Online Resources for Your Child

The internet is a fantastic tool for your child to use throughout the school year, so long as it is used wisely. For every great internet site out there, there are dozens you may not want your child to venture to. First things first, set parental limits on your child's (or your home's) computer, and create ground rules for what they are, and are not, allowed to do during computer time. Also, take a look every once and awhile on the computer to see what they're up to. Not too sure where to start looking for great websites? Well lucky for you, we've listed some popular ones below.

E-Learning for Kids-The online resource for childhood learning on the internet-available from anywhere in the world. Fun, educational learning for children ages 5-12. This site is great because it's championed by parents, educators, and the community. The staff is all volunteer-based and focused on helping children succeed in areas that are a primary focus in the world today.

Ivy's Internet Search for Kids-Want to feel at ease with where your children go on the internet? Ivy's internet search helps your child find what they are looking for by turning to kid-friendly search engines like Ask for Kids, Cyber Sleuth for Kids, Yahoo! Kids, and MSN Encarta. We like this site because children are able to type search questions into any of the engines they feel will yield the right information, and are taken to the search engines list of possible websites. The site also gives links to other online resources and child-friendly websites your child can explore and learn from.

Music Education Online-Children learn in a variety of ways, and while math, science, and language arts are important aspects of your child's education, don't leave out more creative pathways. Music Education Online is a resource dedicated to music in schools. It's a well-known fact that music helps foster a interest in learning and is used a vehicle for children to express themselves with confidence and understanding. If your child is musically inclined, or if you would like them to be, definitely use this resource as an important tool.

Teach Me Spanish-It's no secret the world is becoming more cohesive and global. Children in Japan learn English by face-chatting with American pen pals, and right here in our own country children are able to choose from a variety of languages they would like to learn. Spanish is still the most prevalent widely used language other than English, and 1-2-3- Teach Me Spanish is a great resource because it understands that learning a new language can be difficult and comes up with many different ways to teach children of all ages.

Learning Planet-Want a website that is popular with students and teachers alike? The learning planet is a helpful resource regardless of if you are a seventh grade student, or a third grade teacher. We like it because it's information is all in real time. Right now it's spotlight feature is focused on getting children excited about going back to school, and always has up-dated online educational games like word searches and sudoku. After your child spends ten-minutes on this site the homework help will seem like an added bonus. The down-side? It does require a membership fee to have full access to the site.