Home-Schooling Help: Primary Edition

So it turns out the songs were wrong, school’s not just out till summer… with a new lockdown in place you’ll no doubt be looking for fun, creative and educational ways to keep the little ones entertained (and stop them jumping in on your work Zoom calls).

Whilst your kids will likely have work supplied by the school, it’s nice to dip into other resources to top up their learning, or just change things up a bit. Here’s a list of some top home-schooling resources for Primary aged children.

TTS

TTS have created a free curriculum-focused independent learning resource that’s packed with over 120 home learning activities. There are downloadable packs for KS1 and KS2, as well as activity books filled with fun ideas.

Spelling Training

An easy-to-navigate online tool, Spelling Training is great for children in KS1 and KS2. It creates spelling practice lists, tests and word games from a drop-down menu of subjects that include colours, instruments, popular songs and the human body.

BBC Bitesize

BBC Bitesize offers lessons full of videos, quizzes and practical activities covering English, Maths, Science, History and Geography. All you have to do to get started is pick your child’s year group and choose a subject.

The British Museum

Even though the actual museum is closed, The British Museum have created an interactive learning tool to allow you to explore history across five continents: Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceana. This tool is best suited for KS2 and above, as younger children may need a little help navigating.

What Was There

What Was There is an interesting interactive tool that lets you explore different cities across the globe in different time periods via photos taken at the time. While not necessarily an educational tool on its own, it may inspire your children to think about what their own area was like in the past.

National Geographic Kids

You’ll find loads of Primary resources on National Geographic Kids, from Ancient Egyptians to Plastic Pollution and Martin Luther King Jr. There are educational comics, facts, quizzes and activities on each topic. Twinkl

Originally designed as a hub for teachers, Twinkl has adapted itself for home-schooling with lesson ideas, activities and videos for KS1 and KS2. You’ll find a comprehensive range of subjects covered from the basic, English and maths, to music, design, computing and PE.

BBC Teach Live Lessons

The BBC’s fun and engaging Live Lessons help bring your subjects to life. Great for KS1 and KS2, there are episodes on literacy, numeracy and science. You’ll also be able to watch curriculum-based programmes on your TV from Monday 11th January on CBBC from 9am. These will include the Live Lessons, BBC Bitesize Daily, Our School, Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible Histories and Operation Ouch.

We know home-schooling can be a bit daunting, especially if you are working from home at the same time. But hopefully these resources can help to lighten the load a little.

Parents of the world, we salute you!