Great Educational Websites

by Patricia Fulton

If your child uses the Internet to do research and types “President Lincoln” into the Google search engine, do you know how many matches would come up?

About 2,250,000.

For reasons of time efficiency, as well as child safety – do you really want your child wandering around on the Internet? Parents need to be aware of what websites are suitable for children, are helpful in their education and how to get to them quickly.

“[A good site] should be engaging without a lot of fluff; it should also be easy for elementary students to navigate without getting lost in cyberspace,” says Amy Kiernan, a first-grade teacher in Cobb County who uses www.readwritethink.org to complement curriculum. “The purpose of the website, the game or online activity should be evident without having to flip through page after page.”

To help parents pare down the vast resources on the Internet, Atlanta Parent has compiled a list of 25 great educational websites, referred to us by teachers, librarians and parents. Almost all of them have been approved by the American Library Association. They were selected based on content, design, ease of navigation and a hard-to-measure, but important quality, fun.

Reading

www.scholastic.com 
Already a familiar name in the education arena, Scholastic reaffirms its reputation for providing high-quality reading material. The site offers sections for children, parents, teachers, administrators and librarians.

www.readwritethink.org
ReadWriteThink supports literacy learning in K-12 classrooms. Its interactive tools supplement lessons and enable students to use technology while developing literacy skills.

www.readingrockets.org/books 
Geared toward parents and educators, this site offers insightful articles and tips on selecting appropriate reading material for children of all ages. The emphasis is on getting kids excited about reading.

Math

www.coolmath4kids.com
This upbeat site offers a wide variety of math games, brainteasers and puzzles to inspire even the most reluctant math students. Parents might find themselves playing along.

www.aplusmath.com
Online flash cards, printable worksheets, a homework helper and a game room for kids make this site helpful for reviewing basic math principles. It’s also easy to use.

www.figurethis.org/index.html
Figure This! demonstrates challenging middle school mathematics and emphasizes the importance of high-quality math education. There’s a section for families, teachers, and even a version of the tips en Espanol. Funding for the project was provided by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

History/Geography

www.americaslibrary.gov 
Presented by the Library of Congress, history has never been this fun or this accessible. Families will want to explore this site together. Users can jump back in time, go on a scavenger hunt, visit states and even watch Thomas Edison’s first movie titled “The Big Sneeze.”

http://worldalmanacforkids.com 
The whole family can explore topics such as geography, animals, the solar system, inventions, world population and the environment. The list is virtually endless, and games complement the amazing facts you’ll discover here.

http://nationalgeographic.com/kids
This attractive and functional site is sure to inspire young minds. Explorers can play games, print out activities, try an experiment, create their own webpage or get help with their homework. There is also a section for parents.

Puzzles

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com
Puzzlemaker is a puzzle-generating tool for teachers, students and parents. Create and print customized word search, crossword and math puzzles using your own word lists. Brain Boosters really make kids think with word association and categorization puzzles, and Learning Adventures give insight on historical subjects.

www.agameaday.com
Stimulate your mind with brainteasers, trivia, anagrams, cryptograms and word searches. Choose from a variety of puzzles and games designed to stimulate problem solving and creative thinking.

Science/Environment/Health

www.chem4kids.com
Chem4kids offers an interactive look at the basics of chemistry. Discover matter, atoms, elements, the periodic table, reactions and biochemistry. It is an excellent resource for elementary and middle school children.

www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm
This Canadian site offers children the opportunity to learn about the environment through games and activities. It’s sure to inspire children, parents and educators to take an active role in the world around them.

www.bam.gov
Body and Mind is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site answers health questions and recommends ways to make their bodies and minds healthier and safer. Games, quizzes and health tips add up to the colorful site.

www.equipped.org/kidsrvl.htm
Wilderness survival is not a topic often taught in schools. Use this site to review the basics of outdoor survival with your children. Test their knowledge by playing the interactive game “Stay Alive.”

Art and Music

www.artsconnected.org/toolkit
The Artist’s Toolkit introduces creative minds to visual elements and the principles of design. Users can watch animated demonstrations or create compositions. This is an excellent site for elementary and middle school children.

www.crayola.com/kids
This boldly colorful website provides children with artistic activities and games. Great for young children, it also has a section for parents and lesson plans for educators.

www.sfskids.org
This vivid, interactive site takes kids behind the scenes of the San Francisco Symphony orchestra. Users can explore the different families of instruments or click on the music lab and learn about tempo, rhythm, pitch and harmony.

Multifaceted Sites

www.pbskids.org/go
Consider this a springboard for all of the PBS Kids sites. Children can play games, participate in activities or explore other PBS sites, such as Kids World Sports and Zoom.

www.playkidsgames.com
Playkidsgames was created to teach basic brain skills. Bright, engaging design elements make this site fun for children while they develop skills in math, vocabulary, memory and geography.

www.Brainpop.com
(Annual subscription: $60-$99; 5-day free trial; Shockwave is required)
Created for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, this award-winning site is worth the price of admission. Tim and Moby, an animated duo, discuss math, technology, English, science and social studies. Quizzes follow each video clip. There is also a home school edition.

Homework Resources

These sites are gateways to other websites. Parental supervision is advised for younger Internet users.

www.cybrary.org
Created by a librarian and geared toward children in grades 3 through 8, this gateway offers links to many educational websites.

http://edsitement.neh.gov
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Edsitement provides Web access to some of the world’s great museums, libraries, cultural institutions and universities. Lesson plans are also available for educators.

www.kids.gov 
Developed by the Federal Citizen Information Center, this site is a portal that provides links to Federal Kids’ sites. The links are divided into two age levels, and are grouped by subject, offering easy navigation for children. There is also a section for educators.

www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm
The American Library Association has compiled a searchable database of approximately 700 websites for kids. Users can search by subject, audience or URL.