April 2020 Newsletter

Poetry | Reading, Writing and Finding Books | STEM: Earth Day | PBS KIDS Resources | Supporting ELLs | Autism Awareness | More Learning at Home Resources | News

Celebrating Poetry and Earth Day While We Learn at Home

Reading, Writing, and Listening to Poetry

Many kids love poetry, nursery rhymes, and word play — especially when reading aloud together. We've gathered up a great collection of activities, writing prompts, video interviews with children’s poets, online sources for children’s poems, and more.

Poetry at Home

Exploring poetry out loud with your kids is a great way to have fun with language. Poems can include humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, and alliteration. Find out how to plan a lively and fun family poetry jam! Start with playful, rhyming poetry about topics that are familiar to your kids like animals, food, and bedtime. (In English and Spanish)

Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are important for young children because they help develop an ear for language. Both rhyme and rhythm help kids hear the sounds and syllables in words, which builds early reading skills! Here are some activities and recommended poetry books to explore. (In English and Spanish)

Poetry Prompts

Looking for ideas to inspire creative writing? Try these!

• Create a “Poetree”
   
• Blackout Poetry
   
• Popcorn Poetry (Imagination Soup)
   
• List Poems (Imagination Soup)
   
• Limericks: silly 5-line poems (Scholastic)

A Poetry Suitcase

Children's author and poet Janet Wong shows you how to pack a "poetry suitcase" — a fun way to bring more poetry into children’s lives. Try it at home!

Related:

• Janet Wong’s Earth Day pocket poems
   
• Watch our video interview with Janet Wong where she talks about the power of poetry, being the child of immigrants, writing poetry, and her Poetry Friday Anthology series (co-created with Sylvia Vardell). You'll also hear Wong read some of her own poems, including the powerful "Liberty" and "There Is a Place."  

Out of Wonder: Meet Poet Kwame Alexander  

Alexander, an award-winning poet and author, writes picture books for children and cross-genre books for teens like The Crossover — his basketball-concrete poetry-hiphop mashup. “A poem is a small but powerful thing…” Alexander writes in the preface to his new book, Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, featuring original poems that celebrate and echo the work of well-known poets.

From the Bellybutton of the Moon: Our Interview with Francisco X. Alarcón  

Born in Los Angeles, award-winning poet Francisco X. Alarcón considered himself "bi-national," having spent time as a child in both Mexico and the United States. He expressed this in a poem: "I carry my roots with me all the time/Rolled up I use them as my pillow." Alarcón's bilingual poetry was inspired by songs he heard from his grandmother. Listen to his beautiful reading of "ángel de la garda" (Guardian Angel). 

More Poets on Poetry!  

Listen in as acclaimed children's writers and poets like Ashley Bryan, Jack Prelutsky, Mary Ann Hoberman, and J. Patrick Lewis talk about reading poetry aloud and writing poetry.

Children's Poetry Archive

Poetry doesn't just live in books — it lives in the sound of the words and the voice of the poet. When poets read aloud, they breathe life into the poems. The Children's Poetry Archive is a place where everyone can listen to poetry. Listen to Roald Dahl, Allan Ahlberg, Langston Hughes, and other poets read their work.

Other online sources for children’s poems:

• Poems for Kids (Poets.org)
   
• Children’s Poetry (Poetry Foundation)

For additional resources, browse our National Poetry Month section

Reading, Writing, and Finding Books

Reading Tips for Parents in 13 Languages

Our one-page tip sheets offer easy ways for parents to help their kids build early reading skills. Get the downloadable handout, for parents of babies, toddlers, and children in preschool to grade 3 — in English and 12 other languages.

PreK-5 Literacy Resources

Here's a selected list of trusted sources for online learning. Most are free or offering free access while schools are closed due to coronavirus.

• 826 Digital: Writing lessons that inspire students to write across all genres with confidence (grades 1-5+)
   
• Amplify: Video lessons in foundational reading, science, and social studies, as well as novel guides and guided practice for literacy skills (grades K-5)
   
• Common Lit: High-quality reading passages with aligned assessments (grades 3-5+)
   
• Khan Academy: Personalized learning through video with supplementary practice exercises and materials for teachers (grades K-5+)
   
• Starfall: Learning-to-read, with an emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, and reading comprehension through online books, songs, rhymes, and games (grades PreK-3)
   
• Story Mentors: Focuses specifically on struggling readers, with 25 weekly lessons. Each lesson has guides and activities using common household materials (grades K-3)

Finding Audiobooks and Ebooks

Audiobooks and ebooks are a great option when you're not able to visit your local public library for print books, and for kids who can't get enough of listening to stories read aloud. Here are some great sources for free or low-cost audiobooks and ebooks you can stream on laptops, tablets, or smartphones.

Celebrating the Earth and Our Environment

Five Literacy-Based Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day — celebrated every year on April 22 — provides parents with a terrific opportunity to talk with children about our responsibilities for taking care of our planet. Discover five ways you and your family can participate in Earth Day while also practicing reading and writing skills. (In English and Spanish)

Outdoor Explorations

Stepping outside (safely) is a simple way to set foot into nature's laboratory. Backyards and neighborhood walks can lead to interesting conversations, new vocabulary words, observations, predictions, and investigations. (In English and Spanish)

Nature: Our Green World

Do you know any outdoorsy kids who are happiest dipping their toes in a freshwater pond, searching for animal tracks, listening for birds, or hiking to a waterfall? While outdoor adventures are limited right now, you can explore our natural world through books, home-based activities, apps, and kid-friendly websites. Browse our nature-themed collections at Start with a Book.

Patterns and Categorizing

Children begin using their senses to recognize patterns and categorize things at a young age — skills that play an important role in early learning. This tip sheet provides some simple activities, as well as recommended books, that parents can use to help their kids build pattern recognition and categorization skills in science and math. (In English and Spanish)

PBS Parents: Raising Kids Who Thrive

A rich library of articles from parents and experts on literacy, math, science, art, social skills and more. Here’s a recent example: Learning at Home: 9 Early Literacy Activities

PBS KIDS 24/7 channel

Offers anytime access to trusted educational series for kids ages 2-8 (check local listings).

PBS KIDS Games app

Nearly 200 educational games, which can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere. Learn more about these and PBS KIDS’ other apps here.

Sign up for PBS KIDS Daily

PBS KIDS’ new weekday newsletter offers activities and tips you can use to help kids play and learn at home. Sign up here!

For Parents and Teachers of English Learners

School Closures: ELL Considerations and Resources

These resources can help schools and communities partner more effectively with multilingual families and best serve English learners during school closures. Updates will be added to this page over time.

• School Responses to COVID-19: ELL/Immigrant Considerations
   
• Communicating with ELLs and Their Families During School Closures
   
• Distance Learning for ELLs: Privacy Considerations
   
• Coronavirus: Multilingual Resources for Schools

ESL at Home: 8 Weeks, Tech Free

Here you will find links to activities for students in grades K through 12. They require only paper and pencil, and some materials that can be found around the house. They are available in multiple languages.

Autism Awareness Month

Everyday, we celebrate our kids with autism spectrum disorder — and their creativity, persistence and individuality.

Check out our ASD resources for educators and parents, and share widely!

More Learning at Home Resources

When School Is Closed: Resources to Keep Kids Learning at Home

Most of our schools and afterschool programs have closed in response to the COVID-19 crisis — and you may be looking for engaging ways to keep kids reading, writing, exploring, and learning at home. Here, you'll find lots of ideas to immerse kids in language and stories, build background knowledge, and inspire creative play.

Featured resources:

• Coronavirus News and Tools Roundup: How to Stay Calm and Be More Productive (Understood)
   
• Apps for Students With Special Needs—As School Buildings Shutter (Edutopia)
   
• Bookshare: For children with dyslexia, low vision, and other reading barriers — get free access to books in audio, audio + highlighted text, braille, and large font.
   
• Wide Open School: Curated by Common Sense Media, a collaboration among leading publishers, nonprofits, and education and technology companies. A free collection of learning experiences and activities organized by grade band and subject (grades PreK-5+)

Research, News & Events

How to Handle IEPs During the Coronavirus Crisis? Some Expert Advice
Education Week

An Unexpected Tool for Remote-Learning During Coronavirus: Public TV Stations
Education Week

Summary of U.S. Educational Aid Package
Language Magazine

Parents, here are some resources for teaching reading during the coronavirus school closure
Seattle Times (Seattle, WA)

Tomie dePaola Left a Legacy of Comfort, Kindness, and Quality Children's Books
School Library Journal

Harry Potter at Home
Language Magazine

Celebrating National Poetry Month From Home
School Library Journal

What Parents And Teachers Need To Know About Reading While Schools Are Closed—And Beyond
Forbes

What parents need to know about the research on how kids learn to read
Hechinger Report

These Digitized Collections Let You Read Thousands of Historic Children’s Books for Free
My Modern Met