Distance Learning

With the current state of affairs in California, we all find ourselves in a unique and strange situation. In the back of our minds, we are wondering if this is the “new normal.” We hope that the situation resolves to the point we can all continue with our regular lives but for the time being families will be assisting children with distance learning.
 
As we start on this journey of distance learning, we need to remember a few key points.

• Children learn at different speeds and in many ways.
• Create a balanced daily schedule (routines are our friend).
• Make time for breaks and snacks.
• Be flexible and adaptive (our best-laid plans do not always work and that is OK).
• Get outside.
• HAVE FUN learning with your children.

 
Preschool Age Children:
Children ages 0-5 learn best through play and interaction. Since we are in a state of shelter in place, it is a difficult time to give your children interactions with children their own ages. For the time being family members will be the main source of interaction. Here are some ideas of things you can do together to help preschool children learn.

• Engaging children in dramatic play is a fun way to introduce them to a variety of topics. Children’s imagination is limitless. We can do anything in our imagination; one example is to pretend your kitchen is a grocery store. Have your child take their favorite stuffed animal on a shopping trip and gather their favorite foods. Together you can sort the items into a variety of groups based on themes such as food groups, shapes, colors, and sizes; you can count the items too. Have fun with it and before you know it, you have engaged them in developing social skills and mathematics.
• Music and movement, another fun way to get your children active. Turn on your favorite tunes and have a dance party. Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is also a fun indoor activity if the weather is poor.
• A great way to get your children interested in books and literacy is to share stories. This is slightly different from just reading to them. When you share a book, you are reading but also interacting with them. Depending on their age, you can ask questions about what is going on or ask them to tell you what happens next. You can also take a picture book, ignore the words and together you and your child can create your own version of the story based only on the pictures.
• Many young children love sensory activities, water play, playdough, sand play, finger painting etc. Lots of times the messier the better.
• Art is always fun and so is cooking. Preschool age children love to be helpers. Use this opportunity to start teaching them how to help in the kitchen, teach them how to bake muffins or scramble some eggs. Just be sure to keep safety in mind as you help them work in the kitchen. Cooking is also a great way to introduce science, math, and reading.

You can also find many ideas for activities on Pinterest, Google, and YouTube. For internet security, be sure to preview videos prior to showing them to your children or watch with them.
 
School Age Children:
Children grades TK-5 learn very differently. It is best to assess your child’s abilities and create a plan based upon their individual ability. However, children in TK-1 still very much learn through play and interactions. One way to help engage them is to empower them to be the teacher. Let them teach you something or have them set up a classroom and teach their stuffed animals. However, as a parent of a school age child you should follow the direction of your child’s CUSD teacher.
 
Online Educational Resources:
Scholastic Learn at Home: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
National Geographic: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Fun Brain: https://www.funbrain.com/
Highlights Kids: https://www.highlightskids.com/
Google Earth: https://www.google.com/earth/
Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/
Doodles with Mo Willems: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/
 
We hope some of these ideas will help during this time.