The month is up, but learning at home is not stopping... I love this activity that can be adapted to children (and adults) of all ages and interests. Having more than one possible answer can reduce the fear of being 'wrong' and helps build confidence in our own ideas. Encouraging children to give voice to… Continue reading Thinking creatively
Tag: Education
What did you say?!
The latest in a series of weekday tips to help develop chidren's skills for learning through play. Today's game is an old favourtite. It can be played by the whole family, regardless of age, and can help develop listening skills and sound discrimination. Posts are gathered together under the Learning at Home tab. You can… Continue reading What did you say?!
100-square activities
Today's daily offering is perhaps a little more conventional, but there are so many ways to adapt this maths challenge to suit those just starting out with number recognition or those whose pattern recogniton skills are at an advanced level.Now we've found a few ways to use the 100 square for games, here are a… Continue reading 100-square activities
Comparatively speaking
Today's idea is one that can be slotted in to almost any situation. Adapt the concept to suit children’s ages and stages – you might just chat, or you might follow up with measuring roughly, or later, accurately. You can use everyday objects to measure – step out distances, or use known quantities rather than… Continue reading Comparatively speaking
What’s that sound?
Today's activity can be planned or impromptu. Stop for a moment and listen to the sounds around you. Right now, I can hear the dog's tag jongling as she pads around the kitchen. The fridge is humming. Someone is walking in a bedroom overhead. I'm not sure how many different birds I can make out,… Continue reading What’s that sound?
We’re going on a sound hunt!
For today's offering, an old favourite that works at home or out on a daily walk. Adapt the concept to suit children’s ages and stages – simplify as necessary or make it more complex. Older children can cope with more sophisticated language and less visually obvious targets. This helps build comprehension and vocabulary skills as… Continue reading We’re going on a sound hunt!
Sort it out
Each weekday during April, as we're all at home, I'm sharing ideas to help develop children's skills for learning through play. Today's offering combines helping out at home with following instructions. There's a healthy dose of maths on the side, too! Adapt the concept to suit children’s ages and stages – simplify as necessary or… Continue reading Sort it out
Word games
It's Wednesday, so we're working on word games in today's daily offering. Playing with alliteration (words starting with the same letter), onset and rime (the first sound and the bit that makes the rhyme) and rhythm (noticing the number of syllables, the length of the word) can help to build skills for spelling and to… Continue reading Word games
Stealth maths
To lighten the load on unaccustomed and/or unplanned home educators (and for anyone else who's interested) I'm sharing daily ideas to develop children's learning through play and everyday activities. As well as being fantastic for social skills, communication, sharing and turn-taking, games are a brilliant way to develop both understanding of mathematical concepts and the… Continue reading Stealth maths
Key aspects of EF
8 of the key aspects of executive function that can be supported at home, school or work so that everyone can achieve their goals
Supporting working memory at school
 Working memory (WM) is one of the cognitive executive functions (EF). WM and EF difficulties in general are factors in many neuro-developmental conditions. This makes so much of what happens at work, university, school or indeed many everyday situations more challenging than it needs to be. The good news is that there are plenty… Continue reading Supporting working memory at school
Dyscalculia Assessment
Saturday 8th September 2018 Today, I was one of 20 specialist assessors for specific learning difficulties lucky enough to participate in the first CPD on dyscalculia assessment and reporting run by Professor Steve Chinn and Judy Hornigold for the Dyscalculia Association. It was a packed day, with lots of opportunities for sharing experience and best… Continue reading Dyscalculia Assessment
patoss conference 2018
Another week, another dyslexia and SpLD professionals' event! This weekend marked the annual conference for the Professional association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (patoss). It was another early start, this time travelling by train. The morning was glorious; as we travelled to Newport, the huge, pale lemon sun rose into a cloudless,… Continue reading patoss conference 2018
Simple steps to a tripod pencil grasp
A few OT inspired ideas for parents and teachers to support handwriting
Getting ready for writing (2)
A few OT inspired ideas for parents and teachers to support placement and positioning for writing
Getting ready for writing
A few OT inspired ideas for parents and teachers to support children's posture for writing
Promoting fine motor skills
A few OT inspired ideas for parents and teachers to support children's fine mtor skills for writing
Building strength for deskwork
A few OT inspired ideas for parents and teachers to support children's developing skills for writing
Tricks and tips for six
Support ideas for mathematical development for use at home or at school. As with all my infographics, this one can be downloaded for printing. There's a link at the bottom of the page. It’s completely free, but please credit Sarah Gillie - Beacons Unique Originally published to coincide with twelvetide (12 festive days 2017-18) Download… Continue reading Tricks and tips for six
9th day tricks
Support ideas for mathematical development for use at home or at school. As with all my infographics, this one can be downloaded for printing. There's a link at the bottom of the page. It’s completely free, but please credit Sarah Gillie - Beacons Unique Originally published to coincide with twelvetide (12 festive days 2017-18) Download… Continue reading 9th day tricks