Recommended resources for parents and teachers home-schooling during Covid-19

We hope the following information might be helpful to parents and teachers embarking on home schooling and engaging learners amid the current Covid-19 crisis.

This is not a definitive list, and you may have encountered some of these already, but we hope that something here might be useful to support children learning at home.

You can view resources by school level by clicking on the relevant category below. Or scroll further down for advice on structure and key messages for parents. 

All advice appears to suggest that the day should be varied, with breaks, rest and play, but time for exercise, fresh air, laughter and fun. The Department for Education says that home learning doesn’t have to mirror the patterns of the school day e.g. You’re not required to:

• have a timetable
• have set hours during which education will take place
• observe school hours, days or terms

Leeds for learning at Leeds city council offer these really great activities and resources for parents provide It’s been really inspiring to see the excellent examples of home learning that have been happening across the City. Staff in Leeds schools and settings are doing a brilliant job of supporting our children and young people in lock down.

School run – A popular website for teachers and parents. Developed by teachers, you will find some very useful and informative resources. The website was set up to self-fund, so some things need to be paid for. They currently have lots of ideas for learning the multiplication tables.

MyTutor – Tips From An NHS Psychologist – An interview with NHS Senior Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Shreena Ghelani, who shares tips and advice for parents on preparing in advance for school reopening, managing worry and anxiety, how to speak to children about the impact of Coronavirus, and links to further important resources.

The key message coming across from the government and schools alike is: Don’t worry about your children falling behind.

The World Economic Forum writes: “We’ve really got to be kind to each other: we are in a huge transition and it’s extraordinarily difficult. I can sense the anxiety parents might have about children falling behind, but just make sure they do a little bit, often, so that they are still engaged in the daily routine of learning. And be kind to yourself: even if your child does not complete a worksheet, and you’ve had a really bad day with them, that’s OK. It’s not the end of the world.

The one really positive thing that will come out of this is, I’m hoping our young people can be more independent in choosing when and what to learn. If we create children that love learning, they will automatically be researching and trying to find new things to occupy their time with and to be inspired by.”

Disclaimer: these resources have been put together by Judy Sayers at the University of Leeds from many sources free online and accessible to use in the Covid-19 crisis. Lots more resources for parents and teachers can be found online and on other educational institutions’ webpages.