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Everyone is in a different place for teaching/supporting their children at home. Some are working, some have multiple children of various ages, some are thinking "all they want to do is play video games and watch TV." Know that EVERYONE is doing the best they can in this situation. I am going to post some things I find for various age groups below with links. If you have specific requests please email me at ranell.cox@aps.edu and I will look into it or reach out to a colleague for more info.
PE. So run outside, ride a bike, throw a ball, create a new game, practice some yoga, play basketball. Doing something active for all ages is great for everyone. Cosmic Kids Yoga is on YouTube and a great resource for younger kids, I used it in the library one day and some middle schoolers enjoyed it but you know your child best.
Open Source Materials from California (Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies)
This is great if you prefer more of a textbook-like approach.
*Also, can be found in several languages.
Browse by topic and the website will then lead you to articles, information, videos, are more about that topic.
Reading
Audio Books: Listen to someone else read:
Audible has some free books right now for children under the age of 18. This is an app that can be downloaded.
Libby/Overdrive: Free app and free use with a public library card. You do need to know your library card number/pin. Once downloaded you have access to 1,000's of free ebooks and audiobooks that can be read in the app or on a Kindle
Epic!: Some younger kids have access to this through their classes.
YouTube: For younger children search for read alouds or for a specific picture book. Many picture books are posted on YouTube although some readers are better than others. This is a great way to have access to books you might not have at home. (Some of our favorite picture books are The Day the Crayons Quit, The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, The Cool Bean, anything written by Mo Willems, We Don't Eat Our Classmates, and so many more.)
Read-to -Self: Simply read quietly for a set amount of time. It is good if you can model reading at the same time but I also understand if it is your one moment to get something else done. For little ones and reluctant readers, reading stamina has to be built up. What this means, is that you might have to start at five minutes and keep building up minute-by-minute each day.
When finished you can ask questions: How is the book? What is it about? Are you liking it? Why or why not? It is also great with older children to learn how to abandon a book they are not enjoying. If this happens frequently, try a new genre, a comic book, or move to an audio book. They can also draw the characters or something happening in the story. Paint, collage, or simply just read for that day.
If you are the personality type that needs very specific plans and resources there are plans and tons of resources on this website (ALSO the answers):
The link takes you to a 7th grade reading comprehension example. Look on the left hand side for more passages and links.
I think reading for pleasure and finding a love for reading are important as well. So it shouldn't always be assignment based.
Read with a Buddy/Stuffed Animal/Parent/Sibling/Pet/Imaginary Friend (you get the point): Simply reading with someone else or to a younger sibling helps foster that reading but also builds connections.
NY Times "What's Going on with this Picture?" Weekly pictures are uploaded. This is a great idea for writing and inferencing.
https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-whats-going-on-in-this-picture
Writing: I feel like students can always write more.
Journaling everyday, every few days, or once a week might be a good way to start.
Write a creative story. Look into a topic and write about it. Again, this can be a simple as taking some time to just write or as complicated as you want it to be.
Comic Strip/Manga Writing: Write a comic or manga. Use the link below for more info.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/comic-creator-30021.html
Genre Writing: Write a story specific to their favorite genre (fantasy, adventure, mystery, horror...).
Picture Writing: Gather magazines, advertisements, find an image online and write a story to go with that image. You can also collect images of clothes/people to develop characters.
Song Writing: Write a song or your own version of a song you love. You can also print your favorite song and read the lyrics.
Pass a Story: Sit at a table and everyone gets a piece of paper. Each person starts a story on their paper with one or two sentences. Then you pass it to the person on your right. You read what that person wrote and continue that story for one to two sentences. Pass again. These can be super fun. For younger kiddos you can play this by saying the story out loud and taking turns.
Pen Pal: Write to someone, your child's teacher, a friend, family member, someone in the community. Thank a nurse, send a card, letter, picture to someone as a thank you. Lots of ideas with this one.
Report: Have them look into something they are interested in or something you choose: such as a person, country, video game, you get the point. Have them gather information and write about it.
Little ones: Have them draw a picture and sound out the best they can. Remember having them sound out words helps build letter-knowledge.
Graphic Organizers: Helps to generate ideas, work on comprehension, and other skills. Some used for before, during or after writing. Link below for which ones can be used and how. You can also print them or have your child draw one.
Social Studies
Revolutionary War YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHeaIWvdbER3Ic90BzhPsH2aJ5KI3UtmM
Youtube: Search for virtual field trip and find yourself somewhere new.
Art
Younger Kids: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmzjCPQv3y8
Youtube: How to Draw Videos are awesome
https://www.artforkidshub.com/
Math
Coding:
For the dreaded math fact practice: Sign up and easily create accounts for each child in your family. This has access to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. It is very basic but will continue to keep track of where your child is and will have them practice the facts they need to. A little dry but super easy for parents. https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
Worksheets: Kindergarten through 8th grade. This website lets you choose a grade level and area of math. Then when you click that, you can narrow down by standard. Then you can choose one of the many versions of the worksheet. (This also comes with an answer sheet). :)
Puzzles/Board Games (simply stated): Play one, put one together, or even create your own.
Khan Academy (for most subject areas)
This is just an example of what a lesson in Khan Academy can look like (my kids started this and it has been fun):
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/imagineering-in-a-box
It is set up for grades, subject levels, and more. If you explore the website you will find more resources to help guide your child.
This link is specific to school closures:
Google Sites
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