State Policy Network
Innovations to help students through coronavirus shutdowns

Education in the United States has been flipped on its head by the coronavirus, with 43 states, four territories, and Washington, DC recommending or ordering schools to close for the remainder of the academic year. This has affected more than 55 million children.

While school districts work to salvage the remaining months of the school year and prepare for the possibility that fall classes may look different than those of previous years, the free-market has stepped up to offer educational supplements to students stuck at home, often at no charge.

In fact, there are so many new and long-available resources that families may struggle more with choosing between the offerings than they do with finding tools to keep their children learning and engaged during school closures.

Scholastic Learn at Home is one resource that launched in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides students from pre-K-12 through ninth grade daily projects to continue their education outside the classroom.

“We know that missing school isn’t easy for your kids—or for you,” said Lauren Tarshis, senior vice president, editor-in-chief, and publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. “But we also know that there are simple ways to turn unexpected time at home into exciting opportunities for your students to learn, think, and grow.”

The free curriculum is broken out by grade and includes activities built around books, stories, videos, lessons on science, and more. Scholastic has pledged to share up to three hours of instruction daily for 20 days.

Another well-known brand in the education space, Khan Academy, is also stepping up to provide free resources for teachers, parents, and students, including daily livestreams on Facebook and YouTube for each group.

Among some of the resources offered to students are courses for Kindergartners through young adults, including quizzes offering immediate feedback. For parents and newly remote educators, Khan Academy provides schedule templates to keep students on track, lesson planning, official SAT guides, tips on motivating and engaging students, and professional development for educators.

Some companies that have long provided free educational resources are now in the spotlight as the demand for supplements is on the rise. One such site, Izzit.org, boasts a wealth of tools for parents and teachers seeking guidance on creating educational structure at home, as well as students looking to keep busy. Izzit’s resources span from quick-hit instruction to comprehensive courses that include lesson plans, videos, reading, activities, and quizzes.

For young readers looking to rest their eyes, Audible is offering free streaming of stories geared toward students of all ages. The free collection—offered “for as long as schools are closed” includes favorites like Harry Potter to lesser-known, foreign language titles. Reading IQ is offering a free trial and discounted rates for more traditional readers who are looking for variety in their virtual libraries, even as brick-and-mortar libraries remain closed in many areas. The site offers thousands of titles for children of every age.

The Exploratorium is one of the many science-focused sites offering lessons in the scientific method, kitchen experiments, and learning from nature. Currently, the site includes numerous segments aimed at helping children better understand viruses and health. Also in the science space, NASA and Lego have joined the ranks, challenging students to “Build a Planet” with Legos as part of their ongoing initiatives to inspire families through learning at home.

Ardor Education, which bills itself as “a worksheet replacement,” provides math lessons for students in seventh and eighth grade, while Sumdog provides math and spelling education through games.

A day at school wouldn’t be complete without creative outlet, so many programs have launched to help children express themselves through art. The Crayola At Home Creative Hub is just one company offering free craft and art tutorials. Tiller Peck, principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is offering daily ballet classes through Instagram Live. And, for children who want to learn art from the greats, numerous museums, like Musee d’Orsay, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the National Gallery of Art, are offering virtual tours.

Many other sites are offering virtual field trips, physical education classes, story time, history, geography, cooking, and economics courses.

And the burgeoning pool of resources isn’t just focused on children. Wide Open School, for example, is a group of more than 25 educational organizations that came together to support teachers and parents as they navigate the unique challenges of home schooling.

“There is so much good happening, and we are here to gather great stuff and organize it so teachers and families can easily find it and plan each day,” the website says.

Some of Wide Open School’s partners include National Geographic, Scholastic, Khan Academy, Apple, and YouTube. In an effort to get resources to all demographics, the site has tools optimized for smartphones and provides supplements in multiple languages.

For a comprehensive list of available education resources, check out the USA Today rundown, and this list compiled by Swing Education.

Categories: Policy Issues
Organization: State Policy Network