For parents: Supporting your child in Geography
Primary school age groups & years
In the UK, Primary School covers children aged 5 to 11. It’s split into two main stages:
- Key Stage 1 (KS1): Years 1–2 (ages 5–7)
- Key Stage 2 (KS2): Years 3–6 (ages 7–11)
At each stage, your child will explore different aspects of Geography, building on their knowledge year by year.
What my child is learning in Geography at Primary School
Geography at Primary level is all about exploration, discovery, and making sense of the world. Children will:
- Learn about the UK (its countries, cities, and physical features like rivers and mountains).
- Explore the wider world, discovering continents, oceans, and famous places.
- Understand weather and climate, including the seasons, extreme weather, and the water cycle.
- Investigate physical geography (volcanoes, earthquakes, rivers, coasts, deserts, etc.).
- Study human geography—how people live, work, and use the land in different places.
- Develop map skills, including using globes, atlases, and simple grid references.
- Work on fieldwork activities, like observing their local area, spotting landmarks, and making simple maps.
How to support your child's learning in Geography
You don’t need to be a Geography expert to help your child—just a little curiosity goes a long way! Here are some simple ways you can support them:
- Explore Maps Together: Look at a globe, an atlas, or even Google Maps. Ask your child to find countries, rivers, or cities they’ve learned about.
- Talk About the Weather: Discuss daily weather, seasons, or even extreme events (like storms or heatwaves) in the news.
- Watch Nature & Travel Shows: Child-friendly documentaries can bring places and environments to life.
- Go Outdoors: Visit local rivers, hills, beaches, or parks. Encourage your child to notice physical features around them.
- Link to Everyday Life: Talk about where food comes from, why we recycle, or how people live differently in hot and cold countries.
- Encourage Questions: Children are naturally curious—use their “why?” questions as a chance to explore Geography together.
Remember: Geography is not just about facts—it’s about developing curiosity, understanding the world, and thinking about how people and nature are connected. With your encouragement, your child can grow into a confident young explorer of the world around them.
Welcome to Geography for kids at Super Brainy Beans.
