With schools around the UK closing to the majority of students, many companies and celebrities have started to offer their resources free of charge. These resources are invaluable to parents trying their best to educate their children at home.
With hundreds to choose from, where should you start? Here is a list of the top 10 FREE resources as recommended by teachers that you should check out.
1. TES Resources
The Times Education Supplement (TES) have gathered a collection of teacher-created learning resources designed for Primary and Secondary students from EYFS to KS5. All of the resources are free to download and use and include worksheets and activities across a range of subject disciplines.
2. Twinkl
Recommended by both Primary and Secondary teachers, Twinkl has thousands of downloadable resources for all age ranges. Sign up for a free membership for access to hundreds of resources in their specifically created ‘Home Learning Hub’ and benefit from book readings, live lessons, positive news updates and more all delivered by qualified Twinkl teachers. They are currently offering a free 30-day premium membership using offercode CVDTWINKLHELPS.
3. BBC Bitesize
Loads of free resources, videos and quizzes for you to benefit from. Also, during this lockdown period, they will publish daily online lessons for all ages and have a new dedicated TV channel full of learning content, podcasts on BBC Sounds and loads of educational video on iPlayer.
4. Teachit
Until the end of April, parents can get all the benefits of an individual membership absolutely free of charge. With individual websites for English, Geography, Maths, Science, History and Languages there are thousands of resources to choose from. There is even a Primary specific website too.
5. YouTube Channels
YouTube – the place where you can lose hours of your life to funny cat videos or game reviews, but that’s not all it has to be. There are thousands of fantastic education channels found on YouTube such as Mr Bruff’s English Lessons, Khan Academy and Cartoon Lessons with Pete McKee.
6. For MFL: DuoLingo
This free language learning app can be downloaded on to your phone to help you practise your foreign language skills, or even try a completely new one! The bite-sized lessons keep students engaged and regular quizzes allow them to race against the clock and earn their ‘level up’.
7. For Geography: Time for geography
These free, open-access video resources have been designed and filmed in conjunction with leading academics from some of the UK’s top universities. There are a library of videos covering a wide-range of geographical topics applicable for GCSE and A-level (and equivalent) students.
8. For History: The Historical Association’s Resource Sharing Hub
The Historical Association is acting as a hub for teachers all around the country to submit their resources to…sharing is caring after all! Whether you’re a teacher looking for home-learning resources to support your curriculum or a parent looking to support your child’s history education at home, you can have confidence in the materials you will find on the HA hub.
9. For Maths: The Maths Factor
Carol Vorderman, the nation’s new maths teacher, is offering her Maths Factor programme free-of-charge to all for the duration of the Coronavirus school closures. Specifically designed for children aged 4 to 12, there are daily sessions and interactive games as well as rewarding targets to keep your child motivated.
10. Audible
Everybody needs a break so why not let them choose a book from Audbile to listen to. During this period Audible has made 100’s of children’s classics free to download including titles such as ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Jane Eyre’. There are plenty of titles for little ones too including ‘Winnie the Pooh’ and ‘Timeless tales of Beatrix Potter’.
These are just a sample of some of the fantastic resources available to support the resources your school has given you. If as a parent you’re looking for something different, then speak to your child’s teacher who will be happy to help.
Stay home, stay safe!