In Britain the Government has advised on a number of "top tips" for parents. The advice includes using the junk mail to encourage children in their reading skills. By using the big brightly coloured "junk" literature that comes through the post, parents can play word games with their children. One such game suggested is finding smaller words within larger ones - such as `live' in `delivery'.

There's also advice on how to learn geography by following the progress of your favourite pop band or football team. The Olympics, too, provide opportunities to learn about countries and flags.

The guidelines are meant to help parents supplement the measures in the National Curriculum to encourage interest in learning among children. The move was welcomed by British teachers unions.