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FAQs and expert advice
Your GUIDE to starting school and learning to read Practical tips for getting prepared
How to grow a little bookworm
Dear Parents, Tears at the school gate and a bundle of f irst day jitters – and that’s often just the parents! At Ladybird we know that the f irst day of school is a huge stepping stone in a child’s life. For many children and their parents it marks the end of four very close years at home, and for some who have been in childcare, it signals the move to a new environment. But for all children it heralds the beginning of their formal education and the start of many new adventures. We understand the anxieties you may have so we’ve put together this little guide to help to demystify the process and pave the way to a smooth start to school for you all. We’ve answered some common questions about starting school, phonics and learning to read. You’ll also f ind lots of helpful hints and advice from the Ladybird team and educationalists, as well as some personal experiences from parents. We hope you’ll f ind it a useful companion on the road to starting school and beyond. So, say “Goodbye” to f irst day nerves and “Hello” to happy school days!
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, LADYBIRD
CONTENTS 2
The Road to School
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Through the School Gates
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Ready for Reading
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Champion Your Little Reader
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Scribble and Spell
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Can We Share a Story?
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Competition – win a year’s supply of Clarks shoes and £100 worth of Ladybird books!
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THE ROAD TO SCHOOL
PREPARING FOR THE ‘BIG SCHOOL’ JOURNEY The f irst few years of your child’s life are a wonderful time of discovery and learning for all of you. Family life evolves as your little one grows from newborn to boisterous toddler to inquisitive preschooler. Home and nursery environments are safe and familiar places, so it is no wonder that as the prospect of school draws near, parents and children may experience some trepidation. The most important thing is to keep positive about the build up to starting school and allow the excitement of this momentous occasion to be the overriding feeling. Your little one is growing up, stretching his wings and taking on new challenges. As hard as it might be to let go, watching him grow and develop is the biggest and greatest change of all.
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There are some SIMPLE STEPS you can take that will help to make starting school magical and exciting. VISITING YOUR CHILD’S NEW SCHOOL School visits usually happen in the Summer term prior to starting school, so make sure you sign up in plenty of time. You will meet your child’s teacher, other parents and children, and be given a tour of the school. This is a really important moment for your child. It means he will see familiar faces on his f irst day, know where to put his coat and have an idea of how to get around what will seem to him a really BIG building!
GETTING READY Starting school needs a bit of planning. School uniforms can sell out quickly and last minute shopping is stressful and avoidable. F ind out when you visit the school if you have to buy your child’s uniform from a specialist shop or from the school directly.
REHEARSE THE BIG DAY Doing a dummy run or two is a great idea. Getting your child into a new routine can be diff icult so start early!
TWO WEEKS BEFORE Start the going-to-bed-early routine two weeks before the f irst day of school if you can. Bedtime stories about school, like Topsy and Tim Start School, will be reassuring for your little one if he is nervous.
TRIAL RUN How long will it take him to get into his uniform, have breakfast, pack his lunch and brush his teeth? How are you getting to school? Walking, cycling or taking the bus? How long will it take? Remember if you do a dummy run during the holidays, you will need to allow for extra time when schools are back.
k Chec List
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✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Uniform and shoe shopping Book bag Pencil case and equipment Lunchbox and bottle Gym bag and PE kit Label EVERYTHING!
Milestones
SCHOOL SHOES: Top Tips 1. Playground madness calls for quality shoes that last, so look for a pair that are both scuff and water resistant. 2. The art of tying bows can take some time for little f ingers to grasp. If your child is still learning, choosing school shoes with velcro straps are a great option in the meantime – no hazards with tripping on laces and perfect for the morning rush! 3. Children’s feet are not fully formed until they’re in their late teens so regular check-ups for f it are important. (At Clarks we'll happily carry them out free of charge, with absolutely no obligation to buy. And if your child doesn't need new shoes, we'll tell you.) Over the last 180 years we've learnt a lot about little feet, and our school shoes go through up to 50 tests to cope with all the energetic new games they’ll learn to play with new friends!
You can book a free appointment in-store, online at www.clarks.co.uk/storeappointments or by calling 0844 248 8408.
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THE Big DAY!
My experience It’s hard to believe that Jack will be starting school in September, but I know he is really excited! He’s been fortunate enough to be at the nursery attached to the school so he already has a sense of what the place is, but he’s looking forward to being in the 'big' playground with the other children and to being able to do more 'big-boy' things. We talk about school a lot and about the things that he might do. Jack is also loving learning new words and sounds. His obsession with dinosaurs means we spend a lot of time sounding out the letters and sounds of their names as he likes to know what they are all called! As well as reading lots of dinosaur themed stories – Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs is a winner in our house – he loves looking at factual books that give him lots of statistics about how big they are and comparing them to the size of, say, a house or a bus. His love of wanting to learn new things means he is ready to take that next step to 'big' school, let’s just hope we get through the holidays!
Susan Mum of Jack, 4
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RELAX! A calm parent means a calm child!
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Get up a bit earlier today so there are no time issues.
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Have breakfast together, talk about what is going to happen.
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Take some photos for the family album, you will want to remember the day.
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You may not be able to take your child to school every day but try to take him for the f irst few days.
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Childcare and breakfast clubs are essential for many working parents, so don’t feel guilty when this system kicks in.
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Enjoy your f irst journey to school together.
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Say goodbye without any fuss – show excitement at the brilliant f irst day your child will have.
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If you can, pick up your child for the f irst few days. Again, childcare is a part of life for most parents, but those f irst few days are very special for you and your child, so try to be there if at all possible.
FAQs » MY CHILD IS WORRIED ABOUT BEING AWAY FROM ME. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?
Knowing what to expect at school helps to alleviate some common anxieties. You could spend some time helping your child to practise getting dressed and undressed (PE lessons may be the f irst time he has had to do this under time pressure without you to help). Even simple daily routines like going to the loo and eating lunch may seem daunting without you, so talk through these and have some time at home making sure your child is not worried about anything specif ic.
» HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD TO MAKE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL?
Lots of children are shy at f irst but the teacher will encourage them to join in and do things together. You could also try some local playgroups or go to children’s events at your local library or leisure centre to get your child used to mixing with other children before he starts school.
» SHOULD MY CHILD BE ABLE TO READ AND WRITE BEFORE HE STARTS SCHOOL?
Children develop at different rates. Some children may start school being able to read or write to some degree but this is certainly not an expectation. The school will probably use a synthetic phonics programme to teach the children the sounds and combinations they need to be able to read and write with conf idence. If your child is keen to start reading before he starts school, you can encourage him by looking at simple story books together and learning a few simple words.
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THROUGH THE SCHOOL GATES
NEW BEGINNINGS FOR YOU BOTH When your child waves goodbye at the school gates, her new school life begins. On the f irst day, she will be learning where to hang her coat and bag, f inding out how to store her books in drawers or possibly a desk, learning to navigate her way around her new school, learning the rules of the classroom, making new friends and doing new activities. There’s so much to be excited about!
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My experience My second child started school last September and although I’d been through it before, I felt really worried. Olly was socially awkward, reluctant to join in and not really looking forward to school. However, the teachers were great and really helped him through the f irst few weeks. He's been at school for over six months now and has really come out of his shell. He always has something to tell me at the end of each day! From my experience I’d say to other parents that your child possibly f inds starting school a lot less hard than you do so try not to panic too much! Leaving them is hard, but do it positively and happily and they will f lourish. If, after a few weeks the novelty is starting to wear off and they are tired and seem uninterested, focus on the good stuff when talking about school and you will f ind they soon perk up and start enjoying it again. My last bit of advice is, if you are able to spend a few mornings post-school run in the local coffee shop with other school mums, do it! You’ll f ind you have lots in common and might make some great friends!
Rachel
Mum of Olly, 4 ½ and Poppy, 6 ½
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Help your child to practise simple things like recognizing her name and putting on some of her uniform. Talk to your child about who will take her and collect her from school and tell her if anything in the routine changes. Don’t be too concerned if your child doesn’t want to talk to you about her day – she just wants to think about something different! Sharing stories and non-f iction books about starting school gives children the chance to become familiar with vocabulary linked to school experiences and to use the vocabulary to talk about their own experiences and any fears or worries they may have.
HELEN BEALE, RECEPTION TEACHER
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FAQs » WHAT CAN I DO IF MY CHILD DOESN’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL?
Some children f ind it diff icult to get used to the idea of school being a continual process and the issue of being separated from you can go well beyond the f irst day or term. It is helpful to have very clear routines to help your child adjust to this new chapter in her life. Repeating the same activity over time, such as dropping off at the same time and same place every day, will make your child feel more secure.
» MY CHILD DOESN’T HAVE A BEST FRIEND. IS THIS NORMAL?
Children develop relationships in their own time. Some children form close friendships straight away, others have a wider group of friends. Your child’s teacher will let you know if there are any concerns at school – many schools have a ‘buddy’ system whereby children can go to a bench or area of the playground to let others know they would like someone to talk to or play with.
» MY CHILD DOESN’T TALK ABOUT SCHOOL. IS SOMETHING WRONG?
Young children are often so focussed on what is going on during the school day that by the time they come home they are tired and just want to relax. They are constantly encountering new experiences and it takes time to process these. Wait until later in the evening, maybe after your child has eaten or while she is in the bath, to ask her how her day was. Avoid opting for lots of after-school activities – it is important for young children to get plenty of rest and have a regular bedtime.
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READY FOR READING
ARE YOU READY? LET’S BEGIN . . . The reading journey really begins at home. Even as toddlers, little ones have a rapidly growing vocabulary and are eager to explore and learn about the world. They have a greater awareness of what is going on around them and they love to be told stories that capture their imaginations. As soon as they start school at four years old, children are encouraged to start developing reading and writing skills, and they quickly gain experience and conf idence in these areas. Most children will begin to learn to read through synthetic phonics programmes and reading schemes.
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An introduction to
PHONICS
PHONICS – if you f ind the word, and all it is associated with, quite frankly a little bit frightening, you are not alone. Throw in phonemes, graphemes and even split digraphs,and it’s enough to send some parents into a dizzy spin! So let’s see if we can dispel the uncertainty about that f irst step on the reading ladder – phonics!
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SYNTHETIC PHONICS Synthetic phonics is a method of teaching reading. While English is one of the most complex languages in the world, phonics breaks it up into simple, manageable chunks. There are 44 sounds in the English language, which can be put together to form words. Children are taught how to say these sounds (called phonemes) and to recognize letters that represent each of these sounds (called graphemes). Once your child knows a few sounds, he can begin to start blending them together to read words. Sometimes a sound might be just one letter, such as /t / or /o/, while other sounds are represented by more than one letter, such as /ck/ in sock. Once your child knows these sounds, a word can be broken down (segmented) into these sounds to spell, too.
TRICKY WORDS There are some words, such as the and said, which cannot be sounded out. These are called ‘tricky words’. Children need to learn to recognize these words as whole words, so introducing them early on in their phonics learning means they can be practised as much as possible. In the past, the teaching of phonics has been left to teachers and, in some cases, parents have been actively discouraged from tackling phonics at home. But times are changing, and with the introduction of the Phonics Screening Check at the end of Year 1, parents want to understand phonics and become more involved in their child’s learning.
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In school, we teach phonics every day in a way that is fun but helps children with ❝ reading and spelling. A typical phonics lesson lasts for about 20 minutes and has several parts: REVISION: We always begin by giving children a chance to show what they already know. This is often a quick game where the children have to show how many sounds they recognize. This gives them conf idence at the beginning of the lesson and also ensures they don’t forget what they have already learned. TEACHING: In this part of the session, we teach something new. This can be a new sound (e.g. /ai/), or recognizing the sound in a word (e.g. rain), reading sentences with known sounds (e.g. I got wet in the rain), handwriting practice for the new sound or writing the sound in a word. PRACTISING: Then the children do an activity to practise whatever they have just been taught. This might be a group game, a worksheet, time to practise writing sounds or words. There are lots of different ways of doing this. RECAP: The session f inishes with a catch-up to give children the opportunity to say what they have been doing, or to link the new idea to what the children already know. Teaching phonics in this way where we do it daily, we revise what we know and teach something new, is very effective and most children – including dyslexic children – make rapid progress.
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KATE RUTTLE, DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER & LITERACY CONSULTANT
VISIT
www.ladybird.com /phonics for our phonics glossary and sound chart!
FAQs » WHY IS PHONICS TAUGHT IN UK SCHOOLS?
In 2005, The Rose Review highlighted the importance of synthetic phonics across Early Years Foundation teaching and the Primary Curriculum. Synthetic phonics is considered an important tool for teaching early reading skills as systematically breaking down the language into pieces often helps struggling readers. The present government has introduced a phonics screening check for all children at the end of Year 1, which assesses children’s ability to decode a series of real and nonsense words using their phonics knowledge.
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CAN I HELP MY CHILD TO LEARN PHONICS AT HOME?
There are lots of books and apps available to help children with learning phonics. It’s a good idea to talk to your child’s teacher before starting these at home. You might like to try Ladybird’s I’m Ready for Phonics app, which has been devised by Ladybird in conjunction with teachers, children and phonics expert, Kate Ruttle.
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I'M READY FOR PHONICS APP
Ladybird’s I’m Ready for Phonics app is the perfect tool to support your child’s synthetic phonics learning in a comprehensive and user-friendly way. The app is fully aligned to Letters and Sounds – the phonics programme used in most UK schools – and will help prepare your child for the Phonics Screening Check.
• Developed by phonics experts • Tested in schools • 12 levels of interactive fun
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AT home
SAY THE PHONEMES (SOUNDS) CORRECTLY It is important that the phonemes are pronounced correctly. Try not to add ‘uh’ to consonant sounds, such as /t/ and /p/, as this makes it trickier to blend words. Have a listen to our handy sound chart on the Ladybird website. LINK PHONEMES TO GRAPHEMES In school, children are taught to quickly see a link between the phoneme (sound) and a written representation of that sound (grapheme). At home, encourage your child to do the same. This can be done when you share a book at bedtime, when learning how to spell your child’s name or even when playing with fridge magnets in the kitchen! MAKE LEARNING FUN Phonics can seem daunting and diff icult for children and parents alike! Make phonics fun with games such as ‘I Spy’ and matching words to pictures. Pictures of words your child should be able to read are great for encouraging and helping him with his phonics knowledge. PRACTISE! Encourage your child to use his phonics knowledge as much as possible. Repeating sounds and words might seem boring and repetitive to you, but your child will f ind the familiarity helps to motivate him and build his conf idence, especially if he can read sounds he already knows!
My experience When my little girl was starting to learn to read I was really excited but at the same time felt quite daunted. We had an introduction to phonics at school and Sunny’s teacher was really helpful but I knew it was something we would have to dedicate time to and go over at home. I was nervous as I wasn’t really sure I understood it enough to help her, and with three children when I would f ind the time to help her? When the phonics app from Ladybird came out, I was absolutely delighted. The app was amazing and what I loved was that it was something we could enjoy together. Sunny really responds to rewards (I guess the child in all of us does!) and it really gave her conf idence. In fact it was a winner for the whole family and still is; my three year old Ted is now hot on Sunny's heels. The best advice I could give to other parents struggling with phonics, is to get help, whether it is attending an overview session with your child’s school, buying a book, or buying an app. Sunny loves both reading and writing and now spends most of her spare time doing both. I’m delighted!
Kerry Mum of Sunny, 6
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CHAMPION YOUR LITTLE READER
SIT WITH ME, READ WITH ME, LEARN WITH ME As a parent, supporting and encouraging your child’s reading development is hugely rewarding for both of you. Sharing books, reading them together and asking your child questions about what she’s read will stimulate her interest and encourage her imagination. Reading books from a series with a graded system can help you and your child f ind the books that best match her reading level; a book that is too hard for her to read could well discourage further reading.
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In order for a child to become engaged in reading it is important for them to see ❝ their parents reading. Parents are important role models in a child’s life and partaking in this activity will encourage your child to become a reader. Reading aloud to your child is also invaluable. By modelling reading with expression, it will give a sense of excitement to the book and engage her further. Choose books with exciting vocabulary, so that your child is exposed to effective story language early in life. Sign up to a library and help your child choose age-appropriate books. Make the time to listen to her read and discuss the books that you read together; who is the main character? What is the story about? This will build up a sense of reading for meaning. Don’t be disheartened if you think your child is struggling to read. Encourage her to read through pictures and invest in some phonics books to help her sound out her words. Games such as phonics and tricky word bingo can be accessed via the internet. These games are fantastic to help your child recognize words by sight.
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EMMA RADHANAUTH, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER
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My experience From an early age, I have always put a ‘make it yourself’ library (an old hamper or picnic basket) in each child’s bedroom, stuffed with age appropriate and interesting books. Having three children close in age means I have to have a strict bedtime routine as I like to spend 15 minutes with each child on their own for reading and cuddles – it’s a very special time and gives us 15 minutes of 100% one-on-one attention, reading a story together. Monty is a voracious reader. With him, I take it in turns to read a page of a challenging book, this encourages him to have a go and it has brought him on in leaps and bounds. I've also used various apps to foster this engagement in a fun and educational way.
Sophie Mum of Monty, 6
HINTS & TIPS
Encouraging children to read doesn’t need to stop at books. There are lots of everyday situations in which you can f ind ways to encourage and improve reading. •
Why not ask your child to read the menu when you visit a restaurant. She will feel very grown-up if she can order her own meal, too!
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When you’re in the car or on a bus, ask your child to spot place names on road signs. Your hometown, places you often visit and where friends and family live are good starting places.
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Don’t treat reading as a chore. It’s not ‘good behaviour’, it should be fun and natural.
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Libraries are an obvious source of reading material. Talk to the librarian with your child for more recommendations.
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My experience Having an older sister who is a real bookworm was a real bonus for Edith when she started to learn to read – she had her pick from a heaving bookshelf and a sister who was happy to read to her again and again! However, as Edith is a June baby and one of the youngest children in her class, I found that at f irst I had to give her a bit of extra help and encouragement to keep her interested in reading. While she was learning the basics at school, we were reading lots at home. If she loved a certain book, I would read it to her again and again until eventually she knew it so well I could encourage her to try to read a little bit to me – repetition was the key! We often browse in bookshops and have always visited the local library where I let them borrow any book they fancy.
Simon
Dad of Edith, 6 and Hannah, 10
DIGITAL vs BOOKS digital vs books Today, children are increasingly at one with all things digital. They thrive on exploring apps and navigating their way through the various elements. Moreover, schools are introducing more digital tablets into the classroom and encouraging children to learn using these devices. It’s also handy to have a digital device loaded with books for children to take on holiday!
Books from the Read it yourself with Ladybird series are also available as both ebooks and within the Read it yourself app. These feature read-along audio and additional interactive elements that further engage children with the stories and subjects. Encouraging children to read both digital books and a more traditional series of f irst chapter books, such as Ladybird’s Genie Street, will improve their reading skills with entertaining stories from a wide range of sources. The digital revolution has enriched the way children learn, but reading remains at the heart of learning, however it’s done!
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FAQs » WHAT CAN I DO IF MY CHILD IS A RELUCTANT READER?
Some children f ind reading harder, and therefore less enjoyable, than others. You can help your child to learn to love reading by reading together on a regular basis. Choose books about her favourite subjects and break up the reading by asking questions about the story or content. All reading is good reading, so apps and comics can be great alternatives to books at this stage.
» HOW CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP MY CHILD TO READ?
The are lots of great apps and ebooks available that are both entertaining and educational, such as Ladybird’s I’m Ready for Phonics app, and Read it yourself with Ladybird ebooks. Schools are introducing more digital tablets into the classroom and encouraging children to learn using these devices. Ebooks can help children to gain conf idence in their reading – often there are options to listen to the story or individual words, and to record your own voice and play it back. Built-in questions about a story also help to engage children as they read.
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SCRIBBLE AND SPELL
THE WONDER OF WORDS Once children have started school they will begin to practise letter shapes and writing patterns. They will soon be able to write simple words, such as their name, with more control. Activity books are great to use at this stage as they are fun, interactive and build on what children are learning at school. They provide plenty of opportunity to practise key early reading, writing and spelling skills, through puzzles and games that don’t feel like learning.
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SPELLING – HOW IS IT TAUGHT? Spelling is taught hand-in-hand with reading as part of all phonics programmes used in schools. Children will be taught to use their phonics skills to segment a word in order to spell it. Segmenting happens when you see or hear a word and you split it up (segment) into its individual sounds. For example ‘shop’ is made up of three sounds, /sh/ /o/ and /p/. As with learning to read and write, all children develop and learn to spell at different rates. In fact, as children use their phonics skills to segment words, they may often spell phonetically but not necessarily accurately! This is nothing to worry about as it is all part of the learning process. That is why learning to spell is a continuous journey – even adults are constantly learning how to spell new words every day! Once children have a good grasp of phonemes (sounds), teachers will focus on spelling and connecting the two areas of phonics together. This learning will continue from Year 1 all the way through primary school and beyond!
WRITING – HOW IS IT TAUGHT? Children may begin to develop early writing skills before they start school. As toddlers become aware of the world around them, they are eager to explore and learn all about it, and their improved dexterity and hand-eye coordination means they grab hold of everything within their reach – including a pencil! From the age of three, little ones are developing their motor skills and many are eager to start writing. If your child shows an early interest in writing before she starts school, we would encourage you to foster this early enjoyment with simple doodle and colouring books, or even scribbling patterns on bits of paper. Have a look at a few alphabet and writing activity books together, and even try apps where your child can begin to practise writing patterns.
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HINTS & TIPS •
SOUND OUT WORDS TOGETHER You can segment words together when reading stories, using fridge magnets to spell out words or sounding out road signs on long car journeys – you can spell anywhere!
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MAKE LEARNING FUN Make learning fun with games that encourage children to show you how good they are at spelling. You could even try speaking in a funny robotic voice when segmenting words, and encourage your little one to do the same!
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PRACTISE! Encourage your child to use her spelling knowledge as much as possible. Repeating spellings she knows will help her develop conf idence and give her the courage to tackle new words.
Writing can be fun, so make up a box of pens and try out different styles of paper – lined, squared, coloured – to encourage your child to write.
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FAQs » WHAT CAN I DO TO ENCOURAGE MY CHILD TO PRACTISE WRITING?
Activity books can be a great way of encouraging writing practice. Crossword puzzles and missing letter games all need writing. Handwriting practice books start by helping children to form the shapes of letters before going on to write letters and then simple words.
» MY CHILD MAKES LOTS OF SPELLING MISTAKES. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?
When children use their phonics skills to write words, they may have the right sound but not the correct spelling. This is quite normal and part of the learning process. Once your child is conf idently using the phonemes (sounds) his teacher will help him to start moving towards accurate spelling.
» HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD TO HAVE NEATER HANDWRITING?
As with other skills, clear and legible handwriting takes time and practice. Some children go from large clear letters to tiny barely legible letters before they f ind the right style for them. Handwriting skills develop differently for everyone and your child’s teacher will know how to move him to the next stage. Usually letter formation is the f irst stage, then starting to join letters together will follow.
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To get inspiration
WHERE NEXT?
for more great books to read, visit www.ladybird.com and www.puff in.co.uk
Reading is the greatest gift you can give a child. It opens up the doors to success.
We know instinctively that children who read, succeed. Your child’s reading adventure begins as soon as he is born, with you talking to your baby. Then, by sharing simple rhymes with your toddler and talking about everyday things with your preschooler you are constructing the building blocks for reading success. When your child is ready for school, all of this subtle exposure will help him with learning how to read. Once your child has grasped how to decode words and begins to improve his reading f luency, the doors of literacy open widely. Newly emergent readers can discover chapter f iction, such as Ladybird’s Genie Street, enjoy stories by favourite authors like Roald Dahl, laugh along with the exploits of Diary of A Wimpy Kid and then as they get older begin to enjoy the classics and contemporary f iction and non-f iction.
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Can we share a story? Ladybird’s recommended reading list, created by those in the know, especially for you.
Starting School
Topsy and Tim Start School £4.99 Follow Topsy and Tim on their f irst day at school. A reassuring read that can help you prepare for the big day.
Learning to Read
I’m Ready for Phonics F lash Cards £6.99 52 cards that contain key phonemes and a comprehensive parent note. Perfect for supporting phonics learning. Read it yourself with Ladybird app £1.99 (coming in July 2013) Hear stories read out loud or tap on individual words to check pronunciation. Children can even record their own versions. The app comes with one free ebook from each of the four different levels, with 46 more titles available through in-app purchase.
Writing
Topsy and Tim: Wipe Clean F irst Writing £3.99 Help your child practise writing letters with this bright, colourful wipe-clean book. Each letter is shown with arrows so children know where to place the pen, with left-handed options.
Spelling
I’m Ready to Spell app £2.99 (coming soon) The perfect way to support your child’s phonics and spelling practice in a comprehensive and user-friendly way. Includes three fun games with different levels of diff iculty, plus an achievement chart to monitor progress.
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WIN! WIN a year’s supply of Clarks shoes for your family*, plus £100 worth of Ladybird books! From those f irst tentative steps in learning to read through to making conf ident strides with independent reading, we know that little minds grow at an incredible pace. And so do little feet! So we’ve put together a fantastic prize package with our friends at Clarks that will really put a spring in your step! We’re giving you the chance to win 4 x £40 vouchers for each member of your family* to spend on new shoes at Clarks. That means that both the little kids AND the 'big' kids will be stepping out in style this year. Plus, we’ll throw in £100 worth of Ladybird books to enjoy together through every stage of your child's reading development.
* Up to four family members
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TO ENTER THE COMPETITON GO TO
www.ladybird.com/milestonescomp Whilst you’re there take a look at our fantastic free online resources and the brilliant Ladybird blog. Why not sign up to our newsletter so you can hear about new books and apps, hot topics and other competitions. Closing date: 31st December 2013 Terms and conditions apply, see website for details.
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