We’re in the thick of the school year and some of you might be getting the email that says, “Your child is a joy to have in class but they could really use extra help at home with (enter subject here).” I don’t know about you, but it never fails to be a subject that I am really terrible at.
The great thing is I was inadvertently genius when finding a partner because, while I’m great at writing and social studies, my husband is really great at math and science. This isn’t always the case with families but don’t think you are doomed to a school year full of frustrating, tear-filled homework sessions. Whether your child is in school or homeschooled, or maybe you want to encourage screen time that isn’t YouTube toy reviews, these resources can work for anyone.
ABCya: Ideal for Pre-K through fifth grade, this website has over 100+ games using Common Core curriculum so it should piggyback on what kids are already learning in school. It has word and math games, there is also an app so you can use it on a tablet or phone. This is often used at schools so your child may already be familiar with this one!
PebbleGo: Another one commonly used in schools, this website covers topic s such as animals, science, biographies, dinosaurs, and social studies. Geared to the K-2 audience, this one requires a subscription so check with your child’s teacher for login information for use at home.
BrainPOP: This site also requires a subscription. Homeschool and virtual school families can purchase their own, but if your child goes to a public school, you should ask your teacher if they can give you the code to use this at home for free. The website does have some free content that changes daily so it’s fun to pop in and see what’s happening. BrainPOP Jr. is for the K-3 students and BrainPOP is for grades 4-8. It covers science, social studies, English, math, and more!
Scratch: I learned about this a few years back while working in a school library. We tried out a “Scratch Club” to see if kids would be interested or could even understand it. As it turns out, they absolutely could (far better than us adults!) and it was incredibly popular! This website gives kids the basics of learning to code stories, animations, and even games. It’s really great for 8-16 year olds and there are tutorials to get you started.
Khan Academy: One of the greatest resources you can show your child. This is beneficial for any student, grades K-12, and they can really learn anything. If you homeschool, you will be on here often. If there is something your child wants to know about, this site will have answers. Once you go to the website, you enter what grade you’re in and it will tailor the lesson to your education level. Even better? There are resources for adult learners!
If you are in college, maybe going back to school, or even want to do some independent learning – they are ready for you! You can find information for careers, college admissions, personal finance, and entrepreneurship. You can also find information to help your college-aged student prep for college admissions tests, then help your younger children in their schooling. There is something for everyone and if you haven’t used this website yet, I highly recommend it!
Sheppard Software: Another website that has information for PreK-5 graders, middle/high school students, college students, and adult students. There are two options for this site: they have a free version, which has ads on the sidebar, and they have a no-ad version that you pay for. Interestingly, this has brain games, nutrition information, chemistry games, and USA trivia for kids as well.
Safe Online Surfing: I would be remiss if I didn’t include this in an article about online resources for kids. If you share nothing else with your kids, this is important. We all know online safety is a big deal but oftentimes parents don’t know where to start in that discussion, so the US Government developed this site for grades 3-8. It’s a game to learn about cyber safety and digital citizenship. I think this would be appropriate to review every year because the site gives more information tailored to each age group playing. Sit down with your child, go through this, and make sure they know how to be safe whether they are on the family computer, a tablet, or a phone.
Hopefully you found a resource or two that will work for you family. There are countless of education websites out there so if you have a really great one, share it with us!
