Based on the National Curriculum, this Headstart series provides lively activities that children from age 3-5 will enjoy doing. The activities are based on sound educational practice and they develop essential skills for pre-school learners. In the familiar home setting parents can help their children prepare for the work they will do in their first years at school. Counting aims to give practice and understanding in basic number skills and to increase a child's number vocabulary. Read and Write introduces your child to the world of written and spoken language and encourages interest and enjoyment of books and letters. Science encourages children to investigate their surroundings through simple and safe experiments and activities and Shape and Colour encourages children to recognise, match and experiment with shapes and colours, which will help with number work and science.