Spelling Help

I have been introduced to a new method of helping children spell complicated words. You draw a line around the word so the tall and short letters are highlighted to them so that they can remember the pattern of the word and consequently help to remember the spelling.

Half Term

It is half term for us, and I have decided that my daughter needs a rest. On Friday she told me she hated reading to me because I always correct her mistakes, it seems that some time off from school is just what she needs.
My younger daughter is flagging too, after her first half term of Nursery she is really tired, so tired in fact that she slept on Thursday afternoon and couldn't go in. I think there is a lot of pressure for kids to perform well at school and I certainly add to that at home, so I am trying to back off a bit, but its very hard for me not to push them all the time.

School Closures

Well it seems like the school closures in Shropshire aren't going to go ahead, but the mergers will. I wonder if they never intended to close any schools but want to merge them all and are using the threat of closure to make merging seem like a better alternative.

Educational Web Sites

Can anyone recommend any educational website that I can let my children use unsupervised?

My 3 year old like Cbeebies and my 6 year old spends her time on Bratz site and Rainbow Magic, but I am sure there are some better sites out there for them.

Music

I like my daughters to experience a variety of music. One day they are doing balled to Tchaikovsky and the next day they are dancing to What a Wonderful World and Under the Sea which are songs they hear in films they like.

I think it is important to let them hear lots of different types of music before they get influenced by their peers.

Phonics

I have been trying to teach phonic sounds to my 3 year old today. She only knows two of the letters and I have been doing it with her for months. I think it is such a hard concept to teach to a young child, when she has no idea what the sounds are for, but I want her to be ahead when she starts school. If anyone has any fun ways to teach them I would love the hear about it.

I noticed today that her drawing has advanced. In addition to the circle with hair, eyes, arms and legs she now add eyeballs and shoes. Still no body though!! She is growing up so fast now she is at nursery. And she is much more confident too. Free nursery is definitely a good idea, it is teaching her a bit about how school works and allowing her the freedom to gain skills and confidence in a non-competitive environment.

Bedtime Story

I have just had a lovely time putting my girls to bed. I always enjoy the one to one time I have with them when I sit them on my lap for their bedtime story. Tonight I read a Charlie and Lola book to my 3 year old which she loved, and The Enchanted Wood to my 6 year old. It is lovely to share a great story with them, and I will be sad when they say they are old enough to read on their own.