Looking for new ways to help your child revise effectively for their AQA science GCSEs? We’re here to help with the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor, in association with ExamJam. Read on to find out more about how the Tutor can support your child and grow their exam confidence.

Helping your child succeed with the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor

As a parent, you want the best for your child – especially when it comes to their GCSEs. We know how stressful exam preparation can be, but with the right tools and support, your child can walk into the exam hall confident and ready to succeed. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor, a FREE revision tool designed to support your child’s learning and GCSE Science exam preparation.

What is the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor?

Oxford Revise is an award-winning series that teachers and students trust! It has a proven three step method to effective revision and exam success: knowledge, retrieval and practice. For the 2025 exams, we’ve created the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor, in association with ExamJam, a FREE digital revision tool to support students with preparing for their AQA Science exams.

Help your child make every minute of revision count with:

• All the knowledge they need for their AQA Science GCSEs broken down into manageable chunks
• Quick-fire digital flashcards to help information stick and build up their long-term memory
• The AI Oxford Revise Exam Tutor on hand just like a teacher to answer questions and support them if they get stuck
• Lots of exam-style questions which the Tutor will mark just like an examiner, so they know how they are doing, and what to revise next
• Progress tracking to help them stay motivated and on-track with their revision

Ready to get started?

Help your child prepare effectively for their science GCSEs and share the Oxford Revise Exam Tutor with them. The perfect companion to their trusted Oxford Revise Revision Guides.

What are other parents saying?

“My daughter found it useful and engaging” AQA Science GCSE Parent

“A very useful tool especially when it goes into detail if the student gets the question wrong” AQA Science GCSE Parent

“Helpful and effective due to the variety of revision methods – e.g. Flashcards, questions and information.” AQA Science GCSE Parent

“Especially liked the flashcard element for testing revision” AQA Science GCSE Parent

More from Oxford Owl

• How to support your child with their GCSEs
• Discover the Oxford Revise Revision Guides

Looking for fun things to do with the kids this half-term? We’ve created a list of easy crafts, Halloween games, outdoor activities for kids, and some magical new reads for inspiration.

1. Alternative trick or treating with Isadora Moon

If you’re isolating this Halloween or staying in to keep yourself and others safe this year, you can still give trick or treating a go with our Isadora MoonÌęÌęaround the house or garden. For every vampire item you find you get a trick and for every fairy item you get a treat! Reward yourselves with aÌęÌęafterwards!

More Isadora Moon activities:

• Isadora Moon colouring in sheets

2. Cook doughsticks outside

Ìęin the garden andÌęÌęon a stick.

3. Use your imaginations to make marvellous things with sticks!

Here areÌęÌę
 can you think of more?

4. Get crafty

The half term is a great opportunity to practice craft skills, and we’ve got plenty ofÌęactivitiesÌęto keep you busy. Create your own no-sew Halloween outfit this year with ourÌę,andÌęIsadora Moon wings.

5. Brew up magic potions

Spark imaginations and fire up creative writing skills with our potions class for mischievous children. Brew up inventive words withÌęÌęandÌęÌęwith Mirabelle.

More spell-binding activities:

6. Build a bug hotel

Ìęwith these easy instructions from the RSPB.

7. Have fun learning outdoors

Explore ourÌęfun outdoor learning ideasÌęfrom Isabel Thomas and enjoy some time outside.

8. Go on a magical reading adventure

Looking to escape to a magical world this half term? TryÌęVictoria Stitch, the wickedly gripping tale of sibling rivalry and betrayal from bestselling authorÌęHarriet Muncaster. If you feel inspired to create your own story afterwards, ourÌęÌęis a good place to start.

Ìęis another story that’s sure to have children hypnotized over the half term. Now a series on CBBC, it’s a fast paced action-adventure by award-winning Gillian Cross. Once you’ve read the story, download ourÌęÌęto explore its themes and spark your own story ideas.

For more half-term reading inspiration, check out our magicalÌęHalloween-inspired reading list.

More from Oxford Owl

• Books to read this Halloween

As part of an ongoing programme of language research, the department of Children’s Dictionaries & Children’s Language Data at 51șÚÁÏÍű has analysed children’s creative writing submitted to the BBC 500 WORDS story competition in 2023 and the results are out today!

You can find all the details about the winners of the 500 words story competition on the , and download the full for all the language analysis from OUP.

The analysis is undertaken by a team of lexicographers, editors and teachers, and is based on the Oxford Children’s Corpus, the largest children’s language database in English.

Key Findings from the Report

‱ Themes around contemporary conflicts feature more prominently in the stories than in previous years.
‱ There is a shift away from the topic of Brexit, with very few mentions of this word (and none in a political context).
‱ There is a substantial increase in the frequency of AI in the stories – often in relation to a dangerous entity that could take over the world.
‱ The stories indicate an increasing awareness of neurodiversity, and conditions are often portrayed as a strength.
‱ Barbie occurs twice as frequently in stories from 2023 than 2020.
‱ TikTok is seen as a more established app and part of everyday life in 2023.
‱ Lioness(es) increased in frequency compared with 2020, and over half of the mentions were in reference to football. In 2020, almost all mentions of lioness(es) were references to the animal.
‱ The 2023 stories are the first to demonstrate a lived experience of Covid in the UK, and the pandemic is evidently still a reference point for children.

Insights from the 2023 stories

‱ The proportion of boys and girls who submitted a story in 2023 was 39% and 61%respectively. Excluding names, words that are used much more frequently by boys than girls include: Madrid, titan, league, Godzilla and champions. Meanwhile, words that are used much more frequently by girls than boys include: gymnastics, pony, foal, makeup and tiara.
‱ Words that appear much more often in stories from the 5-7 age category than the 8-11 age category include: mammy, baddy and teddybear. Meanwhile, words that are used much more frequently in stories by children in the older age group than the younger age group include intrigue, commander and murder. Adverbs, including practically, seemingly and sincerely, are also used more frequently in this age group.
‱ Words which had much higher frequency in stories from 2023 than 2020 include seasonal trends such as pumpkin and Halloween, footballers such as Haaland and Raya, and animals such as capybara and axolotl. Camilla is also used much more often in stories from 2023 – both in reference to the Queen and as a general character name.
‱ Meanwhile, words which had much higher frequency in stories from 2020 than 2023 include ps4, bushfire, trump, Brexit and coronavirus.

Do check out the full report for more interesting facts about how children used language in the 2023 500 words competition, and congratulations and well done to everyone who took part and submitted a story, as well as to the well-deserved winners.Ìę

Blog: 4 top tips for writing great plots

Blog: 4 fun ways to develop characters for a short story

Blog: How to find the perfect words for your story

Blog: Using storytelling to help develop reading and writing skills

Mirabelle and the Midnight Feast

By Harriet Muncaster

Age 5+

If you’ve got an Isadora Moon fan who’s looking for their next read that’s full of magic, adventure and a little bit of mischief, meet Mirabelle! Isadora Moon’s naughty half-witch, half-fairy cousin has a whole chapter book series of her own for emerging readers to enjoy.

Like the Isadora Moon books, Mirabelle’s adventures are engaging and accessible stories to build reading confidence.

Mirabelle and the Midnight FeastÌęis a magical tale about friendship, siblings, and the importance of owning up to your mistakes. Will they be able to overcome their differences and come together for a midnight feast? Find out in this hilarious and heart-warming story.

Win Mirabelle and the Midnight Feast

For your chance to win one of three copies of Mirabelle and the Midnight Feast, we want to know who you and your child would invite to your own magical midnight feast. Comment on the pinned competition post on the Oxford Owl Facebook page with your answer to enter. Feel free to tag your feast friends so that they can join in the fun!

UK residents only. Entry closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 25th February 2024.

About the book

About the Author

Harriet Muncaster is the author and illustrator of the internationally bestselling Isadora Moon, Mirabelle and Emerald series of young reader books and the middle-grade Victoria Stitch series. So far Isadora Moon is available in thirty-seven different languages, including Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Korean, and is available as audio books. TheÌęIsadora Moon series won the El Corte InglĂ©s Children’s Book of the Year in 2019 and has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

More from Oxford Owl

• with Mirabelle (PDF)
• (PDF)
• Isadora Moon activities, videos and more on Oxford Owl

Science Words for Little People

Written by Helen Mortimer and illustrated by Cristina Trapanese

Age 3+

Get ready to meet some science words you can use every day!

Created by the language experts at 51șÚÁÏÍű, and informed by the Oxford Corpus of Children’s Language, these little books provide just the right words to explore science with even the littlest learners and to build their confidence with scientific vocabulary.

From the weather to space, discover and share all the words, facts, and meanings you need to talk about these fascinating topics together.

Win Big Words for Little people: Weather

To celebrate the publication of Weather, the latest Science Words for Little People book, we’re giving away all four books in the series to one lucky winner!

For your chance to win the books, head to the Oxford Owl Facebook page and comment on the competition post with your favourite weather emoji.

UK residents only. Entry closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 28th January 2024.

About the book

About the Author and Illustrator

Helen Mortimer has always loved words. After graduating, she placed her foot on the bottom rung of the publishing ladder and enjoyed every step of the climb until she had a fine view of the world of picture books!

Cristina Trapanese started studying illustration at the Italian School of Comix and later at the IDEA Academy in Rome. She loves painting and how it helps her learn how to manage colours, later discovering her passion for telling stories through images.

More from Oxford Owl

• The wonder of words: How learning new words can help your child (Blog)
• Building a strong vocabulary: How to help at home (Blog)
• Science for fun: Six super science activities to try at home (Article)
• Children’s Word of the Year 2023: Climate Change (Blog)

Climate Change is the Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2023.

A third of children chose climate change as their word of the year, narrowly followed by war and almost a quarter choosing coronation.

Why did children chose climate change?

The research, which asked over 5,000 children across the UK aged 6-14, revealed young people’s desire for action with emotive words such as ‘need’ and ‘important’ occurring frequently in their statements. Impact on the wider world, their current lives and the future were cited as the main reason for the word choice, whilst ‘sad’, ‘scared’ and ‘worried’ were the most common responses by young people when asked how the word makes them feel.

Analysis of the of the Oxford Children’s Corpus, the largest children’s English language database in the world containing over half a billion words, showed the topic of climate change is regularly written about by children. Studying the most recent addition to the Children’s Corpus, the stories submitted for the BBC 500 Words 2023 story competition, ‘stop’ is revealed as the most common word used in the context, underlining children’s resolve to alter the course of climate change.Ìę

The research also demonstrated how much current affairs affects children’s language. Of the children who selected war (31 per cent) as their chosen word, more than one in ten (13 per cent) mentioned the ‘news’ when asked why. The crowning of King Charles III was another key event in current affairs which impacted children, with many citing ‘celebration’ in relation to almost a quarter (24 per cent) choosing the word coronation.

What about slang words?

Other findings revealed bro to be the top slang word chosen by 42% of children followed by lol (24%) and slay (17%). Along with bro being used as an informal term to address friends, research found children also use it as a ‘positive politeness’ strategy to confirm solidarity with another person whilst expressing admonishment.

“This year marks the tenth year of Children’s Word of the Year, and over the decade we have seen the significant role current affairs plays for children’s language development. The choice of ‘climate change’ not only demonstrates how attuned children are to the news and their environment, but the research also reveals their willingness to engage with meaningful change. Whether it’s understanding how children use slang phrases or what word reflects the past year, it’s imperative we continue to support children’s language development so they have the means and vocabulary to express themselves.”Ìę Helen Freeman, Director of Oxford Children’s

“Through our work with young people, we’ve seen first-hand how willing children are to learn and engage with topics like climate change, so we’re not surprised to see it selected as Children’s Word of the Year. Sometimes we greatly underestimate children’s abilities to understand complex issues, so it’s encouraging that this research shows children are engaged and understand the impacts of climate change. We also mustn’t ignore the findings from the language research which demonstrate young people’s desire for action. Young people not only recognise that climate change is an issue, but they’re also seeing the importance of tackling it. No-one will feel the negative effects of climate change more than the next generation – or the positive effects of the action we take against it now.”Ìę Amy Meek, CEO and co-founder of Kids Against Plastic

How does it work?

Over 3,000 children aged 6-14 across the UK were asked for their suggested word of 2023 via our Education Research Forum. Based on the most common responses and themes in their answers, three words –Ìęclimate change,ÌęwarÌęandÌęcoronationÌę– were shortlisted. A further 1,450 children were asked for their favourite slang word of 2023 via a CHILDWISE survey. The three words, along with the three shortlisted slang words, were then put to vote by a further 1,000 children via market research agency Opinium to decide their overall word of 2023.

Climate and Vocabulary

IfÌę you are looking to explore topics in the world around you with your child at home, the following links may help:

• Blog: Talking about Climate change at home
• Page: Little Oxford: Explore your world
  • This page links to the Little Oxford app for 3-5 year olds, but also contains book recommendations for exploring the natural world with little ones
• Books: Big Words for Little People
• Kids Against Plastic: for more information about the charity Kids Against Plastic, please visit

Books to build Vocabulary

As a Headteacher of a primary school, I see the huge difference that a child’s vocabulary makes to their learning every day.

A rich vocabulary allows children to say exactly what they mean. Knowing and using lots of words helps them to understand what others are saying, to talk and write in an engaging way, and to better understand the world around them.

Support from parents makes a massive difference to the number and variety of words a child knows. One of the best ways to improve your child’s vocabulary is to play word games and activities at home. Not only is this an effective way to boost your child’s future success – it can also be fun and engaging for the whole family!

Here are some ideas for fun games you can play to build your child’s vocabulary and confidence with words.

Building your toddler’s vocabulary

• Ask questions about stories. For example, ‘Is Buzz helpful to Woody? Is the Gruffalo really scary? Do you think the mouse is a clever mouse? How do you know?’
• From nursery onwards, encourage your child to answer questions in developed phrases rather than in one or two words.
• Try to add more description to your own speech. For example, saying ‘Please could you pass me the large blue spoon with the wooden handle?’ exposes your child to more words than just saying ‘Please could you pass me the spoon?’

Building your child’s vocabulary at primary school

Ideally, a new word needs to be used six to twelve times, in different ways, to be remembered long term. Here are some ideas for repeating and reusing words in interesting ways.

1. Play word games

You could explore synonyms (words that mean the same thing) together. See how many different words your child can think of forÌęnice,Ìępretty, orÌętall. Some healthy competition with friends or siblings can help to make this fun.

2. Act out abverbs

Ask your child toÌęscamper silently,Ìęcrawl slowly,Ìęscuttle rapidly,Ìęsmile sweetly, orÌęspeak menacingly. Children love this!

3. Master meaning

When reading together, ask your child questions focusing around a particular word, such as:

• ‘Could we say that Verruca Salt isÌęselfish? Why? Why not?’
• ‘Could aÌęselfishÌęperson ever be kind? Can you give an example?’
• ‘Is Charlie BucketÌęselfish? Could we say he isÌęunselfish?’
• ‘When have you beenÌęunselfish? DoesÌęunselfishÌęmean the same thing as kind?’

4. Talk at the table

• Talk about food when you’re at the dinner table. Use interesting words to describe what you are eating: ‘My peas are not just nice and tasty – they areÌędelicious, they areÌęscrumptious. Do you think they areÌęscrumptious?’
• Dinnertime is also a good opportunity to ask your child about their day. For example, you could ask, ‘What do you remember from your lessons today?’ and encourage lots of detail. You can model this by talking about your own day first.

5. Use interesting words

• When you talk to your child, try to use interesting words. For example, ‘When I gave my friend her present, she was delighted. Delighted is a strong word for happy. I’m always delighted when you help me tidy up – what makes you delighted?’
• Try to model using adjectives (words that describe nouns, like ‘yellow’ or ‘smooth’) and adverbs (words that describe verbs, like ‘happily’ or ‘quickly’) in your day-to-day speech. For example: ‘Can you smell the freshly cut grass?’

6. Discover language on the go

Visit your local museum and ask your child to describe the pictures or exhibits they see. Take your child along with you as you head off to the bank, the grocery shop, or the post office, and see what new words you can discover.

7. Play ‘word/not word’

Another way to stretch your child’s use of new words is to play ‘word/not word’. This works by choosing a word (for example, ‘delightful’), and seeing what ideas your child associates with it. For instance, you could say to your child, ‘If I say something that you love, say “delightful”. If you don’t love it, say “not delightful”.’ Then ask your child why they responded as they did.

For example, you could try these ideas: opening presents on your birthday; eating sprouts; laughing at the puppy; eating ice cream; going to bed early; reading a book; riding your bike.

Now you can vary the game, using ‘beautiful/not beautiful’, ‘hilarious/not hilarious’, ‘exciting/not exciting’, and so on.

Things worth remembering

• Try to make time for your child to give full answers. Encourage them to answer in full sentences, or starting withÌębecause.
• It’s okay for your child to make mistakes, and it’s okay for you to correct them. A gentle way to do this is to say something back to them the correct way. For example, if your child says ‘It weren’t me!’, you could respond, ‘It wasn’t you?’.
• A good idea to boost vocabulary is to watchÌęBBC NewsroundÌęwith your child and discuss the issues involved. This is great for improving your child’s understanding of the world too!
• Teach the correct word for things as they come up in conversation (for example, ‘helmet’ instead of ‘hat’ or ‘rabbit’ instead of ‘bunny’).
• Have a simple dictionary or thesaurus to hand and explore word meanings together. Googling on your phone can also be helpful if you’re not sure.

Above all, have fun and remember that children learn at different speeds!

This article was originally published in 2019.Ìę

More from Oxford Owl

• Blog:ÌęThe word gap: How to build your child’s vocabulary at home
• Blog:ÌęCarry on reading aloud: the benefits of sharing books with older children
• Web page:ÌęVocabulary at primary school