06/4/2012:
"Previously mentioned are the websites PBSKids & Starfall. My 5 year old
has had great sucess with learning to read with Starfall & PBSKids is
great for very young students. I also want to mention Khanacademy.org
which I just LOVE. My 5th grader & I used it over the summer & he really
had a leg up in the fall. I love that it starts at the very basic level &
works up to above where I understand. It's completely FREE. Not as fun
for younger students, no fun games or graphics but effective for the older
students. You watch videos to learn the math concept then do a series of
equations & earn badges. Parents can track students progress.
Cant say enough about this website!
"
09/29/2011:
"Since the time this article was published, a new online learning website
for kindergarten to grade 5 has launched, called K5 Learning at
www.k5learning.com. Includes free reading and math assessments and a 14
day free trial.
"
01/24/2011:
"My 6 year old has used www.PBSkids.com and also www.StarFall.com for the
past 2 years and has learned so much! Both are free. And her 1st grade
teacher turned us onto www.SpellingCity.com and it's great! I can enter
her spelling words and they are used in the games! Also free.
Hope these links help - I never saw any listed in the article above just
the ones mentioned in the comments.
"
11/15/2010:
"The main idea of this topic is a very good one. However, as I read on the
links were not there and it seemed as if the project crashed before it
took off. Today there are many single parents that have sometimes two
jobs to support their families which leave them no choice but to rely on
the school systems to teach their children what they need to survive.
With the economy in the shape its in its a wonder we even still have
public school systems. And its a wonder we even have teachers still
willing to teach at all.
All this is bad, however we (the parents) can come together and create a
site that will be free and still prepare our children for the upcoming
years in school. I may be sticking myself out on the chopping block on
this but someone has to do it:
Here we go...in order for this to work we will need for us (The Parent) to
seek out these resources; send me the links to the sites that are
providing these demo learning sites and we can go from there. It may take
some time because I too commute to and from work (1.5 hours to; avg 3
hours from) however, we have another half of the year to prepare so pass
the word on this....because Facebook wont have nothin on us (the
determined parents)! We'll keep them safe in study WHILE they text their
buddy....
Parents, When I get your feedback on this I'll let you in on the secret."
11/2/2010:
"I read the comment about the opinion of the Californian teachers, and
immediately thought about my child. I spent an incredible amount of time
teaching my child. Why? Teaching staff tend to be thought as the only
source parents rely on to educate their children. Have you been inside a
classroom for the day? How much teaching time is spent dealing with
behavioral issues of students? How is one person supposed to provide
education for children, with different learning styles and abilities? Can
you volunteer some time to help in the classroom? Have you thought about
helping students who cannot learn like the others, perhaps because their
family/or home situation does not foster the tools needed to educate their
children. It takes a village to raise a child...stand back and wait until
others do it, or be the person who steps in to help because it is the
right thing to do. Be the change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)."
07/19/2010:
"My 7th grade daughter tried the demo on the Time4Learning website to see
if it was worth spending $20 per month. One of the questions about what is
covering the earth's crust was: What is brown and hold plants? a) soil or
b) chocolate.
Seriously? I think we'll save our money."
07/19/2010:
"This is EXACTLY the article I was hoping to find without having to swift
through hundreds of Google/Bing pages (with spam and ads). Thank you for
taking the time to share this valuable information with fellow parents. "
07/19/2010:
"We started using Time4learning off and on since my son was in 1st grade.
He will be in 4th grade. He has always enjoyed it (once he got going for
his 45min.)I credit alot of time of learning for great skills in reading.
This summer we are using it for the fourth grade learning. He does 45 min
of learning and 25 mins of playground. I do find the parent controlls are
more confusing then it use to be but I think it is about taking the time
to learn it myself."
07/19/2010:
"My middle school girls love Smart Tutor. Both are low in reading and math.
They started using smart tutor a few months ago to get caught up and
prepare for sixth grade. They have never been so happy to study! Love it
:D"
07/19/2010:
"California teachers are not teachable to teach our children because they
are not learning like they're suppose to. Summer school does not help them
either. We need to replace all the staff members of the Los Angles
Unified School District and elect other intellectuals from out of state.
California has the poorest academic score in our nation and I must say it
is ridiculous! What are these teachers doing? Are they sleeping in the
classrooms instead of drawing and scribbiling on the chalkboard? Our
children in the state of California are failing because of these people we
put in charge of our children are failing them."
07/19/2010:
"What help might there be for families who cannot afford fees? AND the
children of these families are often the ones who need the extra help the
most. Did you happen upon any free sites or for example use one for the
two week free trial and then move on to another with a two week free trial
etc. or develop your own? However in the day and age where both parents
work long hours and then have household chores after that is quite a task
too. Any suggestions."
07/19/2010:
"All these things seem great if you can afford it. What about the ones who
can't afford any of these educational boosters? For example, if I go to
the DOE and tell them that I want them to pay for these courses, they will
probably tell me that they are electives and not covered. What is out
there that is either free for low income parents?"
