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Holidays Around The World is one of our favorite units in kindergarten. Celebrating Christmas and Holidays Around The World allows us to explore so many cultures, customs, holidays, and traditions. ...

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Holidays Around The World is one of our favorite units in kindergarten. Celebrating Christmas and Holidays Around The World allows us to explore so many cultures, customs, holidays, and traditions. ...

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Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans | Teachers Pay Teachers

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World's most popular online marketplace for original educational resources with more than four million resources available for use today.

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Stay up to date on all the latest from Hey Teach: Get periodic emails that include exclusive content, special guides, and other great resources you won't find anywhere else! The resources to thrive-and the laughs to survive-as an educator.

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Understanding the distinction between inclusion and equity is the key to creating a classroom environment that produces just outcomes. Here at CRLT, we have made a shift to focus from inclusion to equity-focused teaching because we recognize the need to be more responsive to the impact of systemic inequities on teaching and learning. As scholarship continues to advance in our fields, we have recognized that most well-intentioned inclusion-focused practices do not and will not by themselves disrupt histories of inequity.

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12 Things Equity Focused Teachers Can Say To Students In The New School Year

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Use these 12 ways to welcome students to the new school year with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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When Mark Anthony Gooden conducts workshops with principals and superintendents on how to create equity-focused climates in schools, one exercise he assigns is frequently greeted with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, if not outright anxiety: the writing of a personal "racial autobiography" - an unvarnished reflection on one's own status in the American racial hierarchy and the views one might hold as a result.

"White school leaders will often say, 'This has nothing to do with the real work of school leadership,'" says Gooden, Teachers College's Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership and Director of TC's Endeavor Antiracist & Restorative Leadership Initiative.

"At the end of the reflections, I ask, 'Does anyone in this room seriously believe that race and culture do not impact the job you do as a leader?' There's usually a reflective pause. And then most of the time, the majority of them say it does - it's just that they're not sure how, or what to do about it."

In the opening chapter of their newly released book, Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2021), Gooden and co-authors Sharon I. Radd, Gretchen Givens Generett, and George Theoharis offer a vignette of just such a principal: "Ezra," the thirtysomething head of a diverse middle school in the fictional town of Rolling Hills. Ezra is under pressure to improve his students' performance on standardized tests. He's also dealing with tensions that reflect events in the community, including a spate of anti-immigrant graffiti at the local mall and controversy over funding better library resources for recent immigrants.

EQUITY TEAM TC's Mark Gooden (second from left) and coauthors (from left) Sharon Radd, Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership at St. Catherine University; Gretchen Givens Generett, Interim Dean and Professor of Foundations in the School of Education at Duquesne University; and George Theoharis, Professor of Educational Leadership & Inclusive Education at Syracuse University.

Ezra sees the relationships among these converging issues, but he has little time and is tempted to reach for the newest curriculum or other quick fix. Instead, Gooden and his co-authors offer a pyramid of factors he should consider. At the top are individual and interpersonal issues. At the next level down are issues playing out within the school. Next come broader structural issues in the education system and community. And at bottom are historical issues "rooted in centuries of human experience."

Gooden and his colleagues offer school leaders like Ezra an array of "disruptive practices" that include conducting schoolwide equity audits, building equity leadership teams and introducing curricula that are of relevance to all students. But to effectively apply the pyramid, the book argues, principals must start with the individual. That's where the racial autobiography comes in - and Gooden knows that undertaking it is often the hardest task of all.

People are afraid of being embarrassed for not understanding privilege, of feeling guilty about being a White person in America. We say right out that there are going to be steps that require you to be emotionally engaged. It's going to be uncomfortable writing, but if you can stay with it, the results are well worth it.

-Mark Anthony Gooden, Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership

"People are afraid of being embarrassed for not understanding privilege, of feeling guilty about being a White person in America," he says. "We say right out that there are going to be steps that require you to be emotionally engaged. It's going to be uncomfortable writing, but if you can stay with it, the results are well worth it. Because while leaders are often cognizant of inequities, they may not have recognized their own implicit biases and how those biases factor into a school's climate, access to the curriculum, or discipline. They might come to realize, for example, that when it comes to school holidays, they may have strong leanings toward particular traditions and religious occasions. They might come to realize, too, that no one has sought student voice to see how students feel about it. Ultimately, there might be this new awareness of, 'Hey, I'm a good person, but I'm not as good at seeing or eradicating inequities as I thought. How do I do it?'"

In other instances, Gooden says, leaders have already done the internal, personal work but may not be taking the right approach to mobilizing others.

"Principals go through our programs and come out pumped to make positive changes, but then they get back to their schools and run into resistance," he says. "And that's where building your equity leadership team comes in - a team of like-minded people working with you. Because this is too hard to do alone."

Ultimately, he says, the work of creating an antiracist environment is about implementing personal lessons learned.

How do you approach that teacher who is suspending Black and Latinx boys? How do you respond when she comes to you in tears and says, 'Are you calling me a racist?'

-Mark Anthony Gooden, Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership

"How do you approach that teacher who is suspending Black and Latinx boys?" he says. "How do you respond when she comes to you in tears and says, "Are you calling me a racist?"

Black leaders will likely face their own challenges, both external and internal.

"One principal we know identified as a Black woman and her assistant principal as a Jewish man," Gooden relates. "In her racial autobiography, she shared how their predominantly White staff frequently looked to her AP for approval when she, as the principal, was saying what needed to be done. At a certain point, she allowed that to happen, in order to get things done. And I said, 'You can do that, but ultimately you're giving them a pass and endorsing the troubling belief that a Black woman can't lead without a White man signing off.' Her assistant principal, who was a true ally to her, felt the same way. So, we become afraid to address the folks who are doing the bad behavior, and we try to work around them. But in the end, that comes back to bite us."

Gooden, whose resume includes more than two decades of research and culturally-relevant academic leadership at the confluence of race and law, knows that, just as in his workshops, many readers will feel defensive or even resentful when race issues are "revealed." He doesn't take it personally, he says, because many leaders reflexively resist interrogating race.

"Our aim is not to find how many teachers and leaders we can label as racist," he says. "The goal is to build a community of trust and racial awareness so that we can work together to ultimately reimagine and build an equitable system. And I do think change is possible. People are going to make missteps, but if we know they are committed and courageous, we can come together to do incredible work.

No one has ever told me that the United States in the future is going to be more homogenous. We have to be prepared to work with folks different from us by working on ourselves.

-Mark Anthony Gooden, Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership

"What we argue in the book is that this really is good leadership, this is good teaching, this is how we change our systems to be prepared for the future," he adds. "No one has ever told me that the United States in the future is going to be more homogenous. We have to be prepared to work with folks different from us by working on ourselves."
- Steve Giegerich

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Creating Equity-Focused Schools - from Within

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A new book co-authored by TC's Mark Gooden guides principals in confronting their own biases

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Equity Focus Areas - Teach Plus - Leadership Opportunity

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Teach Plus works to break down barriers in five core Equity Focus Areas ripe for change. Teacher development, recruitment, student learning, rigorous curricula and early childhood education.

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How do you know when you see equity-driven leadership in action? What does it look, feel, and sound like? When it comes to leading for change and moving towards a vision of greater racial justice and equity, there is no shortage of literature and professional development opportunities in education.

As a New Leaders alum and former school administrator of 11 years, I coach school leaders to advance equity and excellence in their schools. Working together, we identify and discuss evidence of how equity plays out in their day-to-day leadership actions. Our goal is to turn theory into practice.

School leaders who are serious about equity are continuously learning and pushing themselves to grow into better, more effective change agents. Here are five equity-driven leadership actions that I've seen work. You can implement them in your school today.

1. Promote a mindset in all members of their team that all children can learn at exceedingly high levels

An equity-focused leader intent on building mindsets goes beyond professing: "ALL children can learn." They collect and review lesson plans with an eye on historically underserved student populations, such as students in Special Education or those who are English Language Learners. Leaders who ensure lessons are aimed at supporting and reaching these groups know how critical it is that all lesson plans are not only based on core content standards, but reflect the intellectual depth that students deserve. Equity-focused leaders know that these populations need specialized instruction that address their unique needs as well as consistent and daily access to grade-level work that is engaging and meaningful.

2. Create an inclusive environment that allows all faculty, staff, parents, and students to feel safe, valued, cared for, and seen

A school leader intent on reaching and connecting with the most historically underserved youth in their building work to redesign systems to ensure these students are connected to the school. One highly effective strategy is the "Wall of Names'' activity. It involves printing the full names of every child in the school and posting them on a wall at a staff meeting. Staff then cross off the names of students they can personally attest to knowing deeply. Whatever names are left uncrossed become the focus of conversation and next steps for connection.

Put simply? " It feels good to be heard" as New Leaders alum Daniela Anello shared about her school. They found a way to reach families through weekly personal phone calls, intentionally and explicitly including all staff, not just teachers, but also cafeteria workers and other often overlooked staff members.

3. Provide all students access to effective, high-quality curricula that are both academically rigorous and culturally responsive/relevant

A school leader intent on ensuring cultural responsiveness and relevance in the classroom knows their community deeply and models how to address the issues and events affecting their students. This might take the form of a thoughtful newsletter addressing the latest news headlines that continue to cast light on racism playing out in the community. Or in the opening remarks of a staff meeting that connects a recent trauma in the community to the urgency and heart of the agenda for professional learning and collaboration that day.

In the aftermath of the insurrection on the US Capitol, New Leaders Chief Program Officer Michele Caracappa recommends making these critical leadership moves a daily practice in schools.

4. Create systems and structures that equitably distribute resources

A school leader intent on equity relies on data to inform resource distribution. What do leaders do when a small group of parents shows up to demand separate gifted and talented classes for a select group of students? Equity-focused leaders start with student data and use this as a launching point to engage in dialogue that takes a critical look at the resources available, the kids being served, and how to ensure whatever outcome is decided upon matches the school-wide vision, values, and student need.

In an equitable school, the group with the loudest voices in the room and the most cultural capital doesn't necessarily end up with the extra resources. Instead, they participate in a series of community meetings and processes with all stakeholder groups. And the school leader grounds the decisions that need to be made in student data, putting the most historically underserved students at the center of discussion.

5. Consider the impact of their decision-making and policies on historically marginalized groups

A school leader intent on prioritizing equity makes an effort to seek out the voices of traditionally underrepresented groups on decision-making bodies: from staff who are paid hourly and often not present in staff meetings to the parents working multiple jobs who are unable to attend evening events or accompany their children to morning drop off.

Equity-focused leaders make this a regular part of their decision-making practice. It might take the form of having the explicit norm in every meeting to "recognize and consider the voices of those who may not be in the room" and developing structures to shed light on and ensure proper representation of those voices. Phone banking and family surveys conducted by a trusted community member or staff are also useful tools for gathering multiple perspectives.

In summary

The above examples are just a small sample of the vast number of opportunities there are in a school leader's day to embody equity-driven leadership and move towards greater racial justice in our school systems. Students, staff, and families are constantly watching and looking to school leadership to guide the way.

When school leaders make equity an explicit and visible priority, it permeates throughout the school culture and offers a clear path forward towards hope, healing, and transformational results for the student learning experience.

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Equity-Focused Leadership: What Does it Look Like in Action? | New Leaders

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How do you know when you see equity-driven leadership in action? What does it look, feel, and sound like? When it comes to leading for change and moving towards a vision of greater racial justice and equity, there is no shortage of literature and professional development opportunities in education.

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10 Best ELA Tools for Elementary Schoolers | Common Sense Education

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10 Best ELA Tools for Elementary Schoolers is a Top Picks list of 10 apps and websites curated by Common Sense Education edtech editors.

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by TeachThought Staff

What are the best math resources?

Because of the skill-based nature of mathematics in general, math resources pair especially well with digital tools like apps and websites. On these kinds of platforms, accounts can be created, progress can be visualized, mastery can be documented, complexity can be adjusted to individual needs, and achievements can even be given as a kind of motivation mechanic.

Year to year, the best math resources tend to stay the same, with large platforms like the Kahn Academy being supplemented by well-designed apps like Quizlet and Math Agent. (Many of these are covered in our best math apps for kids.)

But each year, a handful of new math apps, websites, and other resources emerge to be useful for elementary school, middle school, high school, homeschooling, and college-prep practice. Below, we've gathered 25 of the best math resources for 2021-a mix of established and all-new tools to support the building of math skills and the grasp of important mathematical concepts.

Math Resources For Elementary School Students

Mental Math is a great way to begin to teach elementary students basic arithmetic skills.

Developer Description: The K-3 math movies teach educational topics like time, money, number sense, geometry, measurement, addition, subtraction, and fractions.

Moose Math teaches basic counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, geometry and more.

Prodigy is a game-based math app, it takes kids through an adventure while teaching basic math skills.

IXL provides personalized learning, along with a real-time math diagnostic test. The diagnostic designs a recommendations list based around areas you struggle.

SplashLearn is a game-based math app that offers over 350 math skills with an adaptive learning path for each child.

Khan Academy Kids is a free to use app designed to teach beginner academics to children ages two to seven.

CK-12 provides a library of free online textbooks, videos, exercises, flashcards, and real world applications for over 5000 concepts.

Buzzmath is a subscription-based math app offering over 7,000 math skills from grades K-12.

ABC Mouse is subscription-based app that teaches basic academic skills through fun activities.

Dragonbox is a game-based app that teaches basic algebra to children five and up.

Space Pig Math is a game-based math app that teaches times tables up to 12×12.

Math Resources For Middle And High School Students

Mathway is a free algebra calculator with step-by-step explanations.

Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that offers math classes taught from on-board educators.

Brilliant teaches STEM skills with fun and challenging interactive explorations.

IXL provides personalized learning, along with a real-time math diagnostic test. The diagnostic designs a recommendations list based around areas you struggle.

Symbolab is a math equation calculator for algebra, trigonometry, and calculus problems.

CK-12 provides a library of free online textbooks, videos, exercises, flashcards, and real world applications for over 5000 concepts.

Developer Description: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom

Quizlet

Quizlet is a free to use app with community created flashcards for all academic studies.

Developer Description: Online math solver with free step by step solutions to algebra, calculus, and other math problems.

ACT Prep offers free ACT preparation with flashcards, and ACT practice test.

Khan Academy SAT provides exclusive access and advice to build a personalized practice program for anyone, anywhere.

Developer Description: Using text and speech recognition, the app surfaces the most relevant learning resources for you.

Developer Description: A mobile application which utilizes a phone's camera to recognize mathematical equations, and to display the step-by-step solution onscreen.

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by TeachThought Staff What are the best math resources? Because of the skill-based nature of mathematics in general, math resources pair especially well with digital tools like apps and websites. On these kinds of platforms, accounts can be created, progress can be visualized, mastery can be documented, complexity can be adjusted to individual needs, and achievements can even be given as a kind of motivation mechanic.

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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February24 , 2014
Here is what I have been preparing for you over this weekend. Below is a list featuring some great resources for science teachers. These resources provide a wide variety of materials for teaching science from lesson plans, printables, activities, technology resources and many more. I invite you to have a look and share with your colleagues.

This is a periodic table of chemical elements ( around 180 ) with an illustrative video around each element. This wonderful work has been realized by The University of Nottingham.

The Understanding Science site was produced by the UC Museum of Paleontology of the University of California at Berkeley, in collaboration with a diverse group of scientists and teachers, and was funded by the National Science Foundation. This platform provides a wide variety of science sources for teachers and students.

This is a wonderful Pinterest board that is packed full of science resources for teachers.

This is one of the most popular science channels in YouTube. SciShow discusses science news and history and concepts.

5- Discovery Education

Discovery Education offers a broad range of free classroom resources that complement and extend learning beyond the bell. This page features a number of science lesson plans and other materials to use in class.

This page features a list of scientists from Smithonian and provides videos on each one of them about their work and what they do.

7-National Science Teachers Association

This is the official page of NSTA where you will have access to an array of free science resources for you and your classroom.

8- Science Netlinks

Science NetLinks is a premier K-12 science education resource produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At Science NetLinks, you'll find teaching tools, interactives, podcasts, and hands-on activities, and all of it is free!

10-Teachers Guide to Science Projects

The Teacher's Guide to Science Projects was developed to provide teachers with everything they need to assign, manage, and evaluate a science project program in the classroom, including lots of tips to make a science project a fun educational experience. While this guide was designed for teachers who have never assigned a science project, it also offers a variety of tools and tips that seasoned teachers will find useful.

PlantingScience is a learning community where scientists provide online mentorship to student teams as they design and think through their own inquiry projects. Engaging in the science process and becoming familiar with science practices enhances science learning.

12-Technology Resources for Teaching Science

This page from Edtech Teacher provides different resources for teachers of science from websites on biology and chemistry to those providing teaching materials on medicine and nanoscience.

13- Laura Candler's Science Resources

This is laura's Science File Cabinet. Here you'll find dozens of free printables and helpful website links for the upper elementary or middle school science classroom.

Edheads is an online educational resource that provides free science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.

15-Ted Talks on Science
Here are five interesting TED talks on science curated and shared by Mashable.

This portal provides thousands of pages of activities, workshops, course descriptions and more.The work of hundreds of geoscience educators and over a dozen projects.

Find here fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena from the PhET™ project at the University of Colorado.

SienceDaily is one of the Internet's most popular science news web sites. With over 65,000 research articles, 15,000 images, 2,500 encyclopedia entries, 1,500 book reviews, and hundreds of educational videos, there is something for everyone on ScienceDaily.

19-The Periodic Table of Comic Books

In The Periodic Table of Comic Books, you can click on any element to see a list of comic book pages involving that element. Click on a thumbnail on the list to see a full comic bookpage. For technical information about an element, follow the link to Mark Winter's WebElements.

20-Biology in Motion
BiologyInMotion! Here you will find animations, interactive activities, and cartoons designed to make learning biology a richer, more engaging experience.

Sumanas develops animated tutorials in a variety of formats for many scientific disciplines

Developed by teams of scientists and educators, the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) is a collection of online Earth system science activities. Each activity, or chapter, introduces one or more scientific data sets and analysis tools that enables users to explore some aspect of the Earth system.

Learn more about the human body. Information is provided on the skeleton, the heart, the brain, and the digestive tract, and how they function.

Kineticcity is developed by the American Association for The Advancement of Science . Kineticcity provides some of the amazing collection of science experiments, games, activities, and challenges.

Scitable is a free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology, which include the topics of evolution, gene expression, and the rich complexity of cellular processes shared by living organisms.

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The 25 Must Have Resources for Science Teachers

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February24 , 2014 Here is what I have been preparing for you over this weekend. Below is a list featuring some great resources for science teachers. These resources provide a wide variety of materials for teaching science from lesson plans, printables, activities, technology resources and many more.

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I have a confession... maybe it's one that you share too... Or maybe it's not... but either way, I must confess... I RARELY teach social studies! Now honestly, I LOVE Social Studies. But in reality, teaching it to a class of second graders was challenging. Maybe it was the next to nothing for material. Or the completely outdated resources we did have. Either way, I was a terrible social studies teacher. So for the past few years, I've been working EXTRA hard to be better at working social studies into our routine. And that extra work means I've found some tools that make teaching social studies better. Best part? All of the ones I'm sharing today are FREE! Scroll down to check out these free social studies websites that you can use to plan activities in your elementary classroom.

1. History.org

The website, History.org has tons of free resources and tools for teachers looking to beef up their colonial history lessons. My favorite are the webcams. While at the site, click the "kids" section to find fun activities and games. And scoop out the "parents and teacher" section for lesson plans and information all about Colonial Williamsburg. Recommended for grades k-3rd.

2. Zinnedproject.org

"Teaching People's Histoy" is the tag line of Zinnedproject.org and for good reason. The Zinn Education Project works to tell and share the history that many history books tend to forget. Click the section "Teaching Materials" then search by time period or theme. You'll be happy to see that most resources work to tell the "truth" behind many generally accepted historical concepts. Recommended for grades 3rd and up. (Although some resources are available for PreK-2nd.)

3. iCivics.org

Got civics? icivics.org is for you! Kid friendly web design with engaging games and lesson plan suggestions are the main draw of this website. Click the "teachers" section and check out the curriculum units for government, landmarks, and everything else civics! Recommended for grades K and up.

4. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of America

Say hello to primary resources galore! Something many history books lack! The website, gilderlehrman.org has an expansive searchable library of primary resources to deepen your social studies discussions! From diary entries, sheets of music, posters, newspaper articles, you name it! If it happened in America, you can probably find something here! You do have to create an account to access the pictures, and make sure you indicate you're a teacher as access to these resources is restricted to paid subscribers otherwise. Good for grades 1st and up.

5. Ducksters

Why this site is called Ducksters must have something to do with all the ducks, but this website packs some serious punch in the social studies department! Click through either history or geography and find a wealth of information! Great for student research projects as well! Recommended for grades 2nd and up.

6. ReadWorks and NewsELA

One of my favorite ways to teach social studies is through our reading. Readworks.org allows you to pair reading and social studies together. Create a free account and gain access to thousands of reading comprehension articles. Search by grade level or subject. NewsELA offers that same concept, except many articles come in different Lexile levels so you can be sure to pull articles that match your students' reading levels. Hello easy differentiation! NewsELA is one of my favorite sites to find articles for annotating text using SNOTS! Oh, and did I mention you can create "classes" in NewsELA and assign readings? Great for digital classroom models! Great for grades k and up!

7. Scholastic.com

I love Scholastic resources. From books for your classroom library to classroom magazines to supplement your science and social studies curriculum, Scholastic offers it all. In addition, they have a free resource library for teachers that's perfect for supplimenting not only your reading program, but your social studies curriculum too.

To access, click the "educators" section, then click "teachers" at the top of the page. From there you can access lessons and ideas on the left hand side! Great for grades k and up!

8. MobyMax

If you're looking for free access to digital learning programs designed for your students, MobyMax.com offers a great learning platform. But in addition to their reading and math digital learning programs, they also have a section for teachers to find worksheets and lessons on many different topics, including Social Studies. Set up your free account and access resources by grade level and subject area! Good for grades k and up.

9. Mr. Brett's YouTube Channel

If you ever wondered if there's an animated video of that... there is! And Mr. Brett's Class on YouTube has it... and it's funny! Such a fun and engaging way to get your students to think about historical facts and events in a musical way! Seriously, this dude is a genius! Like... we're mixing Jay-z's song "New York" with Early Explorers! Best for grades 2nd and up!

10. Liberty's Kids

This historical educational cartoon series does an amazing job of explaining the creation of the United States better than any textbook. Although the series ended in the early 2000's, you can watch every episode for FREE here! I love the idea of using this as a pack up and relax activity that your kids will actually enjoy AND learn from! Good for grades k through 4th.

So, are you as guilty as I was on the teaching social studies front? Hopefully not! And if so, now here's your chance to add some new FREE resources and ideas to your social studies toolbox! If time is more your issue, be sure to check out this time saving post!

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10 Free Tools for Teaching Social Studies

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I have a confession... maybe it's one that you share too... Or maybe it's not... but either way, I must confess... I RARELY teach social studies! Now honestly, I LOVE Social Studies. But in reality, teaching it to a class of second graders was challenging. Maybe it was the next to nothing for material.

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This blog shares ideas for using Wixie to meet standards and learning goals with kindergartners, whether they are learning at school or at home. Select the image for each idea or use the text link to open a template you can assign as a teacher, or use as a student, immediately.

If your child uses Wixie at school, they can log in at home to creating and sharing their learning through a combination of text, images, and voice narration! Your child's teacher may even be suggesting activities by assigning templates that will show at the top of your child's Wixie home page. (If your child doesn't have Wixie, sign up for a free trial account you can use for 90-days.)

1. Create a digital greeting

Even though it has only been a few days, if you are practicing social distancing, your child is likely missing friends and family. Try forging a connection with a digital message. Simply capture a picture of your child or something they have created and use the microphone tool to record a message. Copy the URL at the top of the Wixie page and email/text to share it.

2. Create a scratch art picture of spring

Use the eraser tool in Wixie to create a scratch art picture of spring - log in to Wixie and search "scratch" for a range of scratch art activities. Use a template like spring or flowers and erase to create a spring design. ( template)

3. Learn about artist Piet Mondrian and color in his style

Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, is best known for his work that used primary colors, white and black in simplified lines and shapes on canvas. Visit the Tate Museum's page about Mondrian with your child to learn about this artist and his work.

Then use the Mondrian Coloring page in Wixie to create your own version. To find it, search "Mondrian" at your student or teacher Wixie home page. ( template)

If your child is ready to create in Mondrian's style, ask them to draw an animal and color it like a Mondrian.

Explore a Mondrian Math lesson plan.

4. Initial sounds

Go on a letter hunt! Walk around your house or neighborhood and identify objects that begin with a specific letter. Use your device to capture images or write down what you found. Create a page in Wixie to share what you found using images, text, and voice narration. ( ABC book template)

5. Create a collage

Add images to a blank Wixie page to represent something. For example, you could represent events in story or your day or even things you see during a particular season.

6. Explore antonyms

Explore antonyms with your child. Read Dr. Seuss's The Foot Book and create a list of antonyms with your child. You can start them off with things like hot/cold, high/low.

Have your child create a page in Wixie that illustrates an antonym pair. Use the microphone tool to record their explanation.

Step-by-step directions for creating antonyms in Wixie
7. Go on a shape hunt

Read a book like The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss. Then walk around your home and find shapes, like rectangles and triangle, or even cylinders and spheres.

Use the Image button and Camera tab to capture the shapes you find and add them to Wixie. Search "3D" for a book template. ( template)
Seeing Shapes lesson plan with literature connections, samples, and more
8. Construct with virtual blocks

Some Friday fun for your young learners. Search "blocks" in Wixie for a activities that let students build with virtual blocks. If you have blocks at home, try to recreate their design with real blocks. ( template)

9. Initial Sounds

Have students find images of words that have the same initial sounds as the letters in their name. Help your child spell their name across the top of a blank page. Select the image button and work with your child to find images that match the initial sound of each letter in their name.

If you have students who need to work independently, create a page with their name, adjust the Project Settings to have the Images button open directly to the Alphabet>Images folders, and assign the template to them.

To set an Wixie file to open to a specific image library, open the file or template. Go to the File menu and choose Project Settings. At the dialog use the Stickers tab to open the Alphabet folder and open the Images folders. You will see a folder for each letter of the alphabet. Each of these folders contains images that begin with this letter. By adjusting the project settings this way, when students select the Image button in Wixie, it will open directly to this image library.

10. Share learning about community helpers with a sentence strip

Now more than ever community helpers are essential to the health and success of our world. Have students share what they have learned about a community helper by drawing a picture and writing a sentence. ( template)

Students can use the microphone tool to record how they feel this job is important. If you know someone who works in that field, share the project with them to show your appreciation!

11. Use number bonds and five-frames to build early computation understanding

Wixie includes a wealth of templates you can use to get Kindergarten students to visualize value and play with numbers. Search for "number bond" or "fact family" or "five frame" to find templates that support standards for Operations and Algebraic Thinking. ( template)

You can search Wixie's Templates library by standard! At your Wixie home page, click the three dots to the right of the search field. At the Advanced Search dialog, select the radio button for Standard and then use the pull-down menus to narrow down your search.

*This screenshot shows Common Core State Standards for Math. If you are in Maryland, Virginia, or Texas, you will see the CCR, SOL or TEKS standards.

12. Sort your collection from a nature walk

Walk around outside and collect rocks, flowers, sticks etc. Find a place to sort them into categories any way you like - shape, color, texture, type.

Use the New button in Wixie to start a blank project. Use the Image button and Camera option to capture your work. Add text labels or use the microphone button to describe what you did.

13. Send a virtual high five

Right now most people are going above and beyond to respond to the pandemic. Show your appreciation with a virtual high-five. Has a friend connected on a regular basis, did you grandparent send something nice?

Search for "five" at your Wixie home page and add text or voice narration to show you appreciate their being amazing. Use the paint tools and Image options to decorate. ( template)

14. Reading comprehension: character and setting

Read a book on your own or with a parent. Use the New button to start a new Wixie project. Use the paint tools to draw the main character in a setting from the story. Use the Microphone tool to record a description. ( template)

15. Simple surveys and great graphs

Survey your friends, family members, and neighbors about a favorite book, sport, food, game, or at-home activity. Collect your survey findings using tally marks to practice counting. ( template)
Explore a Simple Surveys and Great Graphs lesson plan
16. Sight word stories

Have your Kinders practice sight words by writing their own sight word story and combining into a class project! Search for "I Go" in quotes to find and assign this template or make your own. ( template)

Have each student finish the sentences and illustrate a page and import the pages into a single Wixie file to form a class book!

17. Make a map

To help young learners build map reading skills, have them go outside their home (with the help of a parent) and figure out which direction is north, south, east, and west. ( template)

Assign the "By My House" template in Wixie and ask students to use the paint tools to create a map that shows places (like a park, pool, or baseball field) in each of the cardinal directions around their home.

18. Decorate an Easter Egg

Wixie includes a folder of activities for April in the Templates>Month-by-Month folder. Open the Paint an Easter Egg activity and have your child decorate using Wixie's paint tools. ( template)

Print the file, cut out the eggs, and use as Easter decorations. You can even write notes on the back and hide around your home for an egg hunt or give to a friend as an Easter greeting card.

19. Capture reading fluency

Capture student fluency using the recording tool and Wixie templates with prose and poetry passages for grades K-3.

Log in and search "fluency" or browse Templates>Language Arts>Reading>Fluency for examples from Raggedy Ann Stories ( template) and Hey, Diddle, Diddle ( template), and more, then customize or create your own to meet your needs.

The Kinder fluency samples includes space at the top for students to draw a picture about the text, helping you also evaluate comprehension.

20. Pay with coins

Wixie includes lots of virtual manipulatives for math, even for Kindergartners. Use Unifix cubes, coins or shapes for fun math play and practice. For this template, log in to Wixie, search "coins" and have students pay for objects at a carnival. (template)
More ideas for virtual manipulatives
21. Share your favorite book

To build foundations for argument writing, primary learners start by stating opinions. Ask your Kindergarten students to use Wixie's paint tools to draw a picture of their favorite book an record why it is their favorite using the microphone tool. ( template)

22. Describe your family

Use the paint tools to paint a picture of your family. Use the microphone tool to name each person and describe them. Add text labels with their names or a trait you used in your description. ( template)

You can explore the Templates>All About Me folder for this activity. All About Me projects are a great way to focus on skills, like descriptive writing or technology, because kids don't have to work to understand or learn the content.

23. Play with patterns

Learning how to identify and create patterns like ABA or ABBA helps build foundations for future math, even algebra! Wixie includes several activities for building and practicing visual patterns. You can also have your child draw a pattern or use images added to a blank page. ( template)

24. Identify character traits

Ask your young learners to recall and retell key details about a character in a book you are reading. Search "trait" in Wixie to have the draw a picture of the character and type or record words about the character's physical traits, feelings, and actions. ( template)
Find more ideas for character trait projects and step-by-step directions
25. Tell a tangram story

A tangram is a Chinese puzzle made from a square cut into seven different shapes, called tans. You use these shapes to make the square, as well as a range of other shapes.

At your Wixie home page, search "tangram" and open the Tangram Story file. Have your child use the pieces in the tangram to make their own composite shape and tell the story of the happy square. ( template)

25. Record your positive actions

What did you do for the environment on Earth Day? Draw a picture, write a sentence and record yourself in Wixie! You can also use Wixie to create a poster to inform others about environmental issues. ( template)

27. Observe with a new perspective

So much of what we see about our world depends on our perspective. While young students are still working to show what they observe through their sense of sight, they can practice taking someone else's perspective in a fun project like sharing a view of the world from the eyes of an insect.

28. Draw you own Tree for Arbor Day

Gustav Klimt's "Tree of Life" is one of his most recognizable paintings. Search "Klimt" in Wixie and use the Eraser tool to create your own Klimt-style tree using a scratch art-style template. ( template)

Scratch art drawing in Wixie is done with the Eraser tool, not the paint brush!

29. Write a 5 senses poem

In addition to reinforcing scientific observation, engaging the five senses is a great way to help young learners add description to their writing and practice vocabulary. Assign the "5 Sense Poem" template to make it easier to add ideas textually, or remove the text boxes and have them record their ideas. ( template)

If your learners would benefit from a little direction, provide a specific topic for their poem.

30. Practice counting and shape identification

There are lots of ways to make math practice fun. Search Wixie for "shape" or "count" for a range of fun ways activities that ask student to identify shapes and apply one-to-one correspondence to color or finish a fun scene. ( template)

31. Practice vocabulary and sight words

Similar to yesterday's idea, you can use simply coloring templates to have student practice sight words and vocabulary. To find templates like this one, browse Templates>Language Arts>Vocabulary. ( template)

32. What if you could be going places?

Call or video chat with someone who lives far away or read about a new place to learn about the weather and culture in that location. Use a "Going Places" template in Wixie to show the weather, what you would pack to wear, and what you would do in that location. ( template)

33. Share data with a glyph

Like hieroglyphics, glyphs use pictures to represent information. Glyphs are a great way to get young learners to follow-directions and play with how data can be displayed.

Search for "butterfly glyph" in Wixie to find a template students can use to share information about how they spent their week by adding symbols to a butterfly's wings. Be sure they use the record button to explain their work. ( template)

34. Create a thank you card for your teacher

Tomorrow is Teacher Appreciation Day! Start a blank Wixie page and use the paint tools to create an original drawing. You can also use the image button and camera option to capture your picture!

Use the microphone tool to record your voice and let your teacher know how much you appreciate (and miss!) them. They would really love to hear from you. ( template)

Sweet note from a student today using Wixie. Happy to see she understands the situation. #Wixie #missmystudents pic.twitter.com/6BfCLfns7v
- DES Media Magic (@VerlichMj) April 8, 2020

35. Candy counting

It's Cinco de Mayo! After you thank your teacher today, search "piñata" in Wixie and use one of the templates to show off your counting skills. ( template)

36. Explore the real world of math with Mother's Day Flowers

Search "mother" in Wixie and use the Mother's Day Flowers template to name shapes and describe their relative position as well as create a vase filled with shapely flowers. (template)

Read more about the Mother's Day Flowers lesson.

37. Adapt your favorite pattern story

Read one of your favorite pattern stories and create your own adaptation. Wixie includes templates for favorites like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, It Looked Like Spilt Milk ( template), Cat in the Hat and more. Use this list of titles to turn your emerging readers into writers!
Explore an Adapt a Pattern Story lesson plan
38. Create memories for Mother's Day

If you haven't gotten your handmade Mother's Day gift ready, open a blank page in Wixie and draw a picture to create a printed card. Use the microphone tool to record a message and send as a digital greeting.
Explore more ideas for Mother's Day and Father's Day
39. Sort and classify objects

Kindergarten learners first begin organizing data by sorting objects by attribute. Wixie includes a range of templates you can use for both practice and formative assessments. Simply search "sort" at your Wixie home page. ( template)

40. Create your own pet show

Read Pet Show! by Ezra Jack Keats. Search Wixie for "pet" to find a template students can use to paint a picture of their pet and add in a superlative describing the award their pet won. ( template)

41. Counting and cardinality

Kindergarten learners need to be able to "count to answer 'how many?' questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects."

Use the three dots on the right side of the search bar at the top of your Wixie home page to search by standard and find a range of counting templates.

Wixie includes a range of count to tell and cardinality templates appropriate for your range of Kindergarten learners. ( template)

42. Send a chalk art message

To get a bit of a break from quarantine more and more people are walking the neighborhoods and many kids are creating chalk art messages to make them smile or give hope!

Search Wixie for "chalk" to find a template you can use to create a digital chalk art message. Export the image or copy the URL and send to a grandparent or share with an elderly neighbor who can't get outside. ( template)

43. Inform others

Even the youngest learners can inform others about the topics they are learning. Instead of struggling with writing or typing, have students use Wixie to simply add an image of the animal to a page and use the microphone tool to record to share information orally. Perfect for ELLs.

44. Create a digital word wall

Students can use the "word wall" template in Wixie to create their own word wall. Assign to each learner so they can add words they do not know from books they are reading or hearing. Have students look up the meaning in a dictionary or ask a parent or teacher to help them define and add a picture and even voice recording. ( template)

45. Create a class memory book

Use Wixie to create a memory book filled with each student's favorite event from the school year. Have students use Wixie's image, text, and recording tools to create their page, combine them together into one file in your teacher account, and publish online, as PDF, or print. ( template)

Explore step-by-step directions for this idea.

46. Compare numbers.

Kindergarten learners need to be able to identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, as well as compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Open the Templates folder at your Wixie home page, then open Math>Numbers and Operations>Numbers to find templates like this you can use for formative assessment and practice. ( template)

47. Build a sand castle

Is it summer yet? In any case, it's time to build a sand castle. Search "castle" at the Wixie home page and drag the shapes to make a virtual sand castle. Great activity for learning to build composite shapes! ( template)

48. "Carve" your own petroglyph

Petroglyphs are objects carved into rock by prehistoric people. Search "petroglyph" at your Wixie home page to find a template. Assign to students and they can use the Eraser tool to "carve" their own petroglyph image. Use the microphone tool to tell the story of the rock art. ( template)

49. Build foundations for scientific thinking

Encourage your students budding inquiry by using a modified approach to the scientific method. Search "inquiry" at the Wixie home page to find the Inquiry - Primary template. ( template)

Have students use it to draw pictures and describe how they learn about the world. The template guides them to begin with observation and hypotheses to progressing to thinking about how they can test their idea and then analyzing the results.

50. Count to design a beach towel

Search "beach" at the Wixie home page to find a range of counting activities perfect for summer. In the Design a Beach Towel activity, students drag shapes to create a pattern design on a beach towel and then count the number of shapes they have added. ( template)

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50 classroom activities for kindergarten

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This blog shares ideas for using Wixie to meet standards and learning goals with kindergartners, whether they are learning at school or at home. Select the image for each idea or use the text link to open a template you can assign as a teacher, or use as a student, immediately.

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Author: Susie

These are the 25+ best kindergarten activities for learning at-home

Hands-on learning does not stop at kindergarten. Our "big kids" need hands-on interaction with learning just as much as toddlers and preschoolers - it's actually CRUCIAL that they do. These Kindergarten Activities are the best at letting kids interact, play, move, and work with important learning.

Playful learning is so important for our 5-, 6-, and 7-year-olds.
RELATED: Looking for more play-based activities? Check out this list of INDOOR IDEAS for all ages.
Why do Kindergarteners need hands-on learning?

Kindergarten brains are still developing. Their hands are still growing. Asking them to work solely by pen and paper or computer screen is so far away from what they need developmentally.

They need to move.

They need to engage.

They need to be part of their learning.

These 25+ activities put the child back in the driver's seat of their learning and give them a chance to truly be immersed in their learning - a dynamic approach far superior to working on a 2-dimensionaly sheet of paper.

Make sure to read the Kindergarten standards too...

As you're looking at Kindergarten activities to do with your child, it's important to also familiarize yourself with the Common Core State Standards (US only).

These standards came out in 2010 and dramatically changed the expectations on children. While Kindergarteners were not born smarter than in the past, these standards believe they were.
SEE THE STANDARDS HERE TO KNOW WHAT IS NOW EXPECTED OF YOUR CHILD.
Enjoy these 25+ Kindergarten Activities - and keep the hands-on party going

Literacy Activities

Write the Pantry - Find words in the pantry for each letter in the alphabet

Matching Objects to Words - Matching toys to written words

Hearing Sounds - Isolating the initial sound in words

Missing Sounds in Words - Finding the vowel sounds in CVC words

Sight Word Find - Finding sight words on a giant piece of paper

Giant Word Search Activity - Make a LARGE word search for your kindergartener

Math Activities

Kindergarten Number Match - Post-it notes activity for numbers written in word, quantity, and equation.

How Many is 100? - Counting to 100 by 10s

Make Pattern Snakes - A patterning activity

Roll & Tally - A dice and statistics activity

LEGO Number Match - Using LEGO duplos to match numerals and quantities

Find the Equation - An addition matching activity

Sorting Coins - Sort coins into groups

Compare / WAR - The old card game

Hands-On Addition - Using egg cartons to show numbers and group into 10s and 1s

What is a Ten Frame? - Explaining and using a ten-frame to count

Dot Sticker Addition - Using dot stickers to show addition with objects

Add to 10 - Adding numbers 1-9 to

Greater than / Less than - Working with the greater than/less than equations

Introducing Addition - Using cards and objects to show groups combining

Ways to Make 10 - Finding ways to make 10

Sound Matching Sensory Bin - A sensory bin with a twist: find objects and match them to letter sounds.

Other Fun Activities

Learn Your Phone Number - Teach your K their phone number

Big Kid Sensory Bin - A reminder that big kids need sensory too

Shape Art Activity - A fun painting activity with overlapping shapes

DIY Board Game - Let your child make their own board game

Kindergarten Activities are so important - our kids need them

Moving away from worksheets and screen-based learning is CRUCIAL for this age group.

Don't let the toddlers and preschoolers have all the hands-on fun.

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25+ Kindergarten Activities (Hands-On & Playful) - Busy Toddler

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Author: Susie Hands-on learning does not stop at kindergarten. Our "big kids" need hands-on interaction with learning just as much as toddlers and preschoolers - it's actually CRUCIAL that they do. These Kindergarten Activities are the best at letting kids interact, play, move, and work with important learning.