by Dr. Kristy Goodwin     Despite the proliferation of computers and other digital technologies in classrooms today, many teachers would argue that handwriting is not an obsolete skill. While many children in today’s classrooms appear more comfortable with a keyboard and mouse than a pencil, handwriting is  ...read more »

by Fay Prideaux     National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results for 2010 have recently been made available to parents. The My School website will publish results so that parents who are shopping for schools for 2011 can have complete ‘transparency’ when making their choice. 

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by Fay Tran     Learning to read and write is the most important skill a child needs to acquire - everything else they do in life depends on it, including their schooling, tertiary studies and future employment.  Soon, a vital component of the National Curriculum will be teaching literacy using phonics  ...read more »

by Dr. Janet Hall     Even though fights are normal in families, what can parents do about them? Fights may be useful, but they are not usually comfortable. And handling fights can be very uncomfortable for the parent. This is typically because parents do not get formal training in fight control or in the major principles of learning.  ...read more »

by Dr. Laurie Kramer     Many mums and dads say the toughest part of parenting is keeping the peace when their kids squabble and bicker. But making an end to conflict your primary focus is a mistake, says Laurie Kramer, a University of Illinois professor of applied family studies  ...read more »

by Robert Milardo     I was raised in a typical Italian-American family.  It was large and sociable.  Family gatherings were frequent, offered occasions to visit and for children to play, and always centered on food and talk.  Our home was near town and within a short drive were the homes of my parent’s seven sisters and five brothers.   ...read more »

by the Editor     There is much debate today about the over-protectiveness of parents, sheltering children from a very different world to the one many of us knew as children.  As a generation of parents raising young children, we are doing things for our kids well beyond the time at which they would be capable of doing things for themselves. 

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by the Editor The Australian National Curriculum draft has been launched, and all Australians are invited to visit the new website and have their say.  The purpose of the new National Curriculum is to deliver a set of national education goals to better prepare young people for their participation in a changing world.

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Below are links to some useful articles on how to prepare for the start of school, with tips for families on how to transition from school holidays and how to get ready for a child starting primary or secondary school.  ...read more »