Author: Harnett County

Top 10 Wbsites for Preschool Families

The use of technology in the home does not mean sitting your child in front of the t.v. with a video game or letting them watch videos on the computer. There are many wonderful rsources on the web that can not only entertain your child but also provide valuable learning opportuities. Below is a list of the Top Websites for Preschool Families, as compiled by parents and educators.
PBS Kids
www.pbskids.com
This site has a large amount of games, videos, and printables The familiar faces of their favorite t.v. characters help to keep your child busy learning all day long.
Sprout
www.sprout.com
This website provides activities for children and parents. It includes crafts, cooking ideas, and parenting tips. It is run through PBSkids.
Fun School
www.funschool.com
This website is an arcade of sorts. It is stocked full of educational games of varying levels and subjects. Games can be found in the following subject areas: language arts, science, math, music, arts, sports, etc…. This site needs supervision, but once the child becomes familiar with the games and activities, he or she will be able to play independently.
Dance Mat Typing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
It is never too early to begin teaching keyboarding, especially when you can use such a cute game as this BBC gem. The best part is, it is free! The kids love it. The program introduces kids to touch typing with fun challenging games.
Magic School Bus
www.magicschoolbus.com
This site provides videos, games, stories and printables about many science topics. Your child will love the animated adventures of Mrs. Frizzle and her class. There are resources here for parents as well.
Starfall
www.starfall.com
This is a favorite among early elementary teachers and parents alike. If you have an early reader, this is a fantastic resource. They have online books (free, of course), that will highlight each word as a narrator reads aloud to your child. There is also an animated ABC section that is completely appropriate for two-year-olds. Need to give your little one extra practice with sounds and emergent reading activities? Starfall is the place to go.
Everything Preschool
www.everythingpreschool.com
This site is more of a resource for parents. It contains over 3,000 activities to do at home with your children in all areas. There are themed activities, recipes, and lesson ideas.
Peep and the Big Wide World
www.peepandthebigwideworld.com
This site has wonderful activities to teach children about science and math skills. It includes learning videos, games and activities both printable and online.
Building Language for Literacy
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/
This website is through Scholastic, which is the leading provider of reading resources for teachers. On this site your child will be able to build vocabulary, letter skills, and work with rhyming words.
Little Lily Polka Dot
http://www.littlelillypolkadot.com/
This is a cute website that is animated and based on the book Little Lily’s Polka Dot World. This site is geared toward ages 3-6 and has learning tools, games and activities. There are also stories that are read aloud.
Harnett County Library
http://www.harnett.org/library
The library website has lots of information and resources for families. On the left hand side of the screen you can click on Youth to see all the links for young readers. The library also has lots of resources for parents, reading programs for kids, internet access and resources materials that can be checked out!!