Hands-On Learning Tips and Activities

Home education allows parents to tailor learning and resources to their child’s pace, learning style and interests. Whether you're...

Homeschooling in the UK is becoming an increasingly popular choice for families looking for a flexible approach to education. Large class...

Teaching children how to tell the time can be a rewarding but sometimes frustrating experience! Focusing on o'clock and half past is a great way to start. Begin by introducing the clock face and explaining the numbers and their positions. Use a simple analogue clock, showing how the hour hand moves slowly while the minute hand moves more quickly. Start with the concept of the hour, illustrating how the minute hand points to the 12 when the hour changes. After the child has g

Phase 4 phonics is an exciting time for children as they begin to blend and segment longer words and become more confident readers. It is usually taught towards the end of Reception and/or at the beginning of Year 1. As a parent or teacher, you can help your child develop their phonics skills by continuing to incorporate fun and engaging activities into their learning. In this blog post, we look at what is taught in phase 4 phonics and share some exciting activities for home

Do you feel like you've tried everything to help your child improve their spelling skills, but nothing seems to work? Are you fed up with...

These free coin flashcards will come in handy when you're teaching children to recognise coins! Print two sets for a game of pairs, or match the coin image and value. They're ideal for use with individuals or small groups of children. Download them now! Teaching children about money is an important life skill. Recognising and understanding the value of coins is an essential concept that they'll use throughout their lives. While it may seem like a simple topic, teaching child

Whether you're a teacher or a parent, it's important to teach addition in a way that's engaging and easy to understand. Initially, children should work with small numbers and learn to confidently add within 5 . They will then progress to addition within 10 and then addition within 20 . There's no need to rush your child into working with larger numbers! Here are the expectations... By the end of Reception, children are expected to: automatically recall (without reference

Fine motor skills refer to the small movements made by our fingers, hands and wrists. They allow us to perform all sorts of tasks, from...

When it comes to teaching 2D shapes, hands-on activities are a great way to engage young learners and the perfect way to help them learn the shape names and properties. Here are 10 fun and interactive activities that you can use to teach 2D shapes: 1. Shape Painting Children can paint their own pictures of 2D shapes on paper. Alternatively, they can just use water and large brushes to paint large shapes on the ground outside - less mess to tidy up! 2. Musical Shapes Place 2D

Phase 5 phonics is typically taught throughout Year 1 of primary school in the UK. It builds on the foundation laid in the earlier phonics phases and introduces a range of new phonemes and graphemes, as well as more complex spelling patterns. What is taught in phase 5 phonics? One of the key aspects of Phase 5 phonics is the introduction of alternative spellings for the sounds that children have already learned. For example, they might learn that the sound /ai/ can be spelt

While there are many resources available to teach phonics, hands-on resources can be particularly effective. One major advantage is that...

Are you tearing your hair out because your child is struggling to learn to blend sounds? Do you feel like they aren't moving forwards...

Do you have a child who struggles with handwriting? Are they bored of handwriting sheets? Forget writing over letters on a worksheet and try these engaging activities instead! What is expected of children's handwriting? The early learning goals state that children in reception (4-5 year olds) should: write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. The year one English curriculum objectives (5-6 year olds) state that children should: sit correctly at a table

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 t

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

Tips for parents and teachers of reluctant readers.