February 4, 2012

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NetSmartzKids.com Review

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NetSmartzKids.com

Children use the Internet with increasing frequency, and parents may be concerned about their access to inappropriate content.  NetSmartzKids.com is a fun way to teach children how to be safe while surfing the web, and is a great resource for children, parents, and educators.

The site is an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and is designed for for children ages 5 to 17, their parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement.

The site’s goal is to help children recognize dangers on the Internet, to report victimization to a trusted adult, and to increase communication between children and adults about online safety.

The NetSmartz Workshop teaches children the rules for online safety:  “I will tell an adult I trust if anything makes me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused; I will ask my parents or guardian before sharing my personal information; and I won’t meet in person with anyone I have first ‘met’ online.”

The site contains videos designed to educate children about what to avoid on the Internet: what to do if they encounter content that makes them uncomfortable, if anyone asks for personal information, the importance of protecting passwords, and other lessons in personal safety. The site does not link to any external sources, so parents can trust that the site is child-safe.

Users can play games, download wallpaper and music files, send safe e-cards, and email different characters from the site.

Parents can be assured that the games and activities children encounter on this site are not only educational, but they are secure, so this is a terrific site to introduce to children since it is never too early to start learning about Internet safety.

Filed Under: Child Safety, Resources For Children Tagged With: , , , , ,

Motheread.com Review

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Motheread.com

All parents know how the value of simply reading to their children, but many may take it for granted that they can read to their child. Of course, not all parents are able to provide their children with valuable gift.

If you’ve wondered what sorts of programs are available for promoting literacy among parents and children, check out Motheread.com.

Motheread, Inc., is a nationally acclaimed organization that teaches literacy skills, child development, and family empowerment issues.  The organization offers classes for adults and children, using story as a way of learning.

Founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1987, the organization presents classes that focus not just on the “how” of reading, but also the “why,” and encourages parents to be reading role models for their children. Children’s classes emphasize, in addition to reading, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

On the organization’s website, users can read about the curriculum methods used to teach adults and children, obtain a copy of the newsletter, and find out about training and research on both the local, state, and national levels.

Educators can get information on upcoming training and development opportunities, and those interested in becoming Motheread instructors will find what they need under the FAQ link.

If you are interested in learning more about this program that provides valuable and empowering skills to parents and children, or your organization could benefit from implementing the program’s curriculum, this easy-to-use, informative website is a valuable resource.

Filed Under: Child Development, Resources For Children, Resources for Mothers, Resources for Parents Tagged With: , , , , ,

Homeschool Portal Review

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HomeschoolPortal.com

Homeschool Portal is a wonderful resource for parents who are searching for a comprehensive list of educational materials for their children.  Containing over 2000 links, the site is a comprehensive listing of websites, businesses, and educational resources that support the homeschooling community, teachers, parents, and students. Users can rate each site they visit, providing important insights to other users.

Because the site is so vast, the easiest way to browse for materials is to go to the bottom of the homepage and choose the directory tab, which will take you to a page where information is sorted by category and presented in alphabetical order.  Scroll down the page to see main categories, and then click on a folder to view the subcategories and read a full description.

Under the directory, users can search audio, books, school subject, family and home life, homeschool information, software, toys and games, special needs, reference materials, early childhood learning, and a number of other subcategories.  Under each subcategory, users will find a list of pertinent links to follow that relate to the particular subject.

Users can sort the results, choosing to show newest or oldest first, highest rated, most votes, least votes, or to list by alphabetical order, and choose the number of results to show per page. Since there is so much material available on this one site, having the information accessible by a number of different sort features makes finding just what you’re looking for easier.

The site also offers a “search the directory” feature for quick searches, but users who have time to may find it more interesting to browse around the featured links since the site is so packed with useful information.
The “featured” link connects users to the feature of the month and offers a link to previous features; the “homeschool ecards” link allows users to send ecards with a homeschooling theme; the “links” link is a place where users can report for deletion any links that pertain to gambling or adult themes; and the “supermall” link takes users to the supermall site, full of products for homeschoolers.

Users will find a vast number of resources on the Homeschool Portal, so set aside a lot of time to check out the many, useful resources offered here.

Filed Under: Resources For Children, Resources for Parents, Resources for Teachers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Teach The Children Well Review

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teachthechildrenwell.com

If you’re looking for a comprehensive collection of educational websites, Teach the Children Well is a great resource.  This website is a vast collection of website amassed by a teacher, for teachers, students, and their parents.

While the sheer number of sites available here is almost overwhelming, the site is neatly divided sections that make for easy browsing, or users can search for a specific topic.  The site was designed for elementary grades, but the material will appeal to older students as well.

The teachers’ section is divided into categories:  Game of the Day; Animals; Science; Language Arts; The Arts; Math; Social Studies; Challenges; Other Topics; Technology; Early Learning; and Parents and Teachers.

Within each category users will find further sub-categories (types of animals, for instance, or geographical locations), and within those sub-categories are hundreds of links to sites that relate to the particular topic.
Users will also find Search Engines for Kids and References Links, as well as a place to suggest a link be added to the site.

Be prepared to set aside a chunk of time to browse the many, many references here, or bookmark the page as a meta-reference page for future use.

Filed Under: Parenting, Professional Resources, Resources For Children Tagged With: , , ,

Smart Start Review

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smartstart-nc.org

Smart Start: The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. is North Carolina’s award-winning, nationally recognized early childhood initiative whose goal is to ensure that young children are ready to succeed when they enter school.

A public-private initiative, Smart Start provides funding to all 100 counties of North Carolina. Seventy-eight nonprofit, local organizations called Local Partnerships administer funds at the local level. Currently working with $203.6 million in state funds, Smart Start has had great results in improving the quality of child care, making child care more affordable and accessible and providing access to health services and offering family support. Smart Start continues to strive to reach the needs of all children in North Carolina.

The site offers a wealth of information both about the results Smart Start has achieved in the areas of school readiness as well as resources for families. Browse the Smart Start’s Results section for information about how Smart Start has assisted children with school readiness and health care needs, or read about Smart Start Legislation and Funding, as well as how to get involved as an advocate or make a donation in the History and Get Involved sections.

Learn about Smart Start’s technical assistance grants program and National Smart Start Conferences in the site’s National Technical Assistance Center section. This section also includes a list of publications such as “Child Care & Parent Productivity: Making the Business Case” and “Smart Start in Action: Stories of Success from Three Communities Smart Start in Action.”

The Family Resources section offers a vast number of tips, articles, questions and answers, and links for many aspects of child development, including raising an intellectually healthy child, brain development, health and safety, the importance of reading, a checklist for quality child care, and a section on school readiness.

Check out the Smart Start Media Center for press releases, speeches, speaker information, and the organizations’ copyright and privacy policies.

For NC residents, you can easily find a link to the Smart Start in your area by browsing the county-by-county listing of local partnerships.

Filed Under: Resources For Children Tagged With: , , , , ,

Connect for Kids Review

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Connectforkids.org

is a site designed for a broad audience, from parents to professional child advocates. The organization’s purpose is to connect concerned adults and young people and to give them tools to take action regarding issues that concern youth.

The site itself contains articles about issues pertinent to child well-being such as increased child care funding, child poverty in America, walkable neighborhoods, dropout prevention, and many more. The lengthy archive of articles is searchable by topic and subtopic.

There is also an Action Central: Tools for Advocacy section that offer tips for effective legislative advocacy, advice for getting funded, and suggestions for successfully advocating for children.

The Youth Today column and the CFK Update are updated regularly, providing current information on child advocacy issues. Check out the option to subscribe to biweekly updates on a number of different youth-related topics.

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