Rhyming is a very hard concept, and a lot of children take a long time to understand it. In ten years of teaching young children, I have seen many children learn to read fluently, and still not be able to complete a rhyming string. However, there are some steps you can put in place, to …
If children enjoy listening to and telling stories, then they are opened up to a world of possibilities. Storytelling has a massive impact for the whole child. It can also be used to develop skills across the entire curriculum. When children listen to stories…or make them up…or engage in activities that link to books and …
Of all the skills to learn in life, one of the most important is learning to listen. This underpins all areas of the curriculum. However, it is easier said than done. We have all seen children that roll around on the floor whenever it is time to listen to an adult. So how do we …
You might have heard about rhythm sticks, and possibly rhythm sticks activities, but you’re not really sure what they are. Is so, then you’ve come to the right place. Rhythm sticks are one of the ultimate resources for children from the ages of 2 upwards, and can teach many skills. But what are they? Rhythm …
‘Tricky’ words are not tricky because they are hard! That’s the most important thing to understand. Many children are put off them because they think they are difficult, as well as there being some parents that don’t want to practise them with their child because they sound intimidating. ‘Tricky’ words are called that because you …
Learning syllables is something that can be happening from quite a young age. Many three and four year olds will be able to start the process of learning about syllables in fun games, and this process continues for several years, as children deepen their understanding. How do you teach syllables? Begin teaching syllables with chants …
There is quite a lot of technical language surrounding phonics that sometimes can be a barrier to parents and even some teachers understanding how to teach it. The aim of this article is to completely demystify one of the most common words you may hear bandied around when you hear people talk about phonics – …
There are quite a few unusual terms bandied around in phonics, and these often muddy the waters and make it harder for parents and often teachers to understand how to teach it. The word ‘blending’ is definitely something you will hear a lot, but what exactly is it? Blending in phonics is combining broken up …
A phoneme frame is one of the best resources to use to get children beginning to read and write words. They are a simple idea, but an extremely effective one. What is a phoneme frame? A phoneme frame is a rectangular grid with several squares side by side. It is used for reading and writing …
Children go through a long transition from making marks to later writing in sentences. How to help them through this period will go a long way in helping them enjoy writing, and find success. But there are so many questions, such as – should pre-schoolers write on lined paper? Most experts agree that pre-schoolers should …