If you have a child in Year 2 at primary school, you may have lots of questions about Key Stage 1 SATs (Standard Attainment Tests) and...

It's that time of year again when the Christmas ads appear, lights begin to twinkle, and people we meet ask our children what they would like Father Christmas to bring. Writing a letter to Santa can be a joy, but for parents it can also be a tricky task to complete, as our little people navigate their way through learning the alphabetic code, whilst being able to compose their own sentences and include all the things they would like. In our house, we start with a Smyths Toy

Wilbur and Flops classes are no longer running but some of the information in this post might be useful for parents and early educators. ...

As parents and carers, a key responsibility we have is to pave the way for reading, even if we are not keen readers ourselves. Recently, I was asked to suggest books for two families: some for a developing reader, and some to help to increase vocabulary. Vocabulary is a buzz word at the moment, and introducing children to new words is crucial so that they know what they are when they meet them in their own reading and writing. One of the best ways to do this is through sha

"Mummy, Mummy! I read a real story book!" It's never too soon to 'read' real books. We play pirates, teachers, doctors, vets, but do we play at being readers? In my one to one lessons, I like to introduce real books as soon as I can as it gives children such a boost to know they are doing real reading and it's not all about Biff, Chip and Kipper! Carefully chosen books, like Please Mr Panda (https://amzn.to/3urldqa) or Puffin Peter (https://amzn.to/3urldqa) enable the rea

There's so much more to communicating than just the words we use. Our eyes, facial expressions, gestures, volume and tone all work...

These are tricky times we live in and things have changed quite considerably for our children at their schools. I've heard so many times recently that children are being asked to sit in their seats for longer at school and this doesn't work for many, especially those (like me) who like to fidget and move regularly. In my day job, I'm a school SENCo (Special Needs Coordinator) and I love thinking up different ways to make slight adaptations that can make a lot of difference

Whether you normally look forward to the long summer holidays or you dread them, this year is different in so many ways. We'll be...

Many schools send home reading books from the start of reception and some start a little before. Some schools start later and some don't...

It's very likely that, for at least the last half term, your child's teacher has been sending you 'home learning tasks' ranging from a...

It's May 2020 and we've been at home for nine weeks or so. We have a dog and a daily walk is a must for us but, with or without a dog,...

"Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb, where are you? Here I am, here I am, how do you do?" Peter Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby Ring and Baby Small, too!...

Continuing learning at home helps to build important connections in your little one's brain and returning to something after a sleep...

Classes are no longer running but some of the information here may be useful to parents and early educators. "My daughter loves coming to...

Is it 'w' for Will or 'W ("double you") for Will? Should we sing the alphabet song yet? I'm often asked by parents if they should teach...

Tonight, I was sent the most adorable video by a friend of mine. Her little girl is just over two years old and she was telling the...

Our reception children have been at school for over half a term now and it's very likely that they've been carrying a reading record to...

Today we took a walk to the local car boot sale. Once we got through the regulars - the garden tools, interspersed with china tea sets...

There's a lovely little place in Sowerby in Thirsk: a warm welcome awaits and a homely atmosphere can be felt as you walk through the...

Learning to read begins long before school. "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." — Emilie Buchwald. It's true -...