Home School Help

One moment, you're waving goodbye as your kids' bus drives off to school, and the next, suddenly school is canceled for the sake of everyone's health. Of course, the shutdown is an important tool in fighting the spread of COVID-19, but that doesn't mean that it isn't hard, no matter if you're a stay-at-home parent or have a full time job, or are somewhere in between. When in an instant, you become a teacher in addition of juggling everything else on your plate, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and out of ideas. You're not alone! That's why we're here with some resources to help make this transition easier!

Keep reading to discover affordable solutions you can access from your computers or smart devices! Don't have an easily accessible computer or Wi-Fi? Check out how ConnectHome can help you find affordable solutions here.

Physical library locations may be closed due to COVID-19, but the Akron-Summit County Public Library digital resources are always open! From movies and documentaries, to e-books, podcasts, and music, all of this wonderful media is all free for you to use with your Akron-Summit County Public Library Card!

Don't have a library card yet? No problem--sign up for an Online Library Card through their website (mobile number needed). The librarians of the ASCPL are also posting fun videos featuring crafts, story time, and more on their Facebook page! ASCPL locations have also extended their free Wi-Fi outside their buildings, meaning you can drive up and connect to their internet, even without a library card.

Click the link below to check out their digital collection of media available right now!

Feeling absolutely lost trying to come up with daily lesson plans for your kids? Thanks to Scholastic, you don't have to!

Scholastic created Learn at Home, which features 4 weeks of daily lesson plans and resources for Pre-K all the way up to 9th grade. There's also a section of resources for parents about teaching remotely. You can customize these lesson plans as much as you want to have them fit in with any assigned homework from their teachers.

Click the link below to explore their lesson plans!

Created by parents and educators, ABCya provides over 400 games for students in grades PreK through 6. Organized by grade level, plenty of educational topics are covered, such as multiplication, parts of speech, and more. All of these games are available for free on desktop, and the free app allows access to 6 free games a week.

Curious yet? Click the link below to visit ABCya.com and explore the fun games they provide for your kids!

Looking for something to answer the "whys" your kids might have? Join Tim, Moby, and the rest of the BrainPOP cast in learning more about the Mysteries of Life! BrainPOP was created to help kids answer questions they have or discover something new. From science and math, to English and the arts, there's very little Tim and Moby don't cover!

As schools continue to remain closed, BrainPOP is here to help your curious kids on track with their learning by offering their services for free for anyone impacted by school closures.

Click the button below to find out more about their COVID19 resorces.

Want to involve your family in meal time decisions? Join Emily Marrison and her children, ages 10 and 12, every Thursday in April at 11 a.m. for Kids in the Kitchen – Facebook Live. The Coshocton County Kids in the Kitchen program provides a great opportunity for you and your children to learn how to make kid-friendly recipes, together. During this time of change, it is important to keep a schedule, and making meals together is perfect for that.

Time conflict? No worries, you can also watch and download the recorded programs and recipes from Ohio State University Extension’s Coshocton County Facebook page. Recipes thus far have included Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Topping, Creamy Peanut Butter Dip, White Chicken Chili, Double Corn Bread, Microwaveable Omelet in a Mug and Chocolate Mug Cake.

It's never a bad time to learn how to be a good human being! The Character Tree is a wonderful resource for those looking to add values to their kids' education.

Designed for K through 2 students, this educational video series focuses on positive character traits by showcasing prominent figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mister Fred Rodgers. This set is available for free through June 30th, 2020 and includes 32 character education videos, sets of supplemental resources and teacher's guides.

From the familiar friends at Highlights comes Highlights @ Home. This free website offers a wide range of tips, tricks, and ideas for keeping fun and creativity alive during this time. They embrace the "4C's" of curious, creative, caring, and confident in all their materials, so you can be sure that this material will enrich your kids' days at home.

Click the link below to explore their Parent's Portal!

Is your kid missing science labs or the science fair? CreositySpace has a handful of free science experiments that can be conducted at home with materials found around the house! From findings about flowers to crystallized crowns, there's so much to learn and understand. Many of these experiments take a couple days or more to do, so there's always something to look forward to during science lessons! There is also an explanation of what is happening during these experiments so that you and your kids aren't left wondering how anything works.

Click the link below to explore 7 experiments that will capture your child's curiosity!

Worried about your students falling behind in math? Due to the COVID-19 emergency, iknowit.com is offering their math practice services for free for 90 days. If your school is closed beyond the 90 day limit, contact them for a possible extension.

Iknowit.com is a comprehensive, interactive math practice site for students in K to 5th grade. With a wide array of characters and question types, kids will remain engaged and be challenged to achieve.

What better way to explore Congress and civic engagement than through something supported by the Library of Congress itself? With Kid Citizen, students will learn through historical primary sources and connect this with their own daily lives.

With topics that touch on Rosa Parks, the American flag, Congress, and more, this resource is rich with historical information and interactive modules that will foster visual literacy and historical inquiry. KidCitizen lessons are free and available on desktop and smart devices. Click the link below to explore what they offer.

Want to bring the arts into your home? Look no further than Theater Works USA's programming!

Theater Works Anywhere brings children's book to life in their plays and musicals, and have activities built into the videos on their website! Dress up like Wilbur from Charlotte's Web with clothes in your closet, write little plays to act out with your family, and go behind the scenes of the productions and learn about how theater is made. Theater Works Anywhere is a series of four productions, with the first, Charlotte's Web, out right now!

Click the link below to explore what art can bring into your home.

For the littlest among us, education is still important. As Ohio slowly moves into spring, take your learning outside with Tinkergarten at Home. Their free DIY activities are easy, fun, and accessible; all you need are basic household items and a spot outside, which can be a corner of a park, your front stoop, a community area, or your backyard. They also host live Tinkergarten Sessions on their Facebook page that you watch and duplicate with your family!

Sign up at the link below to get free weekly activities, how-to guides, and an active online community of parents like you.

We hope that these resources will be helpful to you and your family. We will be frequently updating the blog with more resources for those affected by COVID-19, so subscribe below!