Teach Me Too

Teach Me Too became a free national resource in December 2020.

By Johanna Aiyathurai - CEO of 21Together & Teach Me Too

Teach Me Too is a free online video library focusing on education and speech and language skills, specifically designed around the learning profile of children and young people with Down syndrome.

Starting as a Covid-19 inspired learning programme in Kent by local charity 21 Together, Teach Me Too soon sparked global interest for its innovative approach to learning, specifically designed for children with Down syndrome. Thanks to brilliant community fundraising and a dedicated corporate supporter, Quality Compliance System (QCS), Teach Me Too became a free national resource in December 2020. Forty videos make up phase one and two of the programme, focussing on “stage” rather than “age”, which allows them to be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. Each video is supported with additional learning resources so that parents and therapists can understand the techniques used and be introduced to them outside of the sessions. With over eight hours of content, these videos can be watched independently but work best when an adult supports the child or young adult and uses the ideas to continue learning at home or school.

Programme highlights: • Video library of short videos delivered directly to the children. • Each stage has 20 videos between 10-15 minutes • Ten videos are produced and led by Inclusively Down (specialist teachers). • Ten videos are produced and led by Key Communication (specialist speech therapists). • All videos are designed to use the strengths of learning for children with Down syndrome and target key areas of the curriculum.

Teach Me Too cannot replace specialist intervention, but the videos can help plug the gap by delivering key early cognitive and communication skills, even during times of lockdown. We firmly believe that every child, regardless of background, income, or family situation, deserves access to education materials that meet their needs. This is why we tirelessly worked to ensure that it is a tool that is widely available and would benefit the community as a whole. Since its inception, Teach Me Too has continued to grow and currently has over 3,000 registered users consisting of parents, carers, schools, nurseries and other educational settings, both local, national and even international. Every day we receive heart-warming testimonies from those who firmly believe that the resource has been lifechanging for their kids. Our aim is to produce an ever-expanding programme to provide more content and reach more children and young people, and we are currently raising funds to make that happen. www.teachmetoo.org.uk