So many teachers have been thrown into the world of distance learning with very little preparation. Many of you might even have your own kids at home that you’re trying to care for.
This is why I’ve pulled together some distance learning resources and tips for you to *hopefully* make things a little easier!! And best of all… They’re free!
Distance Learning Choice Boards
Choice boards work wonders for student engagement because the kids get to pick which activities they work on each day! Distance learning makes this no different.
These choice boards will keep your students engaged! And students can work on them throughout the day to fit their schedule!
And here’s what I especially love… Just about all of the activities are screen-free! That’s right… Almost every activity on these choice boards will give your students a break from being on a device.
I’ve created 4 different versions of choice boards:
- Kindergarten
- 1st grade
- 2nd grade
- Editable
Each choice board has activities that are specific to that grade level’s common core standards in math and ELA. Plus, there’s an editable version with a blank template so that you can create your own choice board!
Click the image below to download them from my freebie library!
*If you don’t already have access to my freebie library, you can sign up to receive access! This will allow you to download free resources straight to your computer!
Educreations is Perfect for Virtual Lessons
Educreations is a digital whiteboard where you can write, draw, type and import images. There is a free version and a premium version. I’ve always used the free version, but you do have access to more features and more storage with the premium version.
I’ve always used the app on my iPad, but there’s also a web version to use on a computer.
The best part of Educreations (at least for distance learning) is that you can record both your voice and screen while you annotate! So you can show students how to use a particular math strategy, for example, at the same time that you’re explaining it.
The second best part of Educreations is that your students don’t need their own accounts. Once you’ve sent the link to a video you’ve created, your students can view it without signing into anything.
And the third best part of Educreations is how easy it is to share the video with your students!!
Click the video below to see some of the features of Educreations and how to share the video with your students once you record it!
Epic! Books
Many of you might already know about Epic! Books! If not, it’s basically a collection of digital books for elementary-aged kids. So awesome!
When you search for books, you can click the “Read to Me” option and it will only show you the books where it will read the book to the child. This is perfect for young students who are not independently reading yet.
And what’s even better is that parents can sign up for a free trial for 30 days! This means that you don’t have to send them any log-in information because they’ll create their own accounts!
Or, as a teacher, you can create an account for your class where you can assign books to your kids to read. You’ll just need to notify the parents/kids of their usernames and passwords.
Either way, it’s free and there are a ton of amazing books to choose from!
Scholastic Learn at Home
Scholastic has developed resources and activities for parents to use at home with their kids! And they’re categorized by grade level!
The activities include books that the kids can read digitally, videos and activity suggestions. This resource is meant for parents, so these are by no means in-depth lesson plans. But it’s a super helpful website for busy teachers who want to give parents an easy resource to go to that doesn’t require a log-in!
RAZ Kids/Kids A-Z
Similar to Epic! Books, RAZ Kids is an online library of digital books (the free app is called Kids A-Z). However, there are a few differences between Epic! and RAZ Kids:
- Almost all of the books on RAZ Kids have a listening option where the book will be read to the student.
- RAZ Kids has comprehension quizzes for each book that are standards-based.
- Kids/parents can choose books that are on their level.
- RAZ Kids is not normally free, but as of March 2020, they are offering a 90-day free trial for parents (14-day free trial for teachers)
If you direct the parents in your class to sign up for a free trial, they can have their child read or listen to books and take the comprehension quizzes.
Distance Learning Resources: Parent Sheet
I have compiled the above resources into a Parent Sheet that you can email out to your parents! That way, they can access all of these free resources and all you have to do is send them the PDF!
The beauty of this list is that none of these online websites require you (the teacher) to set anything up. The parents can create their own accounts with their own passwords and you won’t have to manage any of it.
Ergo… Absolutely no extra work for you!
Click the image below to download the free PDF from my freebie library!
All you would do is send the parents in your class the PDF via email (or upload the PDF to your Google Drive and send the link via ClassDojo or Seesaw).
You could also include a blurb in your email about how these activities can be “sprinkled” throughout the day, any day.
I hope these free distance learning resources are helpful for you!! Leave a comment below to share how you’re tackling distance learning and making it happen!! 🙂
