Here are some ideas for how you can help your child to make the most of the opportunities they encounter in school.

Concentration

Help develop your child’s ability to sit and concentrate for a period of time by doing the following activities

• sitting and reading to them
• drawing
• puzzles
• painting
• cooking

Playing is an important part of your child’s development.

A mix of activities with or without an adult is good. An adult does not always need to be there.

Reading

Talking is the foundation of reading.

Tell family stories, encourage questioning.

Encourage them to talk about how they feel.

Sing songs.

Recite rhymes and riddles – teach your child all the rhymes you learnt as a child.

Read to your child everyday

Lead by example: if your child sees you reading for pleasure or information they will learn that reading is a worthwhile activity.

Make reading fun – use different voices, encourage joining in repetitive parts.

Talk about books. This helps your child to understand and enriches their vocabulary.

Maths

Early mathematical development can be best supported by bringing out the connection between everyday activities and the maths that underpins them.

Cooking – measure ingredients

–  set a timer

Find the same amount of different items eg 4 forks, 4 spoons. This can help with understanding what a number means.

Play with anything you find, leaves, stones, shells. Make a pattern with them count them, put them in order by size, weight, height, sort by size, colour, height, weight.

Talk about the size of different objects. Who has the biggest shoe? Please give me the smallest…..

Problem solving – how many spoons are on the table?, How many all together?

Out and About

Look for numbers and letters in the environment. talk about what they mean.

Count everything! Play counting games – Hopscotch, Hide and Seek.

Talk about time.

Play with containers in the bath – which holds the most/least water?

Look at shapes in the environment.

Play games – card games

– I Spy

– Board games

Don’t fill all their weekends with lots of activities, sometimes just let them be!

Most important have fun and enjoy!