Online Learning Links
Early Years Online / home learning resources
Hungry Little Minds
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
Supported by the DfE – activities for parents/carers to engage in with their children Birth to five years old. Includes electronic links to a variety of other EY online resources.
BookTrust
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/storybooks-and-games/
Interactive stories and games.
Chatter Pack
https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/resources-list-for-home-learning
Lots of links to resources and guidance.
National Geographic Kids
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Activities and quizzes for young children.
The Kids Should See This
https://thekidshouldseethis.com
Wide range of cool educational videos.
Crash Course Kids
https://m.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids
You Tube videos on many subjects for a younger audience.
Cbeebies Radio
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio
Listening activities for the younger child.
Cbeebies
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
Lots of fun games to play, songs to sing, stories to listen to – linked to children’s favourite TV characters/programmes.
Numberblocks
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks
Fun ways with numbers. Including: counting, adding on, subtraction.
Red Ted Art
https://www.redtedart.com
Lingumi
https://lingumi.com/
(For children aged 2-5): Sets of learning games, speech recognition games and video-based games to help with a child’s grammar and getting them speaking their first words early on.
Kaligo
https://www.kaligo-apps.com/
(For children aged 3-5): The first digital handwriting exercise book using a stylus and tablet, built using AI and co-created with teachers, occupational therapists and neuroscientists.
Phonics Hero
https://www.phonicshero.com/
(For school-aged children): Over 850 fun, varied and motivating games take a child step-by-step through the 44 sounds, the reading and spelling of words, and how to conquer sentences.
Teach Your Monster to Read
https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
(For school-aged children): Covers the first two years of learning to read, from matching letters and sounds to enjoying little books, designed in collaboration with leading academics.
Fonetti
https://www.fonetti.com/
(For school-aged children): The world’s first ‘Listening Bookshop’ interacting with children by giving visual cues in real-time as they read aloud and highlighting where the most support is needed.
The Imagination Tree
https://theimaginationtree.com
Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest.
Interactive Phonics Resources
Phonics Play
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Free resources for all Phases. School subscription £120/year. Also available as an app £0.79 (Phase 2 only. Phase 3 to follow soon). FREE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PERIOD
Teach your Monster to Read
https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
Phonics’ and early reading. Free to register. Promoted and used by Oxfordshire schools.
Education City
https://www.educationcity.com/
Subscription website for all curriculum areas. Links to Letters and Sounds and Jolly Phonics. Between £100-165 per curriculum area.
Twinkl
https://www.twinkl.co.uk/
App covering all Phases £4.99 (lite version available for free).
Oxford Owl website
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home
Useful information for staff and parents.
Coosi box
https://www.educationalappstore.com/app/coosi-box-creative-drawing
Creative Drawing & Share Imagination.
Hairy phonics - My Story
https://www.nessy.com/uk/apps/hairy-phonics-1-2/
A simple book creator app, great for making multi-modal texts. Children can insert photographs, clipart, saved images. They can also record their voice and there are a range of mark making tools for them to write and record their ideas.
Coronavirus Covid19 - Sources of support
General – for parents
Samaritans
Call 116 123
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
Mind UK
https://www.mind.org.uk/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/support-community-elefriends/
UK Mental Health Charity with information and an online mutual support community
General – for young people
Parenting pressures
Family Action
Telephone: 0808 802 6666
Text message: 07537 404 282
https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/familyline/
The FamilyLine service supports people who are dealing with family pressures in a new and innovative way by using a network of volunteers from across the country to support family members over the age of 18 through telephone calls, email, web chat and text message.
Family Lives (previously Parentline)
Call: 0808 800 2222
https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/confidential-helpline/
Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. The helpline service is open 9am – 9pm, Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday.
Gingerbread
Single Parent Helpline: 0808 802 0925
gingerbread.org.uk
One Parent Families/Gingerbread is the leading national charity working to help lone parents and their children.
Grandparents Plus
Call: 0300 123 7015
grandparentsplus.org.uk
Grandparents Plus is the only national charity (England and Wales) dedicated to supporting kinship carers - grandparents and other relatives raising children who aren't able to live with their parents.
Helpful resources for talking to children about Coronavirus
Covibook
https://www.mindheart.co/descargables
A short book about Coronavirus for children under 7
Newsround video
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51342366?fbclid=IwAR3CyZq5rzXVoyGCgWjjpx6YqoetuZ1tP16y7wMjUR6uwgWyhRmf0aFTrAs
Drs Chris and Xand explain what’s happening
Resources for children and young people with additional needs:
https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.pdf
https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/health/coronavirus
Contains a link to the most up to date version of their “Easy Read” for young people and adults with learning difficulties
Resources for home education
Many schools will be setting their own learning. However, if you need something else to keep them usefully occupied then this non-exhaustive list might help those affected by school closures due to coronavirus, compiled by home educators:
Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org
Especially good for maths and computing for all ages but other subjects at Secondary level. Note this uses the U.S. grade system but it's mostly common material.
BBC Learning
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/coursesearch/
This site is old and no longer updated and yet there's so much still available, from language learning to BBC Bitesize for revision. No TV license required except for content on BBC iPlayer.
Futurelearn
https://www.futurelearn.com
Free to access 100s of courses, only pay to upgrade if you need a certificate in your name (own account from age 14+ but younger learners can use a parent account).
Seneca
https://www.senecalearning.com
For those revising at GCSE or A level. Tons of free revision content. Paid access to higher level material.
Openlearn
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/
Free taster courses aimed at those considering Open University but everyone can access it. Adult level, but some e.g. nature and environment courses could well be of interest to young people.
Scratch
https://scratch.mit.edu/explore/projects/games/
Creative computer programming
Ted Ed
https://ed.ted.com
All sorts of engaging educational videos
National Geographic Kids
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Activities and quizzes for younger kids.
Duolingo
https://www.duolingo.com
Learn languages for free. Web or app.
Mystery Science
https://mysteryscience.com
Free science lessons
The Kids Should See This
https://thekidshouldseethis.com
Wide range of cool educational videos
Crash Course
https://thecrashcourse.com
You Tube videos on many subjects
Crash Course Kids
https://m.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids
As above for a younger audience
Crest Awards
https://www.crestawards.org
Science awards you can complete from home.
iDEA Awards
https://idea.org.uk
Digital enterprise award scheme you can complete online.
Paw Print Badges
https://www.pawprintbadges.co.uk
Free challenge packs and other downloads. Many activities can be completed indoors. Badges cost but are optional.
Tinkercad
https://www.tinkercad.com
All kinds of making.
Prodigy Maths
https://www.prodigygame.com
Is in U.S. grades, but good for UK Primary age.
Cbeebies Radio
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio
Listening activities for the younger ones.
Nature Detectives
https://naturedetectives.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives/
A lot of these can be done in a garden, or if you can get to a remote forest location!
Oxford Owl for Home
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/
Lots of free resources for Primary age
Big History Project
https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home
Aimed at Secondary age. Multi disciplinary activities.
Geography Games
https://world-geography-games.com/world.html
Geography gaming!
Blue Peter Badges
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/about-blue-peter-badges
If you have a stamp and a nearby post box.
Red Ted Art
https://www.redtedart.com
Easy arts and crafts for little ones
The Imagination Tree
https://theimaginationtree.com
Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest.
Toy Theater
https://toytheater.com/
Educational online games
DK Find Out
https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/?fbclid=IwAR2wJdpSJSeITf4do6aPhff8A3tAktnmpaxqZbkgudD49l71ep8-sjXmrac
Activities and quizzes
Twinkl
https://www.twinkl.co.uk
This is more for printouts, and usually at a fee, but they are offering a month of free access to parents in the event of school closures.
Virtual tours
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
Virtual tours of some of the world’s best museums
Reference documents
The World Health Organisation
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/coping-with-stress.pdf?sfvrsn=9845bc3a_2
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/helping-children-cope-with-stress-print.pdf?sfvrsn=f3a063ff_2
Mental Health UK
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak
NEF – Five Ways to Wellbeing: The Evidence
https://neweconomics.org/2008/10/five-ways-to-wellbeing-the-evidence
Wang et al (2020) Mitigate the effects of home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet; Correspondence.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30547-X
National Association of School Psychologists
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource
Brooks et al (2020) The Psychological Effects of Quarantine and How to Reduce It: A rapid review of the evidence. In The Lancet Volume 395, ISSUE 10227.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8
The Child Mind Institute
https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
Mind Hong Kong
https://www.mind.org.hk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ResponseCoronavirusENG6.2.2020-.pdf