Reading Help for Children

BornLearning.org Everyday life is a learning experience for children. Born Learning is a public engagement campaign from the United Way that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers explore ways to turn everyday moments into fun learning opportunities. The Chatham County Partnership for Children uses Born Learning. click HERE for more information!

Communities In Schools of Chatham County - Mentoring Program

Communities In Schools is a well-established program that provides intervention for youth who have experienced all kinds of social problems, trauma and poverty. Through youth development, community engagement and school-based programs, CIS aims to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Contact Tych Cowdin (tcowdin@cischatham.org ) with questions.

Literacy Websites for Students of All Ages

Chatham Community Library Children's page- "Services to children and their caregivers are an important component of the Libraries' mission. At the Chatham Community Library, Wren Library, and Goldston Library, we are here to help children and caregivers find just the right books to share or the perfect resource for a homework assignment. We also provide opportunities for story time, book clubs, and other activities that connect children and their caregivers to their communities and to each other. "

PBS Kids Reading Games- This website by PBS has dozens of games designed to teach literacy skills to all ages.

Literacy Zone – Created by Woodlands Junior School in the UK, Literacy Zone offers online literacy games and activities to help children improve spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing skills.

StoryPlace – StoryPlace is a digital library created specifically for children. Library materials include free online books, online activities, take-home activities, and reading lists for preschool and elementary students.

Starfall – Starfall relies on phonics to help children learn how to read. The site offers movies, interactive games, and engaging activities for readers in pre-k to second grade.

The Baldwin Online Children’s Project – The Baldwin Project makes classic books freely available to children online. The project publishes books that are in the public domain (books published before 1923). Books are sorted by author, titles, genre, and subgenre.

International Children’s Digital Library – This online library hosts nearly 5,000 high-quality digital books in more than 50 different languages. Books contain both text and illustrations and can be discussed in a community forum.

Storynory – This site publishes a new audio story each week. Storynory offers both classic stories and original tales that have been adapted from stories around the world.

Kiddie Records – Kiddie Records publishes recordings of children’s records that were made between the mid forties through the early fifties. Recordings include classic stories like Horton Hatches the Egg and Casey at the Bat. All of the recordings can be downloaded or played for free online.

DogEared – Dog Eared is a National Geographic book blog written by kids for kids. The blog offers reviews, book recommendations, and a book of the month feature.

RIF Reading Planet – Operated by the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization, the RIF Reading Planet provides book reviews and recommendations, an author showcase, reading activities, teaching strategies, and much more.

The Reading Tub – The Reading Tub is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting reading and literacy projects. The organization’s site offers a book zone and a special section for budding writers.

KidsLit – Operated by the director of the Menasha Public Library in Wisconsin, this blog offers book reviews and recommendations for children and young adults. New reviews are posted each week.

Grammar Girl – Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty provides a free podcast that covers common grammar mistakes and issues. Each podcast episode lasts only a few minutes and provides easy-to-understand grammar advice and tips.

The Story Kitchen – Created by Bruce Van Patter, The Story Kitchen offers dozens of story starters to help inspire young writers. Each story beginning consists of a few paragraphs with a note at the end that encourages site visitors to finish the story.

Writing with Writers – Writing with Writers is a scholastic project that allows kids to work with authors and illustrators in special workshops designed to improve writing and literacy skills. The project also provides featured writing activities and step-by-step writing guides.

ClassMarker – ClassMarker makes it easy to test your child’s reading comprehension or vocabulary. The site allows you to make free online quizzes with multiple choice, true false, short answer, and fill in the blank questions.

Flashcard Maker – Scholastic’s Homework Hub Flashcard Maker is a good tool for children who need to learn sight words. They can test themselves online or print the flashcards to practice off the computer.

FreeRice – This UN World Food Program site offers a great vocabulary-building trivia game for students at any level. Every time a question is answered correctly, FreeRice donates ten grains of rice to hungry people.

Shelfari – Created specifically for book lovers, this social media site makes it easy for kids to track the books they have read and make a list of books they would like to read. Shelfari is also a good place to discover new books.

National Children’s Literacy Website – The Soho Center is committed to promoting children’s literacy in child care settings and home settings. Whether you are a family child care provider, a teacher in a child care center or Head Start program, or a parent of a pre-school or school-age child – there’s a lot you can do.

Games For Ages 3-6

• PBS Kids: A comprehensive collection of readings games bound to get any child excited about reading.

• Interactive Reading: 10 activities and games that get young children excited about reading.

• Guided Reading: Interactive reading games of rhymes, high frequent words and letters.

• Read with Phonics: Choose from activities based on your child’s reading level.

• Bembo’s Zoo: An interactivity activity that teaches the alphabet and sounds using letterforms, animals and punctuations.

• Sesame Street: This popular kid show has reading games that get the grouch out of anyone.

• Language for Literacy: Kids pick a character and learn about letters and rhyming.

• Fun Factory: It’s a wild ride with the hog to pick letters to spell the proper word.

• Suessville: This popular of series of book puts Dr. Seuss in a town of reading fun.

• Work it Out: This game of hidden words gets the brain to work it out.

Games For Ages 6-10

• Sight Words: The Mansfield/ Richland County Library provides over 10 reading games.

• Game Station: Children can choose from a collection of games that make reading and writing fun.

• Professor Garfield: Several goofy games to get children excited about reading.

• School Radio: A collection of audio resources that is centered on using the imagination to help children reading.

• Storyline: Streaming video of members of the Screen Actors guild Foundation reading children’s books.

• Word Mover: Move words around to create wacky and fun sentences.

• Web Tales: Kids can create their own wacky tales by imputing phrases.

• Toon University: A reading comprehension games that’s a brainteaser.

• Fun Brain Reading: A collection of fun, silly and educational games.

Games for Ages 10 And Up

• Scribble: A game of online scribble.

• Story Starter: Its more than a game it’s your story. It’s a fun way to create a play, novel or script.

• My Hero: My Hero program is an opportunity for students to read and write about heroes.

• Fridge Magnet: A fridge scrabble magnet game of poetry and poems.

• Reading Activities: Choose from over 1,125 reading games.

• Race to Ramses: A game where kids can be an archaeologist and unlock the tomb of Ramses.

• Comprehend This: A comprehension activity using the story Nasreddin and the Pot.

• Cause and Effect: A cause and effect activity where kids must use appropriate transitions.

• Fifth Grade Activities: Internet reading activities.