Cheryl Freedman profile picture

Cheryl Freedman

Author

About Cheryl Freedman

Based in London, Cheryl has a love for culture, nature, and good food. As a mother of two young children, she regularly takes them on fun family trips to museums, art galleries, theaters, and city parks, all while nurturing their love for the arts and the outdoors.

Recent Work

A wide-eyed frog on a table staring at the camera.

Dichotomous Key Explanation For Kids

The phrase dichotomous key might not be instantly familiar, but we're betting as a parent, you've seen them before.

A dichotomous key is an important tool used by biologists to identify a given species or organism, and crop up in the GCSE biology syllabus. Dichotomous keys look like flow charts, and feature a series of images and text with two choices branching off at each step: you choose the one that fits the organism you want to identify.

At each stage, you're presented with a choice of characteristics, and answer 'yes' or 'no', until you make an identification of an organism, or species.

The word 'dichotomous' means two; they're sometimes also called a 'branching tree'. A dichotomous key is used to order information, and as a classification key, plus they're a tool for teaching younger nature-lovers about similar species.

When out exploring nature in a field, take a dichotomous key, to identify and learn characteristics of any organisms you discover.

Ages 13-16Math & Science
Little girl sitting at a desk writing in her exercise book with colouring pencils.

Equivalent Fractions (Year 4) Made Easy

As parents, we generally want to support our children in their learning.

But many of us fret when it comes to helping with certain topics, and maths in particular is often problematic for parents.  It can even take us back our own struggles with maths during our school years: double long division, anyone?

Luckily, many of the concepts taught in primary school aren't as complicated as they might sound at first. Meaning you're probably better equipped than you might imagine in teaching maths.

So if your Year 4 child is learning all about equivalent fractions, and you've drawn a big mental blank, here's what you need to know to go about teaching them the right way.

Ages 8-9Math & Science
Two viking nights in the forest

100 Chic Norse Boys' Names

Finding a great boy name is easier said than done, but in recent years Norse names have been having a moment, and it's easy to see why.

Norse names sound fresh, modern and strong, but also classical, with plenty of allusions to Norse mythology, the Viking Age and the Gods thrown in. They're not predictable, but these names aren't wilfully exotic or made-up sounding either.

For anyone who has ever sat through the entire Marvel movies back catalogue on Disney Plus (and even those who haven't),  you're probably already familiar with names such as Thor, Loki and Odin (and they all feature on our exhaustive list, below). But we have a lot more inspiration for parents seeking special, unique names for their baby son.

Norse names come from Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and are typically inspired by the Viking Age as well as Norse Mythology and the Gods.

Animals with plenty of strength also feature prominently (think the wolf, eagle or bear), as do spears, swords and rocky places.

Looking for a middle name to match? There are so many names meaning King fit for your little prince to inspire you.

Browse our comprehensive list, below, for some strong, classic Norse baby boy names that you can use as inspiration for your new son, plus we have some fantastic Finnish names with meanings to inspire you. You're bound to find something both you and your family love.

Ages 0-99Names For Babies
Year 2 girl being tutored in Year 2 spelling words.

Year 2 Spelling Words

By the time your primary school-aged child reaches Year 2 (the last year of KS1), there are a number of new words that they'll need to learn how to spell correctly.

It might seem daunting at first, but with a little practise, they'll get there. So here's how you, as a parent, can support them in year 2.

Spellings that should be on your 'to learn' list include 'bridge', 'table' and 'station'. You'll also find a number of common exception words on the menu, such as 'again', 'eye', 'hour' and 'water'.

Here's a quick rundown, and some handy lists, to help you and your child in Year 2  learn the right spellings and use them correctly, without tying yourself in knots.

Ages 0-99Parenting Tips
Cute little ethnic baby crawling indoor

79 Fantastic Finnish Names With Meanings

We're big fans of Finland, the magical home of Santa Claus, snowy landscapes, cosy saunas and, of course, Moomins.

But did you know that this country is also a great source of inspiration for baby names? We're guessing that when you're seeking a name for your newborn baby girl or boy, Finland might not be top of your list.

But hold your horses, because actually this chilly Northern European country (which isn't officially part of Scandinavia but is classed as Nordic) is a source of some totally brilliant names. In fact, we're betting that you already know a fair few names that are popular with Finns.

Familiar names such as Olivia, Anna and Emilia all regularly make their mark in Finland, but you might not know Finnish classics such as Onni, Elsea or Annu.

Whether you want to find a great Finnish first name, some unique Nordic girls names with meanings, or some chic Norse boy names, one of these might suit. So take a peek at our brilliant list of family-friendly Finnish first names, and their meanings, and see if you can find one that ticks the boxes for you.

The only problem you'll have is working out which Finnish names that you love the best. The search ends here; trip to Lapland optional...

Ages 0-99Names For Babies
Girl learning about split diagraph

What Is A Split Digraph?

A split digraph might sound like something that comes out of the back of your TV, but, in fact, it's a key part of the KS2 English curriculum for your primary school-aged children, especially in Year 1 and Year 2.

If you want to help support their phonics learning without pretending that you know what you're talking about, here's everything you need to understand about split digraphs. Our free primary school online learning guide will turn you into a phonics pro in no time...

Ages 5-7Parenting Tips
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