I have three kids - 5th grade, 3rd grade, and kindergarten. Obviously they are all home from school and I am looking for ways to keep them busy while I telework (outside of chores). Any suggestions for home schooling software or apps or any similar resources? I would be willing to pay for something if it is worth it.

Their school assigns them daily work via Google classrooms but I do not believe it is enough. In the beginning it was, then other parents started bitching to the point where now they hardly get an hour a day. That won't work.

I would like for something that gives me age appropriate assignments that I could go over with them briefly, give them some type of follow on activity/assignment, and then check their answers when they are done. Nothing too crazy.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

A riding crop?

I kid, I kid.

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:
I have three kids - 5th grade, 3rd grade, and kindergarten.

...

I would like for something that gives me age appropriate assignments that I could go over with them briefly, give them some type of follow on activity/assignment, and then check their answers when they are done. Nothing too crazy.

Good luck!

However, many zoos and museums are offering virtual tours...might not be basic ABCs, but good for education on history/worldly knowledge.

There's also an program called Prodigy that does more academic education.

Boss

Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization with the goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students. They have stuff specifically designed for kids stuck home now.

Don’t have anything for the third and fifth graders (other than the khan Academy suggestion above), but for the kindergartener, the Wisdom Wonder Project May be of help. Their website is
https://www.wisdomwonderproject.org and they have a YouTube channel with considerable free content.

We used Switched on Schoolhouse for several years. They had online teacher support, but I'm not sure what they offer these days. We stopped home schooling our kids about twelve years ago. We were very happy with this at the time. Here is a link: https://www.aop.com/switched-on-schoolhouse_overview

Find someone in your area that already home schools their children. There is usually a group that trades courses and info. My be able to help you.

Brain pop waa a great supplement for ours during that age group.

As a shop teacher my big deal was hands on stuff where you did things rather than book work. A mix of both might help you out. A certain amount of book work, then some time creating.

A suggestion for creating would involve tooth picks and elmers glue. In the end it would also include studying structures (bridges, skyscrapers) and measuring and testing.

The goal is a structure built by the child that reaches, say, 20” high and must support a brick/book/etc.

Before building some research of pictures of structures would be needed. Google search “bridges” Etc and look at images on the web. You want to find steel skeletons of these. The discussion would be “what do you see in common with all these pictures?” Here you are highlighting geometric shapes. In particular you are looking for triangles (the strongest of the geometric shapes). You can also discuss squares, arcs, etc.

Once the shapes have been identified, how can they be applied to a tower to support the brick?

They do some drawings of their tower. “Plan your work, work your plan” “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”


Now to building the tower -


I would suggest wax paper on the kitchen table as a work surface. Easy clean up.

Maybe a paper cup (do they still exist?) with some glue in the bottom. This can limit the time spent (when the glue is gone....), might limit the potential mess and in the end can be easily thrown away. Tooth picks have one end dipped in the glue, then laid on the wax paper. Connect end to end. Another tooth pick can be used as a “brush” to add glue to joints.

If I were to do this project myself, I would be building the tower on its side. Maybe have the final drawing under the wax paper. Build one side at a time. At some point they are declared “done” and then they get tested. If it holds the brick it passes, if not - back to the drawing board.

Variations for successive structures - bridge spanning 2’, taller tower with fewest tooth picks. Both have to hold a brick.

As far as “best design” that I would coach them toward - something that looks like a cell tower. All triangles.

Maybe a rule for the entire project - as one structure replaces another, the earlier only stays around for a week or two. Certainly a choice you would make, might reduce eventual clutter. I think both tooth picks and glue can still be found at the grocery store.

We are using Khan Academy and Teach Your Monster to Read for our kindergartener. We Also have ABC mouse but we pay for that.

I have no additional online resources.

Do you have the 3rd and 5th grader's textbooks and workbooks? I'd have the 5th grader working independently through the textbooks and related workbooks. Especially with math. Have the 5th grader do a section a day in math.

The 3rd grader will need more direction and help. You'll have to be the teacher.

I'd have the kindergartener working on handwriting. There should be plenty of letter worksheets online. Copying sentences if the kindergartener knows the ABCs.

Mine are 4th, 6th, and 8th. What they are getting from their school isn't enough. My 6th grader finished everything for this week and next, yesterday.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

I'm in a similar situation. I use the free math worksheets on this site.

https://www.k5learning.com/

Google redbird math and it should bring up some links.

Redbird used to be EPGY a curriculum produced by the researchers at Stanford, it was spun off and then bought by McGrath Hill.

They started off just a math program and branched out to a pretty full curriculum.

We used K12.com

With everything else going on...some restrictions being loosened in some states...as there is no end in sight for the school closures...a couple other options...

https://www.adaptedmind.com/

https://www.prodigygame.com/

Boss