Rachel Feb 203 minThe power of reading real story books"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 w...
Rachel Dec 18, 20203 minCan you tell I'm smiling? Are our masks impacting on children's language development?There's so much more to communicating than just the words we use. Our eyes, facial expressions, gestures, volume and tone all work toget...
Rachel Oct 22, 20202 minTips and tricks for active learnersThese are tricky times we live in and things have changed quite considerably for our children at their schools. I've heard so many times...
Rachel Jul 14, 20203 minQuick and easy games to fill in five minutes to half an hour - some free, some handbag-sized!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 spendi...
Rachel Jun 12, 20202 minDo we need proper reading books at home?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...
Rachel May 28, 20205 minWilbur and Flops' essentials for home phonics for children in receptionIt'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 we...
Rachel May 22, 20202 minFive ways to sneak language play into your daily walkIt'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, h...
Rachel Apr 11, 20203 minDeveloping pencil control at home"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!...
Rachel Mar 6, 20202 minWhere can I buy...?Continuing learning at home helps to build important connections in your little one's brain and returning to something after a sleep mean...
Rachel Feb 22, 20206 minWhen you walk right through the town today..."My daughter loves coming to you every Friday with [her] nursery. Thank you so much." "She loves coming to Wilbur and Flops when it's her...
Rachel Jan 30, 20203 minLetter names or letter sounds?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 ...
Rachel Jan 9, 20202 minRepetition, repetition, repetitionTonight, 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 stor...
Rachel Nov 14, 20193 min'How to' guide: the reading recordOur reception children have been at school for well over half a term now and it's very likely that they've been carrying a reading record...
Rachel Jul 7, 20193 minThey've been really well looked after...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 a...
Rachel May 31, 20193 minWilbur and Flops visit Hummingbirds NurseryThere'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 doo...
Rachel Mar 12, 20192 minIt's only a little snip, Mummy!When our son was at school nursery, his teacher suggested that we should let him have access to scissors. I'd done so much to help him t...
Rachel Feb 25, 20193 minWhat do parents need to do to support the use of 'loose parts'?At Wilbur and Flops: Little Learners classes since January, we have been exploring more open-ended resources such as egg boxes, garden ge...
Rachel Feb 3, 20194 minFirm foundations for phonics - it all starts at homeLearning to read begins long before school. "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." — Emilie Buchwald. It's true - en...
Rachel Dec 31, 20181 minYou've been holding your pen wrong your entire lifeThis is your blog post. To really engage your site visitors we suggest you blog about subjects that are related to your site or business....
Rachel Dec 31, 20181 min10 tips on how to kick-start the new school yearThis is your blog post. Blogs are a great way to connect with your audience and keep them coming back. They can also be a great way to po...