Understanding Dyslexia in School-Age Children: A Guide for Parents

Introduction

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects reading and writing. For school-age children, dyslexia can make tasks like reading fluently, spelling correctly, and understanding written words much harder than they are for other children. It’s important to know that dyslexia does not reflect a child’s intelligence or potential. Many children with dyslexia are just as bright as their peers but simply learn in different ways. If you’re a parent of a child with dyslexia, understanding how it affects them during their school years can help you provide the right support and encouragement.

How Dyslexia Affects Children in School

Dyslexia impacts children in several key areas related to learning, particularly in reading, writing, and sometimes even maths. In school, where so much of learning is tied to reading and written instruction, these challenges can become apparent quite early on.

Reading and Writing Struggles

One of the hallmark signs of dyslexia is difficulty with reading. Children with dyslexia often struggle with decoding words, which means they have a hard time matching letters with sounds and blending those sounds to form words. As a result, reading becomes slow and laborious, and this can make it difficult for them to keep up with their peers.

Writing can also be particularly challenging. Children with dyslexia may have trouble spelling, even with simple words, and their handwriting can be messy or disorganized. Writing tasks that require children to put their thoughts on paper can feel overwhelming for a dyslexic child.

These challenges can also affect their performance in other subjects. For example, in maths, word problems that require reading and understanding text can be harder to solve. Similarly, learning subjects like history and science, which often involve reading comprehension, can pose difficulties.

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Because so much of early schooling revolves around reading and writing, children with dyslexia may feel discouraged or frustrated when they see their classmates reading fluently or completing writing assignments quickly. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy or even anxiety around schoolwork.

It’s not uncommon for children with dyslexia to feel like they aren’t as “smart” as their peers, but this is far from the truth. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence—it simply means the brain processes language differently. Early recognition and support can help prevent these feelings of self-doubt from impacting their confidence.

Strengths and Advantages of Dyslexia

While dyslexia presents challenges in school, it’s important to recognize that children with dyslexia often possess unique strengths and talents. Their brains are wired differently, and while this may make reading more difficult, it also can offer advantages in areas such as creativity, problem-solving, and big-picture thinking.

Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

Children with dyslexia often excel in thinking outside the box. Because their brains process information differently, they may develop unique ways of approaching problems and solving them. This kind of innovative thinking is a strength in fields that require creative solutions, such as art, design, and even business.

Strong Spatial Reasoning

One well-known advantage for many people with dyslexia is strong spatial reasoning skills. Dyslexics tend to think visually and have an exceptional ability to understand how objects fit together in space. This skill is particularly valuable in fields such as architecture, engineering, and the arts. Many famous architects, like Frank Gehry, are dyslexic and credit their visual thinking abilities as an asset in their work.

Emotional Resilience

Because dyslexic children often have to work harder to keep up with schoolwork, they develop resilience and determination. Overcoming their learning challenges helps them build grit, which can serve them well in life beyond school. These children learn that hard work and persistence can pay off, and they often develop strong problem-solving skills as a result.

How Schools Support Dyslexic Children

Schools are becoming increasingly aware of dyslexia and its impact on learning, and many have put systems in place to support dyslexic children so they can thrive academically.

Early Identification and Intervention

Early identification of dyslexia is crucial. The earlier a child’s dyslexia is recognized, the sooner they can receive the support they need to succeed. Teachers are often trained to notice signs of dyslexia, such as slow reading progress, trouble with spelling, or difficulty following written instructions. If dyslexia is suspected, schools may recommend an educational assessment to diagnose the child.

Once a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, schools typically create a personalized learning plan. These plans outline the specific accommodations and support the child will receive based on their needs.

Accommodations and Specialized Support

Schools generally offer a variety of accommodations to help dyslexic children succeed. These might include:

Extra Time on Exams and Assignments: One common accommodation is providing additional time to complete exams and assignments. Dyslexic children may need more time to read through questions and carefully work through written tasks. Allowing them extra time helps level the playing field.
Helpful Technology: Many schools offer access to technology that can make learning easier for children with dyslexia. For example, text-to-speech software can read aloud the content of books and assignments, helping children who struggle with reading comprehension. Similarly, speech-to-text software can help with writing tasks by allowing children to speak their thoughts instead of typing or handwriting them.
Multisensory Learning: Teaching methods that engage multiple senses, such as sight, sound, and touch, can be particularly helpful for children with dyslexia. This might include using hands-on materials, visual aids, and auditory learning strategies to reinforce reading and writing skills. Multisensory approaches help dyslexic children learn by reinforcing concepts through different types of input.
Reading Specialists: Some schools employ reading specialists who work one-on-one or in small groups with dyslexic students. These specialists use structured literacy programs designed to help children improve their reading skills by teaching phonics, decoding strategies, and reading comprehension techniques in a step-by-step manner.

Building Confidence

In addition to academic support, it’s important for schools to foster a positive and supportive environment where dyslexic children can build their self-confidence. Teachers can play a key role by praising children’s efforts, encouraging them to celebrate small victories, and emphasizing that everyone learns differently. This helps dyslexic children feel valued for their unique strengths rather than focusing solely on their struggles.

How Parents Can Support Dyslexic Children

Parents play a vital role in supporting children with dyslexia. At home, there are several ways you can help:

Stay Positive: It’s essential to remain positive and remind your child that dyslexia doesn’t define them. Reinforce their strengths and encourage them to embrace their unique way of learning.
Work with the School: Maintain open communication with your child’s teachers and stay involved in their education. Understand the accommodations and support available, and collaborate with the school to ensure your child is getting the help he/she needs.
Encourage a Love of Learning: Dyslexic children may become discouraged by reading, but you can help them develop a love for learning through other means. Explore audiobooks, educational videos, and hands-on activities that allow them to engage with subjects they enjoy in a way that feels less overwhelming.
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Achievement: Focus on effort rather than results. Celebrate the hard work your child puts in, even if their progress seems slower than others. This helps them build perseverance and a positive attitude toward learning.

Conclusion

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that affects how children read, write, and process language, but it does not limit their intelligence or potential. While dyslexia can pose challenges during the school years, it also comes with unique strengths, such as creative thinking and strong spatial reasoning. Schools today are better equipped than ever to support dyslexic children through personalized learning plans, specialized teaching methods, and accommodations like extra time on tests.

With the right support, both in school and at home, children with dyslexia can thrive academically and build the resilience they need to succeed in life. If your child is dyslexic, remember that their learning journey may be different, but it can be equally rewarding—and they have the potential to achieve great things in their own unique way.

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Teaching Critical Thinking to Young Children: A Gentle Approach

Introduction

Teaching young children critical thinking is essential to help them navigate the world as they grow. However, introducing this concept requires a gentle, thoughtful approach since young children tend to accept what adults say as absolute truth.

They are still learning to differentiate between what is true, what is not true, and the possibility that sometimes the truth isn’t so clear. The goal in teaching young children critical thinking is to plant seeds of curiosity, self-reflection, and the ability to ask questions, rather than to burden them with complex or abstract ideas too early.

Critical thinking, at its core, is the ability to reason, analyze, and evaluate information before forming a judgment. This skill helps children develop into independent thinkers, make better decisions, and solve problems more effectively as they mature. While young children may find it hard to grasp the nuance of truth versus untruth, there are age-appropriate ways to start teaching them how to think critically.

Start with Simple Questions

One of the best ways to begin fostering critical thinking in young children is by asking open-ended questions. These are questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer, encouraging the child to think and explain their reasoning. For example, instead of asking “What color is the apple?” you could ask, “Why do you think the apple is red?” or “What do you think might happen if we plant an apple seed?”

Asking questions like these allows the child to reflect and explore different possibilities. It also teaches them that it’s okay to not have an immediate answer. When children realize they can think and reason to find answers, they start to understand that not everything is as simple as it might seem.

Encourage Curiosity

Children are naturally curious, and fostering that curiosity is a great way to introduce them to critical thinking. Encourage them to ask “why” questions and, importantly, resist the urge to provide quick, definitive answers. Instead of saying, “That’s just the way it is,” try responding with, “What do you think?” or “Let’s figure it out together.”

For example, if a child asks, “Why is the sky blue?” instead of giving them a scientific explanation they might not fully understand, you can say, “That’s a great question! What do you think makes it blue?” From there, you can guide the conversation and even explore answers together through books or simple experiments. This process shows children that thinking about how and why things happen is important and that answers can sometimes require investigation.

Introduce the Concept of Different Perspectives

Young children tend to see the world from their own point of view, and they often assume that everyone shares the same beliefs and experiences. Teaching them that different people may think differently or have different experiences is a gentle introduction to the idea that truth can sometimes be subjective.

A simple way to teach this is through storytelling. When reading a book or telling a story, ask your child how different characters might feel or what they might think in a particular situation. For example, after reading a story about a character who feels sad because they lost their favorite toy, you can ask, “How do you think the other characters felt?” This encourages children to see things from another perspective and recognize that people might view the same situation in different ways.

This kind of activity helps them understand that while one person might think something is true, another person might have a different belief or experience. It’s an important step toward grasping the concept that what they believe might not always be the only possible truth.

Play “What If” Games

“What if” scenarios are a fun and creative way to help children explore possibilities and think critically. These games encourage children to imagine different outcomes and consider the consequences of actions. For instance, you might ask, “What if dogs could talk?” or “What if we didn’t have to sleep?” This invites them to stretch their imagination, think about cause and effect, and recognize that there can be more than one possible outcome in any situation.

These games also gently introduce children to the idea that what we imagine or assume isn’t always the reality. While the “what if” scenarios are playful and imaginative, they help children practice thinking beyond the immediate and obvious, which is a key element of critical thinking.

Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Critical thinking is closely tied to problem-solving. When young children face problems, encourage them to think through potential solutions rather than providing answers right away. This could be as simple as solving a disagreement between friends or figuring out how to build a tall tower with blocks.

For example, if two children want to play with the same toy, instead of stepping in and deciding who gets it, you can ask, “What are some ways we can solve this problem?” Encourage them to suggest different solutions and talk through the possible outcomes of each. This teaches children that there are often multiple solutions to a problem and helps them practice thinking through their choices critically.

Make Mistakes Part of Learning

Children often see mistakes as failures, but when teaching critical thinking, it’s important to emphasize that mistakes are part of the learning process. When children understand that it’s okay to make mistakes, they become more comfortable with trial and error, which is a key part of critical thinking.

You can model this behavior by talking about your own mistakes. For instance, if you’re cooking and burn the toast, you can say, “Oops, I made a mistake. I wasn’t paying attention. Next time, I’ll make sure to watch the timer more closely.” This shows your child that mistakes are not the end of the world and that we can learn from them by thinking about what went wrong and how to fix it.

Help Children Recognize Fact from Opinion

While young children might struggle to fully grasp the difference between fact and opinion, you can start laying the groundwork by discussing examples in simple terms. You might say, “A fact is something that we know is true, like ‘The sun rises every day.’ An opinion is how we feel about something, like ‘I think ice cream is the best dessert.’ What do you think?”

By introducing this distinction early on, you help children begin to recognize that not everything they hear or think is a fact. It also plants the idea that people can have different opinions and that these opinions aren’t necessarily right or wrong—they’re just different.

Let Them Explore with Hands-On Activities

Critical thinking can be encouraged through play and hands-on exploration. Activities that involve experimenting and discovering how things work—like building with blocks, puzzles, or simple science experiments—allow children to test ideas and explore cause and effect.

For instance, building a block tower that falls down teaches them to think critically about why it fell and how they can make it stronger next time. This type of exploration encourages problem-solving and helps children understand that there are many factors involved in reaching a conclusion.

Conclusion

Teaching young children critical thinking doesn’t mean overwhelming them with complicated ideas. It’s about nurturing their natural curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions, and gently introducing them to the idea that the world isn’t always black and white. Through simple questioning, playful exploration, and showing them that mistakes are okay, we can help children develop the foundations of critical thinking. As they grow, these skills will serve them well in all aspects of life, allowing them to become thoughtful, independent individuals capable of analyzing the world around them.

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The Importance of (VERY) Early Learning

You will be astonished at the ability of this 7-year-old girl to deliver a powerful speech without notes or prompts, to an auditorium full of adults.

Her grasp of the importance of parent to child interaction is frankly jaw-dropping!

I’ll say no more – just enjoy this 7 minute 43 second video and be amazed…

Thrive by Five

Avoidable Distractions

Increasingly, you may be noticing parents with small children sitting in restaurants, on the train, or pretty much anywhere, with the adults heads and thoughts buried in a phone or tablet.

The people who manufacture these gizmos, and the creators of the smart apps they display, know exactly how to make their products addictive.

You might occasionally see a small child in a buggy, staring boggle eyed at flashing images on a tablet’s screen, while its parents are preoccupied elsewhere.

As you will have seen in Molly’s video, ages 1 to 5 are vital years in the development of knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interact meaningfully with others.

Many other vital skills necessary for a child to blossom into a fully developed and successful adult are learned during those first five years.

We are constantly bombarded with enticing distractions. Modern technology is a useful tool that has become highly Addictive. For the preservation and development of our children’s lives (and our own) we all need to learn when and how to break free from our screens…

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“Frank Wanders Off” A story by Simon Bailey

Frank Sparrow sat on his bed, staring out of the window. He was dreaming about going on a family summer holiday. School was over for a few weeks, and now it was time to have fun.

There would be no homework to do, and his mum and dad wouldn’t be nagging him to get out of bed, and hurry to catch the school bus.

Frank liked school, but he liked holidays even better. He’d just reached 11 years of age, and still felt he wasn’t too old to enjoy the simple pleasures he’d always done, like making giant sandcastles with turrets and moats, then swimming and splashing about in the sea.

There was something unimaginably wonderful about sitting on a sunny beach, with an ice cream cornet melting in the sun and noisily slurping the sun melted drips of deliciousness as they ran down the cornet and onto his hand. That was the best bit, and when it was all gone, running down the beach and jumping in the sea to wash the stickiness all off.

Frank’s thoughts went on to daydreaming about fishing for crabs in sparkling rock pools full of seaweed, limpets and muscles.

There would be kites to fly, cream teas on the pier and boat trips around the bay, and all this was only a few days away.

“Frank!” His mother’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Come on, we need to get you a new travel bag.”

It was true. His old one was falling to bits. The handle had almost broken off and there were holes at the bottom where his things could fall out.

At the sound of his mother’s voice, Frank snapped out of his daydreams and remembered the plan was to visit “Jenks’ Emporium for the Discerning Traveller”. It was a large family owned store and well known for selling almost any kind of bag you could think of.

Frank searched for his trainers. One was missing, but he found it under the bed. He put them on and and scuttled down the stairs. Mrs Sparrow was waiting by the front door. “Why do you always take ages to get moving?” She scolded him with a frown on her face.

“Could only find one shoe”. Frank mumbled as his mother shut the door behind them and they walked off up the street.

Mrs Sparrow was a very neat and tidy person. She liked everything to be done properly and as quickly as possible.

This was all very well, but Frank preferred to take his time. He didn’t like to be hurried, and he didn’t like to be pushed. He tried to keep up with his mother as she sped along the pavement towards the high street.

They soon arrived at Jenk’s Emporium for the Discerning Traveller. Mrs Sparrow pushed open the door that creaked loudly, as if it was crying out for a drop of oil on its hinges, and a tinkling bell somewhere at the back of the shop announced their arrival.

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“Feisty Fish” (Part 5)

The shark zoomed excitedly backwards and forwards, counting the boxes as they tumbled on to the sea floor.

“One, two, three,” the shark cackled, in a voice that was becoming more bubbly and more crazy as each box thudded onto the sand. “

Four, five, six…!”

Inside the dimly lit ship Maddox was working frantically. He just wanted to finish and get back to the beach.

He was now worried his mum in a panic, would be calling the police, the coastguards and the air sea rescue helicopters to hunt for her missing son.

Finally, Maddox heaved the last of the boxes out of the side of the ship and he heard the shark still counting.

“That’s twenty-seven boxes,” bubbled the shark, “only one more to go!”

Maddox glanced quickly around the bottom of the ship, but there were no more boxes.

He stuck his head out of the hole in the side of the ship and shouted down to the shark.

“No – that was the last one!” He called out.

At this, the shark flew into a rage, snapping his teeth furiously.

“You’re cheating me,” he howled, “you’re keeping a box for yourself!”

“I’ll go back and check that again,” Maddox called out and started hunting everywhere in the ship. As he went into the strongroom to check for the last time, he heard the door clang shut behind him and the key turn in the lock.

He was trapped!

How was he going to get out?

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“Feisty Fish” (Part 6)

A Fishy Ending

Looking out through the bars of the door, Maddox saw an octopus disappearing round a corner. So the shark had been right. Octopuses were tricky!

Glancing quickly around his prison, Maddox could see a small hole in the wall. He broke off bits of the rotten wood and before long could stick his head out. The shark was nowhere to be seen.

Making the hole bigger was easy, and before long Maddox wriggled through, and floated down to the sandy seabed.

There was no time to search for his fishing rod so he decided to make a dash for freedom. It wasn’t easy hurrying through water and he moved at a snail’s pace.

He kept looking back over his shoulder, expecting to see sharp teeth coming after him, but the shark and the gold were nowhere to be seen.

Before long, the water became shallow and Maddox could hear the waves breaking on the beach in front of him.

At last, his head broke out of the water and moments later he stumbled ashore soaking wet. He flopped exhausted into his fisherman’s chair, with seawater dripping from his clothes and shut his eyes.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear a bell ringing. At first, it was so faint that he took no notice, but the ringing seemed to get louder until he could ignore it no longer.

It was the little bell on the end of his fishing rod!

He opened his eyes and jumped out of his chair, snatching up his rod.

With amazement, Maddox realised his clothes were completely dry. His socks and boots were still on his feet, and his ice cream lay melted on the sand.

His mum called out, “At last Maddox! That looks like a whopper!”

Maddox realized he’d been dreaming. He must have dozed off. All the excitement with the shark and the gold was just in his imagination.

But none of that mattered now.

Maddox had hooked a gigantic Sea Bass and his fishing rod was bent double under the strain.

Some other fisherman had appeared from nowhere. They stood around Maddox as he fought the fish, shouting words of encouragement.

This was Maddox’s moment of glory. People were gathering on the beach and taking photos.

As Maddox pulled the huge Sea Bass from the water, one thing was sure, there was going to be a feast tonight and Sea Bass was on the menu.

~ THE END ~

“Feisty Fish” (Part 3)

Some Very Sharp Teeth!

Without any warning, a large grey shark swam over the top of the nearest coral mountain and shot like an arrow straight to where Maddox was standing alone in his socks.

The shark stopped suddenly, and his bright beady eyes looked down at Maddox. This was just a bit too close for Maddox’s liking.

“Don’t splash about ” snarled the shark in a deep slippery sort of voice. “Nothing to worry about. I’ve just eaten lunch.”

What exactly it had just eaten wasn’t clear, but Maddox was extremely glad it wasn’t him.

“I need your help” bubbled the shark gruffly. “which is why Iasked you to come here today.”

“I wasn’t exactly asked,” Maddox replied politely. “I was pulled!”

The shark roared with laughter and looked rather pleased with himself.

“Yes – you were, weren’t you!” It snorted triumphantly.

“I caught you instead of you catching me!”

With that, the shark swam happily around in circles, needing only the slightest flick of its powerful tail to keep moving.

Although the shark was handsome in a fishy sort of way, Maddox wasn’t keen to pick an argument. Any creature that was blessed with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth was probably better as a friend than an enemy.

Knowing about teeth was one thing. Coming into contact with them was another thing altogether.

“What exactly do you want me to help you with?” Said Maddox, looking slightly puzzled. “I’m not used to doing things under the sea.”

The shark blew a mouthful of bubbles that chased each other upwards through the water, as if they were in a race to the surface.

“You have arms and hands!” Said the shark sharply. “Very useful! Very useful!”

Maddox wasn’t sure about all this. In the back of his mind, he knew his mum was asleep on the beach. She could wake at any moment and wonder where he was.

“We’ve found sunken treasure,” said the shark greedily. “In fact, we discovered 28 boxes full of shiny gold bars.”

“What on earth would you do with gold bars?” Said Maddox laughing. “I’m sure gold is no use to you at the bottom of the sea.”

“I could never have too much gold,” snapped the shark selfishly. “Maybe I will treat myself to gold teeth one day.”

At this, the shark opened his mouth and laughed loudly. Now Maddox could see neat rows of pearly white pointed teeth. He felt sure it was sensible to help the shark while its stomach was full and it wasn’t looking for somebody tasty to eat.

“Well?” Said the shark, with a glint in his eye. “Are you going to help us?”

Maddox thought it was probably a good idea to stay on the right side of those spiky teeth and said, “yes of course. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Splendid!” Said the shark and immediately swam off. His voice drifted back in an echo. “Follow me! Follow me!”

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“Feisty Fish” (Part 4)

Sunken Treasure

No sooner had the shark disappeared over the top of the mountain of coral than a large triangular stingray appeared right next to where Maddox was standing.

“Hop on!” She said gently. “I’ll take you to the shipwreck.”

Maddox did as he was told and clambered up on the stingray’s back.

Soon they were speeding past towers of brightly coloured coral decorated with swaying fronds of green and brown seaweed.

Beautiful sea anemones waving their tiny tentacles were dotted everywhere.

As the stingray whooshed by at speed, with Maddox clinging to her back, frightened crabs puffed up clouds of sand as they scuttled sideways to hide under the nearest rock.

The stingray’s huge wings flapped up and down like an enormous underwater bird. Her long tail with its deadly sting at the end, trailed safely behind them like a sleepy snake.

As the stingray glided around a tower of pink and purple coral, there on the sandy floor lay the remains of an ancient wooden sailing ship.

Once upon a time she must have proudly sailed the seven seas, carrying spices and valuable cargoes around the world.

Those happy days were long gone. Now her masts were broken and her ancient hull had holes as big as caves, where fish of many colours swam in and out as they pleased.

Maddox slid down from the stingray’s back to the sandy floor and immediately the shark raced towards him in a flash of silvery grey.

“Aha!” It bubbled excitedly, “I’m so glad you decided to come.”

To be sure, Maddox hadn’t really had any choice. If he’d chosen not to come along, he might have ended up on the wrong side of those razor sharp teeth.

“Oh… I just thought I would,” he said carelessly, trying very hard to sound as if he did this sort of thing every day.

“Is this where your gold bars are hidden?” He said, waving his arm in the direction of the shipwreck.

“They’re not mine yet,” said the shark with his eyes flashing, “but with the help of your strong arms young man, I will soon be rich.”

“Why didn’t you ask an octopus to get the gold for you?” Maddox asked thoughtfully, “I only have two arms, but octopuses have eight. I’m sure they could lift your gold four times faster than I can.”

At this, the shark thrashed his tail angrily and his teeth gleamed as he spoke.

“Never trust an octopus!” He snarled. “Don’t like octopuses. Octopuses cheat. Octopuses are too tricky!”

Maddox who had somehow lost both socks while zooming along on the stingray’s back, now stood squishing the soft sand between his toes.

“Don’t just stand there!” Snapped the shark rudely. “Climb inside and get my lovely gold.”

As Maddox got closer to the shipwreck, it towered above him like a spooky deserted castle. Finding the boxes of gold bars wasn’t going to be easy.

He clambered carefully up the side of the ship, while the shark swam excitedly backwards and forwards nearby, muttering to itself and laughing crazily.

“Twenty-eight lovely boxes,” it bubbled, “they are going to be mine, all mine!”

The ship’s timbers were covered in barnacles and it took Maddox some time before he could drop down through a large hole in the ship’s deck.

The shark shouted encouragement while snapping its teeth together over and over again, making Maddox feel nervous.

Inside the ship there was just enough light for Maddox to search the many cabins.

He pulled hard on a door handle. At first it was stuck, but then the rotten door broke into little pieces. With a scurry of sand, a huge conger eel shot out and nearly knocked Maddox over.

He jumped back in fright, but the thought of the shark’s teeth made him keep going. He knew it was time to be brave.

He crawled his way deeper into the dingy darkness.

At last, Maddox spotted a strongroom with bars on the door, like a prison. The door was wide open and there inside was a pile of boxes covered with sand and seaweed.

Sliding one of the boxes towards himself, Maddox pulled open the lid, and there inside were bars of gold that glinted in the dim light.

Although the boxes were quite small, they were very heavy. Maddox managed to slide them along wooden planks and then dropped them one by one down to the seabed through a gaping hole in the side of the ship.

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“Feisty Fish” (Part 2)

What a Whopper!

His fishing rod suddenly started to wobble a bit. And then it began to bend. The little bell at the end of the rod was tinkling furiously.

Dropping the half eaten ice cream onto his bait box lid, Maddox lept out of his deckchair and grabbed his rod before it was yanked off into the waves. It was shaking like an angry horse that was trying to throw off its rider.

Whatever was on the other end of the line, it was no small fish. His reel was screaming as the line ripped off.

No big fish around these parts, the ice cream man had said.

Maddox clung grimly onto the butt of his rod to stop it being wrenched out of his hands – Well if this isn’t a big fish, it must be a submarine, he thought.

His reel was almost empty of line, and Maddox was in a fix. His mind was racing. If he let go of the rod, it would be gone for ever. If the line ran out, then the fish would be lost for ever. What should he do!

He grabbed a small piece of driftwood by his foot, and jammed it in the real to stop it turning, and as he get that, he was pulled into the water.

In a few moments, the water was up to his waist, but he climbed onto his rod like a leech.

In a few moments more, he was off his feet and being towed through the water at speed. He was skimming across the surface of the sea like a speedboat, with sheets of water spouting up behind him. There was no way he was going to let go of his birthday fishing rod.

All that time, his mind was racing. Maybe this was a record breaker. Perhaps he’d be a hero and his name would be splashed in huge letters on the front page of the Fisherman’s Gazette, under a large colour photo of himself smiling as he held up the giant fish.

His picture would probably flash around the world, reaching all corners of the Internet in just a few minutes.

He would almost certainly get a hand written letter of congratulations from the Prime Minister.

Maddox’s arms were starting to ache.

No doubt about it, this fish could pull like a train.

This was his big moment, the one he’d been dreaming about. This would be a fight to the finish alright, and soon, Maddox’s name would be on everyone’s lips.

One of his boots came off, and then the other. There was nothing to be done about that now.

The giant fish gave one long pull on the line and Maddox was towed at great speed out to sea, while still desperately hanging on to his fishing rod. Fountains of water shot up in the air as he tore through the waves, leaving a white line of churned up water behind him. If anybody was watching from the shore, they would probably believe he was a speedboat in a desperate hurry to get somewhere.

He felt himself being pulled down below the waves and was amazed to discover he could breathe perfectly well under the sea.

He was just thinking this was one of the strangest things that had ever happened to him, and wondering at the same time whether he was likely to get back and finish his ice cream before it melted, when he found himself in the middle of a large shoal of silvery fish. The light from above made their scales shimmer and sparkle every time they changed direction.

It was as if they had come to swim along with him, but quite where Maddox was being taken was a mystery.

Somehow, with all the splashing and excitement, his other boot had gone missing. Now Maddox felt himself being firmly pulled down and down until his feet touched the sand at the bottom of the sea. Then the shoal of silvery fish darted quickly away and was soon out of sight.

Maddox was standing in his socks on soft golden sand and whatever had been pulling him let go of his line.

Dropping his fishing rod, Maddox looked around and saw he was in an underwater valley surrounded by mountains of rainbow coloured coral. Fish of all shapes and sizes swam lazily about as if they were just waiting for something to happen.

What exactly they were all waiting for was another mystery. Although Maddox didn’t have to wait long to find out…

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“Snail’s Ails” A short story by Simon Bailey

Snail’s Ails

“I wish I could fly.” Jena remarked to Teddy as she gazed wistfully out of her bedroom window.

Giving a long sigh, she then glanced at Teddy as if half expecting an answer.

Teddy was an ancient and somewhat moth-eaten bear and, of course, wasn’t in the habit of replying.

At seven years old, Jena knew many of her friends had given up their teddies, but she still found it comforting to think he was listening to her private thoughts.

“I could fly to China and see how people live there.” She continued. “Another day I might pop over to India.”

China and India sounded like exciting places, and impossibly far away from England, where it was a cold Winter’s night with snow tumbling in white fluffy blobs, covering the trees and gardens as far as the eye could see.

There was a full moon tonight, which lit up the snowy blanket, making everything look new and sparkly white.

Although it was beautiful, Jena was glad to be in her bedroom where everything was warm and cosy.

While she stared out of her window with a faraway look in her eyes, her mum bustled busily into the bedroom.

“Time for bed darling! “She said, walking briskly over to Jena’s bed and pulling back the duvet.

“Have you cleaned your teeth properly?”

“Yes mummy of course I did. I always do.” Jena protested wearily. Why her mother should even think of asking such a question was a complete mystery to Jena.

Of course, she loved her mummy and daddy very much indeed, but she did sometimes wonder whether they really understood the important things in life.

“Hop in then!” said her mother, still holding back the duvet and waving her arm encouragingly.

Jena tossed her dressing gown onto the chair and lept into bed. Her mother kissed her on the forehead and quietly slipped out of the room, snapping off the light as she went.

Like she did most nights, Jena lay quietly in the darkened room, thinking about anything that happened to pop into her mind.

She wondered where her pencil sharpener had disappeared to.

Jena was sure it was there in her pencil case this morning. But now it had gone missing. Maybe, she thought hopefully, it would turn up tomorrow.

Something she felt very sad about was the snail she had trodden on earlier that day.

It was all a terrible mistake. She hadn’t meant to. She’d been walking down a path, minding her own business, when there was a loud “SCRUNCH!”

Although she had apologised loudly to the snail, by then it was too late. The snail was already past caring and even now, hours later, Jena was still feeling upset.

Before anything else could pop into her head, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something tapping gently against her bedroom window.

At first, Jena ignored it. It was probably just the tips of a tree brushing against the window panes as the branches swayed in the breeze.

But there it was again!

This time, a little louder.

Jena lifted her head from the pillow, and for a moment, forgot about her terrible memory of the squashed snail.

There was just enough dim light seeping under the bedroom door for her to see that her curtains were not moving.

She thought about getting out of bed to take a look, but it was so cosy and warm under the duvet, she decided to stay where she was.

But when it happened a third time, the tapping was so loud, Jena jumped out of bed and threw back the curtains.

To her surprise she found herself staring into the unblinking eyes of a large owl perched on her window sill just the other side of the glass.

Quickly pulling up a footstool and standing on it, Jena reached up to open the window. Immediately, a draft of cold air rushed into her bedroom.

“At last,” said the owl sternly. “You took your time!”

In the bright light of the moon, made even stronger by the reflection back from the snow, Jena could see quite clearly the owl had particularly fine feathers and a business like beak and sharp talons.

Although she was normally quite outspoken, Jena found herself saying “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”

Afterwards she thought that had been a silly thing to say. How on earth could she possibly have known there might be a talking owl sitting on her window sill, waiting for her to open the window.

“If you’re not too busy,” said the owl politely, “would you care to join me for a short flight?”

“Where to?” Jena replied breathlessly, without pausing for a moment to consider the fact that flying for humans was just a dream.

“Oh, just here and there,” said the owl vaguely. “It would be so awfully nice if you could join me for a short spin.”

“Well actually,” said Jena, suddenly feeling disappointed, “my mother and father told me never to speak to strangers.”

“And did they say anything about owls?” Enquired the owl in a matter of fact voice.

Jena thought for a moment and said “Well no, not exactly, but I…”

“Then it’s all agreed,” said the owl without waiting for her to finish speaking. “We should leave immediately.”

Without twisting its body, the owl suddenly spun its head right around until it was facing in the opposite direction. For a moment, Jena felt its head might fall off, but it didn’t. Maybe that’s how owl’s heads are supposed to work.

The owl gave three very loud hoots and then a strange thing happened.

Peering into the distance Jena saw a huge swarm of bees appear, and start heading straight towards her.

This was puzzling. Jena felt sure it wasn’t bees, because as far as she knew, bees didn’t like to fly at night.

Now the flying object began to look more like a flying tree. It was about the right size with what appeared to be a long trunk, exactly like a tree.

Above the trunk there were lots of branches with leaves on top, all flapping and blowing in the wind.

At this point, Jena began to imagine she might be going crazy.

Although the moonlight shone brightly, the strange thing coming towards her definitely couldn’t be a swarm of bees and neither could it be a flying tree. If it wasn’t either of those, what on earth could it be?

As the flying object came closer, Jena was astonished to realize what she had thought were leaves fluttering in the breeze, were many hundreds of blackbirds, each one furiously flapping its wings.

In their beaks they each held a string. All those hundreds of strings were tied to strong ropes that from a distance had looked like the trunk of a tree.

At the very bottom of this flying curiosity, was a small wooden seat. It drifted slowly through the night air and stopped outside Jena’s open window.

“Hop in!” Ordered the owl.

He spoke in the sort of voice you probably wouldn’t argue with.

So without any thought she might fall down to the garden below, Jena leapt off her window sill and into the wooden seat and clung on tightly to the ropes.

This was all so thrilling and unusual, that Jena didn’t even realize she was only wearing pink pyjamas. Nor did she wonder why the winter air didn’t feel even a tiny bit chilly.

As they moved off, leaving the houses behind, the owl flew on ahead. He had beautiful long wings. Sometimes they would flap gently and sometimes they would just glide, and the owl would float through the air as if by magic.

Down below the snow blanket covered everything. The tops of pine trees were bent right over with heavy white dollops of snow. Here and there, dotted lines of footprints could be seen, made as deer and foxes had criss-crossed fields covered with a thick layer of pure whiteness.

After some time, they came to the edge of a large wood. There were tall trees in every direction as far as the eye could see.

It was a long way down and Jena held tightly onto the ropes as she floated silently over the tree tops.

After some minutes, the owl flew down towards a small clearing amongst the trees. Although the surrounding trees were laden with snow the floor of the clearing was green with grass, without so much as a single snowflake.

The flock of blackbirds above her, slowly lowered Jena down until she was able to jump out of her chair and onto the ground in the middle of the clearing.

The owl flew up to perch on a branch nearby. He sat still gazing out over the clearing, but said nothing. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen.

With their wings beating tirelessly, the blackbirds slowly lifted the wooden chair up into the air again. They floated it away over the tree tops until it was out of sight.

The tall trees kept out the moonlight and made everything seem dark. Jena began to worry how she was going to get home again, but something quite odd happened that pushed all other thoughts out of her head.

A single firefly suddenly darted out from among the trees. Another followed, and then another. Before long, fireflies were pouring into the air above Jena’s head in a swirling cloud of dancing sparks. While these hordes of glowing insects whirled above her, others were settling on trees. The whole of the clearing became bathed in a soft and delicate light.

As the last of the fireflies were arriving, butterflies came fluttering in their hundreds and thousands over the snowy tree tops. Great clouds of them cascaded down. It was like watching a living waterfall. They settled on bushes and the branches of trees, with their wings spread open. It was a beautiful show of colours, that glowed in the light from ten thousand fireflies.

Next came swarms of bees and an army of scurrying mice and shrews. Squirrels scuttled, frogs leapt and toads hopped, until the grassy floor of the clearing and the surrounding trees were covered with insects and small animals.

In the middle, wearing pink pyjamas, Jena stood open-mouthed in amazement.

An enormous snail suddenly slithered on a large rock at the other end of the clearing. It’s hard to imagine the snail being beautiful, but she was. Her shell was decorated with coloured patterns and she wore a small golden crown on her head.

“All hail the Queen! All hail the Queen!” Chanted the assembled creatures, who were now sitting up as if something interesting was about to happen.

As the Snail Queen got ready to speak, the birds and butterflies in the trees became still. The frogs and toads stopped croaking and the mice and squirrels and the other small creatures stopped their squeaking and chattering.

The Snail Queen spoke directly to Jena in a stern voice that echoed around the trees.

“You have been brought here today,” she said, “to answer the charges against you.”

“But I…” Blurted Jena.

Before she could finish speaking, a handsome fox with a large bushy tail slipped silently from behind a tall tree and growled, “Silence!”

The Fox lay down at the edge of the clearing. It looked like he had gone to sleep, but anyone could see he had one eye half open and a pointed ear that flicked now and then, showing he was still listening.

The Snail Queen cleared her throat loudly as if to say, “Everybody listened to me!”

“Is it true,” said the snail in a serious voice, “that you deliberately stamped on Jeremy, who was a kind and thoughtful snail?”

“I couldn’t possibly…” Began Jena in a horrified voice, but she was again silenced by a loud angry snarl from the fox, who jumped to his feet and glared angrily in Jena’s direction.

“And is it also true,” the Snail Queen went on, “that you wanted to stamp on Jeromy because you are big and he was small?”

“No!” Said Jena, “I absolutely…”

“Be quiet!” Snapped the fox, flicking his tail angrily.

“But the Snail Queen asked me a question,” said Jena indignantly, “surely I should be allowed to answer.”

Never in her life had she ever found herself in such a difficult situation.

The Snail Queen who had large eyes on the ends of long stalks, looked very hard at Jena who was now wishing that she had never longed to fly. Things would be much better if she had stayed cosily tucked up in bed.

“Sadly, we see a lot of this,” said the Snail Queen wearily, “careless humans stamp on snail’s and slugs and all manner of small creatures every day that passes. People just like you little girl, walk without due care and attention.”

The Snail Queen moved slowly to a more comfortable position on her rock and went on, “I get complaints from spiders and flies, wasps and particularly the bees.”

“You humans,” she said in a disappointed voice, “you have no cares for the bees who pollinate your apple trees, your pear trees and your cherry trees. They let you eat their honey, but instead of being thankful, you treat them badly. Your farmers spray their crops with chemicals that are bad for the very bees that give you so much.”

Jena was starting to feel very uncomfortable. It seemed like she was being blamed for everything.

“Listen to me,” said the Snail Queen in a serious voice, “can you honestly tell us that you didn’t mean to stamp on poor Jeremy?”

The fox sat down again and pretended to take no interest.

“You may speak now.” Said the Snail Queen, “You must present the case for your defence.”

The fox began to scratch himself furiously. He was twisted into an uncomfortable position with one foot scrubbing away at a very itchy place.

Jena stood up perfectly straight with her shoulders back and her hands clasped behind her back. It’s difficult to look important when you’re wearing pink pyjamas and so she did her very best to look serious and thoughtful.

“Your Royal Highness.” she began respectfully, and a murmur of approval ran around the assembled creatures.

“It was all a terrible accident,” she said, “I was walking along a pathway and I caught sight of some beautiful roses growing up a wall. I was so busy admiring them that I didn’t notice Jeremy making his way slowly across the path. And then I heard an awful scrunching noise under my foot. It was a very sad moment.”

As she spoke, there was some squeaking and croaking from the small animals around the clearing. The fox took no notice as he was now busy scratching another awkward itchy place.

“It’s difficult being a human,” said Jena, “because we’re so big and you’re so small.

The Snail Queen’s eyes peered long and hard at Jena.

“And how can we be sure,” she said, “that you really care for the smaller creatures that you meet now and then in your very tall life?”

“I always rescue insects that get caught inside my bedroom window at home,” said Jena, “I put a glass over them and then slide a piece of paper underneath, so they don’t fall. Then I open the window and set them free. I do this all the time in summer.”

There was a loud murmur of approval from everyone in the clearing and the Snail Queen nodded slowly.

“It’s really difficult sometimes,” Jena said, “to avoid squashing the occasional insect, no matter how hard you try.”

She turned round and pointed at the fox who was still scratching furiously.

“I’m sure Mr Fox wishes no harm to the fleas he may be squashing right now!” Jena said, raising her voice a little to make sure she was heard by everyone.

The fox stopped scratching and an embarrassed look spread across his face. Without making a noise, he turned round and slipped silently back through the trees with his tail hanging down as he went.

There was a roar of approval from the assembled animals. The frogs and toads croaked loudly, mice squeaked happily and for a moment the fireflies glowed even more brightly.

“Not guilty!” Came a shout, and then another and another, until the air was filled with cries of “Not guilty!”

The Snail Queen nodded slowly and her voice rang out around the clearing. “I think there is no case to answer. Not guilty!”

“I’m very sorry about Jeremy,” Jena said, “and when I get home I will put some flowers in a vase to remember him by.”

Shee looked up and saw the flock of blackbirds slowly descending with the little chair.

Walking towards it she took great care not to step on any frogs or mice. Hopping into the seat, she held tightly onto the ropes.

The chair rose slowly into the air and it a minute or so Jena found herself floating over snow laden fields and trees. It wasn’t long before she could see the street lights in the road where she lived.

The blackbirds very gently stopped right next to Jena’s bedroom window. She scrambled off onto the window sill and hopped down into her bedroom.

She clambered into bed, and feeling very tired now, all thoughts drifted away as her eyes closed and she sunk into a deep sleep.

The next thing Jena heard was her mother’s voice calling up the stairs.

“Come on Jena! Get up, or you’ll be late for school! Breakfast’s ready. Pancakes and maple syrup. Get a move on…”

Jena lay still in bed for a moment as she slowly woke up.

The memory of her fantastic flight was very clear in her head but she couldn’t decide whether it had really happened, or whether it was justa dream.

She slid out of bed and walked over to her window. She pulled back her curtains to let in the daylight and outside on the windowsill she saw a small black feather.

There was a gentle breeze blowing that morning and when Jena looked again a second later, the feather was nowhere to be seen.

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