101 Free Resources for Home-Schooling During COVID Crisis

This list has been updated for fall 2020.

With schools going remote or part-time this fall to stop the spread of coronavirus, you may find yourself with a side-gig: teacher.

Whether you're transitioning to full-time home-school, using your school's remote learning, considering a micro-school or "pandemic pod," or just facing a few days a week at home, you may need extra support as you home-school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you're new to home-schooling, you're probably wondering about finding a curriculum for home-school and how to help your kids learn. Is it possible to work from home, teach your kids, avoid a screen time free-for-all and keep your sanity?

"Remember that this is new for everyone," says Erin Girard, a home-schooling expert for Outschool. "Teachers won't always get it right, nor will we as parents. Be willing to be flexible and adapt."

Here are resources to help you discover how to home-school or just add enrichment to your days.

1. Find out what kids need to know

A few weeks or months was one thing, but if you're facing an entire year of home-schooling or remote learning, it's worth finding out what the curriculum for your child's grade includes.

Each state has requirements for home-schooling. Find out your state's home-school laws, says Jamie Gaddy, Editor in Chief of Homeschool.com.

For an idea of what your child should learn, consult TODAY's Parenting Guides, which were developed by NBC News Learn with the help of subject-matter experts and align with the Common Core State Standards.

2. Use free educational websites

Many education websites and online home-school programs are offering free or reduced-price subscriptions during the coronavirus crisis. If your family is in need of guidance, EPIC, Every Person Influences Children, has a family support hotline.

• Outschool, which offers live online classes in small groups, is offering free classes to those affected by school shutdowns.
• Calvert Homeschool offers 30 free days of curriculum during school shutdowns.
• Scholastic learn-at-home has lesson plans for pre-K to age 9 for about $5 a month.
• The Facebook group Amazing Educational Resources gathered home-school resources into a public website. It includes resources for reading, math, history, Chinese, coding, music and more.
• Open Culture has free textbooks, movies and audiobooks and links to free online courses from professors.
• Khan Academy is a great free resource for instructional videos on many topics.
• Google created a page of teacher-approved apps for download.
• The nonprofit First Book is providing activities in English and Spanish for pre-K through eighth grade.