8 – 9

Building it into your day

It’ll amaze you how quickly your child learns at this age – they’re curious about everything they see and do. You can help them to make more sense of the world and how they fit in it by talking to them about their interests and opinions. Interacting with your child throughout the day and giving them opportunities to practise what they’re learning through real life situations can make a big difference.

Out and about

Let your child read and send text messages for you – it’s a great way to practise spelling.

Travelling

If you are travelling by train, bus or plane, ask your child to look up the timetable with you to plan your journey. Most timetables use a 24 hour clock so you may have to explain how that is different to a 12 hour clock.

DIY

Do some DIY with your child. Measure shelves or how long or wide the room is by counting the number of footsteps it takes to cross it.

At the shops

Ask your child to help you make a list of items you need to buy in the supermarket. Let them tick off the items from the list and estimate the total cost of all the items.