Eyfs articles

A trip to London is a great way to see history. With almost every stone soaked in stories of the past, a day in the capital is a great way to make KS1 and KS2 history learning come alive. There are elements from every period of London’s past still visible in the city today if you know where to look – Francesca Fenn from Step Outside guides suggests a few things to see and do that bring the primary history curriculum to life.

Struggling to get your child to pick up a book? A comic might have more appeal – and some surprising literacy-boosting benefits, especially for boys. Lucy Dimbylow explains why you don’t need to be snobbish about your child’s choice of reading material.

Gifted and talented, more able, most able, high learning potential… We explain the terms that are used to describe high-flying kids, and how you can tell if your child is one.

Ask any parent of a Reception child about Biff, Chip and Kipper, and they'’ll know exactly who you'’re talking about. But just how do primary school reading schemes work, and how can you tell if your child is progressing at the right rate? Primary school reading schemes often use book bands to categorise reading materials. Book bands help determine the appropriate reading level for each child. Lucy Dimbylow puts these questions to the teachers who use reading schemes in the classroom.

Students in primary school are required to learn to swim, which is a difficult part of the curriculum for water-shy children to float through. Be prepared by finding out what the learning targets are, what responsibilities your school has, and how to help your child feel confident about taking the plunge.

Does every homework session end in tears and tantrums? Or are you losing sleep over getting your child to learn their spellings? Lucy Dimbylow asked the people who manage 30 children at a time (gulp!) – teachers and teaching assistants – to share their tried and tested tricks.

Celebrate World Book Day with these fun ideas for children of all ages – get a free book, join a reading group, raise money for charity and more!

How does the school education system work in Scotland? What are the differences between the National Curriculum and the Curriculum for Excellence? We explain how students are assessed within both systems in the UK.

Understand more about the curriculum used in Northern Ireland and how students are assessed with this brief guide.

As the children get excited over book week, it can leave us parents feeling more than a little stressed! Time-poor and not at all sewing-savvy Phoebe Doyle has some simple suggestions for effective World Book Day costumes that won’t break the bank.

The way children learn to spell using phonics and phonetic terminology can cause utter bewilderment to parents trying their best to help at home. Primary teacher Phoebe Doyle is on hand to explain the ‘magic e’, or split digraph.

It feels like five minutes ago that you were peeling a tearful child off your leg at the school gates; now it’s your turn to weep at the thought of them going on a residential trip! We answer your questions – and ease your worries – about residential visits. By Lucy Dimbylow

Birdwatching is a brilliant learning activity to do at home that can also encourage your child to take an interest in the outdoors. We speak to the RSPB about how you can make your garden or balcony more appealing for birds, leading to better birdwatching!

Worried that your child always chooses screen time over books? Mum and teacher Phoebe Doyle asks the experts about turning your child into a busy bookworm.

SEND experts Antonia Chitty and Tania Tirraoro explain how EHCPs work and share their tips on the application process.

Like many skills, it’s best to start learning two languages as young as possible, but it’s not uncommon for parents to run into a few difficulties when raising bilingual children. TheSchoolRun offers advice and tips from parents who have first-hand experience to share.

Are you seeing what's really there, or is your mind tricking you? Professor Bruce Hood has three amazing illusions experiments to try, and explains more about how the brain works in his Royal Institution Christmas lecture.

We all need to wind down after a day’s work, kids included – but who says relaxing in front of the TV can’t be a learning experience? We pick some of the best programmes to help four and five year olds with their phonics, counting, shape recognition and literacy.

Want to encourage your child to read more, but not sure where to start? We speak to education experts about how you can turn reading from a homework chore into a favourite activity.