Wild Moon Learning

Wild Moon Learning Hello! My name's Jess and I'm a qualified primary school teacher based in Tadworth, Surrey. Hi all!

I adore teaching and for that reason, I've set up Wild Moon Learning; offering group tutoring and educational resources from my bespoke classroom! My name’s Jess and I'm a qualified teacher based in Tadworth, Surrey. I offer a range of tutoring services (both group sessions and 1:1) as well as selling resources that I've made and have used to teach with for the past eleven years! I am currently fu

lly booked and have recently accepted the role of a SENCO in a local school so tutoring slots in the new year will be limited. I can however offer slots during half terms if you are in need and also have the name and details of another awesome teacher (Dan, an amazing, qualified teacher) if you are looking for weekly tuition for your child. As we all know only too well, the past two academic years have been exceptionally challenging for children. For a child beginning Year 4 this September, their last uninterrupted year at school was Year 1; for a child in year 6, it was Year 3; for a child in Year 9, it was Year 6... In a child's short life this is huge and many children may be struggling with gaps in their learning. That’s where I come in - I am here to offer my services to local families from my bespoke home classroom. I predominantly offer group tutoring because I believe that children learn best alongside their peers and this has been missing from their lives for long enough . Children need to talk, laugh, discuss, reason and problem solve and this can sometimes be tricky for them in a 1:1 scenario - for some children, 1:1 with an adult can feel quite intimidating and this may further stunt the learning process. The maximum number of children in each group is six and I employ an outstanding teaching assistant, whom I’ve worked with for many years, to ensure that children of all abilities are stretched and supported during every guided challenge that we work through. I have always been very passionate about Inclusion and SEND and ensure that my teaching is accessible to all children, no matter what their ability. I have taught children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Downs Syndrome, ODD, ADD, depression, anxiety, OCD, Global Learning Delay, children with challenging behaviour and those awaiting diagnosis and I always ensure that I involve each and every child in the learning process to ensure they make progress. It causes me great sadness when children are unnecessarily taken out of a group learning environment. I am very happy for groups of parents to sign their children up together - I know that car sharing for drop off and pick up is always a bonus for working parents, and that children often feel more confident around familiar peers. Each group session will last for 1 hour and 15 minutes, cost £30 per child and will typically include Maths and English support (with snacks and drinks provided whilst we learn!). However, if you’re booking a group of up to 6 children and you’d like foundation subjects such as Art and History or homework support, I can design lessons to suit your needs. I believe that happy children who feel motivated and engaged by an exciting lesson and teacher will thrive and I look forward to helping your child meet their full potential. To book, please email me at [email protected] or send me a message.

I saw these earlier and just had to share! ❤️These pictures were created by a 12 year old girl with autism to help her t...
11/12/2021

I saw these earlier and just had to share! ❤️These pictures were created by a 12 year old girl with autism to help her to describe and explain how Christmas time and all that comes with it can be experienced by a child with ASD. Melted my heart a tiny bit. Sometimes professionals and grownups speak over little voices and actually these very clear examples - very clearly demonstrated by a child - are a perfect reminder about how we need to support people with autism at this time of year.

I know our fabulous schools are busy creating fabulously exciting Christmas lunches, shows and parties for our children at the moment - but let’s take into consideration that this might be a little bit overwhelming for some children. At home, you might have beautiful lights and decorations around the house - again, check in with your little ones and see if they maybe need to be switched off for little breaks sometimes. Please have a look through this child’s amazing photos and keep them in mind at this time of year ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wild Moon Book of The Week…Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins and illustrated by Emily HughesThis is ...
17/11/2021

Wild Moon Book of The Week…

Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins and illustrated by Emily Hughes

This is one of the most beautiful picturebooks I’ve been lucky enough to read! I love a book that allows you to get lost in its illustrations and these really are truly magical. Not only that but the vocabulary is excellent meaning that our kids are being exposed to some really gorgeous language that we’d hope they take with them and use in their own speech and writing.

A bit about the book…

How many wonderful things start with time, with looking up and the imagination? That’s how treehouses start, according to this stunningly inspiring picturebook. As each page turns, we explore a different treehouse in the company of groups of children, excited, happy, working together. And the treehouses are wonderful! The one shaped like a pirate ship, the one with the huge built-in bookcase, the ones high up amidst the stars in the sky, all extraordinary, all for children only, places in which to dream and explore. It’s a book that you can read over and over again whilst finding new little details each time!

Weekly Wild Moon Book Recommendation!The Star-Spun Web by Sinead O’HartI’d say any reader from 9+ would adore this adven...
09/11/2021

Weekly Wild Moon Book Recommendation!

The Star-Spun Web by Sinead O’Hart

I’d say any reader from 9+ would adore this adventure because this book is utterly fantastic. I actually planned some school guided reading sessions around this book and the other year 6 teacher enjoyed it just as much as the kids and ran out to buy a copy! I know I said I’d only post the first page but the prologue is so gripping, it’d be a disservice to the author to not share the whole thing with you!

With a fabulous heroine at its heart and propelled by a fast-paced adventure in not just one world but others too, The Star-Spun Web is a spell-binding fantasy adventure. As a little baby, Tess de Sousa is left on a doorstep by her father in an effort to keep her safe. To be safe, he knows he has to get her out of one world and into another. Apparently orphaned, Tess, with her pet tarantula for company, grows up in Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings where she is encouraged to use her brain to do difficult scientific research and is very much loved by all. But her life changes suddenly when a stranger, claiming to be family, arrives at Ackerbee’s Home, and takes her away with him to Roedeer Lodge. Mr Cleat is not family and Tess needs all her intelligence and persistence to keep safe and, above all, to find out why he is interested in her and what his terrible plan for the future might be. The plot hurtles along and Tess remains a resourceful and delightful character throughout.

Welcome to our classroom!
08/11/2021

Welcome to our classroom!

Comparison is the thief of joy. As parents, comparing our children is such an easy thing to do, and often a way of ascer...
07/11/2021

Comparison is the thief of joy.

As parents, comparing our children is such an easy thing to do, and often a way of ascertaining their performance. I’ve always tried to encourage parents not to do this but now I’m a parent myself, it’s actually very hard not to do! My baby girl will be seven months on Thursday and I’ve already thought, ‘Eeek, look at that baby! Mine doesn’t do that yet! She should be doing x, y and z by now…’ at least a hundred times before snapping myself out of it and reminding myself that every child develops at their own pace. I of all people know this and still find myself doing it on a regular basis but we really do need to stop it!

At times, some parents may compare in an effort to motivate their children to do better… However, it’s these statements that do the exact opposite and can often lead to stress and low self-esteem. It is key to remember that no two children are the same, and every child develops at a different rate.

As a teacher, it breaks my heart when I see children comparing themselves negatively to their peers; in my opinion it’s the number one way to destroy confidence and cause a barrier to learning. If you notice your child doing this, please nip it in the bud as soon as you can!

So, this is a reminder to all of us! No more comparing!

Wild Moon Learning Weekly Book Recommendation ‘The Nothing to See Here Hotel’ by Steven ButlerPerfect for 7 - 9 year old...
01/11/2021

Wild Moon Learning Weekly Book Recommendation

‘The Nothing to See Here Hotel’ by Steven Butler

Perfect for 7 - 9 year olds (having said that, I’m 31 and I still enjoyed it 🤷🏼‍♀️😂)

Any young reader who enjoys funny, surprising, brilliantly inventive stories should check into The Nothing to See Here Hotel IMMEDIATELY. As promised, I’ve added a screenshot of the first page so let your child have a read or read it to them and see if they want to see what happens next! Sometimes, when we give children too much information about a book, we take the magic away from the reader - let them go on a reading adventure and find out for themselves!

Children of 7 to 9 are being really well-served by authors at the moment, and those who enjoy this book will also love the Amelia Fang series and Kaye Umansky’s Witch for a Week.

Do you struggle to find your child a reading book that’ll keep them hooked start to finish? Do you struggle to encourage...
01/11/2021

Do you struggle to find your child a reading book that’ll keep them hooked start to finish? Do you struggle to encourage your child to actually pick up a book in the first place? If the answer is yes, you’re certainly not alone!

I’ve spoken to so many parents over the years who were desperate to get their kids reading but with little success. The problem is usually that we either haven’t found the right book for the child or the child is struggling to access the content (perhaps they can’t decode the words, perhaps they don’t actually understand what’s happening in the story or perhaps they have a slow reading speed meaning that the story line is near impossible to follow because the pace is constantly interrupted).

Each week, I’m going to recommend a children’s book that I love along with info about reading age, interest level and most importantly a screenshot of the first page! Forget the blurb, I can tell if I want to read a book after reading the first page. Read it to your child and if they’re excited by it and want to see what happens next - you’ve found their next reading book! (I will also include some dyslexia friendly books as mentioned in one of my earlier posts.)

Let’s help our kids find a love for reading!

The Power of Picturebooks!At Wild Moon Learning, we absolutely love picturebooks! It’s a common misconception that these...
28/10/2021

The Power of Picturebooks!

At Wild Moon Learning, we absolutely love picturebooks! It’s a common misconception that these types of books are ‘babyish’, only for very young children and simply a stepping stone to chapter books - this is categorically not the case!

High quality picturebooks have been proven to support the development of reading and writing in many ways: they can support the development of sophisticated reading skills by enabling children to develop deeper levels of comprehension; support children to learn about narrative structure and character development in an accessible way; shape and inspire children’s knowledge about how to craft writing using text and illustration… and so much more.

As well as supporting literacy skills, quality picturebooks can help us to discuss themes with children that we, as their caregivers, might find really difficult. For example, ‘The Journey’ by Francesca Sanna is beautifully illustrated picturebook that introduces a powerful and moving perspective on migration for readers of all ages. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story explores the unimaginable decisions made as a mother and her two children are forced to flee their home and everyone they know to escape the turmoil of war. The power of this is book is extraordinary and each time I’ve read it to a class, I’ve been blown away by the sincere and heartwarming discussions and feedback from the children; it’s left me holding back tears time and time again. Please read it for yourself - I can’t recommend this book enough.

At the very start of the pandemic, one of my roles as Behaviour Lead and PSHE lead was to create a bank of online resources to support children who may have lost a loved one due to Covid 19. In all honesty, I was quite overwhelmed; I had no idea how many children this would affect and I didn’t really know where to begin. And then I started looking at picturebooks. I couldn’t believe how I hadn’t heard of these books before and immediately shared the list I’d made with all staff so that they could make recommendations to our local families if needed.

Some of my favourites were: ‘Big Cat, Little Cat’ by Elisha Cooper (so beautiful and very good for prompting discussion for children who don’t have the language or know how to discuss loss), ‘The Heart and the Bottle’ by Oliver Jeffers, and ‘Mum’s Jumper’ by Jayde Perkin. I’ve attached some pages from this book to give you an idea of how beautiful children’s literature can be.

Lauren Child, (Children’s Laureate), said, “There’s not enough understanding of how sophisticated picture books can be. If we don’t understand that, then we don’t understand how amazingly sophisticated children are and that they think very deeply and powerfully about things. And we do them a disservice if we don’t see this."

Some children find school a very stressful place to be. If your child struggles to cope at school then it’s a great idea...
27/10/2021

Some children find school a very stressful place to be. If your child struggles to cope at school then it’s a great idea to ask them to create a list of things they find very stressful and a list of things that teachers could do to help them feel more comfortable.

As a teacher, I can confidently say that we would all refer to these lists if we knew that it would help a child in our care to feel safe, calm and ready to learn. The following example was created by a Year 7 child with autism to support her transition to secondary school.

At Wild Moon Learning, we believe that if a child is struggling, we must hear them and let them help us to make things better.

Quite a sobering graphic 😢🥺When was the last ‘normal’ school year for your child? (ones without restrictions and closure...
17/10/2021

Quite a sobering graphic 😢🥺

When was the last ‘normal’ school year for your child? (ones without restrictions and closures).

To support children who may be finding school tricky right now, let’s remember what they’ve recently experienced in their short lives and the fact that they need understanding, patience by the bucket load and real, tangible support (particularly for their mental health).

If your school age child is struggling this weekend, especially with something school related (homework etc), my best suggestion is to focus on building connection and security with them. The homework can wait - their lives and mental health can’t.

As well as offering academic support to fill those gaps that your child may now have, my teaching assistant and I both have specialist training in emotional literacy support and are equipped to support your child through the range of emotions they may be facing. Get in touch for more info. X

We still have availability for our group tutoring sessions on Tuesdays (Year 6) and Wednesdays (Year 4). Please contact ...
15/10/2021

We still have availability for our group tutoring sessions on Tuesdays (Year 6) and Wednesdays (Year 4). Please contact us if you’d like us to save a space for your child. 😊

Address

Ashurst Road
Tadworth
KT205ET

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