Learning to Play Together: How Play Builds Social Skills and Friendships
As the summer holidays begin, many children spend more time with siblings, friends and extended family. For parents, this often brings a familiar mix of hope and concern: Will they get along? Will they share? Will they make friends? We all
Digital Reading: What Helps and What Doesn’t
Not all screen time is the same. E-books, audiobooks and interactive story apps offer very different experiences from passive scrolling or autoplay videos, but they are often all grouped together. Good digital reading helps children engage with stories, build understanding and
Calm TV Programmes for Little Ones
Do you find that many TV programmes can leave your child overstimulated? Children’s television works best when it feels calm, predictable and emotionally supportive, rather than fast-paced or overstimulating. This is especially important for preschool children, who are still developing
How Imagination Builds Reading Comprehension
When children understand a story deeply, they are doing far more than reading words on a page. They are noticing clues, predicting what might happen next, working out how characters feel and filling in information that isn’t directly stated. This is
Inclusive Play: What It Really Looks Like and Why It Matters for Every Child
April is Autism Awareness Month. But increasingly families and professionals are asking for something more meaningful than awareness: acceptance - ensuring that children of all abilities feel welcomed, understood and supported in everyday life. This sense of belonging should extend
Before Children Read Words, They Read Meaning
When we think about children learning to read, it’s easy to focus on letters, sounds and decoding. Phonics, print and books all matter, but true reading comprehension begins earlier, with understanding meaning. Before children can read words, they are already
Understanding School Readiness: What Parents and Educators Need to Know
School readiness is more than ABCs and 123s — it’s about helping children feel confident, capable and curious as they step into the classroom for the first time. This white paper, part of Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide School Readiness Campaign,
Learning Starts From Day One: Building Strong Foundations from Birth
The first two years of a child’s life may seem like a world away from starting school, but these early years are some of the most important for laying the foundations of learning. From babbling and crawling to stacking blocks and
Nurturing Boys in Modern Society
The current debate as to who has it tougher, girls or boys misses the point. It's essential to recognise that both boys and girls face unique challenges. Pitting the genders against each other fuels the problem. Rather than viewing it as