This school year is looking different for everyone. From keeping up with coursework and staying intellectually engaged to finding time to step away from screens and exploring creative avenues, both students and their parents may be feeling at a loss about what to do. There are several online options, both local and national, that offer support for distance learning. Here is just a sampling.
get creative
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Your tiny virtuoso can learn about music fundamentals. SLSO offers free downloadable lessons, and the Instrument Playground Online introduces kids to the different sections of the orchestra.
- Scratch: Created by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, this programming language and online community gives kids a platform to program and share interactive media. They can create stories, games and animation while learning to work collaboratively and reason systematically.
- Storybird: Your child’s teacher may already be using this site to help inspire students’ writing, but it also offers a family subscription. Storybird provides original artwork to spark creativity and helps kids write storybooks, poems and even comics. It also offers courses for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in topics like essays, media literacy, and even writing video games and song lyrics—all taught by professional authors and teachers.
- MetKids: The Metropolitan Museum of Art virtually opens its doors to kids around the world. They can explore an interactive map of the museum, watch behind-the-scenes videos, learn about art history and tackle creative projects. The content is tested and approved by real kids ages 7 to 12.
study help
- St. Louis County Public Library: At the newly launched tutor.com, anyone with a valid library card can access tutoring, homework help and test prep assistance. Live tutors are available for consultation from 10 a.m to 10 p.m. every day, and students can upload assignments for feedback 24/7.
- Varsity Tutors: Along with one-on-one tutoring and small group classes, the company has free options including large group online courses in a variety of subjects and the Learning Lab, which offers adaptive assessments, personalized learning plans and practice tools.
- Kirkwood Public Library: In addition to free ebooks, videos and read-alongs related to children’s literature, the library offers learning resources for elementary, middle and high school students.
brain breaks
- Saint Louis Zoo: If you have an animal lover in the family, the zoo’s website is the perfect place for a study break. Stlzootube offers videos about different species, zoo life, conservation, and, yes, baby animals. They range in length from about a minute to around an hour, making it a great option for all ages.
- PBS Kids: You can count on PBS to deliver fun, engaging content that’s also educational. Your kiddo can take a break with games and videos featuring some of their favorite books and shows like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur and Pinkalicious.
- Wide Open School: This site was designed to support distance learning with enriching activities across a variety of subjects for students in preschool through grade 12. Kids can take a virtual field trip, learn about cultures around the world, solve math puzzles and more. It also includes suggestions for screen breaks and offline activities.