How do thoughts and words interact? Can we even have thoughts without words? Interesting questions indeed. The answers affect children’s learning. So let’s explore them. Firstly, consider a toddler with few known words. He touches a hot pan. Ouch! Learns not to touch it again: a sensory experience of learning without words. As learning develops,…

Hi, hope you are managing some of the games I have been suggesting these past weeks. There seems to be no immediate end to this weird lockdown, so – onward and upward. One good thing may be emerging from all this. As parents, maybe you are becoming more aware of what (and how) your child…

This week, in addition to my children’s book I have been working on stuff for the Swanwick competition – deadline yesterday. Unfortunately I missed it because I misread the 12.00 as midnight. It was noon. Frustrating. However, the purpose of this blog is to focus on the positive outcomes for my frustration. How can I…

I have been doing an on-line course on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy during this lockdown – very insightful. But what jumped out at me yesterday during my session, as a poignant reminder of my teacher training some years ago, is the idea of learning styles. I think I’ve mentioned this idea a few blogs ago but…

Hi, fellow aspiring fiction writers, I think I have made a big break through this week. And I am excited. You see, I read a lot of crime, and love the Jack Reacher books, written by Lee Child. An article in the Times (18.4.20) by Sam Leith, featured Lee Child and something in the article…