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In  this area I will add links and information for general parenting advice when working and learning at home or dealing with the current situation. I have also added links to bereavement support organisations.

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In  this area I will add links and information for general parenting advice when working and learning at home or dealing with the current situation. I have also added links to bereavement support organisations.

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Sometimes pupils find it difficult to maintain focus and attention on learning.  This can be even more of a challenge if access to high energy exercise is limited.  The links below offer some approaches and information that could be useful for all children - including those with a diagnosis of ADHD or ADD.

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Sometimes pupils find it difficult to maintain focus and attention on learning.  This can be even more of a challenge if access to high energy exercise is limited.  The links below offer some approaches and information that could be useful for all children - including those with a diagnosis of ADHD or ADD.

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Here are some resources and approaches that might help children deal with strong emotions at a difficult time. 

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Here are some resources and approaches that might help children deal with strong emotions at a difficult time. 

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ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. The ELSA programme is usually run by educational psychologists and trains school staff to support children with their emotional regulation - including at times of difficulty, sadness and stress.

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Coronavirus Support Archives - Elsa Support for emotional literacy

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Coronavirus support provides free resources for teaching staff and parents to help children cope with the current viral outbreak.

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Listen to a fantastic story read by an actor or writer - all for free. A great way to improve listening and mental imaging skills!  I've also included some links to other stories available.

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Listen to a fantastic story read by an actor or writer - all for free. A great way to improve listening and mental imaging skills!  I've also included some links to other stories available.

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The best way to improve these vital skills is to have exposure to lots of language and to get as much practice as you can. The great thing is that one of the easiest ways to do this is through play.  

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The best way to improve these vital skills is to have exposure to lots of language and to get as much practice as you can. The great thing is that one of the easiest ways to do this is through play.  

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Suggestions from the Communication Trust for Primary School Age Learners

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Suggestions from the Communication Trust for Primary School Age Learners

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The Communication Consortium is a membership body made up of more than 35 community and voluntary sector (not for profit) organisations which support children's speech, language and communication development. This can be either for all children or children with particular speech, language and communication needs.

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Suggestions from the Communication Trust for Younger Learners

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Suggestions from the Communication Trust for Younger Learners

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The Communication Consortium is a membership body made up of more than 35 community and voluntary sector (not for profit) organisations which support children’s speech, language and communication development. This can be either for all children or children with particular speech, language and commu…

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One moment, one people is a fantastic song about working together and making positive connections with each other.
Click on the link for a video by singer Beccy Owen to teach you the song. Scroll down under the video for the performance and backing tracks.  This is definitely a song I'll be using in our singing assemblies at Ashmole when we return to school!

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Singer songwriter Beccy Owen teaches you how to sing 'One moment, one people'

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This programme is available on BBC Iplayer. Designed with Speech and Language Therapists, the programme includes lots of Repetition, Rhyme, Rhythm and Retelling.

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Raa Raa The Noisy Lion Parent Information from the Communication Trust

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Raa Raa The Noisy Lion Parent Information from the Communication Trust

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A classical book with a very accessible story. (Primary Age)

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Meet Harry Kane - Ultimate Football Hero.

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Meet Harry Kane - Ultimate Football Hero.

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When Harry Kane was released by Arsenal at nine years old for being too small, he had to use all his self-belief to prove that he could make it as a footballer. (Primary Age)

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Try starting at Chapter 2 if you want to avoid the introduction. (All ages!)

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Rastamouse as a radio show. (Designed for younger pupils - up to year 1)

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There are lots of ways you can develop your motor skills at home.  

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There are lots of ways you can develop your motor skills at home.  

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Fine motor skills are smaller movements often with your hands such as handwriting or doing up buttons.  Gross motor skills are with your whole body or limbs such as balance, jumping.

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The Evelina Resource Pack for school aged children

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The Evelina Resource Pack for school aged children

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Lots of activities here to focus on specific areas of difficulty.

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Kim Griffin is a paediatric OT who has a You Tube channel with a range of motor skills videos and information about sensory processing disorder.

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"sensory processing disorder" children "special education" "occupational therapy" "sensory integration" "fine motor activities" "gross motor activities" dysp...

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GriffinOT helps children children to achieve their full potential by providing supports their parents and educators. Our expert advice and online training is specifically designed for educators and parents who want to know how they can help their children succeed.

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If you're a parent helping your child to learn a new skill, backward chaining is a useful approach. You can use this for mastering a range of skills such as dressing and undressing, doing up and undoing zips and buttons as well as writing letters and drawing.

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Emotion Coaching videos specific to COVID 19

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Emotion Coaching videos specific to COVID 19

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Emotion Coaching is an approach which focuses on the development of emotional regulation through supportive relationships.

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Emotion Coaching UK promotes the use and development of emotion coaching to support childen and young people through training, consultancy and resources

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The Zones of Regulation is a framework designed to foster self -regulation and emotional control.  This is an approach we use at school to help pupils.  It is based on the concept that individuals identify and then describe their emotional state.  They then use a chosen suite of  'tools'  to self regulate.  Tools can be their own  strategies such as self talk, reading a favourite book, playing with a lego set, skipping, dancing to music. Other tools can include support from those around them such as having a hug, seeking reassurance, reading together etc.

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THE ZONES OF REGULATION: A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PATHWAY TO REGULATION

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Dr Max Davie is a consultant paediatrician at Evelina hospital. In this video he shares his views on managing ADHD at home. His tips are also useful for children without ADHD!

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From Young Minds UK

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If the current news on coronavirus (COVID-19) is making you feel anxious, concerned or stressed, here are some things you can do.
Feeling concerned or overwhelmed by the news is understandable, especially if you are struggling with your mental health or you have a physical illness. It might be that you're anxious about your own health, the health of someone in your family, or what impact the virus will have on your life. Here are some steps you can take if you are feeling anxious:

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What to Do if You're Anxious About Coronavirus | Blog

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If the current news on coronavirus (COVID-19) is making you feel anxious, concerned or stressed, here are some things you can do. Feeling concerned or overwhelmed by the news is understandable, especially if you are struggling with your mental health or you have a physical illness.

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Developing Shared Attention in Younger Children

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Developing Shared Attention in Younger Children

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Here is a video about 'What's in the Bucket?' shared attention activity from Bryony Rust. Bucket activities can be adapted to your child's interests. It's all about developing a child's attention to build positive associations around following an adult's lead.

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Building attention skills in children: THE BUCKET!

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Attention and Concentration Advice from the NHS 

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Attention and Concentration Advice from the NHS 

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ASD represents a wide range of difficulties and each child will have different strengths and needs.

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ASD represents a wide range of difficulties and each child will have different strengths and needs.

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The links and information in this column and others on the Padlet could be helpful in supporting development of key skills such as communication, social interaction and attention while at home.

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Some time back, I noticed posters like this in our school hallways. I found out from learning support that they were to help the children learn self-regulation. The posters were based on a concept called The Zones of Regulation.

Source: Pinterest

What is Self-Regulation?

Self- regulation is the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, and to think before you react. - Mind Tools

In school, children need to be able to self-regulate to help them be ready to learn. Children whose states of arousal are too high or too low will struggle to focus on the learning task at hand.

Update: new research links self-regulation with greater resilience in young people

Researchers have analyzed whether self-regulation would be a good predictor of resilience. This study shows that helping these young people to bounce back from adversities by acquiring self-regulation skills such as setting goals and adjusting their path after a misstep, equips them better to do well in school and in life. - Science Daily

What happens when children cannot self-regulate?

Children that are unable to self-regulate are prone to the following:

tantrums and outbursts

abusive behaviours - e.g. self abuse, punching, kicking, biting

emotional distress

inattention/distractibility

refusal to participate

How can we help children learn self-regulation?

To help children learn self-regulation, we need to work on their:

executive functioning - memory, planning and behaviour inhibition.

emotional regulation - initiating, inhibiting, or modulating our state or behavior in a given situation.

sensory integration - the process by which we receive information through our senses, organise this information, and use it to participate in everyday activities.

What are the Zones of Regulation

The following video provides a helpful summary on the Zones of Regulation and how they help children with self-regulation.

What do the Zones look like:

The Zones of Regulation is a cognitive behaviour approach for helping students self-regulate their behaviours, emotions, and sensory needs. By using concepts and visuals to help students learn to recognise their feelings and level of arousal, it allows them to employ strategies for optimal learning.

The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, one is "good to go". A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when one is the Red Zone, this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where one goes to rest or re-energize. All of the zones are expected at one time or another, but the curriculum focuses on teaching students how to manage their Zone based on the environment and people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, no one would think twice about one being in the Yellow Zone but that would not be same in the library. - Zones of Regulation

Although the Zones of Regulation is often used to support the needs of children with ASD or ADHD, it is very much applicable to all children, and even adults. The ability to recognise our own state of arousal and to make the necessary adjustment so that it is appropriate for the occasion we face is something we all require to function optimally.

The goals of the zones of regulation are to teach children to:

identify their feelings and levels of alertness

develop effective regulation tools

learn when and how to use the tools

problem solve positive solutions

understand how their behaviours influence thoughts and feelings

ultimately - develop independent regulation

Blue Zone: low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.

Green Zone: calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, feeling okay, focused.

Yellow Zone: heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.

Red Zone: heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.

What Zone are You in?

Blue Zone - your body is running slow, like when you're tired, sick, sad or bored.

Green Zone - like a green light, you feel "good to go". Your body may feel happy, calm and focused.

Yellow Zone - when you start to lose control, like when you feel frustrated, anxious, worried, silly or surprised. Use caution when you are in this zone.

Red Zone - when you experience extreme emotions. When you are in this zone, you are out of control, you have trouble making good decisions, and you need to STOP!

For the Blue Zone - increase arousal: For the Green Zone - maintaining:

think happy thoughts

talk about your feelings

rub hands together

run on the spot

shoulder rub

ask for a hug

swinging or spinning

stretching or jumping jacks

strong scents

vibration

drink water

crunchy foods

bright lights

listening to loud music

For the Yellow - decrease arousal:

keep your eyes on the teacher

remember your daily goals

finish your homework

think happy thoughts

be a good friend

help others

work hard

smile

For the Red Zones - decrease arousal:

talk to my parents/friends

take 3 deep breaths

do a wall push up

use a fidget

go for a walk

take a break

read

deep pressure

slow movement

heavy work to muscles

soft lighting

listen to music

chewy foods

take three deep breaths

how big is my problem - the size of your reaction should match the size of the problem. How big do others see the problem? How big should your reaction be?

jump on a trampoline

relax your muscles

talk to an adult

sensory break

push the wall

count to 20

walk away

STOP!

deep pressure

slow movement

heavy work to muscles

soft lighting

listen to music

chewy foods

Can you be in more than one zone at a time? Should children be penalised for being in the RED zone?
Common Questions on the Zones of Regulation
Can you look like one zone on the outside and feel like you are in another zone on the inside?
Yes. Your child may feel tired (blue zone) because she did not get enough sleep, and anxious (yellow zone) because she is worried about an activity or contest at school. Listing more than one zone reflects a good sense of personal feelings and alertness levels.

It's best for children to experience the natural consequences of being in the RED zone. If a child's actions/choices hurt someone or destroys property, he needs to repair the relationship and take responsibility for the mess they create. Once the child has calmed down, use the experience as a learning opportunity to process what the child would do differently next time.

Yes. Many of us "disguise" our zone to match social expectations. We use the expression "put on a happy face" or mask the emotion so other people will have good thoughts about us. Parents often say that their children "lose it" and goes into the RED zone as soon as they get home. This is because children are increasing their awareness of their peers and expectations. They make every effort to keep it together at school to stay in the GREEN zone. Home is when they feel safe to let it all out.

Tips for Practicing the Zones of Regulation
What is it? What to put in it?

Know yourself and how you react in difficult situations before dealing with your child's behaviours.

Know your child's sensory threshold. We all process sensory information differently and it impacts our reactivity to situations.

Know your child's triggers.

Be consistent in managing your child's behaviour and use the same language you use at home.

Empathise with your child and validate what they are feeling.

Have clear boundaries/routines and always follow through.

Do not deal with an angry, upset child when you are not yet calm yourself.

Discuss strategies for the next time when you are in a similar situation.

Remember to ask your child how their choices made you feel (empathy).

Praise your child for using strategies. Encourage your child to take a sensory break to help regulate their bodies.

Sensory Tools on Amazon
Make a Coping Skills Box

A coping skills box is a place to keep things that help to calm you down in periods of distress. Having everything gathered in one place helps you remember to use your coping skills rather than using negative behaviours.

1. Self-Soothing Objects that help to calm you through your five senses:

2. Distractions to take your mind off the problem for a while, e.g. puzzles, books, artwork, crafts, knitting, crocheting, sewing, crossword puzzles, sudoku, positive websites, music, movies, etc.

3. Opposite action - do something that is opposite to your impulse that is consistent with a more positive emotion:

affirmations and inspiration - e.g. looking at drawings or motivational statements

something funny or cheering - e.g. funny movies, books

Put it all together
4. Emotional Awareness - tools for identifying and expressing your feelings, e.g. a chart of emotions, a journal, writing supplies, art supplies.

5. Mindfulness - tools for centering and grounding yourself in the present moment, e.g. meditation or relaxation recordings, grounding objects (rock, paperweight), yoga mat, breathing exercises.

5. Crisis Plan - contact info of supports and resources for when coping skills aren't enough, e.g. family/friends, therapist, psychiatrist, hotline.

Once you have gathered everything, put them together into a box and decorate it. Keep the box in a place where you'll remember it and USE IT!

Image Source: Pinterest

See also: Essential Life Skills for Kids - Stress Management

Sensory Break: Sensory Activities for Sensory Integration

Some time back I wrote about sensory processing disorders (SPD) identifying sensory difficulties that affect some children and the sensory integration activities that can help address their sensory hotspots. The following image helps teachers and parents identify some of the common sensory hotspots that some children may have:

Sensory activities that can help children with these hotspots may be proprioceptive, vestibular, or tactile in nature.

Proprioception

Proprioception is the sense of knowing the relative positions of the various parts of our bodies and strength of effort we employ during a movement. Children with proprioceptive needs can benefit from the following activities:

carrying heavy baskets or objects

jumping jacks

leaning against a wall or table palm presses

pushing or pulling boxes; wheelbarrow walk

jumping on a trampoline

crawling through a tunnel

pushing against objects, wall push-ups

standing on toes and stretching

finger fidgets

Vestibular

The vestibular system is responsible for the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Children with vestibular sensory needs can benefit from the following activities:

bounce on a yoga ball

walk on a balance beam

bear/crab/snake walk

roll neck slowly in a circular movement

imitation game - e.g. Simon Says

gentle rocking

jump up and down; try to touch the door frame

sit and spin / yoga seat

roll on the mat

Tactile sensory needs can be fulfilled with "touch" activities, such as the following:

Sensory Activities at Home

When your child needs a sensory break at home, try these activities:
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"kid-sandwich" - pushing down on them between two pillows

"kid-burrito" - rolling them in lycra and gently pressing down and pretending to eat them

roll out the "cookie dough" with a yoga ball firmly over the back and limbs

pillow fight

mopping or sweeping the floor

stirring cookie dough or cake batter

jumping jacks

chewing gym, eating crunchy foods (pretzels carrots, small ice chips, or sipping water from a cup with a thick straw while doing seated work)

pushing or pulling boxes or laundry baskets with a few toys or books in it

carrying or pushing pillowcases of stuff animals around the house

helping with chores, pulling a heavy trash can, vacuuming, water plants

removing couch cushions, piling them on the floor and "crashing" into them

roller-skating uphill, ice skating, jumping rope, marching, hopping and skipping

walking on a treadmill set to go uphill

pulling other kids around on a sheet or blanket

crawling through a t-shirt tunnel

yard work, such as raking leaves, pushing the wheelbarrow, water the flowers

shoveling sand into a bucket

crossing monkey bars

swinging on a swing

pulling heavy items in a wagon

More Resources:

Related:

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Self-Regulation and the Zones of Regulation

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Some time back, I noticed posters like this in our school hallways. I found out from learning support that they were to help the children learn self-regulation. The posters were based on a concept called The Zones of Regulation. Source: Pinterest What is Self-Regulation? Self-regulation is the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, and to...

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The ASD Resource Base at Wyvil has set up a page with links for parents of children with ASD. Have a look at the resources and information they have linked to.

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Wyvil School - Helping your child at home

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The COVID-19 Playful Parenting resources have now reached
90,449,961
people!

ABOUT US

COVID-19: 24/7 PLAYFUL PARENTING
Evidence-based playful parenting tips available in more than 100 languages.

Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) provides open-source and evidence-based playful parenting resources to support parents and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. These resources focus on building positive parent-child relationships and reducing violence against children by learning through play, reinforcing positive and managing difficult behaviours, creating structure and routines, talking about COVID-19, keeping children safe online, and reducing stress and conflict.

We are working with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, USAID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Oxford University, the LEGO Foundation, the Internet of Good Things & many more, to keep children safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

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The COVID-19 Playful Parenting resources have now reached 90,449,961 people! ABOUT US Evidence-based playful parenting tips available in more than 100 languages. Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) provides open-source and evidence-based playful parenting resources to support parents and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

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Supporting Neurodiverse Children In Challenging Times Such As During Self-Isolation

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Supporting Neurodiverse Children In Challenging Times Such As During Self-Isolation

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Advice video from the NHS

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Supporting Neurodiverse Children In Challenging Times Such As During Self-Isolation

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French Translation:       Soutenir les enfants qui peuvent avoir des besions éducatifs spéciaux en période difficile 

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French Translation:       Soutenir les enfants qui peuvent avoir des besions éducatifs spéciaux en période difficile 

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Soutenir les enfants qui peuvent avoir des besions éducatifs spéciaux en période difficile

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مساعدة الولاد ذوي الحاجات الخاصة في الأوقات الصعبة مثل أوقات الحجر المنزلي

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مساعدة الولاد ذوي الحاجات الخاصة في الأوقات الصعبة مثل أوقات الحجر المنزلي

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Arabic Translation

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مساعدة الولاد ذوي الحاجات الخاصة في الأوقات الصعبة مثل أوقات الحجر المنزلي

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Apoyar a los niños con diversos problemas neuronales en tiempos difíciles

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Apoyar a los niños con diversos problemas neuronales en tiempos difíciles

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Spanish Translation

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Apoyar a los niños con diversos problemas neuronales en tiempos difíciles

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Advice from Autism Practitioner, Gina Davies 

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Advice from Autism Practitioner, Gina Davies 

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Here is a link to Gina Davies' home page where you will find links to advice videos for parents.

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Practical Help with Autism | Gina Davies Autism Centre

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Social Story for Staying Home due to Coronavirus

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Social Story for Staying Home due to Coronavirus

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Now you can enjoy Lynley Dodd's classic story with our online, interactive book.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy became an instant favourite when it was published in 1983, and children today still love following Hairy's adventures.

From his friends Bottomley Potts and Schnitzel von Krumm to his big enemy Scarface Claw, there are plenty of characters to meet and enjoy.

With fun rhymes and brilliant illustrations, this is one for the whole family to savour, so get reading below! You can also watch a video with signing.

Our storybooks and games are free to use, however some older devices aren't able to support them. You can also watch our Storytime playlist on YouTube read by the likes of Ore Oduba, Adam Buxton, Fearne Cotton and many more.

BookTrust HomeTime

Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters.
Go to the HomeTime hub

Back to top

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Read a fun, online interactive version of the children's book classic Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd. Enjoy Hairy's adventures with his friends - and his enemy Scarface Claw. You can also watch a video with signing.

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Here are links and advice to support children who experience difficulties with learning to read and spell.

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Here are links and advice to support children who experience difficulties with learning to read and spell.

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Some pupils who struggle to learn to read and spell will meet the criteria for a description of Dyslexia. It is important to realise that difficulties with reading and spelling do not necessarily mean that a child has lower intelligence - sometimes the opposite can even be true. However, not all children who struggle to read and spell are Dyslexic - they may have gaps in their learning or other underlying learning needs and delay.

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This video outlines key features of Dyslexia and some strategy principles.

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Dyslexia Awareness Part 1: Module 1 - About Dyslexia

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A range of videos on reading, spelling, memory and organisation.

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Julianne Miller, specialist teacher and mum gives you her Top Tips on supporting your child with reading, handwriting, spelling, organisation and memory. These short films contain practical tips aimed at helping children aged 5 to 11 years.

5 Top Tips - Handwriting

5 Top Tips - Spelling

5 Top Tips - Reading

5 Top Tips - Organisation

5 Top Tips - Memory

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Top Tips on Reading, Handwriting, Spelling, Memory and Organisation

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Julianne Miller, specialist teacher and mum gives you her Top Tips on supporting your child with reading, handwriting, spelling, organisation and memory. These short films contain practical tips aimed at helping children aged 5 to 11 years.

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Research shows the 13  most frequently used words can make up as much as one quarter of  a reading text and the 100 most frequently used words can make up 50%.  So learning to read and spell high frequency words, in combination with the systematic learning of phonics can be very useful.

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Here are the next 200 high frequency words.  Don't be tempted to try to read or spell too many at once - little and often works best when it comes to reading and spelling practice!
These are from this link: http://www.highfrequencywords.org/

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Dr Max Davie is a consultant paediatrician at Evelina hospital. In this video he shares his views on managing ADHD at home. His tips are also useful for children without ADHD!

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Free Beast Quest Kindle Download (Suggested for Key Stage 2 and above)

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Free Beast Quest Kindle Download (Suggested for Key Stage 2 and above)

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Komodo the Lizard King: Series 6 Book 1 (Beast Quest 31)

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Komodo the Lizard King: Series 6 Book 1 (Beast Quest 31) eBook : Blade, Adam: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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Time for Storytime: David McKee reads Elmer

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Fantastic Selection of Books at the Open Library for all ages - and it's free to sign up and 'borrow' books.

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Fantastic Selection of Books at the Open Library for all ages - and it's free to sign up and 'borrow' books.

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subject:%22Children:%20Grades%201-2%22, eBook - search | Open Library

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Open Library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Read, borrow, and discover more than 3M books for free.

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Using a word processing package can help children with their writing and spelling and enable them to produce a higher quality of written text. Keyboard skills are particularly useful as children get ready to move on to secondary school. Therefore, learning to touch type can be very beneficial indeed. There are quite a few packages available but I would recommend trying the BBC Bitesize Dance Mat programme. I have found it easy to access and best of all it is completely free.

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Learn how to touch type with the BBC Dance Mat Typing game. It’s a fun introduction to touch typing game for kids and covers levels 1, 2, 3, 4.

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Inside you'll find links to more information on:

Food and medication: Access to the food and medication you need

Connecting: Staying connected with groups in your community

Caring: Caring for loved ones and volunteering

Home: Benefits, housing and financial help

Work: Support with employment and business

Mind: Taking care of your emotional wellbeing

Body: Keeping active and well

Family: Support and advice for families

Young people: Specialist help for children and young people

SEND: Specialist help for families with SEND

Relationships: Managing your relationships at home

Protection: How to get help if you feel unsafe

Download your copy here (last updated 10 August 2020)

Keep also following Love Lambeth and visiting our covid-19 support pages to stay up-to-date with the latest information.

If you're a local organisation offering help to residents and would like to write a guest blog about what you're doing, please contact communications@lambeth.gov.uk

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Support available in Lambeth during COVID-19 - Love Lambeth

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Inside you'll find links to more information on: Food and medication: Access to the food and medication you need Connecting: Staying connected with groups in your community Caring: Caring for loved ones and volunteering Home: Benefits, housing and financial help Work: Support with employment and business Mind: Taking care of

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Free Graded Reading Books from Oxford Owl

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Free Graded Reading Books from Oxford Owl

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Our free eBook library has been created to help children aged 3-11 to develop their reading skills at home.

All our eBooks are free to use, but you will need to register or sign in at the link below to read your book.

Please note, our eBooks are not optimised for mobile phones and are best viewed on a computer, laptop, or tablet .

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Free eBook library - practise reading with phonics eBooks - Oxford Owl

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Help your young child learn to read, and love to read, with our eBook library, containing hundreds of free eBooks. Developed for children aged 3-11.

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Using a word processing package can help children with their writing and spelling and enable them to produce a higher quality of written text. Keyboard skills are particularly useful as children get ready to move on to secondary school. Therefore, learning to touch type can be very beneficial indeed. There are quite a few packages available but I would recommend trying the BBC Bitesize Dance Mat programme. I have found it easy to access and best of all it is completely free.

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Learn how to touch type with the BBC Dance Mat Typing game. It’s a fun introduction to touch typing game for kids and covers levels 1, 2, 3, 4.

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What Makes a Family
This song celebrates families of absolutely every size and shape.

Singer songwriter Al Start teaches you how to sing and Makaton sign this song.

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Regardless of the age, colour, gender, or number of people who you share your home with, they all come together to make the same thing: a family. This song is equally meaningful for all children, whether they are in a foster placement, have two parents of the same sex, a single parent, a blended family, or any other kind of family unit. Whatever the components, the bond is the same.
Music

Listen to some other songs on a similar theme, such as by Sister Sledge and by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, featuring Mary Lambert.

If you have access to a ukulele, try accompanying the song with C, F, G and Am chords.

Learn about the families of instruments in an orchestra: brass, strings, percussion and woodwind. Why are these instruments grouped together and what are their common traits and differences? (e.g. the violin and double bass are both stringed instruments, but one is smaller and higher pitched than the other). Using an app on a tablet or phone, explore creating your own compositions, seeing how the sounds from different families fit together and complement each other.

Design and technology
The song includes the following lovely lyrics:

'What makes a family? What ingredients do you need? Stir it up and see.'

Together with your family members, think about what words you associate with family, for example, 'love', 'support', 'care' and 'acceptance'. Write your words (ingredients) down and make them into your own special recipe, which will be unique to your family. These might include: a cup of kindness, three teaspoons of affection, a pinch of humour, a tablespoon of sharing, a zest of patience, half a pound of respect, a dash of silliness, two ounces of love etc.

You could make a poster to go up in the kitchen or even weigh out cake ingredients and re-label them and bake your family a cake.

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Regardless of the age, colour, gender, or number of people who you share your home with, they all come together to make the same thing: a family. This song is equally meaningful for all children, whether they are in a foster placement, have two parents of the same sex, a single parent, a blended family, or any other kind of family unit.

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Written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts. Read by Hugh Bonneville.

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Written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts.

This is a FREE digital information book for primary school age children to help explain the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. It answers lots of questions in a child-friendly way, and aims to both inform and reassure.

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Axel says:

I asked myself what I could do as a children's illustrator to inform, as well as entertain, my readers here and abroad, about the Coronavirus. So I was glad when my publisher, Nosy Crow, asked me to illustrate this question-and-answer book. I think it is extremely important for children and families to have access to good and reliable information in this unprecedented crisis, and hope this digital book will reach many children.

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I asked myself what I could do as a children's illustrator to inform, as well as entertain, my readers here and abroad, about the Coronavirus. So I was glad when my publisher, Nosy Crow, asked me to illustrate this question-and-answer book.

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More Free Graded Reading Books from Oxford Owl

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More Free Graded Reading Books from Oxford Owl

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As well as much-loved characters such as Biff, Chip and Kipper and Winnie the Witch, you’ll also find some great non-fiction eBooks to help your child explore their world. They have also added some books used in schools, such as Read Write Inc., Oxford Reading Tree, and Project X Alien Adventures.

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Learning to read with phonics

If you live in England, your child will learn to read using phonics. Their school is very likely to use either the Letters and Sounds phonics framework or the Read Write Inc. programme. Check with your school if you're not sure which one they use.

Using Letters and Sounds?

If your child is using Letters and Sounds, you can find books suitable for them by clicking on the 'Levels' menu below and using the 'Letters and Sounds Phase' filter to select the right Phase. Bear in mind the following:

If you don't know your child's Phase, you can check with your school. As a guide, most Reception children will be on Phases 1-4 and most Year 1 children will be on Phases 4-5. Beyond Phase 5, your child will be able to decode most books.

In Letters and Sounds, there are 'sets' within the Phases - so your child might not know all the sounds in every book within their Phase.

Some series contain occasional 'tricky words' that your child can't decode using phonics. Use the inside front cover notes to teach your child these words before they start the book.

Find out more about Letters and Sounds >

Using Read Write Inc. Phonics?
If your child is being taught to read using the Read Write Inc. programme, you can find books suitable for them by clicking on the 'Levels' menu below and using the 'Read Write Inc.' filter to select the right level.

We recommend children read each eBook three times, as they would at school: once to read the words correctly, a second time with more fluency, and a third time in a 'storyteller voice' that shows their understanding of the story.

Find more support and resources for Read Write Inc. in our parents' guide to Read Write Inc. >

Looking for printed books for phonics practice at home?

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Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

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Learning to read with phonics If you live in England, your child will learn to read using phonics. Their school is very likely to use either the Letters and Sounds phonics framework or the Read Write Inc. programme. Check with your school if you're not sure which one they use.

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Former Waterstones Children's Laureate and BookTrust ambassador Chris Riddell is wiwth the Book Trust to read his picture book Once Upon a Wild Wood!

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Storytime: Chris Riddell reads Once Upon a Wild Wood

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Listen to this wonderful and popular children's book by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

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Our storybooks and games are free to use, however some older devices aren't able to support them. You can also watch our Storytime playlist on YouTube read by the likes of Ore Oduba, Adam Buxton, Fearne Cotton and many more.

BookTrust HomeTime

Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters.
Go to the HomeTime hub

Back to top

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Enjoy reading along to our online, interactive storybook The Dragon Machine by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson.

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Cressida Cowell reads How to Train Your Dragon

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Cressida Cowell reads How to Train Your Dragon

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Cressida Cowell, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, reads the first book in the series.

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Cressida reads How to Train Your Dragon: Chapter 1

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Supporting children and young people - Cruse Bereavement Support

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Get help with supporting children and young people after a death. Find resources and learn how to refer children to our services.

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Bereavement Advice from Child Bereavement UK

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Bereavement Advice from Child Bereavement UK

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charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

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Coronavirus is having an impact on everyone, including individuals and families facing bereavement, professionals who work with families, and our supporters. This page brings together guidance and information to help support you at this difficult time. You will also find updated information about Child Bereavement UK’s current services, training and events.

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Lots of resources and ideas here

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Shakespeare Week is a free celebration for UK primary school aged children. Register now to access resources and events & join in the fun!

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This week's song, 'In Every Way',  is great for thanking people who are there for us and helping us.

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A short film from the Communication Trust

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Helping Your School Aged Child  to Listen

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Helping Your School Aged Child  to Listen

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Advice from Afasic.org.uk

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Helping Your School Aged Child to Put Words Together

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Helping Your School Aged Child to Put Words Together

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Advice from Afasic.org

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Advice and Support from Evelina Speech and Language Therapy Service

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Advice and Support from Evelina Speech and Language Therapy Service

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The Duchess of Cambridge visits Evelina London for National Portrait Gallery creative arts workshop

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge visited Evelina London Children's Hospital, to meet children, young people and their families, taking part in a creative arts workshop led by the National Portrait Gallery.

A schoolgirl can walk and talk thanks to care at Evelina London

A girl who was locked in her body is now able to talk and take steps after receiving life-changing treatment.

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Evelina London Children's Hospital and community services are part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. We are the second largest provider of children's services in London. Our vision is to be a world leading centre of life-changing care for children, young people and their families.

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Stories and Poems by Young People with ADHD 

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Stories and Poems by Young People with ADHD 

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Some ideas from the ADHD Foundation

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A Good Sleep Routine Guide for a young person with ADHD

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A Good Sleep Routine Guide for a young person with ADHD

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Advice from the ADHD Foundation

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Pupils often struggle with Maths at school due to having gaps in their learning.  Filling in these gaps in foundation skills and understanding can help other topics to fall into place. In this column I will be adding links to help with some common areas of difficulty

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Pupils often struggle with Maths at school due to having gaps in their learning.  Filling in these gaps in foundation skills and understanding can help other topics to fall into place. In this column I will be adding links to help with some common areas of difficulty

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Input from BBC Bitesize

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KS1 Maths Time learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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Try some of these times tables resources from Twinkle

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How can you make times tables games enjoyable for kids?

Games are a great way to get your children learning and having fun. They're a fantastic way for your children to use their knowledge, helping them exercise their times tables skills.

Practising multiplication using this extensive pack of times tables activities and games can help enhance times tables teaching by turning it into a game. Including games for individual times tables, e.g. 4 x tables and others that practice a range of multiplication facts up to 12 x 12, it will help clarify what children already know while potentially teaching them something they didn't.

Print these times tables activities and games out to use in lessons or take learning outdoors and create similar maths games, or times tables grid, on the playground using chalk. This resource is currently free, meaning you don't have to have a Twinkl subscription to be able to enjoy these amazing times tables activities and games. Just download the pack of games, pick and print off the ones you'd like to use and you're good to go!

Our resources are designed with clarity in mind, so your pupils can easily figure out what's being asked of them with a quick glance. Some of these resources also feature our lovely hand-drawn images drawn by our very own team here. Say goodbye forever to clip art and hello to vibrant and clear illustrations to help keep children engaged with their work.

For quick & easy online times tables assessment use T winkl Tables Assessment. No marking & live data reporting plus custom tests to share with groups of children. It's included in your subscription.

If you're looking for more types of resources linked to learning times tables, we have an amazing YouTube channel called Twinkl Kids' TV. It's full of brilliant lesson and topic overviews, educational videos, activities, games and plenty more for a massive range of subjects and topics. We have a whole host of Maths resources and video content up on the channel now, and all of the videos are aimed specifically at children.

How can parents support kids learning times tables at home?

Sing along to times tables songs or play quick-fire question games during car journeys or in the supermarket.

At home, use the materials included in the provided pack to play multiplication bingo, maths board games and dominoes, ensuring that times tables learning doesn't become boring! It's great to combine maths games and times tables grids.

If your child has access to the Internet, play online times tables activities and games available on the Twinkl website. Take a look at our Space Explorers: Multiplication Game. You might also like to try this Times Tables Activities and Games Pack for Year 3. For our wealth of resources on the 12 times tables, check out our Collection.

This printable 4 times table worksheet is also perfect for learning at home and in school. For an extra challenge, try the 23 times table.
Some games to play to learn times tables in an enjoyable and effective way:

10 fun tips for teaching times tables effectively.

Use times tables chanting. Check out this 8 Times Table Song.

Make times tables fun with songs and multiplication games like this Mathopoly Game.

Make use of times tables multiplication grids.

Use concrete resources like shoes, fingers, number blocks, pasta, and more!

Get active outside the classroom, for example by using pavement chalk to create times table activities.

Use pupil's interests to engage them with times tables.

Use tricks that may be common knowledge to us, but will be revolutionary to young minds! Like the 9 times tables on your fingers trick.

Use quick fire times tables quizzes.

Use times tables worksheets and tests.

How can I teach times tables to struggling students?

Times table multiplication can be difficult for all children at some point. To combat this, make sure to teach students all of the strategies for each set of facts and times tables. This way, they will hopefully find a method that works for them.

Allow them time to get to grips and understand these new maths strategies, once they have, you can then try to incorporate memorisation.

The above video may be from a third-party source. We accept no responsibility for any videos from third-party sources. Please let us know if the video is no longer working.

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Games are a great way to get your children learning and having fun. They're a fantastic way for your children to use their knowledge, helping them exercise their times tables skills.Practising multiplication using this extensive pack of times tables activities and games can help enhance times tables teaching by turning it into a game.

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This Numberjacks episode covers the basic concept of fractions

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NUMBERJACKS | Hundreds And Thousands | S2E20

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KS1 Maths Fractions learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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Here is a link to a clearly explained Lambeth Educational Psychology Service video.

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Motivating Home Learners - Lambeth Educational Psychology Service Webinar

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Emotion Coaching to Manage Behaviour and Emotions

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Emotion Coaching to Manage Behaviour and Emotions

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Dr Charlotte Moss explains emotion coaching.

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Emotion Coaching - Webinar from Lambeth Educational Psychology Service

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Emotion Coaching to Manage Behaviour and Emotions

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Emotion Coaching to Manage Behaviour and Emotions

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Dr Charlotte Moss explains emotion coaching.

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Emotion Coaching - Webinar from Lambeth Educational Psychology Service

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Here is a link to a clearly explained Lambeth Educational Psychology Service video.

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Motivating Home Learners - Lambeth Educational Psychology Service Webinar

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Have fun drawing characters from Ed Vere's book Max and Bird.
Drawing is not only enjoyable and creative - it's great for developing fine motor skills too!

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My Hair by Hannah Lee and Allen Fatimaharan has been nominated for the 2020 BookTrust Storytime Prize!
Hannah's here to read us the book so enjoy - and can you count how many hairstyles are in the book?

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Time for Storytime: My Hair with Hannah Lee

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Baby Beluga

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Literacy
Read books such as The Storm Whale by Benji Davis and The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler.

Go on a fact-finding mission and make a little booklet of everything that you can find out about beluga whales. Did you know...

They are carnivores and eat meat e.g. salmon, crabs, shrimp, clams and octopus

Beluga whales are white to camouflage themselves in the arctic and they can swim backwards

Unlike other whales, belugas do not have a dorsal fin (which means that they are able to swim easily through ice)

Beluga whales are about 18ft in length (about 3 times the length of a human)

Science and technology

Bake beluga biscuits. Use a simple biscuit recipe and using a cookie cutter, a blunt knife or fingers, shape them into whale outlines. Talk about reversible and irreversible changes in cookery. Once an egg has been cooked it cannot be changed back but chocolate can melt and harden and melt again.

The Beluga Whale sanctuary (part of the Sea Life Trust) are doing a series of LIVE question and answer sessions on their Facebook page where you can see beluga whales (Little Grey and Little White) adapting to their new sea water home.

Art and design

Make a beluga soft toy using a white sock, filled with rice or flour and tied with elastic bands. Use elastic bands to form 'the melon' (the rounded structure on the surface of a whale's head). Draw on some eyes and create a tail with cardboard to attach to the back. This will give you an idea even though it is a different type of whale.

Make a rocking beluga. All you need is a paper plate! Find the instructions here.

Create a beluga whale collage using paper, fabric and recycling materials. You might do a waterspout spray picture and partial whales as they swim above and below water.

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Literacy Read books such as The Storm Whale by Benji Davis and The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler. Go on a fact-finding mission and make a little booklet of everything that you can find out about beluga whales. Did you know... They are carnivores and eat meat e.g.

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Down by the Bay

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To give you the best possible experience, we use cookies on our site. You can delete and block cookies but parts of our site will not work without them. By using our site, you accept the use of cookies. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy

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'Shake my Sillies Out'
with Becca Owen

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Learn Shake my sillies out with Beccy Owen

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The Bear Necessities

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'The bare necessities' - Learn the song with Beccy Owen

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Some useful approaches and tips from Harvard University in the USA

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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How to Motivate Children: Science-Based Approaches for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers

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The intrinsic motivation to learn about the world around us begins in infancy. Learn science-based strategies to encourage children's intrinsic motivation.

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Going Places

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"Going places" - Learn this catchy leavers' song with Charlotte Law

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Have a look at this powerpoint and song to commemorate Windrush Day.

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Raise My Voice

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This feel-good song is written by Carrie and David Grant and we’re sure you’ll love it. It’s about all the ways you can raise your voice, not only in song, but also to express your feelings and ambitions.

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I Can See Clearly Now...

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This song was in the charts in the 1970s and has an inspiring message. It’s about overcoming the hard times and having confidence that things will get better.

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Great Day

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To give you the best possible experience, we use cookies on our site. You can delete and block cookies but parts of our site will not work without them. By using our site, you accept the use of cookies. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy

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A website with lots of useful information. Have a look at the top tips videos.

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Welcome to the Parent Portal, our award-winning speech and language support website for parents, carers and families.

At Speech and Language Link, we understand that supporting your child's language learning, alongside everything else that life demands from you, can be challenging. The Parent Portal provides ideas and advice, information and activities for developing your child's understanding, talking and listening in a way that works for all of your family.

How to use the site? Visit the development tab to help you work out what the next steps are for your child's learning and then go to the stage-appropriate activities section. You don't always need to create a special time for working on listening and talking, use our everyday activities turn many routine tasks into support activities.

Our speech and language therapists have devised support videos for you. Check out the 'Can I have your attention please?' series to help get your child in the right frame of mind for learning and access super fun games and ideas to encourage a range of language skills.

Our activities are designed to fit around normal family life and by implementing some of them every day you can make a real difference to your child's language development.

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Supporting Parents and Carers who support children with SLCN - Speech and Language resources, information and activities