I struggled at school because I very rarely had the courage to put up my hand and ask the question….I didn’t want my peers to know I didn’t get it, or to become the centre of attention; or suffer the embarrassment of being the only one who was struggling. But in reality I didn’t put my hand because I had no means of judging just how things would pan out from my question. Would I still fail to understand and be subjected to an element of class ridicule? No, best I kept my problem to myself and struggle on.

At home there was the usual level of support that most children could expect from caring parents. But the real issue was the practicality of asking my parents to explain an issue that was emerging at school, without them be able to see the practical nature of the problem, and thereby offer some additional support and guidance.

Both parents were intelligent and I always felt this was a huge untapped resource -if only I could explain the nature of the problem, get them to see the tactile nature of the issue in the same manner that I was being taught at school. This led me to recognise later in life the significant supplemental role that a parent can play in supporting their child schooling if the parent had the practical access to the same teaching aids and products.

That was the Eureka moment that created keen2learn. Now it is possible to access the very same products that are used at school. The opportunity for a parent, grandparent, nanny, uncle or aunt to support the education of a child is a reality.

Indexed in age, subject and Key Stage order www.keen2learn.co.uk allows purchase on line across an extensive range of products that support the national curriculum. Helping both the child and parent to perhaps develop a new mutually rewarding interface, and the realisation that we all have a basic teaching ability, we have already proved it to a extent; after all we are parents aren’t we?

One of the strongest influences in the education of a child involves the profound role the parent can have both in the initial pre-school education, and then supplementing the ongoing activity of the teachers throughout their entire schooling.

Research has shown that a child’s highest level of thinking is usually revealed in informal conversations. The real question is would the stimulation of this process benefit from the home environment where the interaction would be on a one to one basis, in addition to the environment at school where the perhaps the question would be posed to a teacher operating within a class of 30 – 40 others all drawing on the same teacher’s time.

How many children do you know operate on two different plains, the self assured demonstrative outgoing child operating within the comfort zone of their own home with their own parents carer or grandparents, and the perhaps the quiet withdrawn unassuming child that the teacher sees within the school environment.

How often does the portrayal of the child at the brief once a term interview with the teacher somehow present a completely different viewpoint form your own interpretation? During their school life most children will experience a host of different teachers, but the one constant throughout is the presence of the parent or carer. Yet the role that can be played by the parent or carer in association with the school to nurture, stimulate and supplement the teaching progress is generally overlooked.

A programme in the USA revealed a startling and lasting improvement of around 20% in the IQ of children receiving this level of parental support compared to a sibling who did not. The growth in competence is perhaps proportional to the growth in confidence. If we grasp the fundamentals, or have the opportunity to revisit areas we didn’t fully understand, and ask and learn at our own pace we have the opportunity to catch up, keep up or even overtake.

The investment by the parent involves time and energy. It also needs to interface closely with the school activity in order to coordinate the achievement. According to Victoria Hurt (Partnership in Early Childhood Education) the involvement of parents in the education of their school age children is probably the greatest opportunity for educational advance open for us today.This Is A Main Title

You remember the phase in the development of children when they continually ask the questions what, why and where? Generally associated with the early growth phase when the learning process is exponential, the questions are inevitably directed at the parent, close relative, close friend – someone with whom the child feels comfortable and confident.

Perhaps the process never really stops. Issues later in adult life that requires some significant guidance; aren’t they inevitably directed to the parent? So what generally happens to all that latent wisdom of the parent during their child’s school years? Perhaps it’s the tendency for both the parent and child to consider that “others” i.e. teachers are now responsible, perhaps relief that the children now leave the parent in peace, perhaps a concern not to interfere, or a belief that their skill base could be inadequate to support the child directly.

Studies by leading academics and teachers have indicated a substantial benefit from the continuing role that a parent can play in supplementing the teaching process at home. Whilst the child will be taught by different teachers, in different subjects and different years – as well as different schools as they progress through the school years, the one constant influence throughout the process is inevitably the parent or close relative.

Whilst the education process is extremely well developed and practised, there are inevitable gaps. Class size, collective ability, teacher competence, and the child’s personality all have an influence on the potential academic progress.

www.keen2learn.co.uk is a new website – with a difference. It promotes the very same products, and many teaching notes that are used by the teacher in school. Now it is possible to replicate that lesson at home with equipment and resources that the child will recognise. The opportunity to also supplement the learning process at home on a one on one basis, at the child’s own time and pace – compares favourably with any reluctance in trying to attract the attention of a teacher in a class of 30 – 40, to establish the solution to areas of concern.

The significant opportunity for parents to refresh, overcome obstacles, and stimulate a child’s progress is fantastic. The parents interface with the teacher can take on a new dimension of cooperation, and you as a parent can help maximise the achievement of your child – and possibly realise that you hadn’t forgotten everything after all!

Just now there are a few pitfalls looming. Class size, literacy achievement and a general increased demand on teachers as they are contracted to take 10% more time to prepare for lessons, assess projects and mark homework is generally bound to have an impact on their capacity to nurture any child’s performance. Now there is an opportunity to put something back into the equation.

The potential for parental influence in the education of their children continues to grow. The constant presence of the parent throughout the educational programme provides an immense stabiliser. Who else is better equipped to provide that mentoring approach and the platform to become more intimately involved in your child’s achievement? There is nothing better solution to resolving a problem than to be able to turn to someone who knows and is involved.