Remote Learning Resources for Kindergartners
There's no dearth of helpful lists and pointers online, so this post is more me just cataloging what has worked for us. Some resources are likely specific to the situation in NYC, but most should be broadly applicable, in case others find it useful.
There's no dearth of helpful lists and pointers online, so this post is more me just cataloging what has worked for us. Some resources are likely specific to the situation in NYC, but most should be broadly applicable, in case others find it useful.
? General
- Wide Open School: A Common Sense Media initiative, Wide Open School has been a fantastic resource, especially their daily schedules!
- Khan Academy Kids: If you need to plop your kids in front of the screen and haven't been able to think about content options, Khan Academy Kids is a wonderful no-brainer option.
- Google Classroom: Like so many Google products, the Classroom offering is good, but not great. So much potential but fraught with bugs, usability issues. Most families are using it because that's what their schools have decided. Deserves a whole post of it's own!
? Reading
- Raz Kids (aka Kids A-Z): aimed at educators / schools. Limited reading options, primarily focused on leveled books with reading comprehension. Kids collect "stars" as they read which they can redeem to build up their virtual avatar and other collectibles. If it was not mandated by the school, we'd probably not be using it.
- Epic!: More than 40,000 books, including several originals. Kids can filter by themes (e.g. "Superheroes"), or choose leveled books. There are audiobooks and videos as well, though we haven't used either (yet). Many books also have a "read to me" mode, which admittedly can be a lot of fun, especially for graphic novels (there are sound effects!). No reading comprehension exercises though.
? Math
- Zearn: Another offering aimed at educators. Kids can do daily lessons and teachers can track progress. Helpful videos and printable work sheets available for each lesson. Not particularly challenging, but definitely fun and engaging.
- Khan Academy: an incredible resource. I had the privilege of hearing Sal in person once – so inspiring! – and his inspiring spirit continues to flow through everything this organization does. Please consider donating!
?Science
- Mystery Science: $50/yr subscription, though they've now shared a starter list of K-5 lessons that's free! Membership also seems to be free until June, 2020.
- (yes I know there are many virtual field trips, animal cams and such, but none of them have particularly worked for our family)
? Art
- #DrawTogether with Wendy Mac: every school day at 10am PST, you can do a 30min drawing class with the charming and funny Wendy MacNaughton! Great family activity too!!
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: ran for 3 weeks, 15 episodes in total.
??Movement
- Go Noodle: a lot of schools use Go Noodle videos for movement breaks, so quite likely your child already knows it. They have an app too (iOS only) that has "games", though I personally like their videos better.
- Cosmic Kids: Jaime is a hit with our son, and AFAICT, pretty much every kid who comes across their videos! A lot of schools also do Cosmic Kids Yoga, so your kiddo might be familiar with it even if you're not.
I'll continue to update this post as we uncover more resources. It's not easy to suddenly be home schooling a kindergartner (even with remote learning support from schools), especially if both parents are working. Hang in there, and try to make the best of it!