Guidance: Look for opportunities to make reading a part of each day. Read a variety of books to your child and pause to let him/her read sight words. Point to the words as you are reading, so your child can follow along. Enjoy looking at the pictures and noticing any details that are not included in the written text.

After reading, ask the student to retell the story, including the characters, the setting, and sequence of events. Discuss any of the following: What was your favorite part? Why? Predict what might happen next. For nonfiction texts, retell using the main idea (what the information was all about) and key details (2-3 facts). Work with the child to notice the different text features (table of contents, labels, bold words, glossary).

To help provide access to books, consider using EPIC! Books. This website/app has just about every book you could imagine! Prek students love to use this app to learn about nonfiction topics. There is a "read to me" section of books as well as videos that students can watch, listen and learn from, and more! Parents should look for an email from their teacher with information about accessing EPIC! Books at home.

Parents and students can also work to create their own fluency box. To encourage independent reading, your child can choose 3-5 books to read each day for at least 15 minutes. Many times students will say that they are unable to read a book. Remind your child that he/she can retell the story using the pictures or use the pictures to tell a story of his/her own.

PebbleGo is another great resource to provide access to information about nonfiction topics. Students are used to using this resource in the classroom to support learning. The website has a “read to me” function which can be helpful for students. Look for an email from your teacher with username and password information to access this site.

Guidance: Enjoy writing with your child. Try writing books together! You can help write words, draw, and decide what the book will be about. Get creative and explore writing using whatever materials you have at home--create blank books with white or colored paper, markers, crayons, pencils, etc.

Remind your child to start a sentence with an uppercase letter, use a "fingerspace" between words, and work to add punctuation. Discuss what kind of punctuation you could use to grab the reader’s attention.

After writing, consider having a book celebration by having your child share the book with your family. Share compliments and what you liked best about the book. The celebration could be extended by sharing the book virtually with family and friends!

With your child, consider exploring websites of mentor authors such as Mo Willems (Pigeon books), James Dean (Pete the Cat), Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar).

Guidance: Let’s get counting! Count snacks, toys, food...compare who has more or less and how many more or less. How many will you have if you add one more or take one away? Encourage students to write the number of objects that they count. Consider creating a guessing game for how many items are in a jar. Ask students to make an estimate, then organize the count by making groups of 10. Your child can work to record what they find on paper.

Students can engage in mathematical thinking through songs and games! Consider listening to the Jack Hartmann YouTube Channel for songs about numbers. Additionally, board games that ask students to count or card games such as War are great ways to engage students in mathematics while having fun playing a game!

Encourage your student to solve story problems. Parents can tell the student a story problem and have them solve it. For example: We have 2 cats and 3 dogs. How many pets do we have? Students can also help create their own story problems to solve with a parent or sibling. Above all, work to make math fun!

Guidance: Science is all around us! Get outside and explore the world. While on a walk, consider taking a notebook and bag to collect information about the nature you observe. Have your child share noticings and wonderings of things they see, hear, or smell. Encourage your children to ask questions: Why is the grass turning green? Why do we hear birds? What do we smell? Explore the answer to your questions using kid friendly websites such as KidRex or PebbleGo.

Build! Be engineers! Give your child a challenge and have them build it out of different items you have at your house: Legos, popsicle sticks, Lincoln Logs, toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, cups, etc. Challenge your student to build one of the following:

• Bridge (How many items can your bridge hold?)

• Tree

• Ramp (How fast can your car go?)

• House

• Tower (How high can you make your tower before it falls over?)

Scientists are constantly asking questions and finding out answers to these questions by doing research or conducting experiments. Use the following resources for more ideas and ways to help students create and think like a scientist.

Guidance: Consider using the following cards and exercise video to get your kids moving at home. Anything can be modified to work in your home. Encourage 30-60 minutes of movement each day.

Guidance: Look for opportunities to help your child explore their world using art. This might mean slowing down and using observation to look at the things in or around your home. Perhaps students have a time set aside to capture the likeness of an object using paper and pencil or even play-doh. Engage your child by asking them to point out the things they notice as they draw or sculpt, and help them think critically by asking them about the choices they make as they create their art. You might even take this idea and apply it to online resources such as the Decorah Eagles Cam found below.

Observation is a skill that can be applied to looking at artwork as well. There are many museums that have virtual components and online galleries, which can be found on the Google Arts and Culture website and app. You could search for a museum such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the National Gallery, or you could search for a specific artist or medium. While there are links that provide information for you to learn more about the artwork, you don’t have to be an art history expert to talk to your student about art. Find an artwork that interests you and take turns sharing your observations about the art and talk about the message that the artist might be sharing with us through their art

Guidance: This time in our lives can be stressful, we understand! Try to model happiness and a positive attitude as much as you can. As a family, participate in stress-reducing activities like exercising, coloring, playing games, and listening to music. Encourage children to spend some time with your family and alone each day. Alone time can look like reading or listening to music in a quiet spot or taking a rest. Alone time and mindfulness can help all of us cope with our unusual circumstances.

The resources below are optional ideas that could be supportive to your family that mirror what students are used to experiencing from a guidance lesson at school.

Notice: The purpose of this website is to provide parents and students with optional resources that could be used during the current school closure due to COVID-19. Students are not required to use the resources and information found on this site. Information and resources on this site do not constitue "educational services & opportunities" being provided by the ADM Community School District. Please use the following link for more information about why ADM is not providing distance learning educational services and opportunities: ADM COVID-19 FAQ