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Resources for Teachers and Families During School Shut Downs

We are all working on figuring out how to address learning and support our students and families during the school shut downs. As the shut downs happened so rapidly and unexpectedly it has left many of us wondering how best to do this. The DKG California STEP team has compiled a list of resources that we are hoping will be helpful to you and your students as you navigate these challenging times.

In addition to the list of resources below we have two ideas for your consideration:

Online Read Aloud
Record and post an online read aloud for your students. Read aloud is a favorite time of day for both teachers and students. Watching you do an online read aloud can be a real comfort for your students and is a wonderful way to stay connected with your class while you are not able meet face to face. Also, this is a great opportunity for you to model for the parents how to use questioning to support and check for comprehension.
****If you are able to record and post your video privately so that only your students can see it, most publishers will give you permission to record yourself reading their books. Many authors such as Mo Willems and Patricia Polacco have already given all teachers permission to do this. If you are uncertain, visit the website of the publisher of the book. One suggestion is to do a chapter book, one chapter a day, so you only need to seek permission to read that one book rather than getting permission for a new book each day.

Thank You Cards/Cards of Encouragement
Encourage your class to make cards and thank you notes to mail or give to the many heroes of the Coronavirus pandemic: doctors, nurses, police and firefighters but also grocery clerks, restaurant workers and delivery drivers.
Another idea that has been suggested online is to send cards/letters/drawings to nursing homes as the residents are not able to receive visitors at this time and this would really brighten their day.

Online Resources
Astronaut read alouds from space
https://storytimefromspace.com/

Just Right Reader, they will send parents a box of just right books for free! Need code: LOVE@READ
https://www.justrightreader.com/?fbclid=IwAR3d9hmT6vZPcRV5trQqHVy8KhhVvxFGFmjV_-6XfDO6t6ggX3LDTmHjsh0

Scholastic Learn at Home Lessons
https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html?fbclid=IwAR1oZOGDYaHGA-tDJZAwhCerZ3jp9nuTdJ-fvyZk1oeVeMy89VJnznWJk5s

Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement: free SEL Lessons for students and parents
https://www.jesselewischooselove.org/blog/2020/03/free-10-day-live-stream-for-parents-and-children/?fbclid=IwAR1aE81RyhejkStm60rqLnZxPXf4cIjs2jxg0S-z4h1_xpuFEPoyzR4ys6o

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/

Virtual Field Trips
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SvIdgTx9djKO6SjyvPDsoGlkgE3iExmi3qh2KRRku_w/preview?fbclid=IwAR384LxJuF_7dqPUpaVb9sKI2420F38zIRX9XatvIsVTmnmr571hzo11iRs

Seesaw- teachers can communicate with families, create activities and assign them or use the already existing library of activities
www.seesaw.com

List of Online Math Activities, complied by teachers
https://www.boredteachers.com/resources/the-best-online-math-resources-for-all-grade-levels?fbclid=IwAR25_mALepaM8s7qmftT5RM3tf_wHzp1eoI5t6hNbt6QmibNwTgmZYF0NaU

List of free coding websites for kids
https://codewizardshq.com/coding-for-kids-free/?fbclid=IwAR35m06JDk8i1QSDf2_holP9wDs4wZTJxFv003QY3JzEhLq6VHhedyHfBbo

Gigantic List of free online learning sources
http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/

Annenberg Learner: Teacher PD as well as activities for students in all content areas, all free
https://www.learner.org/

CMAT Math Activities for Grades 6-8
https://mathandteaching.org/covid-19/

Free Books
Epic-huge digital library of children's books
https://www.getepic.com/?utm_channel=search&gclid=CjwKCAjwsMzzBRACEiwAx4lLG6MLhb3WBZY9LZYgDMgnpBwRguYlR5PEw1HHCVIGXbX2GWeToxt_tBoCNP0QAvD_BwE

Audible-audiobooks, huge library of children's audiobooks is free kids right now
https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Companies Offering Free Internet:
Comcast offering free hotspots
https://wifi.xfinity.com/

Spectrum offering free internet
https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/2020/03/13/wisconsin-coronavirus-spectrum-offers-students-free-internet-access/5042351002/?fbclid=IwAR0C8nZ-A_lSRFy51j1i8UKit5ahlh83qcpjtJK5_0tJXur3YNHemR7hz4E

List of resources for undocumented people dealing with the Coronavirus Pandemic

https://ciyja.org/covid19/?fbclid=IwAR2cL0-I8vPW7dHpjH4ztaT_L_S_CDTIGotUU6FRWTEzYDRbTZv0XJYyPtE


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