Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Parents
Reading at Home with Your Child
Delta Publishing sells videos, DVDs, and handouts available in English and Spanish for educators to teach parents how to read with their children.
About.com: Make at Home Math Games
Links to many math games that use common items such as dice and playing cards. Game boards can be printed too.
About.com: Print and Learn Activities
Links to many printable activities and worksheets. Topics include coloring books, paper dolls, math and reading activities and games.
ALSC: Exceptional Websites for Children
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, announces which sites that the Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) committee added to its list in fall 2008.
American Federation of Teachers: Parent Resources
The AFT offers many useful resources for educators to use with parents to help them navigate today’s hot-button educational issues, as well as how to help them become better consumers of public education and advocates for their children.
Author Website: Jacqueline Jules
Jacqueline Jules, a children's author and school librarian, highlights her stories on her Web site with the help of book trailers, teacher guides, videos, and some interactive games.
Between the Lions is an award-winning PBS children's series designed to help young children learn to read. The Web site includes games and materials from the show, including a literacy curriculum aimed at children ages 4-7.
Bringing up Baby Bilingual Blog
Website with many links to research, articles and useful links to support bilingual language development.
Campaña Quetzal is a coalition of parent, youth, individuals, educators, and organizations committed to unleashing the academic and personal potential of each Latino student and eliminating the academic achievement gap.
Children Now: Education Resources
Offers information, research, and policy recommendations for policy-makers, educators, and parents working on behalf of children.
Cody's Cuentos produces free podcasts of classic fairytales translated into Spanish and read by a professional storyteller. The site mascot is a friendly cartoon dog named Cody. Users have the option of subscribing to receive new podcasts when they are available.
Colorado Parent Information and Resource Center (CPIRC)
The Colorado Parent Information and Resource Center (CPIRC) at Clayton Early Learning provides information about the No Child Left Behind Law and support for school and family partnerships in Colorado that lead to increased student achievement. CPIRC also offers trainings for schools, parents, and districts, and some of these training resources such as PowerPoint presentations are available for free online.
Celebrate the joy of reading with Cuentos y Más, a dynamic show offered by the Arlington Public Library in Arlington, VA and winner of the Outstanding Children's Program award by the Virginia Public Library Directors Association. The program features the talented and engaging bilingual storyteller Mariela Aguilar, who tells stories in English and Spanish and then visits places in the community such as the library. Produced for television, the program is now available as an online video for free viewing.
Cultivating Readers: A Magazine for Parents
The National Center for Family Literacy puts the family at the forefront of educational reform in the area of national literacy. They have produced a free downloadable bilingual magazine in English and Spanish for parents called "Cultivating Readers," which gives tips on promoting reading to children from birth until age 8.
Scholastic BookFlix is an online resource available at no cost through the District of Columbia Public Library Web site for DC library card holders, and for purchase through Scholastic.com. BookFlix offers high-quality Flash video picture books to link fact and fiction and to promote early reading skills. Some materials are available in Spanish.
Ed.gov: Education Resources for Spanish Speakers
This site, sponsored by the Department of Education, provides links for Spanish speaking parents of school-age children. It also includes answers to frequently asked questions, a resource center with publications and materials, a general information center, and assistance for parents in need of financial support to aid their child's education.
This section of the Learning Network is designed to help parents stay connected to their children's learning. Find homework help, creative activities, printables, games, and ideas from other parents and experts.
Family Education: Printables Center
Valuable printables resource center with thousands of printable activities. Database can be searched by grade level and topic.
Great Schools: Back-to-School Night
This article discusses some ideas for parents so that they can make the most of back-to-school night at their child's school, as well as information that they should take with them from the event about their child's school, classroom, and teacher (such as important contact information). This article is available in English and Spanish.
Helping Your Child Write an Essay: Organizing and Brainstorming
A basic introduction to organizing and writing an essay. Straightforward and clear language is used in the examples of the thesis statement and supporting details.
IGUANA is a Spanish-language magazine published for kids aged 7 to 12. Each issue is filled with stories, games, puzzles, interviews with prominent Latinos, recipes, project ideas, jokes, articles and more!
International Children's Digital Library
This digital library hosts a collection of books from around the world. Ultimately, this organization hopes to have every culture and language represented so that every child can know and appreciate the riches of children's literature available from the world community.
José-Luis Orozco: Spanish Children's Music
José-Luis Orozco is an author and recording artist whose work draws upon the rich heritage of the Spanish-speaking world. Through his music, José-Luis has sought to expose a wider audience to Spanish-language children's traditions and promote Latin American culture. These cds are excellent tools for young children.
KidsHealth: Parent Resources (English)
The English-language Parent section of KidsHealth answers questions that parents have about growth and development, expanding on topics such as medical care, sleep, and sexual development.
KidsHealth: Parent Resources (Spanish)
The Spanish-language Parent section of KidsHealth answers questions that parents have about growth and development, expanding on topics such as puberty, dyslexia, and exercise.
The Latin Baby Book Club Blog was created to provide parents with suggested reading for their families and to help children develop pride for their Latin culture through education and literature. The blog also strives to support Hispanic authors through monthly interviews and reviews of bilingual young adult and children's books.
Learning Two Languages: Questions Parents Ask
This article from PBS answers many questions parents have about helping their children become bilingual.
This site offers a monthly column for parents and educators offering information and articles on different subjects. Topics include: reading, parenting, early childhood, and safe schools. One section offers articles in Spanish.
Maryland State Parental Information Resource Center
The Maryland State Parental Information Resource Center's (PIRC) mission is to help parents, community members, and educators in Maryland work together to increase family involvement and improve student achievement. The website offers extensive information in Spanish, as well as information for newly arrived immigrants.
Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center
Matrix is a parent-run information and resource center, helping families of children with special needs in Marin, Solano, Napa, and Sonoma counties of California.
MVParents.com is a parenting Web site built on a foundation of Search Institute's Developmental Assets®. The assets are 40 building blocks for growing up successfully. The site offers parenting resources, a blog, and parent tips.
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
NCPIE is dedicated to developing effective family/school partnerships in schools throughout America.
The National Education Association has created Help for Parents to provide information and resources to help parents understand what's happening in their child's classroom.
New York Public Library: Audiobooks Collection
This website allows New York Public Library users to browse the system's free online collection of audiobooks, e-books, video, and more. While users must have a NYPL card to access the database, it offers a helpful example of the kinds of resources that more libraries are using. Audiobooks are also available in Spanish.
Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center
The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center assists the families of children with disabilities through education, information and training. PEATC builds parent-professional partnerships to promote success in school and community life.
Parent Institute for Quality Education
This website outlines the work PIQE has been doing to promote parent involvement by providing nine-week training courses that will assist parents in understanding the U.S. educational system and becoming better advocates for their children.
The Parent-Child Home Program (formerly the Mother-Child Home Program) is a proven, innovative home-based literacy and parenting program serving families challenged by poverty, low-levels of education, language barriers and other obstacles to educational success.
Parents' Choice: Chicano and Chicana Books for Everyone
Parents' Choice reviews a sample of six Chicano books for children, discussing the ways that the books both resonate with Chicanos and enlighten and inspire readers of other backgrounds as well.
Here you'll find information about your child's development, fun educational activities, information about PBS KIDS programs, and much more!
This site guides parents through their child's development from birth through age 5. This site is also available in Spanish.
PEAK Parent Center provides training, information, and technical assistance to equip parents with strategies to advocate successfully for their children with disabilities. Some information is available in Spanish.
Pennsylvania English Language Learners
With sections for parents, educators, and students, this site offers a variety of information about English language learners and ways to help them succeed. The site is also available in Spanish.
Pierce County: Early Learning Resources
Pierce County Library System in Washington offers a Web page full of early learning resources, like downloadable information sheets with ideas to make everyday activities a learning experience, booklets with reading tips, and podcasts about pre-reading strategies.
This Spanish-language website from PreK Now offers parents a wide variety of information about early education. Topics covered basic facts about pre-school, different types and quality levels of pre-school, and the benefits pre-k brings to children.
Raising A Reader's mission is to foster healthy brain development, parent-child bonding, and early literacy skills by engaging parents in a routine of daily "book cuddling" with their children from birth to age five. It offers its program through organizations such as Head Start, and has documented participating children's superior book knowledge and story comprehension.
Reading Rockets Themed Booklists
Reading Rockets highlights a wide variety of themed booklists for kids from 0-9 years old, compiled by children's literature expert Maria Salvadore. Topics range from seasons and holidays to different feelings, activities, games, and animals.
Reading Rockets: Information on Preschool and Child Care
Information about effective preschool programs, what parents should look for in a preschool or child care setting, and early child education.
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) provides a bilingual website that is designed to help Latino families read, sing, and share stories together at home.
San Diego School District: Parent Resources
The San Diego Unified School District's parent resource page offers general school policy information in multiple languages, along with helpful articles about testing, attendance, and student performance.
This homework tool allows parents and students to create their own flashcards for subjects such as math and vocabulary.
Science Museum of Minnesota: Simply Science
Search a large database of science activities for kids, and sort by age and topic for customized results. Many science museums have links to educational resources, so don't forget to check your local science museum.
Sesame English: DVD for Children
Sesame English produces an ESL DVD series for children in grades pre-K to 4 in five languages: Spanish, Hmong, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and Vietnamese. The DVDs can be purchased online and shipped to the US and Canada.
Sesame Street Beginnings: Talk, Read, Write!
Familiar Sesame Street characters help young children learn the basics of literacy to prepare them for success as they enter school. The site is available in English or Spanish.
Sesame Street: Military Families
Sesame Workshop presents a bilingual educational outreach initiative designed for military families and their young children to share. The materials include a parents' magazine, a children's poster, a facilitator guide, and downloadable videos and music.
Time to choose a preschool? If so, you may want to check out the Savvy Source, a website for parents by parents. By entering your zip code, you can read about preschools in your area. They've gathered information and seek reviews from other parents. The site has lots of other ideas for preschool crafts, games and books.
Search Colorín Colorado
I am from Mexico and Colorín Colorado… reminds me of all the kids sitting around in a circle listening to stories. Thank you!
~ Dionisio R.
