Blending and segmenting are very closely linked skills, and yet they are also kind of opposites. Both are really important to early phonics, and are needed for children to start reading and writing simple words. But what’s the difference between blending and segmenting? Blending is a skill needed for reading. Segmenting is used for writing. …

Puppets act like magic on young children! They can be the difference between children rolling around on the floor during a carpet time, or sitting in captivated awe! Children are usually far more excited by puppets than they are by humans, and the research suggests this also. But how can you use puppets in teaching? …

Balloon games are fantastic for getting children to cooperate, get active and have fun. I have taught children between the ages of 3-5 for the last ten years, and I have used balloon games regularly to get children working as a team and communicating in an exciting context. The whole curriculum can be linked to …

You have probably noticed that some pre-schoolers are not averse to telling the odd lie now and then. Some seem to come out with outrageous fantasies, whilst others are just a bit reserved with the facts, or bend the truth slightly. But why does all this happen? Why do some pre-schoolers lie? Preschoolers lie for …

There are so many random things you can use for loose parts play! There will be items all around your house, in your shed, in the back of cupboards, in your kitchen – wherever there are odds and ends there are loose parts ready to be played with! But what sorts of things are good …

I have been using parachute games with children aged 3-5 over the last ten years. I have tried literally hundreds of games – some have not been so great. But amongst the hundreds have been some hidden gems! I am listing the forty best ones here! I have done the hard yards for you, and …

In the ten years that I have taught children aged 3-5, I have always found playdough to be probably the number one versatile resource. You can teach skills across the whole curriculum by using it, but it also has many emotional benefits as well. But what exactly are these? The emotional benefits of playdough include …

In ten years of teaching maths to children aged between 3 to 5 (as well as having three kids at home myself), I have found one of the most important foundation skills is rote counting. But what exactly is it? Rote counting is saying numbers in order. The numbers are not linked to counting objects …

In ten years of working with children aged 3-5, I have found that one of the most important skills in early phonics is definitely segmenting. It is a crucial skill in early writing, and it is involved in reading too. But what exactly is it? Segmenting in phonics is the ability to separate a word …

Ten frames are really popular now in early education, and with good reason. They provide a really simple framework for children to develop lots of different maths skills, including counting, adding, number bonds, patterns, creating arrays, subetising, and many more! Ten frames are really good for children to start visualising maths in lots of different …