Academic Resources for Home!
Summer is quickly approaching and you might be wondering what academic tools your kids can use during the break that will prevent the dreaded summer slip! At DAA, we incorporate technology into many of the classes in order to supplement our curriculum in both ELA and math. I would like to share some of these with you so you have opportunities to FREE resources available on a computer or smartphone.
Khan Academy
This website gives our kids access to math problems, explanatory videos, and immediate feedback for math grades K-12+. Recently, Khan Academy has added science and humanities for older students. All of our fourth and fifth graders use Khan Academy with Ms. Fowler to fill gaps in knowledge that they missed in previous years and need to refresh on, as well as current topics that she introduces. If you have a child in Ms. Fowler’s math class, they already have a login and will have access to it even after the school year ends. If your child has not used it before, the accounts are free and could even help them work at the math that will be introduced to them in the next school year so they can get ahead!
Raz-Kids
Raz-kids is a fantastic website that has over 400 e-books at various reading levels that can both read the book to the child and allow a child to read through the book independently. When the child completes books they earn stars which can be used to buy different accessories for their robot avatars. Again, both 4th and 5th graders have accounts for raz-kids that will last through the summer and we encourage them to continue using it. For children without an account, there is a free trial that lasts 2 weeks or you can purchase a home account for your children for $109 per year.
Time For Kids
If you want to stick to strictly free websites for reading Time For Kids is fantastic! There are short articles at many reading levels that allow children to read about topics such as how we got the Statue of Liberty, an environmental article about how Lego is going green to protect our environment, and world news such as the newest Prince of England being born to Prince William and Kate Middleton. If you prefer to receive these in print, there is an option to pay for magazines to be mailed to your home.
National Geographic Kids
Similar to Time For Kids, National Geographic Kids gives access to free articles about our world, and in true NatGeo fashion, with incredible photographs. I’ve reviewed articles about how Ramadan is celebrated around the world, snapshots about each U.S. state with its history, geography, and wildlife, and a new glass frog (frog with a translucent stomach) that has been discovered in Costa Rica and looks like Kermit. If you have a curious child this might be a really fun website to explore with them!
Hopefully you can enjoy some of these resources this summer with your kids and help keep their brains working throughout the summertime!