Another six weeks of homeschooling? Here's how to add star quality to lessons at home
If parents were to attend an online English lesson right now, there’s a strong likelihood that they would be urged to expand their vocabulary beyond the words “frazzled”, “bored” and “exhausted”.
Even the personification of positivity, Joe Wicks, must have tugged his glossy curls in frustration at the thought of having to come up with a slew of innovative moves to energise a nation of jaded parents and frustrated kids through another lockdown, especially now we know that schools will not reopen until 8 March.
What lockdown has revealed is the huge variation in provision of remote learning by schools. Some seamlessly replicate a school day while others can be extremely patchy, meaning that parents increasingly have to look for support online. If you have added “curriculum enforcer” to your lockdown skills, you may feel like you’re done with BBC Bitesize or the offerings of Oak National Academy and are ready or, indeed, desperate to explore some other options in order to reinvigorate your child’s learning. To save you the trouble, we’ve put together a sample lockdown timetable to help provide some inspiration.
9am: Get in the Zen zone with Cosmic Kids and Hayo’u Fit Family Friendly Flow
Start the day right and there will be less friction over fractions. Or that’s what we would like to think. Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube helps with its huge choice of videos with themes such as “Jedis and Astronauts”, “Fierce Females” and “Yoga That Celebrates Our Differences.” It’s imaginative and vibrant and will help children burn up early morning energy before they focus on school work.
Try something different with Qigong, sometimes referred to as “Chinese yoga”. It encourages the flow of Qi (energy) around the body and is a good way of helping to improve sleep, digestion, immunity and cognitive function. Founded by Chinese medicine practitioner Katie Brindle, this 45-minute class is a family friendly version and will run every Friday morning on Zoom at 9am. A class is £10, visit hayoufit.com to book.
10am: Maths with Carol Vorderman
If explaining long division is giving you nightmarish flashbacks to your school days, let Vorderman take over. On her website themathsfactor.com free lessons are available during lockdown. They are suitable for children in Years 1 to 7 and cover topics that children would be learning this term. Each lesson comprises a video by Vorderman, a warm-up activity and a practice session. Certificates are available to print at the end of the session so children can share their progress.
11am: Elevenses with The World of David Walliams
Every day at 11am children can listen to #AudioElevenses where currently a chapter of The Boy in the Dress is released for free. You can also catch up with any missed chapters. worldofdavidwalliams.com
11.30am: Myleene’s Music Klass
A fun way to learn about music and music theory. Klass is joined by her daughters Ava and Hero, and her lessons can be accessed any time on YouTube and Instagram. Recently, she has covered the difference between legato and staccato, sharps and flats, and drumming patterns. The videos are infused with energy and fun as Klass demystifies concepts that can appear difficult.
1pm: History with Dan Snow
There’s an enormous range of topics available on Dan Snow’s History Hit TV, described as “Netflix for history.” There’s a 30-day free trial followed by access to all the documentaries for £5.99 a month. If you want to lighten up your history and help your children remember some key facts, there is always Horrible Histories available on BBC iPlayer.
2pm: Learn with Premiership rugby champions
Premiership rugby has launched an engaging platform to help primary children via its twice-weekly free online “Learn with Us” lessons. They are being streamed live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am until the half-term break, with the potential to continue if schools remain closed, but can be accessed on demand on premiershiprugby.com/learnwithus. It is using rugby to inspire children to learn maths and PHSE through its themed Tackling Numeracy and Tackling Health lessons.
3pm: Science with Maddie Moate
Let’s Go Live on YouTube with TV presenter and EduTuber Maddie Moate, along with Greg Foot, has a fascinating range of science clips aimed at KS1 and KS2 at around 30 minutes long. You can tune in live or watch later. Topics range from rockets you can build at home to how to make a poo! There are often themed weeks such as “Project Earth” and “Brilliant Bodies”. Fizzing with energy.
4pm: Cookery lesson with Chefs in Schools
If you want your children to learn a life skill and take their turn in the kitchen, every Wednesday at 4pm, charity Chefs in Schools is running a free live cookery class on its YouTube page. Chef Tom (above), head chef and food educator at the Hackney School of Food, will teach a simple but useful recipe such as freshly baked pizza, baked omelette, and root vegetable soda bread. The classes are 45 minutes and children (and parents) can ask questions. Shopping lists of simple ingredients are posted on chefsinschools.org.uk a week in advance.
After School Club: Take a photography course with Cultivating Wonder
A photography course with a mindfulness dimension. Aimed at children aged five to nine and 10-16, Jonathan Self and his team have set up a four-week course of videos and worksheets you can work through in your own time, with a webinar each week. A sophisticated camera is not needed – photos can be taken on a phone. £49, cultivatingwonder.co
This is just a sample of what you can create from the resources available online. If you are looking for one overarching resource, you cannot go wrong with the National Geographic Kids website. Animals, science, history and geography; it’s all there. It’s also worth a look at the Nasa Kids’ Club site, which covers humans in space, space tech, history and STEM engagement.
Inspired by your children’s timetable, you may find yourself joining Darcey Bussell’s DDMIX (Diverse Dance Mix) live workouts on Facebook.
At the weekend, livestream events covering STEM subjects, such as the solar system and fossils, delivered by former actress/teacher Lara Stafford; see theatreofscience.co.uk for details.
