Ways you can help your child
There are many activities your child can do at home which are fun and will help with their learning.  One of the most important activities is independent play (away from a screen!).  Don’t fill their waking hours with clubs, parties, trips, visits, etc., they also need time to just play.  This is one of the best ways to allow their imagination and creativity to be set free, and for them to use their brainbox for problem solving.  As one child said “play is what I do when I get bored.”

Singing Songs and Nursery Rhymes

Research has shown that singing songs/nursery rhymes with an adult helps children to develop their literacy skills more effectively. This should continue throughout Reception and KS1.

Reading

Whilst we teach them the skills of reading at school, it is through sharing books regularly at home that children become better readers.

• regularly ready to your child, choosing a book that they cannot read themselves but can understand
• regularly listen to your child read, talking about the characters and the story, not just focusing on reading the words on the page.

As your child progresses onto bigger books with more complicated stories, they will be asked to write book reviews at home to share with the rest of the class.

Most importantly, reading should be a pleasant experience, not a chore.  It is at home with you that your child has the chance to fully enjoy books. Here are some more ideas about reading at home.

Money and Time

Money and Time are very difficult concepts for young children to grasp.  Help them to understand these concepts by making them a part of their everyday life.

Cooking

Cooking at home is a perfect opportunity for your child to learn more about weighing and measuring, experiencing maths in a real-world situation.