Teach your child the correct way to hold a penCIL (or Pen)
When your child first picks up a pencil, their teacher shows them how to hold it, and then off they go. Well that's what most of us believe... Even as an experienced teacher myself, I too used to presume that once a pencil/pen grip had been put in place in the early...
Why is my child’s writing so messy?
Are you concerned about your child’s poor handwriting? If so, you’re not alone. Many school-age children have poor, and sometimes indecipherable, handwriting. It’s a problem that can seem overwhelming to their parents. Example of messy writing. This writing will...
How to encourage your child to write
Why are some children reluctant writers? Producing a successful piece of creative writing is a complex process. Children have to fully understand the given task, organise their thoughts into sentences, sequence those sentences, consider the spelling of their words and...
Does your child have dysgraphia?
Since setting up my Writing Clubs earlier this year I have found myself working closely with children diagnosed with dysgraphia. It is believed that between 5 and 20% of children may be struggling with the condition and through my work with the club, I have learnt to...
Managing summer revision
This is peak anxiety time for parents of children approaching Year 6. The Kent Test 11+ is on 9 September this year. Strangely, in the summer break, we find ourselves in a rather isolated bubble, where school is over and the sun is out, yet it is peak revision time....
Introducing our mini writing club
Due to the success of the Standard and Higher Writing Clubs, we've recently launched our new Mini Writing Club for younger ones. The club is aimed at beginners (Years 3 and 4) and is brilliant fun to teach. It sits alongside our two other clubs, for older primary...
Kent Test 2021 Mock Exams
If you google Kent Test 11+ you will be swamped with both online and offline mocks, some in CEM style and others in GL style. The majority - if not all - of these mock exams are non-specific to the actual Kent Test exam. But the Kent Test 11+ is the most unusual...
WRITING CLUBS – WHAT’S THE STORY?
The purpose of the clubs is simple – to extend individual writing attainment, strengthen vocab and key skills, and build writing confidence. And the improvement has been staggering. "I’m quite amazed that you can have such an impact on his handwriting in just four...
Introducing: The Writing Club
I think I’m probably one of the few teachers in the world who absolutely loves marking children’s writing. It’s my thing and always has been. Part of it is that I like winning - and when you create a marking dialogue in a child’s book you see progression quickly and...
Don’t be afraid of 11+ Reasoning
As an 11+ tutor of many years my role isn’t limited to teaching primary children how to pass the exam, but it includes nurturing and hand-holding parents through the process too. And I’ve noticed that many of you are really quite anxious about reasoning. Reasoning...