What do parents want in an educational Web site? A few of the common concerns of parents of elementary children are:
- How can I help my child make a smooth transition to a new grade or a new school?
- Is my child learning what he needs to know in each grade?
- How do I help my child with educational or behavioral problems?
- How can I use the Internet to enrich my child's education?
- What can I do to maintain parental control in my child's education?
- How can I insure my child's emotional, social, and character development in the school milieu?
A great educational web site has depth of content, as well as excellent design and ease of use. Here are my picks for the Best of the Educational Web .
BookAdventure
Free registration for this fantastic reading motivation site for kids. Children read books at home, complete a comprehension quiz online, and accumulate points that can be redeemed for prizes. It reminds me of the "Accelerated Reader" program in our school, which really motivated my child to read more books.
Britannica.com
Cut to the chase at homework time with the familiar focus of this online encyclopedia. The information is deep so probably more appropriate for very good readers. The topic pages guide you to related web sites, magazine articles, images, and books for a deeper perspective.
DiscoverySchool.com
Excellent design and navigation, full of useful information, including Science Fair Central and a clip art gallery.
Education World®
A fantastic portal site, designed for educators but useful for parents too. Search the massive directory, find ideas for educational enrichment at home (such as the Election Coverage links), browse the Parents section, and learn the issues facing our schools. Always fresh, the content is currently being updated daily.
Family Education Network
One of my favorite sites for a long time, they have expanded and changed with sections for schools and parents. This link goes to the Parent section where you will find some great advice and ideas, as well as lots of new printable resources and online quizzes and activities.
iKnowthat.com
The best online learning games for kids are at the iKnowthat.com site. Great graphics and full-screen shockwave games engage children to learn phonics, basic math, science, and geography. A sticker book and art game are also very well done. Take your little one here when she wants to "play on the Internet".
Parents and Students Together on the Web: A Dozen Information Skills for the Home
Jamieson McKensie makes the complexity of the online experence a breeze for parents who want to tap the incredible potential of the Internet to enrich their child's education and life. This article summarizes in great detail a perfect plan for surfing with your child.
Scholastic Parents Section
Though much of the site is geared to Scholastic products, parents and kids will also find that Scholastic has many value-added educational resources. Scholastic News is a great kid-friendly news source. I like that you can try Scholastic software before you make a buying decision in Downloads2Go.