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Ks1 articles

Happy children
Teaching your child the art of happiness
Happiness and positivity can make a huge difference to your child’s wellbeing and achievement. We take a look at what schools are doing, and how you can help your child be happier every day.
Improve your child's memory
How to improve your child's memory
Want to help your child remember dates, formulae, tricky vocabulary and more? Memory champion Chester Santos has a few tips to share to help boost their confidence (and amaze their parents and teachers!).
Child cooking
6 great things your child learns in the kitchen
Cooking with kids is about more than just licking the bowl. GBBO winner and cookbook author Nadiya Hussain shares some great reasons to involve your child in the kitchen.
Mother and daughter together
Help your child cope with difficult feelings
Watching your child deal with friendship problems, anxiety, bullying and bereavement is very difficult, but you can help them develop coping strategies and boost their resilience, says former primary-school teacher and author Avril McDonald.
Best books about science for children
Best science books for children
Bring science concepts from evolution to magnetism and atomic energy to life for primary-school children with our pick of the best non-fiction science titles for kids. Fact-packed and fun-packed, these books will engage and entertain kids (and parents!) as well as explaining the building blocks of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
Best books for children for summer 2016
14 of the best books for children for summer 2016
This summer help your child survive a giant-slug attack, explore the streets under London, travel to outer space (by pressing a button hidden in the kitchen), be a bridesmaid and learn to take care of a pet dragon... all without leaving the sofa! From picture books to tween thrillers, we've got 14 brilliant books for kids to fall in love with over the 2016 summer holiday.
Primary-school children in the playground
Settling your child into a new school
It’s natural for both you and your child to be nervous if they’re moving schools, so how can you make things go as smoothly as possible?
Children in primary school
How to change your child's school
Not all children stay at the same primary school from Reception until Year 6. We look at the ins and outs of transferring your child to a new school.
What is maths mastery?
What is the Asian 'maths mastery' approach?
Many UK primary schools have adopted a way of teaching maths that’s popular in South Asia. We explain what the Asian "maths mastery" method is all about.
Children in an art gallery
Best art books for children
Help your child discover the world's great works of art with our pick of the best introductions to painting, sculpture, art installations and more. Will they step into a painting in an art story book, create their own 3D art masterpiece or fall in love with an artistic style or artist?
What is a home education group?
What is a home education group?
Looking for support with home education? With hundreds of home ed groups around the country, there’s no need to feel like you’re on your own
Best maths activity books for kids
Best maths books for kids
Crack codes, learn maths tricks, unlock the secrets of nature (hint: they're mathematical!), marvel at number facts and learn to build a spaceship – just a few of the maths-master skills imparted by these books, our pick of the best maths titles for kids.
Parent and child reading
Could speech rhythm training help your child learn to read?
You’ve heard about phonics, but what is speech rhythm training and how could it give your child’s reading a head start?
Children running in the playground
You know it's the end of the summer term when...
With just weeks until the end of term, we run through the truths every primary-school parent knows about the imminent end of the academic year.
What is forest school?
What is forest school?
Taking children out of the classroom and into the great outdoors, forest school is growing in popularity – but what does it actually involve?
© National Space Centre, Leicester
Museums reviewed by parents: National Space Centre
The National Space Centre is a day out that the whole family will enjoy; it’s a fun, interactive and accessible way to learn about the universe we live in. Just don’t be surprised if you leave with a budding astronaut or two!
Dad helping with homework
Home educating a child with special educational needs
If school life isn't suiting your child with SEN, home educating could be a viable prospect – but is it right for you?
Common home education concerns sorted
Are you cut out to home educate?
So you're thinking about home educating your child but aren't sure whether you're up to the job. We address some of the most common concerns to help you decide on the best course of action for you and for your child.
Boost your confidence with home education
How to boost your confidence with home education
Being solely responsible for your child's education can feel like a heavy burden at times. We have tips for putting yourself back in the home-educating driving seat.
Mum and child studying
How to track your home-educated child's progress
One of the principles of home education is that a child can learn at their own rate, but how you do make sure they're actually making progress?
What is growth mindset?
What is growth mindset?
It’s a huge trend in education in the US, and now it’s becoming a big deal here. We take a look at what growth mindset means for your child.
What is an education welfare officer?
What is an Education Welfare Officer?
If there are concerns about your child’s school attendance, you might be referred to an Education Welfare Officer. We explain their role.
Child with questions
6 ways to make science fun for kids
Science may be one of the most hands-on subjects at school, but making it accessible isn’t always easy. We asked the experts how to channel your child's natural curiosity into a life-long interest in the world around us and how it works.
Child holding the world
Talking to your child about politics
Every child is a future voter, so it's important that they learn about politics. Lucy Dimbylow takes a look at where to begin.
Children walking home from school
How to build your child's independence
Do you feel like you’re constantly nagging your child to get things done? Helping them develop their independent streak could help to break the trap.
Child reading in a library
Expanding your child’s reading tastes
Is your child stuck in a reading rut? Lucy Dimbylow takes a look at how to encourage them to test the water with different styles and genres of fiction and non-fiction.
Children learning through singing
Best learning songs
Could songs and music help your child learn and remember English, maths and science facts? We pick our favourite learning songs, covering everything from adverbs and angles to onomatopoeia and photosynthesis.
Child learning to write at home
The legalities of home education in the UK
Here’s our plain-English guide to the law surrounding home education in the UK – it’s not as complicated as you might think!
Children reading outdoors
Getting started with home education: your step-by-step guide
Beginning to home educate your child is a big leap into the unknown, so how do you actually get the ball rolling? We explain how the process works in the UK.
Learning to write at home
Home education: your FAQs answered
Thinking about home educating your child in the UK? We tackle some of the burning questions.
Family learning in a museum
How to write an educational philosophy
An educational philosophy can focus your home-educated child's learning and satisfy the local authority. We explain how to put it together.
Primary-school children using computers
The parent's guide to InCAS tests
Many primary-school pupils in Northern Ireland and Scotland are assessed every year using InCAS tests. We explain what’s involved.
What is a life cycle?
What is a life cycle?
All living things have life cycles; animals produce offspring and plants produce seeds which germinate into new plants. Find out what your child learns about life cycles in the primary-school classroom, plus easy ways to support their learning at home.
Listening skills for kids
Improving your child’s listening skills
Listening is a vital skill for your primary-school child, but how can you help to develop it?
Butlin’s Astonishing Family Science Weekends
Butlin’s Astonishing Family Science Weekend reviewed by parents
Butlin’s new Astonishing Family Science Weekends are designed to give children aged six to 14 a taste of how science works in everyday life. Lucy Dimbylow visited the Bognor Regis resort with her children Tom, 10, and Katie, 5.
What are materials?
What are materials?
Metal, plastic, wood, glass... just some of the materials we use to make the things that surround us. Find out what your child will be taught about materials and their properties in KS1, then try some hands-on activities to support their learning at home.
Child using a dictionary
Best reference books for children
Reference books and dictionaries offer us information that's accurate, well researched and beautifully presented and are invaluable when you're working on a homework project. From atlases to dictionaries and encyclopedias, we recommend some of the best English, maths, science, history and geography reference books for primary-school children.
What is flexi-schooling?
What is flexi-schooling?
Tempted by the idea of home educating but not sure you could do it full-time? Flexi-schooling could be the perfect compromise, writes Elisabeth Attwood.
Pros and cons of single-sex primary and secondary education
Single-sex schools: the pros and cons
Would you consider a girls' school or boys' school for your child at primary or secondary level? We take a look at single-sex education and whether it’s right for your child.
Home education maths
The laws on home education in Wales
As home education surges in popularity in Wales, we explain the facts you need to know if you're considering home-educating your child.