Teaching and Learning at Home

When kids work online, they don't always have the same access to adult help as they do in the classroom. Between learning how to log-in, locate passwords, manage assignments, understand directions, and think through problems, kids can generate a lot of questions throughout their day. One simple strategy to keep kids moving along is to create a Question Parking Lot.  Simply, Question Parking Lots provide kids a place to "park" their questions and move on with their work. To get started, create a place to jot down non-emergency questions. Some kids like an old fashioned piece of paper, while others appreciate a digital alternative to park questions. Agree ahead of time how big the parking lot is. Can 4, 5, or 6 questions get parked before seeking adult help?  You may be surprised by just how many questions will be organically answered by kids  as they progress through their day.   If a question is an emergency, or prevents kids from continuing the assig...

Are you spending a lot of time researching answers to kids' questions when they get stuck? Wish you could help kids learn how to help themselves? There are several strategies teachers use to help kids overcome stumbling blocks. Read through the following six steps designed to support struggling kids.

Kid's attention spans grow and develop throughout their childhood. As kids grow older, they can focus for longer periods of time with less periods of rest. Teachers use their knowledge of kids' attention spans to strategically create lessons. When parents work with their child(ren) at home, they can use the same guidelines to create reasonable expectations.  They can also use these guidelines to anticipate when kids will need help increasing focus. 

Morning meetings are a great way for teachers and students to connect, to review schedules, outline goals, and set intentions for the day. Elements so important to the learning process, principals often require teachers to start all lessons with them. We’ve found when students have a better sense of how their day will look, they are more apt to be attuned to the task at hand. Let’s be honest though. Creating the same expectations at home can be challenging. Each family member has their own schedule, goals, and motivations for the day. Juggling everyone’s needs while also trying to meet your own needs can be stressful - to say the least. How do we juggle it all, juggle it well, while keeping our sanity. Consider instituting a family morning meeting at the beginning of each academic / work day. There are a number of good reasons to do so. The day will be more predictable. The day will be better structured. The day will be less stressful - for everyone. Ready to get started? Her...

Kids often need to organize and prioritize their assignments before tackling their school work. This helps create efficiency and accountability. Take a look at the following infographic to determine how much support your kids need each day to manage their time. Would a check list suffice? Or, would a schedule be a better fit?

The following list of educational resources are FREE thanks to many non-profit organizations lending a helping hand during this difficult time. We will continue to add to this list as more opportunities become available. These resources are of high educational quality. However, as always, be sure to preview sites to determine the best fit for your child. If there is a link that is not free or broken please, let me know. Enjoy and have fun! Science Adventures --------   Zoo Tours   ------- San Diego Zoo for Kids Live animal cams of your favorite land animals. Best for kids Prek to 6th grade. 15-30 minute activity Monterey Bay Aquarium Live animal cams of your favorite sea creatures. Best for kids PreK to 6th grade. 15-30 minute activity Zoo of Atlanta Cute live cams of Pandas. Who doesn’t love pandas? 15-30 minute activity Houston Zoo Gorillas, chimps, ant communities, elephants, giraffes, and rhinos greet you on this live web cam. Great f...

Before children sit down to start their work, consider a deeper look at their learning space. Is your child's working space suitable for the task at hand? Is it free from distraction? Does it remove barrier to learning? Is it a space your child actually likes to be in? Though most of us have limited space available to us in our homes, the following quick tips will allow you to make the most whatever you have available.  The key to a smooth operation is planning ahead, accounting for possible challenges, and pre-planning solutions to those challenges. A child's physical learning environment should never be a distraction, rather, an asset. 

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt Here we are, together, under a national emergency none of us could ever see coming. We have taken great responsibility in doing what we can to limit the spread of COVID-19, making tough decisions to socially distance ourselves to protect the vulnerable ones we love as well as the many vulnerable ones we will never meet. We have closed schools indefinitely for some districts, others closing temporari ly with no guaranteed date of return. Additionally, districts have uprooted face-to-face classrooms in favor of digital, home-based platforms. A move consisting of a tremendous amount of work on behalf of schools - all done at lightning speed. COVID-19 has done something else. It has unwittingly forced us to be part of a grand social experiment none of us saw coming. We have - on a national scale - moved from a brick and mortar education system to a homeschooling platform almost overnight. As a career educator, sc...