The LearnLeaf Blog
Guides, stories and ideas for Early Learners and Key Stage 1 families.
Latest Posts
Guides
2 postsWhat Is EYFS? A Parent's Plain-English Guide
New to EYFS? Here's what the Early Years Foundation Stage actually means for your child, in plain English — plus free EYFS worksheets to get started.
Read more → GuidesWhat Is Key Stage 1? A Parent's Guide
What does Key Stage 1 actually cover? A plain-English guide to the KS1 curriculum for parents and home educators.
Read more →Home Education
7 postsHow to Start Home Educating at Key Stage 1
New to home education? A beginner's guide to getting started — what you actually need, and where free resources fit in.
Read more → Home EducationIs Home Education Right for Your Family?
An honest look at what to consider before you start — not a sales pitch either way.
Read more → Home EducationDo You Have to Follow the National Curriculum When Home Educating?
The short answer is no — here's what that actually means in practice.
Read more → Home EducationHow to Deregister Your Child From School to Home Educate (UK)
A plain-English overview of the process, and what to expect.
Read more → Home EducationHome Education and Socialisation
The question every home educator gets asked eventually — addressed honestly.
Read more → Home EducationFree Home Education Resources: Where to Find Them (UK)
Genuinely free, not "free until you hit the paywall" — a roundup of where to look.
Read more → Home EducationBack to School for Home Educators
No first day of school, but September still matters. Getting your home education routine right for the new term.
Read more →Back to School
3 postsThe UK Back-to-School Checklist for Early Learners & Key Stage 1
Everything to sort before term starts — uniform, bags, stationery and getting the routine back.
Read more → Back to School — Part 2Easing Back Into Learning Mode
Free, gentle activities to help kids ease back into learning mode the week before school starts.
Read more → Back to School — Part 3Best Back-to-School Buys for Key Stage 1 Parents
A parent's buying guide to backpacks, lunch boxes and stationery — what's actually worth buying.
Read more →School Readiness
3 postsIs My Child Ready for Reception? A Checklist
It's not an academic test — it's mostly about independence. What actually matters.
Read more → School ReadinessWhat Should My Child Know Before Starting School?
A realistic guide to the academic basics — not a pass/fail test.
Read more → School ReadinessStarting Reception: A Parent's Guide to the First Term
What to expect once term begins — settling in, tiredness, and what a typical day involves.
Read more →Development & Milestones
7 postsWhen Should My Child Know Their Letters and Numbers?
Realistic milestones for EYFS and Key Stage 1, without the comparison anxiety.
Read more → Development & MilestonesHow Many Words Should a 4-Year-Old Know?
A guide to typical speech and language milestones, and when to seek advice.
Read more → Development & MilestonesMy Child Hates Writing — What Actually Helps
Practical, low-pressure ways to build writing confidence without the daily battle.
Read more → Development & MilestonesHow to Teach a Child to Tell the Time
A step-by-step guide — from o'clock and half past to the trickier five-minute intervals.
Read more → Development & MilestonesHow to Teach a Child to Tie Their Shoelaces
The bunny ears method and other tricks that actually work.
Read more → Development & MilestonesHow Children Learn Through Play: The Science Behind the Fun
Why play-based learning actually works, and why it's built into EYFS for good reason.
Read more → Development & MilestonesWhy Pretend Play Matters for Early Learning
Pretend play isn't just fun — it builds language, empathy and problem-solving.
Read more →Literacy
4 postsSimple Phonics Activities to Try at Home
Easy, screen-free phonics activities you can try at home to support early reading.
Read more → LiteracyMy Child Won't Read — How to Encourage a Reluctant Reader
Practical, pressure-free ways to encourage a reluctant reader.
Read more → LiteracyPhonics Explained: The Different Reading Schemes UK Schools Use
Letters and Sounds, Read Write Inc, Jolly Phonics — what's the difference?
Read more → LiteracyHow Long Should My Child Read For Each Day?
A realistic guide to daily reading time for EYFS and Key Stage 1.
Read more →Parenting
6 postsHow to Handle Tantrums in Early Learners
Practical, realistic strategies for handling tantrums — without losing your mind.
Read more → ParentingScreen Time Guidelines for Under-7s
What's actually recommended — and how to apply it realistically.
Read more → ParentingHow to Get a Reluctant Child to Do Homework
Practical ways to make homework time less of a nightly fight.
Read more → ParentingSensory Overload in Children: Signs, Triggers and What Helps
A calm, practical look at a genuinely common experience — signs, triggers and what helps.
Read more → ParentingHow to Use a Reward Chart to Build Good Habits
A simple guide to using reward charts effectively with young children.
Read more → ParentingWhy Won't My Toddler Sleep? Common Reasons and What Helps
The usual culprits behind toddler sleep trouble, and what actually helps.
Read more →Additional Needs
2 postsActivity Ideas
3 posts10 Free Screen-Free Activities for a Rainy Day
Stuck indoors? 10 free, screen-free activities for Early Learners and Key Stage 1 kids — no prep, no cost, just print and go.
Read more → Activity IdeasFun Ways to Teach Times Tables at Home
Times tables don't have to be a battle. Simple, low-stress ways to practise times tables at home.
Read more → Activity IdeasFine Motor Skills Activities to Try Before Handwriting
Struggling with pencil grip? These fine motor activities build the hand strength kids need before handwriting even starts.
Read more →