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March 20, 2020 · 3 Comments

Distance Learning: Tips and Resources for K-2nd Grade Teachers

Digital Classroom

I have always been intrigued by distance learning. I just never thought I, along with all the teachers around the world would have to do it immediately after Spring Break last year!

Luckily, I have been using digital devices in my classroom for the last four years and have quickly found out that by applying simple routines and FREE resources that are already available, distance learning was and is completely DOABLE even in the primary grades!!!

Here are some Distance Learning Tips and Resources for all of my K-2nd Grade Teachers out there!

1. Create a Routine and Set Expectations

Going virtual can be difficult for young children and their families, if they have not already had the experience. To help make the process easier, create a simple schedule for your students to follow at home. This is the best way for parents to get a good idea of your expectations and how much time their child should be learning each day. Read more below to download these EDITABLE Schedules for FREE!

Setting up rules for video meetings is also essential as you start the school year virtually. Norms help students understand expectations, which helps them to become successful!

Some rules can be:

-Listen and be respectful.

-Mute when the teacher is teaching.

-Raise your hand to share.

If you need a resource to help your students learn the rules for video meetings, click to the link below.

2. Encourage Choices

This is a challenging time as students are transitioning to learning at home and parents are learning to help their child learn at home while also juggling their own workload. Choices give students a voice in their own learning and make it more personal and relevant for them! Here’s an example of my Writing BINGO! Read more below to download this EDITABLE Writing BINGO for FREE!

For more virtual activities and party ideas, check out the 20 EDITABLE Activity Boards and Party Ideas for Video Meetings below. These activities are perfect for getting to know your students better at the beginning of the year and can be used throughout the year as well!

3. Meet Online

To meet your kids or communicate with them, here are some FREE resources to use to continue the learning online!

For class meetings, I recommend Google Hangouts, Zoom Video Conferencing, and Webex Meetings! Zoom allows you to change your background to a picture of your classroom or an ocean or out of space! Here I am in my classroom without physically being in my classroom!

4. Use Digital Resources to Enhance Your Instruction

Here are some digital apps and websites that I have love and used throughout the years. Most are FREE and will definitely help keep your students on the right track while they learn at home.

For math, I love using XtraMath (a website that you can add to the Home Screen to use like an app), Schoolkit Math, and Math Limbo to help my students build math fluency and practice their basic math facts. These apps for FREE!

IXL, a paid program, allows kids to work on specific math skills and really gives them extra time to practice at their own pace.

For reading, I like to keep it simple with these two apps: Reading A-Z allows students to read books at their level, below level, and above level! I can also easily assign books to students that allow them to read, to be read to, and then answer comprehension questions when they are done. EPIC is a wonderful app that allows students to read popular book straight from their iPads! My kids absolutely love this!

Scratch Jr is one of my students’ favorite coding apps! Using different characters, backgrounds, and coding functions, students can create stories, retell stories, and even have their characters talk using the recording option.

Codepillar App– If you already have the Codepillar, you know how easy and fun it is for students to code and control how the Codepillar moves. However, if you only have one Codepillar for the entire class to code, that can difficult. Using the Codepillar App, students can either work with a partner or by themselves to code their Codepillar on their own tablet! Simply choose and drag the movements then tap on the Codepillar on the app to make him move to complete the tasks!

Daisy the Dinosaur is another simple but fun coding app for little engineers! Students can choose from the Free-Play Mode or Challenge Mode to help Daisy the Dinosaur get to the STAR. Students can drag the simple commands into order for Daisy to move. Some independent reading is required regarding the different tasks. Therefore, working in pairs would work best for beginning and emerging readers.

Hopster Coding Safari is a fun, animated, and interactive app that my students really love! As students from different tracks to help different animals find their food, they also get to take a trip around the world! It’s self explanatory and so easy to use!

For more FREE Coding resources, I go directly to CODE.org and Khan Academy Hour of Code. In addition to plugged activities, Code.org also has many unplugged activities including my favorite the Binary Bracelets!

5. Use Google Classroom and Google Slides

If you are assigning or sharing work with your students, Google Classroom is a great tool to push work out to students quickly and efficiently. You can share a link, picture, or an editable file that your students can complete on their own!

One of my most favorite Google Apps for instruction with my first graders is Google Slides. Once I send out an interactive digital notebook via Google Classroom, they can easily open it up on Google Slides to work on it immediately! It’s so easily and fast! If you want to try it out for FREE, click to the links in the captions below!

Fraction Album Click Here / Memorial Day FREEBIE Click Here

If you need additional resources to help you plan your distance learning, check out the resources below! Happy Distance Teaching, teachers!

We CAN do it… TOGETHER! 🙂

Related posts:

10 Fun Activities for the First Week of Virtual School
How Going Digital Changed Me as a Teacher
Remaking Learning with Students in Mind
Previous Post: « Tips for Homeschooling Young Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Next Post: Cricut DIY Backpacks »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina Giaquinto says

    March 21, 2020 at 12:30 am

    Hello. The free choice board and schedule picture is not clickable. Is the link for those freebies somewhere else that I am missing?

    Reply
    • happydaysinfirstgrade_76v4hp says

      March 22, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Hello! You have to scroll down to the bottom and click on the image that says “FREE Daily Schedules and Choice Boards”.

      Reply
      • Natosha McCrary says

        April 3, 2020 at 3:40 pm

        Hey, I’m clicking the image for the free daily choice board and schedule, but the link is broken apparently. 🙂

        Reply

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My name is Ha. I am a Primary STEM teacher from Texas, a passionate educator of little ones, a teacher-author of interactive educational resources, a lover of Makerspace and STEM, a mother to two, a wife to my high school sweetheart and a forever learner. Welcome to my site!

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Snag it up now while it’s on SALE!!!Link in bio! https://bit.ly/3uqvW5T
Are you planning on doing a photo op for your stud Are you planning on doing a photo op for your students on Meet-the-Teacher Night?! 🌟

📣If so, here’s a fun and easy hack! 📣

Turn your anchor chart rack to a cute and easy photo op for your students using a glue stick and streamers! 🍎🎉

Pair with these FREE Speech Bubble Props for PreK-5th Grade! Link in bio! https://bit.ly/3jNdpMl
May we always carry the ideals of what make Americ May we always carry the ideals of what make America loving, kind, generous, and inclusive with us wherever we go and pass it onto our future generations. 🇺🇸

For a more perfect union, we will continue to put in the work, stay informed, and vote for the future that ALL of our children deserve. ❤️🤍💙
I believe in a loving and generous America- the Am I believe in a loving and generous America- the America that opened her arms and provided refuge to my family and allowed us to start anew and build our own American dreams.

I believe in the freedom that is the cornerstone of our democracy and the belief that we are all born FREE to make our own choices, walk our own path, and choose our own destiny wherever it may lead us.

I believe we are better when we are together, UNITED, and accepting of all Americans. 

I believe in these ideals that built our great country and the belief that ALL are welcome.

May all of our students always feel this way in our classroom and and in our schools. 

These activities can be found in the link in bio as part of the Back to School Activities currently on SALE. https://bit.ly/2TfR0w5
This activity right here is one of my favorite act This activity right here is one of my favorite activities for the beginning of the year! 🌟

I make a BIG speech bubble out of black butcher paper and cut out yellow circles for Emojis. ☺️😀😍🥳🤩😟😫

As one of the things on our class Scavenger Hunt during Meet-the-Teacher Night, the kids are asked to take one of the yellow circles and draw the face of an emoji that best describes how they feel about being a first grader. 

This activity is so simple and fun but gives me such information on how the kids are all feeling even before the first day of school!

Using this simple tool, I am able to address any anxiety or stress that they may have during our FIRST Morning Meeting! It’s so powerful to know even before school begins what I need to do to help ease them into first grade! 💕 

We also use the data collected for a graphing activity and then discuss what we can do to help make everyone feel happy and better. 

I love this activity and will definitely be doing this again this year! Swipe to see the before picture.

For the more Back-to-School activities, you can click to the link in bio to grab them on SALE for a limited time! https://bit.ly/2TfR0w5
One of the best things I did a couple summers ago One of the best things I did a couple summers ago was that I made these privacy folders before school started! 🎉

The kids absolutely love the positive sayings and I love that it allows them space to focus on their own work. 

Swipe to see the full tutorial then click to the link in profile to grab the posters on SALE for 24 hours! https://bit.ly/2TfR0w5 😊📚
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