Learning resources for families

General Resources

Here is a list of General Resources that encompass federal departments, medical organizations, and nonprofits that provide guidelines, and resource access.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics is dedicated to the health of all children.
• The US Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
• The Centers for Disease Control has a portal for parents to help keep your family healthy and safe.
• The National Catholic Educational Association works with Catholic educations to support ongoing faith formation and the teaching mission of the Catholic Church.
• The National Association of Independent Schools unites the Independent school community by offering research and analytics, leadership and governance guidance, and professional development opportunities for Independent school and board leaders.
• The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools occupies a critical role in the charter school movement as a leader in federal education policy and as a prominent voice, determined to improve state charter policy and advocacy.
• The Southern Association of Independent Schools’ mission is to strengthen member schools by providing high quality accreditation processes, comprehensive professional growth opportunities, and visionary leadership development programs.
• PBS KIDS is dedicated to offering free access to media content and community-based experiences that support learning for young children.

Home Study Environment Resources

We all know that your environment is critical to scholastic success. We compiled home study environment articles to assist you in setting up that perfect space.

• Short on space? ConnectionsAcademy helps you create an organized home classroom in a limited space.
• HGTV always has tips and tricks to set up your personal homework haven.
• The Spruce has 20 different ideas for creating a homework station for kids and teens, from converting a nook, hallway, or even a landing space to the perfect study area.

Distance Learning Resources

Distance learning can be a full school day, tutoring, school-while-sick, or multiple other definitions. Here are some distance learning resources we’ve aggregated to help you at home.

• The COVID-19 outbreak has required a quick shift in our work and learn routines. Here are some suggestions on how to successfully transition to social distancing and learning at home.
• Always a reliable resource, Scholastic Learn at Home has day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.
• We Are Teachers has compiled top sites for grade-specific learning platforms.
• Elementary
• Middle & High School
• K-12
• Remote Learning
• Working from home with kids can be challenging. Luckily, Red Tricycle has some great tips to help out!
• Several reliable sites have compiled sample school schedules to help you during this time. Parents.com has a quarantine hourly schedule for new work-from-home parents with kids aged baby – teens, while PBS has guidelines on setting up a new home routine.
• The Smithsonian Learning Lab, committed to supporting educators, has extensive distance learning resources free to the public covering an amazing array of subjects.
• National Geographic has created their own online learning digital hub, with tools for K-12 students plus material to help teachers and parents create lesson plans.
• We were thrilled to find some key art education sources, like the new creative home learning area from Crayola, complete with lesson plans, learning videos, and more. The Kennedy Center is also a great go-to for Digital Learning Art Resources.
• For science, NASA is a one-stop shop. Their STEM learning kids club for K-4th grade includes games, activities, and coloring sheets. Their STEM engagement for grades 5-8 is geared towards engineering activities, online games, and astronaut training videos.
• If kids need to burn some energy, Childhood 101 compiled 7 YouTube channels to get kids moving and grooving. Too much sitting isn’t good for anyone! We have been really impressed with Michael Rittman, PE teacher at St. John Fisher School in Portland, OR; he is producing 10-minute PE videos every day for each day the kids are out of school.

Just For Fun

There are endless online recommendations for activities, themes, tutorials, etc that are just plain fun and entertaining. Here are some of our favorites.

• Theme weeks are fun and the options endless: Battle of the Books, Favorite Scientist, Rube Goldberg machines, Scavenger hunts, Game-a-thon, Pirate Week, Fun with Food, Arts & Crafts Week, Around the World, Safari, and more
• Virtual animal activities: There are so many zoo, aquarium and farm live streams that we couldn't list them all. Some of our favorites:
• Jelly Cam from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Koala Cam from the San Diego Zoo
• Farm Cam from Wisconsin Pasture Farm Sanctuary
• Animal Planet has expanded their educational offerings with full seasons of The Aquarium, Too Cute, and The Zoo
• Check out Katmai National Park's famous bear cams at Brooks Falls. In the fall, join the voting for Fattest Bear!
• The world famous San Diego Zoo has 12 live cams to watch the antics of baboons, pandas, penguins and more.
• We all love Mo Willems, and it’s great that he’s doing daily art activities with his Lunch Doodles!
• ThisGirlCan has put together Disney Dancealongs for the whole family.
• We Are Teachers keeps an updated list of favorite childrens’ book authors doing online read-alouds and activities.
• Virtual Museum Tours can be fun and educational at the same time. The Smithsonian has a great tour of The National Museum of Natural History, while the British Museum has an amazing interactive virtual tour that we can all appreciate.
• CNN also put together a list of concerts, plays, and other culture you can enjoy from home virtually.

Is there anything we missed? If you know of other great resources, please send the link our way and we will add it. This resource page is for you, by you, and will be updated regularly.