Now into the second week of school closures due the the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, parents and carers are home-schooling their children whilst in self-isolation.
A lot of parents and guardians will inevitably be finding it hard to educate their children to the standards they receive in a school environment whilst working from home themselves.
As a community, we are all supporting each other through this pandemic, so here are a few resources you might find useful.
A list of helpful links for PRIMARY education include:
- Twinkl (There is a range of free resources on this website from phonics help to home education specific help. They are also offering a one month fee unlimited membership so parents and guardians can download resources. For this you have to go to www.twinkl.co.uk/offer and put the code UKTWINKLHELPS when you make an account)
- Primary Resources (This website gives you access to free powerpoint and worksheets in subjects from English to Music and Physical Education)
- BBC (The BBC offer a range of resources to help your child at home)
- National Geographic Kids (You can find a range of quizzes and facts on this website)
- Phonicsplay (Free phonics activities)
- TTS Group (A website with learning collections to print)
Advice for this age group includes:
- Make sure they are still having structure to their day, waking up, having breakfast, getting dresses, doing some work, having a break, do some more work and do what they would normally do at the end of a school day.
- READ, READ AND READ. Make sure your child is reading and that you are reading with your child. This includes fiction and non-fiction.
- Look at the National Curriculum.
- Let them play, draw and have a break from learning.
- Have conversations with your children (check how they are feeling and reassure them)
- Set age related expectations (example: KS2 children should be able to do their two, five and ten times tables)
- Set a research project (Ask them to find something they like and are interested in and do some writing or art around it or make a fact file)
Sensory Activities include:
- Jumping on a trampoline, running and jumping games, star jumps and skipping.
- Crab walking, playing catch, unpacking groceries and press ups.
- Bear hugs, blowing bubbles, a selection of fidget toys, making a small tent with blankets and cushions for the child to squeeze into a calm and quiet place.
- Create a ‘Go Noodle’ account (it is free and has lots of physical activities on)
- Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel and Kids Yoga on YouTube
Primary School teacher Ellie Christina says: “Carry on reading everyday with them, make sure not to put a screen in front of them and continue to teach them new vocabulary.
“Also explain to them what is happening in a way that doesn’t scare them or make them anxious but don’t try to shield them from it too much because they need to be aware of the changes that will effect their lives.
Don’t feel guilty if the children aren’t constantly stimulated, these are stressful times and there is only so much to do inside the house.”
A list of helpful links for SECONDARY education include:
- Twinkl (See above for details)
- Maths Genie (A free online resource where you can find GCSE and A-Level practise papers and revision)
- Mr Barton Maths (A free online resource where you can find GCSE and A-Level maths revision)
- My Maths (If your child has a school log in for this website, they will find activities set up by their teachers)
- Tes (If you are willing to pay, there is a small fee on this website for online revision books starting from £1)
- BBC (The BBC offer a range of activities including video resources)
Advice for this age group includes:
- Find out the exam board your child is on for each subject. Each exam board will most likely have practise papers on their websites and will outline their syllabus.
- Have your child highlight the parts of the syllabus that they feel confident in and the parts they need practise on in another colour.
- Work through the topics gradually and use the online resources available.
- Make sure there is clear times and expectations set out so that they use their time effectively.
- Make sure your child has breaks and does not overwork themselves.
Ex-secondary school teacher, Beccy Knowles says: “Youtube is surprisingly your friend here. You will find ideas, demonstrations, explanations of concepts and documentaries. The challenge would be keeping to the topic.”
Consequently to the schools closing, there will be a lot of teachers with spare time on their hands. A post that has been circulating social media is as follows:
“While the world begins homeschooling/remotely/digitally educating our kids, if you need assistance with understanding something that has been assigned for your child, or if you need more resources, just give me a shout. I am a qualified Primary School teacher and will be happy to answer questions. If I don’t know the answer, I can find someone who does! I’ll do my best!!!
#BetterTogether ❤️📚✏️ Teachers…copy, edit & share! 🍎”
Let’s support all those teachers and not be afraid to ask for help.