DISTANCE LEARNING
These resources were compiled by Pearl Prep as a resource to all families who faced difficulties of distance learning through school closures.
Even though we are now open, these programs are all offered at no charge and are organized here for families who are looking for ways to extend their child's education.
SCIENCE
Science is a great activity to do at home with lots of online resources available. These are two of our Pearl favorites. Mystery Science is structured more like a science class with instructional videos built in. Generation Genius has fun videos with quizzes and activities to go along with them. It also includes discussion questions.
MATH
It is very important to give young students a strong foundation in math. This is a great time to strengthen those math facts and computational skills. Here are some great programs to use:
Rocket Math - Math Facts Practice Game
Khan Academy - Math Facts Practice Game
Freckle - Adaptive Gamified Math Facts and problem solving practice. Includes other subjects as well.
Math Playground - tons of free video style math games. Play against the computer or even other students.
ARTS
or those creative students who want to be more hands-on and learn to draw and create, the internet is a great resource for learning to do art. Here are a couple of our Pearl favorites so far:
Art for Kids - Fun family produced art tutorials for all ages
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - Art tutorials from the Kennedy Center hosted by Mo Willems, the author of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
Magic Workshop - 8-12 year olds can sign up for a free magic class offered every Wednesday & Saturday
After-school Arts Classes- Currently offering video classes in music, art, cooking and drama.
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
With everyone staying safe at home, regular field trips are definitely out of the question. But, why not take advantage of the growing trend of virtual field trips.
25 Amazing Virtual Field Trips
Virtual Field Trips Recommended by Erin & Trey
ANIMATION & STORYTELLING
Pixar in a Box is a behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar artists do their jobs. You will be able to animate bouncing balls, build a swarm of robots, and make virtual fireworks explode. Recommended for upper elementary students.
MUSIC
What a perfect time to learn a new instrument or expand your music education. Pearl's music teacher, Mrs. Joe, has put together a fabulous website for this time of distance learning and we are excited to share it with you.
READING
Reading is probably one of the most important things you can do with your child during this time of school closure. Research has shown that the more a child reads, the better reader they will become. Take time to read with them each day, but these are some extra resources for parents to use, especially with the libraries closed:
EPIC - A digital reading platform for kids 12 and under. It has 40,000 books, audiobooks, learning videos, quizzes, more. Both English and Spanish books available.
ReadWorks - Reading Lessons focused on comprehension
Scholastic Daily Lessons - This is a great selection offered by grade which includes read alouds and activities.
LANGUAGE ARTS
It is very important to keep your students writing daily. There are many things ways to do this, but journaling is the simplest and very impactful at this time in history. Having a daily response journal with your child can give you great insight to how they may be feeling at this time, even if they aren't sharing as easily verbally. Here are some other resources for facilitating their English skills:
Covid-19 Time Capsule - This is a great way to journal this time in history and will give you a nice keepsake when you are done.
Writing Ideas - Originally designed as summer writing ideas, this site has a lot of great ideas for writing prompts, projects and even poetry.
Vocab Victor - Vocabulary game app
LEARN TO CODE
Being stuck at home, kids often want to sit around and play video games. With many parents also having to get their own work done, learning to code their own games is a great compromise. Here are some different options for learning to code:
Code.org - Coding for all ages
Scratch - Coding 8 years and up
Code Monkey - K-8 coding program, free trial
Another fun option is to create scrapbook videos or newcasts.
Animoto - Create Music Videos
Touchcast - Use an iPad to create newscasts