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How to improve accuracy, concentration and listening skills
How to improve accuracy, concentration and listening skills
August 25, 2015
A concerned father recently asked me how he can help his son to improve his listening skills when instructions are provided by teachers in class at school. He also asked me about how he can help his son to improve the overall accuracy and presentation of his work. As I begun typing, I quickly realised that the information would be of value to many other parents who could be in a similar position. Below is my word for word response to the concerned father. I thought it would be useful to share my reply here at The After-School Learning Centre with a wider audience of parents. Names have been changed to protect people’s identities. If you find your child is in a similar position, I hope you find my response useful and please feel free to call me on 020 8440 8586 if you have any questions:
Dear Mr & Mrs Smith
It is good to see that John is a keen student who wants to do well. At The After-School Learning Centre, we want to encourage to do much better because we can see he is ambitious and deserves to be successful.
But John’s criteria for success seems to be based on producing a big quantity of rushed and careless work rather than focusing on quality.
In order to reverse the above trend, I can recommend the following steps to begin helping John to improve in his English and Maths:
1. In English, John needs to check whether the sentences he has written make sense
2. In Maths, John needs to check whether: 2a. his answers are correctly labelled with the correct measurement or unit of scale; 2b. does the answer make sense in terms of it being logical (e.g if petrol costs £50 to fill a car, is it possible to receive £150 change from £100? 2c. is he showing enough working out for each question and if not, to please do so; 2d. when doing maths word problems, John needs to check the working out when each sum is finished before moving onto a new question
3. At home, mum and dad please need to be firm with John and make him redo rushed, untidy or careless work (but please be reasonable if you can see he has made an effort)
4. John needs to check everything he writes as he does it
5. John needs to give himself time to stop and check when doing homework as opposed to racing through it
6. Here is a really important suggestion … 6a. please break down the homework for John into sections; 6b. get John to check the section when he has finished and to make corrections; 6c. then John needs to show the completed section to mum or dad to also check; 6d. Mum or Dad to please decide whether John has to redo the section or whether he is allowed to move to a new section; 6e. please repeat the same process when moving onto a new section
7. It may be a good idea for Mum or Dad to spread the homework throughout the week so John does not have to do it all in one sitting
8. However, please put the responsibility on John to check his own work FIRST and be accurate about it before Mum or Dad do any checking
The above suggestions are intended to encourage John to produce greater quality work and not rush.
John will become successful if we both work together as a team to encourage John here at The After-School Learning Centre and you at home; then we will both be working in the same direction.
I hope the above helps and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. All the best and good luck,
Vassos Vassiliou
The After-School Learning Centre
T. 020 8440 8586
1 Oakwood Parade, Bramley Road, London N14 4HY