These resources can help you teach your child effectively throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Before we explore some of the resources available, here are some tips to help you work more efficiently at home:
● Build a routine that is consistent – consistency is vital for delivering homeschooling and juggling your workplace priorities
● Don’t be too rigid – although routine is essential, it’s realistic to accept that you aren’t going to be able to deliver a full homeschooling day alongside your full-time job. Build-in playtimes and educational yet fun learning games – not all learning has to be done sitting at your kitchen table
● Seek out the support of friends and other parents – sharing your experience online can help you connect with other parents in the same situation. Take advantage of free video call apps including Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts to keep in touch with others outside your household
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Websites that usually require a subscription but are now offering free resources are:
- Twinkl
- Thirdspacelearning
- Oxfordowl
- Hamiltontrust
- Duolingo
- Khan Academy
- Fender online guitar lessons
- Audible
- Headspace
Additional free resources:
- Google Classroom
- Showbie
Some of our favourites include:
Duolingo – learn a new language
Users can sign up to use language learning website, Duolingo, for free. Select a language you and your children want to learn – choose from many including Spanish, German, French and Japanese and get started straight away.
With short segments of learning, fun pictures and leisurely activities, learning a new language can keep learning fun and interactive while you’re in self-isolation. Earning badges help your children stay on track and instil a little healthy competitiveness into their day.
Audible – a selection of free audiobooks
Listening to audiobooks can not only help your child learn and develop but can also be a great distraction for them, enabling you to get on with some much-needed work! Audible has stated that this free service will be available for as long as schools are closed.
Titles to choose from including Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Friends and A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh for the youngest readers, all the way through to tween, teen and literary classics. Literary classics include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Something for everyone to get their teeth into!
Check out the Audible selection here.
Fender – three months of free lessons
It’s not just for learning the guitar; the free lessons apply to bass guitar and ukelele, too. If your child has been learning to play in school and wants to keep learning, or they’re starting from scratch – this could be an excellent opportunity to build on their musical skillset.
Fender is offering bite-sized lessons with professional-quality videos, the ability to track your progress and learn through songs you love. As Fender has said, “We’re all going to be spending more time inside – so we might as well make some noise.”
Sign up for your free three months now.
If you’re a teacher and feel these tips could be of use to parents, feel free to share this blog post with them.
While schools are closed to the majority of children, this is a great time to re-assess your communication strategy as a school. We’re offering a 30-day FREE trial of our school communication app, so you can witness first-hand just how the app can help support your school team.
Sign up for your FREE 30-day trial now.