How to work with your child’s setting to help support their learning at home

We all experience some kind of parent guilt.

We ask ourselves questions like ‘Am I doing enough for Maximus at school?‘ ‘Am I explaining Priya’s phonics correctly?’ ‘Do I know enough about school?’

Tapestry allows you to view the learning targets met after the teacher has posted an observation. For me, I find this helpful for understanding how Early Years practitioners track and monitor my child, but it also allows me to gain an insight into how progression is seen. From this, I can identify what learning I can help with at home, and make sure I have the tools to help the right way.

Simple newsletters from the school can be posted to Tapestry giving me (busy working mum) an idea of what the school are looking for from a parent, and what events are coming up. I like to be told to go out and find as many different types of leaf as possible because we will be reading ‘Leaf Man’ next week. I feel involved.

I enjoy hearing that my son is learning m, a, s, t and t in phonics and that if I walk around the house finding objects beginning with these initial sounds, it will help cement his understanding. Thanks for the tip on the weekly notes on Tapestry, Mr Jones!

There’s nothing more helpful than being told to add diary dates via Tapestry, or last-minute wellies needed for the nature walk, to help keep you informed of events and weekly learning. All these things Tapestry can help with through notifications sent out.  Yes, attending the phonics workshop in November would be highly valuable, considering I have no idea where to start with reading.

Explanations about new concepts such as Numicon can be added to Tapestry so you’re always in the know about what’s currently happening. Just to add, Mohamed and Jamal have inspired the class to learn the latest Crazy Frog dance so the teachers would like to see a video of the actions for next week‘s homework. Post your best moves on Tapestry. Again, I’m feeling so inspired, thank you for the heads up.

In essence, schools have realised that 20-30 years ago, it was all done differently. Initiatives were vague for our parents, and since we no longer use blackboard and chalk, times have changed along with government expectations of education.  Nowadays schools don’t want parents to feel left out, thinking ‘Letters and Sounds’ is a new game from Hamleys. They want parents to feel included, looked after and knowledgeable on teaching and learning methods taking place in their child’s learning environment.

We talk about transferable skills in our adult life and Tapestry is the platform that really encourages the use of this. But not just for children- the parents learn too. And who doesn’t want to learn how to support their child.

With weaving love from your Tapestry Mum,