Free At-Home Learning Resources

Free At-Home Learning Resources
Posted on 03/18/2020
Students on computer

With school out for an extended period of time, it is important to keep your student engaged and active mentally and physically. Many online learning resources are offering free access to their platforms during this time and we will add resources to the list as we find more.

You also can visit the MNPS Digital Tools page for links to frequently used classroom tools, apps and log in information and for the district's Accessibility and Accommodations Resource Guide.

Categories:
Archive News,COVID-19

Free at-Home Learning Resources

These sites will keep students of all ages engaged and on a schedule while school is out.

 

Homework Hotline

Homework Hotline is a helpful resource that tutors K-12 Tennessee students in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science, Spanish, and more. (High school students: we can help with calculus, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and most other subjects) All support is taught by certified teachers.

They offer help in seven languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, Farsi, Mandarin, and Swahili.
Call: (615) 298-6636

 
 
 
 

Resources for Early Learning (Pre-K):

MNPS Countdown to Kindergarten Website: A free website that provides information and resources to help families get ready for kindergarten. Families have access to resources and tools, including monthly activity calendars and an activity guide full of at-home activity ideas. The site features:

  • Learning@Home, where families find lessons that mirror concepts taught in Metro Schools' Pre-K classrooms. Each unit contains nine weeks of lesson plans based on a reading book (Note: families may be able to access the book online through the Nashville Public Library or other online resources).

  • Activity sheets that support the Nashville Public Library's Pre-K Essential Literature.

Additional Pre-K Resources

  • National Geographic Kids: The website provides an opportunity for children to learn about geography and fascinating animals.
  • Seussville: Read, play games and hang out with Dr. Seuss and his friends.
  • Star Fall: Children can practice their phonics skill with read along stories.
  • ABC YA: Practice math and reading skills while playing fun, interactive educational games. Games are categorized by grade and subject, and cover topics such as multiplication, parts of speech, typing, pattern recognition, and more. With so much variety, there is sure to be something for kids at all learning levels and styles.
  • Highlights Kids: Provides activities, crafts and games and you can do at home. The website has an Explore section, where children can explore and learn about different topics.
  • Tinkergarten at Home: Classes and activities for children kids ages 6 months to 8 years develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green space.
  • Learning Without Tears: Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool (Pre-K):Get Set for School. With this digital platform you can access activity books, lessons, demonstrations of letter and number formations, music, videos, stories, and more. Platform flexibility allows you to use an interactive white board, a laptop or a tablet. *Families can now access the Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool and/or Handwriting Interactive Teaching Tool for 90 days at no cost.

 

Elementary Literacy Resources

  • PBS Learning: PBS Learning offers students (and parents) extra practice and resources to support learning. Through additional texts and videos, students can work on the different strands of literacy (or any other subject area) within interesting topics aligned to appropriate grade bands.
  • Nashville Public Library: Students can participate In the Summer Reading Challenge! They track their minutes of reading and earn prizes.
  • ReadyRosie is an early education tool that helps families, schools, and communities across the nation deepen and scale their family engagement efforts. The platform uses video modeling, family workshops, professional development opportunities, and mobile technology to build partnerships between families and educators, resulting in Ready Families, Ready Educators, Ready Children.
  • Storyline Online streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.
  • IDA Basics, the International Dyslexia Association provides informational materials, professional learning and resources to support individuals and the parents of individuals with dyslexia.
  • Understood.org is committed to growing and shaping a world where everyone who learns and thinks differently feels supported at home, at school, and at work; a world where people with all types of disabilities have the opportunity to enjoy meaningful careers; a world where more communities embrace differences.
  • Lexia Core5 Reading
  • Kid’s Health Dyslexia Fact Sheet: Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard to learn to read and understand written language. Even students with average or above-average intelligence can have dyslexia. To learn more about what families and parents can do to support their children, visit Kid’s Health Dyslexia Fact Sheet.
  • Get Epic Books is a digital reading platform for kids 12 and under. Texts about all different topics and well-known authors can be found through an easy search feature. Students can create collections from more than 40,000 popular, high-quality books.

Secondary Literacy Resources

  • PBS Learning offers students (and parents) extra practice and resources to support learning. Through additional texts and videos, students can work on the different strands of literacy (or any other subject area) within interesting topics aligned to appropriate grade bands.
  • Limitless Libraries - Students can choose from thousands of books in print, e-books, and audio from the Nashville Public Library and pick them up curbside from their schools. Translated titles available.
    Access through the student's Clever app. Login: check with the school librarian.
  • eBooks - MackinVIA - Students can checkout ebooks and digital audiobooks and either read/ listen to those on their school laptop or check them out so that they can read/listen to them on a personal device.
  • The ProjectLIT Community: Read current adolescent literature books alongside your student and join in events and conversations. Encourage a book club at your student’s school.
  • Beanstack tracks students daily reading (recommended 20 mins/day) and earn badges and prizes.
    Students can access through Clever app.
  • Common Sense Media advises caretakers about content in specific texts and tips for having difficult conversations around important topics.

Resources Specific for Math

How to Learn Math is a free class for learners of all levels of mathematics. There are 6 sessions, the first three are approximately 10 minutes long and the last three approximately 20 mins long. It combines really important information on the brain and learning with new evidence on the best ways to approach and learn math effectively. Many people have had negative experiences with math and end up disliking math or failing. This class will give learners of math the information they need to become powerful math learners, it will correct any misconceptions they have about what math is, and it will teach them about their own potential to succeed and the strategies needed to approach math effectively. If you have had past negative experiences with math this will help change your relationship to one that is positive and powerful.

Productive Struggle Strategies for Getting “Unstuck”: Though struggle is natural when learning new content, it is important for students to have strategies to use to overcome the challenges they face. The following strategies can support learners to use their prior knowledge to find different strategies to solve the problems they face.
 think of a similar problem you understand draw a math picture or use objects to represent the situation  say the problem in your own words change the numbers to help you determine a strategy to use visualize the problem to better understand what is happening and what is being asked try a different strategy for sense-making or finding the solution.

Questions to Support Mathematical Thinking

We all want our students to be able to correctly answer the questions asked of them in math class, but the process to arrive at an answer and an explanation of how and why a strategy works is just as important as the solution itself. When reviewing your student’s work, ask them to explain any pictures they drew, how they made sense of the problem, and how they might explain the main ideas to a friend. Allowing them to practice talking about their ideas will support their development of deeper mathematical understanding and show them there is a purpose to mathematical problem solving.

  • How do you know that?
  • What makes you say that?
  • Can you think of any exceptions?
  • Can you think of another way to represent that? What are some connections between the two representations?

Resources to Support Better Understanding of the Math Content

  • Khan Academy Tutorials is is a nonprofit organization with the mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Their website includes standards-aligned practice and lessons that allow students to practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning.
    Visit Khan Academy to create a free parent account.
    • Once an account is created, click COURSES and select the appropriate grade-level or course.
    • (NOTE: For high school Integrated Math courses, select “See All Math” and scroll down to select Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2, or Mathematics 3.)
  • Mathematics Milestone Videos briefly explain the main concepts students should be learning in mathematics from kindergarten to 12th grade. The videos may provide you with information about which topics your student may need additional support to understand.
  • Graham Fletcher’s Mathematical Progression Videos (grade K – 5) short videos are designed to give a high-level overview of the progression of student learning for foundational math concepts, such as addition and subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. These videos may help you better understand the content your elementary student is learning – particularly if the content looks different that how you learned math when you were in school.
  • The Multiplication Course by Steve Wyborney (grades 3 – 12) is designed to support development of the conceptual understanding of multiplication and build mathematical fluency. If your student is struggling with basic computation and number sense, this series of videos can support him or her to better understand mathematical relationships and become more familiar with the concept of multiplication.
  • i-Ready Math Family Center

General Education (Core Content Areas)

  • Age of Learning - ABCmouse, Adventure Academy, ReadingIQ: ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy is a curriculum for preschool through second grade. Adventure Academy is an online game, serving elementary and middle-school aged children with thousands of learning activities in a fun and safe virtual world. ReadingIQ is a digital library and literacy platform for children 12 and under designed to improve literacy skills. A free month trial is available now.
  • Arizona Geographic Alliance Maps: The purpose of the Arizona Geographic Alliance is to strengthen geography education. They have a nice collection of maps for all grade levels including maps of the world, various countries and maps with historical themes.
  • STEAM at home activity calendar

  • Download this STEAM at home activity calendar.
  • Books by the Bushel (PK-1) Books by the Bushel offers FREE literacy activities for young students. They are very simple, but many would need to be printed at home.
  • Biology in Motion: Original and entertaining biology animations and interactive activities, available for free.
  • BrainPop:Engaging learning games, animated movies, and activities. Designed with relevance, depth, and humor to encourage kids on their unique learning paths. (science, social studies, English, math, arts & music, health & SEL, engineering & tech)
  • Center for Civic Education: The Center offers effective programs in civic education. The main curricular programs of the Center are: We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, which is used from upper elementary through middle and high school levels. They have free lesson plans and resources for students and teachers.
  • Chem4Kids: The site provides explanations, activities and other resources to aid students (and everyone) who wants to understand matter, atoms, elements, the periodic table, reactions, biochemistry and more.
  • DIY Science: Sponsored by the Adventure Science Center, this website, “offer[s] DIY Science lessons and experiments the whole family can enjoy! Each lesson provides instruction, a materials list, and ideas for activities to get hands-on with science, including sample questions to get those gears turning. Check back for more lessons!”
  • Dreambox Learning: Dreambox has three different age-appropriate learning environments for mathematics: K - 2, 3 - 5 and 6 - 8. Though there is usually a monthly fee, they are currently giving 90-day free trials to the online learning platform, which is adaptive/individualized to the learner.
  • EngineerGirl: Try your hand at engineering with these design challenges that use common household items.
  • Freckle: Online learning resources for K-8 students focused on differentiation for all levels of learning in English, math, science, and social studies.
  • FunBrain:An educational browser game website for children in grades K-8. Includes topics like math, grammar, science, spelling and history.
  • Into the Book: Free games for elementary students to practice reading strategies.
  • Khan Academy: a nonprofit with the mission to provide a free education for anyone, anywhere. Along with offering free resources for parents, students and teachers, Kahn is hosting daily (weekdays) 11 a.m. CST live streams on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for students, parents, and teachers navigating school closures.
  • LabXchange: A free platform where middle and high school students can discover, create, and remix content. The content library contains high-quality digital resources from universities and scientific organizations worldwide … including interactive lab simulations, videos, assessments, and more.
  • Learning Blade: The STEM practices embedded within the Learning Blade platform are changing students' self-image and efficacy towards STEM. The Learning Blade platform includes online mission challenges, hands-on lessons, and parent-student discussion topics. TSIN has made Learning Blade available to all middle school students in TN for free.
  • Legends of Learning: Legends of Learning is a game-based learning platform for grades 3 - 8. Games are aligned to the math and science content standards. This resource is currently used in our STEAM schools, but the company is expanding access to all student in all of our schools. Parents can sign-up for free account using the link above.
  • Library of Congress: The Library of Congress provides a vast amount of digital resources including audio and video recordings, printed materials, maps, music and art, newspapers, personal narratives, and more.
  • Limitless Libraries: E-book and audiobooks are available.
  • MNPS STEAM has created a daily at home activity calendar.
  • ReadyRosie: Tennessee families with children ages birth to 3rd grade now have access to Ready Rosie, short videos and free resources with simple, engaging activities you can do at home. Register for free. En español también!

Math Games to Play at Home

Math Websites

  • Amazon Future Engineer: You will find things such as a robotics program through partners CoderZ for grades 2nd to 12th grade and EarSketch, a free program that helps students learn to code through music, plus BootUp PD, which offers teachers free access to lesson plans and coding resources, plus and a lot more.
  • Mystery Science: The company has pulled together their most popular science lessons and are offering them for anyone to use for free. No account or login is needed. All of the activities are designed to use simple supplies a parent will likely already have at home.
  • NASA STEM Engagement: Fun, engaging STEM activities to do at home! Launch rockets, build a Moon Habitat, solve spacy puzzles, and much more. These science, technology, engineering, and math activities are fun for kids, adults, and the whole family.
  • National Park Tours: 33 National Park Tours you can take from your couch.
  • Newsela: Engage every learner with thousands of real-world texts that feature diverse perspectives and people all students can identify with. (English, social studies, science, SEL, Spanish)
  • PBS Learning Media for Kids: PBS and your local station have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more. You must create an account to use the service.
  • Polyup: A free and open computational thinking playground where students can experiment with numbers and functions. Students will “mod”, or modify, a variety of expressions, equations, and algorithms to solve mathematical puzzles and discover the beauty of math in a visual environment. With self-paced activities geared towards 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th grades, Polyup works great as a supplement to any math classroom. It is available on the web and runs on any device, including Chromebooks, phones, and tablets.
  • Scholastic Learn at Home:Scholastic has created a free, open-access digital hub with education materials for children in Pre-K to grades 6-9. Subjects include English language arts, STEM, science, social studies, and social-emotional learning. You need to create a free account to access the resources.
  • SciGirls: SciGirls is a show for middle school students, showcasing bright, curious tween girls putting STEM to work in their everyday lives. Each half hour episode will inspire your students to explore the world around them and discover that science and technology are everywhere.
  • Storyline Online (Elem): “Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children's books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.”
  • Smithsonian Learning Lab: Everything Under the Sun! *Well...maybe not everything... but the Smithsonian Learning Lab puts the treasures of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex within reach. The Lab is a free, interactive platform for:
    • discovering millions of authentic digital resources
    • creating content with online tools
    • sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.
  • Tennessee History Resources: This link will connect you to a large number of resources specific to Tennessee history. They include the student version of the Tennessee Blue Book, The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, Tennessee State Museum's TN 4 me website, Tennessee History for Kids, and Teaching with Primary Sources from MTSU.
  • The Federal Reserve System: The Federal Reserve offers numerous educational resources for Economics and Personal Finance. Topics range from banking basics to understanding the Fed and GDP.
  • The Interactive Plasma Physics Experience: This site explores plasma physics topics ranging from electricity, magnetism, energy and fusion, with interactive and animated lessons and opportunities to participate remotely in scientific research. There also is a section for submitting questions to a plasma physicist.

Arts and Music

  • American Theatre Wing: Working in the Theatre is The Wing's Emmy Nominated documentary series produced to entertain audiences by revealing theatre's inner-workings, profiling industry luminaries, and taking a closer look at unique stories that surround important work. The videos are best suited for students in grades 9-12. Additional free resources are also available on the site.
  • Art Educators of Minnesota: Links to free online resources for K-12 art students compiled by the Art Educators of Minnesota.
  • Arts Ed NJ: Arts Ed NJ has created a special section of the Arts Ed NJ website with resources for arts educators. We have been working in close consultation with the Art Educators of New Jersey, Dance New Jersey, New Jersey Music Educators Association, Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey, and New Jersey Thespians to make available these resources to all of our educators and teaching artists. The pages include resources that are applicable to everyone (technology platforms and services) as well as individual pages for each discipline.
  • Center for Puppetry Arts: Center for Puppetry Arts has expanded its Digital Learning platform to include free live streaming. You can enjoy curriculum-based workshops and Digital Learning interactive puppet shows from the safety and comfort of home. All you need is an internet connection to join their Zoom rooms.
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra for Kids: The DSO's educational website for teachers, students and families, DSOkids.com includes classroom activities and resources such as composer biographies, instrument photos with sound demonstrations and an opportunity to join the DSO Kids Club.
  • Davis Publishing: Davis is offering their digital resources free until the end of June. The site includes textbooks, teacher manuals, and more.
  • Doodles Academy: A free art curriculum that is available virtually. It provides art projects that offer authentic art experiences for students - every student makes their own artistic decisions and walks away from the project with artwork unique to them. Each project includes video tutorials and thorough lesson plans so that anyone can feel comfortable teaching art, regardless of their background or experience level. More, the art projects are aligned to topics and themes found in literacy, math, social studies, and science
  • Frist Kids: Provided by the Frist Art Museum this site is perfect for students interested in knowing more about art. They have several videos, and each video has an art project you can make at home.
  • Google Arts and Culture: This site offers daily art exposure and potential lessons.
  • Kennedy Center Arts Edge: The Kennedy Center offers many free arts integration lessons for multiple subject areas.
  • Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo's studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.
  • MusicPlay Online: Free access for the public to hundreds of music activities for PreK-6.
    • Use login: snow and password: 2020.
  • National Theatre: Free online theatre videos provided by the National Theatre.
  • NY Philharmonic for Kids: Free music education games and learning activities provided for all ages.
  • San Francisco Symphony for Kids: This website, in conjunction with the San Francisco Symphony's live performances, provides a great way for people of all ages to hear, learn, have fun and play games with music.
  • Save the Music Foundation: A list of music education resources provided by VH1 Save the Music Education Foundation.
  • Theatre Education Resource List:A list of many free theatre education activities and resources compiled by Florida Thespians.
  • Theatre Education Online Resources: Links to many online resources for theatre students and teachers.
  • Theatre Educator Pro: Theatre education resources, videos, and webinars provided at no cost.

Physical Education and Wellness

Resources for Critical Thinking

  • BreakoutEDU: Breakout EDU is a learning games platform. All Breakout EDU games require players to use critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication. Visit the website and choose the game you want to play.
  • Puzzle Barron: The world's largest web site devoted to logic puzzles! Where more than 25,000 unique puzzles available for play, both online and the old-fashioned way - with pencil and paper. Feel free to solve online just for fun!

Social and Emotional Learning

World Languages

  • Duolingo is a free language learning website where students can learn many different languages. There are no assessments, just learning exercises.
  • Open Culture is a free language learning website where students can learn many different languages. There are lessons and courses.
  • Busuu is a free language learning website where students can learn many different languages. There are lessons recommended for ten minutes per day.
  • Rockalingua is a site for elementary Spanish language learners.

Spanish

Somali

  • BBC Learning English: News, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation lessons offered in multiple languages.
  • English Learners Learning at Home: Description- This 4-week packet of activities is divided into grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. It is currently translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Somali, Arabic, Chinese, French, Urdu, Vietnamese, and the creator is looking to translate it into other languages.
  • Minnesota Humanities Center: Books available online in English with Somali translation.

 

Lots of Ways to Get Moving

When students (and parents) need a break from teaching or learning, check out these digital options to stay active!

 

Other Resources