Since the covid-19 pandemic became an issue in Canada, Ontario’s Ministry of Education announced that children would not be returning to school until at least May 4th, maybe longer. While it is to keep our children and public safe from contracting and spreading the virus, it also causes stress on educators and parents.
Parents are now feeling pressured and overwhelmed to take on a teacher role during this already stressful time, and educators are wondering how to engage students online. How do you teach math without the hands-on manipulatives? How do you teach music without instruments or science without materials? Everything we did previously with our students in the classroom, now has to be re-worked through a computer screen.
Although the Ministry of Education has provided a list of educational websites for students to explore, it is not unreasonable that, with the immense amount of time already spent in front of a screen, between social media and entertainment, students may spend nearly all waking hours in front of a monitor once we add-in online learning.
What I have done, in hopes to reduce screen time, is create a list of educational websites to practice different subject areas, while also providing alternative activities to do without a computer.
Language
Websites:
Learning A-Z for levelled texts in English, French and Spanish. They also provide work sheets for reading comprehension.
Duolingo for grammar practice either in your first language or learn a new language.
Alternative activities:
Build a story – One person in the family starts a story, and each person takes a turn reading and adding to the story. When it’s finished, read the story together. This can be done on paper or orally.
Journaling – Children might not be aware that they are living in a historical moment during the COVID19 social distancing. Have them journal their thoughts, feelings, and what they did that day. One entry per day at the end of the day to reflect, either on paper, digital, video journaling, picture journaling, etc.
Procedural Writing – Have your children write out step-by-step instructions for a task, like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then, follow their steps exactly, just like what this family did here:
Math
Websites:
IXL Math – This website is all based on the Ontario math curriculum. Not only does it easily give you a list of the curriculum expectations for your child’s grade level, it also provides activities to practice those expectations.
Prodigy – Practice math in a game where you unlock items for your character and battle other characters to level up.
Dreambox – If your child isn’t familiar with Prodigy, he/she has probably used DreamBox, as both Prodigy and Dreambox are used in school boards across Ontario.
Alternative activities:
Organizing – Have your littles categorize items around the house, either by shape, colour, or give it a purpose, like toys you play with and toys you don’t. Have them categorize items on a shopping list, their clothes, etc.
Measuring – Use items around the house as measuring tools. For example, see how many spoons it takes to measure the length of the couch.
Blueprints – For older kids, challenge them to re-design a room. They have to measure out the room and re-design the space in a blueprint style using birds-eye view. Have them take measurements of the room, and then accurately scale it down to fit on paper.
Science
Websites:
IXL Science is similar to IXL math. It gives you Ontario’s curriculum expectations for each grade with activities to do at home.
Alternative activities:
Recipes – There are many recipes you can make with children, including home-made slime and play dough, and more complicated recipes for the older kids.
Nature Walks – You can still practice social distancing while hiking and exploring nature. What birds, plant, insects and animals did you see? Why not journal or scrap book it?
Paper air planes – have a contest on who can build a paper plane to fly the farthest, why did that plane fly farther than the others? What was different about it? Try adding some weight!
Bridges – Use household items to see what kind of structure can hold the most weight. How much weight can it hold? What materials were used and how were they used? What shapes are the strongest?
Cells – Explore cells by creating your own model out of house hold items. For example, make a plant cell by baking a cake and decorating it with all the cell parts.
Social Studies
Websites:
Google Earth – Explore the world without leaving your house!
BrainPOP Jr. – This website is based out of the U.S., however, it still provides children with good social studies information.
Alternative activities:
Family Tree- look back on family history and build a family tree together.
Flag- Design your own flag for a country you have created with your own societal rules.
Mapping- Explore maps and create a map that accurately shows how to get from your house to the school.
Sport’s Teams- Give your child a list of sport teams. They have to tell you what city that team is from and where they are located on the map (hockey teams for Canada or maybe University teams).
Teaching & Assessing 