College of Education Faculty, Instructors Offer Resources to Help Parents Teaching At Home During Coronavirus (COVID-19) School Closures

As schools, educators and parents continue to navigate what remote learning will look like for their students during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many online resources parents can turn to to enrich their child’s at-home education. Here, several faculty members and instructors with the NC State College of Education share their tips and favorite resources to keep kids of all ages learning about math, literacy, technology, foreign languages and more.

[spotlight-box label=”” img=”32755″ align=”right” heading=”Providing Support During COVID-19″ cta=”Visit the COVID-19 Tips and Resources Page” url=”https://ced.ncsu.edu/news-new/coronavirus-college-updates/resources-for-covid-19/”]The NC State College of Education is committed to supporting educators, students and parents as they teach and learn remotely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To help with this, we have created a page dedicated to providing tips and resources to ease the transition to at-home learning[/spotlight-box]

Explore STEM Careers at Home

The National Science Teacher Association is offering a free month’s membership, with access to thousands of digital tools and resources, as well as interactive e-books and free weekly web seminars that include interaction with nationally recognized science, engineering and education experts, The STEM Careers Awareness website also offers online videos and fact sheets about STEM careers. Additionally, IBM offers opportunities to earn badges in fields including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science. — Meg Blanchard, Ph.D.. Professor of Science Education

Learn a New Language

Duolingo is a fun and easy-to-use application to help students learn new languages. As they engage in sequential, short modules that relate to various vocabulary and grammar topics, kids can earn points and badges through practice. The resource is available online or through a mobile app. — Hannah Bollinger, Lecturer and Foreign Language Education Advisor with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, which is part of the NC State College of Education

Practice Math Skills

Fun Brain features math-focused and problem solving games for grades K-8 and Figure This! features high-quality challenges focused on mathematics in grades 6-8. IXL Math includes hundreds of skills, organized by grade level, and includes algebra, geometry, pre-calculus and calculus. — Cyndi Edgington, Ph.D., Teaching Assistant Professor of STEM Education

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Hollylynne Lee, Ph.D., a professor of mathematics and statistics education and senior faculty fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, has worked with her Data Stories Project team to assemble a list of resources to help parents discuss the COVID-19 pandemic with their children. 

•  Coronavirus Comic for Kids, From NPR
•  Why Do We Need to Stay Home / What is Flattening the Curve? From The Washington Post 
• Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus, From Teaching Tolerance
• Coronavirus Social Story, From The Autism Educator
• General Tips for Talking to Youth, From The Child Mind Institute
• Resources for Talking to Young Kids, From PBS
• Resources for Talking to Teens, From Harvard Health
• Talking to Anxious Youth, From The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 
• Multilingual resources about COVID-19

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Support Students with Learning Disabilities 

The “Supporting Children with IEPs During eLearning Days” webinar can help both parents and educators support children with learning disabilities as they transition to online learning. In addition, the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education’s COVID-19 and Online Learning page offers activities, tools and tips to support remote learning. –– Jessica Hunt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Special Education

Explore the World from Home

Parents can help children explore the world around them and learn alongside them through virtual reality expeditions. Through online searches, children can “visit” a wide variety of places for free and can embark on a new “expedition” each week, chronicling each adventure in a journal.— Micha Jeffries, Ph.D, Teaching Assistant Professor of Social Studies and Diversity Education

Reimagine Education Through Literacy

Parents should encourage children to read and write daily and explore the world through text. The New York Times Learning Network is a great resource to inspire older students to read, write and think. Through this website, students can explore the world through daily writing prompts or documentary film clubs and engage with current events. The website’s multidisciplinary resources are updated daily. — Crystal Chen Lee, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of English Language Arts Education