Making the Most of COVID-19 School Closures
By: Sophie Bellenis
Occupational Therapist; Real-life Skills Program Manager and Coach
COVID-19 was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), and it is quickly becoming a pervasive force that we are all attuned to. As our healthcare providers, scientists and officials focus their energy on social distancing recommendations and public health measures, it seems as if time spent at home with our families – whether self-imposed or mandated – is inevitable. With our hardworking community members and officials focused on large-scale responses and issues, let’s take some time to discuss how we can create positive and productive environments in our own homes with our children while so many schools are closed.
This post includes: the importance of setting a routine or daily schedule, using screens wisely, setting playtime/recess, movement, bolstering life skills, etc.. It also includes helpful websites.
Check out the sample, optional schedule someone created as a starting point/example should you want to set-up a daily schedule for your home! Click HERE!
Talking to your kids about COVID-19
The Conversation
http://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-covid-19-133576
Kids Health
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-how-talk-child.html
Child Mind Institute
https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
Detroit PBS Kids
- A sign-up for a daily newsletter
- Distance learning resources
- How to talk to kids about COVID-19
- Access the Molly from Denali show, activities and games
Scholastic- Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing
Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin! Click HERE to get started!
-The Editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.
Phonemic Awareness: Heggerty at Home E-Learning
Heggerty is an integral part of our daily routine. It can be found in our DK-1 classrooms and helps students develop their foundational skills.
COVID-10 E-Learning Lessons- Click HERE for lessons you can download, sample lessons you can watch for Pre-K (DK), K, and 1. Lessons can be found in both English and Spanish.
These books help support phonics learning:
LOVING2READ
Click HERE to access books for our younger readers. You can find leveled books, ABS books, vowel books, digraph books, etc.. This site is amazing!
Happy Cultivated Read Aloud Books
Read Aloud Stories
100+ Read Aloud Videos for DK-5
Click HERE to access 100+ read aloud videos of books for various ages.Storyline Online
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more. Click HERE!
Ideas for Reading
- Read daily for at least 20-30 minutes day
- Get hooked on a series. Here is a great list! Here is a non-fiction series list!
- Do family read alouds
- Have an older child read to the younger children
- Get hooked on an author and compare the authors books to one another
- Read a book aloud and then watch the movie. After, discuss how the book and the movie are the similar or different
- Have a parent-child book club with another friend and discuss over FaceTime
- Watch a historical fiction movie and then read about the time period. The Night at the Museum is entertaining and introduces interesting historical characters kids could research.
Ideas for Writing
- Write daily for 20-30 minutes
- Here is a list of fun writing prompts to get writing started
- Keeping a daily journal/diary (Click here for a list of inspiration mentor texts that are in diary form)
- Writing cards (or sending emails) to friends, family members or teachers
- Write your own graphic novel or comic book character series. Click here for blank comic book templates.
Word Study/Games
Play Board Games that encourage thinking and/or word play. Some examples include:
- Scrabble
- Banana Grams
- Memory
- Play Words
- Boggle
- Making words
The "making words" activity can be done anywhere and all you need is a paper and pencil. Simply choose a "longer word" and have your children make as many words as possible using the letters of the word. For example, using the word "spring", kids can hopefully make the words ring, pig, pin, rig, rip, etc.
Here are some words you can try using. Maybe one a day?
- sports
- trunks
- tricks
- scratch
- bridges
- candles
- chairs
- doorbell
- elephant
- feathers
- goldfish
- jumping
- keyboard
- monkeys
- mountain
- puppies
- sailboat
- sandwiches
- starfish
- thinking
- thunder
- working
- zebras
- zippers
Typing Club
More books!
Epic!
Epic! is the Leading Digital Library for Kids 12 & Under. Instantly access 35,000 of the best books, learning videos, quizzes and more! Click HERE to start! In the next few days, you can expect to get an email invite from your child's teacher to be able to access this service. Also, please note that some teachers have already been using this with their students, so you may already have a login. Please use the same one your child already has.
Unite for Literacy
Click HERE to access books for younger readers that can also be narrated for students as well.
LOVING2READ
Click HERE to access books for our younger readers. You can find leveled books, ABS books, vowel books, digraph books, etc.. This site is amazing!
Read, Wonder, and Learn! (Kate Messner)
Here, you’ll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day.
Think Central (Math Expressions)
Click HERE to watch a video created by our elementary math coach that walks you through logging in and gives you an overview.
Click HERE to access Think Central directly.
MobyMax
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a free resource for students, teachers, and parents. Click HERE to access the main COVID-19 page and HERE to access math lessons (and other resources) directly.
What is Khan Academy? We offer exercises, quizzes, and tests so students can practice and master skills, as well as instructional videos to help students learn or review material.
- Khan Academy has a library of standards-aligned lessons covering kindergarten through early college math, grammar, science, history, AP® courses, SAT® preparation, and more.
- Students can practice skills with exercises, quizzes, and mastery challenges and get immediate feedback and support.
- Khan Academy is available in 40 languages.
- Students without laptops can access the Khan Academy website or use the Khan Academy app on smartphones.
Study Pop (HMH)
Download:
- Apple: Search the Apple iTunes App Store for Study Pop
- Android: Search the Google Play Store for HMH Study Pop
Math Worlds
Math Worlds AR is an augmented reality game that turns your child’s book cover into a fun, unique learning experience. To play, open the app and scan either the Student Activity Book or the Homework/Remembering Book cover from any grade using a smartphone or tablet. Then watch an augmented reality game pop right out of it!
Download:
- Apple: Search the Apple iTunes App Store for HMH Math Worlds AR
- Android: Search the Google Play Store for HMH Math Worlds AR
Mystery Science (DK-5)
National Geographic Kids
Social Studies
Articles, worksheets, and quizzes around the history of various countries around the world. Click HERE.
Time for Kids
TIME for Kids engages students with authentic journalism and inspires them to join the national discourse on current topics. Click HERE to access it. You can choose the grade level for more age appropriate content.
Generations Genius Science
Class Dojo
GoNoodle
Click HERE to access family GoNoodle activities.
Many of our classrooms use GoNoodle for brain breaks and to help our students get movement and mindfulness in throughout the day!
Movement and Excerise
Movement and Math- Locomotive Dice Rolling
Two for the price of one! Have a little fun with math and movement! Just roll the die to see which locomotor movement you need to perform! Click HERE to access the activity!Online Physical Education Network
Tools for creating an active home can be found HERE at Online Physical Education Network. Here you will find active fun for families as well as two week physical education plans by level (elementary and secondary).
Try Outdoor Scavenger Hunts!
Here are some links to find some that are already created or to be inspired to create your own.
Buggy and Buddy (30 free printables)
Lunch Doodles (Art at Home!)
Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.
New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET and then remain online to be streamed afterwards. Check back each weekday for new LUNCH DOODLES!
Click HERE to access!
BrainPOP
Login: oxfordvirtual
Password: wildcat2013
Oxford Schools' Great Internet Links!
Anita R. Qonja-Collins
Email: anita.qonja@oxfordschools.org
Website: oxfordschools.org
Location: 10 North Washington Street, Oxford, MI, USA
Phone: 248.969.5096
Twitter: @AnitaQonja