Learning at home

Choice, engagement, enjoyment

Main Messages:

The key priority at this time is to support the health and wellbeing of children and their families. A basic routine of learning, activity and play, appropriate to the needs and context of each child and family, can support them to stay physically and mentally healthy in these most unusual of times.

Slow down home learning. The wellbeing of the whole family is paramount. Children’s education will not suffer in the long run. Concentrate on creating and doing activities together. This is an opportunity to make use of valuable time together so make the most of it and have fun!

Every child’s home and family dynamic is different. It is crucial to understand this. (single parents, key worker children, socially disadvantaged children, children with large numbers of siblings living in small homes, children in homes where there is domestic abuse, children who care for parents or relatives, children with no access to internet, children with no access to a garden or open space, limited or no access to internet or suitable devices to complete online tasks, children/families who have experienced unemployment, hardship or bereavement through Covid-19 are but a few examples and within this there are subsets or even children who face multiple challenges). Any continuation of learning guidance must not place additional stress on families that are already facing difficult times.

Leaders of education should be conveying a sense of calmness and proportionality. They should not be driving cultures of competition and one-upmanship through unrealistic expectations of children, their families or school staff.

The essence of continuation of learning guidance should be about enjoyment and participation where possible. Families might consider establishing routines that include, times to learn, play, exercise, eat, rest and sleep and where possible

communicate with friends and peers (digitally). The amount of time devoted to each should be driven by the needs of the child and the family and not by the pursuit of an unrealistic academic timetable. The family home is not school and parents are not expected to take the place of teachers.

Sally Holland – (CCW) – promotes ‘CALM’

Anxiety spreads, so does calm. So try to spread ‘calm’ across homes up and down the country.

C - create new routines and rituals, A - ask a grown up, don't let worries stay in your head, share emotions L - do lovely things and laugh. You can't be anxious and laugh at the same time.M - make the most of this opportunity

School days may usually start around 9:00am and finish at 3:30pm, but not all that time is spent ‘learning’ in formal lessons – playtimes, lunchtimes and assembly fall between these times, so don’t think you have to do ‘school’ for five to six hours a day! (an example timetable is included further on in this guidance)

In any learning environment, encouragement and praise for effort are crucial in setting a positive tone. Try to make things fun where possible and mix things up. There are times for children to work alone and times when they will enjoy shared activities. The effort, participation and enjoyment should be the focus.

Trying to undertake overly challenging activities that parents do not understand how to teach can be counter-productive and raise anxiety and stress. Families should avoid this.

It is perfectly appropriate to revisit things that children already know, to practice and refine skills in different contexts. Social media and the digital world have much to offer but it can bring unnecessary stress, for example by making families feel ‘inferior’

because of what they haven’t done in comparison with others. This is not helpful.

Creating home learning activities

Things to think about:

● Consider providing a degree of structure and routine to your child’s day to help improve mental health, behaviour, diet, and play

● Create a timetable/routine together with your child/children, factoring in time, resources and what you can do to help.

● Consider the environment you will use to support learning, think about what support you may need as a parent.

● Plan in social experiences to help develop social, emotional and physical learning.

What can parents do to support their children’s learning?

Create space – learning takes place everywhere, indoors, outdoors Make it positive Follow your child’s interests – jointly develop a daily routine/activity timetable Let them make mistakes Give them time to complete activities – there’s no rush Allow pupils to work independently, with siblings, or collaborate via IT

Share activities, discuss as a family what has been achieved Have fun and celebrate Model learning behaviours such as reading for pleasure, talking about what you have read or showing children how you ‘find out’ about

things

The following activities are set out in a menu. They are not organised by specific age groups. It is for families to decide the amount of work they do and how challenging they think activities should be

Home learning

pic ‘n’ mix

Choice, engagement, enjoyment

Activities/Levels of challenge

Routines/Social ● Create a timetable of the day / week

● Create a timetable of the day / week

● Create a timetable of the day /

● Create a timetable of the day /

● Create a timetable of the day /

together

● Breakfast/Lunch/Evening meals

● Make meals together

● Regular breaks

● Feedback over Dinner - Achievements

● Mindfulness

● Keeping Clean

● Washing hands

● Create by Hand, draw pictures, use visuals if preferred.

● Create a routine song

● Praise / Reward Chart

week

● Create by Hand, draw pictures, use visuals if preferred.

● Now & Next board.

week

● Create online, or using computers - display somewhere prominent.

week

● Create online, or using computers - display somewhere prominent.

Physical/Exercise

Inside and outside

Wake and shake to start the day – Joe Wicks, Yoga, Pilates

Keeping the house tidy its important, involve the children in this.

Plan at least one session of physical exercise per day.

● Joe Wicks

● Cosmic Kids Yoga

● Just Dance

● BBC super movers

● A Walk/ Jog / Skipping etc.

● Hygge

● Kidz Bop

● Supermovers

● Cosmic Kids

● Skipping

● Kidz Bop

● Supermovers

● Just Dance

● Go for a walk

● Cycle

● Joe Wicks

● Outdoor (garen or safe space) sprints/skipping (introduce maths elements, time, tally etc)

● Zumba

● Jog

● Joe Wicks

● Outdoor (garden or safe space) sprints/skipping (introduce maths elements, time, tally etc)

● Kids Sports Activities

● Run

Give each other space

Practice mindfulness

Try Hygge – Danish concept of creating a warm, calm atmosphere

Ration social media

● Mindfulness

● Learn a new skill together

Communication

Engage in the art of conversation – talk is good – listen – take turns – make eye contact – give reasons for any comments made – ask questions – show respect for whoever is speaking – give praise

Learn new words and try and use them in a sentence – talk about the news – chose speaker of the day

● Reading time

● Discussion, talk time, feelings time

● Quiz &Games evenings, Monopoly, Cluedo, drafts, chess, charades

● keeping in touch time - contact family and friends - write a letter

● talk about the news - create family news

● Facetime/

● Daily Reading, Story time with Adult / Sibling

● Talk Time

● Feelings game

● chalk snakes and and ladders

● games - turn taking

● nursery rhymes

● New word of the day

● Best sentence of the day

● Daily Reading / Story Time with questions for understanding (Adult/sibling)

● Feelings Time

● Play a family quiz

● songs

● Create your own family news

● Create a

● Daily reading with verbal or written questions (independently or with sibling/parent)

● Feelings Wheel - Design your own

● Help somebody in your family design a family quiz

● Family

● Daily reading independently or help a sibling / family member.

● Find a piece of vocabulary unfamiliar / research and use it throughout the week - teach it to someone else.

● Discuss feelings /

skype etc.

● Tell a story to your family

● Spell words out loud – have a competition

cooking programme and recors it – copy a famous chef

● Entertain the family with a magic trick or singing performance

● Talk about old family photographs

sing-a-longs

● Keep a diary

● Write a letter

● Video news reports so all the family can see them

● Write a playscript – act it out

● Use conversation starters and extend the sentence

thoughts

● Design a quiz for the family

● board games

● kareoke

● Make a documentary on garden wildlife

● Think about ‘Big Questions’ and research the answers

Themes

Backyard and Kitchen Science

Explore the garden

Pick daisies on a walk and place them in jars

● Start a project about a topic of interest

● Local Community

● Historical period

● Go on a bug hunt in the garden

● Draw some insects

● Draw a picture for a neighbour

● Design a poster on how to stay safe/positive and post to a neighbour or care

● Write a letter to a neighbour or somebody who lives alone.

● Research

● Write a letter to send to a care home/elderly residential home in your area.

with different food colourings – what happens?

Start a compost bin

Identify birds/butterflies/insects you spot – find out more about them

Identify trees, seeds

Play with bubbles, make the largest bubble – what makes them larger?

Create some garden art and photograph it then describe it around the dinner table

Make a human sundial – plot shadows

Place a range of different items in a muffin pan, such as piece of chocolate, wax candle, rubber, cheese, butter etc, put it out in the sun and see what melts and at what speed

● Person(S) of interest

● Research a place of interest near you (castles, farms, mines, landmarks etc.)

● Create a fact file on a famous sportsperson

home.

● Research a King or Queen

● Create a factfile on a famous singer

● Still life drawings of plants

WW1 or WW2

● Create a factfile on an inventor or a famous/inspirational character

● Research the Tudors

● Create a factfile on somebody who changed the world for the better.

Investigate floating and sinking

Can you make a boat? Use lego/wood

Media/Digital/ICT ● Display your project using a powerpoint / slides

● Research using HWB or other child-friendly websites

● Create a google docs with facts and pictures about a topic of your interest.

● Carry out your research for your project

● Create a google slide about an area of your own interest.

● Programming games/apps

● Play SIMS

● Create a google slides/PowerPoint with facts/statistics/photographs/ charts etc about a topic of your own interest with the hope of teaching something to somebody else.

Arts/Crafts ● Daily pictures

● Paint/decoratestones/pebbles

●

● Paint a rainbow to put in the window

● Design a poster about staying safe

● Design an invention of your choice - what

● Paint a rainbow, mix some colours to see what colours you can make.

● Design a poster

● Use different resources e.g paper/leaves/tissue paper to design a rainbow for your

● Design an image using ICT to cheer people up as they pass your window

● Design a

can it do and how?

● Create a dreamcatcher

● chalk pictures on the pavements

about how to stay positive

● Design an invention that would make people happy

● Create a wind chime

window.

● Design a poster with ideas of activities

● Design an invention that might help somebody in need e.g. the homeless

● Create some slime!

poster giving thanks to the NHS

● Design an invention that would make the world a better place and why?

● research and try out your own science experiment

ALN ● Visual Timetables

● Now & Next

● Routine Songs

● Sticking to a routine as much as possible

● photographs to include in timetables

● bitesize

activities and appropriate learning activities

● incentives to finish any activities

● Praise

Links

Physical Exercise https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ Joe Wicks

https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga Cosmic Kids Yoga

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers BBC Supermovers

https://www.youtube.com/user/KidzBopKids Kids Bop (dancing)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOjZigyo_fg2V7JdGwePSwg Zumba

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIwFB4ciFi5ZCIu-VlwaOg - Kids Sports

PE with Joe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ

Daily dancing with Strictly’s Oti Mabuse: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC58aowNEXHHnflR_5YTtP4g

Timetable schedules https://www.pinterest.co.uk/stephminz/schedules-for-kids/ - timetable / schedule ideas

Feelings/discussions

https://pbskids.org/games/feelings/ feelings games

Research

https://kids.britannica.com/ Kids encyclopedia

ICThttps://www.tynker.com/ Programming https://www.kodable.com/ Programming /coding

ArtLearn to draw cartoons: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRHILY0t3i5VvKEeFMoJxw

Draw with illustrator Sarah McIntyre: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Ya_zhH1XgSKkWhF5U2Xiw

Additional sites of interest

Scouts: https://www.scouts.org.uk/the-great-indoors/

Make your own quiz: https://quizlet.com/en-gb

Scholastic free home learning packs: https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/homelearning?source=aw&awc=2957_1586263709_e93b43f7ae7172a97c0b96042d4b7f80

Support for children and families with special needs

Suggested websites:

ADHD: https://www.ukadhd.com

Autism: https://www.autism.org.uk/

Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia): https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

Dyscalculia and dyslexia: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

Hearing and sight impaired: https://www.sense.org.uk/

Tourettes: https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/

Additional suggestions depending on your circumstances

Exercise outside: if possible, go out and exercise as a household, for one hour a day ensuing all family members keep the appropriate social distance from others not part of the household

Exercise inside: Joe Wicks’ morning exercise routines have been popular, but there are other activities and using them in combination will keep whole bodies active over the week. Try: yoga-style stretches for good posture, Pilates movements

Get things done: make sure you finish what you have set out to do each day, however, at the start of the day don’t set yourself unachievable tasks. Make sure you allow time for the inevitable distractions of everyone being at home together.

Give each other space: make sure everyone has the opportunity to spend some time in only their own company Practice mindfulness: take time to notice what is happening in your environment, without judging. Aim to become more self-aware, chose

how you respond to your thoughts and feelings, manage difficult/unhelpful thoughts and be kinder to yourself. Take a moment to breathe deeply and slowly before ‘getting on with it’.

Learn about hygge: a Danish concept (pronounced hoo-ga), aiming to create a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/highlights/hygge/what-hygge

Keep in touch with the outside world – not just work! Maintaining relationships with families and friends are vital during this time, how else are you going to plan the celebrations when all this is over?

Keep routines and structures as close to normal as you can Wash your hands regularly: not only will it help to prevent Coronavirus, you also feel like you are doing something positive during this crisis,

just as staying at home is doing. Ration the use of social media and news updates, they can overwhelm, add to stress levels and rob us of time See this an opportunity to bond as a family or learn a new skill Learn from the experience: it’s okay to change things as you go along, learning work works and doesn’t work for you as a family unit.

Speaking and listening

Over time, schools are noticing that their pupils are starting with lower and lower speaking skills. This is largely because sociality is changing as we communicate more frequently via smartphones and tablets though social media platforms. Wouldn’t it be nice to re-engage with the art of conversation and enjoy each other’s company? Success during this time is not going to be based around who did the best activities and shared them on Facebook, but in the months and years from now when families reminisce, ‘do you remember that time on lock-down when we…..it was great!’

Rules for talking:

Everyone is equal: children should be seen and heard. This means we listen to what each other is saying and think about it, not just listen and wait until we can say what we want to say anyway, which may no longer be relevant as the conversation moves naturally along.

Take turns! Respect each other Speak clearly and have good posture when talking – it helps Give eye contact Support views with more information and explanation Have respect for what the speaker is saying Correct mistakes sensitively Give praise for efforts Try and use new words.

Some ideas that can be repeated over and over:

New words – get inspiration from the news, a book you a reading, website explored or simply find one in the dictionary, weave it into you conversations around the table or sitting together on the sofa

Talk about what is happening in the news in a non-frightening and informative way, chose someone to become an expert.

Create your own family news for the day – what has everyone been up to? What have you learned? Is there any news from other households who are family or friends? Use the time to think about using a more formal voice, just like the news readers and journalists do. Record mini news reports for all the family to watch later.

Create your own cooking programme. Record yourself making a meal, who says Nigella or Jamie Oliver should have all the fun? Short videos like this are all over Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest these days.

Make a documentary, such as a wildlife one of the creatures in your garden or plant pots. Even the life of your neighbour’s nosey cat! Entertain the family with some comedy or learn a magic trick to perform. Write a playscript and act it out in front of the rest of the family. Record it and share with friends and family who are missing your company. Chose an image to talk about. It could be a work of art (imagine talking about what all the people are doing in a Lowry?) or a family photo of

a memorable time. Talk about it. Explore feelings. Share. Start to record your family tree. Use a conversation starter, such as, would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? There are lots examples of different conversation

starters on the internet or you could make up your own. Think about ‘big questions’ and make time to research the answers and present findings to the family. This can be extended by turning it

into a family version of ‘would I lie to you’ and among the correct explanation include some ‘red herrings’ and see if family members can fish them out.

Back-yard and kitchen science

Rainbow flowers – pick some daisies, place them in separate glasses of water dyed with different food colourings and they will soon change colour. Explore the science and talk about how plants ‘drink’ water

Be patient – start a compost bin from uncooked kitchen scraps and peelings and add some worms. Research what will happen and why Identify birds and butterflies that fly into your garden or nearby if you live in a flat Identify trees nearby and learn how they will spread their seeds Find how long your intestines are, measure a piece of string to that size and stretch it out along your garden – what is it bigger than?

Smaller than? How high would it be? Think about what else you could explore Play with bubbles outside – how can you make the bubble bigger? Which way do they blow? Why? Look for insects in the garden – ladybirds, caterpillars etc and draw them Make artworks out of items gathered from the garden and take a photo of your finished product. Remember to wash your hands and not to

touch your face Make a human sundial by plotting the shadows from the same spot every hour. Learn that the Earth moves around the sun even though it

looks like the sun moves across the sky. Remember to never, ever look directly at the sun

Place a range of different items in a muffin pan, such as piece of chocolate, wax candle, rubber, cheese, butter etc, put it out in the sun and see what melts and at what speed

Make or download a nature hunt bingo card and explore in your garden or when on permitted family exercise time Using foil to make a channel for a ‘river’, experiment and make a dam. Explore what works best and why? Make a bug hotel and survey your guests Take a bowl of water outside and investigate what floats and what sinks. What have you learned? Can you make a boat? How many items

can it hold before it sinks? How many blocks (wooden, lego) does it take to sink? Don’t forget to predict and explain!

https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/kids-science-in-the-garden.html

https://childhood101.com/40-brilliant-backyard-science-experiments/

https://mommypoppins.com/19-easy-science-fair-projects-fifth-grade-school

https://mommypoppins.com/kids/50-easy-science-experiments-for-kids-fun-educational-activities-using-household-stuff

All family members could sit together and negotiate the family timetable for them, for example:

Wash hands Start the day with breakfast – what are you having? Who will lay the table? Who will prepare it all? Who will help? Will you have a

waiter/waitress? Make it fun, fair and use the time to talk and plan your snacks and meals for the rest of the day Wash hands Activity time – have time set aside for morning learning to take place alongside any adult work commitments. Have a balance of activities

that are adult led and independent for the child. Wash hands Snack time – everybody needs a break from screens and to move around. Use the time to talk. What snack are you having? Who is getting

it ready? Who is clearing away today? Make sure you move about, go outside in the garden, if you can. Wash hands Activity time Wash hands Lunchtime – like snack time, who is doing what? Work as a team. Take time to enjoy what you are eating. Talk about it. Chew it slowly and

savour – you finally have the time for that!

Wash hands Afternoon activity time – just as the morning, don’t forget to take a break, have snack or drink together. Wash hands ‘Home time’ establish a time when ‘work’ is over and everyone can relax. Wash hands

Talk about what needs to be done and what everybody would like and strike a balance. Make sure you all agree on the rules of the house, the importance of good manners, such as taking turns, listening to each other, respecting others. During this time the importance of good hygiene and handwashing should be a very high priority.

The timetable can be written down on paper and displayed for everyone to see. Write on it as you go along, modify and change things together as it is not set in stone. Make it visual with pictures and diagrams so everybody can follow it. A visual timetable is especially important to include family members who are younger or those with special needs, such as autism.

Establish ‘work spaces’ in your home if you can, that way they can be packed away or door closed on them at the end of ‘work’ time, therefore ending that part of the day and maintaining some sort of ‘home’ time feeling.

Incorporate evening meal times into the routine. Take turns choosing the meal, make it together and set up the table nicely if you can to make it a bit more special now its ‘home’ time. Talk about what you have done today and what is happening tomorrow.