Coronavirus!

I haven't written on my blog since December and that was just a year-in-review. It's been a long time, and, as always, I don't really know the reason why, but it is what it is.

We are in historical times. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has affected the entire world. Who would ever guess we would be dealing with a pandemic in 2020? Sadly, many are not taking the "stay home" recommendations seriously and I fear this will play out in much more scary ways in the coming weeks and months.

One of the biggest disruptions to our lives are how many people are now working from home, and the fact that schools are closed. Parents who have never even considered homeschooling their children are now their teachers. And many of them are scared and confused at the influx of resources that have circulated social media. I created a document of sites I vetted for usefulness, ease of use, and most importantly, are free! I have already personally emailed over 100 people who are interested in these resources and I decided it would be easier to share them here, so I can update and add blog posts in the coming days and weeks.

A little about me - I am a substitute teacher. I can teach K-12 but I mostly focus on K-2 because I just love that age! However, I have four kids I've raised to adulthood, and I've been through it all! My teaching style is gleaned from the fabulous teachers I've worked with (I ALWAYS learn something new from them) and my experience parenting and working with kids since age 15. I started my child-care career at 15 in a local day care center and moved on to summer camp counselor, YMCA after-school care provider, private nanny, in-home childcare, and I've been with my current school district since 2000, working as a paraeducator in dual-language, special ed, ELL and, finally, substitute teaching. I've worked with kids of all ages, from all walks of life, and from all types of families. I believe ALL kids have unique gifts and it is a privilege to be a small part of shaping their lives.

To start, I will share the document I created with links to resources, tips and ideas on how to survive homeschooling your kids in this sudden turn of events. Check back often for more content. In the coming days I will be sharing more resources, giving you some tried-and-true tips and projects, and talking about way to support yourself and your kids through this crisis.

Mrs. Moore’s

Homeschool Resources

And Fabulous Ideas 😊

Don’t know where to start homeschooling your kids? I’ve put together this list of resources and fun ideas from a variety of places and condensed it into one document you can print and keep handy. I will include some schedule suggestions, some checklists for kids, and other tools you can use to make this time easy, stress-free and not crazy (ok, I can’t promise that, but I can at least flatten the curve of stress…speaking in coronavirus terms).

First, please practice safe social distancing. If your city or state is on shelter-in-place or lockdown, please do not go out for anything but the very essential items. Kids WILL survive without playdates. They can talk to their friends via Zoom, FaceTime, other video calling and why not let them practice good old-fashioned talk-on-the-phone skills?

Remember that during this time, it is NOT your job to teach your child the next new concept in math or to keep them moving forward on a set curriculum. When schools resume, teachers can pick up where we left off. The important thing is to keep your kids busy and engaged and working their brain muscles. Even a little bit of focused work each day helps them practice needed skills for school. There should be a LOT of play time (we will talk about that later) and a balanced activity/learning time in each day.

Workbooks are a life-saver! There are some really great ones out there (more later) and this is the perfect time to employ them. The great thing about workbooks is that they are varied and provide different activities so your child will be doing some work in literacy, math, science and social studies.

Even very young children can self-direct at times and I will help you with some ideas for what they can do while you are working from home (or just need a break). I like to strike a balance between hands-on work and computer time. Chances are, screen time may increase at this time. If your child becomes agitated when it’s time to turn off screens, you may want to reduce screen time or stop it entirely for a day or two.

Talking a walk every day is a great way to get your child out in the open air and get some exercise in. If the weather is bad, there are some great resources, which I will share here, for staying active! Outside play time is paramount, and experts recommend 60 minutes a day. During this pandemic, your kids might become engaged in outdoor activities that take a lot of time (i.e. games of tag, fort building, imaginative play) and if this happens, it’s ALWAYS ok to suspend structured learning time for outdoor play. There is SO MUCH learning going on when kids are left to their own devices and just allowed to explore.

Online Resources

There are so many online resources available it will make your head spin. I’ve been trying to weed through them and vet some sites that are actually valuable (some leave a lot to be desired). Here is a list of sites I have found useful:

Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems – these are 30 min videos where the popular author talks about his process. He is great at engaging with the kids and they get to do some hands-on doodling. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/?fbclid=IwAR2gtS6oTWiSwH_RgqjKF6sPGvCUTOjNx01gGdAtJ77_ZZLi7xUS7k2uSlA

Engineering ideas. This is a list of engineering ideas your child can participate in. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oCM2Ue9w32EUIGfRXsjwEXU_-Up8D6FSSWT8YGiBEtE/preview?fbclid=IwAR3sD25XKzvUdQMr5WyBg1ihR65X5rGhmn8M2UP5jVt7Z9YrZChTDP-9UvI

American Chemical Society. If you have a middle to high schooler taking chemistry, the American Chemistry Society has free articles. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articles-by-topic/acids-and-bases.html

Online games. This site has created some free games for kids to play without a membership. https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome

Buncee. You can sign up your child for free here for Buncee, a blog of various educational resources. https://blog.buncee.com/supporting-remote-student-learning/

Common Lit. This is a great literacy site for grades 5-12 and is free for students. https://www.commonlit.org/

Curriki. This site is collaborative and offers a variety of curriculum. It’s free! https://www.curriki.org/

Edmodo. This site is free and a way to assign work to your students (kids) with a variety of topics. Also available as an app. https://go.edmodo.com/distancelearning/

Freckle. Here you can set up your own “classroom” with different-aged kids. It has content across the board. https://www.freckle.com/

HippoCampus. Good content for middle to high school. https://www.hippocampus.org/

iReady. This website offers reading and math progressive learning that accelerates at the students’ pace. Most kids have log-ins through school already.  https://login.i-ready.com/

PBS Learning. Lots of great stuff here, to keep kids busy during your work/down time. https://kcts9.pbslearningmedia.org/

Khan Academy. Literally hundreds of resources for students K-college. https://www.khanacademy.org/

Kids Discover. Most kids are familiar with this resource from school. Kids Discover. https://online.kidsdiscover.com/signup?returnUrl=%2Fhow-it-works

LabsLand. For high school or college students – virtual labs. Free membership until June 2020. https://labsland.com/en

Libby. The Libby app by OverDrive is a free app to read library books on your Kindle. Available on iPhone and Android.

Mystery Science. This link takes you to Mystery Science, a site with tons of free interactive lessons. You can sign your student up for their own account. https://mysteryscience.com/docs/home-faqs

Prodigy. Free math games. Create your own account. https://www.prodigygame.com/

Free map quizzes (we could ALL use this!) https://online.seterra.com/en

Scholastic. This site is a dream, AND you can order very reasonably-priced books for your kiddos – always fun to get mail during a pandemic! https://www.scholastic.com/home/

Twinkl. Sign up for a free account and download tons of work for your kids to do! https://www.twinkl.com/

Typing Club. A lot of the kids have an account here, but you can sign up for free. https://www.typingclub.com/

Vidcode. If your teen enjoys coding, they can sign up here for free. https://www.vidcode.com/

Kids Activities Blog. Here is a blog with some good homeschooling resources. This blog has dozens of ideas on how to entertain kids at home, so click around!  https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/24151/elementary-home-school/

Netflix. This is a list of Netflix shows teachers use in the classroom. Great for everyday learning or perhaps to strike a compromise if kids are fussing about screens (you can watch Netflix as long as it’s educational). https://www.weareteachers.com/educational-netflix-shows/

Funbrain. This site has games, reading, and other interactive tools. https://www.funbrain.com/

Storyline Online. This site has celebrities reading stories. I use this one a lot when I teach. https://www.storylineonline.net/?fbclid=IwAR21HMNZBLf2K-Vrzy9fhTCG1FFtftSyGdH_5MEMGfCK_8TWrqL6CHht97Y

Bedtime Math. Math games and practice. http://bedtimemath.org/

Workbooks:

There are tons of workbooks out there! They are taking a little extra time coming from Amazon, but worth it.

Brain Quest – these are my favorite! They come in grade-levels and you can adjust up or down per your student’s needs. You can also order the summer Brain Quest books which are designed to keep your student learning between grades.

Word Detective -  books with games and puzzles to improve spelling.

Math Skillbuilders. Good math workbook.

Bear Fairy  - Math workbooks (higher levels available)

Scholastic Workbooks – these come in grade levels and various subjects.

Activities:

There are dozens of things kids can do at home to entertain themselves, but it’s easier not to reinvent the wheel, so I will include some links I liked.

100 Activities to do at Home.  https://entertainkidsonadime.com/2020/03/13/100-activities-to-do-at-home-during-school-closures/?fbclid=IwAR2A1iIM4d9bbgTvDjjtO4x2-lAC1TK1nInG596vXnYqEWJPQAO0xEzeGZc

Check out Pinterest for fun activities – there are so many ideas there. I also have a list of science and art activities I created for the first two weeks of homeschooling and I will copy that here:

Homeschool Art and Science activities

Science:

• Sharpie solubility: What is solubility (the ability to dissolve)? What are some example of things that are soluble (sugar and salt)? Not soluble (oil, plastic)?

Need: Sharpie markers, coffee filters (one per kid), four clear plastic cups, water, rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, Sprite

Hypothesis: Is Sharpie marker permanent? Will it dissolve in any of the liquids? Kids write their predictions. (Need lab sheet)

Project: Fold coffee filters in half and half again. Draw rainbow stripes on the coffee filters starting at the tips. Place one filter in each liquid. Observe over a 15 min period to see if the Sharpie dissolves in any of the liquids.

Lesson: Write your conclusions. Why did the Sharpie dissolve in some liquids but not others? (The alcohol acts as a solvent)

Art:

• Sharpie tie-dye t-shirts (or socks!)

Need: One white t-shirt (or pair of socks) per student, Sharpie markers, spray bottles with alcohol (get minis at Dollar Tree).

Project: Draw designs on t-shirts, spray with alcohol – watch the tie-dye happen! Dry overnight.

Science:

• Disappearing eggshell. Can you dissolve the shell off of an egg with vinegar? Write hypothesis.

Need: Mason jar with lid and ring, egg (one per student), white vinegar

Project: Place egg gently in jar. Fill with white vinegar, leaving at least ½ inch at top for gases to escape. Leave for two days and observe. What happened? Why? (Eggs have calcium carbonate in their shells and vinegar contains acetic acid. The acid breaks down the calcium carbonate. The calcium floats away but the carbonate reacts with the acetic acid to create carbon dioxide. That’s why you see the bubbles!)

Art:

• Egg paint. Did you know you can paint with eggs? In fact, many years ago egg-tempered paint was popular until oil paints were introduced. That is how today’s “tempera” paints got their name. Egg was used to “temper” coloring agents such as crushed rock or brick to create paint. We can make our own egg-tempered paint!

Need: Eggs (dozen?), liquid food color, small bowls, paintbrushes

Project: Separate eggs -whites from yolks (this can be tricky so each student should have a few eggs to try). Add liquid food color to desired shade. Paint!

Science:

• Rainbow Skittles – watch candy make a swirled rainbow!

Need: Skittles (two packages per student), warm water, white plate (not paper), clear plastic cups, pipette or syringes (per child)

Project: Hypothesize – why do Skittles dissolve in warm water (solubility) and why do they swirl so perfectly? Line edge of plate with Skittles using random pattern or rainbow. Pour warm water just to touch edges of Skittles. Watch and wait!

Project: Fill five small plastic cups with 2 Tbs hot water. Add 10 red skittles to one cup, 8 orange to another, 6 yellow to another, 4 green to another, 2 blue or purple to another. Hypothesize: which one has the most sugar molecules? Which one will be more dense and why? After they have dissolved use the pipette/syringe to transfer the liquid to another clear cup in rainbow order and see what happens! Look at your rainbow – put it in the window to observe through the light. Will it stay this way or will it muddle? Why? Observe over a couple of days.

Art:

• Rainbow art watercolor trees.

Need: Black Sharpie, watercolors, heavy paper

Project: Draw tree shapes with branches on heavy paper (demonstrate this). Use watercolors to fill in trees and when dry, enhance with swirls that match the colors (bring example).

Science:

• How do clouds make rain? Simple experiment to show how clouds make rain.

Need: Clear plastic cup per student, shaving cream, blue food color

Project: Hypothesize how clouds make rain? (Water vapor gets too heavy and gravity makes it fall). Fill each cup with water ¾ of the way. Add a blob of shaving cream on top and add drops of liquid food color. Wait for the rain! Write your conclusions.

Art:

• Cloud dough – make cloud dough with just two ingredients!

Need: Bottle of cheap conditioner (white), cornstarch.

Project: Mix two ingredients together to make cloud dough. Should be non-sticky and pliable. Play!

Science:

• Shamrock crystals: grow your own crystals using just two ingredients, borax and water. Add food color for fun!

Need: Glass jar (per student), popsicle stick, pipe cleaner (white), string

Project: Using a formula of 3 Tbs Borax to one cup boiling water, fill jars about ¾ way. Bend the pipe cleaner into a shamrock shape, tie one end of the string to the pipe cleaner and the other end to a popsicle stick. Drop the shamrock shape into the jar, making sure not to touch the sides. Let sit overnight and watch the crystals grow! Why does this happen? Solubility! The hotter the water, the more soluble the borax. As it cools, the borax separates from the water and forms crystals on the pipe cleaner, then more crystals form on top of those crystals. Cool, huh?

Art:

• Mosaic Shamrocks

Need: Scrapbook paper in shades of green. Shamrock shape cut from heavy paper. Glue sticks.

Project: Using squares cut from scrapbook paper, fill in your shamrock shape, filling all spaces. Trim edges if needed.  

Science:

• Candle seesaw – how does a candle move up and down like a seesaw with no legs to push it?

Need: Taper candle, paper clip, needle, two tall glasses, tin foil, matches

Project: Expose the wick at the end of the candle so both sides have an equal wick. Push a pilot hole with the needle through the candle, then push the unbent paper clip through. Balance the candle on two tall glasses, making sure the candle ends don’t touch the table when pushed down. Place all on a piece of tin foil to catch drips. Light both ends of the candle. See what happens! (The candle will at first burn balanced but as one side drips off a drop of wax, it becomes lighter and moves up, then the other side drops wax and moves up and so on until it moves back and forth like a seesaw.

Art:

• Wax seals – explain how they used to be used to seal letters and that if the seal was broken you would know the letter had been read. Can use stamps for this (bring wax seal kit). How do you know how many drops of wax to use to make the seal look good?

Need: paper, envelopes, wax seal kit, old rubber stamps. Have kids experiment and then practice by writing a letter to parents and sealing it.

Science:

• Making butter

Need: Heavy whipping cream, jar with lid (per student). Toasted bread.

Project: Shake, shake, shake! Hypothesize how long you think you will need to shake the jar to make butter. It happens quickly once the fats begin to solidify. When you shake the cream, the fat molecules clump together. The liquid they leave behind is the buttermilk. One your butter is solidified, add a little salt and put it on toast.

Art:

• Magazine page butterflies

Need: Magazine pages with pretty designs, stapler.

Project: teach the art of fan folding, and making butterflies with the results. Make large and small butterflies.

Science:

• Can a blow dryer melt crayons?

Need: broken crayons, hair dryer, heat gun/embosser, small canvasses for each student

Project: have the kids glue broken bits of crayon to canvas across the top. Using a hair dryer or heat gun/embosser, watch the crayons melt. What is the melting temperature of a crayon? Hypothesize. (120-147 degrees).

Art:

• Embossed stamping. Using embossing gun to melt powder. Make cards

Need: blank cards, stamps, embossing powder, embossing gun, embossing pad, colored pencils to color in designs

Project: Using stamps and embossing powder, create cards and color in.

Science:

• Candy Cane lab. Using colorful candy canes and putting them in different liquids, observe what happens. What happens if you add a substance to the water – salt, sugar, cornstarch, baking soda? Write your hypotheses and record your conclusions.

Need: Candy canes, different clear liquids (hot water, cold water, vinegar, Sprite, oil). Clear plastic cups.

Project: put candy canes in different liquids. What happens? What happens when you add different substances?

Art:

• Pointillism rainbows – create pictures using pointillism with q-tips

Need: heavy art paper, paints, q-tips

Project: Create a rainbow scene using pointillism – q-tips and paint.

Science:

• Rock lab – explore and learn about different types of rocks and crystals.

Need: Magnifying glasses, classifying sheet, scale for weighing, ruler for measuring

Project: Explore and classify different types of rocks, weighing and measuring them.

Art:

• Painted rocks. Paint rocks for hiding – perhaps combine this with a field trip to hide rocks in a local park?

Need: Rocks of all shapes and sizes to decorate, paint pens, spray sealer, cardboard or old cookie sheet for spraying.

Schedules:

A lot of people like to have some sort of schedule for their kids. I recommend doing school work in the morning when their brains are ready to learn, and knocking off at lunchtime for unscheduled afternoon play. You will be able to get in a good three hours of learning and if you count in all the transitions, specialists, recess, and lunch at school, this will be about the same amount of time spent doing core subjects. I am using this schedule with my kiddos:

9-9:15 Arrive, discuss day’s plans, get ready for work

9:15-10 Math – try to do a combination of paper and pencil work and computer work

10-10:15 Snack and stretch break

10:15-11 Literacy – do work work, writing, reading comprehension, journaling

11-11:45 Social Studies, Science or Art – rotate through these each day. Some days we’ve been able to do both science and art because the lessons were short.

11:45-12 Put any work done into binders/notebooks (good to hang on to some of their work to track progress)

12:00 Lunch and outdoor play

The rest of the afternoon can be spent reading, finishing up work from morning, playing outside, doing some creative play inside, baking, cooking, making art, and doing independent reading.

Kids can help make dinner and it will save your sanity to stick to a normal evening/bedtime routine M-F. Even though they are home every day, it’s NOT the weekend every day, so treat the weekdays as normal as much as possible. This also applies to getting dressed, having a healthy breakfast and keeping things as normal as possible at home.

Ongoing projects are good at this time: puzzles, scrapbooks, building a giant fort, an extensive Lego project – just something you all can work on during down times.

Please note: your house will NOT be as clean as normal (if clean is your normal!). Don’t stress over it. Know that the chaos will eventually end and things will be in order at some point down the road. If you are used to having a cleaning service, and you no longer have that, this is a great time to find out what your kids are capable of in terms of cleaning! They can do a LOT! Have a 30 min clean up break every day before dinner, even if it’s just to put toys away.

If schedules are NOT YOUR THING….that is perfectly ok. A checklist can also be useful. Have your kids create their own and put these items on it: math, writing, reading, physical activity, science, social studies, art. You can add or subtract as you see fit. Add chores or any other activity you want them to do. Let them be responsible for checking off the list in a certain time frame (i.e. 9-3 similar to a school day).

It is NOT easy to teach, as many of you are finding out. This is uncharted territory for many so here are some tips for maintaining your sanity:

1.     You ARE smart enough to teach your own kids

2.     If self-care is your thing (nails, hair, massage) and you don’t have access to that at the moment, schedule yourself a day a week where you get a small period of time to take a nice bath, do your nails, etc.

3.     Keep bedtimes consistent and slightly early if you can swing it so you have some alone time at the end of the day.

4.     Naps are awesome! Even your older kids might be bored enough to fall asleep. Take advantage of this – nap yourself or have a snack or glass of wine. Enjoy the peace.

5.     Embrace the new normal. Things change daily and the news is scary. Try to maintain in the healthiest fashion possible. We are all probably going to come out of this a little bit fatter and having consumed a lot of alcohol. It’s all good. After this we will find a new normal.

Have fun! You can do this!