Useful Parent Websites
Our Great Start Parent Coalition is sharing some websites they use everyday to help themselves and their children learn and have fun!
BornLearning
It’s easy and fun to provide early learning opportunities for your young child. You can do it anytime, anywhere – it’s learning on the go! Here are a few ideas to turn ordinary daily activities into eye-opening experiences for your child.
Create-A-Reader
www.create-a-reader.com/basic/_english.html
Technology, online games, and exercises are combined to encourage the development of early literacy skills.
Child and Family WebGuide
An essential directory to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice on topics selected on the basis of parent recommendations, professional feedback, as well as support from noted child development experts.
40 Developmental Assets for Children ages 3-5
www.search-institute.org/40-developmental-assets-early-childhood-ages-3-5
Grounded in extensive research in youth development, resiliency, and prevention, the Developmental Assets represent the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that young people need to avoid risks and to thrive.
Strengthening Families: The 5 Protective Factors
www.strengtheningfamilies.net/index.php/main_pages/protective_factors
The five Protective Factors are the foundation of the Strengthening Families approach. Extensive research supports the common-sense notion that when these Protective Factors are present and robust in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminish.
Sesame Street
This website has games, videos, playlists, Muppets, and MyStreet.
Sprout
www.sproutonline.com/sprout/home/default.aspx
This website has games, recipes, craft ideas and more.
Family TLC Tools
Tools to enhance the parent/child relationship
Reading is Fundamental: Leading to Reading
www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/en/leadingtoreading.htm
Reading games for children ages 0-5 and resources for parents.
Starfall
Inspire a love of reading and writing – 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. Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children.
Sesame Street Parents
parenting essentials for moms and dads who grew up on Sesame Street.
PBS Parents
PBS, the world’s leading authority in children’s television programming, presents a site dedicated to parenting. Parent guides to children’s media, early math, and raising boys are just a few of the ones available online. Click on Fun and Games for a wealth of activities to do with your child.
Everything Preschool
This website has a recipe for just about everything you can imagine: goo, clay, silly putty, homemade crayons, etc…. It is a great place to visit if you have a budding scientist in the house like we do.
Fun with Spot
Fun interactive website full of games.
Disney Family Fun
FamilyFun.com offers three award-winning newsletters that highlight seasonal and simple ways to have fun with your family. From popular recipes to printable projects, get the best of Family Fun delivered directly to your inbox.
Parents Magazine
The online home of favorite parent magazines: American Baby, Parents, & Family Circle
Zero to Three
Welcome to Parenting Resources at ZERO TO THREE. Here you’ll find science-based information and tools designed to help parents and caregivers nurture their young children’s development.
Washington Learning Systems
www.walearning.com/parent-tools
Zero to Three: Little Kids, Big Questions
http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/funded-projects/parenting-resources/podcast/
ZERO TO THREE’s podcast series, Little Kids, Big Questions, addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing parents of babies and toddlers, such as: helping a baby learn to sleep through the night; dealing with a picky eater; and learning to set limits on children’s behavior.