Weekly COVID Message from RAR
May 5, 2020
May 12, 2020
May 19, 2020
May 26, 2020
Resources for Families
E-Books for Children
- ALSC Blog: A list of free children’s eBooks
- Storyline Online: Video streams featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
- Barnes and Noble: Free children’s eBooks for the NOOK
- Amazon: Free eBooks for all ages of children
- MagicBlox: Free and appropriate for all ages of children
- Unite for Literacy: Digital books that provide audio narrations in more than 40 languages
- NC Kids Digital Library: Free access with your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card
- CoviBook: An invitation for families to discuss the full range of emotions arising from the current situation.
Online Storytimes
- RAR Aspen to Parachute will host Virtual Story Time via Facebook Live twice a week. Join the English Story Time every Tuesday at 11am and Spanish Story Time every Wednesday at 11am.
- Parent Services Project: Little Red Reading Hood story times in Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Wayne County Public Library: Read Alouds of RAR books
- Operations Story Time: Search the hashtag #OperationStoryTime on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to find authors, illustrators and others sharing story time with children.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time.
- StoryPlace: Digital storytime library and activity website in English and Spanish.
- We Are Teachers: Favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media.
- Mondays with Michelle Obama: Watch the former First Lady share some of your favorite stories through May 11. This page also features stories read by authors and other creatives.
- Brightly Storytime: Most videos feature highlighted words to follow along. Stories arranged by age, genres, etc., and includes a Diverse and Inclusive Children Storytime playlist.
- Adelante Family Resource Center: Presents play and learn together. Join Facebook on Tuesday and Thursdays at 9:30 AM for English and Spanish songs, stories, activities and more.
Learning Websites & Activities
- Reading Rockets: reading guides and resources to improve children’s reading
- Scholastic Learn at Home: Projects to keep kids reading, thinking and growing
- Read Charlotte-Home Reading Helper: Resource and information to help grow your child’s reading skills
- Google Earth: Zoom in to anywhere in the world! Children will love seeing different places across the globe
- PBS Education: Lots of fun, educational games with children’s favorite characters
- Explore.org: Live streams of various animal habitats, which children love watching
- YMCA-Boulder, Co: Resources for art projects, learning, and music & dance
- Kids Activities: A list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings
- NASA Kids Club: Space and engineering site for children
- Boston Children’s Museum: A curriculum and activity resources focused on STEM and hands-on learning
- The Kennedy Center Education: Curated collection provides educators and parents with ideas and strategies for addressing the needs of students who need to study and learn online.
- Lerner: Helping students with remote access and online learning
- Atlanta Speech School Cox Campus: Your child can continue to learn and grow while school is closed with a “live” preschool that is a safe destination for free learning experiences and lessons for you and your preschool-aged child
- Rosetta Stone: The offer includes a 3-month, no-cost Rosetta Stone for students subscription for new users
- STEM Next: Quality STEM programming for all youth
Apps
- Khan Academy Kids: Fun educational learning and discovery for children ages two to seven
- Vroom: Everyday learning activities and tips appropriate for all ages
- Common Sense Media: Apps range from skills essential to life and in the 21st century, to traditional academic subjects
- ScratchJr: A perfect, playful way to learn to code
- Shadow Puppet Edu: A fun way for school-age children to create presentations
- Stop Motion Studio: A great app for helping school-age children to make movies
- ChatterPix Kids: Children can create cards with voice messages to send to their families and friends
- Geoboard: Good learning math and having fun creating shapes
- Special Needs Students: Apps for Special Needs Students compiled by National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement
- Barefoot World Atlas:An educational app that gives children an interactive look at animals, indigenous people, and other topics of interest around the world.
ELL Resources
- RAR Aspen to Parachute: host Virtual Story Time via Facebook Live twice a week. Join the Spanish Story Time every Wednesday at 11am.
- Parent Service Project: Offers information and activities including Little Red Reading Hood story times in Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays, literacy activities on Mondays and virtual play group on Fridays
- ¡Colorín Colorado!: Offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs)
- Common Sense Media Latino: Family engagement resources with articles, videos, and ready-made presentations in Spanish
- Jbary: A list of Bilingual Storytime Resources including videos, webinars, books and other websites/blogs on the subject
- StoryPlace: Provides children with the virtual experience of going to the Library and participating in the same types of activities the Library offers at its physical locations.
- Abriendo Puertas: Expansive list of resources in Spanish
Crisis Support
- ACTION for Healthy Kids: Resources including food access, transitioning to online learning, and resources for keeping healthy and active.
- Turnaround for Children: Podcast on how to address the fear, stress and disruption cause by the pandemic
- Sesame Street in the Community: Resources that can help your families cope during challenging times
- Conscious Discipline: COVID 19 helpful responses for families
- Triple P: A toolbox of ideas and strategies to help with parenting
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Help to improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the US.
Partner Resources
- America’s Promise Alliance
- National Center for Families Learning
- NAFSCE
- Children & Youth Partnership for Dare county
- Ready4K
- Zero to Three Resources
Social Media
- Pete the Cat:Join Instagram Live each day at 12pm ET @Petethecatofficial for a reading and drawing tutorial with Pete the Cat creator, James Dean
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: Connect on Facebook to follow the zookeepers each day at 3pm ET where they will highlight one amazing animal and include a home (or class) activity. If you do not have social media these “home safari” videos will be posted on their website and YouTube.
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: Follow on Facebook each day at 1pm ET. Mo invites us in to his studio, grab some paper an pencils and learn, draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing.
- RAR Aspen to Parachute will host Virtual Story Time via Facebook Live twice a week. Join the English Story Time every Tuesday at 11am and Spanish Story Time every Wednesday at 11am.
- Search the hashtag #OperationStoryTime on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to find authors, illustrators and others sharing story time with children
- Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta: Enjoy puppet shows, puppet presentations, and workshops all from the safety and comfort of home.
- Parent Services Project: Information and activities including Little Red Reading Hood story times in Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays, literacy activities on Mondays and virtual play group on Fridays.
- Fernbank Museum At Home: Take part in Atlanta’s field trip Fridays virtual event on social media starting at 10am EST each week.
COVID Toolkit
Coronavirus: A Book for Children
Disinfecting Materials Flyer
Funding Resources
Grant Template Language
How to Create Videos
Inventory Spreadsheet
Publisher Permissions
Parent Family Resources
Red Bag Safe Keeping Flyer
Resource Library
RAR’s Youtube Page
Socially Distanced Library Connection
Surveys
TOWN HALL MEETINGS
This is a forum for RAR and Affiliates to share resources, ask questions and network-remember, we’re in this together! Meetings take place on Friday’s at 11 AM PST/2 PM EST.
Click here to register!
Recorded Meetings
If you missed one of our meetings, please click here to catch up.
Professional Development & E- Learning
May 26, 2020: 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET
Protecting the Building Blocks of Early Learning: An Urgent Priority
May 26, 2020: 12pm PT/3pm ET
Underconnected, Yet Eager to Learn: Confronting Digital Inequities
July 1 2020: 1pm PT/4pm ET
Mindful Allyship: An Intro Course for Heart-felt Racial Healing
NAFSCE Membership: Click here to receive a complimentary, three-month membership.