With school child care center closures across Tuolumne County, parents are having to learn ways of implementing their children’s education from home. Needless to say, this can be quite a challenge. What if you are trying to work from home, or work in an essential field that requires you to still leave your home every day? How do you ensure your child or children are still accessing educational materials and learning from them while they are at home?
Parent Resources
Community Resources:
Taking the stress and guesswork out of home-based education
Here at Infant Child Enrichment Services, we want to help families and child care providers access the resources they need during these challenging times. With that in mind, this article outlines a variety of free resources that can help you in your efforts to encourage your child or children to continue their learning.
Extended Learning Online in Tuolumne County
The Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office in partnership with Tuolumne County educators has produced an “Extended Learning Online” resource complete with daily lessons and access to additional online learning resources curated by local educators.
Keep your kids reading for FREE!
Library online
Reading is truly fundamental to maintaining and extending a child’s learning. The great news is, you don’t have to break the bank to keep your kids reading. Tuolumne County Public Library, in partnership with Northern California Digital Library, offers free access to ebooks for all ages! If you have a library card you can log in to access this broad database of digital literature ranging in levels from Pre-K to 12th-grade. Click here to learn more.
Storyline Online
Storyline Online produced by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation provides free access to stories read aloud by celebrated actors with engaging illustrations. You can access this free resource 24 hours a day. What’s more, supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator is provided with each book giving you the materials you need to strengthen your child’s comprehension and verbal and written skills. Click here to access this fantastic read-aloud resource!
Articles
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland. Click the button bellow to sign your child up and give them the gift of reading!
Imagination Library
Are you a parent of a child under the age of 6? Have you read and reread every book in the house? Are you looking for new books to continue raising that little budding reader of yours? Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partners with Fist 5 to put high-quality books in the hands of children from birth until they begin school regardless of a family’s income.
Need ideas to support your child’s learning and development? There’s an APP for that!
While we are all trying to get used to this “new normal”, finding ways to engage our children in activities that are appropriate for their development can become a daunting task over time. The Vroom app can provide you with daily tips that target your child’s development and eliminate the guesswork for you! Click here to learn more!
More Free Online Resources!
Sesame Street
Sesame Street is one of those iconic programs that many of us have been influenced by in our own childhoods. Not only do they provide an enjoyable program that engages children and covers a wide variety of topics, but they also provide resources online for parents, caregivers, and educators alike! Sesame Street in Communities offers a broad range of materials from video clips and ebooks to free printable coloring pages and articles covering a wide range of topics. In addition, you can click here to learn more about how Sesame Street is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PBS Kids
National Geographic Kids
You don’t have to have a degree in biology to build on a child’s curiosity about the natural world. National Geographic Kids has got you covered with activities, educational videos, and articles. If you want to learn more about how to support your child’s learning at home, National Geographic also provides a number of articles for parents through their family portal, click here to learn more.
NASA Kids
NASA Kid’s Club is a feature offered by NASA for children from Pre-K through 4th-grade. With education videos, games, and more, your kids will be engaged and excited to explore what NASA has to offer.
If you have older school-aged children at home and you are looking for materials that challenge and engage them, what better place to explore than space? NASA Space Placeoffers games, hands-on activities, educational videos and articles that explore space and Earth science.
GoNoodle
We all know what happens when children are couped up for long periods of time. We are all learning about how social distancing can influence children. Keeping physical activity and hands-on play as part of our daily routines can maintain and improve our physical and mental health. In fact, physical activity can be an effective way of connecting with your children, enhancing your relationships as well as your health. If you can safely get outside for a walk or to play in your yard, what a great way to encourage physical activity. But what if you are stuck inside? GoNoodle is a popular app among teachers and parents alike. The GoNoodle app streams a wide range of videos that engage your child in movement and mindfulness activities.