and soar to all kinds of height. That ‘A’ is calling your name and you are fully capable of getting it, so what are you waiting for?  Go and grab it, and watch your mental and physically capacities increase as a result!

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Looking to improve in other subject? Find more of our guides here:

• High School English
• High School Maths A
• High School Maths B
• High School Maths C
• High School Legal Studies
• High School History
• High School Economics
• High School Chemistry
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• High School Drama
• High School Business Studies

The post How to Get an A in PE: 7 Way to Get Better at PE appeared first on A Team Tuition.

It is normal for students to struggle with school work from time to time. Whether it is difficulty understanding a new topic or with time management. Failure results in learning. Learning results in intellectual and self-growth. The problem is when a student doesn’t learn from their failure. This is when unhealthy study traits start growing their roots.

As parents and tutors, it is our job to identify these traits. Once we identify them, then we can start to de-weed. However, in saying that… trait identification is not always an easy thing to do. Luckily, at A Team Tuition we are trained to do just that! Below, is a list of the top five worst traits of struggling students. Once you know the signs, helping struggling students is not as hard as you may thnk.

1) Procrastination

The Procrastinator… the one who will find any excuse to postpone starting their work. Procrastination can be anything from cleaning to watching just one more episode on Netflix. Let’s be honest… we all do it at some point. However, procrastination becomes dangerous, when it is done despite the negative consequences.

If a student procrastinates it will likely result in:

• Unfinished homework
• Starting an assignment at the last minute
• Staying up late at night to finish work
• Cramming for exams
• High levels of stress
• Poor results

Does any of this sound familiar? If yes, then don’t stress!

Here are some fantastic tips on how to help students struggling with the problematic procrastination cycle…

• Show the student that you support and believe in them. This will give them the confidence to approach the task at hand.
• Help the student with their time-management skills and encourage early preparation.
• Ensure the student studies in a quiet area, without any distractions. This will reduce opportunities to procrastinate and enhance productivity.
• Implement A Team Tuition’s tutoring services. Our tutors provide mentorship and work side by side with students to ensure early assessment preparation. This also allows students to develop time-management skills that will last a lifetime.

Remember… don’t procrastinate, dominate!

2) Is your student struggling by being easily distracted by social media, TV and the surrounding environment

In this day and age, students are surrounded by an ocean of technology. From laptops to phones to iPads… social media, the internet, and television is just one swipe away.

It is undeniable that technology has great prospects for a fantastic study tool. However, it can become a serious problem when that beautiful, beckoning, blue screen becomes an irresistible distraction! Today, this virtual trap is the leading founder of unproductivity.

Does your child do their schoolwork in front of the TV? Do they have their phone next to them whilst studying? Do they consistently not complete any work during designated study time?

If the answer is yes, then here are some great strategies to ‘unfriend’ that horrible habit and help your struggling student:

• Remove all electronics during designated study time.
• If the internet is needed for tasks, provide increased supervision or use settings to block access to social media apps.
• Encourage work to be completed in a quiet study area without any distractions.
• Implement A Team Tuition’s tutoring services. We know how important it is for our students to study in a quiet, relaxed and distraction-free environment. Tutors work one on one with students to ensure constant engagement and task completion.

Turn that phone off and get to work! You’ll be thankful for it later!

3) Lack of time management

24 hours. 1440 Minutes. 86400 seconds. Still, there never seems to be enough time to get things done in the day.

Time management is a skill that everyone needs. It is the process of planning out and controlling the time spent on tasks to increase productivity. As adults, there’s a lot to get done… from kids to work, cooking to cleaning, driving to staying fit and healthy… I could go on and on.

Well for kids, this skill is first developed in school. They must learn to juggle school work, tutoring sessions, family, friends, sport, and other extra-curricular activities. This workload only increases as they trudge their way up through the school years. As children progress through the grades they take on more and more, but many know how to help when students struggle with managing their time.

If these skills are not developed, students can become overwhelmed and suffer academically. Signs that a student is lacking time management skills include:

• Leaving schoolwork unfinished
• Staying up late at night to finish school work
• Cramming for exams
• Failing to proofread assignments
• High levels of stress

So… how do struggling students improve their time-management skills?

At A Team Tuition, we have a series of tested time management strategies that are implemented in tutoring sessions. We believe that how we can help struggling students is to help set them up for life-long success. Some basic techniques we have found effective are:

• Keep a diary with a detailed schedule and stick to it.
• Utilise study breaks as encouragement for productivity.
• Display a calendar on a wall in the study area.

However, there is nothing more effective than having a personal cheerleader to motivate you on the sidelines! At A Team Tuition, our tutoring services provide additional support to students that need a bit extra help sticking to their time management plan.

Remember it will take time, support and determination to master the art of time management!

4) Lack of goal setting

Every year we all set new year resolutions. Some of us keep it for a week, a month or maybe even for the whole year. But let’s be realistic… not many people succeed at achieving these goals.

But maybe we should all try harder? Setting realistic, timely and achievable goals can have fantastic benefits. It increases efficiency, focus, and productivity.

For kids, goal setting should first be practiced in school. This gives them something to strive and push themselves for. Let’s face it… a student who is putting in the time and effort to achieve an A grade is going to receive a higher result than a student who doesn’t care what grade they get. Signs that students are lacking goal setting skills include:

• Failure to set any goals throughout the term
• Doesn’t achieve any set goals
• Make excuses for failing to meet goals
• Fails to reflect on previous results

If this sounds like someone you know… to encourage positive goal setting you can:

• Ask the student to write a list of short-term and long-term goals.
• Implement different goal strategies (eg. Staircase Goals, Smart Goals, Areas for Change).
• Utilise reward programs for achieving set goals.
• Implement A Team Tuition’s tutoring services to provide ongoing support to achieve set goals.

Goal setting will take time to get the hang of, but it is a skill they will use for life.

5) Poor Attendance At School

To most people this seems like pure common sense, right? If a student is not at school, they are not engaged and learning. Obviously, this fails to set a student up for success and will likely result in low academic results.

Poor attendance can also have devasting long-term effects… as most schools have an attendance threshold that students are required to meet. In some cases, chronic poor attendance can affect a student’s ability to proceed to the next school year or even graduate.

Does your child have a poor attendance rate? Are they…

• Refusing to go to school?
• Constantly taking sick days without a doctor’s certificate?
• Failing to meet attendance thresholds?

However, what people don’t often realise is that there is normally an underlying issue to a child’s hesitancy of going to school. This may be anything from a lack of confidence to instances of bullying.

But no matter what the issue is, we have some methods to get that attendance rate back up over that green line:

• Emphasise the importance and benefits of school attendance to the student.
• Build rapport with the student, so that they will tell you any underlying issues.
• Meet with your child’s school principal or teacher about reasons for their poor attendance.
• Parents should be authoritative and enforce attendance.
• Set an attendance rule (e.g. No days off without a medical certificate).

Remember, while school may not be the most exciting place on earth, it does have its pros. From seeing friends to a range of diverse classes… there is something exciting for everyone. Make sure to emphasise the positives!

So, there you have it… there are the five fatal traits and how to help struggling students! If your child resembles any of these traits, don’t stress! Just follow these tips and your student should be back on track in no time!

IMPORTANT!

If these issues do persist, please do not hesitate to contact your student’s school. They will have a range of student support resources available. Externally, A Team Tuition’s tutoring services can provide additional support that is individualised to your student’s needs.

The post Five Fatal Study Traits – How to Help Struggling Students appeared first on A Team Tuition.

The Australian Curriculum is broken into three strands when learning the English language in the primary years: language, literature and literacy. The integration of these three strands into a child’s learning is aimed at developing a student’s reading, comprehension, spelling, grammar and writing. Building on these four core areas creates confident communicators, concise writers, spelling wizards and articulate orators – skills that are all necessary for success later in life.

Laying a solid groundwork in the foundational years of a child’s English learning is integral for success in other areas of school and A Team Tuition acknowledges this link. When students struggle with English, their grades in all other areas consequently suffer which is why English is one our most sought after tuition subjects for primary school students.

For parents, the difficulty for assisting their children in primary English is understanding the needs of their students outside of the classroom. I am often asked by parents “What is the best way to teach my child how to spell?”, “How can my child improve their grammar?”, or “How do I teach my child to read?”
The answers to these questions, and ultimately receiving an ‘A’ in primary English, are found by deconstructing the language, literature and literacy bands into the following seven tips. book a primary english tutor for your child now

1. Make sure your child knows their ‘Basic Sight Words’

Learning to read is a skill that most children pick up prior to enrolling in school. You’ll find that children become aware of certain words and phrases they come across in everyday life, from a “stop” sign to reading the label on the back of a packet of biscuits. However, children usually do not have the neurological capabilities to decode (break down words into parts) and become phonically aware (recognise the sounds of certain letters) until around the age of 4 or 5. Around this age, children start to develop phonic awareness and learn the basic sight words.

Learning basic sight words is one of the most important steps to receiving an A in Primary English. Having tutored students from Prep to Year 12, I am still shocked by the amount of students I come across on a weekly basis who struggle to spell ‘here’ or differentiate between ‘there’, ‘they’re’ and ‘their’. It is integral for students to be able to know Fry’s first 100 words and Dolch’s Basic Sight Words by approximately the end of Year 3. Equipping your child with this basic vocabulary list, prepares them for the next hurdles they’ll face in the following years: learning word types, homophones, plurals and past tense rules.

2. Teach Your Child to Read Strategically

This advice is as old as the hills as my parents would say, but its value is timeless. Many studies indicate a strong correlation between students receiving higher marks on standardised tests for primary English when they read often compared to students who don’t (Kalb and van Ours, 2012).

Reading is one of the simplest ways to boost a child’s English abilities as it touches upon all three strands. The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (‘QCAA’) identifies seven strategies that should be utilised when teaching children to read strategically;

1. Identifying the literal, inferential and personal meaning,
2. Learning to ‘read between the lines’ and draw inferences from ambiguity,
3. Knowing why you are reading a text,
4. Identifying cues which lead to the main idea,
5. Using prior knowledge to inform meaning,
6. Making hypotheses and drawing conclusions about information within a text,
7. Summarising the main points of a text.

Some of this language may seem like mumbo-jumbo, but it is simpler than you may think. For instance, if your child is reading Peter Pan, you may ask them “What is the story of Peter Pan about?” This question draws on strategy 1 by identifying the literal meaning of the story, as well as strategy 7 by having your child summarise Pan’s travels.

The question “Why does Wendy want to grow up?” requires your child to use strategy 4 and identify the sequence of events which leads to her decision to return to London and leave Neverland.

“Why does Peter not want to grow up?” draws upon strategy 2 by teaching your child to drawn inferences from the story as well as strategy 6 by having them find the moral of the story; all children must grow up.

Once you know which questions to ask your child and what category they fall into, then you can identify the levels of reading that your child struggles with. My best advice is to diversity your child’s reading and allow them to try reading multiple different texts to expand their imagination. I always tell my students a famous quote by Dr Suess; “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

3. Be Aware of Phonics

I’m sure parents can appreciate that the alphabet song may become one of the most annoying tunes when your child sings it over and over again. But learning the alphabet is the critical link to your child learning their phonics. As mentioned previously, phonic awareness simply means being aware of each letter of the alphabet and the sound that each letter makes. It is the first step towards developing an understanding of spelling blends, syllables and eventually words.

One of the first basic phonics activities is ensuring your child knows the sounds of each letter of the alphabet. I usually follow this activity by teaching my students the difference between long and short vowel sounds. The simplest way to explain the difference is through the ‘Magic e’ rule. For example, adding an ‘e’ onto the word ‘mad’ forms the word ‘made’ which changes the ‘a’ sound from short to long. Once a child is aware of the fact that these sounds do differ, I utilise sound to word matching activities which is simply asking “What is the first sound you hear in the word apple?”

Other activities include having your child identify spelling blends such as sp, gr, pl, sh in words, before proceeding to word to word matching activities (“Do bat and cat start with the same sound?”) and identifying rhyming words (“Do bat and cat sound the same?”). These strategies precede children breaking words into parts. This is most prominent with identifying syllables. For kinaesthetic learners in particular, teaching syllables through movement is the most effective method. I ask my students to clap or stomp to each syllable they hear in a word. In the word ‘cupcake’ for instance, it can be broken into two syllables (cup/cake) and a child would clap/stomp twice.

The next step in the phonics journey is intertwined with syllables; identifying compound words. For example, this entails requiring your child to identify the two words within ‘spaceship’. If your child is able to understand these basic phonics activities, then they are skyrocketing towards that ‘A’ in Primary English.

4.  Ensure Your Child Knows their Spelling Rules

While English is distinct from Maths in the sense that there is a lot less rigidity in certain formulas that you must follow to find a desired answer, English still uses rules to teach at times! Rules are most prominent in the English curriculum when teaching spelling. One of the secrets to success for English in the primary years is knocking these spelling rules on the head as early as possible. Children who read frequently are more capable of keeping their heads above water if they do not know the rules of spelling since they’re spelling from memory. But for students who might not read as often, spelling can be like playing a game of snakes and ladders. One incorrect word, and down the snake you go back 10 spaces.

Key spelling rules include the aforementioned ‘Magic e’ rule, ‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’, ‘q’ always needs a ‘u’ and dropping ‘e’ when adding a vowel suffix (adding an ending to a word) such as bake + ed = baked – without the double ‘e’ to name a few.

For students who may be more mathematically inclined, an ‘A’ in Primary English is more ‘A’chieveable if you look at spelling from a rules perspective. Just like 5 + 5 = 10, thinking jump + ing = jumping or fake + ing = faking seems a lot more straightforward.

Another tip to teaching your child spelling is through the look, say, cover, write and check method. This method is pretty straightforward. Firstly, have your child write out their spelling words. Look at them. Say the word aloud. Cover the word with their hand. Write the word next to it. Check to see if the spelling is the same.

5. Understand the Different Tenses

This tip follows directly on from the previous tip since an understanding of the different tenses, requires certain spelling rules to apply. In English, there are three main tenses that children should be aware of in their primary years: past, present and future.

The best way to learn the various tenses is by viewing the difference of the base word side by side the others. Consider the word ‘cook’. The past tense of this word is ‘cooked’, the present tense is ‘cook’ or ‘cooking’ and the future tense is ‘I will cook’. This example is quite simple since the internal parts of the word do not change but tenses become quite complex when this does occur. For example, the past tense of the word ‘sing’ is ‘sang’ and not ‘singed’. Achieving an A in Primary English is therefore, not simply limited to knowing the basic tense rules but understanding these exceptions that may apply

6. Write with TEEL

A lot of students struggle with condensing their ideas into single ideas that are correctly structured. Children from Year 5 and above (generally) should be familiar with the acronym ‘TEEL’ (or SEEL or PEEL – same thing).

For those of you who are not familiar with ‘TEEL’ it stands for: Topic Sentence, Evidence, Explain, Link. ‘TEEL’ is used in the primary years to assist students in structuring paragraphs which will later assist in the formation of an essay.

The first element, the Topic Sentence, should inform the reader of the “main idea” of the paragraph. This should be followed by the second element, evidence, to support this idea. This is usually in the form of a quotes or statistics. The third element, explain, simple means explain the evidence that you just gave and tell the reader how it helps your argument! Finally, the fourth element ties it all together.

For a more in-depth analysis of TEEL, check out our How to Get an A in English blog.

Once your child has this structure memorised, their writing will inevitably flow much smoother. However, if your child still struggles with structuring, opt for a discussion of their ideas and number the order that they speak them in!

7. Punctuate Properly

Something that a lot of children in the 21^st century are lacking is proper punctuation. I blame autocorrect and Apple. Incorrectly placing a punctuation mark can affect the meaning of an entire sentence so it is important that your child is aware of the purpose of each punctuation mark.

For example, a full stop is used to ‘stop’ a sentence while an apostrophe is used to indicate possession of something or to show that a letter has been removed to shorten (Cannot to can’t).

If you’re wanting to swap out the alphabet song for a different tune, check out Scratch Garden’s Sentence Song to teach your child their punctuation basics!

The best tip that I can give to help your child succeed in primary English is being aware of what they’re covering at school and any work that is being sent home. Whether that be simply sitting down with your child and reading with them for 15 minutes every day or testing them on their spelling words, the smallest steps lead to large improvements!

However, if you’re seeking that smallest bit of extra help, our Primary Education Tutors are equipped with tonnes of fun activities to help primary children master these basics!

Happy Reading and Writing!

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