Kindergarten students should be able to write simple sentences like “I made a cake”, count to 30 and tell the time to the hour.

By Year 6 students should be reading and responding to a range of literary works, from chunky novels to abstract poems, be able to calculate simple fractions and record volume and capacity with decimal notation.

These examples – and many more – are contained in the Parents’ Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses published last month by the Board of Studies to help parents understand their child’s progress at school.

The guide explains the stages of learning and how much time should be spent teaching each subject.

English and mathematics, for example, comprise about half of the school week or around 12 hours.

The board’s syllabuses state what should be taught in the six key learning areas of English, mathematics, science and technology, human society and its environment, creative arts, and personal development, health and physical education.

The parents’ guide then gives examples of what children learn in these areas from Kindergarten to Year 6.

It also explains educational terms such as “integrated unit” of work, where material from more than one syllabus is taught in a single unit of work – a theme such as “Antarctica” is such an example.

The Minister for Education and Training, John Della Bosca, said parents played a vital role in their children’s education and the guide would help them get more involved.

“We know the more interested and engaged parents become in their child’s learning, the more likely the child is to succeed at school,” he said.

“The guide will also help parents discuss educational issues with their child’s teacher and make them better informed about their child’s learning progress.”

The 16-page guide, developed in consultation with teachers, parents and principals, is being distributed to all NSW families with children starting Kindergarten.

An online version is on the Board of Studies website and is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish and Vietnamese languages.

Teachers and parents can provide feedback via the online version of the guide.