memory, exercise self-control and get organised will really help them develop the skills they need to succeed in life.
Education
These key skills underpin everything we do in life and it takes just a few minutes a day to boost them so your child learns more effectively and confidently. What’s more, growing these skills can be fun!
Lessons to learn before you’re 10
school, your brain will remember it better if you so information first. By You’ll be Hugman able to remember name Gail Developed by experts who understand how children’s brains lists, linked facts and even do magic tricks by rem develop form, try these activities to set your child off Older and children ages 7+starter might be able bunch of playing cards in order - how cool is that? on right the path.objects in a sequence or a Self-control tothe order
story. memory Working
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e live in a world where it’s easy to become overwhelmed. So teaching young children to make good use of their working memory, exercise self-control and get organised will really help them develop the skills they need to succeed in life. It takes just a few minutes a day to boost these skills so your child learns more effectively and confidently. Developed by experts who understand how children’s brains develop and form, these key skills underpin everything we do and growing them can be fun! Try these starter activities to set your child off on the right path.
Self-control Ask your child to tell you really quietly what colour socks theytoare wearing. The more children play the game, the Ask your child tell you really quietly what colour Play Kim’s Game. Then ask them to tellThen youask again are wearing. themas to tell you again as LO better they will get at recalling the aspossible possible (it may befun such (it may not benot such for you, but they w Why ten notobjects see for yourself Toobjects. set up, gather together on aand tray. Give yourLOUDLY child Each time theywill whisper funthem for you, but they love or it!)shout, give feedback to play along too! Keepto a look tallyatso canthen cover one to two timed minutes thethey objects, by telling them ‘that’s great whispering, can it be q up. Depending on age and ability, askpraise them tothem tell, draw or write track their improvement and Each time‘excellent they whisper or shout, LOUD voice, is thatgive the loudest you’ve g which ones they remember. As they progress, add more objects for being clever. Explain that this is more feedback to their brain by telling them or give them less time to remember them. than just a fun challenge, it’s all about Do this exercise a few ‘that’s great whispering, cantimes it beand congratulate you self-control. TellLOUD them that taking teaching their brain have a really There are ways help brainstorecall objects; the trick is to make quieter?’ or ‘excellent voice, is charge from the grown up thing to do. good You can say: ‘When your links andmemory. spot patterns. that the loudest you’ve got?’ teacher shows you something in school, Decide one thing you’d like your child to get under Give them these tips: Do this exercise a few times and your brain will remember it better if you example, it may be to resist the impulse to call out congratulate on their sort the information first. You’ll be able leaveyour theirchild desk when they selfshould be sitting quietl To start with, count how many objects you’ll have to remember. control. Tell them that taking charge to remember names, countries, lists, positive. Look to see if any can be linked together, by colour or by from linked such factsasand even or doallmagic tricks byor by use; material, all plastic wood, by shape eg the inside is a very grown up thing Explain to your child that you’d like them to focus o to do. remembering a bunchtools of playing in knife and fork go together, together, cards toys together. thing every day for a week. Remind them each day order - how cool is that?’ gotthing on and praiselike their progress. one you’d your childIn this way, you’ll Older children ages 7+ might be able to order the objectsDecide in a effort to control their impulses.it to get under control. For example, Gail Hugman is the bestselling author of sequence or a story. may be to resist the impulse to call 100 Things to Learn Before You’re 10. A Gail Hugman is the bestselling author of 100 Thin The more children play theshe game, the better they will getout at in class. Or leave their desk when children’s life coach, owns and runs Before You’re 10. A children’s life coach, she own recalling the objects. Why not see for yourself and play along they should be sitting quietly. Make it Human at Core (www.humanatcore. Human at Core (www.humanatcore.com), which too! Keep a tally so they can track their improvement and praise positive.parents Focus motivate on it forand a week. com), helpsExplain parents engageEach their children in de them for which being clever. thatmotivate this is moreand than just aa fun bright future science-based online day, ask how they gotand onprovides and praise engage it’s their children in developing challenge, all about teaching their brain toa have a really good development for children their progress so you courses can support their and parents. bright future and provides science-based memory. effort to control their impulses. online personal development courses for You can say:and ‘When your teacher shows you something in children parents.
Working memory - play Kim’s Game To set up, gather ten objects together on a tray. Give your child one to two timed minutes to look at the objects, then cover them up. Depending on age and ability, ask them to tell, draw or write which ones they remember. As they progress, add more objects or give them less time to remember them. There are ways to help brains recall objects; the trick is to make links and spot patterns. Give them these tips: To start with, count how many objects you’ll have to remember. Look to see if any can be linked together, by colour or by material, such as all plastic or all wood, by shape or by use; knife and fork go together, tools together, toys together.
Time management Time management
Organisation Organisation
Good habits created early on pay Organising time a great skill, but first need to grasp Organising time is a is great skill, but children dividends in Good laterhabits life! created early on pay dividends in late children first actually need to grasp how long might take five how long things take. Our ‘just a minute’ Help your child put together a homework kit so a or ten minutes and take. young brains may understandably fooled your child things actually Our ‘just a minute’ be Help put together a at hand before they start w stationery they need is into thinking passed. and might takeonly fivea minute or tenhas minutes homework kit so all stationery Teach yourthe child to get ready the night before, se Have funbrains using amay timer not to count how many of the following clothes and anystart extra kit they will need young understand this. they need istomorrow’s at hand before they things they can do in one minute: hops, writing their name working. Time homework. If it’s supposed to be thirty minu neatly, reading words loud,tostarting colouring-in page. Have fun using a out timer counta how spend longer on it. If your child is not finishing on t Show them a timetable of their day with blocks of playtime in Teach your child to get ready the night either the teacher needs to know or they need to f many of the following things they can which they can plan their own fun. before, setting out tomorrow’s clothes effectively. do in one minute: hops, writing their and any extra kit they will need. name neatly, reading words out loud,
starting a XXX 4 Families
colouring-in page.
Show them a timetable of their day with blocks of playtime in which they can plan their own fun.
Phonics & More - Save £5!
Time homework. If it’s supposed to be thirty minutes, don’t spend longer on it. If they’re not finishing on time, either the teacher needs to know or your child needs to focus more effectively.
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At school, children are taught to read using synthetic phonics. They learn letter sounds (phonemes) in groups and then work on blending them to make words. The first group is normally ‘s, a, t, p, i, n’. Once children know these phonemes, they will be encouraged to blend them together to make words. Later, children learn that one phoneme can be represented by different letters, such as the sound in the middle of ‘rain’ can also be represented as ‘ay’ (play) and ‘a-e’ (tale). Phonics reading schemes, such as Bug Club Phonics, Red Squirrel Phonics, Big Cat Phonics, Floppy’s Phonics are carefully written so that children can sound out all the words using only their phonics knowledge. When helping your child learn to read, the most important thing is to encourage a love of books and reading for pleasure. Whilst phonics is an important learning tool, it is part of a much bigger picture.
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For more reading advice and access to a huge range of phonics reading books and others, visit ReadingChest.co.uk, the children’s book rental service. Use discount code FAMSW to get £5 off your first month’s membership.
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