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For parents and carers

How to help your child learn at home

Short, practical guidance for every age from 3 to 18 — what children typically learn, ten-minute ideas for home and when it is worth asking for advice.

What works at every age

Four habits that matter more than any worksheet.

  • Little and often

    Ten calm minutes on most days help more than one long session at the weekend. Stop while it is still fun.

  • Talk, read and wonder

    Chatting, reading aloud and asking “what do you think?” build vocabulary and thinking at every age.

  • Praise the effort

    Name what your child did — “you kept trying”, “you checked your answer” — rather than calling them clever.

  • Follow their interests

    Dinosaurs, football or space: learning sticks when it starts from something your child already cares about.

Guides by age

Pick your child’s age

Each guide covers what children typically learn, everyday activities and signs worth talking about.

Ages 3–5

Play is the work of this age. Talk a lot, share picture books, count everyday things and let little hands squeeze, cut and draw.

Read the guide

Ages 5–7

Early reading and number sense take off. Practise letter sounds, read short books together and play quick number games.

Read the guide

Ages 7–9

Children move from learning to read to reading to learn. Keep reading together, practise times tables little and often and talk about ideas.

Read the guide

Ages 9–11

Fractions, longer writing and bigger projects. Help them plan, stay curious about the world and get comfortable with mistakes.

Read the guide

Ages 11–14

A bigger school, more subjects and more independence. Help with organisation and study habits, and keep talking.

Read the guide

Ages 14–18

Exams, choices and growing independence. Be a calm coach: help them plan revision, protect sleep and keep perspective.

Read the guide

Step by step

Programmes and phonics

Structured paths with short daily lessons, instant marking and progress you can follow from your dashboard.

Number Sense

Short lessons for ages 3–5: First numbers, Counting to 10, Shapes and patterns, Ready to add. Fresh practice every time, marked instantly, with a check-up at the end of each unit.

Ages 3–5

First Reading & Writing

Short lessons for ages 4–6: Letters and sounds, First words, Stories and sentences. Fresh practice every time, marked instantly, with a check-up at the end of each unit.

Ages 4–6

Science Explorers

Short lessons for ages 5–8: My body, Animals and habitats, Weather and seasons, Space. Fresh practice every time, marked instantly, with a check-up at the end of each unit.

Ages 5–8

Puzzles & Logic

Short lessons for ages 6–11: Spot and find, Number puzzles, Logic. Fresh practice every time, marked instantly, with a check-up at the end of each unit.

Ages 6–11

Study Skills

Short lessons for ages 11–16: Remember more, Plan and focus. Fresh practice every time, marked instantly, with a check-up at the end of each unit.

Ages 11–16

All programmes

Ready when you are

Activities for real family life

Screen-free ideas, rainy-day boxes, travel packs and quiet-time printables.

From the blog

Articles parents read most

Practical how-tos written for families.

Learning Wiki

Explanations with a section for grown-ups

Every Learning Wiki topic explains the idea simply, then ends with “For grown-ups”: how it is taught today and how to help.

Long division

Long division splits a big number into equal groups by repeating four steps: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down. Work from the left, one digit at a time.

Ages 9–12

Adaptation

An adaptation is a feature or behaviour that helps a living thing survive where it lives. A polar bear's thick fur and a cactus's spines are adaptations.

Ages 8–13

Blood

Blood is the red liquid pumped around your body by your heart. It carries oxygen and food to every cell, takes away waste and helps fight germs and heal wounds.

Ages 8–13

Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and usually a subject. A main clause makes sense on its own; a subordinate clause needs a main clause to complete it.

Ages 8–13

Divisibility rules

Divisibility rules are shortcuts that tell you whether a number divides exactly by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 without doing the division, by looking at its last digits or its digit sum.

Ages 8–13

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a community of living things and the non-living environment they share, such as a pond, a forest or a coral reef. All the parts depend on each other.

Ages 8–13

Your parent dashboard

See progress, plan ten minutes and print practice

Add your children to get a suggested plan for today, programme progress, strengths and next steps, and screen-time limits. On the Family plan you also get a printable pack of five fresh sheets every week.

Questions parents ask

How much time should my child spend learning at home?

For young children, a few short moments woven into the day — a story, counting on the stairs — are plenty. Primary-age children benefit from about 10–20 focused minutes on school days. Teenagers can plan their own study blocks with you as a calm sounding board. Rest, play and sleep matter just as much.

Should I teach my child things before school does?

You do not need to race ahead. The most useful things you can do are reading together, talking a lot, playing games with numbers and letting your child practise what they are learning at school. If your child is curious and wants more, follow their lead.

What if my child refuses to do any learning at home?

Keep it short, offer a choice between two activities and turn it into a game or a challenge for you both. Some days are simply tired days. If refusal is constant and comes with worry or tears, have a gentle chat with the class teacher.

How do I know whether my child is on track?

Children develop at different speeds, so ranges are wide. The class teacher is the best person to ask about school progress, and your doctor or health visitor about development. Our age guides list what children typically learn and signs that are worth talking about.

Does learning on a screen count?

Yes, when it is active: answering, building, reading and getting feedback. Balance it with paper, play and time outdoors, and use the daily screen-time limit in your parent dashboard if it helps your family.