More Great Websites for Kids

The Great Websites for Kids Committee (from the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association) has announced six new sites for inclusion in Great Websites for Kids. They are as follows:

BBC Primary History
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/
This is a great history site for primary grades to learn basic information about a few specific periods in history and the people of the era. This visual site does a great job of including timelines and biographical information in a way that younger learners can understand and enjoy. The website is designed like a toybox and will allow children to really "explore" the different topics.

Kids.gov
http://kids.usa.gov/
The US Government's website for kids explores jobs, health, art, school subjects and more. Choosing personal interests or researching your latest school report can be done on this website through text, games and informational videos.

Mi Heroe (Spanish site "My Hero" project)
http://www.miheroe.org
My Hero is a project to celebrate the best of humanity. Students can add to the project by submitting their own essays about their heroes. Mi héroe es un proyecto para celebrar lo mejor de la humanidad. Los estudiantes pueden aportar al proyecto por presentar sus propios ensayos sobre sus heroes.

Smithsonian Kids
http://www.si.edu/Kids
Smithsonian Kids includes a lot of information and activities about a lot of topics, including dinosaurs, world cultures, animals, outer space, history, and more…many of which are also exhibits at the Smithsonian museums.

Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms
http://www.genome.gov/Glossary/
A wide range of genetic terms are explained thoroughly but concisely by leading experts in the field. Multimedia elements include downloadable pdf’s, audio clips with explanations of terms, and 3D models.

Walking With Dinosaurs
http://www.walkingwithdinosaurs.com/dinosaurs/catalogue/
Created by the BBC, Walking with Dinosaurs features individual pages featuring interesting facts, images and statistics on particular dinosaurs.

Wimpy Kid 8 is in Your Near Future

Diary of a Wimpy Kid book #8 will be released in November (place your holds now before the waiting list gets longer!).  But for now, the title and color of the book have been a well kept secret.  On 8-8-13 the color of the book will be revealed!  While you wait, go to http://www.wimpykid.com/ to shake the crystal ball to see what Greg Heffley has revealed for the future.  Abrams Books, the publisher is trying to get 800,000 shakes (or clicks) on the crystal ball before August 8, 2013, so let your Wimpy Kid fan shake that ball!

Great Websites for Kids

The Association for Library Service to Children has updated their Great Websites for Kids web page. 
This web page features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings such as animals and dinosaurs; games and entertainment; history and science; art and music; and much more. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers. Each site entry includes a brief annotation and a grade-level rating.  Here is a listing of websites that have been added to the webpage:

B.J. Pinchbeck's Homework Helper

www.bjpinchbeck.com
One of the oldest and broadest directories of carefully chosen web sites for students, this father-son collaboration is a "go-to" destination for anyone with homework to do, a research or science project, or any other informational need.

Common Core - State Standards Initiative
http://www.corestandards.org
Devoted to the task of defining Common Core State Standards, this site provides detailed definitions of what students are expected to learn. It serves as a resource to teachers and parents embarking on the education of young people, especially in the context of relevance to real-world knowledge and skills that are necessary for success in college and careers.

Dav Pilkey's Extra Crunchy Website-O-Fun
www.pilkey.com
Meet Dave Pilkey in comic book form! Explore his books, videos, games and book app! Be sure to check out "Fun Stuff" for more activities and silly facts.

Engineer Girl
http://www.engineergirl.org/
The Engineer Girl website is designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.

Howtosmile.org
www.howtosmile.org
A collection of hands-on science and math activities, created by staff from science museums around the country, this website is a resource for educators, homeschoolers, parents, and anyone looking to teach school-aged children about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) using interactive, non-classroom methods.

National Center for Learning Disabilities
http://www.ncld.org/
A user-friendly resource for parents, caregivers, or anyone impacted by or concerned about learning disabilities (LD). Features guides for understanding LD symptoms and treatments in an age-appropriate context, from preschool through adulthood.

Start With A Book
http://www.startwithabook.org/
Themed books (fiction and nonfiction) and activities to engage children in reading and learning during the summer. Helpful literacy tips, resources and printables for parents and caregivers. "Read. Talk. Explore."

Tween Tribune
http://tweentribune.com
Daily news sites for kids, tweens and teens. From animals to entertainment, you will find the most compelling, relevant and interesting news all on one site! Registration Required.

Tween Tribune en Español
http://tweentribune.com/spanish
Noticias diarias en español para niños y adolescentes.

Wonderopolis
http://wonderopolis.org
Spark children's imaginations by sharing a "Wonder of the Day" and exploring a "Wonder Playground." A project of the National Center for Family Literacy.

The Great Websites for Kids Committee has the charge to administer and evaluate ALSC’s great sites within the criteria and procedures established for selection and reconsideration and to complete other web site selection tasks as appropriate.

Great Websites for Kids

The Association for Library Services to Children’s Great Web Sites Committee has announced their Spring 2012 selections of web sites.  Great Web Sites for Kids are those considered the best web sites for children ages birth to 14, outstanding in both content and conception. As applied to web sites for young people, “great” should be thought to include sites of especially commendable quality, sites that reflect and encourage young people’s interests in exemplary ways.  Selection criteria for these sites can be found at: http://www.ala.org/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesforkids/greatwebsites

Here is the list of the selections:

ABCya!
www.abcya.com
Make learning fun with a variety of educational computer games for kids. Learn new skills and improve old ones in areas such as math, language arts, and typing.

All About Birds

www.allaboutbirds.org
Learn all about birds in this website created by the Cornell Lab of Orinthology. Bird names, species, location and history are all featured. Also included are bird songs and videos.

CIA for Kids-Games

www.cia.gov/kids-pages/games/index.html
Find out what the CIA is all about, play games, and solve puzzles. Resources for various audiences including parents and teachers.

Common Sense Media

www.commonsensemedia.org
Common Sense Media helps parents make decisions about media and technology for their families. Information and advice is provided in a variety of formats including reviews, videos, and even lesson plans.

Generation on Youth Advisory Council

www.generationon.org
Whether you are looking for something to do after school or to fulfill a service requirement, you'll find inspiration to change the world around you here. This interactive website has a volunteer position search, blogs full of personal stories, and offers project tips from young people like you!

 Judy Schachner

www.skippyjonjones.com
Fun, festive, and full of fantastic resources, this author webpage includes interactive stories, games, print-outs, and educator resources.

PBS Kids Raising Readers Kids Island

www.pbskids.org/island
Helps children develop and practice basic reading skills through online games and activities with their parent, teacher or caregiver.

Poptropica

www.poptropica.com
Created by Jeff Kinney of "Wimpy Kid" fame, this virtual world invites young gamers to create a character and to undertake age-appropriate quests on over a dozen "islands" based on themes from history, nature, and human culture.

Seymour Simon

www.seymoursimon.com
Called by the New York Times "the dean of [children's science] writers," Simon offers information about himself and his books (over 250 and counting!) on his official site, along with study guides, science news and videos, a science dictionary and more.

The New York Times Learning Network

www.nytimes.com/learning
The New York Times Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on NYT content. It includes lesson plans and resources for teachers as well as quizzes and activities for students 13 and older.

We Give Books

www.wegivebooks.org
We Give Books enables children to read a book online and after doing so, a physical book will be donated to a child in need through literacy programs around the world. Created by the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation, it combines the promotion of literacy, both to the child reading online and the giving of books, and the concept of giving.

Little Nutbrown Hare--LIVE!

One of my favorite book characters, Little Nutbrown Hare, from Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You book has made his way over to animation.  The Disney Junior channel is now airing "Guess How Much I Love You" weeknights at 8:30 p.m.  While I only have basic cable at my house, there's a fun website to go along with the show that contains games, coloring activities, and full episode clips.  The website looks like a lot of fun for the preschool and lower elementary school age crowd.