AsIAm

AsIAm, Ireland's national Autism charity, have advice, guidance and a vast array of resources available on their website. AsIAm also organise a selection of online events, such as their "Lunch and Learn" events. Previous free webinars can be viewed on their YouTube channel.

Autism Friendly Services at Kilkenny County Council Library Service

In October 2021, the Kilkenny County Council Library Service will launch a new range of Autism friendly services at Kilkenny Library Service. These include a new toy and sensory resource collection (which includes a wide range of toys and sensory resources which help the development of gross motor skills, fine motor skills and play and life skills), a specialised Autism friendly book collection, a social story for your local Library so that you can prepare students for a visit to the Library, and a sensory box, which is now available at your local Library to help students to enjoy a better sensory experience during their visit.

Barnardos

Barnardos have various supports for parents/guardians available on their website.

Biodiversity in Schools

The Biodiversity in Schools team have a number of nature activities that are simple, free, require minimal resources and encourage students to get outside. There are nature activites for birds, bugs, trees and wildflowers, to name a few!

Bookville 2021: Bookville in a Book

Based on some of the best contemporary children’s authors and illustrators, Bookville in a Book is sure to inspire children, teachers and parents/guardians. Packed with fun and exciting interactive activities to suit children from 5 - 12 years, this will be an activity book to treasure, and you can enjoy it at any time! There are also Shadow Puppet and Bookmark Making video workshops available. Bookville is brought to you by the Kilkenny County Council Library Service and the Kilkenny County Council Arts Office, supported by the Creative Ireland Programme.

Butler Gallery

If you are looking for creative projects to keep children occupied at home, Butler Gallery have released some creative activity inspiration as part of their Home Studio series, along with colouring pages based on works from their Collection and colouring pages of original artwork from the Cartoon Saloon WolfWalkers (2020) film. 

Castlecomer Discovery Park

The Castlecomer Discovery Park Education Officer has devised a number of educational worksheets and activities, such as Rock Balancing and the Mindful Nature Journal, which can be done at home. 

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

A number of useful presentations for teachers, SNAs and parents/guardians have been developed by the HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), in partnership with Kilkenny Education Centre. These presentations have been developed to assist, inform and guide adults who are in contact with children who are transitioning from Primary to Post Primary school, but they will also be useful for teachers, SNAs and parents/guardians of all children and young people who are returning to school following closures.

Children's Books Ireland

Children's Books Ireland is the national children’s books organisation of Ireland. Through their many activities and events, they aim to engage young people with books, foster a greater understanding of the importance of books for young people and act as a core resource for those with an interest in books for children in Ireland.

ClassDojo Platform

ClassDojo is a communication app for teachers, parents/guardians, and students. The app connects teachers with parents/guardians and students, sharing what's being learned in the classroom through photos, videos and messages. The PDST Digital Technologies Team have a page of content dedicated to ClassDojo.

Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) 'Get Ireland Making'

Get Ireland Making is an initiative led by the Design and Crafts Council Ireland, supported by Creative Ireland and Healthy Ireland. It aims to share the skills of DCCI craftspeople and designers, a lot of whom work on the CRAFTed: Learning Skills for Life Programme for Primary schools, with communities across Ireland. There were weekly updates about live workshops and video tutorials, all with an emphasis on making with materials at home or that are easily accessible. Many of these video tutorials, along with podcasts, are available to watch on the DCCI website. The DCCI ambition was to engage the public and the design and craft community in activities designed to support wellbeing and build resilience. In partnership with the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI), DCCI hosted a series of podcasts entitled 'Design Your Life' in early Summer 2021. This podcast series featured recent design graduates speaking about their education, career path and current role.

Enable Ireland

Enable Ireland has launched a free Assistive Technology in Primary Education e-Learning course for Primary teachers and SNAs, along with parents/guardians. This free, self-directed online course takes approximately 1.25 hours to complete and gives a broad overview of the areas where technology can enhance a student’s learning and performance. 

ESCI and Institute of Guidance Counsellors 'Navigating the Final Term of Leaving Certificate 2021 - A Webinar for Parents'

European Space Agency Expedition: Home

ESA Education has launched Expedition: Home, a one-stop website for students and parents/guardians to do fun space-based activities and keep learning while at home. The website features plenty of activities for three age ranges: 3-6 years, 6-12 years and 12-18 years.

FÍS Film Project: Introducing Film into the Primary Classroom

The FÍS Film Project has various resources and ideas for both teachers and parents/guardians alike, such as learning film-making skills for making films at home, available on their website.

Happiness and Wellbeing Skills for Post Primary Schools

The Happiness and Wellbeing Skills website offers various Daily Wellbeing Skills videos which parents/guardians may find helpful and useful.

Heritage in Schools

Heritage in Schools have a vast array of resources, designed to inspire and develop an appreciation and curiosity about Ireland’s wonderful natural and cultural heritage, on their website.

Ideas for Home Learning During COVID-19

Simon Lewis, Principal in Carlow Educate Together N.S., has created a Home Learning Google Doc full of fun things that can be done at home for learning.

'Home Scoil' YouTube Channel

This YouTube channel features Primary school video lessons following the Irish Primary School Curriculum, such as that on Comprehension Strategies.

Kilkenny County Council Library Service Oral, Words and Language (OWL) Programme

Kilkenny County Council Library Service have developed OWL, the Oral, Words and Language Programme, covering a range of topics to support parents/guardians and children to increase oral language and literacy skills. Online workshops will take place at 9p.m. every Tuesday evening from 30th November 2021, and Storytelling workshops will take place at 9p.m. every Wednesday evening throughout December 2021.

Kilkenny Wildlife Detective Programme

The Kilkenny Wildlife Detective Programme, produced jointly by the Heritage Office of Kilkenny County Council and the Kilkenny County Childcare Committee, with support from the Kilkenny Heritage Forum and the Heritage Council, is comprised of a colourful Guide and accompanying poster, which outlines many activities and interesting facts about Kilkenny’s wildlife. The Programme encourages children to explore the biodiversity and habitats of Kilkenny. 

Libraries Ireland

Libraries Ireland have various online services available. For example, you can join the library online and get eBooks, audiobooks, online magazines and newspapers for free straight away.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC)

MIC have collated and published a selection of online educational resources and articles, many of which have been recommended by MIC staff, on their website.

Middletown Centre for Autism

Middletown Centre for Autism offer a wide variety of courses and webinars, which feature members of their own multi-disciplinary team and international speakers, on a range of themes, such as Autism and Sensory Processing. They also have a page on their website containing plenty of resources and activities.

NatGeo@Home

NatGeo@Home have various quizzes, videos, science experiments, ideas, activities and even at-home classroom resources for parents/guardians and children to explore and experience together.

National Council for Special Education (NCSE)

NCSE provide various online resources for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), which have been developed by Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists. There are resources for both teachers and parents/guardians. NCSE also have a range of supports available for teachers that are teaching remotely and for parents/guardians of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)

Department of Education NEPS psychologists have advice and a number of resources for children and young people to help them manage and stay well during the pandemic, along with guidance for parents/guardians supporting children and young people. There are a number of other useful NEPS resources and publications available too.

National Gallery of Ireland

With the National Gallery of Ireland at Home, the National Gallery of Ireland has invited schools and families to stay connected with them while at home. Teachers and students can access a range of content, such as virtual tours, podcasts, videos, activites and blogposts.

National Parents Council (Primary)

The National Parents Council have useful information, tips, fun activities and various online training opportunities available on their website for parents/guardians of Early Years and Primary school children.

Mindful Facilitation

Dee Hennessy, Mindful Facilitation, offers a range of courses and events, along with informative articles and video resources.

RTÉ Learn

RTÉ Learn contains all the educational content produced by RTÉ; from Primary Home School Hub content to content for Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

Scoilnet

Scoilnet supports Primary and Post Primary teachers in sharing and finding useful resources for the classroom. It also has a number of home usage supports which teachers and students alike can benefit from. These supports are free and do not require registration.

Scratch

Visit the Scratch website to learn how to program interactive games, stories and animations.

Seesaw Online Learning Platform

Seesaw is an easy-to-use online learning platform that teachers can use to communicate with parents/guardians and assign work to students. Limerick Education Centre has partnered with EDNIP (Embracing Diversity, Nurturing Integration, Learning for Life Project) to support parents and children access the Seesaw learning platform through accessible video tutorials. The aim of these videos is to empower teachers, parents/guardians and children access learning within the home and improve engagement between the school and home. Also, the PDST Digital Technologies Team have a page of content dedicated to Seesaw.

Step Up to Secondary School

Step Up to Secondary School is a new school transition website available to use as a simple resource for Sixth Class students and their parents/guardians. Sixth Class teachers may find this website useful if they are covering the transition from Primary to Post Primary school with students in the final Term of the academic year. The website was developed in June 2020 as part of the Planet Youth project, largely in part as a result of COVID-19 curtailing school transition work that would typically happen before the Summer Break. In June 2021, a Stepping Up to Secondary School Webinar took place for any Sixth Class parent/guardian who wished to support their child/ren with the move from Primary to Post Primary school. The webinar included a panel discussion with an Adolescent Psychotherapist, a Youth Coach and a School Chaplain. You can view a recording of this webinar on the Planet Youth website.

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)

SEAI have published Climate SOS, a book about climate change, written by Lucinda Jacob, illustrated by Alan Nolan and edited by Dr. Orla Kelly, DCU, St. Patrick’s College. This book is aligned with the Primary curriculum (children aged 8 - 11) and can be used to inspire children to take their own energy actions at home and/or in school. The book is available to download in English and as Gaeilge on the SEAI website.

TG4

TG4, the Irish language free-to-air public service television channel, has two websites, Cúla4 na nÓg (for under 6s) and Cúla4 (for older children). Aside from television programmes, there are games and creativity sections for children.

The Ark @ Home

The Ark @ Home is a way for children who are home from school to connect with The Ark through a series of at-home arts activities, virtual events and online screenings of live performances, to name a few.

Tools, Apps and Websites for Primary School Students 

Ciara Reilly (@PrimEdTeacher), Digital Education Assistant Lecturer in Marino Institute of Education, has compiled an incredibly useful Padlet of tools, apps and websites to support Primary students at home. Ciara also has a subject specific Padlet (Art, Music and Drama, Literacy, Maths, PE and SPHE and SESE).

Transitions from Pre-School to Primary School Padlet

Sarah Murray has created an excellent Padlet of resources on the transition from Pre-School to Primary school in Ireland.

Twinkl Ireland

Twinkl Ireland offer a variety of resources to support parents/guardians of Primary school students. Supports range from those for Junior Infants to Sixth Class and cover a range of core topics. During school closures, Twinkl Ireland created a variety of learning resource packs for children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. These resource packs, created by teachers, contain fun, interactive, exciting and challenging work on English, Maths, Gaeilge, History, Geography, Science, Art and STEM activities.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

UNESCO have compiled a list of educational applications, platforms and resources which aim to help teachers, schools, school administrators and parents/guardians facilitate student learning from home.

Weaving Well-Being Programme for Primary Schools 'At Home with Weaving Wellbeing: A Well-Being Journal for Kids'

The Weaving Well-Being Programme has published a free journal designed for parents/guardians to help them support their children at home, and, in particular, to help them to enhance their well-being. This Journal, compiled by Fiona Forman, is based on many of the well-being activities contained in the Weaving Well-Being Programme. It is available for free from Outside the Box Learning Resources, the Weaving Well-Being Programme publishers. The Journal is most suitable for children aged 8 - 12 years, but can be adapted for younger and/or older children. 

Webwise

Webwise offer free information, advice and education resources addressing a range of internet safety issues and concerns, including the latest online safety advice in relation to COVID-19. Information, advice and education resources are available for teachers, parents/guardians and students.

World Book Online

World Book Online is a learning environment that is free for students to use during their remote learning journey. The content spans all class levels, in both Primary and Post Primary schools, and is available 24/7 from any device through Scoilnet. Each resource is specifically designed for a given age group.

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing platform. Zoom host free and interactive live training webinars daily, ranging from getting started with Zoom to specific webinars on Zoom Meetings and Webinars.

Please note, Kilkenny Education Centre does not endorse any products and/or services listed above - this Page is an information service to parents/guardians.
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