Starfall
My oldest son and I used to play on this site every day and he learned to say the entire alphabet before the age of two! Some of the games are free while others are behind a paywall. Check with your local library or school district to see if they have or plan to obtain a license so they can provide you with a login. Be sure to check out the sign language section!
TumbleBooks
This is a fantastic resource for interactive e-books that will read aloud to your child. They can choose to mute the sound and read it themselves. The graphics are rich and the narrators are superb. Certain titles even feature key words you can click on for further mastery of speech and language skills. This has been one of my favorite online literacy resources. Of course, no interactive website can take the place of a good old paper book, and we have plenty, but this is certainly a really great alternative. When I listen to the voice actors read the stories, I feel it makes me a better narrator for when I read books to my child. I take cues from the voices and styles I hear and then it makes reading aloud more enjoyable for me.
Check with your local library to see if they've purchased a license and can provide you with a login. Once you locate a library site and bookmark it, then you’re only one click away from TumbleBooks and just seconds away from a truly enjoyable reading experience with your child. When my oldest son was little he just loved the intro music that plays at the beginning of each story. His face would light up and he'd start wiggling.
We highly recommend “One Duck Stuck” by Phyliss Root, Illustrated by Jane Chapman.
We hope you enjoy it just as much!
White Pixels
This is a collection of problem-solving games. They used to be found on a website called Zoops. The game developer has since made them into Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps.
These are great for Kindergarten on up.
Math Magic
This is a great Math resource. Kids can print out a certificate of achievement.
This is fun for 1st and 2nd graders.
This site was so popular that it has been preserved with a Flash emulator!
Dance Mat Typing
Keyboarding skills are so essential and kids really love this site! It’s so much fun!
Touch Typing
This is a great site for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. You can customize typing lessons.
Peter's Online Typing Course
I used this site with all of students what I was a Computer Lab teacher.
Mrs. Davis’ rule: “Less than 10 errors and less than 100 seconds before moving on to the next level.” Here is a tip: Pay close attention to when it wants you to press the space bar. A lot of kids get stuck on when to use the space bar. Also, make sure they’re not using the Caps Lock key in lieu of the proper way of using the shift key for capitalization!
Don’t Gross Out the World!
A quiz that 4th and 5th Graders will take over and over if you let them!
This is a fun resource if you’re planning a family trip outside of the country.
Jan Brett's Home Page
This is one of the most adorable sites I have ever seen.
Wildly creative and great for crafts of all kinds. Buy ink for your printer now.
ASL Browser
If you are teaching your toddler American Sign Language, this is a great resource. Look up a word you want to sign and an interpreter will sign it for you in a video on your screen.
HowStuffWorks
Pretty self-explanatory.
TuxPaint
TuxPaint is a free, multi-platform computer drawing program. Think Photoshop for Preschoolers. I have implemented it on an image in 2 different elementary schools on over 200 Mac computers. I have taught many lessons using Tux Paint. It is a great tool for introducing very small children to the computer. Children of all ages enjoy using Tux Paint. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever want any tips or ideas for lesson plans. Please check out the Gallery and you will be amazed at how creative children can be when they use this software. Of course, nothing will ever replace traditional crayons and paints, but this is a wonderful tool for beginners that facilitates the introductory of muscle memory and simple hand-eye coordination while learning the basic computer skills that are so important in today’s learning environments. This software is open-source, so you can even modify the code or elements. I really hope you’ll check it out, play and enjoy!
for Parents, Caregivers & Advocates
AlphaBaby
If a toddler is near, launch this and never fear! I love this app and it should be installed on every Mac that a toddler has access to. Keep it handy in the Dock for times when little fingers are a threat to a freelance project that is up on the screen. You can customize it and turn it into a great teaching tool for your infant or toddler. Teach them how to recognize other family members with photos, shapes, colors and letters.
I did a review on my blog of this software if you would like to see it in action.
ConnectSafely
This is a great resource for any age to learn about digital citizenry and media literacy.
This used to be known as SafeKids.com.
Moms Rising
A good political resource for moms.
Time for Kids
A good home-school or early childhood education resource for parents and guardians. This link takes you to the Time website where you can select the appropriate age group.
Sesame Street in Communities
This is an activities page with useful tools for parents and guardians to help prepare children for challenges. There is a search area to type in a word, e.g. "emergency" and it will filter activities and printouts for that topic. Here is an example of a printable I used with my kids when they were little: I Know Our Address and Phone Number
The Missing Manuals for Your Kids
American Academy of Pediatrics
Breastfeeding Resources
These sites really helped me through some tough times.International BreastFeeding Centre
Pumpin Pal'
If you have to go back to work and pump, this was a great resource for me when I needed pumping parts and flanges.
Lilypie
These are fun little accents for your blog, website or email signature. You can see I have some at the bottom of my About page.
Teenager Resources
Now that my children are older and developing friendships, it's time to start incorporating some links to help educate us on some of the challenges they may face.
TheRecoveryVillage
An educational resource about substance abuse.
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