Have you ever asked your child what they learnt at school today? Chances are you were met with the all too familiar, "not much" or even worse, "nothing". Before you go ringing the school to find out why your child isn't learning anything, take in the latest research on children's learning, which just might make you think about asking a different question altogether when they come home from a day at school.

Stephen Dinham, Research Director Teaching, Learning and Leadership at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) says, "Don't ask them what they did today, what they enjoyed at school or what they learnt, ask them, 'What feedback did you get about your learning today?'" In parent-to-child language, this means ask your kids, "What did your teacher say about your work today?"

Professor Dinham, who has researched the factors on student achievement, explains that children have four needs. "They want to know what they can do, what they can't do, how their work compares to others, but the one they really want to know is how they can do better," he says. He adds that a focus on feedback and obtaining quality feedback from teachers can have an almost "immediate positive effect" on students' learning.

Catherine Scott, Senior Research Fellow at ACER, says parents can sometimes feel intimidated and unsure about how to help with their child's learning. She says parents can best support their child by encouraging them to develop life skills and taking an interest in what is happening at school.

According to Dr Scott, research shows that a parenting approach that involves setting high expectations for children while also being responsive to their individual needs can help children develop the confidence to go out into the world and make the best of the opportunities that are on offer. Other ways parents can help include providing an orderly home with expected routines, explaining reasons why rules are set, and being sensitive to the individual needs of children.

Dr Scott offers more other tips for parents including:

• Get involved in your child's school in whatever way possible.
• Establish an open line of communication with your child's teacher.
• Provide a quiet and orderly space for your child to study in.
• Be happy to talk about homework. You don't have to know the answers yourself - it's important to encourage your child to think problems through for themselves.
• Don't give help that hasn't been asked for - this can send children a message that they are not competent to complete the required task and may harm their self-esteem.
• Model being orderly and prepared - encourage your child to think ahead to what needs to be prepared for school the following day, such as sports uniforms or particular books and other learning resources.
• Model being a good reader - you can't nag your child about the importance of reading if you are never seen with reading material in your hands yourself.