During the COVID-19 pandemic many children have found themselves having to study at home, but is this a bad thing? Professor Jonathan Rix explores...

How is the global pandemic shaping teaching and learning? Dr Liz Chamberlain, a Senior Lecturer in Education Studies, explores what 'lessons' are being learned...

Do you have a professional or personal interest in the mental health issues affecting young children? Are you working with children or are you a parent or carer? This free course, Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, is designed to give insight into the factors that are contributing to our youngest citizens’ poor mental health; ...

Supporting children’s development is an introductory course for anyone who is interested in children’s development, especially support staff in schools, such as teaching assistants. It builds on your knowledge and skills to develop a deeper understanding of children from the early years to school leavers. You will be introduced to some core ...

‘Children don’t see colour’ is a phrase we often hear when discussing race – but is this true? Mel Green explores how children conceptualise the idea of race and respond to it.

Starting school for the first time is a significant time in a child’s life and has a long term impact on both their later school achievement and their wellbeing. EdD student Vicky Preece explains how researching the experience of children starting school in England has highlighted ways in which this transition could go as smoothly as possible so...

It is widely recognised that supporting children to become capable and engaged readers plays an important role in their future success. Reading empowers; it facilitates education and employment, and it enriches one’s personal life and growth. Learning to read is therefore a key goal of primary or elementary education, and high-quality literacy ...

Many people have fond memories of the stories they encountered in childhood, perhaps especially of those wonderful picture books and illustrated tales which fired our young imaginations and transported us to magical worlds. To an adult’s eye, some picture books may seem remarkably simple, even oversimplified. However, in this free course, ...

As adults we sometimes struggle to justify our feelings about particular books, but children are quite clear about what they like and don't like. It is possible to get children to discuss why they liked or did not like particular books and to encourage them to think more deeply about the books they've read. This free course, Encouraging book ...

What are the barriers and motivations for shared reading in families? What's the importance of building reciprocal and interactive reading communities? These videos explore

In this article, Professor Teresa Cremin considers the long term aim of developing readers for life and challenges us to consider effective strategies and practices to genuinely achieve this.

Teresa Cremin, Professor of Literacy in Education at The Open University explores whether we offer young writers enough opportunities for ‘writing from the heart’

This free course, Attachment in the early years, covers theory and research in the area of attachment in early childhood. In the 1950s, John Bowlby was the first person to develop a theory about the significance of early attachments between caregivers and very young children. His work has stimulated a massive and very productive field of ...

This free course, Play, learning and the brain, examines the area of brain-based learning, with a particular focus on the development of the young child's brain, and is of particular relevance to those who work with young children. We begin by looking at the structure and functions of the brain, and the impact that sensory deprivation can have ...

Learn about autism, one of the most challenging long-term conditions of the century. This free course, Understanding autism, introduces the autism spectrum, how it is experienced by individuals and families, and why it has become a global concern. The course explains how understanding of the autism spectrum and approaches to diagnosis and care ...

In this free course, Children's perspectives on play, you are asked to put yourself in the place of young children and to think about their view of play and their reasons for playing. When children have personal freedom to choose and make decisions about what and who they want to play with, as well as where they want to play, they are highly ...

Dr Victoria Cooper from the Children's Research Centre discusses enabling participation by children and young people.

Are you an educator, someone working with children or with adult students, who hopes to use the Black History Month resources to make your teaching practice more inclusive for pupils and students from a black or minority ethnic background? Here are some quick tips from Anita Naoko Pilgrim on how you might approach that work.

Photography is one way of listening to children’s voices and discovering their multifaceted lives. EdD student Karen Horsley describes her research on the stories and experiences of young children whose families have migrated to the UK made visible through documentary photography.

Learn about the concepts and skills required to learn languages successfully. This free course, How to learn a language, introduces the skills and strategies for language learning, setting realistic goals when learning languages and keeping motivated, practise speaking skills and vocabulary learning strategies. It will enable you to evaluate ...

'Why don't migrants learn English if they want to live here?' is one of those sentiments you'll have come across a lot if you've spent much time on Twitter. Maybe it's even flittered across your own mind from time to time. But, as Dr Ingrid Piller explains, just learning a language isn't as simple as that.

Photography is one way of listening to children’s voices and discovering their multifaceted lives. EdD student Karen Horsley describes her research on the stories and experiences of young children whose families have migrated to the UK made visible through documentary photography.