RESOURCES AND IDEAS FOR LEARNING AT HOME

Whether you are doing learning at home full time, part time, or just temporarily, here are some resources and ideas that can help you find what works for your kid and family. Just as every kid is unique, so is what will work well for them. Hope these give you a place to start and enjoy!

Many thanks to the members of the Seattle Homeschoolers Facebook Group for sharing their ideas and knowledge to help make this list happen.

Feeling overwhelmed and unsure how you are going to do this? Here’s a note about learning at home during the time of quarantine for some encouragement and support.

Have other ideas or resources? Share them here: https://bit.ly/38tnoxa 

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Experiential Learning

At Home

Out and About

Community Resources

Online Resources

Multiple Subjects

Art

Civics

Coding & Computer Science

Early Learning

Economics

Geography

Language Arts

Math

Music

Physical Education

Science & Technology

Social & Ethnic Studies

Typing

World Language

Virtual Field Trips

Multi-Day Challenges / Idea Charts

Scheduling Ideas

Social Emotional (SEL) Resources

Experiential Learning

At Home

Ideas for play-based learning activities and at-home experiments:
https://www.playfullearning.net/free-resources/

Out and About

Community Resources

  • At the Library
    In addition to the books, magazines, CDs and movies available at your local branch, most libraries also have these resources for learning (links are for King County, search your local library for similar resources)


Online Resources

Multiple Subjects

  • BrainPOP - https://www.brainpop.com/
    Highly recommended - K-8 and ELL online resource for learning almost every subject. Courses include videos, games, quizzes, vocab, and related reading.
  • Education.com - https://www.education.com/
    Preschool through 5th grade activities and lessons. Skills based and syncs with standard school year calendar.
  • IXL - https://www.ixl.com/
    Skills-based, adaptive, personalized learning for PreK-12 in math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish.
  • Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/
    Highly recommended - Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. Students practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning. Free.
  • Mystery Doug - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPRCRM3JKm3sw55lB_427qg
    Short (~5min) videos that investigate and explore questions asked by real students.
  • Outschool - https://outschool.com/
    Highly recommended - Live Online Classes for Ages 3-18. Small group video chat classes—created and taught by inspiring teachers. Variable cost starting at $5/class.
  • PBS Learning Media - https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
    Standards aligned videos, interactive lesson plans, and more for just about every subject. Early learning through high school. Free.
  • Teachers Pay Teachers - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
    Over     3 million free and paid resources, created by educators, on the full spectrum of subjects and grade levels. Search for curriculum or activities to do at home.
  • The Great Courses - https://www.thegreatcourses.com/
    Online repository of courses in almost every topic for all ages.

Art

Civics

  • iCivics - https://www.icivics.org/
    Founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor - students     learn how government works by experiencing it. They step into the role of a judge, a member of Congress, a community activist, even the President of the United States - and do the job they do. Students gain civic knowledge and skills through this fun and challenging online platform.

Coding & Computer Science

  • Code.org - https://code.org/
    Online learning platform to teach K-12 students coding and computer science. Used by schools and districts worldwide, with a focus on increasing participation by women and underrepresented youth. Makers of the Hour of Code:     https://hourofcode.com/us
  • Scratch - https://scratch.mit.edu/
    Free, online coding platform developed by MIT Media Lab for children using intuitive drag and drop visual interface that teaches coding basics. Kids can     program their own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share their creations with others in the online community.

Early Learning

  • PBS Kids - https://pbskids.org/
    Great videos and games for preschool through grade 3 from one of the most trusted sources in early learning and fully accessible to all. FREE

Economics

  • The Stock Market Game - https://www.stockmarketgame.org/
    An online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing and personal finance.

Geography

Language Arts

  • Night Zoo Keeper - https://www.nightzookeeper.com/
    O    nline writing tool and library of interactive lessons. Fun, engaging games that increase vocabulary and improve spelling. Puzzles and challenges that develop grammar and structure skills. Inspiring prompts and story creation lessons that spark imaginations.
  • Reading Eggs - https://readingeggs.com/
    Learn to read with online games and activities.
  • Starfall - https://www.starfall.com/
    K-3 reading and educational games platform. Stories, songs, and other activities.
  • Story Pirates - https://www.storypirates.com/
    Podcast of stories by children and story writing inspiration.
  • Storyline Online - https://www.storylineonline.net/
    Videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
  • Teach Your Monster to Read - https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
    Even if you know how to read - you should visit this site. Teach Your Monster to Read is a fun, adventure-based game that teaches phonics and reading along the way. Help your monster rescue a friend from the goblin king as you travel through the galaxy. So fun you will want to learn to read all over again!

Math

  • Beast Academy - https://beastacademy.com/
    Online math and problem solving for ages 8-13. Fun, comic-book style format.
  • Dragonbox - https://dragonbox.com/
    Math apps developed by     educational experts, dedicated teachers, game developers, designers, cognitive scientists, writers and artists who are passionate about creating innovative and engaging game based learning tools.
  • Dreambox - https://www.dreambox.com/ 
    A    daptive, online K-8 math program that is personalized and standards aligned.
  • Global Math Project - http://www.jamestanton.com/
    Join students from around the world on a global math project (Exploding Dots) that is     mathematical story that starts at the very beginning of mathematics, assuming nothing, and swiftly takes you on a “wondrous journey” through grade school arithmetic, high-school polynomials algebra, infinite sums, and advanced mathematics and unsolved research problems baffling mathematicians still to this day. Ages 10+. FREE
  • Prodigy Math - https://www.prodigygame.com/
    E    ngaging, curriculum-aligned math platform for grades 1-8. Game-based, adaptive, and personalized. Free.

Music

Physical Education

Science & Technology

  • General & Multi-Discipline Science
  • Chemistry 4 Kids - http://www.chem4kids.com/
    Matter, atoms, periodic table, elements, reactions, biochemistry.
  • Minecraft Chemistry - https://education.minecraft.net/chemistry/
    Discover the building blocks of matter, combine elements into useful compounds and Minecraft items, and conduct amazing experiments with new lessons and a downloadable world.
  • Tyler DeWitt - https://www.tdwscience.com/
    Research scientist and educator who creates chemistry and micro-biology videos shared on his personal site and YouTube.
  • Engineering
  • Teach Engineering - https://www.teachengineering.org/
    D    igital library comprised of standards-aligned engineering curricula for K-12 educators to make applied science and math come alive through engineering design.

Social & Ethnic Studies

  • Native History & Culture
  • US History
  • Smithsonian History & Culture Collection - https://www.si.edu/explore/history
  • The 1619 Project  - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html
    An ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.
  • Teaching Tolerance - https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources
    A social justice standards based teaching resource with full lesson plans, packets, videos, and more offering robust anti-bias social studies learning.
  • Zinn Education Project - https://www.zinnedproject.org/
    Middle and high school -     For more than ten years, the Zinn Education Project has introduced students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula.
  • World History
  • Big History Project - https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
    A     free, online social studies course that encourages students to have a big-picture view of the world and emphasizes skill development as students draw “mind-blowing connections” between past, present and future.

Typing

World Language

  • Duolingo - https://www.duolingo.com/
    Learn close to 25 different languages using a fun and intuitive app that incentivizes learning through points and levels.
  • The LEAF Project - http://www.leaflanguages.org/
    Complete online learning curriculum for Spanish and French - middle school and above.

Virtual Field Trips

Many organizations - from museums to zoos to farms to famous landmarks - are creating ways for folks to have a virtual “field trips” to visit them. Here are a few to “visit” while you are home.

Multi-Day Challenges / Idea Charts


 

Scheduling Ideas

Social Emotional (SEL) Resources

Helping our children manage their many emotions and responses to this time is critica and will be one of the most important things we do as we go through this crisis together.

Here are some resources for helping your child understand and navigate the many feelings and responses they may have:

Help Your Family De-Stress During Coronavirus Uncertainty

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/help-your-family-de-stress-during-coronavirus-uncertainty

From how to talk with each other, to things to watch and do, to ways to keep moving and stay health - a great combo of items from Common Sense Media.

Roots of Empathy
https://rootsofempathy.org/some-resources-for-you-during-the-era-of-coronavirus/

Videos and blog posts from a nationally recognized SEL/empathy program.

School Connect COVID SEL Resources
https://school-connect.blog/eq-in-your-pjs/
Videos and handouts on managing stress, navigating relationships in tight quarters, and bouncing back from setbacks.

Ultimate Guide to Mental Health and Education Resources for Kids and Teens

https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/resources/ultimate-guide-to-mental-health-and-education-resources/

Comprehensive list of mental health sites and resources for kids and parents alike.

 

Videos for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation

https://app.www.calm.com/meditate