Resources, tools and support for families
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This year supporting and engaging families is more important than it has ever been as we work to ensure students continue to learn and develop.
In recognition of this, we’ve compiled a range of resources, support guides and information that you can share with families to assist them in keeping their children engaged in their education.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Engaging and supporting families
ELLA supports families during COVID-19
There is a wide range of activities and posters available on the ELLA website to support families. We’ve heard wonderful stories of families printing out our language games and posters and participating in language experiences with their children at home. Educators can print the ‘Hello’ poster below to display in their classroom or to send home for families to use.
‘There is a lot of material available to share with families to support them at home, extend children's learning, as well as strengthening the connection between home and service to promote children's wellbeing.’
Maria Walsh, Garfield Street Children's Centre, NSW
You’ll also find resources and support information on the ELLA family support page.
Engaging families in STEM
Family attitudes and beliefs have a significant impact on whether girls choose to enrol in STEM subjects and pursue STEM pathways. A recent study found that two in three girls in the Asia-Pacific region say parents are the greatest influence on their decision to study STEM (Mastercard, 2016).
By engaging with families directly and encouraging them to support girls’ STEM passions you can help girls to engage more confidently with STEM.
The GiST has numerous resources for schools and teachers to offer families or use to run school-based events.
Support children’s reading progress
The newly launched Literacy Hub offers some great tips for families of young students keen to support their children’s reading progress and early literacy development. Discover advice, simple activities, games and strategies to make learning to read a fun and rewarding experience. Families might like to try out this letter hunt game that gives children practice at finding words that begin with s, c and b.
The Hub has information for schools and families about phonics and a free online Phonics Check for use by Year 1 teachers. Bookmark the link to the Literacy Hub and check back in as we continue to expand our phonics and literacy resources for schools and families.
DT Hub learning at Home
The Digital Technologies Hub offers a collection of activities designed for families to complete in and around their home to assist in building their child’s knowledge of the Digital Technologies curriculum. The activities require minimal preparation from parents, and we have included the knowledge required to enable families to complete the tasks with their children. From coding to computational thinking, scavenger hunts, mazes and everything in between, there’s a wide range of activities to keep children engaged, entertained and learning.
Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels
myfuture resources for parents and carers
Discover myfuture’s range of resources for parents and carers. These useful tools, activities and articles are designed to help encourage and support young people as they explore career possibilities, plan education and training pathways, and transition to the world of work. Consider sharing a selection in your upcoming school newsletters.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
Respectful relationships: Students of CALD backgrounds
Image credit: Wander Woman Collective/Getty Images
Respectful relationships education is a new focus in many schools around Australia. It is new for many parents, too. The Student Wellbeing Hub offers a resource, produced in ten community languages, that explains the what and why of respectful relationships education to families. A second resource supports educators with tips and strategies for working with families, especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, when teaching about respectful relationships.
How parents enable strong school library services
Former Australian Children's Laureate Morris Gleitzman discusses the uniquely contributive role of school libraries and how parents and supporters can work together to ensure students have access to strong school library services.
Photo of Morris Gleitzman used with permission
Updates and announcements
What’s new in Scootle?
New to Scootle this month are a series of civics and citizenship education resources from Crime Stoppers WA focusing on democratic rights, the law and civic responsibility; online lessons in English for Foundation to Year 2; science lessons for Years 5–8 and clips on Aboriginal culture and connection from the documentary In my blood it runs.
Image by helen35 from Pixabay
Early Childhood Resource Hub closure
Since its launch in 2016, The Early Childhood Resource Hub (the Hub) has provided online resources to help early childhood education and care professionals with understanding and meeting the National Quality Framework.
These resources are moving to a new home. The Hub will close from 1 October 2020 but you will still have access to many helpful resources and materials available on the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) website. This move streamlines resources to one platform, making it easier for educators to access relevant support material. Information published on the ACECQA website can be accessed free of charge.
The professional learning modules will not transfer to the ACECQA website. Users are encouraged to complete professional learning modules by 30 September 2020. Further information about the future of the modules will be available in the coming weeks.
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