What can I do at home to help my 5 year old?

[Basketweaving]

After some advice really as I’m going round in circles! My 5 year old dd is very able, but her school are not supporting her. Her class is very play led which is great as she is so young, but at the same time she is so keen to expand her reading, writing, maths etc that I’m looking for options I can do with her at home. I have some work books but they are pretty dull, although I know they serve a purpose. Her reading is something I really would like to focus on as she loves it, and school insist she still needs to be on the basic level. We read together every night but I struggle to get books that are interesting and not the usual Biff and Chip!

Any ideas appreciated, thank you

Can you log onto Oxford reading tree website? They have kids of different books for each reading level; fact, fiction and poetry and then she can choose her own books and vary the level depending how much of a challenge you want. They also have activities you can do alongside the book to develop understanding.

Work books? For a five year old?

Tbh I don't understand your difficulty. Today I baked a cake. If there had been a five year old in the house I would have had them look through recipe books with me to choose a cake, then let them read out the ingredients, help me weigh things, measure them into the bowl, reading out the method of preparation, a bit of stirring etc, setting the oven temperature, looking at timing to see when it ought to be ready. Then when it's baked they'd help me divide it into slices. There's masses of learning there, without needing any grim workbook.

Do you not have a big book of folk or fairy tales? Endless reading and a wider range of vocabulary than school books. And do you have any poetry in the house? That's wonderful to read aloud together; it doesn't have to have been written for five year olds. Same with pretty much any book you have available - there will surely be a paragraph or two you could share. I don't think you need be so literal about what constitutes suitable reading material.

Really at this age it's up to you to expand her knowledge. School is surely mostly teaching her how to follow rules and endure endless hours amongst her peers ...

It really depends how able she is, do you want us to suggest books like Harry Potter she may like or other versions of books aimed at younger children such as Little Red Riding Hood etc. What age are the workbooks she is doing? I dont understand if you just want to expand on things she should be learning at age 5 or if she is gifted and needs to be doing maths meant for Secondary pupils.

If you Google there are great lists of books and some lovely people on IG who review and make lists of kids books (instead of faux celebrities). I also like @countingwithkids on IG and she has a ton of great ways to incorporate math into every day life.

Engage her- read, read, read to her. There are multiple reading schemes in the UK. Look into the Reading Chest. Maybe as lockdown lifts she can learn an instrument? You can buy magazines for her from the supermarket that you do together. Arts and crafts are a great way to talk about both quantities as well as vocabulary.

Don’t underestimate the value of play at this age. They explore so many concepts this way. Mine spent most of reception in some kind of building project. They were also very ahead in other areas but we just relaxed and enjoyed reading together lots and lots of books from the library at home. At 9 we were told their reading age was nearly 17. We never pushed it just made reading fun and accessible. Create an environment where curiosity is fun and everything else’s will follow.

We use a local library and they give some great recommendations. I have a 3 year old who loves reading and being read to.

Try older workbooks. Such as 6 to 7 year olds. Download grammar apps. Teach her how to write stories herself with paragraphs, beginning, middle and end. Do a music morning every week. All music such as classics,, etc so she can recognise the notes. Learn an instrument. Join mensa.

If shes very able she shouldn't be anywhere near those biff and chip books at 5! When my oldest was that age she loved the enid Blyton faraway tree and wishing chair books, the worst witch series and all the roald dahls. The first Harry Potter as well although you might be better reading it to her as there's some scary bits for a 5yo. Other than that learning through play and experiences is far far more valuable. 5 minute mum has got a new book out with learning games for older kids which will have loads of fab ideas. Stay away from work books!! Honestly they're absolutely crap compared to doing proper activities and games with you

Teach her to play chess.

Second the books of fairy tales and legends, from around the world, also get her children's encyclopedia type books on animals, earth etc. Tbh these are not specifically suggestions for gifted children but all children. Costumes through the ages etc.

I wouldn't be going over the same things that they do at school, that could make school boring going forward. I would be trying to expand her horizons as pps have said . What do you read to her? I would be working through all sorts of books from different eras to expand her language, vocabulary and general knowledge. She can as pps say pick books to read to herself out with the usual reading schemes or just read 'stuff' from everyday life such as cereal boxes etc. Colouring and crafts are good .

My best advice (my mum's advice, she was a teacher for decades) is to stay away from school stuff.

Keep her busy with reading different books, learning about anything and everything (nature, dinosaurs, cars...), music (learning the piano/violin/kalimba/wtv), sports....

If you keep trying to teach her school stuff, she'll get very bored when she has to sit through it at the classroom. She'll lose interest in school and start hating the thing. That's the worst you can do for your child.

I hated the workbooks from school and instead wanted to give my dc
a joy of reading and learning.
The baking suggestion given above is a god one. Read to her, spark curiosity. How does that work? Even when watching peppa pig I’d ask what’s eg peppa feeling.
Look at nature, turn leaves over. There’s so much everyday stuff without going to workbooks.

“Good one “

Power maths are brilliant. They are from white rose and are really cheap. I'd probably get her the year 1 and year 2 books. I would also ask her teacher for some investigations you can do with your daughter.

DS1 (5) is able at reading and maths and we've been taking him to the library, showing him the different types of books and just letting him at them. He's recently learned about the great fire of London and the stone age, amongst other things.

For maths, during lockdown we discovered the KS1 mysteries on Twinkl - he still sometimes asks to do them and they help him to understand written instructions.

There is a difference between reading and understanding and not understanding. Ensure she understands what she has read. Ask her questions. Then buy horrid Henry books

Baking
Cookery classes
Gardening lessons

All those will help.