'How was your day, dear?'

By Mary Dowson

It's difficult if you're keen to share in the work of your child but get very little feedback. It's also irritating for your child's teacher if she's put a lot of thought into a day's activities only to hear your child say 'nothing much' when she is collected at the end of the day.
So how can you find out what she's been doing without hassling her? Our checklist below has some useful pointers to help keep you informed:

• Try gentle questioning at the weekend instead of asking straight after school. It's likely that your child is extremely tired at the end of the day and just wants to 'switch off', so after school is not always the best time to ask.
• Use the material handed out by her school. Most outline the content for each subject at the beginning of term. In some infant schools, there is a weekly plan of activities and content pinned up outside the classroom door. Use these as prompters for questions to ask your child.
• Make the most of the parents' consultation evenings usually around six weeks after the start of the new school year and another in the middle of the year. You can discuss your child's progress and get more information about the curriculum.
• Go to class curriculum evenings, which are often at the beginning of the school year, where teachers explain the curriculum content as well as how parents can support at home.
• Talk to your child about activities/homework sent home so that you can see what your child has been concentrating on.
• Talk to her teacher. Although teachers are very busy, they want to communicate with parents and involve them as much as possible. The beginning or end of the day is not the best time to ask 'in depth' questions. Make an appointment and prepare any questions beforehand. Her teacher will be grateful for your interest and support.
• Plan a trip to tie-in with work she is doing in school, like a trip to a museum or a castle. This can help bring to subjects to life and boost her enthusiasm.