The Joey67 Blog
Honest, parent-first writing on OC, NAPLAN, Selective, study habits and how Australian kids actually learn best.
Why Your Reluctant Reader Isn't Broken: He's Just Reading the Wrong Books
If your Year 1-3 boy can read fine but won't pick up a book for fun, the fix is rarely more pressure - it's the right book.
10 July 2026
OC Test Final Week 2026: How Much Revision Is Too Much — and When to Stop
With the OC test days away, most parents face the same dilemma: keep pushing through one more week, or trust the preparation and let their child rest.
8 July 2026
Selective High School prep: a realistic term-by-term plan for Year 5 and 6
Term 3 of Year 5 just started — here's exactly what to focus on each term so your child reaches the March test prepared, not exhausted.
6 July 2026
Selective Thinking Skills in 2026: Three Myths That Waste Your Term 3 Prep
The thinking section looks like an IQ test — but it is, quietly, the most coachable part of the Selective paper.
4 July 2026
OC Test Day Morning: the Mistakes That Undo Months of Prep
The two hours before the OC test can undo months of careful preparation — here is what parents get wrong on the morning, and what to do instead.
1 July 2026
Should your Year 4 or 5 child be prepping for Selective right now?
The answer depends on which type of child you have — and most parents are asking the wrong question when they ask how early to start.
29 June 2026
Four Weeks to the OC Test: What You Can Still Change — and What You Can't
Four weeks from the OC test, the gap between what can be improved and what can't matters more than how hard you push.
27 June 2026
Why Your Child Keeps Losing OC Maths Marks (When the Maths Isn't the Problem)
If your child knows their maths but keeps dropping OC practice scores, the problem is almost never the maths — it's how OC questions are designed to work.
24 June 2026
Screen Time During OC Prep Isn't the Problem — It's the Solution
You've been taking away the iPad to force OC practice — but treating screen time as the reward, not the enemy, is what actually makes prep stick.
22 June 2026
NAPLAN Results 2026: What the Bands Mean and What to Do This July
When your child's NAPLAN report arrives with bands and percentages, here is how to tell whether the numbers signal a real gap — or just noise.
20 June 2026
How Long Should Your Child Study for OC? What the Research Actually Says
The 'two hours a day' advice is hurting more OC prep families than it helps — here's what brain science says about study sessions for 10-year-olds.
17 June 2026
OC Test Anxiety: What to Say (and Stop Saying) Four Weeks Out
When your child is anxious about the OC test and your reassurances aren't landing, here's what actually helps — and what makes it worse.
16 June 2026
The Week Before the OC Test: 6 Things Parents Do That Backfire
Most of the damage in the final week before the OC test is done by well-meaning parents who shift into overdrive — here is what to stop, and what to do instead.
15 June 2026
'I'm Bad at Maths' — What to Say When Your Child Has Already Decided
When your child says they're bad at maths, the problem usually isn't the sums — it's the story they've already decided about themselves.
13 June 2026
What your child's OC practice score is actually telling you (2026)
Five weeks from the OC test, your child's practice score feels like crucial data — but without calibration, it's just a number that makes anxiety worse.
10 June 2026
Five Final-Month OC Mistakes That Undo Months of Prep (2026)
Five common mistakes that undo months of OC prep in the final stretch — and what to do when you're five weeks out from the July test.
8 June 2026
Why Your Child Suddenly Refuses to Study — a June Diagnosis for OC Parents 2026
If your child was engaged in April and is now shutting down every session, the resistance is telling you something specific — here's a three-question diagnosis.
6 June 2026
Do You Actually Need a Tutor for OC? What the Evidence Says
Most OC parents assume tutoring is non-negotiable — but the evidence suggests it is neither universal nor essential.
3 June 2026
Why Your Child Won't Study: The Three Root Causes (and How to Tell Them Apart)
Study resistance isn't one problem — it's three, and the fix for avoidance makes anxiety worse.
1 June 2026
OC Prep Burnout in Term 2: What to Do When Your Child Hits the Wall
Week 7 of OC prep and your child cried when you put the workbook on the table — here's what's really happening and how to get through the next six weeks.
30 May 2026
OC Reading Section 2026: Why Strong Readers Still Drop Points
If your child reads well but OC practice scores surprise you, the problem isn't their ability — the section rewards inference and author intent, not the skills school teaches.
27 May 2026
OC Thinking Section 2026: Why Pattern Drilling Isn't Enough (and What to Do Instead)
Most OC families drill abstract reasoning for months, then wonder why their child still struggles in the thinking section — here is what you are probably not practising.
25 May 2026
Should You Even Prep Your Child for OC? A Framework for the Decision That Keeps You Up at Night
If you've started OC prep but lie awake wondering whether you're pushing too hard, this decision framework helps you figure out which path is actually right for your child.
23 May 2026
8 Weeks Is Enough: A Realistic OC Prep Plan for Late May 2026
Starting OC prep in late May feels too late — but 8 focused weeks of daily practice can genuinely shift your child's performance before test day.
21 May 2026
Eight Weeks to the OC Test: A Prep Plan That Won't Break Your Child
With eight weeks to the OC test, the real fear isn't falling behind — it's whether pushing hard now will do more damage than good.
11 May 2026