The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools in our area and across the country, a situation which may continue for an extended amount of time. Whether you’re at home, working from home, or still working as part of an essential workforce, the current situation is leaving everyone anxious and somewhat stressed.
WPBS is working hard to alleviate some of this burden. Like other PBS stations across the country, we have created an “At-Home Learning Block” on our PBS KIDS Channel. We have also been consulting with schools and educators in our region to create and compile resources for parents, children, and educators to use. Check out this extensive and free list of resources, activities, videos, and more.
Weekly Curriculum-Related Programming Schedules
Routines
| Before 9:00 am | Wake Up and Stretch | Encourage your child to wake up and move around, eat breakfast, get dressed |
| 9:00 | Soft Landing | Limited Electronics – Have your child play with LEGOs, Play Doh, Dolls, etc. |
| 9:30 | Academic Time | Limited Electronics – Writing, Math Fluency work, Use ideas provided by grade level teachers posted on watertowncsd.org or ontario.ca |
| 10:30 | Creative Time | LEGOs, drawing, crafting, listening to/playing music, cooking or baking, etc. |
| 11:30 | Lunch | |
| 12:30 p.m. | Chore Time | Wipe down all door handles, light switches, tables and chairs, and faucets. |
| 1:00 p.m. | Quiet Time | Limited Electronics – Read, do puzzles, nap |
| 2:00 p.m. | Academic Time | ELECTRONICS OKAY – Educational shows, Chromebook/iPad apps, iReady, Scholastic, Discovery Education – there is a list of resources posted on watertowncsd.org and ontario.ca |
| 4:00 | Fresh Air/Active Play | Bikes, walk the dog, do exercises outside |
Broadcast Schedule
WPBS is responding to the disruption to schools, students and their families caused by the pandemic in the best way we know how – by continuing to provide you with educational programming. Our 24/7 PBS KIDS channel will feature afternoons dedicated to curriculum-based educational programming for Grades 4 – 12. Mornings will still be devoted to children from Grades preK – 3. View the WPBS Learn at Home program schedule for the week of May 4th.
Schedule Times & Grade Levels
Early Learners: PreK – 3
6AM – 12PM All subject areas
At-Home Learning Block: Grade 4 – 12
12PM – 5PM
12PM – 12:30PM Math (Grades 3 – 7)
12:30PM – 1PM STEM (Grades 4 – 12)
1PM – 2PM Local Production/Science (Grades 4 -12)
2PM – 3PM Direct Instruction (Grades 4 -12)
3PM – 4PM Social Studies (Grades 6 – 12)
4PM – 5PM Literature & Language (Grades 6 – 12)
Outdoors
Make sure to give kids plenty of time to get some fresh air (while keeping socially distanced) and explore the outdoors! Here are some activities from Nature Cat to help you with outdoor exploration.
E-Visit Family and Friends
Consider video calling your friends or family with Skype or FaceTime.
PBS Resources for Learning
PBS KIDS & PBS KIDS Daily
One of our best resources with full episodes, games, and activity sheets PBS KIDS is a great option for learning time. You can also watch PBS KIDS live from your computer or laptop.
Sign up for a FREE PBS KIDS daily email. They will give you new media resources to watch, educational games to play online, and activities to do offline every day!
WPBS Education Toolkit
This collection features a variety of resources for grades preK – 12 including PBS LearningMedia collections in all grade levels, virtual field trips, One Sheets for content learning, and much more.
Access Toolkit Materials
Fred Rogers Productions Resources
Fred Rogers Productions understand that many families are now trying to find their new “normal” in light of the news of COVID-19, known also as coronavirus. As an organization they are committed to providing quality entertainment and resources for children and families, and want you to know that they are here for you in these difficult and uncertain times.
This page contains a list of all of the virtual events, activities, and other social initiatives Fred Rogers Productions are sharing online.
Free PBS Learning Apps
Download the PBS KIDS Games, PBS KIDS Video, and tons of other PBS Apps for FREE. Check out the learning goals here.
PBS KIDS for Parents
The Parents page on PBS KIDS provides hundreds of activities, games, recipes, crafts, experiments, and more for you and your children to do. Activities related directly to your child’s favorite shows and provide quality learning experiences.
America’s Test Kitchen
Get daily recipes to try with the kids at home – Make something yummy and learn Science and Math concepts while you’re at it! Try it at their Kitchen Classroom.
Meet the Helpers
We know it can be a scary time for families as normal routines are disrupted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is a great time to talk to children about what is happening, and empower them to be helpers to keep each other healthy.
In the words of Mister Rogers: “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.”
Explore.org
Are your kids into nature and animals? Check out these Live Cams and nature lesson plans!
Virus Information and Prevention
It’s important to make sure kids are aware of what’s happening right now and why they are at home instead of school. These resources can help explain the current COVID-19 situation to everyone, not just kids!
PBS LearningMedia Virus Information and Prevention
Meet the Helpers
