Second Level (P5-7)

Learning at Home Support

As a result of school and nursery closure we are aware that as parents you may be worried about how your children will learn over the coming weeks. We also know that this time of uncertainty and change in routine can be very unsettling for children. Many of us are parents ourselves and know that extended periods of time at home can be challenging as a family.

Please do not panic about providing the curriculum for your children the way settings do. At this young age all learning in settings is through play. Play is the greatest work a child can engage in. Please don't underestimate the enormous learning opportunities offered by:

  • Baking a cake, scones, pancakes (similar but different, cool!).
  • Building a Lego set - from instructions and then a random self-creation.
  • Play board games - learn to read and follow rules, understand sequences, take turns, wait, problem solve, accept defeat or win graciously. Design a new board game and write the rules to play it. Then play it together.
  • Plant and nurture seeds and bulbs.
  • Write letters to the elderly in care homes. Create a menu for the week ahead.
  • Write a recipe for dinner.
  • Follow someone else's recipe.
  • Enjoy mealtimes together.
  • Make a phone call to a friend.
  • Read a story then make up a drama to show parents.
  • Listen to favourite music and make up a dance. Yoga (Cosmic Kids on YouTube might be a good start).
  • Let them vacuum the house, wash the dishes or the windows, hang laundry.
  • Build dens - make it taller or darker. How wide a den can you make with only 3 blankets?
  • Make a picnic and eat in the den with a story afterwards.
  • Learn to wrap parcels and gifts (life skill!) Play with chopsticks then challenge each other to finish lunch without a fork.
  • Make soup together
  • Take a selfie a day and animate the changes over the weeks. Do the same with a tree or plant outside. Especially fun in spring with the growth to come.
  • Write or draw a diary.

Thanks to the huge commitment of our staff team they are providing learning at home grids twice weekly for you to complete with your child.  Please look out within your emails for these activities.  In addition to this we offer activities on twitter also. 

Please do not feel obliged to complete these activities they are only suggestions.

Additional Learning Opportunities Links

Below are some hyperlinks to useful websites which may support you. We will continue to update our blog over the coming days with further tips and ideas of how to support your child's learning at home. If you would like to share the home learning adventures you have with your child, please feel free to tweet them adding #greenrigglearningathome we love to see what your children are doing at home.

  • The BBC unveils its biggest push on education in its history - ensuring that every child in the UK has the opportunity to continue to follow the appropriate core parts of their nation's school curriculum in these challenging times. - Find out more here

English/Literacy

  • Stuart Prike - 'Remains' in Word/PDF format - 5 booklets for 5 of the poems plus guiding students on how to compare in an essay
  • Online Gruffalo workshop, and lots more. Plus stories read by Tony Ross, author - 7 stories, Facebook 
    • Elamentari - Write and code interactive stories - free access during school closures
    • Gutenburg - Download free books, e.g. Shakespear, Edgar Allen Poe, Frankenstein, etc.
    • Solomon Kingsnorth - Free books in PDF, Word and audiobook format - Alice in Wonderland / Wind in the Willows / The Railway Children / The Jungle Book / Peter Pan / Black Beauty
      • Reading aloud - Children can listen to stories being read aloud - YouTube
      • Hoopla - Public library online
      • Trugs - Phonic reading games for all children, including those who cannot read or have dyslexia. Email: trugs@readsuccessfully.com for 20% off using cv2020 
      • CrickerSoft - Reading and writing software for all abilities - Free during this period
      • Driver Youth Trust - over 50 free resources, designed to help teachers get *all* of their learners engaged with reading, writing, communication
        • Jane Considine "If schools in the UK close, I will be delivering daily English activities by video for pupils to complete at home. More details to follow. If you're interested in your children getting involved"
        • Peter Wharmby - Teaching resources - mostly audio of me talking about an aspect of English Language or English Literature - YouTube
        • No Red Ink  - builds stronger writers through interest-based curriculum, adaptive exercises, and actionable data
        • Carter's Yard Phonics - Free access to Augmented Reality phonics cards - phonics and reading - images, text and 'Zap codes' to view online and to print at home.
        • The Reading Realm - Free home learning packs/book and library challenges/quizzes/discussion guides/games and stories written by children for children! You can also now draw/write your own stories, poems, reviews, diaries etc, in the app too
        • IXL - All ages, database of resources
        • Epic - Free 30-day trial - instant access to a range of books (age 12 and under)
        • Nessy - Help for children with Dyslexia - free trial
        • Chris Grabenstein has given permission for teachers to video themselves reading his books online - royalty free
        • CLPE - Free plans, videos, teaching notes for all year groups in primary
        • EAL
          • EFL - Rivet - Free app recommended for those learning English
          • Audible - Free - Available in 6 languages

         Maths

        • Third Space learning - Primary resources for schools, and parent/carers guides to learning at home/support/advice/resources
        • Dr Frost's maths - Free database of resources
        • The Maths Mum "I'll be running daily 'live' tutorials on my FB and IG feed covering maths topics and setting work for all primary school years. Also, regular Q&A sessions to help with any questions/problems"Maths Genie
        • Number stacks - Free 14-day trial and resources
        • Prodigy - Curriculum aligned maths platform - Free
        • Bond Bonanza - Free App helping children to move away from counting numbers up to 20 to turn them into instantly recallable number bonds
        • Manga High - Full, free access at this time - Game-based learning
        • Maths Learn - Online tutorials for all ages
        • First 4 maths - a few free worksheets (Yr 4/Yr6) to help engage children in maths at home - no login and all free
        • My Mini Maths - (Yr 3, 4, 5, 6) Home learning packs ready to download
        • Parallel - Weekly 15 minute maths challenges - interesting, fun and challenging material that goes beyond school maths
        • Matific - Free trial - Primary - 2000 maths activities

        Modern Languages

        • KooBits - 10 Free websites for language learning

        History

        • BBC - Free curriculum mapped videos
        • Future Learn -  

          Explore the architecture and history of Rome, walking around a 3D digital model of the ancient city, with this free online course.

        • Teaching history - 100 objects from museums across the UK with resources, information and teaching ideas to inspire interest in history
        • Open Culture - 6000 digital history books for children to read online 

        Geography

        • Virtual Tours  /  Aquarium - Virtual online tours - including zoos, landmarks in foreign countries, etc.
        • BREEF - Coral reef virtual tour
        • Seterra - Free world geography, online quizzes 

        Arts and culture

        • Walter's Museum - houses the highest artistic achievements from nearly every corner of the world

        Computing/I.T

        • A tutorial resource guide to photography and editing - Adobe
        • Code.org - One hour tutorials in 45 different languages. -no experience required
        • EraseAllKitens - Ages 8-14 - provides knowledge of terminology and develops thinking skills
        • Tinkercad - Free software tools that help you to think, create and make 3D models online. MineCraft, Lego, and others
        • ICompute - I.T. Learn Programming and Computational Thinking resources
        • Tynkler - Coding for kids - Free premium access 
        • Blocky games - Games to help beginners learn computer programming skills
        • Scratch - Beginners computer programming games/projects

        Music

        Movement and exercise

        • Dance Syndrome - plans to provide inclusive online dance lessons during this period 
        • iMoves - Free, fun activities to get children moving

        Life skills

        • Real-life learning - Resources to support functional and life skills for children and young people during school closures