World Book Day: 7 tips to get your child reading. #loveliteracy

For World Book Day I’m thrilled to be co-hosting a blog hop all about a love of reading – #loveliteracy. Myself and 7 other bloggers are immersed in children’s literacy in a variety of ways, and on a daily basis. For me, I’m in the most exciting phase so far, as my 9 year old daughter begins to appreciate books that I also love to read, and I’m enjoying discovering and discussing stories with her. But it wasn’t always this way. I remember very clearly the daily struggle to get her to read her school book, and the frustration and …

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Change the Story Mother!

My mum went somewhere really important this week. I could tell it was important because she disappeared into the back of the wardrobe and emerged in a smart shirt and crisply ironed trousers. She used to wear them when she worked near Westminster, before I was born. As it happens, she was back to her old stomping ground, but this time she was visiting the House of Lords, and this time it was reeeeeeally important.   What is Change the Story? Considering we live in a sophisticated society, it might surprise you to know that last year 1 in 4 …

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Children’s Book Week: Born to Read

GG loves to read. She loves to read so much that it has frequently got her into trouble; sneaking illicitly indoors at break time to hide in the library; disappearing on play-dates to raid her companion’s bookshelf; and countless fairy-light reading episodes where she has been threatened with blindness to make her consent to sleeping. I took these video clips over the course of 24 hours last week: Born to read It is fair to say that life would be miserable for my daughter if she couldn’t read. Life would be a lot less pleasant for her family too, as …

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Help with reading from the Ministry of Letters

Do you have children who are soon to start school? Are you keen to get them acquainted with letters, ready for the big scary world of phonics and literacy lessons in school? Well don’t be. We have talked long and hard on Actually Mummy about how children learn to read, and there are lots of things you can do to help. But it will come, when your child is ready to read. In the meantime, if you are still keen to press on, you might like to try the Ministry of Letters – Operation Alphabet. Now the Bug is full-throttle …

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How children learn to read and write at school

I wrote a post recently about my loquaciousness and use of intricate words, and the irony of the fact that I don’t always know how to replicate them appropriately in my writing at school. I sailed through my reading bo0ks and declared myself a ‘speed-reader’ to my year 1 teacher. Mummy hasn’t known how to read with me, because I prefer to read by myself, or to be read to while my brain switches off: so not up for a challenge before bed! Last week Mummy was a school pupil herself when parents were invited in to discover the processes …

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Top 5 Tips for Learning to Read

I am grumpy at the moment. Mummy is calling it ‘end-of-year-itis’. You know, that point you get to when you’re comfortable with the teacher, you know it all, your brother is like, sooooo annoying you, and school are throwing parties, assemblies, trips, DVD’s and treats at you because, well, just because. Add to that my teacher’s contagious ‘hayfever’ every time she thinks of us moving on (we are the best class in the school, after all), and a little bit of hysteria is inevitable. However, it is quite likely that I am also suffering from lack of sleep; this is how …

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