Start Therapy

Request an appointment by clicking here or by calling 704-444-0087

RESOURCES FOR PARENTING DURING COVID-19

DR. JAN NEWMAN

These are strange and surreal times. At this time, over 300 million children worldwide are being homeschooled. Overnight, homeschool has gone mainstream. Parents and students who have not been homeschooling may find themselves unprepared for this change. Fortunately, we live in the world of online learning where access to online resources and digital tools is more feasible and sophisticated than ever.

Creating a general schedule for your day can really help. Recently, I shared a suggested schedule (more for younger students) to help parents who have found themselves unexpected homeschoolers. Please remember that it is a only an ideal schedule for an ideal day in the life of a homeschooler, which (1) rarely happens and (2) certainly isn’t happening now. If you have a schedule, then the resources below can help you fill some of the academic time in your schedule in creative ways.

The sky is the limit. . . well, unless, it involves you going into a public place and then that’s actually the limit now. Seriously though, this could be an opportunity to do learning in an entirely different way, and may give your child and you the boost you’ve been needing in their academic life.

  • If your high schooler is studying the Civil War, then after they’ve done some of their homework or studying for school, they could just watch the award-winning Ken Burn’s series Civil War. You could break from that and walk the dog outside.

  • If your K – 3 child is struggling with reading, then this could be a great time to work on decoding and reading comprehension using the incredible resources recently provided by Scholastic (K – 12), choose some fun Reader’s Theater scripts to read with your child, or ask your young child to read a new book to the dog. Then, you can go take a walk and play Legos!

Below is a wide variety of resources for kids elementary school age through high school that I will be updating throughout our mass social distancing experiment. Topics include resources on academic subjects and life skills.

The point of this list is to include all of these resources in one place, and that’s it. Remember that when it comes to educating at home, in general, and especially during a pandemic, less is more – more is probably just going to lead to overwhelm.

FUN STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS

PARENTING RESOURCES

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

GENERAL

Comprehensive Resources

  • edx.org – free MOOCs (Massive open online courses) from major universities and institutions (10 +)

  • GameEd Academy – Minecraft-based learning for gaming and academic subjects (3 – 12)

  • Khan Academy – General educational site for various academic subjects (K +)

  • Well-Trained Mind Academy – Online curricula for classical education ( 5 – 12)

  • Edgenuity – Online curriculum for schools (K – 12, offering discounts for COVID-19)

  • Weareteachers – Online lessons plans and resources for all grades

  • Coursera – Courses for all ages

  • Outschool – Many of these courses are more for younger kids than Coursera or Udemy

Family Resources for Health and Safety During Social Distancing

  • CDC Resources for Families – Comprehensive list of resources from the authority on COVID-19

  • Ready Rosie – Resources on prevention and care for kids with videos (e.g., hand washing, etc.)

READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS

Instructional Resources

  • Scholastic – Learn at-home program for kids during COVID-19 (5 +)

  • Grammar Girl – Not sure if it’s who or whom, this is your girl!

  • Handwriting Worksheet Maker – For children working on handwriting

  • Free Rice – A fun way to practice English grammar. For each question you get right, the organization donates $1 of rice to the UN World Food Program (K – 12)

  • Flocabulary – Fun lessons on language arts and vocabulary (K – 12)

  • Readworks – Incredible site with comprehensive and free reading comprehension tools (K – 12)

Youtube Channels / Streaming / Apps

  • Spelling City – A comprehensive site with recommended lists and the ability to customize your own

  • Epic! Books – App for free e-books and resources (K – 5)

  • Starfall – Comprehensive learning resource (K – 3)

MATH / STEM

Instructional Resources

  • Teaching Textbooks – Online stand alone math curricula through pre-calculus (K – 12)

  • CTC Math – Online math curricula (K – 12)

  • Nicole the Math Lady – Online videos paired with Saxon math curricula – offers 7-day free trial (K – 12)

  • Reflex Math – Evidence-based curricula and app for learning math facts (K – 7)

  • Dreambox – Online supplemental math curricula (K – 7; free trial)

  • PHET Interactive Simulations – Math simulations for more complex math topics (site also includes resources for other subjects) (Grades 7 – college)

Youtube Channels / Streaming / Apps

  • Mathantics – Cool videos that explain math in a fun and engaging way (K – 12)

  • Math Mammoth – The creator attempts to teach math in an unconventional and engaging way (K – 12)

  • PatrickJMT – One of the largest and oldest Youtube channels for math – math lessons are taught by a community college professor who clearly loves math (K – college)

  • Mystery Math Town – Used to be one of my kids favorites for math education with clues and math mysteries to solve (Grades 1 – 4)

  • Math vs Zombies – Math and zombies = fun (K – 5)

  • YHomework – Algebra solution app (Grades 6 – 12)

  • Dragonbox Algebra 5+ Algebra – An innovative app that aims to teach linear algebra to young children (K – 3)

  • Code.org – Comprehensive coding sites for kids of all ages (K – 12)

HISTORY / SOCIAL STUDIES

Youtube Channels / Streaming

  • A Kid Explains History – An elementary school-aged child shares his and his dad’s love of history in his own channel with funny sketches and cool graphics (K – 6)

  • Liberty Kids – In this animated series, two teenage reporters cover the events of the Revolutionary War for Ben Franklin’s newspaper, The Philadelphia Gazette (K – 6)

  • Geography Now – This channel covers geography of every country in the world (K – 6)

  • Crash Course – Many fun and educational videos but watch them first – on some, content is more geared towards older teens ( Grades 5 – 12)

  • Horrible Histories – This Amazon Prime show presents history in a totally different way – but for older kids (PG rating, Grades 8 – 12)

  • Homeschooling with Netflix – A list of the best homeschooling shows and series on Netflix related to history by a gifted specialist and educational consultant

  • Virtual COVID-19 Friendly Field Trips Around the World – This site includes a variety of family friendly trips that help kids leave their home even if only virtually and comes recommended by a Girl Scout fan!

SCIENCE

Instructional Resources

  • National Geographic Kids – Your kids can explore the world of science through a collection of apps, games, magazines, toys, videos, and many other materials (Pre-K – 8)

  • BrainPOP Science – A comprehensive site that focuses on science and STEM but includes resources for a variety of topics. Includes resources for K – 3, elementary ed, and ELL. (K – 12)

  • Nova – Comprehensive and timeless resource for science information, shows, and activities (K – 12)

  • OK Go Sandbox – Music-based science videos to inspire kids to explore their world (K – 12)

  • Mystery Science – Fun and educational videos on a variety of topics with problems and experiments for kids to solve (K – 12)

  • Happy Scientist – Free website with lots of information on science-related topics (K – 12)

  • Electricity for Kids: Fun Experiments, Free Games, and More! – This site includes lots of fun ideas and experiments involving electricity and is another recommendation by a fan!

Youtube Channels / Streaming

CREATIVE ARTS

ART

  • Art for Kids Hub – One of my kids’ favorites, this Dad creates incredible Youtube tutorials for your kids’ favorite subjects (e.g., Pokemon, Star Wars, etc.)

  • Louvre free tour – The largest museum in the world allows you to explore much of the museum

  • Boston Children’s Museum – This museum offers excellent exhibits ranging from art to science for younger kids

  • Autodesk Sketch – App for sketching and drawing (13 +)

  • Recolor – Unique coloring app (11 +)

  • Drawing Pad – Drawing app for younger kids (4 +)

  • Sparketh – Online art lessons (K – 12, 30-day free trial)

  • National Gallery of Art – Lessons plans for teachers that focus on particular pieces of art (Grades 6 – 12)

MUSIC

DRAMA

Life Skills

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE / MINDFULNESS

Books and Other Resources for Parents

Youtube Channels / Streaming / Apps

  • Brain Child – This Netflix series explaisn the science of the world and the brain from germs and emotions to social media and peers. It’s highly relatable and entertaining. If you are sensitive to your kids hearing any slang, then prescreeen. Common Sense Media rating age 7+.

  • Inside Out – This creative and engaging movie was backed by a team of psychologists for it’s portrayal of emotional regulation and provides key lessons regarding emotions

  • Mightier Emotional Regulation Program – Program from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital (paid with free trial)

  • Mind Yeti – Calming app for kids (K – 8)

  • Mood Meter – Well-designed app to help kids gauge their emotions (Grades 6 – 12)

  • Cosmic Kids Yoga – Fun and innotative yoga for kids with exercises from Harry Potter, Star Wars, and your favorite movies

  • Hand Model of the Brain – Dr. Russ Harris’ portrayal of Dan Siegel’s hand model of the brain from the Whole Brain Child

MISCELLANEOUS

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in

Client Portal | Privacy Policy | Terms  

Notice of Privacy Practices

No Surprises Act Notice 

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of what your services may cost

©2022-2024. Momentum Psychology PLLC. All rights reserved.

Learn About Charlotte, NC
Start Therapy