Apps to help with home-schooling
The school Easter holidays may be drawing to a close, but it seems the lockdown situation is here to stay (for the time being at least). This means that schools in the UK remain shut, and kids at home, for the foreseeable future.
School closures don’t, however, mean school’s out (sorry kids). Teachers are still setting work for their pupils to be completed remotely. While parents aren’t exactly expected to take over the role of teacher while their kids are ‘distance-learning’, many are struggling to meet some of the expectations when it comes to home schooling. In fact, only two in five parents in the UK feel confident teaching their kids adequately at home.
It is inevitable that most children, particularly younger kids, will need a certain level of help and guidance (and control!) to complete their work and keep their learning on track. Thankfully, there are many online resources and apps available, which can help reduce the stress and burden on parents and make learning fun and interactive for kids.
Here’s a few to try out:
Google Classroom
Already being used by schools around the globe to keep teachers and pupils connected, this free, not-for-profit app from Google is a must-download! The cloud-based system enables teachers to make lessons and set worksheets and assignments, grade work, and communicate with students, helping to make the transition to home-based learning as smooth as possible.
Hopscotch
Education is about more than just what you learn in the classroom. Why not get the kids to pick up a new skill, like coding? Specially created for kids ages 10 and over, the Hopscotch app allows you to code your own game, and then share and play with friends on the app. It’s an interactive introduction to real-life coding concepts, perfect for the next generation of programmers!
Duolingo
Learning a new language is another incredible skill, and one that kids should start doing from a young age. In fact, it is proven that before the age of ten, kids are able to absorb new information, such as a foreign language, far more rapidly and effortlessly than adults. Duolingo has been around for a while, but remains one of the best ways to learn a language (for free) – through tests, games and more. With over 35 languages available to learn, you and your children will be spoilt for choice on which to pick!
Bedtime Math
Learning from home means you’re no longer tied to a fixed school day, so why not switch up the fairy tales for some creative sums. Suitable for kids of primary school age, Bedtime Math app has thousands of maths problems to work through, as well as a ‘Math Problem of the Day’. A fun way to get kids excited about numbers, Bedtime Math endeavours to make solving maths problems “as beloved as the bedtime story”.
Sir Linkalot Spelling
Get kids practising their spelling and improving their grammar with this award-winning educational app! Using quizzes, puzzles and animations to teach spelling, kids of all ages will be able to improve their literacy tenfold by using this app, all under the guise of playing fun games.
