Teacher Support
Find resources to help partner with families, build virtual classroom culture, and gain confidence with remote teaching.

Article/Ebook
Preschool–grade 12
Explaining the News to Our Kids
Dramatic, disturbing news events can leave parents speechless. These age-based tips on how to talk to kids about the news -- and listen, too -- can help.

Website/App
grades 1–3
Reading Skills Boost
This free program includes nine weeks of daily literacy practice to help kids in grades 1 to 3 catch up or stay on track.
Video
There's More to Black History Than Slavery and Civil Rights
Watch educator Tory Wadlington as he shares his experience celebrating Black History Month. Tory will share resources for exploring Black individuals who have shaped the world we live in. We'll learn how he shares with his community to make Black history and culture a part of every day.

Article/Ebook
Preschool–grade 12
Talking to Kids About the Violence at the U.S. Capitol
Use these age-based tips and questions to have conversations as a family about disturbing events.

Activity
Holiday Activities for Virtual Classrooms
Spread some cheer in your classroom with these activities that promote gratitude, creativity, and celebration.
Video
Creating Learning Spaces for Hybrid Education
Learn tips from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco on engaging students in distance learning, setting up physical learning environments, and acclimating kids to hybrid spaces.

Worksheet
Recover Lost Learning
Use these worksheet packets for kids in grades K–5 to get them up to speed with essential math skills.

Activity
Self-Care Bingo
Carve out some time for yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, or just ditch the to-do list for an hour.
Video
grades 7–11
Wide Open School Resources for Learning at Home
Learn how Wide Open School can help families and teachers find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning for kids in pre-K through grade 12.

Article/Ebook
7 Tips for Remote Family-Teacher Conferences
Learn how to make these essential check-ins positive and productive for everyone during the coronavirus pandemic.
Video
SEL and Supporting Students from a Distance
Learn three key strategies for SEL support during uncertain times.

Article/Ebook
Supporting Students' Mental Health During the Coronavirus
Get tips for strengthening students' mental health and well-being during remote or hybrid learning.
Build strong relationships with students' families to support learning at home.

Article/Ebook
Preschool–grade 12
Explaining the News to Our Kids
Dramatic, disturbing news events can leave parents speechless. These age-based tips on how to talk to kids about the news -- and listen, too -- can help.

Article/Ebook
Preschool–grade 12
Talking to Kids About the Violence at the U.S. Capitol
Use these age-based tips and questions to have conversations as a family about disturbing events.
Video
grades 7–11
Wide Open School Resources for Learning at Home
Learn how Wide Open School can help families and teachers find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning for kids in pre-K through grade 12.

Article/Ebook
7 Tips for Remote Family-Teacher Conferences
Learn how to make these essential check-ins positive and productive for everyone during the coronavirus pandemic.

Article/Ebook
How to Host a Virtual Back-to-School Night
Get helpful ideas and learn about recommended tools for making this kick-off event a success for you and your students' families.

Article/Ebook
Parent Tips and Tricks for Distance Learning
Help parents and caregivers keep kids focused, interested, and balanced while learning from home.

Worksheet
Daily Routine Template
Outline the day's learning activities and provide helpful support to students and families during distance learning with this customizable template.

Worksheet
Learning Conversation Template
Help parents and caregivers track student progress during distance learning with this customizable short discussion guide.

Article/Ebook
Free Distance Learning Plans for K–2 Students and Their Families
Help kick-start K-2 learning at home with these easy-to-use, customizable packets.

Website/App
Apps and Websites for Parent-Teacher Communication
These apps and websites provide instant, practical, and regular communication tools to encourage active engagement between students, teachers, and parents.
Video
Conversations with Common Sense: Tweens, Teens, Tech, and Mental Health
Listen to the latest research and learn how to best to support adolescents in an increasingly digital world that is both unequal and uncertain.
Video
In Support of Black Lives
It's time to do the work — Common Sense is proud to bring you these vital and challenging conversations in support of Black lives.
Establish your virtual classroom culture and procedures, and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Article/Ebook
Quick Digital Citizenship Activities for K-5 Distance Learning
Use these short, self-guided digital citizenship activities and create a positive culture around digital learning.

Worksheet
Digital Learning Pledge for Grades K–5
Set a positive culture of digital citizenship from the start with this customizable student agreement in English and Spanish. Set expectations for device use, online behavior, and more.

Worksheet
Digital Learning Agreement for Grades 6–12
Establish a classroom culture of digital citizenship for distance learning with this customizable template in English and Spanish. Discuss expectations for communication, safety, device use, and more.

Worksheet
Distance Learning Cheat Sheet for Families
Fill out this distance learning info sheet for families so they can post it at home for easy reference. Available in English and Spanish!

Worksheet
Our Distance Learning Classroom FAQ
Customize this FAQ to set expectations and answer families' questions about your distance learning program.

Worksheet
Learning Devices FAQ Customizable Guide
Edit and share this handy guide to make sure families have the information they need about your school-issued devices for distance learning.

Article/Ebook
Essential Digital Citizenship Lessons for the Coronavirus Pandemic
Support the transition to virtual learning and help students think critically and compassionately about what they see online.

Article/Ebook
Quick Digital Citizenship Activities for Middle and High School Distance Learning
Get tweens and teens thinking and talking about real issues they've encountered online -- from media addiction to hate speech.
Help your students catch up or stay on track with their core learning goals.

Website/App
grades 1–3
Reading Skills Boost
This free program includes nine weeks of daily literacy practice to help kids in grades 1 to 3 catch up or stay on track.

Worksheet
Recover Lost Learning
Use these worksheet packets for kids in grades K–5 to get them up to speed with essential math skills.

Interactive
Math Snacks
Check out the games and choose one that provides practice on a familiar or new concept.

Website/App
grades K–12
Colorín Colorado!
Find advice, recommendations, videos, and more for teachers and families of English-language learners.

Website/App
grades K–5
Epic!
Choose a book, read it yourself, or listen and follow along to fiction and nonfiction.

Lesson
grades 2–9
Khan Academy ELA
Choose your grade level (2–9) and then an interactive lesson to build vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Website/App
Newsela
Browse high-interest articles on everything from current events to science—each available in five Lexile levels ranging from grade 3 to 12.

Website/App
grades K–5
Zearn
Innovative online math curriculum offers live whole- and small-group instruction along with adaptive independent practice.

Interactive
grades K–3
Lalilo
Focus on essential early literacy skills like sight words, word families, and letter-sound recognition.

Website/App
LearnZillion
Access over 1,000 free video lessons to enhance your math instruction or tailor the learning to kids' needs.

Article/Ebook
grades K–3
Favorite Phonics Games
These engaging experiences will delight kids and encourage them to explore words and build literacy.

Article/Ebook
grades K–12
Great Vocabulary Games, Apps, and Sites
Get kids engaged with words and give them the supports to understand definitions, uses, and meanings.
Get valuable tips, strategies, and recommendations for teaching with technology.

Activity
Holiday Activities for Virtual Classrooms
Spread some cheer in your classroom with these activities that promote gratitude, creativity, and celebration.

Article/Ebook
Supporting Students' Mental Health During the Coronavirus
Get tips for strengthening students' mental health and well-being during remote or hybrid learning.

Article/Ebook
Elementary Remote Learning Class Meeting Guide
Provide SEL support while teaching remotely with 32 adaptable activities for elementary school classrooms.

Article/Ebook
eBook Guide to Distance Learning for Educators
From choosing your tech to optimizing instruction, get tips and recommendations on how to make the transition to distance learning.

Article/Ebook
Middle School Remote Learning Advisory Guide
Learn how to provide SEL support by creating a remote advisory program. Plus, find templates, strategies, and activities to use with middle school students.

Article/Ebook
How to Plan for Hybrid Teaching and Learning
Learn 6 key considerations for a blended model of in-person and remote instruction.

Website/App
Best Tools for Virtual and Distance Learning
Set up an effective virtual learning environment with top tools for communicating and messaging, facilitating discussion, assessing learning, delivering lessons, and more.

Website/App
Learning Resources from Apple
Discover apps, curriculum, resources, and support to help build great learning experiences wherever you are.

Website/App
Google for Education
Find tips, resources, and tools on this information hub to help teachers keep teaching.

Website/App
Educating over Zoom
How to successfully spin up virtual classrooms, participate in online classes, and use Zoom for distance education.

Article/Ebook
Teachers' Essential Guide to Google Classroom
What is Google Classroom? And how are teachers using it? Learn more about this popular platform and how to use it with students.

Article/Ebook
7 Ways to Make Distance Learning More Equitable
Ensure your most vulnerable students and their families are supported during distance learning.
Hear from peers and experts on timely education topics — from SEL during the pandemic to culturally responsive remote teaching.
Video
There's More to Black History Than Slavery and Civil Rights
Watch educator Tory Wadlington as he shares his experience celebrating Black History Month. Tory will share resources for exploring Black individuals who have shaped the world we live in. We'll learn how he shares with his community to make Black history and culture a part of every day.
Video
Creating Learning Spaces for Hybrid Education
Learn tips from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco on engaging students in distance learning, setting up physical learning environments, and acclimating kids to hybrid spaces.
Video
grades 7–11
Wide Open School Resources for Learning at Home
Learn how Wide Open School can help families and teachers find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning for kids in pre-K through grade 12.
Video
SEL and Supporting Students from a Distance
Learn three key strategies for SEL support during uncertain times.
Video
Trauma-Sensitive Practices During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Learn ways to identify what students and their families need, and get strategies to help students feel safe and supported while learning at home.
Video
Elections in the Digital Age: How to Cut Through the Noise
Watch Common Sense for a discussion about how you, media, and tech companies can help give all voters, and especially young voters, the resources and tools necessary to separate fact from fiction and make sense of election news and social media coverage this election season and beyond.
Video
Common Sense Together: Building a Better Tomorrow
Watch Common Sense for an inspiring virtual fundraiser with special guests, hopeful reflections, and a provocative conversation about educational equity.
Video
Your One-Stop Shop for Teaching During the Pandemic
Watch a walk-through of Common Sense's new one-stop shop for teaching during the pandemic: The Wide Open School Resources for Teachers Center.
Video
Distance Learning with Common Sense: Building a Diverse Community Library for K–12 Students
Watch Dina D'Amore, elementary school librarian, as she shares ideas and resources on how to build a diverse library within your school or classroom.
Video
Creating a School Culture and Curriculum of Racial Equity and Justice
Watch this important conversation with Common Sense, social justice experts, school administrators, and educators.

Video
How to Set Up for Distance Learning Success
Learn new strategies to engage students, collaborate, and reach out to parents and families at a safe social distance.

Video
Distance Learning with Common Sense
Tune in to this weekly video series to learn how educators around the country are managing the shift to distance learning and preparing for the coming school year.
Find ways to prioritize your own well-being and infuse self-care into your teaching.

Activity
Self-Care Bingo
Carve out some time for yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, or just ditch the to-do list for an hour.

Video
Educator Well-Being and Student SEL: The Critical Connection
In this experiential workshop, Dr. Ilana Nankin, Breathe for Change's founder and CEO, guides educators through a transformative mind-body wellness experience.

Video
Help for Stressed Educators During COVID-19
Learn how to prioritize your own well-being and support students at the same time with practical strategies from experienced educator and trauma expert Jen Alexander.

Article/Ebook
Infuse Personal Reflection into Your Teaching Practice
Use these reflection prompts and action steps to infuse self-care into your teaching.

Article/Ebook
Self-Care Tips for Teachers
Learn five ways to prioritize self-care while teaching from home during the pandemic.