Many students are being sent home because of the Covid-19 pandemic and parents are worried they won't have enough 'work' to keep them busy.
As a parent myself, I have already started looking into some websites (some well known and others not so well known) that will provide some structured online work for my children.
Here is my breakdown of useful online websites for primary-aged children.
Probably one of the best known reading sites for children, Reading Eggs is perfect for primary school children.
Cost: Free trial (30 days) but ask your child's teacher if they already use it. Most Australian school children have a school account set up already for them. Your child or your child's teacher will have the code to access it.
Why is it so useful?: Children undertake a reading test and are paired with a levelled text. It's also fun and interactive so children can create their own avatar, play games and read texts.
Another well-known site, Mathletics and Spelladrome are perfect for school-age children to practice their maths concepts and spelling. As a teacher, I use this website each week for setting individual tasks for students. It's easy to use and has lots of interactive activities.
Cost: Free trial for 48 hours. Frequently used in Australian schools, ask your child's teacher if they already have paid access and use the school code if possible.
Why is it so useful?: You can set particular concepts to practice and then check results each week. It's clear to see which concepts children need to keep working on and you can reassign work for those particular areas.
A tried and tested early years reading website, Sunshine Online is perfect for early years students with over 650 levelled texts to select from!
Cost: 2-Week free trial. Most schools have paid access parents can use at home, ask your child's teacher.
Why is it so useful?: Levelled text, bright, engaging and colourful. Sunshine Online makes literacy and maths concepts fun to explore.
As a touch-typer myself I have found that being able to type quickly and accurately has been so useful throughout my studies and adult life.
Cost: Unlike some other online typing training websites, this site offers a free 28-day trial. Most schools use Typing Tournament but this is a paid service, some schools offer access from home, again ask your child's teacher.
Why is it so useful?: Being able to type is essential in this modern world and students are working online more often. Typing assessments, research and other frequent school tasks require good typing skills.
Colouring is always fun and this website creates fun colour-by-number activities that young children will love.
Cost: Free!
Why is it so useful?: Helps young children with number recognition and mouse control plus it's fun!
This site is one both my students and my own children love! Cool Maths Games contains lots of fun games that have different mathematical skills hidden in them.
Cost: Free!
Why is it so useful?: Many of the games are just plain fun for kids so will keep them busy for hours but do a search based on a particular skill and you can find some fun interactive ways of practising the skill (such as the part part whole activity shown in the picture).
HASS (History and Geography) is probably one of the easiest subjects to teach from home. This website lets children take adventures through South America, learn about the Sami people or read up on Tiger facts.
Cost: Free!
Why is it so useful?: Lots of free reading materials and interactive activities. You'll cover all your HASS subjects here and they'll have fun too!
If you'd like to recommend some useful free learning sites, please comment below.