Blog

Has your bedtime routine changed with your independent reader? We have Claire Bagnall, our Eduction Advisor, weigh in on how reading habits evolve with her independent reader at home.   Like many parents, I lament the passing of each stage of my children’s childhood. Every few months, I try to whittle down now-abandoned games and […]

We asked Claire Bagnall, our educational advisor to share her thoughts on SATs. Take a moment to read her valuable insights as she shares her tips as an educator and a parent; how you can best support your child with SATs. SATs are an assessment that is made of your child’s ability in the core […]

Claire Bagnall, our educational advisor reflects on the past year and how we can approach the holiday season. Claire explores the idea of a gift that keeps on giving when considering: “something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read”. As we approach the end of another year heavily impacted by […]

Inside the classroom with Claire Bagnall, our educational advisor. Claire offers her insight as a teacher, what happens in September with reading assessments and how you can help support your child’s reading journey. As children settle into their new schools and classes, educators’ minds are now turning to the outcome of baseline assessments, which help […]

The dreaded summer slide – Claire Bagnall, our educational advisor shares her insights with how to avoid this and still have fun – with flashcards! After the difficult year we’ve all had, children are enjoying an especially well-deserved summer break. This down time is an important opportunity to develop social skills, enjoy time with family, […]

We asked Claire Bagnall, our educational advisor to share her thoughts on the new addition to our Cubs level – puppets! And how this helps bring reading skills to life. When I heard that The Bear Can Read were introducing puppets to their Cubs boxes, I was really excited about the benefits that these would […]

Our education advisor, Claire Bagnall shares her insider tips from the classroom on how to support reluctant readers. During my many years in the primary classroom, I observed a trend which was to continue regardless of which cohort of children I had in front of me. My observation was that the boys I taught, in […]

As part of our association with Oxford University Press, Camilla – founder of The Bear Can Read shared her tried and tested ways she uses when reading with her three children (ages 2, 5 an 8) on Oxford Owl. We thrilled to share her insights here too! You’ve done it. We’re here – the last […]

There been lots of discussion in our Bear Cave about how we can help bridge the gap in our children’s learning after our year of lockdown. Our Educational Advisor Claire Bagnall, shared with us her thoughts on how we can support our children this summer. I wasn’t surprised to hear the findings of recent research […]

With Easter holidays upon us, we ask our Education Advisor Claire Bagnall to share her thoughts on screen-free activities to help keep your little bears busy. Here are some of her ideas – we hope they help! With restrictions continuing due to coronavirus, there is more pressure than ever on parents and carers to keep […]

Educational advisor Claire Bagnall shares her thoughts on how we have help our children navigate their way out of lockdown. She is a regular contributor to our blog page and loves receiving boxes for her children from The Bear Can Read every month. It hasn’t been long since the last lockdown, I was writing about […]

For anyone interested in giving the gift of reading this year, your can easily take out a subscription for a family, friend or your own children.  We are happy to include any notes in the first box and send it out to arrive in time for Christmas! Use the code Pearson5 to get your first […]

A recent report by the BBC highlighted some fears over growing mental health issues amongst children due to missing out on lessons and the lack of socialising throughout the pandemic. We thought we would ask Claire, who is an educational advisor and passionate about mental health, to share her thoughts. As we progress towards winter; […]

Phonics books are a great way to practice reading, but how do you know if the level is right for your child? Our expert Catherine shares an easy way to assess your child’s reading level at home. Your child probably brings home levelled reading books from school. Most schools use a reading scheme of some […]

What is better for your child’s reading? This week, our contributor Claire tells us why she prefers physical books over e-books when reading with her children. Although 2020 has been extremely difficult in so many ways, most of us are very fortuante to have had access to technology, which has so richly enhanced the learning […]

As adults, we know the pleasures that reading can bring. Whether you like curling up on the sofa with a page-turner, relaxing in the bath with a magazine, or reading around the topic of your favourite hobby, you’re probably already fully aware that reading can be fun! For children who are still learning to read, […]