The COVID-19 pandemic may keep your children at home for some of their education this fall. Here are some great resources to use
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
While the school district will provide the materials you need for any of the time your children will spend learning at home, it’s up to you to keep them motivated and to fill their extra time, as most extra-curricular activities will likely not happen.
The following websites can help support your educational efforts and provide some learning opportunities that don’t need your direct attention (sites are free unless indicated.
Games and puzzles
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf
These games test reaction time as a welcomed study break.
www.starfall.com
The site offers many educational games and activities that require student participation — not just passive videos — and much free content for children pre-K through fifth grade. It’s $35 a year for unlimited access. Starfall also has a phone app.
www.abcya.com
Play free educational games and entertaining games for ages 5 through 10.
www.primarygames.com
Complete educational puzzles for primary-grade children.
www.puzzle-maker.com
Easily make your children educational puzzles using spelling words or other themes as a fun way to study.
Printable materials
www.moneyinstructor.com/play.asp
Print play money and print lessons on counting and money.
www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/
Explore maps of all sorts—perfect for geography and as a visual aid for history.
www.apples4theteacher.com
Search through a variety of print-outs for the elementary grades.
Other resources
www.abcmouse.com
Children aged 2 through 8 can learn through more than 10,000 activities in language arts, math, natural science, art and more. The site tracks children’s progress. $9.95 per month for unlimited use.
www.XtraMath.com
After you sign up, children can practice math drills that gradually increase in difficulty. The site displays children’s progress through the drills.
www.quizlet.com
Create your own quiz or select from 350 million premade quizzes on a variety of subjects to test knowledge and prepare for tests.
www.kidsworldfun.com
A mix of on-screen activities and printable sheets teach children through third grade.
https://kidshealth.org
Find health articles for kids, along with print-outs and activities.
www.mapofus.org
Maps and interactive videos of maps help teach geography.
www.calculatorsoup.com
Use any of a huge variety of calculators, which also show the work so you can help your children with even complex math problems.
https://826digital.com
Receive prompts for budding writers.
www.brainpop.com
Check out the quizzes of all sorts.
www.learnathome.scholastic.com
$5.99 per month for membership. Get general educational resources for children aged 4 through 10.
Virtual tours/lessons/live streaming
www.bbc.co.uk/teach/live-lessons
The site offers educational lessons and videos on a variety of subjects—perfect for audio/visual learners.
www.gcv.org/explore/online-collection
Tour the Genesee Country Village & Museum’s online collections of historic artifacts. (Better for teens than younger children.)
www.nysm.nysed.gov/resources
Take New York State Museum tours. The site includes activities, too.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/bringing-zoo-you-march-2020-edition
Enjoy the animals at the Smithsonian National Zoo right from your computer.
https://whatson.cmog.org/events-programs/live-streaming
Feel like a guest at Corning Museum of Glass.
www.americandairy.com/news-and-events/dairy-diary/virtual-farm-tours-while-your-stuck-at-home.stml
Tour a New York dairy farm from home, thanks to American Dairy Association Northeast. Three videos are available for three age ranges of children.
Reading and reading materials
https://bookadventure.com
The site doesn’t supply reading materials, but offers motivation to support reading with comprehension.
www.gutenberg.org
Read any of 45,000 free ebooks.
www.roccitylibrary.org
Log in with your library card for ebooks and other online resources.