The educational community has responded to the challenges of distance learning with an extensive array of free resources, printable activities, and digital tools. These offerings are designed to support teachers, parents, and students during periods of remote education, providing materials that cover various grade levels and subject areas. Many of these resources are available at no cost and are structured to facilitate easy distribution and use in home learning environments.
Available Free Resources and Materials
A variety of free educational materials have been compiled and shared by educators and educational sellers. These resources address multiple aspects of distance learning, from core academic content to student engagement strategies.
Comprehensive Resource Lists
Several educators have curated lists of freebies to assist with distance learning preparation. One such compilation includes a diverse range of materials: * Free How To Use Google Classroom for Remote Learning Online Course: A course designed to help educators navigate the Google Classroom platform for remote instruction. * Mouse Open Projects: A free curriculum resource that allows students to learn STEM and computer science content at home without requiring an account. * 40 Upper Elementary Freebies: A collection of free resources specifically targeted toward upper elementary grade levels. * Weekday STEM Challenge Videos/Assignments: Regularly updated video content and assignments focused on STEM challenges for students to engage with during the week. * Distance Learning Choice Boards: Available in versions for Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and an editable format. These choice boards feature activities aligned with Common Core standards in math and ELA and are designed to be largely screen-free, offering students a break from devices while keeping them engaged.
Specific Activity and Worksheet Offerings
Individual free resources listed in educational marketplaces include a wide variety of printable and digital materials: * Classroom Community Kindness Activity: Materials focused on building a positive classroom community. * Distance Learning – Coin Counting with Egg-cellent Cents: A math activity focused on counting money. * Distance Learning – Listening Activities for Common Core~ Listen Up FREEBIE: Activities designed to improve listening skills aligned with Common Core standards. * Distance Learning – Number Card Printables 0-20: Printable number cards for early math learners. * Distance Learning – Writing Prompts for Back to School Class Share Time: Prompts to facilitate student sharing and writing practice. * First Day of School Headbands: A craft activity for the beginning of the school year (listed at $3.50, though other items in the list are free). * Friendly Letter Writing for the Primary Classroom – “Message Center”: Resources for teaching friendly letter writing. * Habitats of the World – What’s a Habitat? Little Book: A mini-book introducing the concept of animal habitats. * Halloween Spider Sort – Short and Long Vowel Word Sorting Activity: A phonics activity for sorting words by vowel sounds. * Holiday Class Book Exchange: A resource for a classroom book exchange activity. * Homework Passes for Responsible Classes: Printable passes for rewarding students. * Math Fact Fluency Assessments: Assessments for practicing and tracking math facts. * Mother’s Day ~ E-SPA-cially for Mom Bath Salt Gift Making Station: A craft activity for Mother’s Day. * Public Speaking Class Posters: Visual aids for public speaking instruction. * Sight Word Activities “Word Wall Spin” ~ A Differentiated Word Work Activity: An activity for practicing sight words. * Summer Reading Log: A log for tracking summer reading. * Thanksgiving Story Bracelet: A craft activity related to Thanksgiving stories. * Winter Skip Counting By 2’s, 5’s and 10’s: A math activity focused on skip counting.
Writing and Math Resources for Specific Grades
Resources tailored for upper elementary students (4th and 5th grade) include: * Writing Choice Boards: These boards are described as low-prep options that require minimal copies and offer student choice. They are available for various writing genres: * Personal Narrative * Fictional Narrative * Opinion/Persuasive * Informational * Finish it! (Finishing story starters or titles in all genres) * Response to Literature * Response to Informational A digital version compatible with Google Slides is included with these writing choice boards. * Free Math Review Printables: Specifically, "Spring No Prep Math review printables" are offered. These are highlighted as being: * Comprehensive, covering many math skills. * Themed for spring, which is noted as a student-friendly theme. * "Print and go" format for ease of use.
Strategies and Tools for Distance Learning
Beyond printable worksheets, educators have shared strategies and online tools to enhance the distance learning experience.
Engagement and Independence
Choice boards are emphasized as a tool for boosting student engagement by allowing students to select their activities. This approach accommodates varying schedules and promotes independent learning. The availability of grade-specific and editable versions allows for differentiation.
Digital and Screen-Free Options
While digital platforms are essential, the availability of screen-free options is also a key feature of many free resources. The choice boards, for example, are noted for including mostly screen-free activities. Conversely, digital tools are also shared: * Podcasts: Identified as a high-interest learning tool, podcasts can be used to practice listening skills and reflection. Students can listen to selected podcasts and complete a "podcast brochure" to document their learning. * Google Classroom and Google Slides: Resources are frequently formatted for these platforms to facilitate digital distribution and completion. * Boom Learning Store: One educator directs followers to their Boom Store for additional activities and freebies, indicating the use of this platform for digital task cards and interactive activities.
Accessibility Considerations
Acknowledging the varying levels of access to technology among students, some resources and strategies address these disparities. It is noted that schools may lend devices to students, and internet companies sometimes provide free internet access for distance learning. The provision of both digital (Google Slides) and printable versions of resources, such as the writing choice boards and math review printables, helps ensure that students with limited internet access can still participate.
Distribution and Access Methods
The distribution of these free resources is primarily handled through direct digital sharing methods. Teachers are typically instructed to download free PDFs from an educator's "freebie library" or website. These files can then be: * Emailed directly to parents. * Uploaded to a shared Google Drive link. * Sent via communication platforms like ClassDojo or Seesaw.
Educators also encourage other teachers to follow them on social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to receive updates on newly released freebies and teaching ideas.
Conclusion
The educational community has mobilized to provide a vast and diverse collection of free resources to support distance learning. These materials range from comprehensive lists of freebies to specific printable worksheets, digital activities, and strategic guides for engagement. By offering resources in various formats—including printable PDFs, Google Slides, and interactive online platforms—educators aim to meet the needs of students with differing access to technology. The emphasis on student choice, screen-free options, and ease of distribution highlights a collective effort to make home learning more manageable and effective for teachers, parents, and students alike.