This post is full of Hints tips and tricks to helping your children reach their potential and aiding them through their English work.

Our favourite hints tips and tricks:

Finger technique

This is a very simple trick. It consists the child putting their finger at the end of one word and starting the next one the other side of their finger. Some children struggle to remember to leave gaps between their words. This helps them remember and leave a right sized gap.

Emily demonstrating the Finger technique for gaps

Bath crayon writing

This has been really handy for busy days. We also have bath crayons in the house. At the end of a busy day I simply get the children to write down what they have done and their best bits. Emily scribbles still to young to actually write or draw but I still encourage her to join in.

Start them and keep it fun don’t worry about spellings, grammar or full sentences let them do what they want. Ask questions, it’s just important that they enjoy it.
For a make your own solution check out this website here.

Creative writing prompts

We use Myths and Legends cards (Available Here) but you can use anything. Favourite toys, things around the house or even Photographs.

The idea is simple, provide them with items for them to use in their stories. a barbie, a tiger and a photo of hills. These items are used to make a story. This story could be about a girl who meets a tiger while out walking.

Not only does this help them progress in a story (main character, side kick, place it takes part). But as they get older and grow in confidence you can use them to expand their story. Ask questions and build the story and add descriptions to their story.

For example what colour hair the girl has what’s she wearing, how old is the tiger etc. Even on a bad day my guys love doing this. We started with spoken stories before I got them writing any.

The sound game

This is a fun way to bring phonics to life. Whatever sound your children are working with. you get them to gather items with that sound in it. Ah (a) they could bring an apple from the fruit bowl, picture of an Ant or a toy Antelope, their abacus from their maths aides or even an Ape teddy.

The sound Game (Trampoline Addition)

This is a similar idea but every time they bounce they have to shout out a Ah word the moment they miss one they have to sit and swap with a sibling or you could use it to change the sound if they have run dry. Thomas being ADHD needs to be moving so we came up with these games to allow him wiggle time without stopping the learning.

You can find more posts with Aides or useful links on teaching children here