Best practices for teaching early elementary students online

A free guide for K-3 teachers on creating structured, engaging virtual classrooms

Teaching young learners online comes with unique challenges. Many are still learning to read, have limited attention spans, and need clear routines to feel comfortable and stay focused. This guide offers practical tips to help K-3 educators create online environments that support these needs.

It includes strategies that are easy to implement, flexible across teaching styles, and grounded in what works for younger students.

Early Elementary Guide-1

What you’ll learn:

This guide includes tested strategies for creating a virtual classroom that works for early elementary learners. Inside, you’ll find:

  • Tips for building routines and setting clear expectations that reduce confusion and support positive behavior
  • Ways to keep students focused and participating, including using visual cues, movement breaks, and table-based group work
  • Guidance on managing transitions and tech with younger students, from orientation ideas to simple tool usage
  • Tips for supporting pre-readers using visual cues, whiteboards, and picture-based polls
  • Suggestions for incorporating movement, games, and group work to maintain energy and participation

Who it’s for:

This guide is designed for K-3 teachers working in virtual or blended learning environments. It’s meant to help you spend less time troubleshooting and more time teaching, whether you’re using Engageli or another platform.

Each tip is rooted in developmental needs and teacher feedback, and includes simple setup instructions so you can get started right away.

 

Download the guide

Get practical ideas you can start using right away to support your youngest learners online.