Not surprising, the 2021-2020 school year has kicked off to a rocky start. School is back in session in Texas, but some have been forced to return to virtual learning or close altogether because of a resurgence in COVID cases. Also not surprising, is what appears to be education administrators’ lack of preparedness for this unfortunate but not unexpected setback. I feel for the educators who are navigating this persistent uncertainty with care and professionalism. I also feel for the families and students who are the most affected each time public education must change directions. The losses are piling higher every day. I salute you all.

We cannot control our access to academic services offered by the state, but we can control what and how much our children learn as education administrators figure out their next move. As we wait for schools to settle into a regular routine, let’s explore what can be done to ensure our children learn and grow socially and academically. There are resources online that are free and available to teachers and families that can keep the learning going while children are at home, in school or a combination of the two.

One such resource I use is from Zearn.org.Zearn.org is a FREE math platform available to parents and teachers in Texas. Zearn allows parents or teachers to set up entire classrooms and designs lessons based on the student data input into the system. Students can work on their lessons and the system keeps the data and moves them along as they master concepts.

Another site I enjoy is K-12 Reader. This site offers all things reading and language arts for grades K through 12. Their database is plentiful and students can complete printable assignments and review their work with the provided answer sheets. Belouga.com is great with their plug and play video database that also offers the ability to safely connect with classrooms and learners around the world.

For younger children, Starfall.com remains a winner. The bright colors, animation, songs, and variety of academic content has been a win for every student I have introduced to Starfall. Lessons are short, intuitive and fun for young learners. For high schoolers and college students, Khan Academy offers an impressive variety of academic support in all content areas. There are many more academic resources available online, so let’s take time to peruse what’s available to us.

Let’s not forget to connect with the educators in our lives for suggestions on how to keep our children learning in the down times. Most educators will absolutely provide insight, resources and information that could be helpful to our children socially and academically. Let’s keep public education in our prayers as leadership continues to navigate service provision mid-pandemic. But let’s not wait for anyone to provide our children with the content or resources they need today.

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