Supporting Children at Home
Staying at home can be disruptive to the lives and routines of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
No one expects parents and carers to act as teachers or childcare providers, or to provide the activities and feedback that school would.
Parents and carers should do their best to help and support their children with their learning while they are at home.
Click the pictures to navigate our learning content!
Click the pictures to navigate our home support content!
Play
We know that children learn through play and at Palatine we value the importance of play for all children. Play is very motivating and gives children opportunities to be exposed to, develop and practise a wide range of skills, including counting, mark making and experimenting. In the home learning pack you receive there will be ideas for play which you can use with your child. Sometimes people think that play is “not real learning” but play is fundamental to children’s development. Play is important for everyone, even adults!
Suitable for: All
Suitable for: All
Description: Ideas of how to support play indoors during lockdown
Suitable for: Explorers and Investigators
Description: Activities to help you play with your child. Please note, these activities are sorted by age. The ideas may still be relevant if your child is older than the ages given depending on their learning levels.
Suitable for: All
Description: Ideas of how to play outdoors during lockdown
Suitable for: All
Description: There are so many different things you can learn by exploring a puddle
Writing
Try to help children to continue to practise their writing. This may include the formation of letters and familiarity with pens and pencils for younger children, or practising creative writing for older children. Ask children to write about their day-to-day experiences of being at home, or to write letters to send to family members. Work from school may be sent digitally, but using pen and paper will help children be ready for when they go back to school.
Links are clickable (Will open in a new window)
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: a new image is published each day as a basis for creative writing. Story starters, questions and drawing ideas are provided.
Description: downloadable resource packs which cover a range of subjects, including reading and writing.
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: downloadable resource books providing 8 weeks of activities.
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: downloadable resource packs with tasks based on video clips on YouTube.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: a daily newsletter for parents and carers at home with children, helping to enrich learning with real-world knowledge and skills.
The Sensory Projects has free project packs for inclusive learning and also some simple sensory games to play
The Sensory Dispensary have activities available to download from TES SEN website.
St Gabriel’s school staff sharing activities for special school learners.
Inclusive sensory discovery pack for Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Number
ractise counting and numbers. This does not always have to be a planned activity. For example, count things around the house while you are doing other things like cooking or cleaning. For older children learning sums, ask your school for help or see a list of resources to help with maths recommended by teachers and school leaders.
Hamilton Trust (home learning section)
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: downloadable resource packs with teacher guidance. A week’s worth of resources is provided for each year group.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: downloadable guidance and resource packs for parents and pupils.
Suitable for: All
Description: a range of activities. Some are interactive and some are to be completed offline. Activities are categorised by age range.
Suitable for: All
Description: videos for numeracy development designed for children aged 0 to 6. There are fun activities that can be applied to everyday life and play.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: a range of interactive maths games categorised by age group.
White Rose Maths (home learning)
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: presentations and downloadable workbooks which are easy to use for parents. New material is being released each week.
The Sensory Projects has free project packs for inclusive learning and also some simple sensory games to play.
PE
Here are some PE resources for fitness/activity
Suitable for: All
Description: videos that get younger children up and dancing with CBeebies presenters.
Suitable for: All
Description: 10-minute activities based on Disney films that count towards a child’s 60 active minutes per day.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: videos which help children move while they learn. They support curriculum subjects, including maths and English.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: videos delivered by teachers focussing on the PE curriculum which are accessible on YouTube.
Reading
When you read with your child try to:
- express the emotion in the story
- give colour to the characters using voices, tone and pace
- Talk to your child about what they are reading. This will help them understand what they have read and encourage them to read for fun.
You can make a story more interesting and help your child develop their understanding of a book by linking what you are reading to their life. For example, while reading about Cinderella going to the ball, talk about how a ball is similar to a birthday party. Ask your child questions about what you are reading as you go. For example:
- ask some questions that only need a short answer, such as what colour something is, or the name of a character
- ask some questions that need a longer answer, such as how a character is feeling
- ask them to tell you what has happened in the story so far
Libraries are currently closed, but you can find digital services they are providing at Libraries Connected.
Suitable for: All
Description: all children’s audiobooks are available for free while schools are closed.
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: access to master classes on texts from a range of authors, including videos from the authors and activities linked to novels.
Registration: is required
Suitable for: All
Description: a site with recommended booklists, categorised by age range and topic, including fiction and non-fiction. Family activities are included in the ‘Home Time’ section
Elevenses with the World of David Walliams
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: one free audio book reading is available to listen to every day.
Suitable for: All
Description: a site with recommended booklists, categorised by age range and topic, covering fiction and non-fiction
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: a wide selection of poetry covering different topics
Registration: not required to view poems, but it is required to access teaching resources.
Suitable for: All
Description: a library of talking books, large print and braille books with a great children’s section
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: an archive of spoken poetry recordings. Children can listen to poems read out loud.
Oxford Reading Tree Biff and Chip books free online
Cherry Garden’s Sensory Story: Anansi and the pot of wisdom
Activities including sensory and massage stories which are themed for the time of year.
Science
Suitable for: Investigators and Engineers
Description: interactive resources covering the primary science curriculum.
Suitable for: Engineers
Description: an online resource bank, which links to resources on external websites. The site features a live chat function offering support from subject experts. New home learning resources are being developed.
Apps
Here some Apps to help your child engage with learning. All apps must be downloaded onto a suitable device
Description: a visual instruction app, including flash cards and picture-choosing games, for children with autism and special needs.
Description: a collection of games and resources designed for a range of educational needs and stages. It includes provision for school closure.
Description: a range of apps are available for pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) or Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). All are interactive and many do not require significant coordination abilities.
Description: an all-in-one app created to support people with communication and learning difficulties. For verbal and non-verbal learners.
Phonics
Phonics is a method schools use to teach children how to read quickly and skillfully.
At Palatine, pupils are taught synthetic phonics systematically and this supports their early reading development. We use the Song of Sounds phonics scheme, Song of Sounds is a multi-sensory phonics programme. It is hands on and interactive with music, movement and practical activities at its core. Song is a key part of the programme, helping children to remember phonemes (sounds) and associate them with graphemes (written letters). Children will learn different songs to depending on the stage they are working at, please contact your child’s class teacher for more information about their stage.
For more information on what phonics is and how to help your child with phonics using the Song of Sounds approach, please access the parent and carer’s guide.
Teach me too – register for videos and resources to support children with Downs Syndrome
Tiny Happy People – Activities, songs and ideas to support communication
More…
Want more? or some different check these out!
Big Top Musical Adventures – a new interactive musical adventure each week
An A to Z of sensory activities from Inclusive Teach
Printable resources for exploring nature (linked to literacy and numeracy as well.) Good outdoor garden activities.
Music apps and interactive resources (even some online lessons)
Websites to support learning for pupils with SEND
Description: a range of downloadable resources grouped by theme. Themes include: social skills, songs and games, and picture cards.
Description: downloadable teaching resources to support pupils with SEND.
PMLD thematic units – from the Northern Ireland Curriculum
Description: comprehensive guidance on themed activities for learners with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). A full sensory curriculum is offered.
Description: resources from an award-winning, innovative school, rated by Ofsted as outstanding and put together by SEND teachers. The resources include apps and programmes.
Description: A range of SEND guidance videos created in collaboration with the Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) in addition to many other experts within the sector.
Description: downloadable activities aimed particularly at Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) and Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) learners.
Description: downloadable resources that can be adapted to suit the needs of pupils. Resources are aimed at a range of abilities.
Description: a range of education and therapy resources for speech and language problems. A podcast is also available on iTunes for verbal and non-verbal children.
Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
Description: a range of downloadable resources to support blind and visually impaired pupils.
Registration: is required
UCL Centre for Inclusive Education
Description: a guide to help parents adjust to remote learning by providing advice and links to resources.
Routine
Do not worry about trying to keep the full routine that your child has at school but children will feel more comfortable with a predictable routine, so try to make sure they:
- Get up and go to bed at the same time each day
- Have regular meal times
- Turn off any electronic devices, including the TV, at least an hour before bedtime
- Keep active. Young children should be active for at least 3 hours a day in total
- Get some fresh air each day
At school we use symbols and pictures to help children understand the routine of the day. Your child’s class teacher can help you with the resources that work for your child at school.
Socialising
Spending time with other children is important for your child’s development, but at the moment it is important they stay at home. You can help your child develop their social skills by:
TV and Digital
There are lots of ways to help your child to learn such as reading together and make-believe play. You can also use what children have watched on television or the internet to help their learning.
Reducing Screen Time
Digital devices are not the only way to learn. Here are some ideas to reduce screen time:
If you would like any advice or support on reducing screen time please contact the school or your child’s class teacher