Introduction
Introduction
Embedded Files
Supporting elementary students and their families while learning remotely can be tricky and difficult to navigate. We want to make sure that we are providing enough support to help students and families but do not want to overwhelm them with assignments, tasks that require a ton of parent support, or that take up too much time. We also want to make sure that the tasks and activities we are asking students/families to complete have a purpose.
Best Practices
Best Practices
Virtual Library
Create a Read Aloud library for your students that they can listen to with their families or as an independent task.
Utilize Choice Boards
Create interactive choice boards to help students continue to practice their early literacy and math skills.
Resources
Resources
Feel free to use any of these resources to help your school/district. Each template, document, or presentation you find below can be copied and used for your own purposes with original credit attributed:
Consistent Schedule/Expectations
Consistent Schedule/Expectations
Check out these awesome examples used by elementary teachers from Mason City Schools. These schedules were shared with students and parents/guardians every week.
Teacher Training
Teacher Training
Check out the free training we offer to prepare your staff for distance learning:
Low Tech Tips
Low Tech Tips
Create a "flat" version of yourself (like Flat Stanley) and mail it out to your students! They can share all of their adventures with you by having their parents/guardians send in pictures!
Give students a design challenge or a passion project to work on. They can document their project and findings using something like Flipgrid, Book Creator, or by just using pencil and paper!
Things to Consider
Things to Consider
Device Access
Device Access
Do the assignments/tasks you created require that students have access to a device and to the internet? What sorts of activities and support are you providing to students who may not have access?
Task Purpose
Task Purpose
Remember to give the tasks you are assigning and the video chats you are scheduling purpose. Having a once per week check in to see how your students are doing is a great idea, but if you are scheduling other video chats make sure they have some academic purpose.
Want to play a bingo game with your students? Great! Structure the game so that they have to apply the knowledge they have learned from the most recent unit.
Independent Tasks
Independent Tasks
Elementary students may require a lot more parent support when it comes to completing school work (high tech or low tech) so make sure you are giving them work that they can do on their own, too.
Bright Spots
Bright Spots
Mrs. Knueven of Madeira Elementary created a "Virtual Read Aloud Library" in Google Slides....click any of the titles to hear a read-aloud of the book. Such a creative idea!
PreK teachers at Sayler Park School in Cincinnati, OH created their own YouTube channels and posted read-aloud videos for their students and families to enjoy.
Elementary staff from Three Rivers School District take turns recording themselves reading their favorite picture books. They created a Read Aloud Library of teacher read alouds, aiming to reach students that might not have access to ample reading materials at home.
Mrs. McKinley, the music teacher at Salem Township Elementary, hosts "BINGO night" with her students and the BINGO cards are always content-related. Here is one of her "Musical Mayhem" examples. What a fun idea!!
Kyla Hucker, a second grade teacher at Amelia Elementary, uses Schoology to create a Slide deck for instruction where her students can follow along with the lesson for the week and then students record a Flipgrid to show what they have learned.
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