Dear Parents- There are wonderful free online sites for preschoolers where inappropriate content is filtered out. A fun one that has a maze game with 100 levels. A ladybug has to find her home and your preschool son guides her to it-
www.learn4good.com/games/kids/ladybugs.htm
Zoodles is an online education service for preschoolers. The games are fun and educational, approved by Stanford University educational experts, and encompass national and state educational standards. You can tailor-make each game to suit your son’s experience and regular progress reports keep you updated on his activities. The free account has no fees and if you like you can enhance your account with paid features for next to nothing ($7.95/mo.) http://www.zoodles.com/
Kaboose is totally free and teaches thinking skills- http://funschool.kaboose.com/
Preschool Learning Online offers free downloadable games that are educational and high-quality. All you do is register and take a survey to have full access. http://preschoollearningonline.com/
For toddlers to preschool and 1st grade:
http://www.infostuff.com/kids/a.htm - teaches abc's
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/default.htm - for basic number concepts
http://giraffian.com/kids/alphabet/ - for the alphabet
http://www.fisher-price.com/us/fun/games/phonics/default.asp - for ingenious preschool phonics learning games.
http://www.lettertv.net/pages/brickwall.htm - to see letters and hear the sound and see pictures of upper and lower case letters with coloring pages and songs.
http://www.storyplace.org/storyplace.asp - for great interactive digital sound videos
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html - that offers a neat math arcade to choose activities from.
http://www.funbrain.com/math/index.html - for an excellent math baseball with different levels and skills to play. You’re at bat and can score a run or an out!
Here’s a Best-Kept secret! Go to the American Library Service for Children (ALSC) site at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/index.cfm then click on “Great Websites For Kids” in the left margin.
PBS Kids is also totally free! http://pbskids.org/
Remember, because learning proceeds from the "known" to the "unknown", don’t advance your child to the next level until the current one is mastered. Be there with him/her to play the math, spelling and phonics games to answer any questions he may ask. Keep it fun and go at your child's pace. Go in baby steps!!
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. has retired from his positions of School Psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at Bowling Green State Univeristy. A portion of Ad sale revenue from this site is donated to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Questions? Comment? Concerns about family, parenting, educational or personal concerns? Contact him on the secure Bpath Mail Form.
