Reading Rockets–NEA Guide
Online Learning Resources for Educators

Providing high-quality online education has been a huge challenge for America's schools. We've highlighted the best of the best in this resource section to help educators find what you’re looking for more easily.
Here's a selected list of trusted sources for online learning. Most are free or offering free access while schools are closed or operating on a hybrid schedule due to COVID-19.
Resource and lesson plan collections
- 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+)
- PBS Learning Media: Lesson plans across content areas and grade levels featuring PBS content (grades K-12)
- Common Sense Education: Lesson plans, websites, apps and more reviewed and curated across content areas and grades (grades K-12)
- NEA Lesson plans: Lessons across content areas and grade levels (grades K-12)
- Amplify: Free lesson videos in foundational reading, science, and social studies, as well as novel guides and guided practice for literacy skills (grades K-5)
- BrainPOP: Resources for schools in STEM, social studies, ELA, health, arts, and music (grades K-5+)
- Khan Academy: Personalized learning through video with supplementary practice exercises and materials for teachers (grades K-5+)
- Khan Academy Kids: Free app focusing on math, reading, and SEL (grades PreK-2)
- Quarto Classroom: Free video library with educational content by Quarto Publishing’s authors. Videos focus on subject matter ranging from Engineering to Social Sciences to Arts & Crafts, with teachers' guides and activities (grades K-7)
- 131 Tools for Distance Learning & Strategies for Student Engagement: Curated by Albert.io, a collection of apps, tools, and platforms for ELA, science, math, assessment, collaboration, and engagement (grades PreK-12)
Reading, writing, and language arts
Early Literacy
- 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)
- Apps and Websites to Build Literacy Skills: Common Sense has reviewed apps for building literacy skills in this helpful guide (PreK-3)
- EBLI (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction): Teacher training in reading and writing skills. Free live lessons offered during school closures (K-3)
Writing and Language Arts
- Common Lit: High-quality reading passages with aligned assessments (grades 3-5+)
- 826 Digital: Free online online platform for educators featuring writing lessons that inspires students to write across all genres with confidence (grades 1-5+)
- NCTE's Resources for Online Learning: Activities, resources, and more to support online anguage arts instruction (grades K-12)
Social studies, history, and current events
- Best Sites for Social Studies Lessons: We Are Teachers has compiled a range of History and Social Studies lessons across grade levels (grades K-12)
- Facing History: Facing History has compiled their remote learning resources, training opportunities, and more in this online resource center (grades 3-12)
- DOGONews: Thousands of news articles and new original content added daily in ELA, science, and social studies (grade 3+)
- Newsela: Authentic content from the most trusted names with leveled articles. ELA, social studies, science, and SEL collections (grades 2-5+)
STEM
- Code.org: Expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by girls and under-represented youth (grades K-5+)
- Crash Course Kids: YouTube science show about earth sciences, biology, geology, astronomy, and more (grade 5)
- SciShow Kids: YouTube show that explores all those curious topics that make kids ask “why” (grades 1-5)
- Try This at Home: Science Experiments for All Ages: Three fun experiments taught on video by Jonte Lee, a high school physics and chemistry teacher in Washington, DC (grades K-12)
- Best Math Websites Chosen by Teachers: We Are Teachers has compiled online math resources for teachers (grades K-12)
- Online Resources for Math Teachers: The National Council for Teaching Mathematics has curated these recommended resources, as well as related guidance on teaching math in the coming school year (grades K-12)
Art and music
- Kennedy Center: Interactive arts and music media for students of all ages (grades K-12)
- Art in Action: Art curriculum for teachers and families (grades K-8)
- Art Education Remote Learning Toolkit: The National Art Educators Association has compiled resources for the 2020-2021 school year (grades K-12)
- Virtual Learning Resources for Music Educators: The National Association for Music Educators has compiled these lessons and webinars for music teachers (grades K-12)
More resources for sparking curiosity
- A guide to museums and attractions offering virtual tours and field trips from Chalkbeat (all ages)
- YouTube [email protected]: Curated resources for supplementary reading, math, and science, plus indoor activities, virtual field trips, and more (grades PreK-5+)
- The Kids Should See This: Smart STEAM, history, and culture-focused videos for curious minds (all ages)
- Scholastic Learn at Home: Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing (grades PreK-5+)
- TED-Ed: Hundreds of TED-Ed Animations and TED Talks designed to spark curiosity. You'll also find thousands of video-based lessons organized by subject (grades 3+)
- Virtual field trips: Online field trips, tours, webcams and more for students (grades K-12)
See additional resources families can use to support learning at home in this related resource collection.
Distance learning: ideas, tools, and news
- How’s your kid’s online class? Here’s the gold standard. (The Washington Post)
- Keeping Story Time Alive in the Pandemic (Edutopia)
- Using Technology to Support Young English Language Learners in a Hybrid Classroom (Edutopia)
- Teachers on TV? Schools Try Creative Strategy to Narrow Digital Divide (The New York Times)
- Best Education Articles of 2020: Our 20 Most Popular Stories About Students, Remote Schooling & COVID Learning Loss This Year (The 74)
- Teaching the ‘Roomers’ and the ‘Zoomers:’ No Small Task for Elementary School Teachers (The 74)
- 5 Things We've Learned About Virtual School In 2020 (National Public Radio)
- ‘My Biggest Challenge and My Biggest Fear:’ Teaching Kids How to Read Remotely During the Pandemic (The 74)
- A Day in the Life of a Hybrid Teacher (Education Week)
- COVID-19 & Remote Learning: How to Make It Work (Education Week)
- Online Learning: Strategies and Tips (Edutopia)
- Equity Reset Toolkit: Re-envision Instruction Through Equitable Systems (Pivot Learning, Unbound Ed)
- Resources to Support Instruction and Professional Development Through COVID (Pivot Learning)
- Supporting Students Through COVID-19 with Google: Tips and Tools (Google Education)
- Distance Learning for English Language Learners (Colorín Colorado)
- Supporting Students in Special Education Through COVID-19 (Reading Rockets)