Helping your child with vision impairment learn at home

Children learn a lot at school but their education doesn't have to end there.
 
Our Specialist Education Support Team has selected the following resources specifically to support parents who have a child with a vision impairment and want to continue their learning at home.

Please continue to use your child’s school and qualified teacher of vision impairments (QTVI) as your first point of contact for any curriculum materials.

For advice on home learning, follow the link below.


On this page

Reading and audio materials

A range of free audio materials suitable for all children and young people so they can continue enjoying reading:

Smart speakers can also offer an excellent selection of reading materials for the whole family.

Sensory stories to support your child's learning

If you have young children at home and are trying to continue their learning, it can be challenging to hold their attention.

One suggestion is to choose a story that you can read together and then provide lots of different activities based on that story theme. This can help develop their skills across different areas of learning.

We have included some story suggestions below, together with a range of activities that you could investigate with your child.

Families that don’t have broadband at home or who can’t afford extra data can request free mobile data through their child’s school. Find out more about the Get help with technology service on the government’s website.

Teaching resources

The following resources offer a range of accessible learning materials suitable for all children:

  • Perkins eLearning – a range of learning ideas and resources. Please note, you need to sign-up to access the content.
  • Twinkl – resources for children with a vision impairment across the key stages.
  • Sight Scotland – free braille games and worksheets.
  • Positive Eye – free resources for children with a vision impairment.
  • Positive Eye Facebook – a range of videos available of their story sessions.
  • Doorway Online – free accessible educational games.
  • Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – free downloadable home learning activity packs for ages three to seven.
  • Orchard Toys – daily free, printable worksheets and activities for children.

Curriculum resources

The following mainstream resources can be accessed using your child’s usual ways of working, such as using technologies with the facilities to enlarge the screen. This may include using Microsoft Windows accessibility tools in ‘settings’ or using specialist software such as JAWS, SuperNova or NVDA.

  • PhonicsPlay – Interactive phonics games and downloadable resources across the 'letters and sounds' phases. Free login for primary school children during school closures.
  • Khan Academy – For children, all the way to more advanced topics (maths, reading, sciences, computing, arts, humanities, finance and economics).
  • IXL Personalised Learning – Curriculum learning materials.
  • The BBC – information here on the BBC's education offer across its channels.
  • BBC Bitesize – Materials for primary, secondary and post 16 students.
  • Twinkl – Learning for primary and secondary students. They have added free home learning packs during the school closures.
  • YouTube – Lots of free videos, such as craft activities.
  • Quizlet - Website to help students study information through interactive tools and games.
  • tes – Teacher-created learning resources designed to engage both primary and secondary students.
  • BBC Teach - Video clips to support learning from primary to secondary (up to GCSE).
     

The following sites have some useful resources, however, you may need to register to create a log-in. Please always read the terms and conditions carefully before agreeing. Some sites may require you to pay an additional fee to use their resources:

The following sites require you to use alternative web browsers such as: Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

GCSE revision materials

 *you may need to contact your school to see if they have log in details.

You may find some more useful information about home learning support for you and your child on View.

Do you need more help?

For any further guidance and support, please call or email us.

0800 781 1444