Ten Great Sites for Elementary Students

     After serving as an Eastbrook TIS for a year and a half, I’ve found a few sites that I come back to again and again to use with students and to recommend to teachers. My criteria for a great site include:

      

• Free!
• Engaging. Students stayed interested.
• Does not require students to have an e-mail address to register.
• User friendly and developmentally age-appropriate. (It’s surprising how many beginning reader sites have wordy, complex instructions!)
• An appropriate balance of instruction/practice mixed with positive reinforcement. In other words, there is neither too much nor too little “work” before a reward, nor does the game component far outweigh the learning component.
• High visual, audial, and interactive appeal. This is hard to define, but if you work with kids, you know it when you see it.

Here are some of my favorites.

1. ABCya (www.abcya.com)  Whenever I’m stumped for an activity to use with a class, this is my go-to site. There is an abundance of language, math, technology literacy, and problem solving material here. This site, perhaps more than any other, consistently provides quality, easy-to-use activities that meet all of the criteria above. (For grades K-5, although some of the problem solving activities are challenging for sixth grade as well.)
2. Knowledge Adventure (www.knowledgeadventure.com)  There are many well-designed math and language activities here. Problem solving challenges are a strong suit of this site.
3. Johnnie’s Math Page (http://jmathpage.com/)  I’m not generally a fan of pages of compiled links. (It seems I have to do a lot of wading through mediocre sites to find the few gems.) Johnnie has done a nice job of organizing his site by topic in a visually attractive way. Most of his links meet my criteria, and nearly any elementary math topic you can think of is covered.
4. Xtra Math (https://xtramath.org/)  This site does one thing, and does it well: helps students master math facts. It was developed by computer programmer David Jeschke, who saw the need when he volunteered in an elementary classroom. Accounts are set up (easily) for each student, after which individual progress is tracked. Practice sessions are automatically individually prescribed, so that students are practicing the facts they need, yet not so difficult that they get discouraged. There are many reporting options for teachers to track progress. This is one program I wish I’d had access to when I was in the classroom.
   
5. Spelling City (now Vocabulary Spelling City) (http://www.spellingcity.com/)  Filled with spelling and vocabulary activities, this site will generate lists by grade level, but better yet, you can enter each week’s spelling list. Students can administer their own practice tests!
6. Hooda Math (http://hoodamath.com/)  While there are activities that practice math facts and calculation here, the problem solving activities are outstanding. There are many options for that high ability student who always finishes early!
7. Between the Lions (http://pbskids.org/lions/)  Full of engaging activities for emerging readers, this site is highly polished and appealing, yet easy for beginning readers to navigate and use. Audible instructions are particularly well executed. This is just one part of the outstanding PBS Learning Media site (http://indiana.pbslearningmedia.org/ ), which permits searches by topic, subject area, and grade level.
8. SumDog (http://www.sumdog.com/)   While I haven’t used this site personally with students, every teacher I’ve talked to who has loves it. According to the site, “Sumdog's free educational games motivate your students to practice math and reading ─ while you have full control over what they learn.”
9. Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/)  Scratch is an educational programming language developed at MIT. While some teachers may be squeamish about venturing into this site, it is relatively easy to get students started. The beauty of Scratch is that students can quickly learn the basics and have immediate success, yet imagination and perseverance are the only limits to what may be created. While all students will benefit, this site could start a high ability student on an extended venture.
   
10. Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/preview/ )  When I first introduced Google Maps to students (grades three and up), I was amazed at their fascination with this site. Zooming in and out can really help students visualize geographic context. Their most popular activity, by far, is using satellite view and street view to zoom in to their community and homes.