The Curiosity Classroom

18/02/2026

When play meets learning, magical things happen ✨

Because when children are laughing, exploring, competing, creating and doing…
they’re not just having fun - they’re building confidence, resilience and real understanding.

The best learning doesn’t always look like worksheets.

Sometimes it looks like games, teamwork, pancake flipping, spinning wheels and big smiles.

And that’s exactly how it should be 💛

15/02/2026

Come along with me as I prep for our half-term holiday session 🥞✨

We’re bringing a little pancake race energy into the room… because when learning is wrapped up in something fun and familiar, children dive straight in.

Hands-on, high energy, full of laughter and just the right amount of challenge so they forget they’re learning at all.

Playful. Purposeful. Memorable. 💚

10/02/2026

📚 Year 1 Phonics Screening – What Parents Need to Know

If your child is in Year 1, you may hear their teacher mention the phonics screening check. This can sound a bit daunting, but it’s actually a very simple, low-pressure assessment.

🔤 What is it?
The phonics screening check is a short, one-to-one reading check that takes place in school (w/c 8th June). Children are asked to read 40 words aloud – a mix of real words and alien (nonsense) words.

👽 Why alien words?
Alien words help show whether children can use their phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words, rather than relying on memory or guessing.

🎯 What is it checking?
It looks at how well children can:
• recognise sounds
• blend sounds together to read words
• apply phonics skills independently

🧠 Is it a pass or fail test?
It’s a screening tool, not a judgement. If a child doesn’t meet the expected standard, it simply highlights that they may need a little extra support. This support is provided in Year 2, and the child will resit the assessment the following year.

💬 How can parents help?
• Encourage sounding out rather than guessing
• Practise blending sounds together
• Read little and often
• Keep it relaxed and positive

Most importantly, children are not expected to know every word. They are expected to use the skills they’ve been taught.

If you’d like support with phonics, confidence, or decoding strategies, feel free to get in touch 💚

TheCuriosityClassroom

07/02/2026

02/02/2026

Sensory tiles are one of those quiet heroes in the classroom 👣

They’re not just “fun to walk on” (although the children absolutely love that part!)

They’re a powerful, versatile resource that can be used in lots of different ways, depending on the learning objective.

🔹 Regulation & wellbeing – grounding, calming and brilliant for sensory seekers
🔹 Focus & attention – movement helps wake up the brain and get children ready to learn
🔹 Literacy – jump to the noun, step on the verb, hop to the adjective
🔹 Phonics – sound spotting, blending and segmenting on the move
🔹 Maths – counting, number bonds, times tables, position and direction
🔹 Gross motor development – balance, coordination and body awareness

The same tiles, but used for:
✔️ movement breaks
✔️ sentence building
✔️ word classes
✔️ maths games
✔️ emotional regulation

This is what learning through play looks like 💛
Flexible. Inclusive. Engaging.

And most importantly – it meets children where they are.
Because sometimes, the best learning happens when children are moving, feeling and doing 🌈

02/02/2026

You might think it’s “just a like”, but it really isn’t.

It helps me grow, helps other families find support, and helps this little classroom thrive 🥰

I got over 150 reactions on my posts last week!

So thank you for being here, for engaging, and for cheering me on - it never goes unnoticed

Kirsty ❤️

02/02/2026

Spellings don’t have to be look, cover, write, check ✋✏️

In fact… for many children, that’s the least effective way to learn them.

When spellings are hands-on and sensory, children build stronger memory connections. They’re not just memorising letters on a page – they’re feeling, seeing, saying, and thinking about the word.

Think:
• Building words with Play-Doh or tiles
• Tracing spellings in sand, rice, or foam
• Chunking words into syllables
• Spotting patterns, roots, and tricky endings
• Talking about why a word is spelled that way

The more senses involved, the more likely it is to stick ✨

And bonus – children are far more engaged (and far less resistant!).

Spellings should be active, playful, and meaningful… not a battle at the kitchen table!

02/02/2026

✨ Times Tables… but make it fun! ✨

This half-term times tables session is all about building confidence through games, movement and hands-on learning — no worksheets in sight 👀

✔️ Multiplication through play
✔️ Confidence-boosting strategies
✔️ Games that actually make learning stick
✔️ Perfect for children who need a little extra support

📍 Churchdown
📅 Half term
👧🧒 Small, supportive groups

Because when children are engaged, learning clicks.

Message me to book or ask questions

30/01/2026

🎯 Play is powerful 🎯
Who says learning has to happen at a desk?
Today’s maths looked a lot like a ping-pong challenge - bounce the ball into the cup, then solve the maths problem hiding underneath or inside!

Games like this aren’t just fun (although that definitely helps!). They build focus, confidence and problem-solving skills without it feeling like work. When children are engaged, relaxed and enjoying themselves, the learning really sticks.

Play is powerful. Engagement is everything. And maths can absolutely be something children want to do 🙌