Learning at home resources

Help with learning at home

You’re not alone in worrying about how you can support your kid’s learning just now. No one expects you to be a teacher but if you're looking for resources to help your children’s learning, there are plenty of easy-to-use materials out there. We know you’ll be coming across hundreds of different resources online, but to stop it all feeling totally overwhelming, we’ve worked together with Education Scotland to pull together our top picks…

If you only use one resource…

Use BBC Bitesize. It has resources for kids of all ages, including a number of educational and entertaining videos that can give you a break. The BBC Newsround page is a good way for kids to keep up to date with the news if they want to find out what’s happening. If you want something more fun but also educational try the CBeebies and CBBC pages.

Maths resources

Helping your kids with maths might be a little daunting at first. Sumdog, the Maths Week Scotland website and Numberblocks are great places to start.

Reading resources

Again, BBC Bitesize is your friend! The Scottish Book Trust also has a great site.

What about exams?

An announcement was made on 19 March 2020 that exams will not take place this year. Please go to the Scottish Qualifications Authority website for the latest updates.

Most importantly, don’t forget to play!

Play helps kids learn and grow too. Encouraging them to play is one of the best things you can do for them. There are lots of ideas for games on our website here.

Here are some tips for wee ones:

Kids love drawing and painting – let their imaginations run wild.
To burn off some energy, why not try using dance videos on YouTube or making an obstacle course? Build a den with sofa cushions, cereal boxes, towels – anything to hand.
If in doubt, read them a story.
Being read to, guessing the next word and acting out the stories is all fun for wee ones.
Make music! Sing nursery rhymes, dance around to pop songs, or create drums out of saucepans.

Supporting children with additional support needs

We know that this is a difficult time for everyone, but children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) may be finding it particularly challenging – especially when it comes to learning at home. Our page on supporting children with additional support needs has advice that can help.

Other useful resources

The Parentzone Scotland website has lots of information about learning at home.

Are your kids interested in cooking and baking? The Food Standards Scotland website has games and educational resources to help children learn about food safety and nutrition.

Dekko educational comic books are now available for free to support children, teachers and parents during the coronavirus outbreak. Aimed at 8-12-year-olds, they teach subjects like Maths, English, French, Biology, History and Geography through funny, colourful narratives. They were created by a young Scottish illustrator who struggled with dyslexia himself at school and developed this method of learning to help other struggling readers.

When are schools reopening?

Schools are set to reopen in August. You can find out more on our back to school FAQ page here.