Additional support for BBC Bitesize daily lessons, including free activities. For the week 20th–24th April.
BBC Bitesize lesson support: Week 1
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Language unlocks reading – easy ways to support your child’s early language skills
A recent report highlights the link between children’s early language skills and their life chances. We look at simple everyday activities to boost your child’s communication, language and reading skills.
What to expect in Year 1 (age 5–6)
Find out what your child will learn in the year 1 primary curriculum for literacy and maths and ways to support home learning. Learn more about the phonics screening test.
Moving on up (to secondary school)!
This year, the uncertainty around schools reopening could make moving up to big school even more daunting than usual. Here are our top tips on how to prepare.
Grammar & punctuation in Year 6 (age 10–11)
Learn how grammar and punctuation is taught in Year 6 and find out how to support your child at home, with lots of fun ideas and free activities.
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Flummoxed by fractions? Dismayed by decimals? Perplexed by percentages? Get tips for exploring these tricky concepts at home.
Measurement in Year 5 (age 9–10)
In Year 5, your child will convert between metric and imperial units. They will find and use area and perimeter, capacity and volume, and units of time.
What is Letters and Sounds?
Find out about this popular approach to helping children learn to read with phonics. Discover which graphemes, phonemes, and tricky words are taught in each phase.
What to expect in Year 5 (age 9–10)
Find out what to expect in Year 5 at primary school as your child starts to embed the knowledge needed for the tests at the end of Year 6.
Free eBook library: 100s of eBooks to practise reading
Help your young child learn to read, and love to read, with our eBook library, containing hundreds of free eBooks. Developed for children aged 3–11.
Maths is everywhere!
Maths expert Louise Pennington shares her advice for developing your child’s maths skills during school closures by exploring maths in the real world.
Oxford Levels: How to support your 7–11-year-old’s reading development
Find out how Oxford Levels and levelled readers can support and develop your child’s reading skills even after they’ve learned how to read.
Choosing a secondary school
Author and teacher Jill Carter runs through what to consider when choosing a secondary school.
Science at primary school
Science at primary school is practical and exciting. Children love the chance to learn through being totally hands-on and finding things out for themselves — the perfect way to understand the world around them.
Story sparks: find inspiration for your short story
When you look down at a blank piece of paper, inspiration can seem a long way away. Here are Christopher Edge’s top tips for coming up with story ideas.
Progress with Oxford Age 9–10
Progress with Oxford activity books help develop essential English and Maths skills. Help your child practise times tables, grammar, handwriting and more.
What to expect in Year 4 (age 8–9)
Find out what your child will learn in Year 4, and how you can support their learning at home.
Spelling in Year 6 (age 10–11)
In Year 6, your child will be spelling more complicated words with increased accuracy. Find out how to help your child with spelling at home.
Spelling in Year 5 (age 9–10)
In Year 5, your child will be spelling more complicated words with increased accuracy. Find out how to help your child with spelling at home.
Spelling in Year 3 (age 7–8)
In Year 3, your child will write and read more, learning more complex spellings as they go. Find out how to help your child with spelling at home.
Books to inspire young scientists
Science and engineering provide fantastic career opportunities, but science is not just for scientists – it’s a huge part of everyday life. A good grounding in science will help every child to navigate their world and make good decisions. Isabel Thomas recommends books for ages 3–11 to inspire your young scientist.
What to expect in Year 6 (age 10–11)
Find out what to expect in Year 6 at primary school as your child prepares for their Key Stage 2 SATs and the transition to secondary school.
2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Coronavirus
Coronavirus is the 2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year. Find out about children’s evolving use of language from analysis of stories from BBC 500 Words 2020.
Why does your child need a dictionary?
Dictionaries are great for developing your child’s vocabulary, but not just any will do. Publisher Sam Armstrong explains how Oxford Children’s Dictionaries can support your child.
Early years
If your child is aged 3–4, the chances are that they are in some form of Early Years setting, whether at nursery, preschool, or with a childminder. Find out what they’ll be learning and how you can help.
8 fun ways to learn about shapes
Shapes are all around us and there are many ways you can start exploring them with your child. Get ideas on how to help familiarise your child with different shapes in all sorts of contexts.
What are reading schemes and why do they matter?
Educational publishing expert Andrea Quincey explains why reading schemes are important, and what the different colours, bands and levels actually mean.
How to support your child during GCSEs – what to do and when
As your child starts studying for their GCSEs, Aaron Wilkes gives his advice on navigating the new exams and encouraging good study skills.
4 top tips for writing great plots
Top tips for helping children develop great plots in their creative writing.
How to choose a book for ages 3–7
Children’s librarian Greta Paterson shares her 5 top tips for choosing books for 3–7 year olds.
Working with school (in strange times)
James Clements shares his advice on how we can work together with teachers to help our children be happy and confident at school, and gives his tips on getting the most out of parents’ evening.
How can I support my child with phonics?
There are so many easy things you can do to help support your child’s phonics learning. Here are a few ideas from phonics expert Laura Sharp.
Spelling in Year 1 (age 5–6)
In Year 1, your child will learn about the alphabet and will learn to spell some basic words. Find out how you can help your child with spelling at home.
What do the KS2 SATs scores mean?
Education expert James Clements explains what the KS2 SATs are, how scaled scores work, and what you can expect to hear from your child’s school.
How Numicon can help develop maths skills at home
Early Years teacher and mother Sheila O’Reilly shows us how the 1st Steps with Numicon at Home kit can support your child’s early maths development.
Spelling in Year 2 (age 6–7)
In Year 2, your child’s knowledge of spelling is assessed by their teacher and in the SPaG SATs test. Find out how you can help with spelling at home.
Your local library – a forgotten treasure trove
Guest blogger and primary school librarian Clare Turner gives her top five reasons why you should visit the library with your child.
Learning to tell the time
Telling the time is an important skill in everyday life, but it can be tricky to learn. You can start to increase your child’s awareness of time from a young age with simple activities and games.
Getting ready to start school
Read our top five tips for getting your child school-ready, download our Starting School checklist and print a certificate for your child.
Key Stage 1 SATs
The National Curriculum tests or SATs can seem like a daunting part of your child’s education but, if you know what to expect, they don’t need to be scary for you or your child!
Fun maths games and activities
Have fun practising your maths skills with these games, activity sheets, and videos.
2019 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Brexit
Brexit is the 2019 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year. Find out about children’s evolving use of language from analysis of stories from BBC 500 Words 2019.
Fun Christmas activities for 0–4 year olds
From hand-print Christmas wreaths to games to develop shape recognition skills, discover lots of toddler-friendly crafts and activity ideas to try with your little ones this Christmas!
500 Words: Black Lives Matter – how are British children responding to the emerging themes and issues in their writing?
Almost 6,000 children entered the writing competition in July 2020 and Oxford University Press’ analysis shines a light on children’s insight, empathy, and imagination when writing about race. Find out more.
Measurement in Year 2 (age 6–7)
In Year 2, your child will learn about the measurement of length, height, weight, volume, time, and money, and they will start measuring temperature.
Maths: Age 10–11 (Year 6)
In Year 6, your child will develop new skills to help solve more complex maths problems. Get tips and activites to help your 10- or 11-year-old at home.
Book of the Month: Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary
The Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary is packed with words ordered by phonic sound to help young children learn how to spell. Enter our competition to win a free copy.
Times tables: Practice makes perfect
Maths teacher and education expert Louise Pennington shares her favourite activities and games to help your child learn their times tables.
Science for fun – six super science activities to try at home
Six super science activities to try at home from Isabel Thomas. Bake a solar system, design a marble run, and sculpt with sugar!
What to expect in Year 3 (age 7–8)
Find out what your child will learn in Year 3 as they enter Key Stage 2, and how you can support their learning at home.
Start calculating with Numicon
It can be hard making the jump from counting numbers to calculating. Sheila O’Reilly shares activities to introduce your child to addition and subtraction.
Big Words for Little People
A series of picture books created by the language experts at Oxford University Press to introduce young children to the words they need to make sense of their feelings.
Picture books for older readers
Who says we have to leave picture books behind in KS1? These wonderful books use spellbinding illustrations to introduce children to big ideas. Includes FArTHER and The Man Who Walked Between Towers.
Grammar & punctuation in Year 3 (age 7–8)
Learn how grammar and punctuation is taught in Year 3 and find out how to support your child at home, with lots of fun ideas and free activities.
Using music for social and emotional development: Family activities from Amani Project
We’re working with Amani Project to help you make music and make change this summer! Get involved and complete the weekly activities to earn badges and find out more about Amani Project’s important work combining the power of music for children’s social and emotional development all around the world.
Reading: Age 3–4 (Early years)
Find out how your child’s reading skills will develop in nursery. Discover fun activities, ideas, and books to support your 3–4-year-old at home.
Measurement in Year 1 (age 5–6)
In Year 1, your child will have explored measurement in relation to length, height, weight, volume, and time. They will also start to learn about money.
Addition & subtraction in Year 3 (age 7–8)
In Year 3, your child will use a mental and written strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems. Find out how to help your child learn at home.
Mindfulness and mental health in children: five top tips for parents
How can you encourage mindfulness at home with your child, to support positive wellbeing and mental health? Liz Lord shares her tips for parents.
2018 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Plastic
Plastic has been revealed as the Children’s Word of the Year by Oxford University Press for the BBC 500 Words Competition. British children have once again shown themselves to be fabulously inventive, funny and socially astute.
Looking forward to the summer term: tips to help boost your child’s learning
What can we do to help our children to make progress over the term ahead? James Clements shares his tips to help boost skills and knowledge.
Multiplication & division in Year 4 (age 8–9)
In Year 4, your child will recall multiplication and division facts for times tables up to 12 × 12. Help your child at home with our advice and activities.
Algebra in Year 6 (age 10–11)
In Year 6, your child will start using simple formulae, will describe number sequences using letters as symbols, and will find unknowns in an equation.
Early numeracy skills: 6 fun ways to encourage counting
It’s never too early to explore numbers and counting with your child. Encourage early numeracy skills with these 6 great activities.
Geometry & shapes in Year 6 (age 10–11)
In Year 6, your child will draw and build shapes using information about length and angles. They will plot points and shapes on a full coordinate grid, and will translate and reflect shapes.
How to help your child do well at school
Being involved with your child’s education can make a huge difference to their success. Here are some helpful ideas for you to support your child’s learning.
Geometry & shapes in Year 1 (age 5–6)
In Year 1, your child will recognise 2D and 3D shapes and will explain simple turns (for example, a half-turn). They will use some basic geometry words, like sides and edges.
Developing reading skills as your child gets older
Once your child has mastered phonics and word-reading, where do they go next? Here are our ideas to keep your 7–11-year-old’s reading skills developing.
Read with Oxford Stage 3
Read with Oxford is an exciting range of levelled books to build reading confidence at home. Use Stage 1 to start your child on their reading journey.
Money skills in a digital age
How to develop an understanding of money and healthy money habits in our children when there are fewer opportunities for them to see the real and physical exchange of cash.
Number & place value in Year 3 (age 7–8)
In Year 3, your child will start to work with bigger numbers, all the way up to 1000. Find out how to help at home with our advice and activities.
Spelling in Year 4 (age 8–9)
In Year 4, your child will write and read more, learning more complex spellings as they go. Find out how to help your child with spelling at home.
Grammar & punctuation in Year 4 (age 8–9)
Learn how grammar and punctuation is taught in Year 4 and find out how to support your child at home, with lots of fun ideas and free activities.
English: Age 5–6 (Year 1)
In Year 1, your child’s reading, writing, and speaking skills will develop in leaps and bounds. Find out what they will learn at school and how to help at home.
Using storytelling to develop reading and writing skills
Early reading specialist Emily Guille-Marrett talks about how oral storytelling can lay the foundations for literacy skills – as well as being great fun.
Back to school
Help your child get ready for the year ahead. Includes guides to starting primary and secondary school, free activities, and a year-by-year guide to primary school.
Everyday activities to practise subtraction
Subtraction is a key concept in the primary maths curriculum. Here are some easy activities you can try at home to build your child’s skills and confidence.
Building a strong vocabulary: How to help at home
Headteacher Tracey Smith shares her ideas for fun and easy games you can play to build your child’s vocabulary and boost their confidence with words.
Teaching number bonds (without any screens)
Lots of schoolwork is being set online at the moment. Here is one example from education expert James Clements of teaching maths skills without a screen.
Secondary school
Find out what your child will be learning when they start secondary school, and browse our books and resources to help their studies at home, from Year 7 to GCSEs and A Levels.
Ballet Bunnies
Learning a new skill can be hard but when you’ve got friends like the ballet bunnies every day is a new adventure!
Diversifying your child’s reading
Diversifying the children’s book industry and what our children are reading is a much talked about topic. Many people want to make a difference, but with so much information available, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Geometry & shapes in Year 3 (age 7–8)
In Year 3, your child will continue to learn the properties of shapes, will investigate right angles, and will understand perpendicular and parallel lines.
Reluctant readers
From ‘thinking outside the bookbag’ to reading for a purpose, children’s author and mum of three Isabel Thomas shares some great advice on helping reluctant readers get excited about books.
5 top tips to keep reading at home
It’s more important than ever to keep your child reading at home this term and over the summer holidays. Camilla Macoun shares her tips.
Addition & subtraction in Year 4 (age 8–9)
In Year 4, your child will solve problems involving numbers up to four digits. Help your child learn at home with our activities, videos, and advice.
Overcoming maths anxiety and being #PositiveAboutNumbers
Derry Richardson talks about combating maths anxiety and becoming #PositiveAboutNumbers, with helpful practical tips for parents.
How to support your child as they start secondary school
Teacher and writer Jill Carter takes us through her tips for helping your child cope with the transition from primary to secondary school.
BBC Bitesize lesson support: Week 2
Additional support for BBC Bitesize daily lessons, including free activities. For week 27th April–1st May.
Number & place value in Year 2 (age 6–7)
In Year 2, your child will order numbers from 1 to 100, and will know the place value of two-digit numbers. Help at home with our activities and advice.
Read with Oxford Stage 6
Read with Oxford Stage 6 is for children who read confidently, silently and independently. They will feel comfortable tackling longer books. Take a look at our Stage 6 books and activities.
Nelson guide for parents
Find out more about Nelson English and download worksheets to support your child’s learning during school closures.
The new GCSEs explained – what’s changed and how the new grades work
Teacher and writer Aaron Wilkes explains what the new 1–9 GCSE grades mean, how they will be used, and how they map onto the old A*–U GCSE grades.
Maths education glossary: A to L
Find helpful explanations of maths terms, as well as activities, downloadable sheets, and videos for further support. From arrays to long division.
Read with Oxford guide for parents
A parent guide to Read with Oxford Stages and our exciting range of carefully levelled books to help children learn to read at home. Developed by experts to support your child’s first steps in phonics through to being an independent reader.
Reading: Age 8–9 (Year 4)
In Year 4, your child will be developing into an increasingly fluent reader. The focus will now be on building comprehension. Find out how to help them at home.
Reading: Age 7–8 (Year 3)
Children in Year 3 will hopefully be on the way to becoming a confident, independent readers. Find out how you can support their reading development at home.
Learning to read in Reception
Find out what sort of books to expect to come home in your child’s book bag, and get top tips on how best to support your child.
Addition & subtraction in Year 2 (age 6–7)
In Year 1, your child will solve problems using objects, diagrams, and symbols. Help your child learn at home with our activities, videos, and advice.
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