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 have put them off because they think they are difficult, as well as there are some parents who don’t want to practice them with their children 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 …
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? …