School & Childcare

Who is Doris Lessing? Doris Lessing is the Nobel Prize in Literature 2007. This British author is most well-known for her novels The Golden Notebook and the Grass is Singing. While she has been awarded a number

A lot of public libraries will give you free access to an online test prep service called Learning Express Library. It's great;  you can take practice test for the SAT, ACT the Advanced Placement tests, GED

If you have middle school or high school kids who need to go online for homework,and you live in Illinois, try InfoinaBox.com . It's an online library of 300 reference books, good ones from major publishers

ll of these web sites are perfect for learning about the 100 Years War and European History. All of these educational web sites about the 100 Years War and European History are non-commercial and free of advertising

All of these web sites are perfect for learning about Christopher Columbus and history. Find facts and myths, maps, diary entries, and a timeline related to Christopher Columbus and his voyages

Where middle schoolers, homeschoolers and others can find accurate and useful John Adams biographies. These are all kid-safe sites, free of advertising. Bookmark them for homework time.

The site offers "playful ways to strengthen learning skills". One of the best features include teaching your young child the alphabet. My daughter loves "Fun with Letters" and watching Spinner

MyNoggin is a new educational online subscription service aimed at preschoolers thru first graders.  It features: ad free & safe online environment parent progress reports educator created curriculum

If you're looking for a fundraiser for preschool (or elementary school) take a look at Original Works. We participated in a fundraiser with them at our preschool and their products are very nice. The children

The Handwriting Without Tears Program designed by Jan Olsen is fantastic.  It teaches kids a wonderful way to construct letters in a very kinesthetic way - perfect for most kids! She uses core shapes and

We are loving our Spanish Class in Newburyport!  More Than Spanish is so comprehensive and fun for the kids! I was pretty amazed at the homework for the week...they don't waste anytime with these kids!

"Winnie" from The Wonder Years has written a book called "Math Doesn't Suck" specifically for pre-teen and teen girls, showing them that math isn't just for boys. Her examples are about

This site creates the worksheets, grades the worksheets and even times them! Great for kiddos to practice their math facts and other math skills. You can even customize what types of math problems you want

I finally found a website that caters to the Montessori teaching modalities called Montessori House.  Since homework is very light in our Montessori school this is a great reinforcement of

Climate Change - What's Your Impact is a great calculator to indicate how much you are contributing to this world-wide problem.  From the Website: Inevitably, in going about our daily lives &ndash

I love unique reading programs for kids and Tessy & Tab Reading Club is one of those.  I really enjoy book programs that encourage reading and the earlier the better! 

If you have a bookworm in grades 1-4, check out this great book log.  It has really fun activity pages for books - nicely spiral bound with a tough cover for only $3.75 and often on sale around back to school

I came across these Sight Word Notes from Post It in the store.  They are clever.  They are an easy way to teach the 50 common words that good readers learn to recognize instantly.  By recognizing

American Girl has a nice flash card maker that comes in handy at study time.  You can make up to 50 flash cards to use online or print them out.  Fun and useful!

Slate set out to rate backpacks appropriate for a 5- to 8-year-old. They excluded character backpacks and those with wheels or messenger-style. The two with the highest grades (A-) were the LL Bean Junior Original

Encourage your daughter to read with American Girl's free printable book club kit. Really cute printable calendars, invitations, bookmarks and a special book club "promise certificate."  Feed

Learn something new today!  This is a pretty cool website for all you info-hounds to browse through by the Library of Congress.  This section is specifically for kids & families which

I found this great little interactive website called Starfall for kids that helps in all stages of learning to read.  From letter recognition to phonics and sounds to early reading, it's a really cute

Looking for a safe web gateway for kids? Check out KidsKonnect! Published by a retired elementary school educator, KidsKonnect scours the internet for good websites for kids with 4 goals in mind: create a site

My kids have been participating in this easy program for years.  All they have to do is fill out an easy form with 8 books they have read and they get to choose a free book at Barnes and Noble.  There

Do you want to give your kids a little more math practice? Make your own math worksheets [and answer sheets!] at this great website from SuperKids. Categories include: Addition / Subtraction Mixed Addition

Are you looking for high quality websites on child development? Check out the Child & Family WebGuide from Tufts University!  It is a directory of sites rated by experts from Tufts University for parents

If you're looking for an amazing Library page for kids, take a look at BPL's Kids Page.  Resources available include: Summer Reading  Internet Fun Homework Help Parent & Teacher Resources

Want to find some good book reviews of kids books? Check out Curled Up With A Good Kids Book. They describe themselves as "a reading resource for kids, teachers, librarians and parents." Book categories

Great learning activities arranged by grade level to keep kids reading, writing, and learning all summer long.  Really fun things to keep the mind going during the summer months. Read Write Think is

Did you know that the fantastic, terrific magazine National Geographic for Kids has a website? If you don't want to spend the money on a subscription, or you want to save a tree by not buying the "zine", 

Kids.gov is an amazing website for elementary and middle school kids. There is a huge amount of information, games and resources in many different subjects, such as art, math, health and fitness, science, money

Do some summer reading of your own! Here are a few books that can help you be an active participant in your child's education. Search your local library catalog for them, or find them in at the bookstore for

This website from Denver Public Library ( http://read.denverlibrary.org/) is one of the most comprehensive reading programs I've ever seen.  Broken down into developmental stages, the site offers

Do you have a child starting preschool in September? My daughter started last year, so I was looking for some picture books to help her know what to expect. These were our favorites: I Love You All Day Long

Many daycare centers, preschools and kindergarten programs require a rest-time for our little cherubs during their busy day, why not offer them a little slice of home comfort with a nice nap mat to cuddle

It is lovely to start the new school year with an inexpensive gift for the new teacher. I found the coolest thing on ebay: personalized stickers for teachers to put on student papers. There are dozens of different

Care.com is an online service that connects people seeking qualified babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, tutors & senior care givers with a national network of trusted providers. The company provides a simple

Tracy Kane's new book is magical - Fairy Houses...Everywhere.  Her latest book joins some of her others like Fairy Boat and Fairy Flight in our home.  My daughters are currently fascinated by

When you plan to be out-and-about carrying babies and toddler, wear a belt bag (sometimes called a "fanny pack" on your side or front instead of carrying a purse. Not only do you eliminate the balance issues of

Looking for some good websites for kids that been vetted by others?  Check out Squibbles.  Parents and Teachers submit tips and they are reviewed before being posted.  links are organized by age

If you're looking for book ideas for your kids this summer, check out Powell's Children's Summer Reading site.  They have some super books ideas for kids who have read everything!  And while

Did you know that if your school signs up for Staples' Recycle for Education program, that your school can get $3 for every eligible ink or laser toner cartridge you collect?  Help the environment and your

Jump Start has some great Kindergarten reading readiness resources, including favorite book lists, tips for reading with your child, activities and a Family Resource Book (a "guide to fun, learning & literacy")

Getting tired of Cinderella and Ariel getting swooped off their feet by a prince whom they have known for less than 10 minutes?  Check out the Anti-Princess Reading List from Mommy Track'd.  Each of the children's

Great Schools provides comprehensive school profiles, email newsletters, over 600 articles, save a My School list to track school performance, and allows you to compare schools.  Really nice website if your

PBS kids has a great bookfinder database on their website to help you find great books for your child. Give Bookfinder the age of the child, the theme that interests her or him and whether it's book to be read

To display artwork, put two nails in wall and tie string across very tightly, then use clothspins to hold things up. Or, buy corkboard that's flexible and in strips that you can hang across the walls and use

This great link has a great poem to help children learn their upper and lower case letters of the alphabet.  Perfect summer activity to keep skills sharp! Have fun!

Reading Planet: Online Reading Club RIF's Reading Planet online reading club has lots of fun reading games and activities for kids. My 7 year old loves it. Online features include four sections : Activity Lab