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Resources for Parents

Carefully chosen websites and fact sheets on a variety of topics including internet safety, homework help, growing up and more.

Creating Readers

Here are some great sites that provide suggestions for helping your child develop and maintain an interest in reading.

Twenty practical and easy tips to help parents inspire their kids to pick up and read a book, written by educators of the Green Forest Elementary School in Missouri.            

Book Lists & National Book Awards

Let the experts point you toward the best books to share with your children. Browse full lists of all the annual children's book awards. 

This links to the Newbery Medal site: Recognizes distinguished contributions to American children’s literature.   Links to the Caldecott Medal site: Recognizes distinguished art in an American picture book.   Links to the Sibert Medal site: Recognizes the most distinguished informational picture book published in English.   Links to the Geisel Award site: Recognizes authors for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading.   Links to the Best Children's Books site Look at lists by reading level, topic, and more!

Homework Help

These websites offer back to school tips, worksheets on a variety of topics and more to support you and your child.

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.   Study Geek offers detailed sections on algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and statistics. Each area provides helpful explanations and sample problems specific to all types of math. Study Geek also offers a searchable math vocabulary guide. Click here to go there.    Fact Monster is part of Family Education Network and is a free reference site for children, teachers, and parents. Fact Monster's homework center offers online math flashcards for kids, a conversion calculator for all kinds of units of measurement, a handy atlas, and much more.     ParentToolkit.com gives you a grade-by-grade look at academics in preschool through high school, reflecting the Common Core Standards that are taking effect in most states.

Internet Safety & Awareness

Interactive learning games for kids and tips for parents can help keep your kids safe online.

Links to Be Internet Awesome site: To make the most of the internet, kids need to be prepared to make smart decisions. Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.   Links to On Guard Online site: The federal government provides tips for parents about navigating online safety, including talking with your kids.   Links to Netsmartz site: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has internet safety resources for parents, educators, and law enforcement. Each page provides presentations and links to more information. This site also has a link for parents with teens and a special section just for kids.    Safewise

Safewise Internet Safety Guide for Kids

Family Online Safety Institute

Internet Safety 101

Internet Security for Kids - 10 things you should do to keep kids safe.

Parenting Tips

Links to WebMD Health & Parenting Center site: This site from WebMD covers popular hot topics in parenting and health, popular searches as well as access to their online parenting community.    Links to Planned Parenthood Tools for Parents site: Great source for tips on talking to children about growing up.    Links to Common Sense Media site: Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Resources for Kids

Links to International Children's Digital Library site: The ICDL Foundation's goal is to build a collection of books that represents outstanding historical and contemporary books from throughout the world.    Links to LearnEnglish Kids site: A great resource for free online games, videos and audio to help kids learn English the fun way!    Links to Literactive site: Literactive is the leading provider of reading material for pre-school, kindergarten and grade 1 students available online. The program is comprised of carefully levelled guided readers, comprehensive phonic activities and a wealth of supplemental reading material which gradually develop a child's reading skills in a sequential and enjoyable manner. An ESL version for every Guided Readers is available for download.