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Independence or dependence in the Early Years
Anyone involved in teaching young children knows how important it is to develop skills for independence, but it can be a tricky balance. How much risk-taking is acceptable? How much time can we allow for trial and error? As someone once said, "It's okay not to know, but it's not okay to not try". Sometimes our desire to help can actually hinder children's progress in this regard. Liz Boffey looks back on her experiences, considering how independence can be encouraged and the differences small changes can make. Read more
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Using tens frames and counters across year groups
Tens frames provide a very clear representation of numbers up to 10. It cannot be overstated how important the sense of ‘ten-ness’ is for children and their future progress in maths. Once bonds to 10 are second-nature, the ground is laid for the understanding of addition and subtraction and the mental pictures needed for all kinds of mathematical thinking Read more
- Primary History - 5 favourite teaching ideas
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Explore the Possibilities of Eco Build a World
Alice Sharp shares with us the possibilities of exploration, imaginative play and so much more with Eco Build a World. Read more
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Old Father Time: Using Timelines in the Classroom
I was recently sent a new book to review. It is called Cities Unfolded; London through Time. It is a zig-zag fold-out book that has one large picture of London on each page. Basically it shows the development of London from a Roman city, through to today. What a great idea for helping our children develop a sense of continuity and change over a long span of time - except by having one topic or period per page, we get no sense at all of the passage of time. Read more
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EYFS Pre-Writing Skills: Gross & Fine Motor Activities
No one runs a marathon without first training their legs to cope with the amount of exercise they will have to endure, SO WHY do we expect children to write before we have developed their shoulder muscles, arms and finally their fine motor muscles? It is imperative for Early Years settings to support children's early development, but does this mean giving them a pen and asking them to write? How can we expect them to write when we haven't "trained" them with the techniques they will require? Read more
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Early Maths - All About Subitising
Learn all about subitising and ways to teach it in this article from Dr Helen Williams, an independent educational consultant specialising in the learning and teaching of Early Years and KS1 mathematics. Read more
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Creative Audio Writing - Top Tips
Writing at its best is a creative process but it is also a very complex skill to master. It requires mastery of fine motor skills, attention span, memory, language and higher order cognition. If a child struggles with any of these components then their creative aspirations and ideas may become hidden. Why should this potential be stifled through lack of fluency with a physical process when we now have alternative means of recording our thoughts? I decided to explore how as teachers we could break the chains. Read more
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Back to School – 10 Activity Suggestions
The return to school after the long summer holidays can be a little nerve-wracking for all concerned. Children are usually excited to be back, but often a bit nervous too. They hope they will like their new class and teacher, make new friends and that the work will not be too difficult! Teachers are wondering how on earth the holidays could have flown by so quickly and about how all their good intentions to be ultra-organised this year haven’t quite come to fruition. (If only there was one more week without the children!) Even the most experienced teachers can feel apprehensive about getting back on the roller-coaster for another year. The first day back is an important one because it sets the scene, allowing everyone to settle back in and feel: relieved, happy, comfortable, capable, included, excited to learn and many other emotions besides. If you are still pondering what to do, here are 10 activity ideas to help get the year off to a memorable start. Most can be adapted to suit any age group. Read more
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The Painting Challenge
A fast and furious challenge that pushes students to explore paint and, dare I say it, make a mess. Read more
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Developing Language and Reading
In this blog we explore ways to help develop language and reading and create a language rich environment. Read more
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A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig: Activity Ideas
Explore fun classroom activities for 'A Boy Called Christmas' by Matt Haig. Keep 7-11 year olds learning this festive season. Read more
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EYFS: Personal, Social & Emotional Development
In this blog, Early Years consultant Alistair Bryce-Clegg looks at the Personal, Social and Emotional Development area of the EYFS framework. Read more
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Alistair Bryce-Clegg Talking EYFS: Expressive Arts & Design
This series of articles has been written by industry experts to help you to understand changes to the EYFS Framework. In this blog, Early Years consultant Alistair Bryce-Clegg looks at the Expressive Arts and Design area of the framework. Read more
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How to Support Children's Mental Health in Primary Schools
Despite the temptation to look back on childhood with rose-tinted glasses, there have always been children who have been troubled: individuals who have been the victims of bullying, those who feel insecure, those who suffer from low self-esteem. Over the years these issues have been more widely recognised, but statistics make it safe to say that the circumstances around the pandemic have shone a spotlight onto the struggles children and young people can experience with their mental health. Read more
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Home Learning Activities: Using Magnifiers
In this blog we want to give you some simple activities that you can do with magnifiers and microscopes that will engage and enthuse children and help them to develop their scientific skills! Read more