Websites We Adore!

The websites listed below are ones that we love to use in our primary school classes, they are not listed in any particular order but should provide a range of scope at home to help in teaching your youngsters. All of the websites listed are free to use as of April 2020. If we’ve left out your favourite websites we’d love to hear from you!

• Twinkl
  Extra worksheets, activities, online games, printable games, eBooks and PowerPoints on every subject and topic can be found on Twinkl. It is a website full of educational resources. They are offering a free access to parents for a month. This website is used regularly throughout the school year and I would really recommend using some of the resources with your child. It is really easy to set yourself up on this website – just visit the link above and enter your email address, password and the offer code: IRLTWINKLHELPS. You can search through suitable resources linking to our curriculum by clicking on the appropriate tab. 

• TeachYourMonsterToRead
  This website covers everything from phonics (letters and letter sounds) to reading short sentences while practising tricky words. To sign up go to the website using the link above where it can be played online for free.

• GetEpic 
  Here you will find a library of books which your child can read along, listen to or read by themselves. The children will be able to read some of the books without any help, other books are trickier. In this case you should look at the book image, if it has a green rectangle on the bottom of the cover it means there is the option of having the book read to the children which they can follow along with. You can also click on the words on the pages of the book which will explain the word to you. This online library is free for parents to use for 30 days. Alternatively contact your child’s teacher, they can sign them up for free until June 30^th.

• ClassroomSecrets 
  This website can be used to practise using both English and Maths. Children should focus on the tab that correlate to their class in school. As they don’t follow the grade names that we use in Ireland you could use EYFS for Junior Infants, Year 1 for Senior Infants, Year 2 for First Class and so on.

• Irish Websites for Practising Gaeilge
  Scéal an Lae (Story of the Day) - Listen to some familiar faces read some of your favourite stories.
  Séideán Sí - Practise listening and coping some useful phrases and expressions and play some interactive games to test you on what you have just learned.
  RTE 10@10 - 10 minutes of exercise routines which are posted daily. Why not challenge yourself and try it as Gaeilge.

Assessing primary school books online as another good and potentially useful way of helping to address your child's educational needs from home. Below, is a list of popular publishers that are offering free access to their books as of April 2020.

• Educate.ie
  Here you can access books such as ‘Just Phonics’, ‘Better English’, ‘Better Maths’, ‘Just Handwriting’, ‘Tables Champion’ and ‘Work it Out Maths’ as well as many more books made by Educate.ie. These books can be accessed online for free by clicking on the link above.

• Folens
  As well as many more books made by Folens, here you can access books such as ‘Abair Liom’, ‘All Write Now’, ‘Am Don Léamh’, ‘Planet Maths’, ‘Reading Zone’, ‘Sounds in Action’, ‘Starlight’, ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Unlocking SESE’. To register for free go to FolensOnline.ie and click register. Select Teacher and fill in a username, email and password. When you’re asked for a roll number use the code: Prim20.

• EdCo
  The Educational Company (EdCo) is offering free access of all e-books to students, teachers and parents for the coming weeks. Books they offer include ‘Aliveo-O’, ‘All Around Me’, ‘Béal Beo’, ‘Bua na Cainte’, Maith Thú!’, ‘Maths Mate’, ‘Operation Maths’, ‘Reasons to Write’, ‘Sin É’ and ‘Window on the World’ as well as many more. To access these books for free visit the website on the link above and use the primary username 'primaryedcobooks' and the password 'edco2020'. 

•  CJ Fallon
  CJ Fallon also has a range of books that can be accessed for free by clicking the above link. Books which the offer include ‘Brain Teasers’, ‘A Way With Words’, ‘Figure it Out’, ‘Mathemagic’, ‘Mata Draíochta’, Bun go Barr’, ‘What a Wonderful World’, ‘Spellbound’, ‘Onwards and Upwards’, Ceartlitriú’, ‘Small World’, ‘Bust at Maths’, ‘Gafa le Mata’, ‘Go with the Flow’ and ‘Mindful Matters’ as well as others.