Parents trying to teach their children at home during the coronavirus lockdown may find the online search for suitable educational resources overwhelming. We’re here to help.
It’s okay to feel like lockdown is sending you round the bend as a parent at times. The key thing is for your child to be safe and engaged with their daytime activities. Whether you are currently employed in some capacity or focused on home care, the prospect of going back to ‘school’ along with your child through home-learning can feel like a mammoth task!
Many of us are thinking that we’ve reached an age where we shouldn’t have to be turning to the textbooks again – or proving to our children that we know literally nothing about long division or why the sky is blue.
These resource hubs may help you to provide home-learning in a way that doesn’t tax your energy to its limits, while still feeding your child’s capacity for learning in lockdown.
BBC Bitesize
This huge treasure trove has launched hundreds of bits of interactive content which follow the national curriculum for primary and secondary students.
Oak National Academy
Created by teachers, this government-backed new national online school provides video lessons, worksheets and quizzes related to many subjects.
The SchoolRun.com
Over 250,000 parents are already getting free worksheets, activities and offers from the SchoolRun.com. You can personalise the information to match the school year of your child, from nursery age onwards.
Classroom Secrets
This resource hub is providing free, fun, practical and interactive learning resources for children to aid parents in this difficult time.
The activities on offer come in the form of interactive games, video tutorials and downloadable home learning packs.
Twinkl
Twinkl’s home learning hub offers daily activities for primary-age children. While lockdown continues and children aren’t yet going back to school, getting new ideas for entertaining and educating your young children every day can be a blessing.
BBC Teach – Live lessons
You don’t have to recreate school at home. However, the live lessons on BBC Teach can help you and your child if you are looking for a way to add a bit of routine into their day. Their activities are suitable for children aged 3-16. These pre-made classes are all run by qualified teachers.
Parentkind
Parentkind is full of clear, usable advice for parents during lockdown. It includes useful stuff like what to expect from your kids, and how (and why) to make the clear distinction between home-schooling and supporting learning. They also offer tips on how to create a good learning environment for children of all ages. For example: If your child is at secondary school, they recommend you don’t watch over your child to keep them focused. Instead, you can start the day with a conversation about the work to be done, and agree regular time slots for study.
EasyPeasy
If you are the parent of a young child (up to 5 years) then EasyPeasy offers playful learning where the key is to help your young child feel fresh, engaged, and focused. Well… for five minutes, at least! It includes tips and daily ideas for games. Usefully, you can also track progress to see the difference you’re making. This is a really nice touch for parents who might feel like they have no idea how to measure their child’s progress in these difficult times.
PhonicsPlay
This facility has been made free to use during the coronavirus period and parents don’t even need to subscribe to avail themselves of the fun resources and activities on offer. This resource teaches reading skills to younger children using phonics (or sound). If your child loves aliens or pirates, this is a must. There is also a section for parents to help you get to grips with the teaching process.
The Maths Factor
The tagline for this resource is… “Let Carol Vorderman teach your child maths during this difficult period.”
Now you know your child is in safe hands when it comes to topping up their maths understanding!
This site featuring Carol Vorderman’s video classes for kids is free to join, and its activities – which are suitable for 4-12 years – are matched to the National Curriculum.
Explorify
Are you ready to enhance your science teaching and get your children thinking like scientists? Explorify, the offering from Wellcome, is full of free lessons and activities with a focus on learning science at home.
Young Professional skills building
Our skills building programme is more for children and young adults aged 14 and up, and it won’t supplant your home learning. But if you want your older children to start thinking about careers and building their life and work skills, you can ask them to sign up to our Young Professional training. It’s entirely free, and your child will get a weekly newsletter full of skills-building tips and opportunities to help them be the best they can be.
Zamzar online file conversion
If your child’s teachers are emailing worksheets in a bewildering array of file formats, you shouldn’t have to fork out extra cash for more software than you need. Zamzar can quickly convert your files so you can open them easily.
The bottom line for parents doing their best with home learning…
Try not to be too hard on yourself. A paren’ts time and energy are limited, and there is no reason you should feel obliged to become a first-class teacher overnight. Creating a bit of structure, however, can help both you and your child. With so many of these offerings being vetted by experts in their field and taught by qualified teachers, you can help to feel a bit more reassured that you’re doing great when it comes to home-learning.
You know what your family needs right now, but perhaps some of these resources will help you take a load off if you’re in need of ideas and support.
Remember to take care of yourself as well as your family, and good luck!
