EDUCATION: Free online resources for home schooling
Simple, Fun and Effective Educational Resources For All Your Home-schooling Needs from Countryside Classroom
With millions of parents across the country being asked to home-school their children again, many will be finding it hard to navigate the resources available and deliver learning across the huge range of topics that children are usually taught in school. One online platform, however, has everything a parent (and teacher) needs for simple, stimulating and effective home-schooling; Countryside Classroom has relaunched its Home Education Hub offering a range of free resources which are fun, easy to follow and develop skills away from technology. The platform includes content relevant to all ages and curriculum subjects, focussing on food, farming and the natural environment so is ideal for parents home-schooling children of different ages.
Carl Edwards, Director of LEAF Education, lead partner of Countryside Classroom explains: “Whilst there are many resources out there to choose from, what makes Countryside Classroom unique is that it benefits from the wealth of teaching experience from 32 different educational organisations, which together, offer a vital source of information for home-schooling.
“Countryside Classroom offers resources for the more traditional subjects, as well as exciting and engaging materials to help children learn about where their food comes from and the natural world around them – even if at this difficult time, when access to the outdoors is limited. The resources also help parents bring to life how vital food, farming and nature is for our health and wellbeing, which has never been so important as now.”
Countryside Classroom also offers a range of education booklets from leading education organisation, LEAF Education, including topics such as STEM, maths in the garden, playing with your food and storytelling. Access the LEAF Education resource packs amongst other partner resources by visiting Countryside Classroom
For parents looking for weekly inspiration, the Countryside Classroom blog covers a range of different subjects over the next five weeks, which will support different learning through farming, food and natural environment related resources:
Week 1: English
Week 2: Maths
Week 3: Science
Week 4: Humanities
Week 5: Art & Design
LEAF Education’s Top Home-Schooling Tips
- Do not put yourself under any pressure, start off with small activities that you feel comfortable with. As you get more confident, then begin to get creative perhaps venture outdoors and try some art in the garden (if you have one) https://www.countrysideclassroom.org.uk/resources/1181
- It is probably best that you choose broad topics that allow your child to follow their own interests. Countryside Classroom resources on bread https://www.countrysideclassroom.org.uk/resources/1387 for example, could lead to cooking, looking at farm machinery or exploring other cultures – make sure you listen to your child and be guided by what interests them (as well as you!).
- Mix it up to grab interest and foster learning: for example, watch a farming video, discuss the content and answer questions then have a session on active outdoor maths; study a single topic such as where food comes from over several sessions, but break it up with games or puzzles.
- If you are looking to be creative, then make sure you have everything you need to hand or adapt it to what works for you. If you are stretched for time then think about short activities you could set your child, take a look at the Quick Activities booklet for ideas.
- You do not have to be a teacher – find out what works (and doesn’t work) for you and your situation – what have you wanted to do together with your children at home before that you might now take the opportunity to do? You do not have to follow the curriculum – which is why Countryside Classroom’s home education hub is adapted specifically for parents at home helping their children to learn.
Countryside Classroom is calling on everyone to share their work using #CountrysideClassroom on Facebook or @CountryClassrm
