We’ve put together some advice and activities specifically designed to help children using Progress with Oxford . Read on to discover what learning your child is likely to be introduced to in Reception and how you can support your child’s new skills at home, download free activities, and much more.

Learning at school

In Reception, your child will continue to learn by doing things for themselves, by exploring and investigating, watching and listening, talking and discussing, creating and communicating – in other words, playing. As well as improving their understanding of basic phonics and maths, they will be developing their social skills by working and playing with other children.

For information on exactly what your child will be doing in Reception, take a look at our guide to what to expect in Reception.

Tips to support your child at home

How can you effectively support your child at home? Here are a few tips and ideas to help your child as they start out at big school:

Try playing memory games, like ‘Kim’s game’. Put a few items on a tray (e.g. a crayon, an apple, a building brick, a toy car). Then look, cover, remember and check!
Play this noisy version of the car game, ‘Who can spot...?’. It's great fun – but check with the driver first before you start this one! Decide on a noise or a word to call when you spot the things you’re looking out for – e.g. ‘Bang!’ for a yellow car, ‘Buzzz!’ for a bus, and ‘Wow!’ for a bird.
Carry on reading books of all kinds to and with your child: picture, words and pictures, pop up, information, poetry, eBooks, print books... and the levelled books brought home from school. Video or record your child reading it for fun!

For more advice, take a look at our page on fun learning ideas for 4–5 year olds.

Practice activities

Try out our free activities to support your child throughout their early development.