Possible Learning Activities At Home
I hope everyone is keeping well, both physically and mentally. Here are some of the resources I compiled in March 2019 when schools were closed due to COVID-19. You can use any of these sites for home learning at any time.
To best support your child's academic progress, the only things I truly need you to do with your child is
1 - READ daily
2 - Write something, a letter, a story, anything
3 - Practice multiplication, division and subtraction basic facts
4 - Allow your child to explore and learn new things at home
Find below some website and ideas that you can use to enrich your child's experience at home. Please feel free to reach out to me via email at any time.
To best support your child's academic progress, the only things I truly need you to do with your child is
1 - READ daily
2 - Write something, a letter, a story, anything
3 - Practice multiplication, division and subtraction basic facts
4 - Allow your child to explore and learn new things at home
Find below some website and ideas that you can use to enrich your child's experience at home. Please feel free to reach out to me via email at any time.
Mental Wellbeing is Key
Please DON'T DO ANYTHING if it causes frustration, tears or worry.
Please create a routine for your kids. Tap into their interests, get them to explore and build skills to be life-long learners. Anything I am suggesting below or in our weekly emails, is to help you keep your brain and body active. If it isn't working for your kid, change it. Everyone's learning will look different.
Finding ways to deal with the anxiety is important. This year we did some mindful breathing in class. This is the website/app we used (Calm). It is a paid subscription but here are their free offerings right now.
Please create a routine for your kids. Tap into their interests, get them to explore and build skills to be life-long learners. Anything I am suggesting below or in our weekly emails, is to help you keep your brain and body active. If it isn't working for your kid, change it. Everyone's learning will look different.
Finding ways to deal with the anxiety is important. This year we did some mindful breathing in class. This is the website/app we used (Calm). It is a paid subscription but here are their free offerings right now.
OFFLINE ACTIVITIES
Reading and Writing Offline
If you don't have enough reading material for your kids at your home, please contact me. My email is [email protected].
For other 'real-life reading', have your child text family members and read the texts. It exposes them to words and having them respond will get them to practice spelling words. This suggestion works best if they text in full word form.
For writing, get them to write a journal. They could draw pictures of each day and then write some sentences about what they did. This is most powerful if they do it each day.
They could do a gratitude journal too, or create a gratitude jar with scraps of paper saying one thing they are grateful for, added each day. This will help students to build resilience and maintain their mental health.
They could also write me letters and I will write them back. If you contact me, I will send you my address. I am also willing to come pick up letters out of mailboxes too.
For other 'real-life reading', have your child text family members and read the texts. It exposes them to words and having them respond will get them to practice spelling words. This suggestion works best if they text in full word form.
For writing, get them to write a journal. They could draw pictures of each day and then write some sentences about what they did. This is most powerful if they do it each day.
They could do a gratitude journal too, or create a gratitude jar with scraps of paper saying one thing they are grateful for, added each day. This will help students to build resilience and maintain their mental health.
They could also write me letters and I will write them back. If you contact me, I will send you my address. I am also willing to come pick up letters out of mailboxes too.
Math Offline
This is a hard activity for parents and students and I suggest doing real life math.
Bake! Measuring uses fractions. Practice doubling recipes and figure out how many 1/4 cups you will need in a doubled recipe.
Play Cribbage or Backgammon or any other board game that involves math. Cribbage is great because it requires a lot of counting.
If you can, pick up some dice and cards. I will send a series of dice/card games to help your child practice basic math soon. If you don't have these items at home, I do have extras at mine and I'm willing to drop some off.
Bake! Measuring uses fractions. Practice doubling recipes and figure out how many 1/4 cups you will need in a doubled recipe.
Play Cribbage or Backgammon or any other board game that involves math. Cribbage is great because it requires a lot of counting.
If you can, pick up some dice and cards. I will send a series of dice/card games to help your child practice basic math soon. If you don't have these items at home, I do have extras at mine and I'm willing to drop some off.
Science and Social Studies
Build a nature journal. We practiced drawing diagrams when Mr. Hill presented his Fossils talk to our class. Students can go find thing outside, draw them and then write about what it is, where they found it, etc.
Write down family stories. Our class was to do an interviewing project this year where they were to find and share a family story. Tell your kids about your childhood, get your kids to call their grandparents, great uncles, neighbours and ask them stories. You help older people stay connected and we then have records of family and community stories.
Let them explore outside. Teach them to saw, to hammer, to tie knots, build an outdoor shelter. This is an excellent time for them to learn outdoor skills.
Teach them to cook, to do laundry. If you have seeds, build a garden. Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce all grow quickly and can be planted multiple times. I have gardening books you can borrow too.
Write down family stories. Our class was to do an interviewing project this year where they were to find and share a family story. Tell your kids about your childhood, get your kids to call their grandparents, great uncles, neighbours and ask them stories. You help older people stay connected and we then have records of family and community stories.
Let them explore outside. Teach them to saw, to hammer, to tie knots, build an outdoor shelter. This is an excellent time for them to learn outdoor skills.
Teach them to cook, to do laundry. If you have seeds, build a garden. Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce all grow quickly and can be planted multiple times. I have gardening books you can borrow too.
ONLINE ACTIVITIES
General Websites
Our class has done GoNoodle as brain breaks in the past - this will get your kids active. There are also mindfulness videos, if your child is feeling worried. https://www.gonoodle.com/
Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
The United States' Public Broadcasting System has learning materials for pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
The United States' Public Broadcasting System has learning materials for pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
Reading Websites
Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/
If your kid is watching Where in the World is Carmen Santiago on Nextflix, here are some stories, lessons and extension videos https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/
Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music/mindful-poetry-moments
Get your chidren reading aloud! As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) Novel Effects make music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/
Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/
Practice printing and cursive with these free packets by Handwriting Without Tears - or just look at how they form the letters and do the work on looseleaf at home.
I have used this website for activities for students in the past. Wonderopolis is organized on "Wonder Questions" and has short videos and readings that answer those questions. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions too. http://wonderopolis.org/
If your child has read the Magic Treehouse Series here are interactive games based on the book series. https://www.magictreehouse.com/
If your kid is watching Where in the World is Carmen Santiago on Nextflix, here are some stories, lessons and extension videos https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/
Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music/mindful-poetry-moments
Get your chidren reading aloud! As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) Novel Effects make music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/
Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/
Practice printing and cursive with these free packets by Handwriting Without Tears - or just look at how they form the letters and do the work on looseleaf at home.
I have used this website for activities for students in the past. Wonderopolis is organized on "Wonder Questions" and has short videos and readings that answer those questions. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions too. http://wonderopolis.org/
If your child has read the Magic Treehouse Series here are interactive games based on the book series. https://www.magictreehouse.com/
Math Websites
Fractions practice http://www.mathchimp.com/freddysfractions.php
We have used this website to help students practice their basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. I have passcodes for your child, if you email me. https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
We have used this website as part of a fun practice for different math skills. They have unlocked the subscriber games and I have usernames and passwords for your child, if you email me. https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
This site is part of a e-newsletter I get and I highly recommend it to build math resilience and interest in your child (and you - nobody is "bad" at math!). It makes math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/
Math games, logic puzzles and other activities our school has used during indoor recess https://www.mathplayground.com/
Math for all elementary grades https://boddlelearning.com/
Search math problem or terms, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer. https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php
Social Studies Websites
This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs. https://www.farmfood360.ca/
#ColorOurCollections has colouring pages based on the items and art pieces in 113 different museums around the world.
Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12 https://www.projectexplorer.org/
Education for kids all topics https://www.ducksters.com
#ColorOurCollections has colouring pages based on the items and art pieces in 113 different museums around the world.
Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12 https://www.projectexplorer.org/
Education for kids all topics https://www.ducksters.com
Science Websites
Our class has watched several Mystery Science videos and they have part of their collections for free for parents at home with children.
3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations
NASA's website of space science for kids https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/
Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover. https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/
This year we will learn about Habitats. Here is National Geographic's site that tells stories of the natural world (animals) and the human world. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
To learn more about different habitats, the Nature Conservancy and Nature Works Everywhere have created three virtual field trips, one to the Deserts and Grasslands of Africa, one about China's Great Forest and the link between pandas and climate and one about The Coral Reefs of Palau
Here are different birds and the sounds they make by AAA State of Play. Good for walks outside.
This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/
Steve Spangler is a great site to engage kids with phenomena that happens in the natural world and has science experiments you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/
3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations
NASA's website of space science for kids https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/
Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover. https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/
This year we will learn about Habitats. Here is National Geographic's site that tells stories of the natural world (animals) and the human world. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
To learn more about different habitats, the Nature Conservancy and Nature Works Everywhere have created three virtual field trips, one to the Deserts and Grasslands of Africa, one about China's Great Forest and the link between pandas and climate and one about The Coral Reefs of Palau
Here are different birds and the sounds they make by AAA State of Play. Good for walks outside.
This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/
Steve Spangler is a great site to engage kids with phenomena that happens in the natural world and has science experiments you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/
Music Websites
Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free https://prodigiesmusic.com/
QuaverMusic has free videos and general music activities https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/
Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/
QuaverMusic has free videos and general music activities https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/
Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/
Art Websites
ARTWe have used Red Ted Art to learn several art projects this year. I love her! https://www.redtedart.com/ and her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/redtedart
Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/
We have done some Art Hub for Kids drawings in the classroom https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub
Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/
We have done some Art Hub for Kids drawings in the classroom https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub
Learning about Outbreaks and Pandemics
Use these websites with caution. Lots of kids in our class are interested in history but all kids are worried, just like we are. I've tried to choose ones that are at an appropriate level for our class, but I recommend you preview them first.
National Public Radio did a comic about What Kids Need to Know about the New Coronavirus.
CBC New Brunswick retrospective on the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak in New Brunswick
PBS Nova ScienceNOW 1918 Flu has a great video explaining how influenza works. It is from the Swine Flu era and has some suspenseful music, but my own kids found it interesting.
A CBC video on the Spanish Influenza in Canada It is interesting, but there is a part about the Manitoba town lifting the quarantine in March 1919 and the flu coming back and killing many people. It might be a part that may cause some concern in two weeks.
This is a student Heritage Fair project about the Spanish Influenza of 1918 from a student named Anna P from PEI. Spanish Flu "killed 50-100 million people. About a third of the world's population was infected. Canada's response to the pandemic was the start of Canada's Department of Health in 1919."
Here are some reading resources for more detailed research.
https://definingmomentscanada.ca/in-the-classroom/spanish-flu/spanish-flu-themes/ - the reading level is high so it would be better as shared reading.
https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/killer-flu - this one is a little easier, but still high.
National Public Radio did a comic about What Kids Need to Know about the New Coronavirus.
CBC New Brunswick retrospective on the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak in New Brunswick
PBS Nova ScienceNOW 1918 Flu has a great video explaining how influenza works. It is from the Swine Flu era and has some suspenseful music, but my own kids found it interesting.
A CBC video on the Spanish Influenza in Canada It is interesting, but there is a part about the Manitoba town lifting the quarantine in March 1919 and the flu coming back and killing many people. It might be a part that may cause some concern in two weeks.
This is a student Heritage Fair project about the Spanish Influenza of 1918 from a student named Anna P from PEI. Spanish Flu "killed 50-100 million people. About a third of the world's population was infected. Canada's response to the pandemic was the start of Canada's Department of Health in 1919."
Here are some reading resources for more detailed research.
https://definingmomentscanada.ca/in-the-classroom/spanish-flu/spanish-flu-themes/ - the reading level is high so it would be better as shared reading.
https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/killer-flu - this one is a little easier, but still high.