Home Learning

Home learning, when tailored to meet each individual's needs, can be very beneficial. It promotes learner agency by encouraging children to take the initiative and responsibility for completing a task or practising something they want to get better at. It also provides parents with an opportunity to know what their child is learning, support them at home, and understand how they are progressing.


Home learning should be a positive experience. We want it to promote, not detract from learning. For example, too much homework can lead to stress and unnecessary pressure and a lack of balance in children's lives. Non-specific home learning unrelated to a child's next steps can end up being busywork rather than constructive learning.


We do encourage families to think about the following types of home learning. Children could :

  • Practice reading to someone, with someone, or on their own.

  • Practice sight words, spelling and basic facts using a recommended website or hardcopy materials.

  • Access SchoolTalk learning and continuing some learning in an area they need to work on (highlighted yellow).

  • Learn something new, like a musical instrument or game.

  • Take part in afterschool sports and activities such as netball, cricket, touch rugby, or gymnastics

Recommended Home Learning Activities & Ideas

Reading Mileage

We encourage children to read for at least 20 minutes each weekday at home regardless of their age.

There are a number of ways you can encourage reading at home

  • Reading Together

  • Read anywhere

  • Be a role model

Click here to find out more.

Sight Words & Spelling

There are high frequency words that are commonly used in spoken, written and text form. Supporting your child to learn these essential list words will support their progress in literacy.

Click here to view the sight word lists for years 0-4.

Click here to access the essential spelling word lists.

Basic Facts

We recommend spending 10-15 minutes practicing level appropriate basic facts each week night.

Being able to instantly recall critical addition and subtraction facts and times tables helps children to progress in their Mathematical thinking and strategic development..

Click here to find out more.

SchoolTalk Next Steps

You can be as engaged with your child's learning as you choose.

SchoolTalk has been developed to provide full visibility of your child's learning, progress and highlight their next steps.

We encourage you to talk to your child about their learning calendar - this outlines what they are learning each day.

Home Learning recommendations across the Years

Years 0 - 2

Tips to support your child’s reading:

  • Take time to talk about the title and the illustration on the front cover

  • Flick through the book and talk about the illustrations in the book

  • Listen to your child read the text.

  • Spend some time on comprehension activities like asking questions and retelling

  • Praise your child

  • Make it fun


Sunshine Online Books

(nb: this subscription runs out this year)

Complete follow up activities that are related to the books assigned to your child.


Sight Words

Practise 3-4 colour wheel sight words before reading with your child. Find the sight word lists and ideas on how to support your child with learning sight words here.


Spelling

Learning 3-5 words a week is a good place to start. Find the essential spelling word lists and ideas on how to support your child with spelling here.


Basic Number Knowledge

Identify and write numbers.

Make numbers to 5, 10, 20.

Basic facts to 5, 10.

Learn more by clicking here.

Years 3 - 4

Tips to support your child’s reading:

There are lots of different ways you can explore your child's reading text with them:


  • Ask your child to summarise the story in their own words

  • Talk about who the characters are and where the story took place.

  • Click here for more ideas


Sight Words

Find levelled sight word lists here.

Practise the relevant sight word lists before reading with your child. This helps prepare your child to instantly recognise sight words in a reading text.


Get Epic

Get Epic is free access to thousands of books that safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for children 12 and under.

You can use it at home with your child’s class code, or you can sign up for free as a family.


Spelling

Learning 5-10 words a week is a good place to start. Find the essential spelling word lists and ideas on how to support your child with spelling here.


Year 3 - 4 Maths Times Tables


Mohio

Mohio is a site that has been design by us to practice the basic addition and times tables facts.

Years 5 - 6

Get Epic

Get Epic is free access to thousands of books that safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.


ReadTheory

ReadTheory is a free resource that supports learners to build reading comprehension skills offering online reading activities for all ages and ability levels.


Pobble 365

Pobble 365 is a free resource that promotes both reading and writing. Using the resource you will find 365 images with story starters - one for each day of the year.


For further information click here


Year 5 - 6 Digital Maths Resources


Mohio

Mohio is a site that has been design by us to practice the basic addition and times tables facts.


Prodigy

Prodigy is an adaptive maths platform. This means that the more a learner shows they understand something, the harder the questions will get.

Years 7 - 8

Tips to support your child’s reading:


In Year 7 and 8


Education Perfect

Education Perfect is a New Zealand website, used to develop maths number, strand and problem solving knowledge. Learners have their own account and home learning tasks are assigned to them, based on individual need.


ReadTheory

ReadTheory is a free resource that supports learners to build reading comprehension skills offering online reading activities for all ages and ability levels.


Khan Academy

Khan Academy is an online learning tool which specifically targets the learning areas of numeracy and science. Tasks can be assigned by a teacher, but learners are also able to select their own points of interest and next steps. The content levels primarily focus on upper primary and secondary school and videos and interactive resources are used to develop learners' understandings.