coaching, Get ready

Working with your child so that they thrive not just survive.


If not now – when? If not me – who?  You might be thinking that parenting goes on for a very long time. Though parenting in one form or another never stops, I assure you that your window of opportunity to create a huge positive difference in your child’s life is very small and soon… Continue reading Working with your child so that they thrive not just survive.

Problem-solving, teens

Challenges and difficulties when working with your child are inevitable – how you respond is crucial.


You are your own best coaching tool. Watch yourself closely when coaching your child reading, writing, and maths skills becomes difficult and you feel frustrated. The usual trap is to think that they are the one who is reluctant to coach with you, not paying enough attention, or not remembering the work fast enough. Blame… Continue reading Challenges and difficulties when working with your child are inevitable – how you respond is crucial.

Get ready, learning and remembering, maths, spelling

How to remember what you learn


here are some very easy ways you can help your child remember maths, spelling, and reading skills and knowledge they have learnt. Recent brain research proves how important these ideas are, but even before research told them it was a good idea good teachers and learners have always used them.

coaching, goal-setting, Problem-solving, teens

Your teen and you – No 4 – time to create a win-win deal


It’s time to get serious and decide a win-win deal together. Take turns speaking and listening to each other. For negotiations to be successful  create a situation where your teen will stay comfortable and alert enough to listen closely to you. The most important thing you can do is to keep any of your positive… Continue reading Your teen and you – No 4 – time to create a win-win deal

coaching, Get ready, learning and remembering, maths, reading, writing

How to help your child so reading, writing, and maths becomes fun.


Reading, writing, and doing maths: How not to help your child. Think back to when you were a child and being told that you would like something you had already got to dislike. Do you remember how annoying and unhelpful those talks were? You didn't believe them. You wished they would stop trying to convince… Continue reading How to help your child so reading, writing, and maths becomes fun.

handwriting, writing

Learning how to handwrite is not an unnecessary skill….yet.


Handwriting helps our children learn easier - and it can be taught. I've already written  in a previous post about how handwriting can help us learn and remember. Many of you might have children with dyslexia or learning disabilities and I still firmly believe that even if your child has poor motor skills, they can… Continue reading Learning how to handwrite is not an unnecessary skill….yet.

coaching, Get ready, homework, maths, Problem-solving, reading, writing

Win-win agreements make coaching your child reading, writing, and maths skills more fun!


Create agreements that make you both happy. This week I've asked permission to share an email from a concerned family coach who is working with me. She has a young boy who is working on improving his Mathematics and reading and writing skills and he is a very skilled negotiator - even though he is… Continue reading Win-win agreements make coaching your child reading, writing, and maths skills more fun!

Get ready, homework, maths, reading, writing

Make haste slowly: Coaching your child reading, writing, and maths the fast way.


Haste makes for slow reading, writing and Mathematics progress: Relaxed, steady focus works. One new different thing reading, writing, Mathematics skills at a time. I often only begin coaching one area (reading, writing, or Mathematics) that a student finds difficult, and one reading, writing, or Mathematics skill they are comfortable with, and love. To begin… Continue reading Make haste slowly: Coaching your child reading, writing, and maths the fast way.

coaching, Get ready, homework

Respectful partnership: A buzz for you both


If you are really going to co-operate with Nature’s plan for the development of intelligence, you take your signals from the child. Not from some book, not from some expert, .....you take your signals from the child. (Joseph Chilton Pearce cited in Brownlee, P. 2007) Taking our signals from our children: The importance of attunement.… Continue reading Respectful partnership: A buzz for you both

coaching, Get ready, homework, maths, Problem-solving, reading, spelling, writing

Help your child develop their reading, writing, and mathematics skills: Don’t leave it all up to the teachers.


Is your child reluctant to go to school? Not bringing homework home? Refusing to read and write? Disliking mathematics? Parental involvement in children learning to read, write, and do mathematics is a key factor in them doing well at school. Parental involvement shapes the child's identity as a learner, and sets higher expectations for the… Continue reading Help your child develop their reading, writing, and mathematics skills: Don’t leave it all up to the teachers.