Mrs. Rasmussen's Tips for Home Learning
We're on a new journey together, and I want to do the best I can to provide ideas and resources for making this time at home both meaningful for your child and manageable for you. The school district administrators and teachers are working on a digital learning plan. Until I get more details about that to you please try some of the ideas below.
Here is a compilation of hands-on, play based ideas to help your child learn and grow. (Don't feel like you have to do them all. Manageable is key, here!) I'll keep adding as more come up. Feel free to reach out to me with ideas to add to this list as well. Remember, although we do lots of learning at school, your little one isn't spending the whole day sitting at a table just working. They are learning through play, and can do that at home, too.
* Create a consistent routine. Kindergarten aged children thrive on consistency. You don't need to have the seemingly perfect routines people are posting on social media, but providing your child with some structure (bedtimes, meal times, school work times, play times, etc.) will help your child feel safe in a time when life may feel a little scary or uncertain.
*Read, Read, Read! Read anything and everything your child is interested in. You can read to your child, and he or she can read to you as they are able to. If you run out of things to read, check out the Scholastic BookFlix site and Raz-Kids site (all linked to my "For Kids" page for more books. Let me know if you need your child's password information.)
*Play board games and card games. You wouldn't believe the math skills involved in some of your favorite board games. Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Ho Cheerio, and Uno are just a few examples of fun games that are not only kindergarten appropriate, but will help your child practice number identification, counting, and even early addition skills.
*Write Letters to Friends and Family. Social Distancing can feel lonely and isolating. Encourage your child to write cards and letters to people they care about. This is a great way to practice encoding (sounding out words to write them) and handwriting skills. Plus, it encourages children to keep in touch with others, and who doesn't love getting a letter in the mail.
*Call, Face Time, or find other ways to chat with friends and family. We spend lots of time working on communication and social skills in kindergarten. Social Distancing can make interactions tricky, but not impossible with the technology available these days.
*Try cooking together. Cooking involves math skills as well as following a sequence of steps. Plus, it's so much fun for little ones and introduces valuable life skills.
*Get outside! Go on a walk or bike ride, play in the back yard, explore nature, have a change of scenery and get some fresh air. "Recess" is important whether your child is learning at school or at home.
*Practice fine motor skills. Play with Legos, do a puzzle, string some beads, make play-dough creations (here's an easy recipe for homemade play-dough), cut up paper or old magazines to make a collage. Fine motor skills are every bit as necessary to your child's development as academic skills.
*Find opportunities to move. Dance, play active games like Twister, toss a ball around in the back yard, or try a favorite from our classroom, Cosmic Kids Yoga. You can find it on YouTube or follow this link. We also love to dance and sing to Jack Hartmann's educational songs. You can find them at the Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel on Youtube.
*Be creative! Your child can draw, paint, color, or even pull out all all of the boxes and toilet paper tubes you had ready for recycling and let them see what they can build. If you want more structured art lesson ideas, Deep Space Sparkle has some great, free lessons. One of my favorite art lesson resource is a YouTube channel called Art For Kids Hub. This site has tons of fun, simple, guided drawing lessons.
*Take a virtual field trip. Lots of organizations are providing on-line opportunities for learning. Check out these virtual field trips offered from different museums, parks, and even NASA.
*Watch a family movie. There are lots of great, educational kid-friendly documentaries like Disney's Planet Earth series. Maybe even introduce your little one to some of your childhood favorites and open up opportunities for discussions about why you loved those particular movies as a child.
*Play! Just having time to play is important. Let your child have some free time to play. It is actually really good for your child to learn how to entertain themselves without constant guidance or parent/technology provided entertainment. You'll both appreciate it.
COMPLETELY OPTIONAL & UNNECESSARY Free Printable Activities
*Need some MORE activities to keep your child busy?
*Many teachers are sharing free resources.
*Below are ones that I have vetted and organized into subjects.
MATH
Numbers Galore 0-100
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numbers-Galore-0-100-210588
Sorting 2D & 3D Shapes
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Sorting-Shapes-Practice-Pages-Both-2-d-and-3-d-Solid-Shapes-264375
Hundred's Chart & Missing Numbers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100s-chart-missing-numbers-1068869
READING
Reading Fluency
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Reading-Fluency-Practice-1519140
Sight Word Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Practice-PRE-PRIMER-Trace-it-Write-it-Build-it-Find-it-Use-it-344778
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Worksheets-Sight-Word-Practice-FREEBIE-1356820
Sight Word Dab
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Sight-Word-Fluency-Dab-It-2892643
Sight Word Fluency
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Fluency-Readers-SAMPLER-1420859
Word Family Sliders
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Sliders-302934
Word Family Cut & Paste
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Families-Activity-BUNDLE-SAMPLER-1526505
Short Vowels
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Printables-Read-Trace-Color-Short-Vowels-FREEBIE-770893
Short Vowel CVC words
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-Vowel-Word-Builders-Freebie-1077058
CVC word family
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/cvc-Word-Family-Week-of-Writing-Freebie-643219
Read it, Trace it, Paste it!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Read-it-Trace-it-Paste-it-275302
Letter Naming Fluency Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Letters-Letter-Naming-Fluency-Practice-203414
Fluency Flip Books
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fluency-Flip-Books-FREE-1054238
WRITING
Writing Prompts
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Just-Write-Free-Writing-Prompts-902450
Writing Paper
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Paper-221711
Opinion Writing
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-Activities-885895
Opinion Writing Freebies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-FREEBIE-1313867
How To Story Starters
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Story-Starters-FREEBIE-1647503
How To Writing Paper
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-To-Writing-Paper-Template-238955
Informational Writing
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Informational-Writing-Freebie-1818884
HANDWRITING
Handwriting Galore
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Handwriting-Galore-209391
Handwriting Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Handwriting-691087
Free A-Z Handwriting Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-A-Z-Handwriting-Practice-2016733
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES
Me on the Map
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Printables-Read-Trace-Color-Short-Vowels-FREEBIE-770893
Season's Cut & Paste
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Seasons-Cut-Paste-Activity-Science-Centers-1012609
I am Special Book
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-852137
ANY/ALL KINDERGARTEN LEARNING FUN
Games
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Games-to-Make-It-Stick-Freebie-1485595
Free Hidden Picture Activity
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Hidden-Picture-Activities-3660113
SEASONAL LEARNING FUN
Spring Words
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Word-Wall-Words-FREE-78060
Spring Fever Butterflies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Fever-Butterflies-218009
Easter Free Coloring Page
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Easter-FREE-Coloring-Page-222754
Spring Break Writing Freebie
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Break-Writing-FREEBIE-1191350
Spring Math & Literacy Worksheets
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Math-and-Literacy-Worksheets-Free-1187935
Earth Day Emergent Reader
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Emergent-Reader-for-Preschool-Pre-K-and-Kindergarten-FREE-1685630
Earth Day Printables
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Earth-Day-1766408
Earth Day Freebies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Freebie-Includes-Writing-Printables-Headband-669273
Caterpillar Counting
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Caterpillar-Counting-Freebie-Common-Core-Math-for-Kindergarten-912598
Easter Jelly Bean Math
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jelly-Bean-Math-Easter-Free-Activities-224153
Here is a compilation of hands-on, play based ideas to help your child learn and grow. (Don't feel like you have to do them all. Manageable is key, here!) I'll keep adding as more come up. Feel free to reach out to me with ideas to add to this list as well. Remember, although we do lots of learning at school, your little one isn't spending the whole day sitting at a table just working. They are learning through play, and can do that at home, too.
* Create a consistent routine. Kindergarten aged children thrive on consistency. You don't need to have the seemingly perfect routines people are posting on social media, but providing your child with some structure (bedtimes, meal times, school work times, play times, etc.) will help your child feel safe in a time when life may feel a little scary or uncertain.
*Read, Read, Read! Read anything and everything your child is interested in. You can read to your child, and he or she can read to you as they are able to. If you run out of things to read, check out the Scholastic BookFlix site and Raz-Kids site (all linked to my "For Kids" page for more books. Let me know if you need your child's password information.)
*Play board games and card games. You wouldn't believe the math skills involved in some of your favorite board games. Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Ho Cheerio, and Uno are just a few examples of fun games that are not only kindergarten appropriate, but will help your child practice number identification, counting, and even early addition skills.
*Write Letters to Friends and Family. Social Distancing can feel lonely and isolating. Encourage your child to write cards and letters to people they care about. This is a great way to practice encoding (sounding out words to write them) and handwriting skills. Plus, it encourages children to keep in touch with others, and who doesn't love getting a letter in the mail.
*Call, Face Time, or find other ways to chat with friends and family. We spend lots of time working on communication and social skills in kindergarten. Social Distancing can make interactions tricky, but not impossible with the technology available these days.
*Try cooking together. Cooking involves math skills as well as following a sequence of steps. Plus, it's so much fun for little ones and introduces valuable life skills.
*Get outside! Go on a walk or bike ride, play in the back yard, explore nature, have a change of scenery and get some fresh air. "Recess" is important whether your child is learning at school or at home.
*Practice fine motor skills. Play with Legos, do a puzzle, string some beads, make play-dough creations (here's an easy recipe for homemade play-dough), cut up paper or old magazines to make a collage. Fine motor skills are every bit as necessary to your child's development as academic skills.
*Find opportunities to move. Dance, play active games like Twister, toss a ball around in the back yard, or try a favorite from our classroom, Cosmic Kids Yoga. You can find it on YouTube or follow this link. We also love to dance and sing to Jack Hartmann's educational songs. You can find them at the Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel on Youtube.
*Be creative! Your child can draw, paint, color, or even pull out all all of the boxes and toilet paper tubes you had ready for recycling and let them see what they can build. If you want more structured art lesson ideas, Deep Space Sparkle has some great, free lessons. One of my favorite art lesson resource is a YouTube channel called Art For Kids Hub. This site has tons of fun, simple, guided drawing lessons.
*Take a virtual field trip. Lots of organizations are providing on-line opportunities for learning. Check out these virtual field trips offered from different museums, parks, and even NASA.
*Watch a family movie. There are lots of great, educational kid-friendly documentaries like Disney's Planet Earth series. Maybe even introduce your little one to some of your childhood favorites and open up opportunities for discussions about why you loved those particular movies as a child.
*Play! Just having time to play is important. Let your child have some free time to play. It is actually really good for your child to learn how to entertain themselves without constant guidance or parent/technology provided entertainment. You'll both appreciate it.
COMPLETELY OPTIONAL & UNNECESSARY Free Printable Activities
*Need some MORE activities to keep your child busy?
*Many teachers are sharing free resources.
*Below are ones that I have vetted and organized into subjects.
MATH
Numbers Galore 0-100
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Numbers-Galore-0-100-210588
Sorting 2D & 3D Shapes
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Sorting-Shapes-Practice-Pages-Both-2-d-and-3-d-Solid-Shapes-264375
Hundred's Chart & Missing Numbers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100s-chart-missing-numbers-1068869
READING
Reading Fluency
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Reading-Fluency-Practice-1519140
Sight Word Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Practice-PRE-PRIMER-Trace-it-Write-it-Build-it-Find-it-Use-it-344778
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Worksheets-Sight-Word-Practice-FREEBIE-1356820
Sight Word Dab
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Sight-Word-Fluency-Dab-It-2892643
Sight Word Fluency
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Fluency-Readers-SAMPLER-1420859
Word Family Sliders
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Sliders-302934
Word Family Cut & Paste
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Families-Activity-BUNDLE-SAMPLER-1526505
Short Vowels
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Printables-Read-Trace-Color-Short-Vowels-FREEBIE-770893
Short Vowel CVC words
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-Vowel-Word-Builders-Freebie-1077058
CVC word family
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/cvc-Word-Family-Week-of-Writing-Freebie-643219
Read it, Trace it, Paste it!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Read-it-Trace-it-Paste-it-275302
Letter Naming Fluency Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Letters-Letter-Naming-Fluency-Practice-203414
Fluency Flip Books
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fluency-Flip-Books-FREE-1054238
WRITING
Writing Prompts
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Just-Write-Free-Writing-Prompts-902450
Writing Paper
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Paper-221711
Opinion Writing
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-Activities-885895
Opinion Writing Freebies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Opinion-Writing-FREEBIE-1313867
How To Story Starters
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Story-Starters-FREEBIE-1647503
How To Writing Paper
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-To-Writing-Paper-Template-238955
Informational Writing
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Informational-Writing-Freebie-1818884
HANDWRITING
Handwriting Galore
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Handwriting-Galore-209391
Handwriting Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Handwriting-691087
Free A-Z Handwriting Practice
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-A-Z-Handwriting-Practice-2016733
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES
Me on the Map
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Printables-Read-Trace-Color-Short-Vowels-FREEBIE-770893
Season's Cut & Paste
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Seasons-Cut-Paste-Activity-Science-Centers-1012609
I am Special Book
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-852137
ANY/ALL KINDERGARTEN LEARNING FUN
Games
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Games-to-Make-It-Stick-Freebie-1485595
Free Hidden Picture Activity
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Hidden-Picture-Activities-3660113
SEASONAL LEARNING FUN
Spring Words
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Word-Wall-Words-FREE-78060
Spring Fever Butterflies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Fever-Butterflies-218009
Easter Free Coloring Page
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Easter-FREE-Coloring-Page-222754
Spring Break Writing Freebie
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Break-Writing-FREEBIE-1191350
Spring Math & Literacy Worksheets
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Math-and-Literacy-Worksheets-Free-1187935
Earth Day Emergent Reader
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Emergent-Reader-for-Preschool-Pre-K-and-Kindergarten-FREE-1685630
Earth Day Printables
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Earth-Day-1766408
Earth Day Freebies
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Freebie-Includes-Writing-Printables-Headband-669273
Caterpillar Counting
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Caterpillar-Counting-Freebie-Common-Core-Math-for-Kindergarten-912598
Easter Jelly Bean Math
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jelly-Bean-Math-Easter-Free-Activities-224153