Spreading kindness to kids during the COVID-19 crisis
June 12th, 2020
When schools closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, we sent out a digital flipbook version of the Kind News May/June issue. We asked some teachers how they were using it. Here is what we heard!
“I posted the Kind News digital May/June issue to my Google Classroom. Since many of my students are English language learners, I used Google Translate to translate the assignment into Spanish and Vietnamese. I also recorded myself reading the issue aloud so that students of all reading and language levels can access the texts, and included links to the Humane Hero Krithi’s website, as well as the links to the RedRover Reporters videos about her and the dangers of dogs in hot cars. I always ask my students to comment on their favorite part of the issue and what they learned. One said that she’d been putting out dishes of water for bees to take a drink after she learned how important they are!”
-Emily Koller, Fifth grade teacher, Bahia Vista, CA
“I have been a subscriber of Kind News for many years and my students and I always enjoy sitting on the floor in my classroom and reading each magazine together. I was able to share the May/June digital issue with my students via Google Classroom and we discussed it in that setting. It was a good substitute for the usual face-to-face discussions we have. Thank you for providing the issue in this format; the children were very happy they didn’t miss an issue!”
-Michelle Burger, Third grade teacher, Bayonne, NJ
Other teachers reported that they used Kind News for their Zoom “book club,” asked students to write a digital journal entry on their favorite article, and assigned students to read the content as supplemental reading with their parents at home.
“My students and I LOVE Kind News! Thank you for continuing to provide this wonderful learning resource during the COVID-19 crisis. Our Buckland Mills ‘Wildcats’ appreciate your support!”
-Marylouise Polhamus, “Brilliant Bunch” Second Grade Teacher, Gainesville, VA
