If you and your child would like a straightforward way into learning coding then the Code For Life program developed by Ocado will help you get started. It's totally free, just requires an email sign up. Through a series of challenges it takes the student on a learning journey from simple block coding using Blockly onto Python, the coding language used by large organisations like Google and Nasa. There are two ways to access the program - as a teacher or as an 'independent student'; the second one is what you want if you're a parent homeschooling.
...And to a website dedicated to helping you survive isolation with your kids.
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Quarantined With Kids is a hub of curated (free) resources to help you to help your children - from tots to teens.
We'll find our way together.
There are lots of great ideas out there and many of you are overwhelmed with the options. I'm going to select and summarise a limited number of sites covering a wide range of ages and subjects and provide my own printable resources when I can.
Check out the links in the menu. If you're feeling a bit lost in this new situation, try starting with the button below.
Welcome to quarantine folks!
Site of the day
Blutick is a great tool for supporting your secondary aged students with mathematical concepts. It uses technical analysis to give automatic feedback line-by-line and is really straight forward to use. There are videos to show how to work through problems step-by-step and tests at the end of each session to assess understanding. It can be used by parents at home or by schools to set work and is completely free to everyone until 1st September; but the most of the features that students and parents will find useful are free forever!
Links, tips and advice about activities, education and staying sane.
Resources for SEND
I have been privileged to have been invited to do workshops and shows in many special needs schools and have worked with children with a range of needs in mainstream settings. However, dealing with the diversity of specific neurodiverse needs is a very specialist area so here I not aiming to be comprehensive here but will list some sites I think might be useful in the current lockdown situation.
The resources on all of this site have been selected to appeal to and support a variety of abilities, interests and ways of learning but do let me know if there's anything I can add or do to make them more accessible.
An article from provide a list of sensible and simple suggestions with explanations as to how to they might specifically work for people with autism. They have other great articles so check them out.
A great site that lots of parents of children and young people find very useful - from learning resources to legal guidance and the latest advice on coronavirus.