We're in isolation - help, what can we do about it?
With the current corona virus situation there will be increasing numbers of families needing to remain at home for a set period of time. This will be difficult and likely to be frustrating. It is important that if you need to isolate that you remain at home for the recommended period to help stop the spread of contamination.
But what about learning? It is possible that children will not feel unwell and so will start to become a bit 'stir crazy' being penned in at home. There is no reason at all why children should not be able to complete learning activities whilst at home and we encourage parents to make sure this happens.
It is not possible to share classroom activities with individuals but we do have alternatives and suggestions to help you.
Reading should be the priority! Hopefully you have a selection of books and depending on the age and ability make sure you hear your child read. You may need to get additional books to last the week and we'd suggest asking friends and family to help you with this or treat your child to something new from Amazon!
All of our children have access to a number of online learning resources. The primary one to make use of is Purple Mash. This has a wide range of activities available across the whole curriculum. Teachers will set 'to do' lists for children away from school. We also have Mathletics for all age groups. In both cases parents are advised to monitor what activities your child is doing and help them to understand instructions. Click on the icons below to go to the relevant sites.
Key stage 2 children have access to Times-tables rockstars and Year R and Year 1 have Phonics Bug. Some children may also have access to Nessie.
The BBC run a website called Bitesize which is another good source of learning material - particularly recommended for children in Year 2 and Year 6 as they approach their SATs timing.
We advise parents to timetable your child's days in 30 minute bursts of activity. Allowing short breaks between sessions means that you should aim for 8 sessions in a day. Vary the areas so that you mix the different subjects together. For example, maybe have 30 minutes of Mathletics, 30 minutes of coding on Purple Mash, a spot of Times tables, a session of spelling from Purple Mash, reading, another spot of Mathletics, free choice on Purple Mash and finish with handwriting practice. Have at least three maths sessions each day. Where possible, organise the day with your child's input and allow a reward for completing things successfully.
Feel free to let your child watch TV, play games, draw, make things, get fresh air in the garden, do simple exercises, bake cakes, do simple jobs etc in between study sessions depending on interest and availability. Whatever you do remember that isolation means you need to keep your child separated from others wherever possible so that you avoid passing the virus on. It means having fun may be slightly more challenging but giving your child a little bit of boredom time may also help them be creative as well!
Keeping a record of what your child has done adds value to their labours. This can be as creative as you like! Getting your child to comment on their learning - what they found tough, how they solved difficulties; what was fun - helps cement their learning. If your child lets you (not everyone does!) then add comments and words of support and encouragement to their work. Avoid red pen though! That was very seventies!
Feel free to email or call school with questions - especially if you have any difficulty accessing the online resources. Depending on how many children and staff are affected by isolation restrictions it may take a while to get back to you.