{"id":9477,"date":"2023-10-18T00:53:48","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T00:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/other\/creating-a-positive-supportive-environment-to-enhance-learning-after-school\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T23:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T23:46:33","slug":"creating-a-positive-supportive-environment-to-enhance-learning-after-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/guest-contributors\/creating-a-positive-supportive-environment-to-enhance-learning-after-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Positive, Supportive Environment to Enhance Learning After School"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Talking to children after school to support their learning is a wonderful way to engage with them and help reinforce their educational growth. Here are some tips to effectively engage in these conversations:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Create a Comfortable Environment:<\/strong> <br \/>Make sure the setting is relaxed and comfortable. This could be at home, in a quiet corner, or even outside where the child feels at ease discussing their day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask Open-ended Questions:<br \/><\/strong> Instead of asking yes\/no questions, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to share more about their day. For instance, &#8220;What was the most interesting thing you learned today?&#8221; or &#8220;Tell me about something that made you curious at school.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Active Listening:<\/strong> <br \/>Pay close attention to what they&#8217;re saying and show genuine interest. Respond with follow-up questions or comments that show you&#8217;re engaged in the conversation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Avoid Judgment:<\/strong> <br \/>Ensure they feel comfortable sharing both positive and challenging aspects of their day. Avoid criticizing or belittling their experiences, as this could discourage them from opening up in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Share Your Day:<\/strong>\u00a0<br \/>Engage in a two-way conversation by sharing snippets from your day as well. This can help them see that learning and sharing experiences is a lifelong endeavor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Focus on Their Interests:<\/strong> <br \/>If you know what subjects or activities they enjoy, ask specific questions about those areas. This will make them feel valued and encourage them to talk more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Encourage Problem-Solving:<\/strong> <br \/>If they encountered challenges during the day, encourage them to think about possible solutions or strategies to overcome similar situations in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Celebrate Achievements:<\/strong> <br \/>Praise their accomplishments, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and motivation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Extend Learning:<\/strong> <br \/>If they mention something they found interesting at school, consider finding related books, videos, or activities to further explore the topic together.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Set a Routine:<\/strong> <br \/>Establish a regular time for these conversations, whether it&#8217;s right after school, during dinner, or before bedtime. Consistency helps build a sense of trust and openness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Avoid Overwhelming:<\/strong> While it&#8217;s important to engage, also be mindful of not overwhelming them with too many questions or demands right after school. Allow them some downtime to decompress before diving into discussions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use Technology Wisely:<br \/><\/strong> If they&#8217;re comfortable with it, you can use technology to explore educational websites, games, or videos that align with their interests and the subjects they&#8217;re learning at school.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be Patient:<\/strong> <br \/>Some days, they might not feel like talking much about school. Respect their moods and let them know you&#8217;re always there to listen when they&#8217;re ready.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remember, the goal is to create a positive and supportive environment where they feel encouraged to share their thoughts, experiences, and questions. This not only helps with their immediate learning but also fosters strong communication skills and a love for lifelong learning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talking to children after school to support their learning is a wonderful way to engage with them and help reinforce their educational growth. Here are some tips to effectively engage in these conversations: Create a Comfortable Environment: Make sure the setting is relaxed and comfortable. This could be at home, in a quiet corner, or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[137,237],"tags":[],"cmb2":{"poster_feature_image":{"vid_m_player_background":"","vid_m_poster_image":"","vid_m_poster_image_id":""},"gif_feature_image":{"vid_m_gif_image":"","vid_m_gif_image_id":""},"video_movie_settings":{"vid_m_director":"","vid_m_actor":"","vid_m_imdb_ratings":"","vid_m_amazon_associates":"","vid_m_vid_tmdb_movie":"","vid_m_vid_tmdb_tv_shows":"","vid_m_vid_tmdb_thumb":""},"vid_ads_m_videoads_settings_post":{"vid_ads_m_video_ads":"","vid_ads_m_video_ads_type":"","vid_ads_m_group_google_ima":"","vid_ads_m_group_image":"","vid_ads_m_group_html5_video":"","vid_ads_m_group_html":"","vid_ads_m_vpaid_mode":"","vid_ads_m_vast_preroll":"","vid_ads_m_vast_postroll":"","vid_ads_m_vast_pauseroll":"","vid_ads_m_vast_midroll":"","vid_ads_m_group_dynamic":"","vid_ads_m_time_to_show_ads":"","vid_ads_m_time_skip_ads":"","vid_ads_m_time_to_hide_ads":""},"feature_image_settings":{"feature_image_position":""},"video_player_settings":{"single_video_style":"","video_player_position":"","vm_video_url_btn_choose":"","vm_video_url_btn_choose_id":"","vm_video_url":"","vm_video_ratio":"","vm_video_ratio_mobile":"","video_player_library":"","plyr_player":"","video_streaming":"","vm_video_shortcode":"","vm_video_timelapse":"","vm_media_subtitles":"","vm_media_sources":"","vid_vtt_preview":"","vid_vtt_preview_vtt_file":"","vid_vtt_preview_vtt_file_id":"","vid_vtt_preview_sprite_image":"","vid_vtt_preview_sprite_image_id":"","vid_auto_play":"","vid_preview_mode":"","vm_video_trailer_manl_url":"","vm_screenshot_preview":"","vid_tags":"","vid_p_sync_playlist":"","vid_c_sync_channel":"","get_post_format":"","multiple_links_structure":"","multi_links_title":"","original_video_title":"","multi_links_series":"","vm_video_multi_links":"","vm_duration":"","vid_social_locker":"","vid_locker_mode":"","vid_social_locker_id":"","vid_social_email_locker_id":"","vid_social_signin_locker_id":"","sv_login_to_watch":"","vid_membership_action":"","vm_video_trailer_url":"","vid_download_type":"","vid_download_target":"","vid_woo_product":"","vid_download_mode":"","vid_download_mode_trailer":"","vm_media_download":"","user_rating":"","user_rating_position":"","user_rating_mode":"","user_rating_multi_sets":"","ads_above_single_player":""},"video_auto_fetch_settings":{"vm_video_fetch":""},"video_fake_views_likes":{"vm_fake_views":"","vm_fake_likes":"","vm_fake_dislikes":""},"gallery_settings":{"gallery_position":""},"quote_settings":{"quote_position":""},"post_options":{"main_layout":"","main_logo":"","main_logo_id":"","main_logo_retina":"","main_logo_retina_id":"","main_logo_mobile":"","main_logo_mobile_id":"","main_logo_mobile_retina":"","main_logo_mobile_retina_id":"","sticky_logo":"","sticky_logo_id":"","sticky_logo_retina":"","sticky_logo_retina_id":"","main_nav_layout":"","header_background":"","theme_sidebar":"","single_post_comment_type":"","theme_background":""}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9477"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9482,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477\/revisions\/9482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au\/upschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}