School isn’t the only place for children to get an education. In times like these, many parents have quickly learned that when children are at home, you’re their teacher. But that doesn’t mean home needs to feel like a classroom or that everything should be a lesson.
Continue reading “21 Fun At Home Lesson Plans Parents Can Use With Their Kids”
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With so many schools closed or shifting online, parents are taking greater responsibility for their kids’ education. For many parents, this new change started during an even greater challenge — working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic. If you are a parent looking for ways to help your kids succeed in their courses, here are nine online programs to help your children stay focused and engaged in their studies.
This free online platform takes the world-class content from National Geographic and packages it in a way that is inviting and engaging for kids. National Geographic Kids offers science experiments, quizzes, history lessons and biology information—all in vibrant, fun videos and styles that keeps kids at attention.
This online resource seamlessly blends the worlds of science and reading by hosting storytime opportunities with astronauts. Targeting kids from 6 to 13 years old, Storytime from Space offers curriculum-based learning that helps parents make sure their kids are exploring the right learning outcomes.
High school students can get three months of free access to The New York Times, a leader in global journalism. Teens can explore important current and historical topics. With The Learning Network, students can upload their own videos and podcasts to share their research, discoveries and interests with other teenagers.
High school and advanced placement students can further their college preparatory studies with online courses on Coursera. Nearly 200 colleges, universities and companies offer programs in areas like world history, musical theory, pre-calculus and academic research writing. Students can audit many of these courses for free.
With courses for students of any age and at any level, Khan Academy can help your kids stay on top of their specific learning outcomes. You can search subjects by grade, from 1st grade math to 8th grade reading. Khan offers personalized learning for students and vast resources for teachers, making the world of online education more accessible and exciting.
This online learning platform offers kids an opportunity to learn or further their computer programming and coding skills. Kodable courses prompt creative and critical-thinking, while also teaching math, computer science and programming skills. Students from kindergarten to fifth grade can learn, code, create programs and share games.
More than 90 percent of parents who use Reading Eggs report seeing an improvement in their kid’s reading and comprehension skills. While their professional and diverse online programs are available year round, they are also providing free homeschool resources for students impacted by COVID-19.
Homeschooling is more than just hitting the books; if you want to give your kids a well-rounded education you’ll want to inject some physical education, too. Cosmic Kids Yoga teaches yoga and mindfulness to kids ages 3 and up. This YouTube channel provides free access to yoga classes designed especially for kids, so they’re sure to be engaging and fun.
Renowned museums across the globe are offering free virtual tours while they are closed due to the Coronavirus. Let your kids take a virtual museum tour of the Guggenheim in New York City, Musee d’Orsay in Paris, The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the National Museum of Archeology in Mexico and dozens more.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your kids is a passion for seeking knowledge. Despite all the stress, many parents are balancing work and homeschool while deeply connecting with their kids. You can accomplish that by taking advantage of all the educational tools the World Wide Web has to offer!
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Software development and computer programming skills continue to be in-demand. Even if today’s learners don’t choose careers in the tech field, computational thinking skills — or the art of learning to think logically and solve problems like a computer — will be beneficial to most future careers. Not only can coding be fun and accessible for all ages, but it also prepares kids to be successful when they enter the workforce.
Children, teens, and college students will have so much fun tinkering with these online courses, they’ll forget they’re learning to code. Note that some, but not all, of the following resources are free. Please note that prices can change at any time. Carefully read any terms and conditions before signing up for a course or submitting your payment information.
Continue reading “Top Online Coding Courses for Pre-K, K-12, and College Students”
For parents, teachers, and students stuck at home, knowing where to turn to find free educational resources can be difficult. We’ve curated a list of top-rated picks across a variety of subjects to make remote learning easier (and more enjoyable!) than ever.
All of our listed resources are currently free. Note that some of these sites and apps are offering free trials only. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before signing up for any service, especially if you’re required to enter your credit card number or any other billing information. We will continue to update this guide as more free educational resources become available and to reflect pricing changes for the services that are currently listed.
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As parents become increasingly involved in directing their kids’ education at home, it’s completely understandable if you feel a little lost at first. Luckily, there’s a wealth of online resources to help you make the most of this time with your children. Proven, teacher-approved science experiments can be fun and educational for the entire family.
Continue reading “K-12 Science Experiments That Parents and Kids Can Do At Home”
Here are 6 exciting and challenging science experiments you can use to fill your child’s days with a little learning and a lot of fun. These activities are appropriate for children of all ages. Best of all, your family can complete these lessons in your backyard:
Continue reading “6 Mind-Blowing Backyard Science Experiments for Kids”
Whether you’re homeschooling or trying to supplement your child’s education while schools are closed, you’re probably feeling the heavy weight of dual priorities. How can you prioritize parenting and educating your child while still making time for other priorities, including your job? To reduce stress and maintain balance, you can arm yourself with lesson plans that combine entertainment with education.
Continue reading “10 Easy, Affordable DIY STEM Experiments to Keep Kids and Teens Engaged”
While there are many ways to learn, STE(A)M activities are among the most fun and accessible.
Research shows that learning roots more deeply when connected to something your child is interested in. And what can be more interesting to kids than warm, gooey, sweet cookies? Or fresh baked bread? To help your kids explore STE(A)M (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities, look no further than your family’s kitchen. The following educational activities and food-based science experiments will make any child feel eager to learn at home—plus, they’re affordable!
Continue reading “Simple, Affordable Kitchen Experiments Parents Can Do With Their Kids”
Parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, know that their little ones are incredibly bright — sometimes to their own disadvantage. ADHD is often characterized by too much energy and a lack of focus, and when kids with the condition don’t have an engaging activity to keep them occupied, they quickly find ways to burn off energy that can be disruptive to others. Continue reading “7 At-Home Science Activities That Can Help Ease ADHD Symptoms”