Digital Libraries
Sora
Sora is a collection of digital libraries . Sora contains electronic and audio collections from Governors Village STEM Academy libraries, as well as the CMS district. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Public library and North Carolina Kids Digital Library should be added to Sora to create an extensive digital environment, see the tutorial and user guide below for instructions on how to add these awesome libraries.
The virtual library card is as follows: Staff will use their ten digit employee id number preceded by cms, so that the user name looks like cmsxxxxxxxxxx. Students will use their student id number without the cms, so that the user id looks like 123456789 (note student id numbers may vary in the amount of digits they contain).
Sora may be accessed through the CMS Student Portal and Clever or by simply typing Soraapp.com in the browser address bar.
My Capstone Library
This is a continuous digital library which offers ready to read eBooks, no need to check them out or put anything on hold. Multiple students can read the same book at the same time. Share a book with a friend and have your own virtual book club. The user name and password are not case sensitive.
Mycapstonelibrary.com
User name: johncms
Password: read
Unite for Literacy
Uniteforliteracy.com
Choose from many wonderful non-fiction PreK - 2nd grade read aloud books. There is an option to change the language from English to one of many translations such as Hindi, Spanish or Turkish.
You may be asked to enter a zip code on your initial visit to Unite for Literacy. You are welcome to use the school zip code, 28262.
Fun Websites for Kids (click on each title to play)
Sesame Street
Younger children will love everything about Sesame Street's online home. They can watch hundreds of the show's video clips and play games that help them learn letters, animal sounds, rhymes, colors, and more.
Scholastic
Scholastic is one of the more unique educational websites for kids. This site, from the publishers of the educational magazines you find in schools, contains activities organized by grade level. Kids from pre-K all the way up to high school can find learning activities geared toward them.
PBS Kids
Each of the educational shows your children watch on PBS has its own section on PBSKids.org. Find sing-a-long songs, sorting and counting games, bonus videos, and more.
CoolMath
CoolMath.com calls itself "an amusement park of math and more." Children can play online math games that help them with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, money and more. CoolMath is geared toward ages 13 and up, but sister site CoolMath4Kids.com is appropriate for ages 3 through 12. CoolMath Games offers "brain training" games for all ages.
TIME for Kids
From the publishers of TIME magazine, TIMEforKids.com is loaded with fascinating articles, photos, and videos, covering politics, the environment, entertainment, sports, health, and more. TIME for Kids isn't as interactive as most of the other sites on this list, but it tackles subjects that are in the news in a kid-friendly way.
National Geographic Kids
Watch animal web cams, learn interesting animal facts, see and share photos of nature, learn about different countries, try science experiments, and much more on Kids.NationalGeographic.com. There's also a "Little Kids" section for the younger explorers in your home.
How Stuff Works
When your child wants to know why the sky is blue, how a tornado forms, or who invented the Chia Pet, head on over to How Stuff Works. The articles answer questions about cars, culture, entertainment, science, money, technology, and more. Games, quizzes, and videos round out the learning experience.
Starfall
Starfall.com has been online since 2002. It's ad-free and offers learning games and activities for kids in pre-K through grade 3, covering math, reading, writing, and music, plus seasonal options.
The KIDZ Page
TheKidzPage.com has more than 5,000 pages of learning games and activities. Online coloring pages, jigsaw puzzles and word games are just a few categories on this massive site. Each holiday has its own section of activities and games to enjoy with your children.
Nick Jr.
If you don't mind TV characters, you'll find printables, games and other activities your young kids will enjoy at NickJr.com. The games allow your children to explore their creativity, play dress-up, learn new music, put together puzzles, and work on numbers and shape recognition.
Exploratorium
It's hard to narrow the list of science websites because there are so many helpful resources out there. But San Francisco's Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts website teaches kids about science and art in new ways. The activities let kids tinker with gadgets, go below the sea, rocket into the galaxy, as well as learn about the science of gardening, animals, and cells, to name a few.
Highlights for Kids
The magazine for kids that's been around for more than 60 years also offers online ways to play, read, and craft with your children. The site includes matching games, art activities, animated stories and science experiments to help kids learn while having fun on the Highlights for Kids website.
Learning Games for Kids
The name of the site says it all. Learning Games for Kids is all about games that teach kids almost every subject you can think of. Word, spelling, social studies, brain, science, art, vocabulary, literature and keyboarding games will take your kids on a learning adventure.
Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids
It's learning with a twist. The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids features riddles, puzzles, a question of the day, a timeline of interesting history facts, sky events, and weather conditions to track at home with your children.
Disney Jr.
Fans of Mickey and friends will love visiting Disney Jr. Games, coloring pages, and videos are a few of the highlights. The games focus on memory, hand-eye coordination, color matching, and other important skills for developing minds.
Have loads of fun with jigsaw puzzles which are simple, yet still provide enough of a challenge to help children build skills such as visual reasoning, spacial awareness, short term memory, and logic.