Before looking at some of the best homework help sites, there are a few tips to remember about homework in general. The first one is to let the kids have something to eat before starting – this might just be a nutritional snack with their main meal scheduled for later, depending on the family schedule. None of us work at our best when we are hungry.
Make sure there is a quiet place to do the homework away from distractions. If there are pre-school kids in the house, try to keep them occupied elsewhere. Ensure all the essentials are on hand such as pens, pencils and that there is a good workspace to use.
Set up a timetable for homework sessions so that kids know when to expect to be doing it. It might be after the evening meal for older kids or you might schedule different ‘slots’ for the different kids if they distract each other. TV is a no-no but some quiet music can help relax them.
Remember to keep in mind the current teaching techniques, rather than those you were taught when you were at school. By telling them what you know, that can just confuse them and mean they aren’t learning what the school wants them to learn.
Best homework help sites;
BBC Bitesize
The BBC has been making high quality educational programs for generations and their education website, called Bitesize, is equally useful. There are two ways to search for help – by the subject or by the stage the kids are studying at. Once you go into the subject, there is a range of options such as KS1 Maths, 4th level Maths and even Higher Maths. By selecting the stage your child is studying, there is then a range of topics to help them, for example mathematical skills including problem solving and reasoning.
The website also has less formal content such as educational news, school newsletters and news around, a news program for kids. There are interactive games to help them with their studies and plenty of fun stuff to engage them.
BBC Cbeebies
The Cbeebies website works alongside the children’s channel and is filled with educational fun for kids. This includes homework help, interactive challenges and even stories.
Homework Elephant
Homework Elephant has some 5,000 resources available to assist kids in their various homework topics. These are listed through the subjects they are covered by so are easy to search for a specific category. They also offer an ‘Agony Elephant’ service where kids can ask questions to an expert on subjects including maths, English, biology and history. Finally, there is a hints and tips section that covers how to do homework, learning tips and even helping kids cope with worries about their projects.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic are another massive name in TV shows and their magazine so their Kids section is filled with useful resources of the highest quality. Subjects covered includes animals, science and nature, history, places as well as games and entertainment resources. So kids can learn about the countries of the world, the birds and animals that live there and there are fun areas to entertainment them as well as help with the homework.
Channel 4 Learning
Channel 4 Learning is aimed at seven to eleven year olds and covers three main subjects – science, history and geography. There are plenty of interactive resources to entertain the kids as well as notes for teachers to help out.
