Gail Boushey, co-author of The Daily Five, created an interactive video series to teach parents how to read with their children. This video series is free and can be accessed using the link below.

https://www.thedailycafe.com/content/reading-home-parents

Teresa Hammond, from the Office of Early and Elementary Learning, compiled a list of activities that families can complete. Below are the ideas and resources that you might consider using as Schoology assignments.

Activities for families that do not require an internet connection:

• Read to or have your child read at least 20 minutes a day.

• Write a short story.

• Write a play for your family to perform.

• Hold a family spelling bee.

• Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.

• Prepare a recipe requiring measurement

• Search for angles, shapes, and patterns around the home

• Take a walk outdoors and observe different plants, insect life, and rocks.

• Measure the water in a creek or a stream.

• Make a collage by gluing found objects from nature to paper or cardboard.

• Make a weather chart and then graph the temperature each day.

Internet resources for families and students:

• Which One Doesn’t Belong: https://wodb.ca/ a website dedicated to providing thought provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike.

• Common Lit: https://www.commonlit.org/ a website dedicated to ensuring that all students graduate with the reading, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills they need to be successful in college and beyond.

• PBS Learning Media: https://wv.pbslearningmedia.org/ Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards

Daily Routine: Families may find it helpful to establish and follow a flexible daily routine. This will provide consistency for students. Possible routine might include time devoted to schoolwork, household chores, outside play, choice time, reading for pleasure, and family time. Encourage families to complete schoolwork in multiple settings opposed to all at one time.

Create assignments that include families. For example, have students take a walk with their family and talk about the different geometric shapes they see, items that begin with a specific sound, name items they see to enhance vocabulary, etc.

Playing Games: Students could be assigned to play specific games (might even include materials needed for the game) or allowed to choose a game from their collection at home. Games are a get way to promote family time while practice academic skills. Additional ideas and resources can be found at WVDE COVID-19 page (wvde.us/covid19)

An assignment might include students reading a book or article with their family then discussing the content and their feelings. Below are some possible books. This list was compiled and provided in Building Students’ Social Emotional Strength webinar presented by Dr. Nancy Boyles (Southern Connecticut State University).

• Identifying Emotions

  • When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry (Molly Bang)

  • Thunder Cake (Patricia Polacco)

  • Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot: A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and

  • the Candy that Dropped from the Sky (Margot Theis Raven)

• Self- Perception

  • Crown: Ode to a Fresh Cut (Derrick Barnes)

• Self-Confidence

  • The Little Engine that Could (Watty Piper) The Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch)

• Managing Impulses

  • My Mouth is a Volcano (Julia Cook)

  • Puppy Mind (Jordan Nance)

  • The Snurtch (Sean Ferrell)

  • Millie Fierce (Jane Manning)

  • Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robins (Sharon Robinson)

• Goal Setting

  • Degas and the Little Dancer (Lauren Anholt)

  • Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (Ann Schroeder)

• Communicating

  • The Sandwich Swap (Queen Rania Al Abdullah)

  • The Honest to Goodness Truth (Patricia McKissack)

  • On the Day you Begin (Jacqueline Woodson)

  • One Green Apple (Eve Bunting)