A Twinkl in the sky

Since moving down through the school from KS2 to KS1 and now into EYFS, I have found myself building up a collection of resources to use for each year group that I find myself in. Many an evening can be spent just searching for appropriate banners for displays where my limited art skills just aren't enough. I have also found myself searching regularly online for things to use on my mark making table or for topics that we are covering. So many times though, I just thought, what's the point, I may as well just make them myself!

That was until I discovered Twinkl through a colleague of mine who said it was always their first port of call when looking for a resource or display material. There are many parts of this site and some are free, where as some are charged. Personally, I have always said I would not pay for a site that does not let me see what I am getting. Twinkl have done exactly that. Everything you can download is available to be seen. If it is a premium download, it tells you straight away. No signing up, confirming details, finding your resource again only to find you have to pay! There are 2 levels of paid service - £24.99 per year for the Gold level and £39.99 for the full Platinum level. Depending on your needs and the resources required, depends on the level you would choose.

The site is easy to navigate and has a wide range of topics that covers most of a child's primary education. Whether you are looking at Romans with Year 4 or The Gruffalo in EYFS, I'm sure Twinkl will have something for you to use.

The site isn't just about resources though. As a parent, I want to be able to support my child at home as much as possible. Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I'm an expert in raising my own child. Twinkl also has an area for parents to browse on each of the topics that they have. I have found this to be really valuable to help keep my child occupied on something that is relevant to their current learning as well as helping to start discussions to help build on the topics they are covering in the classroom. I'm getting better responses to the question, "What are you doing at school at the moment then?" (Which is normally met with a "Nothing much." response!).

As a teacher and a parent, sometimes I'm asked questions that I have no idea what the answer is. I can Google it, but again, sometimes there is just too much information for me to find out what is actually relevant. A popular area of the site is the forums which is a great place to ask such a question and know that you will be replied quickly with an appropriate answer. Broken down into subject areas, stage area and area, it is easy enough to find the right area for your question and, like other forums on line, it is easy to keep track of your post or browse other posts to see if you are able to help someone else out!

Overall, Twinkl is a site worth checking out. It has saved me time and given me some great ideas to use in my classroom and at home and hopefully you too, will find it a useful resource.

If you are looking to gain access to the site for your own school, the great news is that Twinkl are currently offering a free trial of the service! They also offer great discounts for multiple users, just as you would get in a school!