I'm not sure this is the best format for sharing things but with schools closing and people scrambling, I wanted to get the information compiled and worry about the structure later.
Math
I will only post one resource here because I think it is the best around. Note that if your child has been studying under a common core curriculum that (1) it may be more difficult for them than you would expect BUT WELL WORTH IT and (2) they need it more than anyone else. Common Core SUCKS and, when working with kids who are struggling in math, I've found that they really don't have a good grasp of the fundamentals and that only perpetuates the struggle and their disdain for the subject.The Art of Problem Solving is the resource to check out. It covers PreAlgebra onward. Their website is dense with content so here are some initial things to check out:
- Alcumus - they call this a game but really it consists of practice problems for each content area. The engine adjusts the questions based on how the student performs on each. The student is given two attempts to get the question correct. After, the solution and a detailed explanation are presented.
- Video Lessons - This is the page where they've compiled their videos on how to solve problems. If you aren't able to teach your kid certain math concepts, this does a really good job. OR if you have a teenager who just thinks everyone is smart EXCEPT YOU, this could be a new source of information for you :)
- Diagnostic Tests - If you aren't sure where your student should start, you can use these pretests to help figure it out. They come with the answers and can help you figure out where the holes are in your student's learning or what level they are ready for. There are many others but here are the ones likely most relevant to most middle/high school students.
- PreAlgebra 1 Diagnostic Test
- PreAlgebra 2 Diagnostic Test
- Algebra A Diagnostic Test
- Algebra B Diagnostic Test
- Intro to Geometry Diagnostic Test
- Online School
Reading
Students should read daily. It doesn't really matter what they read and I would suggest allowing them to choose topics or books to read to keep them engaged. For students who don't read on their own voluntarily or who may not enjoy reading, this is the chance for you to really look for books that will keep them interested. The skill of reading is only improved by the act of reading.For Boys
I highly recommend finding exciting books for boys who don't enjoy reading. Here are some of the series that my son has enjoyed.
Books by Mike Lupica - mostly sports-based, easy to read with good life lessons
Hunger Games series
The Giver
Vocabulary Building
Personal Vocabulary Cards is a concept presented by Collins Education. On one side of an index card, the student should write the vocabulary word and draw a depiction of its meaning. On the other side, the student should write the part of speech (top right hand corner), the definition IN THEIR OWN WORDS and two sentences that show the meaning of the word. For the sentences, you want to ensure that the student writes a sentence that would allow a reader to infer the definition of the word from the context in which it was used. It isn't good enough just to use the word correctly.
Essential Vocabulary Lists
Writing
Similar to reading, writing is a skill that is only improved by doing more writing. There are SO many ways to incorporate this into your student's day. You can combine it with other subjects or have it standalone.Collins Education is my go-to source for writing. I would start with their free resources and then browse their age-specific books that are available for purchase (in hard copy and pdf download forms). An idea would be to focus on the Ten Percent Summary Strategy This is a strategy to help students learn to summarize. You can combine this with watching CNN 10 (below) and have your student summarize their favorite segment. It can also be used to summarize a chapter they are reading in their book.
Thoughtful Learning is another great writing source. They have some Writing Prompts by grade level. They also have some Student Model writings that you can review to get a benchmark of where your student should be and for you to also provide to your student so they can see a model of what writing at their level should look like. The minilessons would be good to provide variety to your students. They also have many books and workbooks that are exceptional.
Social Studies/World Events
CNN 10 - I would watch daily. It's a 10 minute news segment geared towards anyone. It used to be called CNN Student and a lot of schools incorporate it into their curriculum. Their segments span many topics such as politics, world events, technologies, highlighting Positive Athletes and recognizing CNN Heroes. They are also now on YouTube here.iCivics Lessons - I really like this site. Civics is one of the topics that is typically hard for students to get excited about. Their lessons are presented as games or other interesting content.
Science
I've not got a lot of suggestions here. We've focused our efforts around things that interest our kid. Here are a few resources we've liked.Google CS First - standalone programming lessons for beginners.
MIT's Scratch - another great standalone programming intro site. This is also great for elementary aged kids.
National Geographic Kids
Language
Duolingo provides instruction and daily practice exercises. They have support for many languages.Rosetta Stone is providing free access to their resources for the next 3 months.
