This Train is Bound for Glory by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Paul Kellam reintroduces the 1920s American gospel song that celebrates a train loaded with jubilant passengers bound for heaven.

Children will love singing with the interactive refrains and lyrical text as the train transports characters from widely diverse nationalities, while picking up more along the way. The story begins like an ordinary train ride, but soon becomes magical as it whooshes through a colorful journey across prairies and into the glorious sky.

By the book’s end, children will be on their feet, singing, dancing, and wishing they could join this amazing train as it climbs higher and higher. Whether readers are spiritual or not, this book offers priceless, carefree moments of freedom, joy, and imaginative possibilities!

If you’re like many people in half the country, the virus shut-down has transformed you into a homeschooling parent. Welcome to the homeschooling life! You may feel apprehensive now, but by the end of this post you’ll be encouraged and ready to dive in. If you’re fortunate, you may learn a few new things, too.

No matter the age of your child, you’ll want to maintain their academic skill levels during this time. If you’re in wait mode until schools organize lessons online, be proactive and seek out ways to keep your child connected to their lessons. This post should help you do that.

Here are a few online resources my daughters suggested for various student ages:

Kahoot - create quizzes

Moby Max – range of grades K-8

Khan Academy – K – calculus and more

Crash Course – high school topics via You Tube

Amoeba Sisters – resources for science biology

Quizizz – millions of teacher-created quizzes or make your own

ABC offered additional resources:

Click here

Check out Symbaloo to help keep all of your resources organized on one page.

Use these resources to assemble 15 – 30-minute work sessions, longer for older students. Don’t overdo it. Allow ample time for breaks. Let your child participate in at least one of the following each day: gym, art, music, and of course, library, just like they would do during a normal school day.

Teachers of all grade levels recognize the importance of reading aloud to students. It’s not just for bedtime anymore. Grab a book or interesting article, read it aloud and discuss it as part of a social studies or science session. Incorporating these resources into your child’s day will take bit of planning, but you can do it!

You might even switch careers and get a teacher certification!

Feel free to ask questions or share comments about other resources in the comments section.