How to take care of the emotional health of your child
· parenting
Children carry mental stress just as adults do: exams, bullying, family strain, peer pressure. The warning signs and six ways parents can help them cope.
Blog
Practical, evidence-based guidance for parents on dyslexia, reading science, and supporting children with learning difficulties.
The importance of child-led free play
· activities · parenting
Free play, where the child leads and the adult follows, builds self-regulation, creativity and decision making. What it looks like and how to encourage it.
Top 10 learning apps for young kids
· learning · activities
Ten learning apps that earn their screen time, Starfall to Khan Academy Kids and Epic, what makes a good one, and the supervision rules that keep them useful.
The history of English writing: why our spelling is the way it is
· writing · learning
From Sumerian clay to Shakespeare, English writing is layers of borrowed alphabets and vocabularies. That history explains every spelling quirk kids fight.
10 amazing book suggestions for 8 to 10 year old kids
· reading · parenting
Reading interest often drops around age nine. Ten books that fight the 'decline by nine', from Wimpy Kid to Ruskin Bond, plus the milestones to watch for.
Reading fluently does not mean reading fast
· reading
Fluency is accuracy, rate and expression working together for comprehension, not raw speed. How to tell the difference in your child, and ways to practise.
How to improve reading comprehension for young learners
· reading · parenting
Comprehension turns words into thoughts. What research says about why it breaks down, and what to do before, during and after reading to strengthen it.
Learning styles are a myth: what the research actually shows
· learning · school
Children have learning preferences, but research finds no evidence that teaching to a 'learning style' improves results. What works instead: all modalities.
Neuroplasticity and learning: how the brain rewires itself
· learning
Neuroplasticity is the brain's lifelong ability to form new connections, strongest in childhood. What it means for learning, and how to strengthen it daily.
Should I be concerned if my child is not reading correctly from the storybook?
· reading · parenting
Occasional misreads are normal; constant guessing is not. How to tell the difference, correct storybook reading gently, and know when to seek expert help.
What happens to our brain when we start learning?
· learning
Learning physically rewires the brain: neurons connect at synapses, myelin tunes the speed, and repetition strengthens the links. Why 'learn it, link it' works.
The Simple View of Reading: why some kids read words but miss meaning
· reading
The Simple View of Reading says comprehension equals decoding times language comprehension. What the formula reveals about why your child struggles.
All about phonological working memory
· dyslexia · learning
Phonological working memory holds sounds just long enough to use them. Why it sits near the heart of dyslexia, and how to lighten the load for learners.
Are you an active listener to your child?
· parenting
62 percent of kids say their parents are too distracted to listen. What active listening looks like, the CDC's five skills, and the SOLER method explained.
Two modes of thinking: focused and diffuse, and why learners need both
· learning
Focused thinking drills into the problem; diffuse thinking wanders and connects the dots. Why a walk after study works, and how children can use both modes.