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.
Working with school (in strange times)
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Blog posts for: Top tips
Establishing a reading habit for the summer holidays and beyond
There are so many reasons to read with your children, this summer holiday and beyond. Read Mary Hamley’s tips on how to encourage a daily reading habit.
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.
Learning at home during lockdown: Almost over the finish line
If, like us, finding the enthusiasm to keep going with home learning is tricky, here are a few ideas for making it over the finish line.
Learning at home: Reading to learn
Education expert James Clements talks about how children who are already confident readers can get the most out of their reading.
Learning at home: The tricky business of screen time
Keeping your child’s screen time manageable can be tricky, especially at the moment. Education expert James Clements gives us his top tips.
Learning at home: What can we learn from teachers?
Education expert James Clements talks about the lessons we can learn from teachers about helping your child to learn at home.
Learning at home: Learning to read
Education expert James Clements runs through everything you need to keep your child’s reading skills developing during the school lockdown.
Learning at home: Buying yourself some time
Education expert James Clements shares his ideas for keeping the children busy – in a constructive way – when you need to be getting on with something.
Learning at home: How to prioritise sharing a book
Education expert and writer James Clements talks about the importance of reading to your child to boost their educational success in all sorts of ways.
Learning at home: What would they be learning at school?
Education expert and writer James Clements explains what your child would be learning at school, and how we can use (or not use) the curriculum at home.
Learning at home: Things to get ready for next week
Education expert and writer James Clements suggests 6 practical things you get get ready over the weekend for next week’s learning at home.
Learning at home: Organising the day
Education expert and writer James Clements offers up 4 different approaches to structuring your child’s day learning at home.
Learning at home: Making a start
Educational expert and writer James Clements gives his 3 top tips of how to get started with teaching your child at home.
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.
Carry on reading aloud: the benefits of sharing books with older children
Few things are more important than reading aloud to our children. James Clements gives his advice on how to keep your child reading aloud, even after they are reading independently.
How a dictionary and thesaurus can help your child discover the world of words
Find out how using dictionaries and thesauruses can expand your child’s vocabulary and help them enjoy learning.
Developing your child’s confidence with martial arts
Mary Stevens discusses how martial arts can help children develop their confidence, their resilience and their self-control, and tells us what inspired her new Warrior Monkeys series.
Four top tips for getting the most out of non-fiction
There are lots of great reasons to share factual books with your child. Here are our top four tips for getting the most out of reading non-fiction.
Overcoming maths anxiety and being #PositiveAboutNumbers
Derry Richardson talks about combating maths anxiety and becoming #PositiveAboutNumbers, with helpful practical tips for parents.
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.
How gardening can cultivate your child’s maths skills
Science writer Isabel Thomas shares her top five tips for cultivating maths skills in the garden, no matter how big or small your green space and green fingers.
A case for non-fiction:
five reasons to read non-fiction with your child
Education expert James Clements outlines five benefits of reading non-fiction, and gives us his top non-fiction reads for ages 5–11.
Get messy with measuring
Fiona Lazenby tells us her four top tips for learning about volume, area and capacity at home, and having messy fun in the process!
The wonder of words: How learning new words can help your child
A rich vocabulary allows a child to enjoy their reading, to express themselves and to learn about the world. James Clements offers tips on how to help your child’s vocabulary develop.
How to plan your 500 Words story
Author Christopher Edge shares his top tips on for planning a top-tier tale for the BBC 500 Words short story competition.
Cerrie Burnell’s top tips for reading bedtime stories
Sharing a book at bedtime helps develop your child’s vocabulary, gets them used to the idea of regular reading, and gives you both a great opportunity to bond. Children’s author Cerrie Burnell gives us her top tips for getting the most out of bedtime reading.
What to do if you’re worried about your child’s mental health
Advice from the NSPCC about how you can support your child to cope with stress and anxiety, and information about children’s mental health.
How to choose a book for ages 7–11
Literacy adviser and ex-librarian Beverley Humphrey offers her expert advice on how you can help choose the right book for your 7–11 year old.
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.
Choosing a primary school
Education expert James Clements gives his advice on how to choose the right school for your child.
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.
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.
Coding for children: problem-solving, precision, and going unplugged
Guest blogger Claire Lotriet discusses the benefits of encouraging children to code, and explains the place of computing in the curriculum.
The word gap: How to build your child’s vocabulary at home
Oxford University Press surveyed over 1,300 teachers who reported that the word gap is not only affecting children’s achievement at school but also that it can have a damaging impact on self-esteem and children’s ability to make friends. Find out what you can do to encourage language development at home.
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Countdown to the KS2 SATs: week one
Advice from James Clements about how you can help your child to do their very best in the KS2 national tests, and how the assessments can be approached so that they’re a positive experience for everyone involved.
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.
6 top tips for finishing your 500 Words story
It’s easy to start a story, and it’s hard to finish one. Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry series, shares her top tips for finishing a story.
How to find the perfect words for your story
Every writer wants to find the perfect words to tell their story. These activities will guide your child through four ways to make language sparkle in their creative writing, from creating striking similes to wielding unusual words.
4 fun ways to develop characters for a short story
Every story needs a star! These four fun activities will help any aspiring author dream up some page-turning protagonists.
4 top tips for writing great plots
Top tips for helping children develop great plots in their creative writing.
4 tips to inspire children’s creative writing
Coming up with a great story idea can be tricky, which is why we’ve gathered together four fun activities to inspire your child’s creative writing.
Cooking with kids – developing early maths skills
Cooking with your child makes for a fun opportunity to talk about maths together. Author Isabel Thomas shares her tips for using maths while cooking.
The gender gap: how to encourage boys to learn
An important factor in boys’ success at school is what they learn at home. Here are 6 simple ways you can help your child do well in reading and writing.
Writing non-fiction for fun
As writing for pleasure becomes less popular with children, Isabel Thomas emphasises the importance of writing non-fiction for fun.
Ideas to develop problem-solving skills
Isabel Thomas shares her fun, simple ways to explore maths and problem-solving while you’re out and about with the family.
Discovery walks – fun outdoor learning ideas
Isabel Thomas shares her ideas for fun and educational activities to do outside, from collecting leaves to spotting patterns in nature.
Building reading dens
Isabel Thomas explains how making reading dens with your child can turn reading a book into a special shared adventure with these simple ideas.
Choosing a secondary school
Author and teacher Jill Carter runs through what to consider when choosing a secondary school.
How to make time for homework and home learning – tips for creating the right space and schedule in busy households
There are lots of simple things you can do to make doing homework a positive and rewarding experience for your child and to support their learning at home. Isabel Thomas gives us her tips for creating the right space and schedule in busy households.
Back to school BINGO
Frustrated by single-word answers from your child about the first few weeks at school? Get the conversation started with our Back to school BINGO card.
Children’s dictionaries – how to find the right dictionary for your child
Find the right dictionary for your child with these four useful tips.
7 ways to practise multiplication skills at home
Bring maths to life with these seven easy activities you can try at home to build and improve your child’s understanding of multiplication.
Car journey games
Isabel Thomas suggests simple games to keep your child occupied on long car journeys – and to squeeze in a bit of learning on the way!
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.
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!
SATs skills: Preparing your child for KS2 SATs
Everything you need to know to prepare your child for the key stage 2 SATs, including expert advice and example questions.
Early years: Getting ready to write
Here are 5 fun and easy activities you can try at home to build up your child’s co-ordination, strength, and control before they start writing.
Supporting spelling at home
Mark Twain once observed, ‘anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word lacks imagination’. The government disagrees, so here are our top spelling tips.
Five easy ways to explore fractions with your child
Here are five easy ways you can relate fractions to everyday life, including ideas for using food, fun activities, and a free ‘Fractions in School’ booklet.
Supporting your child to develop their reading comprehension skills
Some tips to support your child as they begin to understand the concept of a story and start improving their reading comprehension.
Times tables tips
Our times tables top tips will provide some useful advice, ideas, and free activities to help you support your child in learning their times tables.
How to pick books for struggling readers
If your child is a struggling reader, here are 11 practical things to look out for in books that will encourage your child to start reading.
Five creative ways to help with spelling homework
Looking for some fun spelling ideas? Look no further. These games will help your child to learn those spelling words and enjoy it in the process.
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.
Ideas to sneak learning into everyday activities
Here are education expert James Clements’ favourite ways to teach your child on the sly, supporting their learning while having fun!
Copyright Oxford University Press 2020
