Welcome to The First 5 Advantage!
Where play builds the foundations for lifelong learning
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Build the foundations for academic success before pressure, panic or catch-up ever begin.
Expert-led cognitive development for children aged 0–5, grounded in 40 years of classroom and leadership experience, and designed to quietly shape future success, including the 11+.
Created by a Miralee Askew, a former Headteacher and educator of over 40 years, who nurtured her own child to Oxford University.
The First Five Advantage is a membership for parents who understand that the most powerful learning happens through play, long before formal schooling begins, and that when play is guided well, it quietly shapes a child’s future confidence, thinking and academic success.
Here's a poignant message sent to me from one of my newsletter subscribers whose child is preparing for the 11+...
"I wish I had created a love of reading whilst they were younger. Because of work and being busy allowed life to take over - and now they’re older and I want them to have books as their best friend it’s now a task because the fundamental years of instilling a love of reading has already passed. Whilst they will happily read now that’s very much with Mummy being pushy it isn’t their first choice I wish I knew between the ages of 0-5 years that what you teach during this period sets them up for years to come I would of definitely of chosen to do certain aspects of parenting differently."
Here's the thing...
It's not your fault!
There's tons of confusing and contradictory advice out there.
Most parents are told to wait...
Wait until nursery.
Wait until school.
Wait until there’s a concern.
Wait until learning becomes 'serious'.
Wait until Year 3.
That's advice that could cost your child dearly.
By then, the foundations are already set.
Not the academic knowledge, but the cognitive wiring.
Attention, language, inference, emotional regulation, reasoning, confidence with challenge... these don’t suddenly appear at 7, 9 or 10!
They are built, or missed, long before pressure enters the picture.
By the time preparation feels urgent, the most powerful years are already behind you.
This isn’t about blame.
It’s about timing.
Preparation doesn’t start with exams.
It starts with structured and knowledgeable architecture.
You don’t build a house by worrying about the roof first.
You start with foundations no one sees that stability and security relies on.
The First 5 Advantage Membership (based on The S.T.E.P.S® Framework) exists because, through no fault of their own, parents are doing too much of the wrong things, too late,
without expert filtering, and the cost isn’t visible until years later!
WHAT IS THE FIRST 5 ADVANTAGE MEMBERSHIP?
It's a structured, expert-led approach to early cognitive development without pressure, drilling or hot-housing.
It focuses on:
Language before literacy
Thinking before testing
Confidence before competition
It quietly builds the skills schools, and selective exams, assume are already there.
Why the First Five Years Matter...and Why Play Is the Key
By age five, around 90% of the brain’s core architecture is already formed.
Language pathways.
Attention and memory.
Reasoning and problem-solving.
Emotional regulation and resilience.
These don’t develop through worksheets!
They develop through playful interaction, conversation, stories, movement, curiosity and shared attention.
Play is not a break from learning, as .
Play is how young children learn best.
The challenge for parents isn’t willingness, it’s knowing...
Which play matters
When it matters
And how small moments add up over time
That’s where The First Five Advantage comes in.
WHO THIS IS FOR (AND WHO IT ISN’T)
This is for you if:
✔ Your child is aged 0–5
✔ You value education but don’t want stress or over-scheduling
✔ You want clarity, not overwhelm
✔ You’d rather do a little properly than everything randomly
This is not for you if:
✖ You want quick fixes later
✖ You’re looking for worksheets and drilling
✖ You prefer to 'see how it goes'
Clarity matters and so does honesty.
What The First Five Advantage Is (and Isn’t)
This membership is for parents of children from birth to Reception who want to:
Use play-based activities to build strong language and thinking
Support early maths and literacy without formal teaching
Replace screen time with simple, purposeful play
Understand how everyday play supports later reading, comprehension and reasoning
Feel calm and confident that they are doing enough and doing the 'right' things.
It is not about pushing children ahead academically.
It is about nurturing foundations through play, so learning later feels easier, not harder.
THE MEMBERSHIP DETAILS
The First 5 Advantage Membership
£39 per month
JUST £19!
LIMITED TIME-SENSITIVE OFFER FOR FOUNDING MEMBERS WHO JOIN THE WAITLIST!1
Designed to quietly change how you parent, interact and support learning without adding pressure or workload.
When The First 5 Advantage Membership open you will receive:
Monthly guidance aligned to one S.T.E.P.S® pillar centred on play-based maths, language and thinking
Short expert video teaching (10–15 minutes)
Simple daily-life applications (no prep, no overwhelm)
Developmental prompts so you notice progress early
Simple activities that fit into everyday life including bath time, meals, stories, walks
Clear explanations of why this play matters later on
Support to gently reduce screen reliance and increase meaningful interaction
Reassurance that playful learning is not falling behind, it’s getting ahead
This is about playing with intention, not adding pressure.
This is not a content library.
It’s a way of thinking that's installed early.
The Framework Behind the Play
All guidance inside The First 5 Advantage is grounded in my registered methodology:
The S.T.E.P.S® Framework
This framework ensures that play isn’t random or tokenistic, it incorporates:
Playful experiences build real, lasting skills
Activities meet children where they are developmentally
Learning is repeated naturally through play and routines
Skills that layer gently over time
Confidence that grows without pressure
Founding Member Invitation
The First Five Advantage will open first to a small group of founding members.
As a founding member, you will receive:
Lifetime locked-in price of £19 per month
Access from launch in May
Founding member recognition
Priority access to future play-based resources and guidance
To secure your place:
Join the waitlist today for £19
Membership begins in May.
Your price never increases as long as you remain a member.
This rate will not be offered again.
This Is For You If…
You want to support your child without pressure or panic
You want to replace guesswork with calm, informed choices
You value early foundations built gently and consistently
You don’t need to do more.
You need to play smarter with confidence.
Join the Founding Waitlist Secure your founding member place for £19
Build Strong Learning Foundations From Birth to Five
Gentle beginnings.
Powerful futures.
WHY TRUST THIS?
I’ve spent four decades inside classrooms, leadership teams, and homes.
I’ve watched:
Children with 'potential' struggle unnecessarily!
Average children surge ahead!
Parents panic far too late!
And I’ve seen the difference early foundations make, long before exams arrive.
This framework wasn’t created in theory.
It was forged in practice.
FUTURE PACING (Without Fear)
When your child reaches school age, you won’t be asking:
'Are they behind?'
'Do we need to catch up?'
'Should we get help?'
You’ll recognise the signs early.
You’ll understand what matters.
You’ll ease off, not pile on.
That’s the quiet power of starting early.
You don’t need to do more.
You need to do this while it still works effortlessly.
Join The First 5 Advantage Membership
£39/month £19/month
For Founding Members · Cancel anytime
This is about using everyday moments intentionally and embracing playful interaction that builds real skills, nurtures thinking, language and confidence, making later learning feel easier, not harder.
Want to get started sooner?
GRAB A COPY OF MY BOOK...SCROLL DOWN FOR DETAILS!
Why I Do This Work
I am a former primary Headteacher with four decades of experience across state and independent education.
I have taught, led, assessed and supported thousands of children from early years through to high-stakes selection.
I have also walked this path as a parent.
What I learned, both professionally and personally, is this:
The children who cope best later are not the ones who started earlier academically,
they are the ones whose foundations were built properly.
Language.
Attention.
Thinking.
Emotional regulation.
Confidence with challenge.
These are formed long before Year 3.
Often long before school.
The Problem No One Seems To Be Talking About
The education system intervenes too late.
By the time pressure appears such as tests, rankings, entrance exams, families are already playing catch-up.
Parents are then sold:
more practice
more tuition
more intensity
But the missing piece isn’t effort.
It’s architecture.
You cannot build complex thinking on weak foundations.
The First 5 Advantage Membership
I created this membership to address what formal education does not.
It is an evidence-led early learning framework designed to support children aged from birth by strengthening how they learn, not accelerating what they learn.
The First 5 Membership focuses on:
Early language and comprehension
Attention and cognitive stamina
Reasoning and flexible thinking
Emotional security and resilience
This is not 'hot-housing'.
It is not early academics.
It is doing the right things early, so later stages require less pressure.
What Makes This Different
A lot of early years advice out there for parents is either
vague and unstructured or
academic and inappropriate.
The membership and The S.T.E.P.S® Framework sits between the two.
It is:
Grounded in developmental and pedagogical science
Informed by real classrooms and real outcomes
Designed for parents and not professionals
Everything is practical.
Everything is intentional.
Nothing is overwhelming.
My work is for parents who...
Care deeply about their child’s long-term success, want to support learning without anxiety or force, value expert guidance over trends and understand that
prevention beats intervention.
Whether or not selective education is on your horizon, strong foundations can change everything.
Childhood is not a race.
But neither is it something to leave to chance.
The first five years shape everything that follows...quietly, cumulatively and powerfully.
My work exists to help families honour that window properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this about preparing for the 11+?
No. This is about building early learning foundations that selective education later assumes are already in place.
Is this suitable if my child isn’t academic?
Yes. The framework supports how children learn, not labels or outcomes.
Is this replacing school or nursery learning?
No. It complements early years education by strengthening language, attention and thinking at home.
Do I need to do activities every day?
No. The guidance fits into daily life, not schedules.
What age should we start?
As early as possible. The overarching framework is designed from birth to 11+ but the membership is for 0-5s.
It comes with a free series of training videos!
Email:[email protected]
Site: www.totstoteenstuition.com