Reading Rockets–NEA Guide

Family Activities for Out-of-School-Time Learning

Here are some ideas to keep children engaged with reading, writing, exploring, and learning during out-of-school time, whether they're interested in science, art, nature, history, current events, or almost anything else.

This project was developed in partnership with the National Education Association and Colorín Colorado.

National Education Association

Learning at Home:

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Choosing books for kids

Two elementary-aged Latino children listening to audiobook

NEA Read Across America logo

NEA's Read Across America

Use these multicultural booklists from NEA and Colorín Colorado to connect your kids to diverse books, languages, and cultures — and spread the joy of reading. And check out the 2020-2021 NEA Read Across America Calendar with monthly themes and recommended books.

More Recommended Books

Explore these booklists to find multicultural books, books about topics your kids are interested in, favorite books for kids with reading difficulties, and more:

Tips on Selecting Books

These tip sheets in English and Spanish can help you select the right books for your kids:

Public Library Digital Services

Is your public library closed? See if your public library offers OverDrive where you can borrow and read free ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines on your phone or tablet — all you need is your library card to get access. 

Audiobook and Ebook Services

There are also online services that offer high-quality audiobooks and ebooks. Listening to audiobooks builds vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension skills. Here are some recommended digital book services — you can start with a free trial to explore what they offer.

  • Audible for Kids: A deep collection of audiobooks from Amazon. While schools are closed, kids can listen to stories in this special collection for free (available in 6 languages).
  • 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. 
  • Tales2Go: More than 10,000 high-interest audiobook titles (including Spanish titles) from leading publishers. You'll also find book-based lesson plans for core reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. 
  • Epic!: 35,000 resources, including ebooks, audiobooks, Spanish titles, learning videos, quizzes, teacher-curated collections, and more. While schools are closed, Epic! is offering students free access through their teachers.

Finding Children’s Books in a Pandemic

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt, educators who find themselves working with students either within or outside of school walls or both have an increased need for digital content and access to books. Many organizations and publishers who already make it their mission to support readers are doing even more to assist educators, caregivers, and families in light of the pandemic. See article >

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Helping kids with reading

African American mother reading picture book to kindergarten son

Literacy Tips and Activities

  • Story Mentors: Online books to read together paired with videos and activities (Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy)
  • Growing Readers: One-page tip sheets to help parents support reading and writing at home (Reading Rockets)
  • Reading Tips for Parents: In English and 12 other languages, babies up to grade 3 (Reading Rockets)
  • Literacy at Home: Common sense tips from literacy expert Tim Shanahan (Reading Rockets)

Spanish-Language Resources for Parents

Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading

In this special Reading Rockets video series, experts answer real questions from families about reading and how to support their children at home. We're asking families to submit questions about how to help their striving readers. If you'd like to ask a question, please write to us at: [email protected]

Question: How do I explain "ea"? A parent asks about the best way to the "ea" vowel combination (also called a vowel team). Linda explains that you begin with the most common pronunciation, and then teach the exceptions.

Teaching Reading Skills at Home

  • The ABCs of Teaching Reading at Home: An overview of skills children should learn from PreK to grade 2 and how parents can help (Reading Rockets)
  • Home Reading Helper: How to help your child with the basic building blocks of reading, plus videos, printables, activities, and games for preK-grade 3, with additional resources for children who struggle (Read Charlotte)
  • 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) 

Especially for PreK and Kindergarten

  • Circle Time at Home: Brings young learners a familiar school routine — right into your home! (Virginia Public Media)

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Writing

Elementary-aged girl writing outside during summer

We Are Storytellers: Exploring Multicultural Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Myths

Reading and writing go hand in hand. Explore multicultural folktales, fairy tales, and myths through shared read alouds and independent reading. Then try some of the writing, oral storytelling, poetry, mapmaking, and other creative activities featured here: We Are Storytellers: Exploring Multicultural Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Myths

Let's Write!

Give children a chance to exercise different writing muscles — from poetry to persuasive writing. Browse these simple writing activities for kids. Plus tips from children’s writer Mary Amato on keeping a diary or writer’s notebook.

Write. Right. Rite.

Welcome to the Write. Right. Rite. — a GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story video series! This series gives kids an entertaining and inventive way to engage with the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds. Jumpstart creativity with prompts like Find Treasure at the Pool, Take an Imaginary Road Trip, Invent Synonyms, and Create Your Own Roller Coaster. 

Wordplay

Created and hosted by Newbery-winning writer and poet Kwame Alexander, this 10-episode digital series aims to excite kids about writing by showing them how to take their ideas and transform them into amazing stories to share with their friends. (Requires a subscription to Adventure Academy)

Writing Lessons from 826 National

Writing lessons to help inspire kids to practice different writing genres — from 826, a national network of writing and tutoring centers, founded by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari. (grades 1-5+)

Writing Poetry

Browse the poetry section on Start with a Book to find favorite poetry books, plus hands-on activities, more writing ideas, educational apps, and kid-friendly podcasts and websites for poetry-loving kids. 

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Online learning (preK-grade 5)

Elementary-aged boy learning online at home

Wide Open School, hosted by Common Sense Media, gathers resources from Scholastic, Noggin, Google, YouTube, PBS, National Geographic, and more to provide learning in many areas — science, social studies, math, life skills, arts, writing — in an organized fashion for kids in grades pre-K through 12. Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning offers helpful tips and techniques to encourage and motivate your kids during virtual lessons.

News Sites for Kids

Online Learning Across Subjects

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STEM

Multicultural kids engaged in summer science learning

River Rangers: A Book-Based Science Adventure

Explore, read, play, invent, build and learn — all about water and the rivers and streams in your community — with this 5-day DIYout-of-school-time science camp: River Rangers! (grades 1-5) 

Space Rangers: A Book-Based Science Adventure

Explore, read, play, invent, build and learn — all about stars, our solar system, and space exploration — with this 5-day DIY out-of-school-time science camp: Space Rangers! (grades 1-5) 

Start with a Book: Science, Nature and Math

Find recommended fiction and nonfiction books, hands-on activities, writing ideas, educational apps, and kid-friendly podcasts and websites:

Science and Math Activities: Parent Tips

These 18 tip sheets for parents are available in English and Spanish. Each tip sheet includes simple activities you can do with your child to build literacy and beginning science and math skills, plus recommended picture books to extend the learning. 

Science Podcasts

More Online Science Resources

  • American Museum of Natural History: Museum exhibits and online resources for science enthusiasts of all ages
  • Field Museum: Explore the natural world with engaging activities that support learning at home
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium: Online courses and family-friendly science activities encourage a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world while teaching important science concepts
  • San Diego Zoo: Kids' website with videos, stories, activities, and games
  • Crash Course Kids: YouTube science show about earth sciences, biology, geology, astronomy, and more (grades 1-5)  
  • SciShow Kids: YouTube show that explores all those curious topics that make kids ask "why?" (grades 1-5)

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Social studies

Multicultural kids engaged in summer learning

Start with a Book: Social Studies

Find recommended fiction and nonfiction books, hands-on activities, writing ideas, educational apps, and kid-friendly podcasts and websites: 

More Online Social Studies Resources:

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Art and music

Multicultural kids engaged in summer art and music and reading

Start with a Book: Art and Music

Find recommended fiction and nonfiction books, hands-on activities, writing ideas, educational apps, and kid-friendly podcasts and websites:

Draw Together with Wendy MacNaughton

Artist and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton led a series of online drawing classes during summer 2020. If you missed her classes, kids can catch up at the Draw Together YouTube channel.

More Online Arts Resources

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"If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book." —

J.K. Rowling