150 Distance Learning Resources for Parents | OT | PT | Special Education | All Subjects

ByLisa Lightner Updated on Everyday

Education and Therapy Activities for Home

I don’t know about you, but last week I was just completely overwhelmed. Our new reality was announced and to be honest, and really it’s a lot to digest. But, as soon as we learned that we would have to be homeschooling our disabled kids, social media and email started to flood with possible resources.

I found it to be good and bad. Good that there are so many resources. Bad in that I was overwhelmed with all the information and couldn’t organize it in my head. But, as the dust settles and I learn that I will be homeschooling for at least the next 3 weeks, I have to make sense of it.

homeschool resources for iep parents

A few things about what this blog post is and isn’t. This is a list of resources to use to teach and work with your child if you are homeschooling. I will not be addressing the decision whether or not to homeschool your disabled child, and what you state says about that. I have addressed that in another post. I also have addressed IDEA and the current situation, as well as regression.

If you see something amazing that you want to add to the list, feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

I want to give a special shoutout and plug to my friend Lenore at LetGrow. If you aren’t familiar with her site, now is a fantastic time to access her FREE Independence Kit and projects for kids. For my 5th grader, we are focusing on this more than traditional academics. You can tap on the image to access it.

Autism and Disability Specific

I wanted to share some resources that have been sent to me that are either autism or disability-specific. I am still adding to this list, so send them if you have them.

Social Stories, Social Skills, Life Skills

  1. For students to practice and master whatever they are learning. https://quizlet.com/
  2. Toilet Training | IEP Goals | Protocols | Social Stories
  3. Online curriculum that builds better writers. https://www.noredink.com/
  4. Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science. https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library
  5. Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids
  6. Life skills curriculum for students in grades K-12. Their resources include strategies for teaching social and emotional skills. https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/

OT Skills to Work on at Home

Here are some handouts that my son’s OT sent to us.

Fine-Motor-skills-to-practice-at-homeDownload

sensory-integration-exercises-at-homeDownload

Educational and Autism Apps

Here is a list of 100 Best Special Education Apps. It was compiled by OTs, SLPs and Special Education Teachers.

student using smartphone for his autism apps

A great list put together by special education professionals.

Free Online Tutoring

Students from institutions such as MIT and Harvard are doing online tutoring at GoPeer.

Accessible Learning

  1. Fave kids books read by famous people https://www.storylineonline.net/
  2. Voice based learning… learn through Alexa https://bamboolearning.com/resources

Travel, Museums, Zoos and National Parks

Many are giving daily virtual tours, have webcams or other ways to creatively “visit” the zoo or National Park.

  1. No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids
  2. Live cams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
  3. This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/
  4. List of Pennsylvania Museums giving virtual tours
  5. The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
  6. Tour Yellowstone National Park! https://www.nps.gov/…/lea…/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
  7. Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip. https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
  8. This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.https://www.thechinaguide.com/destinati…/great-wall-of-china
  9. This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
  10. 35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. https://www.countryreports.org/
  11. Arizona Science Center is here to help. Our expanded website includes more than 175 new online learning resources, including weekly lesson plans, videos, articles and activities. Sari on Science interprets what is happening in the changing environment. Our Blue Crew and educators from the Learning Team offer science content and inspiration on Facebook Live, featuring demonstrations, teaching tips and virtual learning best practices. We also provide professional development for educators every day via Google Hangouts. Think of us as your new virtual classroom resource for bringing science to life at home.
toys for special needs children from BCBA special Ed teacher little girl playing with blocks on the floor

Don’t miss this list.

Outer Space, NASA, Climate, Earth

Learning about or Visiting a Farm

TV/Disney/Characters for Learning

Math Learning and Games

  1. Amazing assortment of free math activities and printables: https://youvegotthismath.com
  2. Math practice from counting to algebra and geometry http://www.mathscore.com/
  3. Math and Reading games https://www.funbrain.com/
  4. Math and reading games https://www.abcya.com/
  5. Math and language games https://www.arcademics.com/
  6. A wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus. https://deltamath.com/overview
  7. Online education program for toddler through high school… https://www.khanacademy.org/
  8. Your child can play games, learn fun facts, and find out how to turn coin collecting into a hobby. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids
  9. Math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/
  10. Elem Math through 6th grade https://boddlelearning.com/
  11. Math Videos with lessons, real life uses of math, famous actors https://www.hmhco.com/math-at-work
  12. Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun. https://www.numberphile.com/
  13. Geometry https://www.canfigureit.com/
  14. Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer instantly. 2nd grade through college. https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php
  15. Elem Math games, logic puzzles and educational resources https://www.mathplayground.com/
  16. Math practice https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
  17. Website allows students to play basic games to reinforce math skills and compete against the computer or others https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/
  18. Math Games, Logic Puzzles and Brain Builders https://www.mathplayground.com/
  19. Immerse yourself in cryptography https://www.cryptoclub.org/
  20. Math games galore https://gridclub.com/
  21. Banzai exposes students to real-world financial dilemmas to teach them the importance of smart money management. https://www.teachbanzai.com/
  22. K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students https://www.zearn.org/
  23. Scads of free resources, games, learning resources, and lesson plans for teaching personal finance https://www.ngpf.org/
  24. Science and math labs and simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/
  25. K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. https://www.dreambox.com/at-home

Reading, Languages and Phonics

  1. Inclined2Learn: Currently offering free memberships during the crisis. It’s a platform for reading comprehension passages and skill assessment in early education and home schooling. Free through June 2020.
  2. Phonics skills https://www.starfall.com/h/
  3. The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts. https://www.shurley.com/
  4. Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/
  5. Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90 https://www.spellingcity.com/
  6. Course sets (Levels 1–5) that combine and thoroughly cover phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, art, and geography—all in one easy-to-use, beautiful course. https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/
  7. Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure. https://brainbox.games/
  8. Interactive games based on the book series https://www.magictreehouse.com/
  9. Work on the 8 parts of speech https://www.grammaropolis.com/
  10. A safe research site for elementary-level readers. They are offering — free 24/7 access USERNAME: read (case sensitive) PASSWORD: read (case sensitive) https://www.facts4me.com/
  11. Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/
  12. 22 languages to learn https://www.memrise.com/
  13. Phonics and learning to read https://readingeggs.com/
  14. Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin. https://conjuguemos.com/
  15. Games to get “into the book” https://reading.ecb.org/
  16. Phonics worksheets for kids https://www.funfonix.com/
  17. Free stories online ages 3-12 https://www.freechildrenstories.com/
  18. Randomly generates 356,300,262,144 story starters https://thestorystarter.com/
  19. Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8 https://www.scootpad.com/
  20. Novel Effect makes storytime a little more fun for kids (and grown-ups too!) As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/
  21. Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/
  22. ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12. https://www.readworks.org/
  23. Short videos and readings that answer various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions. http://wonderopolis.org/
  24. Spelling 1-4 grade https://www.spellingtraining.com/
  25. Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/
  26. Resources for Spanish practice https://www.difusion.com/campus/
  27. Grammar practice for middle grades https://www.classroomcereal.com/
  28. Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/
  29. Chinese learning activities https://chalkacademy.com/
  30. Foreign languages https://www.duolingo.com/

Printables and Worksheets

  1. Sign Language Animals | FREE 13-page Coloring Book
  2. 6 Free Options for Adult Coloring Pages | Easy and Difficult
  3. Online digital coloring pages https://www.thecolor.com/
  4. 300,000+ FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens https://www.123homeschool4me.com/
  5. Printable board games, activities and more for phonics and reading all using evidence-based methods. Can be customized to any student’s needs including creating flashcards for other subjects. https://dogonalogbooks.com/printables/
  6. Resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents. https://supersimple.com/
  7. Free printables library with activities for children 0-6 https://www.littlesparkcompany.com/printables-library

Science, History and Geography

  1. Geography and animals https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
  2. Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology https://sepuplhs.org/
  3. A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials. https://learn.concord.org/
  4. Science projects that can be completed with or without Internet access https://sciencespot.net/Pages/classhome.html
  5. Next Generation Science video game focused on middle school where students directly engage in science phenomena as they solve problems. https://www.tytoonline.com/
  6. Learn all about cells https://www.cellsalive.com/
  7. Kelly’s Kitchen: Learn how to grow plants from kitchen scraps
  8. Farmer’s almanac for kids… Date, weather, moon phase, etc. https://www.almanac.com/kids
  9. Guide to gardening for kids https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
  10. Space science for kiddos https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
  11. Games, quizzes and fact sheets take kids on a journey through time. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
  12. NGAkids interactives offer an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html
  13. News and more for kids https://www.youngzine.org/
  14. All sorts of learning here if you dig in https://www.google.com/earth/
  15. Tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are. https://www.geoguessr.com/
  16. Allows students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history. http://www.whatwasthere.com//
  17. National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. https://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html
  18. Learn all about earthquakes https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
  19. Learn all about the periodic table https://www.chemicool.com/
  20. K-5th Science lessons https://mysteryscience.com/
  21. This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/
  22. From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
  23. High school chemistry topics 
  24. A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways. https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard
  25. Hands on Elem science videos https://www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified
  26. Biology https://www.biologysimulations.com/
  27. Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
  28. Tons of science experiments that you can do at home https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/
  29. An interactive way to learn history https://www.mission-us.org/
  30. Just explore, have fun, and learn some science along the way. https://thehappyscientist.com/
  31. Digital archive of history https://www.bunkhistory.org/
  32. Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets, and infographics. They can use these to learn about geography, history, science, animals, and even the human body. https://www.coolkidfacts.com/
  33. Science, Math, Social Studies https://www.ck12.org/student/
  34. 80+ do at home science activities 
  35. 3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations
  36. Chemistry https://www.playmadagames.com/
  37. Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home. http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/
  38. Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement. https://www.everyday-earth.com/

Art, Music, Crafts, Creative

  1. The Theta Music Trainer offers a series of online courses and games for ear training and music theory. https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en
  2. Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc, https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/
  3. Music Based Spanish Learning https://rockalingua.com/
  4. Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free https://prodigiesmusic.com/
  5. QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/
  6. Music practice transformed https://www.smartmusic.com/
  7. A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/
  8. Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-mu…/mindful-poetry-moments
  9. Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. https://www.musictheory.net/
  10. Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities https://www.highlightskids.com/
  11. ClickSchooling brings you daily recommendations by email for entertaining websites that help your kids learn. https://clickschooling.com/
  12. Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
  13. Music is for everyone https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments
  14. Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/
  15. Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/
  16. Crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and fingerplays for early education teachers and parents to use with kids. http://www.preschoolexpress.com/
  17. A large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool and kindergarten students https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm
  18. Entertaining & educational videos for all levels and subjects https://www.izzit.org/index.php

High School and Advanced

  1. Test Prep for SAT, ACT, etc. https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com/handouts.php
  2. Tons of free classes from leading universities and companies https://www.coursera.org/
  3. A quick-start resource to help families pull together a plan for surviving the next 1-2 months at home with their kids, but it can also be a time of slowing down and enjoying kids as they learn.Preschool through 8th grade https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/learning-at-home-everyth…
  4. Resources for AP students including live reviews, live trivia, and study guides! https://app.fiveable.me/
  5. An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics. https://www.positivephysics.org/home
  6. 7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas https://hippocampus.org/
  7. Resources for AP students https://marcolearning.com/

Movement and Physical Education

  1. Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. https://www.gonoodle.com/
  2. Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/
  3. At home OT, PT, and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play. https://www.theottoolbox.com/
  4. Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout. https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts
  5. PE Teacher giving daily workouts on Youtube

Coding, Keyboarding and Computers

  1. Keyboarding practice https://www.typingclub.com/ or https://www.typing.com/
  2. Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. https://www.nitrotype.com/
  3. Learn to code https://www.codecademy.com/
  4. Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning. https://scratch.mit.edu/
  5. Coding for ages 4-10 https://www.kodable.com/
  6. 3D printing projects and Coding projects, involving math and other K-12 subjects https://www.instructables.com/

Multiple Subject Areas

Virtual School Day: Over 100 free live K-12 classes available all day long intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning. Some popular classes are “Intro to Spanish for Kids”, “Coolest Women in History”, “Java Programming Basics”, and “The Story of Your Favorite Fairy Tales”. We have received exceptional ratings from thousands of parents and students. 

Virtual Summer Camps: Free half-day summer camps will be a week-long, with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign languages, chess, theater, coding, Minecraft, how to be a detective, photography and more. These live, interactive classes will be taught by expert instructors vetted through Varsity Tutors’ platform. We already have 200 camps scheduled for the summer.

Virtual School Day: Over 100 free live K-12 classes available all day long intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning. Some popular classes are “Intro to Spanish for Kids”, “Coolest Women in History”, “Java Programming Basics”, and “The Story of Your Favorite Fairy Tales”. We have received exceptional ratings from thousands of parents and students. 

Virtual Summer Camps: Free half-day summer camps will be a week-long, with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign languages, chess, theater, coding, Minecraft, how to be a detective, photography and more. These live, interactive classes will be taught by expert instructors vetted through Varsity Tutors’ platform. We already have 200 camps scheduled for the summer.

  1. Daily lessons and educational activities that kids can do on their own https://www.superchargedschool.com/
  2. PreK-12 digital media service with more than 30,000 learning materials https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
  3. Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students. https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-acc…
  4. Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12 https://www.projectexplorer.org/
  5. 450 Ivy League courses that you can take 
  6. Miscellaneous games for all subjects k-8 https://www.funbrain.com/
  7. Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Kids can send Dr. Universe any question they may have about history, geography, plants, animals, technology, engineering, math, culture, and more. https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/
  8. PreK – 5 games for all subjects https://www.turtlediary.com/
  9. Every course you could possibly want to homeschool preschool – 8 https://allinonehomeschool.com/
  10. Every course you could possibly want to homeschool for high school https://allinonehighschool.com/
  11. Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design. http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/
  12. Brainscape offers over a million flashcard decks for every subject, entrance exam, and certification imaginable. https://www.brainscape.com/
  13. Virtual School Day: Over 100 free live K-12 classes available all day long intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning. Some popular classes are “Intro to Spanish for Kids”, “Coolest Women in History”, “Java Programming Basics”, and “The Story of Your Favorite Fairy Tales”. We have received exceptional ratings from thousands of parents and students. 
  14. Virtual Summer Camps: Free half-day summer camps will be a week-long, with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign languages, chess, theater, coding, Minecraft, how to be a detective, photography and more. These live, interactive classes will be taught by expert instructors vetted through Varsity Tutors’ platform. We already have 200 camps scheduled for the summer.

Thank you to the various Facebookers providing these links!