From conversations with girlfriends I’ve gathered that there are wide-ranging views on whether distance learning is working for your family (or not). For some of us the materials we’ve been given are working out great, for others they are not the right fit for our child(ren)’s educational, social, and emotional needs. Education has never been a one size fits all formula. As parents we know our children best and we just want to do the best we can for our children.
As the proverb goes, start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. In that vein, if you are looking for ways to supplement at home learning for your kids from now until the end of the school year (and possibly) beyond — I’ve compiled a list of some favorite and top-rated programs that you’ll want to check out.
Core Subjects
: : Khan Academy. // My personal opinion is that Khan Academy is the gold standard for supplementing your child’s at-home learning curriculum. It is completely free for all grade levels and the curriculum extends to advanced courses like Geometry and Algebra II for your older kids. The programs are personalized to allow children to grow at their own pace and demands mastery before your child can move on to advanced concepts. The videos are terrific and I’d encourage you to check out their daily schedule recommendations for guidance.
: : Revolution Math. // For younger kids, Revolution Math is an engaging and fun interactive online class with a live instructor. You can start your first month for only $1 using code LUNCH1.
: : Super Teacher Worksheets. // Super Teacher Worksheets has printable teaching resources for elementary school kids in the core subject areas: math, reading, writing. phonics, grammar, and spelling. They are currently offering free, unlimited access via a temporary, shared account. Users can access the entire site for free through June 30. Log in with username: temporaryaccess password: stayhealthy
STEM
: : NASA Kids’ Club. // Pre-K through fourth grade learn about NASA space missions and gain access to a variety of STEM activities. There’s also a “Now in Space” slideshow that introduces kids to the crew currently orbiting Earth on the International Space Station.
: : Science Buddies. // Science Buddies is a STEM education non-profit that is free to everyone. They are adding daily to their library of STEM activities with experiments that can be done with things already around the house.
: : Exploratorium. // Exploratorium is a free online resource that teaches students about science. I found the videos on viruses especially fascinating and helpful in understanding more about the coronavirus.
Coding
: : Code.org. // Code.org provides free computer science lessons for kids k-12. There are also lessons on coding that can be done entirely from smartphones.
: : Scratch. // I can’t decide if Scratch is for kids who are into coding or kids or who are more into expressing themselves creatively through drawing and music (or both) but I can’t wait for my kids to dive into this. It’s a really cool way for kids to create music and art projects and share them online. It is a free platform put out by MIT for kids ages 8-16.
Art
: : Book Creator. // Kids can write and illustrate their own books using Book Creator’s free three month tutorial.
: : Lunch Doodles. // Mo Willems is the Kennedy Center’s artist-in-residence. You can access the archive of free art classes for kids here.
Story Time
: : Audible. // Audible is offering free audiobooks for kids during school closures.
Music
: : 30 Day Singer. // 30 Day Singer is offering free beginning voice lessons on their website. If your child hasn’t had a chance to explore singing as a hobby now is the time!
: : Fender Guitars. // Fender Guitars is offering 3 months of free online guitar, bass and ukulele lessons to the first 500,000 people who sign up. You can access the sign up here.
Cooking
: : Delish. // Delish offers free online cooking classes for kids weekdays at 1pm. You can catch up on any missed classes for up to 24 hours on their Instagram stories.
: : Raddish Kids. // Raddish is a for-kids cooking subscription service that is offering a free at-home camp curriculum. Past episodes of their cook-along classes are right here.
Typing
: : TypingClub.com. // Kids age 7 and up can hone their typing skills with free games and activities at TypingClub.com.
Language
: : Duolingo. // I’ve used duolingo myself to brush up on my rusty Spanish language skills. It’s a free program that kids and parents alike will enjoy during quarantine to keep your minds and language skills sharp. Especially helpful for any kids who will be taking placement tests in the coming months.
: : Fabulingua. // FabuLingua teaches Spanish through interactive stories on mobile phones and tablets. Their method is to introduce the new language in a way that subconsciously develops the child’s ear. It is normally a subscription service but they are offering their entire platform for free while schools are closed. You can download the app to your phone or click here.
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These are great ideas! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them, Colleen!