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Blending sounds to read words is a HUGE milestone in early reading. 😢For some children, though, hidden barriers can make blending feel really tricky. 💡The good news is that when we spot these barriers early, we can give children the right support. 🙌With targeted intervention, every child can go from blending struggles to reading success! Image by Antranias, Pixabay Barriers to blending The following barriers can make blending a struggle: 👂Auditory processing Children who struggle with auditory discrimination may confuse phonemes or miss sounds entirely. Signs to watch for: Difficulty following oral instructions. Confusing similar-sounding words (e.g., pat and bat ). Frequent requests for repetition or showing signs of inattentiveness during listening activities. Support strategies: Ensure children are seated near the teacher and away from background noise. Use clear, slow articulation when modelling sounds. Give short, clear instructions: break directions down into small steps and use simple language. Use visual supports: pair spoken instructions with pictures or gestures. Allow extra processing time: pause after giving directions so the child has time to process before responding. Consider professional hearing assessments if difficulties persist. 👁️Visual tracking Problems with tracking or focusing can slow reading development. Signs to watch for: Difficulty remembering the sequence of letters in words. Headaches, eyestrain, squinting and fatigue. Support strategies: Highlight or underline letters as children blend. Encourage the child to use a ruler, pointer or their finger to help keep their place when blending. Provide large-print and well-spaced text to help reduce eye strain and make tracking easier. Cover parts of the page to reduce overwhelm and visual clutter. 5–10-minute activities can help prevent fatigue and frustration. Strengthen eye movement skills by working on simple activities like tracing mazes or dot-to-dot puzzles. Ensure good lighting and minimise glare. Work with an optometrist or occupational therapist for targeted exercises and support. 👄Speech development and articulation Children need to be able to pronounce sounds accurately to blend them successfully. Signs to watch for: Omitting or substituting sounds. Unclear speech that makes oral blending challenging. Frustration when asked to say words slowly or segment sounds. Support strategies: Work closely with speech and language specialists. Incorporate mouth and tongue exercises into phonics practice. Model sounds clearly and encourage repetition. Ask the child to look in a mirror while they repeat the sounds. Start with two-sound blends (e.g., ‘at’). Pair sounds with mouth pictures, hand signals or letter cards so the child connects what they hear, see and say. If a child mispronounces a sound, gently model the correct articulation. Use songs, rhymes and chants: rhyming and rhythm-based activities strengthen awareness of sound patterns in words 🧠Working memory and cognitive load Blending requires holding multiple sounds in your mind while manipulating them into a word. Signs to watch for: Forgetting the first sounds by the time the last sound is said. Blending errors with longer words. Easily overwhelmed during reading tasks. Support strategies: Start with short, simple words and gradually increase length. Break tasks into smaller steps and use visual aids. Allow repetition and overlearning by providing plenty of practice with the same set of words to reduce cognitive load. Provide letter cards, sound mats or blending strips so the child doesn’t have to hold all sounds in their memory. Use multisensory methods, such as asking children to tap sounds on their fingers, move counters or use magnetic letters to ‘see and feel’ the blend. Say the sounds and the blended word, then have the child echo - reducing the strain of holding everything in memory. Reduce distraction by keeping phonics activities focused and quiet. ⚠️Attention and focus Children who struggle to maintain focus may lose track of sounds or skip steps in the blending process. Signs to watch for: Frequent distraction during phonics activities. Difficulty completing blending exercises. Appearing restless or fidgety during reading tasks. Support strategies: Provide short, engaging blending exercises of 5-10 minutes. Minimise distractions and create a structured learning environment. Incorporate movement or hands-on activities to maintain focus. Incorporate multisensory activities by using tapping, clapping or jumping for each sound to keep learning active and engaging. Use clear visual supports such as sound cards or sound buttons and lines to guide their eyes and attention. Set clear, achievable goals for the child. For example: “Let’s blend three words together,” so they know the task has a clear end point. Rotate activities (games, cards, whiteboard writing, digital apps) to maintain interest. Sand timers help children see how long they need to focus for. From blending struggles to reading success! Watching a child learn to read is incredible and one of my favourite experiences as both a teacher and a parent! For many children, the journey into phonics and blending is steady, one that takes off with daily practice and support. For some children, though, this process isn’t so straightforward. 👉 Do  you teach phonics and have children who are struggling to blend? 👉Are you in panic mode and desperately need ways to support them? 👉Do you worry about boring worksheets and want fun ideas for your blending intervention group? ✅Phonics Blending Breakthrough aims to shine a light on the specific challenges that make blending so difficult for some learners, moving beyond a ‘one size fits all’ approach. ✅Through evidence-informed strategies, step-by-step guidance and playful examples, this book equips you with the confidence and clarity needed to help every child find success with blending. Click on the image to purchase on Amazon.

If you're new to Reception, have members of your team who are new to EYFS or want to direct parents to a definitive guide for phase 2 phonics, you've come to the right place! Here's an overview of what phonics is and some tried and tested tips for teaching early word reading. If you're in a rush and struggling to make progress with blending, save time and download your free blending checklist! What is phonics? Phonics is a key strategy in the teaching of reading and spelling. 'Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way, starting with the easiest sounds and progressing through to the most complex, it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read.' (Department for Education, 2013) Words are made up of sounds called phonemes . A phoneme can be represented by between one to four letters (graphemes), such as 'igh' in l igh t, or 'a' in m a n. Phonics teaches children each of these sounds and how use them to read and spell. Blending is when children say the sounds that make up a word and then merge them until they can hear what the word is, e.g. c-a-t = cat. Blending plays a very important role in the journey to becoming a fluent reader. Click to take a look at this amazing value bundle! Phonics blending tips When teaching children to blend make sure that the sounds are pronounced correctly . Some children (and adults!) add /uh/ onto the end of a sound (for example, /m/ becomes muh). Encourage children to look in a mirror whilst saying the sounds, so that they can focus on the shape which their mouth should be making. You should do lots of oral blending first, saying the sounds which make up the name of an object (e.g. c-u-p) or giving an instruction (e.g. Stand u-p). You should try to vary the phonics activities which you provide and ensure that learning is hands-on in order to keep children's attention. Ideally, phonics should be taught daily; little and often is key. Encouraging children to say the first sound in the word loudest is a helpful strategy. In addition, children should be told to say the sounds faster and faster each time, to make hearing the word possible. For a handy reference sheet for educators or parents, download your free blending checklist! Blending activities Here are some engaging activities that incorporate children's interests. Find out what the children in your class love and try to develop some activities around these passions. They won't even realise that they're learning! Farmyard Fun Draw sheep on a piece of paper and cut them out. Place magnetic letters inside the sheep to make a word. Drive a toy tractor past the sheep and say each sound aloud. Blend to read the word. Dinosaur Blending Draw dinosaur footprints on paper and cut them out. Write sounds on each of the footprints. Arrange the footprints to make a word. Move the dinosaur across the footprints, saying the sounds. Blend to read the word. Blending Ramp Write the sounds which you require on individual stickers. Stick the sounds on the ramp to make a word. Send the toy car down the ramp. Say each of the sounds as the car whizzes over them! Blend to read the word. Hop Along! Use mats or hoops and place a sound card on/in each one. Jump or hop along and say the sounds aloud. Blend to read the word. Blending Cars Draw a road on a piece of paper. Add magnetic letters to make a word. Drive a toy car along the road, saying the sounds aloud. Blend to read the word. These activities and many more can be found in my phonics book, which you can purchase from Amazon. ‘Blast-Off with Blending’ is available in paperback and eBook versions and has over 500 sales to date! Learn to read and write the phase 2 high-frequency words with this fun phonics activity book! Reception-aged children will enjoy cutting and sticking to complete the phonics activities whilst also developing their fine-motor skills at the same time! Your child should blend to read the word, cut and stick to make the word and finally write the word. An engaging, hands-on learning workbook without too much mess! Learn to read phase 2 words and captions with this fun phonics activity book ! Reception-aged children should blend to read the word or caption and draw a picture to go with it. Engaging learning for early readers! The perfect workbook for home or school. Looking for new and engaging activity ideas for teaching spelling? Struggling for inspiration? Then this is the book for you! This collection of over 60 engaging, yet easy-to-set-up activities will transform your phonics provision. It's available in paperback and eBook versions. Soar with Segmenting and Early Spelling makes learning fun! Click here for more information about segmenting . Unlock the power of reading with this phonics blending activity book! Designed for young learners who need extra support with blending, Catch-Up Phonics contains fun and engaging activities that focus on two-letter words. From cutting and sticking to using a bingo dabber, your child will enjoy hands-on learning that boosts their confidence and helps them master the art of blending. The perfect activity book for beginning or struggling readers. * As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Do you keep hearing about loose parts play and wondering what on earth it is? Are you curious as to why people are giving their children baskets of 'junk'? Want to find out the method behind the madness? Learn more with this short inspiring read... The Benefits of Loose Parts Play Loose parts (or tinker trays) are ideal for developing children's creativity in the early years (EYFS). Essentially, they are just that - 'loose parts' - a collection of resources or materials with varied properties that can be used in many different ways. The idea of loose parts was introduced by Simon Nicholson in the 1970s. He presented his idea in an article, 'The Theory of Loose Parts, An important principle for design methodology.' Loose parts allow children's imaginations to run wild, with endless opportunities for open-ended play ! Instead of giving a child a toy doll or car, which can be used in a limited number of ways, loose parts are open ended. A cardboard box can be a shelter, a car, a boat and more! Ideally, the child will lead the activity whilst you are on hand to help them to develop their problem solving, counting, fine motor skills and more. Let them explore their own ideas at home, in your setting or outdoors. When children are left to explore, a collection of loose parts might become a face, a dinosaur or a tractor! Loose Parts Resources and Materials To begin with, look around your home or setting, outdoors, in charity shops, online market places, craft shops, home improvement stores and at scrap centres for items which you think might be useful for your collection. Small items can be used anywhere at any time! Large items are ideal resources for large scale tinkering. They may be better used outdoors, or you could set up a corner of your home or setting as a 'deconstructed role play area', where only open-ended loose parts are provided. Here's a useful list of resources which you can gather together. If you are an early years educator, you can ask parents to help you with this task! Feel free to add any more resources that you can think of in the comments section below. Small Items Leaves, twigs, pine cones, conkers, corks, peg dolls, wooden dolly pegs, feathers, shells, flowers, cardboard tubes, wooden curtain rings, cork tiles, natural loofah, buttons, bamboo products, brushes, wooden balls, keys, metal measuring cups, spoons, locks, napkin rings, bangles, paint sample cards, colourful gems, hair curlers, foam shapes, scarves, felt, ribbons, lolly pop sticks, make up brushes, sponges, empty picture frames, plastic tubs, empty jars, funnels, sieves, colanders, tweezers, chopsticks, golf tees, etc. Large Items Plastic guttering, tyres, buckets, pallets, planks, poles, tubing, plastic crates, logs, cardboard boxes, balls, bricks, etc. When you have gathered together your collection, you'll need something to store it in - a box or a lidded tray with compartments is ideal. This will help to keep the items at their best and protect them from the elements if outside. Now everything is ready for your little explorer! Next Steps with Loose Parts Play Over time, you should try to add to your loose parts set. You will start to notice treasures everywhere! Adding to your collection will help to stimulate and engage children in their play and hold their interest. You might want to create themed boxes, which can be rotated throughout the year: Seasonal Colour/Black and White Floating and Sinking Sound Celebrations Light Construction Art and Design Storytelling Small World Maths Playdough Loose Parts Play Set Remember to take care when introducing loose parts to little ones. Some smaller items are unsuitable for children under 36 months or older children who put things in their mouths). Adult supervision is always recommended.

Are you new to teaching? Not got a clue about phonics? Overwhelmed by too much information? Here are 10 easy tips to help you to instantly start teaching phonics! Where Do I Start? In schools, the 42 main sounds are taught during phonics lessons - not just the 26 letters of the alphabet! Not sure where to start? It's a good idea to listen to the correct pronunciation of each sound , as this will ultimately help your child to learn to read and spell! A Phonics Guide to Learning Letters and Sounds Initially, it's best to introduce the letter sounds rather than placing too much focus on their names . This makes blending to read simple 2 or 3-letter words far easier. As children progress with their phonics, they'll start to learn that some sounds can contain 2 or more letters, for example, ‘ch’ or ‘ai’. They will then need to learn the letter names. Make sure that the sounds (phonemes) are pronounced correctly by children and adults! Sometimes people add /uh/ on the end of a sound (for example, /m/ becomes muh). If you're a parent or guardian, check with your child’s teacher if you're unsure how to pronounce the letter sounds. There are also phonics clips online demonstrating the correct pronunciation . Introduce new sounds alongside objects and pictures which begin with that sound. Also, encourage children to listen out for the sound in the middle or at the end of words during phonics sessions. Ask children to look in a mirror whilst saying the sounds so they can focus on the shape their mouth should be making. It is more important to learn lowercase letters first rather than capital letters. This is because most early books consist mainly of lowercase letters! You can introduce the capital letters at the same time but focus more on the lowercase letter. When you do start to teach capitals, ensure that children realise that capital letters make the same sounds as their lowercase version! It's a common misconception that the capital letter is the ‘name’ and the lowercase letter is the ‘sound’! Letter names can be taught during phonics sessions using the alphabet song. Point to an alphabet display as you sing. Always demonstrate how to correctly form each letter. If you're a parent/guardian, ask your child’s school to give you a sheet showing how they teach children to form each letter. Different schools use different approaches to teach handwriting. Bad habits are very difficult to break! Teach phonics daily; little and often is key. Vary the activities and keep them fun! Make phonics learning hands-on and engaging! There are tons of awesome phonics activities here . Letter and Sound Recognition Activities Football Flick You Will Need Polystyrene balls Pen Mini goal, e.g. from 'Finger Football', or a tub/small box Instructions •Write a sound on each of the balls. •Line the balls up ready for penalties! •Flick the ball into the net, saying the sound. Hole Punch You Will Need Strips of paper/card Pen Mini hole punchers Instructions •Write letters on the strips of paper. •Call out a letter (or children can pick one from a bag). •Children punch holes underneath that letter on their strips of paper. Trucks and Rocks You Will Need Toy trucks Rocks Pen Instructions •Write your focus sounds on rocks. •Children dig or scoop up the rocks and put them into their trucks. •Can they tell you the letter sounds? Dig for Letters You Will Need Sand Magnetic letters Spades, trowels, etc. Instructions •Bury magnetic letters in the sand. •Children hunt for the letters and say the sounds as they collect them. •They can also make the imprint of letters in damp sand. Phonics Resources Customers love the hands-on resources in the Hands-On Printables shop! There's a great selection of activities to teach children their letter sounds . The phonics activity guide, 'Lift Off with Letters' offers a wonderful assortment of fun and engaging ways to teach phonemes and graphemes! Take a look at the clip below for a sneak peek! If you enjoyed these activities, make sure that you also check out these blog posts: 10 Fabulous Phonics Resources Fun with Phase 2 Phonics

Want to make multiplication fun but don't know how? Discover our selection of engaging activities for teaching multiplication. Using resources or items which are easily sourced, your kids will soon be on the way to mastering their tables! Arrays Using arrays is a great visual way to begin to teach multiplication. Children can easily see that multiplication is the same as repeated addition. Children can use a muffin tin, an ice cube tray or Connect 4 as a frame and make their arrays with pom poms, counters or marbles. Another great way to show an array is to choose a domino and then multiply the two numbers using a matchstick array. When working out multiplications, children should be taught that it doesn't matter what order the numbers are in. Fact Fluency Twister Tables Twister is a fun way to learn multiplication facts. Simply write the tables which you are focusing on, on pieces of paper or sticky notes and tape/stick them to the circles. Play the game as you usually would but solve the tables as you go! For example, if your right hand lands on red, you must work out the multiplication on the circle which you place your hand. Spinners Spinners are super easy to make! Use a compass to draw a circle on card or draw around something circular. Cut the circle out and then split it into 12 parts. Write the numbers 1-12 in each section. Next, take a paper clip and put the point of a pencil through one end. Decide which table you are practising and then flick the spinner. If you are working on the 2 times tables and the spinner lands on number 5, you would solve 5x2. Roll n Solve Develop multiplication fact fluency for 2, 5 and 10 times-tables with this fun peg card activity! Children should work out the multiplication and then use a clothes peg to choose the correct answer. FUN hands-on learning for your maths continuous provision or home. 12-sided dice are perfect for learning multiplication facts. You need two dice and you might want to put them in a clear container, as shown in the clip. This will help with stray dice! Children shake the dice and solve the multiplication which is created! Spin and Cover This is another version of a spinner activity. Create a spinner using the instructions above, choose which table to practice and make a grid showing the answers. Children spin the spinner and cover the answer using counters, gems, cubes, etc. If you haven't got the time to create your own resources, customers love the variety of engaging hands-on multiplication activities in our shop. Fun Multiplication - What Next? A great selection of multiplication resources can be found here! * These cut-and-stick activity books offer a fun approach to practising and building confidence with multiplication facts. Click on the images to take a closer look! *As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you know that fine motor skills are important for children? Fine motor skills refer to the ability to make movements using the small muscles . They're needed for a range of activities in school; from writing, drawing and using scissors to turning the pages of a book, construction and using a computer mouse or keyboard! In addition, fine motor skills are required for many self-care tasks. Examples include getting dressed (doing buttons, zips and laces), brushing teeth, opening a lunchbox and using cutlery to eat. Well-developed fine motor skills enable children to become more independent . They can help children complete a task quickly and efficiently. These skills are learnt and developed in stages as a child grows. You can click here for some resources which are designed to help with fine motor skills. * Here are some tried and tested ways to work out these all-important small muscles: Cutting Learning to cut takes a lot of time and practice. Children need good hand-eye coordination and hand strength to be able to use scissors. They should be encouraged to keep their thumb up by doing a 'thumbs up' before starting. Start off with thicker materials first, such as straws and card, as these are easier to cut. Once your child has progressed past single snips, encourage them to turn the card, rather than the hand which they are cutting with and to follow simple patterns. Pegs/Tweezers Regular clothes pegs and jumbo tweezers are great for improving hand strength. They also help children to develop their hand-eye coordination. As your child's hand strength improves, they can try smaller tweezers. Mark Making Mark making is the step before writing. The skills learnt during mark-making contribute to your child's ability to hold and use a pencil, to draw and to colour. Mark making should be fun and multi-sensory. Use anything from damp sand to shaving foam, glitter to chalks to practise making lines, swirls, dots and other shapes, before progressing to letter formation. Playdough Playdough is fantastic for strengthening the fine motor muscles. Children should roll, flatten, pinch and use cutters. Using clay or thicker modelling materials will increase the difficulty and work the muscles harder! Hole Punching Hole punch activities are great for developing the smaller muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists. There are a variety of hole punchers out there, including double hole punchers, single hole punch pliers, mini punchers and even ones which punch out fun shapes! Threading A good pincer grip means that the thumb and pointer finger touch, just like when doing an 'OK' sign. Threading is an ideal way to improve the pincer grip. You could use a stopwatch or sand timer to challenge children to thread x number of objects in one minute. Your child could thread beads, buttons or pasta tubes onto string. Encourage them to pick up the objects using the thumb and index finger. Alternatively, children can thread a pipe cleaner through the holes in a colander! Loose Parts Loose parts or tinker trays are very popular at the moment. They are basically collections of 'loose parts', such as buttons, sequins, twigs and glass beads. In addition to encouraging creativity, they are also wonderful for developing fine motor skills. Picking up small items such sequins, beads, feathers and gems will help children to strengthen their pincer grip. Flicking Children can line up polystyrene balls and flick them into a net (a small tub will do). They should flick the balls with each finger and alternate hands. Can they flick the balls faster? Alternatives to balls include scrunched up pieces of paper or marbles (although you should think about safety and the age of the child when introducing small items). Posting In this activity, children post items through a slot, one at a time. They should be encouraged to use their thumb and one finger. There are a huge range of toys available which focus on this skill, or you can easily make your own! Just cut slots in cardboard boxes and decorate with pens and stickers! Your child can then post lolly pop sticks, pieces of card or counters through the holes. Fine Motor Activities - What Next? If you love the activities shown here, make sure that you check out these other hands-on learning ideas too: Developing Creativity with Loose Parts Fantastic Fine Motor Resources for Children This preschool activity book is wonderful for 3-4 year olds. It's jam-packed with fun age-appropriate activities, including those designed to develop fine motor skills! Click on the image to find out more. Bingo dabbers are amazing fun for little (and big) kids! This activity book is the ideal way to develop fine motor skills, with as little mess as possible! It's like painting without the need to cover your dining table and clean up afterwards! Click on the image to take you to Amazon, where you can buy this activity book. * As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What is Skip Counting? Skip counting is simply counting forwards or backwards by a number other than one. It is also known as counting in 2s, 5s, 10s, etc. If you're bored of the same old skip counting worksheets, why not shake things up and download your free counting in tens bingo dabber mazes now! Why Teach Skip Counting? Skip counting is a great strategy for counting larger groups of objects. It is a far more efficient way of counting how many sweets are in a bag for example. Skip counting helps children with calculation fluency and forms the basis of multiplication and division. How Do I Teach Skip Counting? Explain that when counting in groups of 2, 5, 10, etc. we keep adding the same number each time to the previous number. So far we have been used to adding just one each time when we count but now we are adding a greater amount. Practice skip counting using pairs of gloves, money, boxes of pencils or groups of children! It also comes in handy for telling the time, for example, counting 5 minute intervals on a clock. Which Activities Can I Use to Teach Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s? Flash cards are a good introduction to skip counting. Children can get used to the number sequences by placing the flash cards in the correct order. They can also be used as an eye-catching display! Picture puzzles are a lovely hands-on way for children to develop their skip counting skills. They also have the added benefit of allowing children to self-check their work and gain immediate feedback! Practice and review counting in 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s with these skip counting number posters . Quickly learn to count in sequence with these fun visuals. Ideal for displays or as a visual skip counting aid to use with groups or individuals. Clip cards are a really engaging way to work on counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Children should look at the sequence, work out the missing number and then clip a peg onto the correct answer. If you are looking for some physical evidence to demonstrate that a child understands the concept of skip counting, then these cut-and-stick activities are perfect! They can also be used for assessment purposes. Practise and review counting in 2s, 5s, 10s with these FUN racing car mazes!  Children will love using a bingo dabber or crayon to follow the skip-counting sequences.   Hands-on learning for your maths provision or intervention groups - answer keys included! Teach your class to count in 2s, 5s and 10s with this fun driving activity! Children should place the cards in the correct order and then move their toy car along the road, counting in sequence. They’ll learn to skip count in no time! 9 pages included. Road mats are provided in colour. Simply print, laminate and cut along the dotted lines. Practise and review counting in tens with these maths guided reading books. Your class will read each question and then work out the answer by counting the objects in groups of ten. The perfect activity for your maths lessons! Simply follow the instructions for how to put the books together and you’re ready to go! Your class will use counting in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s to work out different amounts. Children will use skip counting to count the groups of 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins shown in the piggy banks. Fun learning for your continuous provision, maths or intervention groups. Teach your class to count in 2s, 5s and 10s with this jumping frog activity! Children should place the cards in order and then use a toy frog to hop along the lily pads, counting sequentially. They’ll learn to skip count in no time! Mats are provided in colour. Simply print, laminate and cut along the dotted lines. Short on time and money, why not download your free counting in tens bingo dabber mazes  now!

Are you a parent worried about your child starting primary school? It's understandable to feel anxious about this big change but there's no need to fear it. In this blog post, we'll discuss what 'school readiness' really means, what a school-ready child looks like and share some practical ways to prepare your child for their first big day in Reception class. Let's ease your worries and get excited about this new chapter in your child's life! What is School Readiness? School readiness is a phrase often used in preschool settings but what does it mean? Here you'll find out what a 'school-ready' child looks like and discover some practical ways to prepare your child for that all-important big day in September. It's worth remembering that there can be a HUGE difference between a child who has only recently turned four and a child who will turn five in their first few weeks at school. Also, children with additional needs may require extra assistance with some of the things listed below. Schools are VERY aware of this and will adapt to ensure that they meet the children at the various stages they are at! Childhood isn't a race and early years professionals are more than used to differentiating their provision to ensure appropriate levels of challenge for all. Just like preschool, learning through play is still the main approach in Reception. What Can a School-Ready Child Do? Examples of school readiness are a child who is: able to dress and undress with a little help (for example, help may be needed with tricky buttons and pesky socks!). able to put on and take off their coat, plus try to do up and undo the zip. able to use cutlery to eat lunch - it's worth noting that all children from Reception to Year Two are entitled to a free school meal. curious about learning, who asks and answers questions. able to use the toilet and wash their hands independently. able to take turns and make friends. able to follow simple rules and instructions. healthy and active. able to sit and listen for short periods, i.e. 10 minutes. able to tidy away toys! able to participate in music and storytelling activities. If your child can't yet do some of these things, don't worry ! Your child's teacher will work with you and your child to help them meet these targets. What is Not Expected? Children don't have to recognise all of their letters and numbers. They also definitely don't need to be able to read books! Please let your child be little and let them play! After all, ' Play is the work of childhood ,' Jean Piaget. What Activities Can I Try at Home? You're probably already doing lots of wonderful things with your child! Here are some more easy and budget-friendly activities which you can try: Visit the library and take out a book: look at the front cover and guess what the story might be about, talk about where the story starts and ends, use the pictures to tell the story and retell the story using puppets or masks. You could even make your own! Go on a shape hunt around the house and outdoors: talk about what the shapes look like. How many sides and corners do they have? Make shape patterns and pictures. Do something fun outdoors : make an obstacle course, build a den or create a bug hotel. All of these activities involve teamwork and lots of discussion, promoting your child's language development! Practice counting : blow bubbles outdoors – how many can you pop? Who can pop the most? Can you pop more next time? Make a model using 3/4/5 pieces of a construction kit. Thread and count beads onto a piece of string. Click for subitising activities to do with your child. Be creative : draw or paint a picture, make a model, create a collage or do some printing! Practice cutting and using an appropriate amount of glue or paint. Talk about the colours and textures with your child. Get physical : visit a park or play area, play in the garden, practice rolling/throwing and catching/kicking a large ball. Activities which develop your child's fine motor skills will help to get them ready for many tasks in school, such as writing, drawing, using scissors, turning the pages of a book, construction and using a computer mouse or keyboard. Small-world play is a wonderful way to develop children’s imagination, creativity and storytelling skills. This blog post provides examples of how you can create your own small-world setups . Help to develop your child's speaking and listening skills . Phase One of Letters and Sounds lays the foundations for the phonic work, which starts in Phase 2 at school. Go on a sound walk, talk about the loud/soft, high/low sounds made when you play instruments, do action songs and read rhyming books together. If you do want to introduce letters to your child, begin with the SOUNDS , rather than placing too much emphasis on the letter names. Make sure that the sounds (phonemes) are pronounced correctly by children and adults! Sometimes people add /uh/ on the end of a sound (for example, /m/ becomes muh). There are clips online demonstrating the correct pronunciation. Here, you will find hands-on activities for teaching letters and sounds . Starting Primary School - What Happens Next? The summer before your child starts school, you'll probably be invited to a new intake parents' information evening. Your child should have at least one settling-in session at school and the teacher might visit them at their preschool setting. Some schools also offer a home visit. Don't be afraid to inform your child's new teacher of any particular needs or requirements which your child may have. Remember that childhood isn't a race . Just choose one or two things from the 'school-ready' checklist to focus on at a time. Above all, enjoy this EXCITING new stage of their development! Images from Pixabay This ENGAGING preschool activity book is ideal for helping preschool children to prepare for starting school! Teach your child how to count, rhyme, hear initial sounds, name shapes, to cut and stick and more with these FUN activities. The book also contains tons of top tips and extra hands-on activity ideas for you to try! You will find a great selection of fun learning resources here , all aimed at helping your child to learn through play. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Phase 3 phonics is usually taught in Reception class and takes children about 12 weeks to cover. It introduces children to the remaining, more difficult and/or less commonly used phonemes. Here's an overview of what phonics is, what’s taught at phase 3 and some tried and tested blending and segmenting activities… What is phonics? Words are made up of sounds called phonemes . A phoneme can be represented by between one to four letters (graphemes), such as 'igh' in l igh t, or 'a' in m a n. Phonics teaches children each of these sounds and how to use them to read and spell. Blending is when children say the sounds that make up a word and then merge them together until they can hear the word, e.g. c-a-t = cat. Blending plays a vital role in the journey to becoming a fluent reader. If you still have children in your class struggling to make progress with blending, download your free blending checklist now. Segmenting teaches children to recognise the segments that form a word. It is when children ‘stretch’ out a word and then break it up into sounds, e.g. dog = d-o-g. This enables them to spell words. Segmenting is the opposite of blending in phonics. Click to take a look at this amazing value bundle! Phase 3 phonics The purpose of phase 3 phonics is to teach another 25 graphemes, most of them made up of two letters (e.g. sh, oa). The new graphemes are: j, v, w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch, sh, th, ng, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ar, or, ur, ow, oi, ear, air, ure, er. Children also continue to practise blending and segmenting, applying their phonics knowledge to reading and spelling simple two-syllable words and captions. During phase 3 phonics, they will learn the letter names by singing the alphabet song, plus some more tricky words! The tricky words are: he, she, we, me, be, was, you, they, all, are, my, her. Phase 3 phonics blending activities Drive and Blend Pull & Go Phonics •Make a word using magnetic letters, spacing the sounds out. •Send a pull-and-go toy underneath the word, saying the sounds as it passes by! •Blend to read the word. Football Phonics Bouncy Blending •Write a word on the ground using chalk. •Bounce the ball on each sound, saying it out loud. •Blend to read the word. •Alternatively, you could use bean bags and toss one onto each sound. Phase 3 phonics segmenting activities Press and Blend Playdough Phonics •Roll the playdough into balls. •Give each child 3 or 4 balls, depending on how many phonemes the words you are working on contain. •Say a word to the children, e.g. goat. •The children squash their playdough balls as they segment the word, g-oa-t. •Segment to spell: place magnetic letters underneath to spell the word. Rocket to the Moon Soar with Segmenting •Say a word to the children, e.g. 'moon'. •Ask the children to make their toy plane/rocket take off. Say the sounds in the word as it goes, m-oo-n. •Repeat with different words. •Segment to spell: write the words on a large piece of paper. Phase 3 phonics tricky word tips •Tricky words are also known as common exception or irregular words. • Tricky words contain letter-sound correspondences that the children have yet to learn, for example, ‘was’. The ‘a’ corresponds to the phoneme /o/ which is unusual for children who are working at phase three phonics. •With tricky words, focus on the sounds that children know first and then look carefully at the tricky part. •Highlight the tricky part of the word using a different coloured pen or a highlighter. Alternatively, you could underline the tricky part. •You could encourage the child to draw a picture in the tricky part of the word, to make it easier to remember. Download a range of engaging phase 3 phonics games and activities here! These activity ideas and many more can be found in my phonics books on Amazon. ‘Blast-Off with Blending’ and 'Soar with Segmenting are both available in paperback and eBook versions - just click on the images to take you there! * As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What next? Download your free phonics blending checklist to share with members of your team or parents.

Subitising in Maths Explained Subitising is recognising small numbers of things without actually having to count them. For example, when you roll a dice, you recognise that there are four dots without counting them. Subitising can help children understand what numbers are and help them to partition and develop number sense. In the early years (preschool and Reception), children look at small groups of objects, how many fingers are being held up or the dots on dice to help them develop this skill. Our brains can only easily subitise numbers up to five and children are expected to learn to do this by the end of their Reception year at school. If your child is starting school soon, you might find this Guide to Starting School useful. Subitising with Dice Subitising Activities for Early Years (EYFS) Board Games Board Games Board games with dice are an ideal way to introduce subitising. The more that your child plays them, the more used to automatically recognising each amount on the dice they will be! Board games are also fun and help children to learn that all-important skill of turn-taking! Objects/Manipulatives Building Blocks In your maths subitising lessons, use a range of objects (or manipulatives), such as counters, blocks or beads. Lay them out in different arrangements so that children are aware that 4 blocks are always 4 blocks, even when they are arranged differently. Show children that the same amount might be represented in a line, a tower, a circle or a random arrangement. FREE Fine-Motor Subitising Fine-Motor Subitising This activity not only teaches children to subitise and recognise numbers to 5, but it also helps develop their fine-motor skills! They will count or subitise the images and then use a hole punch to identify the matching numerals. This activity is perfect for use with individuals or small groups. Download your free fine motor subitising activity now! Fingers Subitising with Fingers Fingers are a free and 'to hand' resource for teaching subitising! They also come in useful for adding and subtracting and learning number bonds to ten! Using fingers in maths, particularly in the early years, should always be encouraged! Children could work in pairs to practise their subitising. They can take turns to hold up a certain number of fingers for their partner to subitise! Spinners Subitising Spinner Spinners with dots or pictures provide an alternative to dice - good for mixing things up a bit! Children could spin them and then make that many jumps along a track, clap or hop that many times. Give each child or pair of children a spinner so that they don't have to wait their turn for too long! FREE Subitising Cut and Stick Free Subitising Cut and Stick Children will learn to subitise with these free cut and stick activities . Activity sheets are included for subitising to 3, 5 and 10. Children subitise the image, then cut and stick the matching numeral. Ideal for use with groups, individuals or as a challenge in your continuous provision. Dominoes Dominoes Teach your child how to play the game of dominoes, whilst also teaching them to subitise! You could use these large floor dominoes to use indoors or outdoors. This will encourage movement and develop those gross motor skills too. Five/Ten Frames Ten Frame Five frames and ten frames are an easy way to represent numbers. They are also a good introduction to subitising, as they provide a simple way to visualise a small number, compared to a random arrangement of objects. You might want to draw a five-frame using chalk outside and place natural objects on it. Clip Cards Subitising Clip Cards Clip cards are a great way to work on subitising – whilst also working on fine motor strength! Children should say the amount shown on the card and then clip the peg to the correct numeral. This is a great way for them to learn what each numeral looks like. Also, children absolutely love any activity involving pegs! To sum it up, subitising is a great skill that helps children to become maths superstars! By getting good at subitising, they'll be building a strong foundation for understanding numbers and becoming confident mathematicians! This printable subitising pack is an engaging resource designed to help children master the skill of subitising in a fun and interactive way. The pack includes a variety of flashcards, clip cards, posters and activities that encourage children to recognise small quantities without counting. With bright illustrations and diverse resources, the pack caters to different learning styles, ensuring that children can practice subitising at their own pace! This preschool activity book contains some fantastic subitising activities and is perfect for children about to start school! It is designed to foster a love of learning while helping children develop essential skills in maths, literacy, pencil control and cutting. Each page has fun activities that capture young learners' attention, making concepts like counting, letter recognition and shapes enjoyable and accessible. Children will practice their pencil grip, improve their fine motor skills with cutting tasks and explore foundational maths and literacy skills with interactive activities and puzzles. Selected images from Pixabay

Do you tend to keep literacy inside? How much thought do you give to planning outdoor literacy activities? Here, we take a look at the benefits of outdoor literacy learning for children in the early years. The good news is that you don't need to spend a great deal on resources to create a range of fun, meaningful and engaging activities! Making letters with petals The Benefits of Outdoor Literacy Learning The statutory framework for the early years , states that, 'Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions).' Another important early-year's document, Development Matters , also highlights its importance, stating that, 'A well-planned learning environment, indoors and outside, is an important aspect of pedagogy.' Research shows that outdoor literacy learning can: promote a sense of well-being and have a calming effect. promote language and communication skills - some children find it easier to communicate outdoors because they can use an 'outdoor' voice and they feel freer and more relaxed. have a positive effect on physical health, as children generally have more space to be active whilst learning outdoors. help children to learn about the world around them whilst taking part in literacy activities. This research into the benefits of outdoor learning in the early years , by the National Literacy Trust, highlights further important points which you may find interesting. EYFS Literacy Outdoors: Learning Activities These outdoor literacy activities for 4-6 year-olds are perfect for you to try at home or school! Most take very little time to set up, using resources which you probably already have to hand. You'll be taking literacy outdoors in no time! Reading Set up a reading tent so children can look at books together, even if it's drizzling outside! Make a reading area using logs or hay bales, for your child to sit on and share books. Find quiet nooks and crannies in your garden and add cushions to create individual spaces for children to read. Put out a selection of fiction and non-fiction texts , comics, laminated nursery rhymes and poems, etc. Books about nature, gardening and the weather are perfect! Provide puppets and cuddly toys , so that your child can use them to retell stories. Alternatively, they might want to read a book to the toys. Have a role-play box containing hats, scarves, glasses and more. Read to little ones (or big kids!) outside and provide blankets and hot chocolate to make the experience feel magical. Allow your children to take pictures or film each other retelling stories, reciting a poem outdoors or following instructions to plant seeds. Set up a stage using decking, wooden crates or just a rug! Reading outside Writing Provide plenty of opportunities for little ones to develop their gross motor skills . The large muscles in the upper body are important for the postural control required for writing. Sweeping up leaves, dancing with a ribbon and cleaning windows are all great activities to try! In addition to their gross motor skills, children will also need to develop their fine motor skills so that they can grip a pencil and have the stamina needed for writing. Planting flowers, squeezing wet sponges and painting rocks are all activities which can help to develop fine motor skills. Lay out large rolls of paper or open out old cardboard boxes to practise mark-making or writing words and sentences on. Make a mud kitchen recipe book together. Laminate it so that it can be used again and again! Provide clipboards so that children can write lists of things that they see, a poem about nature or a story about a butterfly! Encourage your child to write their own signs for your outdoor space, on pieces of wood. Make maps of your immediate outdoor area or the local area - add pictures, symbols and a key. Ensure that children have access to a range of writing materials ; including chalks, pencils, pens, crayons, charcoal, pastels, paints and more! Making signs for the outdoors in the early years Phonics Go on a sound walk around the local area. Listen for loud and soft/high and low sounds. Can your child identify what is making the sounds? Play instruments outdoors - compare the different sounds which they make. Sing songs and rhymes - why not dance using pom poms and ribbons too? Look for things which rhyme in the environment, for example a cat and a hat, or a dog and a log. Make up silly rhymes together! Write your focus letters/sounds on skittles , depending on which phase you are studying. Children can say the sounds out loud as they bowl the skittles over. Encourage children to practise mark-making or forming letters using a paintbrush dipped in water, chalks on different surfaces or using a stick in a patch of mud. Write your focus letters/sounds/words on the wall - children can shoot a bow and arrow at each one and say them out loud. Go on a letter and word hunt in the local area. Children could make their own cardboard tube binoculars to search for signs, logos and street names. Use chalk to write words on the wall. Children could fire a water pistol along each sound and then blend the sounds together to read the word. Write words on the ground, with spaces between each of the sounds. Children can bounce a ball on the sounds and blend them together to read the words. Provide an easel, a blackboard or a whiteboard on the wall to practise segmenting (stretching words out and breaking it into sounds) or spelling tricky words. Phonics Activities Books for Teaching Children These phonics books for Reception contain awesome indoor and outdoor activities! Click on the images to take you to them! Segmenting to Spell Letters and Sounds Blending to Read Hands-On Learning Resources for 4-7 Year Olds You will find a fantastic range of hands-on learning resources in my Amazon store ! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you have any further ideas for literacy learning in the outdoors, don't forget to add them to the comments below!

It has been the trend over the last few years to have a beige classroom. That's meant hessian-backed displays, natural resources and taupe-painted walls. A calming, peaceful and tranquil environment is definitely something that we teachers aim for but is there really anything wrong with a pop of colour? Research has shown that a monotone environment can cause anxiety, restlessness and irritation. As the new school year approaches and your thoughts turn to setting up your classroom, what if you didn't have to go beige? The Psychology of Colour in the Classroom Did you know that how you use colour in the classroom can positively (or negatively) impact on the learning and behaviour of your pupils? Colours can grab children's attention and even help with memory. In his 2016 paper, Abdolreza Gilavand investigates the impact of colour on learning. It's certainly something to keep in mind when setting up your dream classroom! Here we discover how different colours can affect children's mood and academic success: Red - attention-grabbing, energising, creates excitement and alertness Yellow - encourages creativity and positive feelings and improves attention Orange - lifts mood and encourages communication Blue - relaxing, calming and improves concentration Brown - reduces fatigue and makes children feel safe Green - calming, can improve memory, peaceful and induces learning Off-white - improves attention and positive feelings How to Inject Colour into Your Classroom Clearly, too much colour in your classroom could overstimulate and overwhelm your pupils (and you). Nobody wants a play centre for a classroom. You definitely want to achieve a balance between neutral and bold colours. In addition, your school budget will probably not stretch to a full room refurb right now! Here are some easy and affordable ways for you to instantly inject some colour into your classroom: Soft furnishings - add colourful cushions, throws, drapes and rugs to your reading area, home corner and carpet area Hang prisms to reflect rainbows all over your walls Brighten up your room with plants and flowers Paint a cupboard, alcove or chair in a strong colour Have colourful baskets, trays and stationary organisers dotted around the room Back your display boards in hessian but use an attention-grabbing colour as a border Go for bold-coloured exercise books or folders Print on pastel-coloured paper to decrease eye strain, or use coloured overlays instead Using Colour in Your Continuous Provision With all that we have learnt in mind, here are some suggestions for you to try in the different areas of your continuous provision: Use splashes of red in your writing, role play and music areas to energise pupils and to help keep them motivated and alert Welcome children into your reading area with blue tones, to aid concentration and to ensure that they feel relaxed Inspire pupils and spark their creativity with yellow hues in your art, construction and investigation areas Make children feel safe and secure when they explore the home corner, with soft browns, natural materials and neutral colours Consider using off-white and greens to induce learning in your maths area How about adding warm orange accents to underused areas of provision - orange can attract attention and lift mood. Be careful if you have a particularly lively class though, as orange can overstimulate! What Shall I Do Next in My Classroom? As time goes on, you may notice that different colours evoke different responses from your pupils. Don't be afraid to change things or scrap ideas which aren't working. As you get to know your class, you might find yourself introducing more red, orange and yellow to inject a bit more energy! On the other hand, you might be heading down a more blue, green and brown route if you have a 'spirited' class! Let us know what works for you in the comments below. Kit your classroom out with these hands-on learning activities You may also be interested in the following blog posts: Subitising in Maths - What on Earth is That? Bingo Dabber Activities for Children