Free parent guide from Education Space
Free parent guide · Term 1, 2027

Is your child falling
behind at school?

Education Space Tutoring

Every child has their own rhythm for learning, and most children who fall behind are trying hard. Small gaps are easy to miss in a busy classroom and quick to grow. This guide helps you spot them early, ask the right questions and start Term 1, 2027 on the front foot.

Six early signs worth noticing

Homework turns into a battle

Tears, arguments or "I don't get it" most nights can mean the work is pitched beyond what they can do on their own right now.

They avoid reading

Choosing books that are too easy, or avoiding reading aloud, can point to gaps in decoding or fluency.

"I'm just bad at maths"

Once a child decides that, they stop trying. It is usually one or two missed concepts, not ability.

The report says "working towards"

Read the comments as well as the grades. Look for the same skill coming up two reports in a row.

Writing is short or messy

Very short pieces, a tight pencil grip or avoiding writing altogether are worth a closer look.

They're tired or flat after school

A child working hard to keep up all day can come home drained, or say school is "boring".

Five questions to ask the teacher

  1. Where is my child up to in reading, writing and maths compared with what's expected for their year?
  2. Which one or two skills would make the biggest difference if they improved this term?
  3. How do they go when they work independently, without help?
  4. Do they ask questions in class, or do they tend to go quiet?
  5. What could we practise at home that would support what you're doing in class?
Education Space Tutoring · 67B Katrina Street, Blackburn North VIC 31300438 003 370 · natalie@educationspace.com.au

Ten minutes a day at home

Primary years

  • Read together every day. Let them read a page, then you read a page.
  • Ask one question about the story: what happened, why, what might happen next.
  • Practise times tables in the car or at dinner, a few at a time.
  • Talk through their writing before they write it. Ideas first, spelling second.
  • Praise effort and strategies ("you tried a different way"), not just right answers.

Secondary years

  • Help them set up a simple weekly revision plan, not a cram the night before.
  • Ask them to explain a topic to you. If they can teach it, they know it.
  • Check they understand the question before they start a long answer.
  • Keep phones out of the room during study time.
  • If the same topic keeps coming up as "hard", get help early.

Your Term 1, 2027 checklist

What happens in an Education Space assessment

Your child spends one hour with Natalie Zaibak, a qualified Victorian teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. With a whiteboard and a few targeted activities, she works out where your child is up to, where the gaps are and how they learn best. Then she talks you through what she found and the plan she recommends: the right session type, the right tutor or teacher, and the goals for the term.

“Nat has managed to quickly identify the gaps in their learning that we have't been able to gain from their classrooms.” Sarah R., Google review

Natalie Zaibak

Book an assessment with Natalie

Call 0438 003 370, email natalie@educationspace.com.au, or visit us at 67B Katrina Street, Blackburn North. One-on-one and small group tutoring for Prep to Year 12, in the centre or online.

This guide offers general information for parents. It is not an assessment of your child.Sample lead magnet by Results Media for Natalie to review.