You live in a golden age for child education. Thanks to the power of the internet, kids can learn from some of the best tutors in the world. All you need to teach your children about life is a smart device. By downloading the right apps, you can raise your kids to be much smarter than yourself. Here are six great websites for growing minds.
NBC Learn
Image via Flickr by nooccar
Children today live in a different world than you did when you were a child. They are aware enough of current events that they experience natural curiosity when something important transpires. The last thing you want is to discourage your offspring from learning about the events of the day. The problem is that you also want to protect them from scary news that might give them nightmares. Everyone deserves a happy childhood, and the news doesn’t always allow that.
NBC Learn understands your concerns. The site exists as a launching pad for kids to learn about the world around them, but it’s also a controlled environment. Designed for ages 7 and up, the curated news informs while safeguarding young minds from the worst of humanity. It’s also free to use.
PBS Kids
Most Americans have fond memories of watching programs such as The Electric Company and Sesame Street. Your kids can enjoy these shows in a way that you never did. By perusing PBS Kids, they can access any show in the PBS library rather than having to wait for it to air like you did back in the day.
PBS Kids should be the bookmark of choice for children of all ages. It’s designed for everyone from infants to preteens. It is also free to use. Note that there is a link on the home page that goes to PBS Learning Media, which isn’t advised for children. Use software to block it.
Khan Academy
Many children lack access to great school systems. Parents who live in such situations have better options than ever today. Sites such as Khan Academy operate under the premise that every student deserves a great education. This non-profit is free to use, but it offers a staggering amount of high-level education tools. People revere Khan Academy to the point that Bill Gates and Google both provide financial support for its operation. It’s intended for children of all ages, too.
Scratch
Computer programming is the universal language of the future. By teaching your children how to code at a young age, you’ll give them a basic understanding of programming that will help them in whatever they do later. Scratch provides one of the best open resources for children’s web development, and that’s not surprising since it’s an MIT project.
Note that this site is for children ages 8-16. Anybody younger than that may feel overwhelmed, while teenagers will eventually outgrow it. You’ll want to train your child with a familiar but powerful computer in order to enhance their learning curve. One of the best two-in-one laptops such as the Lenovo Yoga Series will bridge the gap between when your child uses a tablet and when he’s ready for a full laptop.
ABC Mouse
This site caters to children between the ages of two and seven, delivering what it describes as a robust step-by-step educational curriculum. Free to use for the first month, it costs $7.95 each month afterward. Your child can hone her skills at six different levels of academics. The site employs an innovative Tickets and Rewards system that allows your child to pick his own prizes for academic achievement.
FarFaria
Unleashing children’s imagination is a crucial way to advance their intellectual development. For a cost of $4.99 a month or $74.99 for lifetime membership, you’ll gain access to a treasure trove of over 1,000 eBooks and Read Along with Me stories. The words and illustrations will make the literature come alive for your child, opening her eyes to the power of storytelling. FarFaria is best for children ages six and above, but if your child loves for you to read bedtime stories, it’s fine for younger kids, too.
Opening your children’s minds to the power of education is simple. Train them to use the websites listed above on a weekly basis. They’ll advance at a faster rate than they would by only going to school.
Do you have any websites you would like to share that are great resources for children?
What are your thoughts on kids and learning with web resources?