Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

What are Regular Verbs? Meaning and Examples

A regular verb is a verb that follows a predictable pattern when switching between tenses. In English, you can usually form the past tense of a regular verb simply by adding the suffix “-ed” or “-d” to the end of the verb. It applies to both the simple past tense and the past participle.

Regular verbs are an essential part of the language; luckily, they’re relatively easy to learn. So, now we’ve seen a standard verb definition, let’s break it down and find out the exact meaning of regular verbs and how they operate. We can also look at some frequent verb examples so you can see them in action.

We all use regular verbs daily, but we probably don’t notice them. Two in that sentence – “use” and “notice”- are examples of regular verbs. They can be transformed into the past tense simply by adding “-ed” or “-d” to the end of the verb:

• “I use a pencil to do my homework” becomes “I used a pencil to do my homework.”
• “I notice the trees on my way home” becomes, “I noticed the trees on my way home.”

So, a regular verb always takes this very predictable form when moving it from the present into the simple past tense.

Some more regular verbs examples include:

• walk – walked
• laugh – laughed
• jump – jumped
• talk – talked
• look – looked
• agree – agreed
• listen – listened
• dance – danced
• wonder – wondered
• wish – wished

As you can see, each of these verbs can very quickly be turned into its past-tense equivalent. It is why regular verbs are the first ones children learn – they make it as easy as possible for children to talk and write about what has happened in the past.

There are lots of regular verbs in English! Each behaves the same way as the regular verb examples we’ve given here. For example, if you want to talk about something that’s already happened, you add “-ed” or “-d” to the end.

Past participle regular verbs meaning and examples

A participle is a non-finite verb that can also be used as an adjective. For example:

• He looked at his burned finger.
• He has burned his finger.

The first sentence uses the word ” burned ” as an adjective. In the second, it is used as the past participle.

The past participle of a verb is always used with the verb “to have” (“He has burned his finger”). It is most often used to form the past perfect tense to describe an action that has already been completed.

Here are some more examples of past participle regular verbs:

• I have completed my homework.
• We had talked about it.
• They played in the garden.
• I have cooked my dinner.
• She has watched television.
• He had shouted to his friend.

The great thing about regular verbs is that they don’t change their form between the simple past tense and the past participle. You still form them simply by adding “-ed” or “-d” to the end of the regular verb.

What’s the difference between regular and irregular verbs?

It’s an irregular verb if it can’t be put into the past tense easily, if the verb doesn’t fit with the ending “-ed” or “-d,” or if the verb needs to change its form to make sense in the past. These are more tricky to learn because irregular verbs don’t follow the regular pattern you’d expect when you put them into the past tense. Some examples of irregular verbs include:

• eat – ate
• write – wrote
• go – went
• run – ran
• see – saw

English is full of irregular verbs, which must be learned on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, children are usually not taught irregular verbs until they have grasped how regular verbs work and feel confident using them.

What is a factor in Maths?

A factor in maths is one of 2 or more numbers that divide into a number without a remainder, making it a whole number. In other words, a factor is a number that divides another number evenly. There are no numbers left over after the division process.

For instance, 5 x 2 = 10, so 5 and 2 are factors of 10.

Any number can have a large number of factors. Many numbers have an even number of factors, but square numbers have an odd number.

For instance, 25 is a square number because it is the square of 5. Therefore, its factors are 1, 5, and 25.

Factors are found not just in numerical sums but also in algebraic equations.

Factoring is the opposite of expanding. You can find out more about factoring and expanding by reading on. There are also some teacher-made resources listed to support your teaching about factors. Top of Form

How to calculate factors in Maths

One of the easiest ways children calculate factors is to use a factor tree. It is a simple root-and-branch approach to determine which numbers can be multiplied to reach a particular number.

The main aim of using this method is to find prime factors, which are numbers that cannot be factored down anymore. Prime factors must be prime numbers because they are only divisible by themselves and by 1.

A factor tree for the number 24, for example, would look like this:

24

4 x 6

2 x 2 x 2 x 3

Therefore, the result of factorizing the number 24 is 2 x 2 x 2 x 3, with 2 and 3 both being prime numbers.

Every whole number that isn’t 1 can be expressed as the sum of its prime factors.

Factor pairs

What are factor pairs?

Factor pairs are a combination of two numbers that act as factors of a multiple, giving a known product or number when multiplied together.

Let’s look at the number 20. An example of factor pairs of 20 would be the multiplication sum of 10 x 2.

10 x 2 = 20

10 and 2 are the factor pair, and 20 is the product of this factor pair.

For the multiple of 20, the factors of 10 and 2 together aren’t the only factor pair that exist. For example, 5 and 4; are a factor pair of the multiple of 20, as 1 and 20.

Learning multiplication tables well can help children to understand factor pairs and identify them quickly. Why not ask your children to match all the possible factor pairs for a number to demonstrate the concept?

Different types of factor

Prime Factor

Many numbers have an even number of factors, while a prime number has only two factors; the prime number itself and the number 1. It means it only has one-factor pair.

It means a prime factor is a factor that is also a prime number.

In other words, it is a number greater than 1 but cannot be divided precisely except by itself or by 1.

Common Factor

When working out the factors of two or more numbers, you will often find that their factors overlap. We call these overlapping numbers common factors.

For example, using the example of 18 and 24, common factors which will multiply into both include 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Highest Common Factor (HCF)

As you may have guessed, the highest common factor in a sum is the highest number of the common factors you have identified.

For example, the highest common factor of 24 and 6 is 6. It is because 6 goes into 6 once, and 6 goes into 24 four times.

What are the factors of 100?

The factors of 100 are all the numbers that make 100 when two are multiplied. Similarly, factor pairs of 100 are the whole positive or negative numbers that equal 100.

Factor pairs cannot include a fraction or a decimal number.

To find factors of 100, we must first take the numbers 1 and 100 and begin discovering the other pairs of numbers, which, when multiplied together, make 100.

Factors of 100:

• 1
• 2
• 4
• 5
• 10
• 20
• 25
• 50
• 100

What are the factor pairs of 100? To find both the positive and negative factor pairs of 100, take a pair and multiply the two numbers together to get 100. Here are some examples:

Positive Factor Pairs of 100

1 × 100 = 100 ⇒ (1, 100)

2 × 50 = 100 ⇒ (2, 50)

4 × 25 = 100 ⇒ (4, 25

5 × 20 = 100 ⇒ (5, 20)

10 × 10 = 100 ⇒ (10, 10

Negative Factor Pairs of 100

-1 × -100 = 100 ⇒ (-1, -100)

2 × -50 = 100 ⇒ (-2, -50)

-4 × -25 = 100 ⇒ (-4, -25)

-5 × -20 = 100 ⇒ (-5, -20

-10 × -10 = 100 ⇒ (-10, -10)

Factors of 100 by Prime Factorisation

Prime factorization refers to expressing a composite number as the product of the prime factors. There are three key steps to prime factorization:

To get the prime factorization of 100, we must divide it by its smallest prime factor, 2: 100 ÷ 2 = 50.

Next, divide 50 by its most minor prime factor.

Repeat this process until the product is 1.

The Division Method

In the same way that the factors of 100 can be found by multiplying numbers together, it can also be found through the division method. To carry out this division method, divide 100 by numbers, starting from 1, and see whether they leave you with a whole number or leave a remainder as well.

For example:

100 ➗ 1 = 100 (The factor is 1, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 2 = 50 (The factor is 2, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 4 = 25 (The factor is 4, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 5 = 20 (The factor is 5, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 10 = 10 (The factor is 10, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 20 = 5 (The factor is 20, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 25 = 4 (The factor is 25, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 50 = 2 (The factor is 50, and the remainder is 0)

100 ➗ 100 = 1 (The factor is 100, and the remainder is 0)

However, if you were to divide 100 by 3, you would get a remainder of 0.333. So it means that 3 is not a factor of 100.

What is a factor in algebra?

In algebraic equations, factors are expressed differently from the sums we have seen before.

Here, factoring, or factorizing, is done by finding an expression by multiplying simpler expressions together.

For example, if you are asked to factor 2x+4:

2x is 2 lots of x.

4 is 2 lots of 2.

So, to factorize the sum, we combine the two:

2x+4=2(x+2).

The opposite of factoring is expanding.

Expanding a bracket means multiplying each term by the expression outside the bracket.

You’ll see it is much like factoring, just the other way around. Knowing how to expand will help you to remember how to factor.

We can expand the answer we got above by following this process.

For example, with the expression 2(x+2), we multiply both x and 2 by the number outside the bracket. In this case, that’s the number 2. So:

2(x+2) = 2 × x + 2× 2 = 2x+4

Both expanding and factorizing make use of the skills of simplifying algebra.

What is the difference between a factor and a multiple?

Although factors and multiples are directly linked, they are two different things.

Where factors refer to the numbers that can be multiplied to reach a number, a multiple is a result after the factors are multiplied.

So, multiples result from a multiplication sum, whereas factors are the numbers that create the sum. Therefore, they are opposite concepts to each other.

What is the Mode in Maths?

The mode in maths is the value that occurs most often in a data set.

So in the last 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, the modal number is 3 as it appears most often.

The mode in maths is one of the key ways to detect the average within a set of data. By finding the standard, we can understand the most common value. Moreover, it might tell us something significant about the data set and can be very useful. Although analyzing data can be complicated, learning about the simple concepts of mode, median, mean, and range are helpful.

You can remember what the mode means thanks to the first two letters, “M” and “O.” Remember that the mode is the number that appears Most Often.

The mode in maths is not to be confused with other averages, such as the median, mean, and range. These are similar concepts to managing data sets, but each concept does something different with a group of numbers.

More Than One Modal Number

While, in an ideal world, there would be one modal number for each data set, this is not always the case. Often, a collection of data will have more than one mode.

Let’s look at an example to illustrate this.

Example 1: Find the modal number(s) in this set of data…

3, 3, 8, 3, 10, 21, 9, 4, 7, 4, 12, 4

If you look closely at the data above, you can see that the number 3 and the number 4 appearing three times. However, the rest of the scores only appear once. Therefore, there must be two modal numbers for this set of data.

The modal numbers are 3 and 4.

When a data set has two modes, it is called ‘bimodal.’

Example 2: Find the modal number(s) in this set of data…

88, 70, 70, 21, 88, 70, 70, 88, 90, 90, 90, 88, 35, 10, 90

By analyzing this data set, you can see three numbers appear 4 times. These numbers are 88, 70, and 90. It means that there are 3 modes for this set of data.

The modal numbers are 88, 70, and 90.

It is called multimodal when a data set has more than two modes.

Modal Classes

In some instances, you will find that each value in a data set occurs the same number of times. Finding the mode won’t be very helpful when working with data like this. Instead, you can group the data into ‘modal classes, and you can then identify the mode of each of the individual classes. It will give you an understanding of the data set as a whole.

For example, find the mode of this set of data:

1, 4, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 19, 20, 32, 34, 37, 40, 43

Now, you have to separate your data into appropriate groups. Again, it’s essential to ensure all your groups are of equal sizes so you can accurately compare them.

The groups for this set of data are as follows:

1 – 4: 3 values (1, 4, and 2)

7 – 10: 4 values (7, 8, 9, and 10)

17 – 20: 3 values (17, 19, and 20)

31 – 34: 2 values (32 and 34)

36 – 39: 1 values (37)

40 – 43: 2 values (40 and 43)

One class contains more values than the others: 7-10 has 4 values. It means that the modal class is 7-10.

This method of dividing data into different groups and figuring out the modal class is advantageous when dealing with a data set containing anomalies (outliers/irregularities) that could skew the results.

Still unsure about finding the modal class? Let’s try another example!

Find the mode in this set of data:

20, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 46, 50, 57, 58, 59, 61, 63, 72, 74, 75

The first step is to analyze the data closely and find appropriate groups for your numbers. Remember to make sure all of your groups are the same size!

For this set of data, the groups would be as follows:

20 – 24

25 – 29

30 – 34

46 – 50

55 – 59

60 – 64

71 – 75

Now that you have your groups, you can figure out how many values each has.

20 – 24: 2 values (20 and 22)

25 – 29: 5 values (25, 26, 27, 28, and 29)

30 – 34: 1 value (33)

46 – 50: 2 values (46 and 50)

55 – 59: 3 values (57, 58, and 59)

60 – 64: 2 values (61 and 63)

71 – 75: 3 values (72, 74, and 75)

It is clear that the group ’25 – 29’ has more values than any other group. Therefore, the modal class for this data set is 25 – 29.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Mode

Finding the modal value in a data set can be a good way of understanding the data better. However, as a measurement method, the mode has several downsides. Let’s have a look at some of the key advantages and disadvantages of finding the mode:

Benefits of finding the mode:

• The mode is super simple and easy to understand.
• The mode is not affected by extremely large or small values in a set of data.
• The mode is easy to find in a group of data.
• The mode can be located on a graph.

Disadvantages of finding the mode:

• There must be repeated values in a data set to find the mode.
• It is hard to find the mode when the data set contains a small number of values.
• A set of data can have 1 mode, more than 1 mode, or no mode at all

What is the Mode in Maths? – Why is it Important?

In schools, this topic is essential when closely linked to the National Curriculum. For example, in Year 5, children must describe and interpret different data sets in context (ACMSP120). In Year 6, they must analyze secondary data presented in digital media and elsewhere (ACMSP148).

Understanding the mode in maths is also essential for children’s observation and analysis skills. After recording data, the mode requires children to observe, analyze, and present their findings. In the long run, this can inspire children to look at more numerical information in everyday life, such as statistics in the news. In addition, it is good preparation for other topics and subjects, like science lessons.

Learning about the mode in maths gives children a fantastic opportunity to do independent research tasks. Children can use the Internet, newspapers, or observe events from everyday life to find data sets to practice finding the mode. For example, what was the modal average of all the students that took a test? From a scientific experiment, what was the most common temperature recorded?

Geography Of Asia

Asia is the largest continent on Earth. It makes up one-third of the world! Because of how big it is, Asia’s geography is highly diverse.

The Geography of Asia’s Continent

Asia is located in the eastern part of the Eurasian supercontinent. It’s the largest continent on Earth and makes up 60% of the world’s population! To the west of Asia’s part of Eurasia is Europe. Asia is bordered by three oceans – the Pacific, Arctic, and Indian. The continent of Asia is so vast that it contains both Earth’s highest and lowest points – Mount Everest and the Challenger Deep trench, respectively. There are 48 countries in the Asian continent. So you can imagine how diverse the geography, people, floral, and fauna are.

The geography of Asia’s continent has five major physical regions:
• Mountains
• Plateaus
• Plains
• Steppes
• Deserts
• Freshwater Environments
• Saltwater Environments

The Himalayas are a mountain system that separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. The mountain system extends for an impressive 2,500 kilometers! Apart from being part of India, the Himalayas are also in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. The highest mountain summit in the world, Mount Everest, is located here. The whopping 8,850-meter-tall summit passes through the Nepal-China border. The tectonic plate that the subcontinent of India is on is moving. It leads the Himalayas to grow around 5 centimeters every year!

The Tibetan Plateau is “the rooftop of the world” and is considered the most extensive and highest area. It’s about half the size of the United States of America and 5,000 meters above sea level. So for the same reason, the Himalayas are growing, and the Tibetan Plateau is rising too.Top of Form

The Climate, Flora, and Fauna of Asia

As the continent of Asia is so huge, each area has its unique climate, flora, and fauna. For example, China has more species of flowers than North and South America combined! China is known as the “Mother of Gardens” as the country is believed to be the originator of most species of plants. It includes roses, peonies, oranges, cucumber, peaches, and ginger. Wow!

Climate factors across Asia mean that the population is unevenly distributed. There are significant concentrations of people in Western Asia, eastern China, and India. Incredibly, Asia features the majority of climates known on Earth. Here are some of the environments of Asia, with an example country featured:

• Rainforest (The Philippines)
  • Grasslands (India)
  • Desert (Saudi Arabia)
  • Subarctic (Russia)
  • Temperate (Japan)

That being said, most Asia experiences what is known as a ‘continental climate.’ It means that the difference in Summer and Winter temperatures is significant. Southern Asia experiences the continent’s hottest weather, for example, Indonesia. On the other hand, Siberia once recorded a spine-tingling −67.8°C!

Speaking of Siberia, Lake Baikal is known as the “Galápagos of Russia.” Can you guess why? Because of how old the lake is, flora and fauna have been able to evolve for millions of years. It is an important study of evolution with an incredible 1,340 species of animals and 570 species of plants. Hundreds of these species are found nowhere else on Earth.

There are six tiger subspecies in Asia alone, including the hardy Siberian Tiger and the majestic Bengal Tiger. Sadly, only about 3,900 tigers remain in the wild in Asia. Of course, the Asian Elephant is distinguished from its African cousin by its small, fan-shaped ears. There are also 16 types of subspecies of bears, including Giant Pandas! These cuddly-looking giants are native to South Central China. Much like tigers, Giant Pandas are very vulnerable. There are only 2,060 in the wild.

Five fun facts about the Geography of Asia’s Continent!

1. China borders 14 different countries but only has one timezone. Russia also borders 14 countries but has 11 time zones!
2. The Arabian Desert, which spans an unbelievable 900,000 square miles, is only the fourth-largest desert in the world. But don’t worry; the Arabian Desert is still Asia’s most significant.
3. Have you heard about Taal Lake in The Philippines? Inside it, you’ll find an island; on the island, you’ll find another lake, and on that lake, you’ll find another tiny island!
4. Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands.
5. The largest city in Asia, Tokyo (Japan), has a larger population than Canada!

What is a Mixture?

A mixture is a physical mixture of two or more substances that aren’t chemically joined. For example, water and salt are separate substances that, once mixed, create a blend – seawater.

Mixtures are the product of the combination of compounds and elements without chemical change so that each substance retains its original properties and remains its substance.

Because of this, mixtures can be separated into components, becoming individual substances without a chemical reaction. It can be done using specific methods like filtration and distillation.

What are Examples of Mixtures?

Defined as two or more items that are combined physically but not chemically, examples of mixtures include:

• Cement (sand, water, gravel)
• Smoke and fog (smog)
• A box of toys
• Sand and water
• Seawater (salt and water)

Mixtures can either be heterogeneous, meaning the mixture’s components can be easily separated or homogeneous, meaning the composition is uniform throughout the mixture.

Let’s take the example of iron filings and sulfur powder.

When mixed, the iron filings can still be extracted with a magnet.

It is because the chemical properties of the mixture have not been changed.

However, if we heat the iron filings and sulfur powder, the iron filings cannot be extracted with a magnet.

Instead, a new solid metal substance is formed.

It is because the atoms have been rearranged and bonded together.

So, in this case, a chemical change has occurred, not a mixture of physical elements.

What are the Features of a Mixture?

Mixtures are physical blends of different components, not chemicals. It means their atoms have not been rearranged, and a mixture’s elements retain their identity and properties.

They differ from compounds, which are combinations in which the atoms are altered, meaning they cannot be separated.

What’s The Difference Between Mixtures and Compounds?

Mixtures have different properties from compounds:

• The amount of each substance within a mix can vary, whereas, with a compound, there is a definite composition, meaning the amount of each element within it cannot be changed.
• Different substances aren’t chemically joined in a mixture, so they maintain their properties. Instead, other elements are chemically bound in compounds, and their properties change to become new compounds.
• While the substances in a mixture can be easily separated, only chemical reactions can separate a compound into its elements.

Examples of Compounds

• Water
• Magnesium Oxide
• Carbon Dioxide
• Sodium Chloride

How can Mixtures be Separated?

There are many ways to separate mixtures of two or more different materials, but here’s a short list of some of the most common methods that KS2 pupils will learn about before leaving primary school. You can even try some of them at home!

• Evaporation (Simple Distillation). This method best separates a mixture of a liquid (usually water) and a soluble solid dissolved in said liquid. By boiling the solution, the water will evaporate off, leaving behind the soluble solid that had been dissolved.
• Evaporation and Condensation (Complex Distillation). This method is similar to Simple Distillation but a little more complicated. If you want to keep the liquid and solid materials from a mixture once separated, you can capture and chill the water vapor as it comes off a solution. As the water vapor is cooled, it becomes water again so that you can save both parts of the former mixture. It usually needs a specific tool called a condenser, so this one might not work at home!
• Magnetism. This method works best with a large number of solid metal objects. By passing a magnet over a mixture of metal items, you can separate the magnetic items as they’re attracted to the magnet!
• Filtering. This method works for separating insoluble solids from liquids, such as a mixture of sandy water. By pouring the mixture through filter paper, the fluid will pass through, but the solid will remain behind, unable to pass through the paper.
• Sieving. This method works best for separating solids of different sizes. It is because the smaller objects will pass easily through the holes in the sieve, whereas more extensive materials will be left behind.
• Decanting. This method works on mixtures of two liquids, oil, and water. First, pour the mixture into a container, and wait for the liquids to settle. As they do, they should form two separate layers, and you can then carefully drain off the top layer to separate the liquids.

How can information texts be used?

Information texts can be written on various topics, from natural features and locations to historical figures and events. We encounter them in our everyday lives whenever we read something that provides us with information.

Information texts help us to learn more about the world around us. While fiction texts let us explore our imaginations, non-fiction information texts expand our knowledge of our world.

Examples of Information Texts

Information texts come in lots of different formats. Here are a few examples:

• biographies
• non-chronological reports;
• essays
• newspapers;
• magazines;
• textbooks;
• instruction manuals;
• recipes.

Features of an Information Text

1. Main title – This sums up the topic.
2. Headings and sub-headings – These are used to introduce the content of different paragraphs to help the reader navigate the text.
3. Paragraphs – These are the central bodies of text that include the topic information.
4. Bullet-pointed lists – Ordering critical information in a list is an excellent way of telling the reader what they need to know about the subject.
5. Photographs and illustrations – Information texts include images to make the information easier to understand. These can be realistic photos or annotated diagrams.
6. Captions- Captions are used to describe included photographs and illustrations.

Planning and Writing Information Texts

Before writing an information text, it’s important to research relevant and accurate information on your topic.

When researching, picking out the essential information is a vital skill that strengthens information texts. In addition, data from various sources and websites will result in a more accurate and reliable end product.

Children can use mind maps, spider diagrams, and bulleted lists to note the most relevant information.

Breaking down paragraphs this way makes them easier to digest, and the lists and diagrams created can be included in the final text to help other readers.

Once all the required information has been gathered, it’s a good idea to draft a rough version of any information text. It is an excellent place to make mistakes and decide how you want it to be structured.

Re-drafting ensures that all information is correct and that appropriate vocabulary and grammar have been used. Then, using the rough draft as a guide, children can write up a neat final version of their text that’s of the highest standard.

What are Clauses?

It is helpful to take things back to basics and look at what we mean by the term clause to understand subordinate clauses and how to define them.

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. A clause is a group of words that contain a subject (a noun or pronoun) and a verb (a doing word).

What is a subordinate clause for kids?

A subordinate clause is a clause that can’t stand alone as a complete sentence. Instead, it’s linked to the main clause using a subordinating conjunction. It doesn’t express a complete thought and requires additional information when read independently.

You might also be wondering, well, what is a dependent clause? A dependent clause is the same as a subordinate clause. They’re just two different names for the same thing.

For example, in the sentence ‘I played out until it went dark,’ the phrase ‘until it went dark’ is the subordinate clause because it requires additional information to make sense. Subordinate clauses contain a subject noun and a verb.

When a sentence contains a subclause, we call it a complex or multi-clause sentence. You can remember some of the most valuable conjunctions using the acronym ‘I SAW A WABUB.’

• I – if
• S – since
• A – as
• W – when
• A – although
• W – while
• A – After
• B – before
• U – until
• B – because

What is a subordinate clause’s function?

Subordinate clauses can act as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns (which we will explore in more detail below). They complement a sentence’s main clause, adding to the overall unit of meaning. Subordinate clauses can also help establish the time sequence, causality, or a specific example of the idea.

Whether you use the term subordinate or dependent to describe this type of clause, the clause’s function remains the same: it provides additional information to support the main event of the sentence.

Examples of subordinate clauses in a sentence

Subordinate clauses can be found at the start, the middle, and the end of a sentence.

• While the rooster crowed loudly, the chicken laid eggs.
• The chicken, who was busy laying eggs, sat happily.
• The chicken laid eggs while the rooster crowed loudly.

In the first and third examples, ‘while the rooster crowed loudly’ is the subordinate clause. In the second, ‘who was busy laying eggs’ is the subordinate.

You may also notice that when your subordinate clause is in the middle of a sentence, it’s separated by commas. It is because this type of subordinate clause is embedded in the sentence.

Here are some more dependent clause examples:

• As the girl stood at the top of the hill, she sighed wistfully.
• She sighed wistfully as she looked over the mountain.
• The girl, who was looking over the hill, sighed wistfully.
• While he was waiting, he decided to read his book.
• He decided to read his book while he was staying.
• The boy, while he was waiting, decided to read his book.
• As he wagged his tail happily, the dog trotted down the road.
• The dog trotted down the road and wagged his tail happily.
• The dog, who was wagging his tail, trotted down the road.
• Although no one ever entered it, the house had stood there for years.
• The house had stood there for years, although no one ever entered.
• The house, which no one ever entered, had stood there for years.

Subordinate clauses for kids

Teaching children about subordinate clauses is an excellent way of improving their reading and writing skills. A solid understanding of how subordinate clauses work enables children to read more complex texts and add extra detail to their writing.

Vowel

Vowels are one of the two groups of letters in the English alphabet. The other group is consonants. There are five vowel letters: ‘a, ‘e,’ ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u.’ Vowels are very common in English and can be found in almost every word and syllable.

What are vowels in English?

Vowels are letters that are used in almost every word in the English language. Even when a comment isn’t spelled with a vowel, it almost always includes a vowel sound. Take the word ‘rhythm,’ for example. Even though the written word doesn’t have any vowel letters, we pronounce the ‘y’ like an /i/ or /u/, such as ‘ri-thm’ or ‘ri-thum.’

Vowel letters are one of the two types of letters in the English alphabet. The other type is called consonants; they make up most of our language’s letters. Whether a letter is classified as a vowel or consonant depends on how we articulate its sound.

Fun facts:

• Usually, words are made up of both vowels and consonants. However, the word Iouea (a genus of sea sponges) is the exception. This word contains all five vowels and no other letters.
• The words abstemious (the act of moderately indulging in food and drink) and facetious (finding humor in a serious situation) contain all five vowels in order.

What are the 5 vowel letters?

As we mentioned, there are 5 different vowel letters in the English language. These are ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u’. Sometimes, ‘y’ and ‘w’ can be considered vowels. We’ll explain a bit more about that later!

And what’s more, the sounds that the vowels make often fall into two main groups: short vowel sounds and long vowel sounds. We can see these differences in how they are pronounced in particular words. See these examples:

• Words that contain short vowels include bat, cat, bed, leg, but, bug, bog, hip, pop, and sip.
• Words that contain long vowels include haze, he, she, hope, human, cute and equal.

As you might have guessed from these examples, the way to tell if a vowel sound is long or short is whether it sounds the same as the name of its letter!

What are some examples of words that contain more than one vowel?

Let’s take a look at a few examples of words that contain one or more vowels:

Apple

In this simple example, we can see that it contains the vowels a and e. Note that when we pronounce the word ‘apple,’ we tend to stress the a in the first syllable but not the ‘e’ at the end of the second syllable. This unstressed ‘e’ is an example of vowel reduction.

Let’s take a look at another example:

Rain

In this word, two vowel letters are situated next to each other. The two vowels have formed a vowel digraph and together make one sound, which is the long ‘a’ sound in this case. Sometimes, we can say, ‘the first vowel does the talking,’ which means that, together, the letters make the long vowel sound of the first letter. However, this isn’t always the case. For example, in the word ‘noise,’ the ‘o’ and ‘i’ together make the /oi/ vowel sound.

Why are ‘w’ and ‘y’ sometimes considered vowels?

Earlier on, we mentioned that ‘w’ and ‘y’ are sometimes considered to be vowel letters. But how come?

That’s because both ‘w’ and ‘y’ are what we call semi-vowels. These are letters that are sometimes vowels but sometimes aren’t. It all depends on the situation. Let’s look at some examples to help us make sense of this.

The letter ‘y’ is considered a semi-vowel when it’s placed at the end or middle of a word or syllable or that word has no other vowels. For example:

• early
• candy
• backyard
• gym

The argument for classifying ‘y’ as a consonant (which most do) is based on this: When ‘y’ is a vowel, it’s just an ‘I’ or an /ee/ sound. These examples show how each ‘y’ sounds similar to the ‘i’ long vowel sound.

‘W’ can be considered a vowel when used in certain English words with a Welsh origin. These include ‘cwm,’ to refer to a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain, and ‘cwtch,’ which means a hug.

Why do we have vowels?

But with all this talk of vowel letters, we haven’t thought much about why we have them in the first place! But in fact, vowels play an essential role in our language.

Vowels and consonants are both speech sounds. Speech sounds existed in speech before letters were used to record the sounds in writing. Because the English language is partly based on the Roman language, which only had the five vowel letters ‘ a, ‘e,’ ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u,’ over time, we have combined vowels and consonants or pairs of consonants to make digraphs or trigraphs to represent all of the sounds.

To this day, vowels are essential as they form the basis for many of the words in the English language. So it is because vowels are necessary for creating syllables and therefore being able to articulate different sounds and words. It is why, even though they’re the smaller of the two-letter groups, you’d be hard-pressed to find a word that doesn’t have any.

And for this reason, vowels are also the starting place for teaching children how to read and write. Once children have mastered vowels, they’ll be able to recognize patterns in words and read and write with greater ease.

When do children learn about vowels?

Children begin to learn the alphabet during the early years/foundation stages in school and may start to identify the letters ‘a’, ‘e,’ ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u’ as vowels as they progress through KS1.

As children learn to read and write, they will come across CVC words (words that follow the pattern of consonant sound, vowel sound, consonant sound) and CCVC words (words that follow the pattern of consonant sound, consonant sound, vowel sound, consonant sound). In addition, as they progress through the phonic phases or levels, children will begin to learn vowel digraphs, such as ‘oo,’ ‘ie,’ ‘ai,’ and ‘ea.’

Vowel digraphs are the combinations of vowels, vowels, and consonants that make one sound. The sounds they make are different from the sound each letter makes on its own. For example:

• The ‘o’ in ‘hot’ makes a different sound to the digraph ‘oo’ in ‘book’ and a different sound to the digraph ‘oo’ in ‘boot.’

Vowel digraphs are also important when learning about homophones – words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example, ‘heal’ and ‘heel’ both contain the vowel sound /ee/ but use the graphemes ‘ea’ and ‘ee,’ respectively. Children typically begin learning about homophones in year 2.

What is the Timeline of World Religions?

There are approximately 4,300 religions practiced around the world today. A timeline of world religions aims to present those religions chronologically from oldest to newest.

Religious or Spiritual inclinations and practices date back to prehistoric times, before the invention of writing by the ancient Sumerians in around 3500 to 3000 BCE (Before Common Era). Archaeological finds indicate that prehistoric humans practiced spirituality, but much of the evidence is continually debated today – there are a lot of competing theories!

However, due to the invention of writing and the documentation of sacred texts, modern historians have been able to put an approximate date to the beginning of the top 6 major religions of today. We can put them in chronological order, creating a brief timeline of world religions.

2300 BCE to 1500 BCE – Hinduism

There is some debate over the exact starting point of Hinduism, as many of their original scriptures and traditions are not dated. However, scholars estimate that Hinduism was founded in Pakistan between 2300 BCE and 1500 BCE, making this belief system the oldest religion still practiced today.

It is estimated that 900 million people worldwide follow Hinduism, making it the third most popular religion on our timeline of world religions.

The primary sacred texts of Hinduism are called Vedas, a collection of hymns and prayers containing revelations from ancient saints:

• The Rig Veda
• The Samaveda
• Yajurveda
• Arthavadeda

Hindus believe these texts are sacred truths and transcend all the time. They also worship many gods and goddesses but think that there is one supreme God responsible for the creation of the world and present in all living things, Brahma.

Worship of the Gods, or puja, takes place in a temple called a Mandir. Hindus can go to the Mandir any time, any day, and worship at home. Many Hindus have shrines in their homes dedicated to one or a number of the gods and routinely offer them gifts of flowers and oils.

600 BCE to 500 BCE – Judaism

Judaism began in the Middle East some 4000 years ago, but much like Hinduism, there has been much debate over the actual founding period. Finally, in the 1800s, biblical scholars settled that what we now recognize as the Jewish faith or Judaism, was formed in the 5th century BCE.

Judaism was arguably the first monotheistic religion to surface in our history, meaning they were the first to worship and recognize one God at the center of all things.

It is estimated that around 14 million Jewish people live by their faith and values today. Their religion is not just a belief system but a way of life, law, culture, and tradition.

The Jewish sacred text is called Tanakh. It’s compiled of the same Bible books as the Old Testament but arranged slightly differently. The first five books of the Tanakh are called The Torah, which outlines Jewish law.

It is important to note that, throughout history, Judaism and the Jewish peoples have been subject to persecution and attempts of outright annihilation for their beliefs. The most recent was the infamous Nazi Holocaust, which killed 6 million Jews.

After the destruction of their two temples in Jerusalem, Jewish communities came together in local Synagogues to worship their god. As a result, there are 454 synagogues in the UK today.

Their holy day of rest is called Shabbat, which begins on Friday evenings and ends on Saturday evenings. Shabbat is a time for the Jewish community to take a break from tiring labor and remember the biblical story in which their god worked hard for six days creating the world and took a rest on the seventh day. They commonly begin Shabbat with the lighting of candles and recital of blessings.

600 BCE to 400 BCE – Buddhism

Buddhism was founded in India by a spiritual teacher known as “the Buddha” somewhere between the fifth and fourth century BCE, more than 2,500 years ago. His teachings formed the basis of the Buddhist faith’s philosophies, practices, and traditions.

Buddhism, similarly to Hinduism, teaches the importance of reincarnation, the cycle of death, and the soul’s rebirth. They believe this cycle will end only through transcending the self and its wants, meditation, and following Buddhist practice to cleanse the soul.

In Tibetan Buddhism, a leading monk called the Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of the original Lama as he agreed to be continuously born again after death to help humanity. There have been 14 Dalai Lamas up to the present day.

1st Century CE – Christianity

Christianity developed from Judaism, and its founding marks the 1st Century of the Common Era. Christianity is formed around the life, death, and teachings of a man named Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples.

There are approximately 2 billion followers of Christianity, the world’s most widely practiced organized religion. The spread of Christianity from its origins to the rest of the planet is considered the most successful religious movement in history.

Similar to Judaism, Christianity is a monotheistic religion. They believe there is one all-powerful God in three forms:

• The Father
• The Son
• The Holy Spirit

The Son, Jesus Christ, is said to be sent from God to save humanity from our sins (bad choices and actions) and bring us closer to God. Christians believe our relationship with God was restored through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The sacred text of Christianity is called The Bible, which is split into the Old and New. The Old Testament is divided into five books and is believed by Christians and Jews to be the sacred word of God. The New Testament focuses on the life, death, and teachings of Jesus.

The Christian calendar has several Saint days and celebrations, the most important of them being Christmas (the birth of Jesus) and Easter (the death and resurrection of Jesus). For Christians, these two events are a time for communities and families to celebrate with each other, give to others and remember Jesus’ sacrifice to save humanity.

Places of Christian worship are familiar in England; they are called Churches. Typically, Christians will gather every Sunday to sing hymns, pray and listen to passages of the Bible read by the local priest.

7th Century CE – Islam

Regarding following, Islam is the second largest religion on our timeline of world religions. Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and there are 1.8 billion practicing Muslims worldwide.

Islam was founded in Mecca, modern-day Saudi Arabia, in the 7th Century, built on the revelations and messages of a prophet named Muhammad. Muslims are also monotheistic and believe God sent Muhammad to spread the teachings of their faith to humanity. An angel visited him while he meditated in a cave and was chosen to spread the sacred word of Allah (God).

The most sacred text in the Islamic faith is called the Koran (Qur’an/Quran). The Koran is written in first person, as if Allah himself wrote it, and is believed to have been written by scribes of Muhammed as Muhammed never learned to read or write.

Muslims hold five basic principles in the Islamic faith essential to their practice and way of life. They are called the Five Pillars.

16th Century CE – Sikhism

Last but not least in our timeline of world religions is Sikhism.

Around 500 years ago, the Sikh faith was founded in Punjab, South Asia, by a man called Guru Nanak. At the time, Hinduism and Islam were the predominant faiths in Asia. Then, guru (meaning teacher) Nanak began preaching something completely new.

There are 25 million Sikhs today, and they believe in one God under whom everyone is equal.

Nine other Gurus followed Nanak and developed faith alongside him. Together, they taught their communities that God resides over them to guide and protect them and emphasized that it is essential to living a good life – the way of doing so is through your actions. The five basic principles of this belief are:

• Keep God in your mind and heart every day
• To live an honest existence and work hard
• To treat everyone equally
• To be generous to those who are less fortunate
• To live to serve others

The holy book of Sikhism is called the Guru Granth Sahib. It comprises a collection of teachings from the ten original Gurus of Sikhism and Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim saints. This book is held so sacred in the Sikh faith that it is stored on a pedestal in Sikh places of worship, and followers remove their shoes before stepping near it.

The Sikh place of worship is the Gurdwara, a gateway to the Guru. It is where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept. In the UK, Sikhs go to the Gurdwara on Sundays to worship, listen to scripture, and chant prayers together as a community.

At the end of Sunday service, the community shares a meal called a Langar, where everyone is welcome.

Character Traits

Character traits are a combination of the different qualities that define a character, such as thoughts, feelings, personality, and the choices they make. In short, these character traits make them who they are.

What are character traits?

Character traits describe a character’s qualities. It’s those aspects of their personalities and their choices that make them who they are. They’re how you would describe a character to someone else.

Think of the heroes and villains in your favorite novels. What character traits do they share?

Character Traits Examples

Positive Character Traits Examples

• loyal
• generous
• kind
• sincere
• persistent
• open-minded
• brave
• quiet
• fair
• selfless
• optimistic

Negative Character Traits Examples

• dishonest
• disloyal
• mean
• jealous
• cruel
• greedy
• impatient
• petty
• selfish
• unforgiving

What are character traits in stories?

Not only do character traits help to describe the character, but they also help to drive the story forward.

The main character’s personal qualities are essential to the story. If the main character is timid and stays inside all the time, there wouldn’t be much of a story! It is why the main characters are often outgoing or adventurous. Indeed, familiar character archetypes are the fearless hero and their loyal friend. These traits help to drive the plot forwards and into something interesting.

Character traits are a great way to show personal growth throughout the story. In the beginning, the character might have their head in the clouds. However, by the end, they may have learned to be more realistic. Can you and your pupils think of any stories where this has been the case?

Many traits can also be both strengths and weaknesses, which helps to make the story more interesting. In the case of the main character, they may be brave and heroic, always looking to save the day. While it’s easy to see this as a strength (helping people is a great thing to do!), it can also be a weakness.

A character that is too brave and heroic might end up getting themselves into some trouble! For example, if they try to save someone and end up getting hurt themselves or making the situation worse.

Character traits like being shy and quiet are often seen as a weakness in the character, but they can also be a strength. These characters are great at spying and learning the villain’s well-guarded secrets. They can also support other characters, such as listening to them when they need someone to hear them.

A character with well-written traits should feel like someone you might meet.

What is the point of flaws in a character?

It’s tempting to want your protagonist to be perfect, but their flaws are some of the essential character traits they have. Complex and fallible characters are infinitely more interesting than two-dimensional characters that are blindly heroic and only ever do the right thing. These characters aren’t realistic, whereas characters with flaws reflect real life and ourselves much more.

As well as simply being more engaging, flaws are crucial for helping move the plot on and driving the story. As explained above, defects such as being overly brave or always having your head in the clouds can create fascinating plot points and land characters in sticky situations, providing engaging material for the reader. In addition, flaws are necessary for character growth, which helps to propel a story forward.

In classical tragedies, the protagonist always has a fatal flaw. It is a primary flaw that causes many issues the narrative deals with or prevents them from moving past problems. Hubris is the most famous example of a fatal flaw, a classical term for unending pride and arrogance. If a character is very conceited and arrogant, they won’t admit their mistakes and cannot learn and grow.

How are character traits shown?

When you read a story or watch a TV show or film, you learn character traits through dialogue and action and how the characters are described. Their traits inform how they talk and act, especially around other people.

From these things, we can infer their personality and what they think and feel.