Starting School

Are you worried about your child’s writing? It’s a common concern, and something many subscribers ask me about. Here’s a recent email: My son is 4.5. He’s starting school in September as a deferred child as he turns 5 late summer and I wanted him to be the oldest in the year and not the

Do you worry your child can’t sit still for more than a few minutes? Will she struggle to concentrate when she starts school? How can you help your child to focus? Rightly or wrongly, being able to ‘sit nicely’ is a behaviour that most teachers will reward with praise, not only because it’s quite stressful

We hear a lot about teaching children to read too early, and it’s certainly true that it’s not right for every child. Your child will get to grips with phonics, but she might not be ready until she starts school. If this sounds like your child, don’t worry, there is plenty of time. Leave it

The first day at school is exciting, a chance for new friends and new adventures. There are sure to be a few worries and wobbles before the big day but with this simple guide you can be sure it will pass off smoothly. Posts in this series: Starting School Series | Read More Children must

Did you know that many of the classic games you played as a child can help lay the foundations for reading, writing, maths and much more? If you want to give your child a leg-up with some of the basics before school starts, but don’t much fancy boring practice books, these games strike a great

Have you ever wanted a guide to help you educate your baby or pre-schooler? Something comprehensive and empowering but easy to digest? As a former nursery and primary school teacher, I’ve often thought about writing such a book. Once I even made a list of everything I wanted to include, and then set about editing

Do you think children should have a childhood? Of course you do. Who wouldn’t? Here in the west we take it for granted that a child’s first few years are sacred, a place for play and discovery, before the pressures of work and responsibility are felt. We are horrified by stories of child labour in

If you’re lucky enough to be able to walk to school with your child then you’re likely to be doubling their one-to-one time with an adult for the day. In the busy classroom, teachers rarely have the opportunity to work directly with a child, so the time you have together first thing in the morning

Flashcards have a bad reputation. There are even books about it (Einstein Never Used Flashcards – a good read, btw!) They epitomise pushy parenting. But showing flashcards to a toddler in an attempt to turn them into a genius at the expense of creative play is very different from using them with a four- or