Let’s start where we ought we start – with the child. When I was considering secondary schools for my son I wanted him to be happy, which is something it’s easy to lose sight of in the frenzy of school gate conversations, online Ofsted reports, slick open events, well-spun prospectuses and bewildering league tables. Your … Read more
Here at Oxford Owl, we know that children’s mental health is a very important issue, so we’ve teamed up with the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) to put together some advice about how you can support your child to cope with stress and anxiety, information about children’s mental health and … Read more
As with all other things, children are different when it comes to their approach to homework or learning at home. Some will be keen to get their homework done and will happily sit down to work when their parents suggest it. Others may be less enthusiastic! But there are lots of simple things you can … Read more
Frustrated by single-word answers from your child about the first weeks at school? Get the conversation started with our Back to school BINGO card. Print it out, stick it on the fridge and see how long it takes to tick off five in a row. Download it now
Looking up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary can be a daunting task for many children. Without specially written definitions suited to their reading level, using a dictionary will be frustrating and discouraging, with each new definition containing more confusing words than the last! Encouraging children to use an appropriate dictionary on their own terms … Read more
In primary school, multiplication is introduced to children as something we use in our real lives. Real things, especially fun or interesting things, bring maths to life and help children to learn using touch and even taste and smell, as well as sight and sound. Here, we have put together some easy activities that you … Read more
Whether it’s term-time or the holidays, there’s always so much to squeeze in to each week that good intentions to play learning games usually get pushed towards the bottom of the list. But long car journeys are a really good opportunity. Simple games distract my boys from their favourite hobbies of shrieking or squabbling. And … Read more
Year 7 is the start of a very new journey. It is a coming-of-age adventure, as much for parents as for students. One of the main issues is the emotional leap we are forced to make when coping with transition. Coupled with a sense of not knowing how it all works, we can left be … Read more
Amidst all the new routines and glaring lights of transition to secondary school, sits the concept of learning. Below is some advice on the ways in which learning differs at secondary school and how you can navigate these new waters. Homework may well seem overwhelming at first, but it will even out. In the first … Read more
Hands-on activities are a great way to start talking about science at home, without the pressure to learn a particular set of facts or write up your work. Like science itself, it’s playing with a purpose. I’ve described six of my children’s favourite activities below. They all harness children’s natural creativity and curiosity and overlap … Read more