Home Schooling Resources for Shelter in Place 2020
- Anna
- Mar 20, 2020
- 7 min read
Updated: May 4, 2020
I've been collecting links to all kinds of websites, spreadsheets, and organizations that have made their sites accessible during this crazy time.This will be continually updated. If you're like me, trying to work, and structure the learning (and sleeping, eating, and health) of multiple kids of multiple ages at home, this is proving to be a daunting task. In the coming days, I will also be posting resources for parents as well. Stay safe everyone! (You may have to cut and paste the links below into your browser).
After being inundated these last few days with so many ideas for how to fill the time, I’ve also been cherishing the unplanned teachable moments when the kids and I are cooking, cleaning, washing, and chatting together. We have slowed down and are pulling out puzzles, finger knitting blankets, and have even picked up a project we started in the fall, making a soccer goal. We've also committed to being outside everyday between 4-6, which provides more structure to the day, no matter the weather. To me, these times are more valuable than any other. I am so lucky that I am able to be at home with them during this time. We are fortunate to have fresh air, open space around us, and a comfortable place to call home.
But before we get started, take your kids to Disneyland!
We've been working together on New York Times brainteasers almost everyday for some time now. They're almost free, and are great ways to connect with my kids throughout the day. They're great for adults too :)
General
From my 4th grader's teachers
Khan Academy Suggested Schedule for continuing or starting online learning with Khan
Resources from homeschooling mama Christy Megill
Resources from homeschooling mama Gina @Oaxacanborn, especially good for art, foreign language learning, geography, and making printable tools
Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8 www.scootpad.com
Videos about 7,000 specific academic topics from physics to calculus and more
The Smithsonian Institute has put together thousands of links for online learning & games in many subject areas divided by age and subject, in addition to https://www.si.edu/kids
For example, For Kids 11+ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZzL5DxURwtelOKbJ8jBt74fSbFpXiLMtrl5fvrt4r5M/edit#gid=942645106
Another example, Science for k-12
They’ve also opened their image archive https://www.si.edu/openaccess
Art
A compilation of fine art resources to engage with at home from @MrsVelasquezArt
Tour the world's most famous museums!
A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art
Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems
Rachelle Doorley's amazing online art space with ideas for all ages
Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc. www.allkidsnetwork.com
Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities www.highlightskids.com
Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations www. artsology.com
Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design www.kidsthinkdesign.org
Music
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC has 2 great resources for families that have just been announced!
Pop-up Classroom 10am ET daily. Topics: puppetry, song writing, paper weaving, dance
Concerts for Kids-- coming soon!
Music is for everyone musical.chromeexperiments.com/experiments
Poetry and music
Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. www.musictheory.net
Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. www.sightreadingfactory.com
Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. virtualmusicalinstruments.com
Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free prodigiesmusic.com
QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources
Theather
Plan a stop on Broadway where 15 show are available to watch for free!
Social Emotional Learning, Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, Gardening
Virtual Calming Room from Corona Norco Unified School Districts filled with exercise, drawing, sound machines, meditations, yoga, etc.
Mindful School is offering free online classes to kids using Zoom
Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts gonoodle.com
Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout
Guide to gardening for kids web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden
Science
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has created an online science center called Ology, in addition to their online platform , full of so much great info
Explore our nation’s most precious resources, our national parks, on Google Earth
Science Lesson Plans from the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Exploratorium has made online learning real with lessons all about viruses, and so much more https://www.exploratorium.edu/learn
California State Parks will provide free online learning opportunities starting March 24 from different parks throughout the state on Zoom
Chemistry www.playmadagames.com
Live webcams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games.
Enjoy the tour! kids.sandiegozoo.org
Take a marine biology class through Oceans Initiative
Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover accessmars.withgoogle.com/
Tour the International Space Station https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/suni_iss_tour.html
Hands on Elementary science videos www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified
Alaskan Wildlife cams http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.webcams / .
This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals climatekids.nasa.org
NASA. has put together STEM projects for students in grades k-4
Cornell's Lab of Ornithology has many online resources for kids (and adults) in their Bird Academy! and so much more.
From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather. www.weatherwizkids.com
Science and math labs and simulations phet.colorado.edu
Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology sepuplhs.org
National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text.
Learn all about earthquakes from the USGS
earthquake.usgs.gov.learn/kids/
Learn all about the periodic table www.chemicool.com
Farmer's almanac for kids... Date, weather, moon phase, etc.
The Cincinnati Zoo is offering a Facebook Live Safari at 3pm ET each day which includes a visit with a zoo animal and an activity to work on at home. Livestreams are recorded for future use. http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/
Biology
Biology www.biologysimulations.com
Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth. With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard
Learn all about cells https://www.cellsalive.co
Language Arts
Authors are providing read alouds or other interactive ways to get involved with their books, for all ages
Palo Alto City Library
A most amazing resource of online and/or interactive reading materials
New York Public Library available for all New York State residents
New York Times daily writing prompts
Audible has just released hundreds of audiobooks for free for kids of all ages
Scholastic's Learning at Home Free resources for k-12 students
Favorite kids books read by celebrities
Time for Kids is offering its digital libraries free for the rest of the school year. Guardians must enroll for their kiddos
The big list of children's book authors doing virtual activities for kids young and old
Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. www.commonlit.org
Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/
Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial
Online curriculum that builds better writers. www.noredink.com
Phonics and learning to read www.readingeggs.com
ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12. www.readworks.org
Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students
Spelling & Grammar
Spelling 1-4 grade www.spellingtraining.com/
Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90 www.spellingcity.com/
Work on the 8 parts of speech https://www.grammaropolis.com/
Grammar practice for middle grades
Social Science
University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology Collection is all online (one of our very favorite places to visit and learn about Canada’s First Peoples)
This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life
Selma Online teaches students about the relationship between civil rights, democracy, and voting. https://www.selmaonline.org/introduction
Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults
Digital archive of history www.bunkhistory.org
35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. www.countryreports.org
This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/a-what-are-branches
An interactive way to learn history https://www.mission-us.org
Math
Beast Academy has made their online curriculum free for 1 month
Real world math problems for grades 7
Stanford Professor Jo Boaler's open-ended math tasks , sorted by grade level and topic
Math guru Greg Tang has hundreds of problems available and free to all
A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials. www.learnconcord.org/
Math as a fun part of your daily family routine
www.bedtimemath.org/
Elem Math through 6th grade boddlelearning.com/
Educational games K-12 www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
Geometry www.canfigureit.com/
K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. www.dreambox.com/at-home/
Algebra games for kids www.dragonboxapp.com/
Math and logic problems for age 5- adult
Common Core
Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities https://artofproblemsolving.com/alcumus/
K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students
Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun. www.numberphile.com/
Math games
Coding & Engineering
3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet
Engineering challenges with things you have at home
Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning www.scratch.mit.edu/
Code.org has online instructional projects for kids at home , all free
Foreign Languages
Research based programs in every language duolingo.com/
Resources for Spanish practice
Chinese learning activities
www.chalkacademy.com/
Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German,
Portuguese, Korean, and Latin. www.conjugemos.com/
Music Based Spanish Learning www.rockalingua.com/
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