Some parents have confided in me that with school and lessons being affected by the Circuit Breaker, they are worried that their kids would not be able to catch up with their studies. As a mother of a P5 student, I know where their concerns are coming from. Even with Home-based Learning (HBL), I’m afraid that my son would not be getting the same quality time with his teachers as they do in school. However, I am also concerned with the amount of screen time he is getting at home. Therefore, I believe that perhaps as parents, the least we can do is to build in quality time along with the existing time spent in front of the computer or smartphones.
Here, I’m going to share some online resources to make HBL a bit more engaging and fun.
English
Image Credits: Scholastics
Level: Kindergarten to Primary What I like about Scholastic Learn At Home is that it allows you to choose the grade level suitable for your children. There are many mini-lessons based on themes with videos, e-books for reading and suggested activities. Website: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html BrainPOP
Image Credits: BrainPOP
Level: Primary BrainPOP is a fantastic platform for children. There are many resources such as videos, games and activities across many subjects besides the usual English, Mathematics and Science. For English, children can improve on their language skills through various categories such as Writing, Famous Authors and Books and Grammar. However, BrainPOP is a paid service. The good news is that it is now offering free access during the school closure period. Just click on ‘Request for free access’, followed by ‘Family Access’ to get started. Website: https://www.brainpop.com/ Other sites worth checking out: Audible - https://stories.audible.com/start-listen Ted Ed - https://ed.ted.com/parent Storyline Online - https://www.storylineonline.net/library/ Mother Tongue
Image Credits: Ministry of Education, Singapore Level: Primary 1 – 6
The Ministry of Education launched an interactive website to make learning mother tongue a fun and engaging experience. All content complement the primary curriculum with a wide range of multimedia content and online activities. Website: https://www.mtl.moe.edu.sg/ Science
Image Credits: Science Kids
Level: Primary 1 – 6
Experiments, videos and fun activities are great ways to engage children in Science. Unlike earlier recommended sites, this site is arranged based on activities and topics. There are also offline projects that you can try with your children, a great way to spend quality time together. Website: https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/ The Circuit Breaker is indeed a challenging time for many of us. However, for me, it is also an opportunity to use technology to help my son in his studies. I do hope these resources would be of use to you too.