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The not-quite-schemas: Repetitive patterns that make sense of play

You've seen them before - the quiet rituals of childhood. The stacking. The scattering. The careful line of pebbles on a wall. These aren't random patterns - they're purposeful explorations. This guide helps you recognise what your child is really working on.

The pattern I couldn't see

Why do children act the way they do? What drives them? A lesson I learnt during a tough start to my teaching career helped me become a better parent once it was time to have my own children.

Fine motor mastery

Forget what you've seen on Pinterest, fine motor control is not about tracing letters in sand and picking up pom poms with tongs. Your child craves meaningful activities to develop real-world skills. Better for her; easier for you. What's not to like?

Games with rules

Get ready for school - and for life - by learning how to win - and how to lose.

How StoryChild works: your subscriber journey

StoryChild is your weekly how-to guide for raising a confident, independent child – through practical tips, playful rhythms, and the unfolding lives of the children of Elmwood.

Drawing without a pencil: arranging materials for early writing success

How do you learn to write? Does it start with drawing? No, it starts long before, with placing and arranging.

Through a child’s eyes: A tour of Elmwood

Welcome to Elmwood: the fictional neighbourhood at the heart of our stories. It’s a place where your child can grow up alongside a cast of companion characters, each navigating her own path through friendship, play, and growing independence. This guide introduces the physical world of Elmwood - the real

Spring to School: An introduction

What is Spring to School? Start your journey through the preschool years with this handy overview.

Meet Sam

This is Sam, our preschool hero. Follow along as he prepares for the most exciting year of his life - getting ready for school.

Oh! The Places You'll Go! From Ben to Daisy, birth to eleven and beyond

Match your child's developmental journey from infancy through middle childhood to the paths taken by the Children of Elmwood

Meet the children of Elmwood

Who are the Children of Elmwood? And which ones should you follow? This guide will help you choose.

Elmwood, the town you grew up in

Elmwood is the town you grew up in. You may never have walked its streets. But you know the feel of the pavement, the smell of the school hall, the hush of the house on a Saturday morning. It’s fictional – but not fantasy. There’s no magic here, no

The trajectory schema: Which way will you go?

Here is a girl. She launches a paper aeroplane across the living room and it is fun. It dips, it swerves, it flies. It cuts through the air. Delighted, the girl chases along behind. At last, it lands gently on the rug. But the game doesn't stop there.

Unlock your child's hidden play patterns: Chris Athey's breakthrough schemas

Lines, circles, and boundaries in play become letters on the page. Discover how Chris Athey's schema patterns transform your child's physical explorations into the spatial understanding and motor control she'll need for writing.