TeachersFirst's Interactive Audio Books
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These educator-reviewed resources from TeachersFirst offer audio books in interactive form so all students, including emerging readers and ESL/ELL learners, can experience reading with audio and visual prompts or interactivity to reinforce and inspire literacy skills and enjoyment as they read. Be sure to explore each site, as many include multiple types of activities, including the interactive books. The helpful reviews suggest ideas for ways to use the interactive books in the classroom or outside of school to reinforce literacy skills, improve English skills, or study literature in new ways. See TeachersFirst's full collection of audio book resources and collection of audio books with accompanying text.
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Zoodles - Mark Williamson & Rich Humphrey
Grades
K to 3
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Zoodles offers a safe web platform for kids that includes fun and educational games, videos, and activities. The BASIC membership to this tool includes countless activities in a variety...more
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Zoodles offers a safe web platform for kids that includes fun and educational games, videos, and activities. The BASIC membership to this tool includes countless activities in a variety of subject areas. Many of the activities come from other sites (Starfall, PBS kids, etc.). But this is a nice compilation of subjects and activities. The safety in this program is that once it is downloaded and opened, children don't view the regular computer toolbars anymore. Thus they can't search the web on their own. To exit the program, click QUIT and OK.
There is a parent play-along mode that helps guide learning experiences in a more personal way. Zoodles has been created to work on virtually any type of computer, including tablets and smart phones. Games are searchable by age (toddler to 8 yrs old), and subject. Many games will also have parent ratings with the educational and fun value of the activity. Creating an account is easy and requires simple user information including email and the child's age. This is used to populate age-appropriate games. There is a premium membership with more features.
This site includes advertising.
There is a parent play-along mode that helps guide learning experiences in a more personal way. Zoodles has been created to work on virtually any type of computer, including tablets and smart phones. Games are searchable by age (toddler to 8 yrs old), and subject. Many games will also have parent ratings with the educational and fun value of the activity. Creating an account is easy and requires simple user information including email and the child's age. This is used to populate age-appropriate games. There is a premium membership with more features.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (147), body systems (31), constitution (61), counting (87), grammar (169), numbers (137), operations (66), phonics (43), preK (99), subtraction (114)
In the Classroom
Create 2 or 3 (or more, as needed) classroom accounts with different age levels to provide diversity for students. Each account then be bookmarked on classroom computers for student use. Share this site through your classroom blog or newsletter as a resource for learning games at home. Use activities from the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a classroom activity. Provide this link to parents to use on rainy days or during the summer.
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Cookie - Cookie.com
Grades
K to 3
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Cookie is a large collection of learning games, videos, worksheets, and arts&crafts for preschool to early elementary. Find math, science, art, and language activities in many different...more
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Cookie is a large collection of learning games, videos, worksheets, and arts&crafts for preschool to early elementary. Find math, science, art, and language activities in many different formats. Search by subject, top games, and new releases. Pre-school and early elementary teachers will appreciate the many videos on the site for learning to write numbers and letters, learning body parts, and days of the week. There are interactives for students related to addition, colors, alphabet letters, and more.
tag(s): alphabet (56), audio books (19), colors (36), geometric shapes (42), matching (17), numbers (137), preK (99), puzzles (146), songs (40), worksheets (27)
In the Classroom
These interactives make great center activities to support learning. Or if individual computers aren't available, use your interactive whiteboard or projector. Consider using the IWB as a student-run center for pairs to take turns. There are numerous activities to choose from and differentiate for your students' needs. This is definitely one to save in your favorites (or bookmark). Be sure to share this link via your newsletter or list it on your class website, blog, or wiki. Use your TeachersFirst public page (part of free membership) to share with a single click!
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Kids' Stories Online - Karen Wade
Grades
K to 6
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site aggregates free online stories, audio books, e-books, and videos! You can also submit your own stories. Most of the stories are recently written by educators and other site...more
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This site aggregates free online stories, audio books, e-books, and videos! You can also submit your own stories. Most of the stories are recently written by educators and other site members. Membership is not required. Some of the stories are children's classics and fairy tales. The songs appear to relate to current events and education in general. There are seasonal offerings like a music video about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The site offers "free" activities related to the topic of the story, usually coloring sheets and simple games. A small part of the site is under construction. More stories and other items are constantly being added.
BEFORE submitting any stories created by your students, check with your administrator to be sure that your school allows students to submit stories to such sites.
This site includes advertising.
BEFORE submitting any stories created by your students, check with your administrator to be sure that your school allows students to submit stories to such sites.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): christmas (53), folktales (59), holidays (103), interactive stories (20)
In the Classroom
ALL elementary students will enjoy reading the simple stories from this site. This site is ideal for the regular classroom, ESL/ELL students, learning support, and the youngest of kindergartners. Share the interactive books on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Save this site on your classroom computer for students to use as a learning center or to explore during an indoor recess. Have students try out this site on individual computers.
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Groundhog Day and Possum Night Talking Storybook - Mighty Book
Grades
K to 3
5 Favorites
0 Comments
This is a talking storybook that tells the story of Groundhog Day (and a bit more.) Animations and silly music help bring the story to life and add interest for ...more
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This is a talking storybook that tells the story of Groundhog Day (and a bit more.) Animations and silly music help bring the story to life and add interest for students. Students can follow along as text is highlighted when being read. The story can also be stopped at anytime and pages can be flipped forward and backward.
In the Classroom
This would be a great site to use on classroom computers as a center close to Groundhogs Day. Show the book on your interactive whiteboard or projector and have students circle and find adjectives, nouns, or verbs in the story.
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Rebus Roundup - Highlights Kids
Grades
K to 2
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Young students will love creating and hearing stories with this easy to use website. They can choose from four stories with unlimited possibilities! After choosing a story, students...more
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Young students will love creating and hearing stories with this easy to use website. They can choose from four stories with unlimited possibilities! After choosing a story, students choose a picture icon to fill in each blank, when finished their story is read to them. One story can even be heard in English and Spanish.
tag(s): digital storytelling (40), fluency (18)
In the Classroom
Emerging readers will love to create stories in different ways and hear their new creation. Repeated viewings and readings of stories will help to develop fluency with sight words. After creating the story, ask students to read it to you before it is read to them - the rebus story makes it easy to read any slightly challenging stories. Create a story on your interactive whiteboard or projector while identifying parts of speech that are inserted into the stories.New ESL/ELL students will also benefit from using this site.
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Story Time for Me - Andrew Gitt
Grades
K to 2
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This site offers three series with online animated stories for young children. After choosing a series, readers pick from one of several books to see and hear the story. Several ...more
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This site offers three series with online animated stories for young children. After choosing a series, readers pick from one of several books to see and hear the story. Several choices are offered while books are read - narrated phrases can be highlited or not, pages can be turned automatically or one at a time, and pages can be replayed. There are also personalized activity books available for free download by teachers that can be used in the classroom.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): audio books (19), literacy (101), stories and storytelling (13)
In the Classroom
Share these stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Or better yet, create a link to stories on your classroom computers and use this site as a reading center. (Don't forget headsets.) Share a link to the site on your classroom website or blog for parents to access the site with their student.
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BookRix - Gunner Siewert
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
BookRix is a very cool program for readers and writers! You don't even have to register to read or listen to a book. It's all free. If you or your ...more
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BookRix is a very cool program for readers and writers! You don't even have to register to read or listen to a book. It's all free. If you or your students are aspiring authors, you can register and publish your writing here, again for free.
tag(s): audio books (19), creative writing (67), writing (292)
In the Classroom
There are several ways you can use this site. For young readers and writers: Select a story from the children's book area. Use your whiteboard or projector and select a story to read with your students. Then as a class, have the students change the ending of the story, or write a sequel. You can then publish this class book on BookRix. Older students can publish their poems, short stories, current event articles, persuasive writing for an issue they are into... for free. Some teachers have their students write novels for National Novel Writing Month, and at BookRix they will be able to publish them. Don't miss the great collection of audio books at TeachersFirst, found here.Books are tagged, so you can search by keywords. You can also go to the "Books" tab and search by "Popular Categories." Click on the "See all" to find the "Children's Books" category. If your intent is to publish yours or your student's writing, then you will need to know how to navigate the site. You have three choices for the book format: text only, illustrated book, and audio book.
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DigiTales - Bernajean Porter
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
The DigiTales website offers ideas and assistance in creating digital stories and rubrics for evaluating digital storytelling projects. There are numerous digital stories in the StoryKeepers,''',"''¢...more
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The DigiTales website offers ideas and assistance in creating digital stories and rubrics for evaluating digital storytelling projects. There are numerous digital stories in the StoryKeepers,''',"''¢ Gallery to use as examples. Categories for stories have interesting titles like Docu-Dramas, Itza Wrap, and Beyond Words. Itza Wrap stories are about a lesson learned, Docu-Drama is nonfiction, Beyond Words is about memorable experiences, etc.
Be aware: some of the ideas suggested in the "Tools" section do require the purchase of various software programs. The free audio stories in the "Storykeepers' Gallery" make this a fabulous site!
Be aware: some of the ideas suggested in the "Tools" section do require the purchase of various software programs. The free audio stories in the "Storykeepers' Gallery" make this a fabulous site!
In the Classroom
Use your projector to show your students the categories for the different types of digital stories. Each type of story has a description. Once you,''',"''¢ve shown your students the stories, have them choose a category and create their own digital story. Many of the tools and programs students will need to learn can be found at (this site) which explains how these programs work. You may want to use Fliggo (reviewed here) to post student's digital stories to the web.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Croatian Tales - Helena Bulaja: Chief Editor
Grades
4 to 8
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Croatian Tales is a riveting collection of Flash animated interactive stories- complete with audio. There are also cartoon stories and interactive "games." This award-winning...more
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Croatian Tales is a riveting collection of Flash animated interactive stories- complete with audio. There are also cartoon stories and interactive "games." This award-winning multimedia adventure is based on eight fairytales from Ivana Brlic Mazuranic's book, Croatian Tales of Long Ago. The film presentations will enrich your students with their clever mixture of traditional cartoon animation and poetic style for a unique, imaginative storytelling experience. The vibrant modern adaptations of the fairytales reminds us of the importance and value of that literary genre. Some are humorous, some are sensitive, and all are magical artistic expressions and interpretations inspired by the myths and folktales of Slavic nations. Stories open in new windows, so be sure your pop-up blocker is not preventing them from showing.
In the Classroom
Project any of these beautifully appealing, magical films on your interactive whiteboard or projector when you are doing a whole class unit on folk tales or intersperse them throughout your year-long study of literature. Be sure to turn up speakers. Expose your students to the art of oral storytelling, and have them discover the lesson or moral the story teaches. Some of the tales are accompanied by interactive learning games, which students can do on individual computers or as a whole class. Allow students to explore this site on their own using laptops (don't forget the headsets).
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Audio Stories - Beenleigh State School
Grades
K to 5
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This massive collection of links to 221 audio stories includes tales, poems, music, fairy tales, riddles, and folk tales. Presented by an Australian school, the selections target listeners...more
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This massive collection of links to 221 audio stories includes tales, poems, music, fairy tales, riddles, and folk tales. Presented by an Australian school, the selections target listeners From Year 1 to Year 7 in the Australian educational system. Once listeners select a story, the link goes to any number of other sites with recorded stories, so the load time and type of graphics vary; some stories also feature related activities. Given the sheer size of the collection, it would not be surprising if a few links did not work, but most seem to be functional.
tag(s): listening (69)
In the Classroom
Share these audio stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector(with speakers!). Allow students to explore this site during reading centers. (Don't forget the headsets.) Offer this link on your class website for students to visit at home. Use this site to share stories from around the world as listening activities or as tie-ins to geography study.
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MeeGenius - David Park
Grades
K to 6
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MeeGenius is a free collection of on-line (audio) picture books for children. Their library includes classic titles such as the "Little Red Hen," "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Pinocchio"...more
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MeeGenius is a free collection of on-line (audio) picture books for children. Their library includes classic titles such as the "Little Red Hen," "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Pinocchio" and the "Lion and the Mouse." Listen to the stories read aloud or read them independently. The audio playback and word highlighting makes these books perfect for the beginning reader. The ability to personalize the text with student names should immediately increase the engagement level for any reader. Students will love being able to include themselves and friends as characters in the book. It is also possible to edit and adjust the complexity level of the text to better fit student reading abilities. The currently available platforms for this online library include the Web, the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. MeeGenius invites aspiring authors and illustrators to submit their own stories. Older students can use this site as a way to create books themselves.
Be aware: There are books for sale at this site. Be sure to click on the link for "Free Books." There are many available for free.
Be aware: There are books for sale at this site. Be sure to click on the link for "Free Books." There are many available for free.
In the Classroom
Expand your classroom library with MeeGenius digital books. Begin the school year by personalizing MeeGenius books with the names of your new students. Project these stories onto an interactive whiteboard or projector during the first week of class. Use these interactive books to help students learn and recognize class names. Make a shortcut to MeeGenius on classroom computers and use the site as a listening and reading center. Let students practice reading independently while simultaneously building fluency skills. If you teach a world language, have your class listen to a story and then translate it into the language they are learning. Ask your students to visit the site and create their own personal versions of these classic tales. To create personalized versions of the text users will need to register and open an account. Create a single teacher account, and then a "Child Account" within that. Students will be able to use the site without submitting any personal information. Get parent permission before posting any student work on this site. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice and enjoyment. Although this site is intended for young readers, older students-- even in middle school-- can create books to teach science concepts to younger "buddies" or demonstrate language skills as they learn a new language.
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Library of Congress Read.gov
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
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Here you will find the English teachers dream come true! Read.gov is from the Library of Congress and is a new website for readers of all ages. The site offers ...more
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Here you will find the English teachers dream come true! Read.gov is from the Library of Congress and is a new website for readers of all ages. The site offers pages specifically designed for kids and teens, as well as adults, educators, and parents. There is so much here: Contests, books online, book lists, and more. The webcast section is truly extensive. There are Webcasts from famous authors such as R.L. Stine, Jon Scieszka, Jan Brett, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Neil Gaiman, and many more. These webcasts also include interesting topics like "Mystery Writers Discuss Their Craft" and "The Nuts and Bolts of Historical Fiction" among others.
A special feature of the site is an exclusive story, called "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure." The Exquisite Corpse was a game in which someone would start a story, fold over their part, and the next person would add to the story and on it would go until the last person ended the story. For this Exquisite Corpse, Jon Scieszka started the story and passed it on to Katherine Patterson, who passed it on . . . and so it goes for 18 episodes. The entire story will take a year to write to the finish. There is an illustration that goes with each segment.
A special feature of the site is an exclusive story, called "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure." The Exquisite Corpse was a game in which someone would start a story, fold over their part, and the next person would add to the story and on it would go until the last person ended the story. For this Exquisite Corpse, Jon Scieszka started the story and passed it on to Katherine Patterson, who passed it on . . . and so it goes for 18 episodes. The entire story will take a year to write to the finish. There is an illustration that goes with each segment.
In the Classroom
Check out "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" and have students listen to the stories. As a challenge ask students to look at the differences in writing style for each of the authors. Project a chart about the plot and the writing style on your interactive whiteboard or projector, and have students list the differences and similarities in writing style. Students could also keep a chart of similarities and differences for the illustrators. Another idea for an activity is to have the students read the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling and then have them read the very touching national contest winner letter to the author about his poem. Students could then write their own letters to an author of a favorite book or poem. Have students create podcasts to read their letters to the authors using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Showbeyond - Showbeyond.com
Grades
4 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Create multimedia slidecasts (audio stories) and share your stories with others. Add narration and sound tracks to your creation. Share by embedding in a blog, wiki, or site. Create...more
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Create multimedia slidecasts (audio stories) and share your stories with others. Add narration and sound tracks to your creation. Share by embedding in a blog, wiki, or site. Create message and comment pages to secure feedback about your creations. View public slidecasts and use URL or embed codes to share with others. Slidecasts can be made public or private. You are able to mark as a favorite and comment on slidecasts. Search slidecasts by categories and topics.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): interactive stories (20)
In the Classroom
Users must be able to locate images or use their Flickr or Picasa login to access their pictures. Showbeyond has a simple interface that is easy to use to create slidecasts. Be sure to check out the Showbeyond blog for frequently asked questions. Choose from a wide or standard story format. Choose a background style and click "Create Story." Upload images for your slidecasts or choose images from your Flickr or Picasa account. Click on the "Slidecast" tab to add text and titles (slide menu,) add music or narration (podcast menu,) set timings and other dimensions of the sides. Finally click "Share story" tab to add a title, categories, and tags as well as determine privacy options.Record a screenshot sequence using this tool to make how-to directions for projects and post to your class web page along with the assignment. Kids can make a "tour" of online PROJECTS they CREATE. Record a demo of safe internet practices and include on your class web page for parents and kids, and help learning support students (or techno-apprehensive teachers) with VISUAL directions for computer tasks. Have students make projects that show how misleading some Internet advertising can be or to explain effective design principles used in a web site or artwork. Use a slidecast to explain a science experiment, tell a story using pictures of their own choice, explain math concepts using everyday uses, and more. Have students create audio "books" for younger reading buddies by putting pictures and text on slides, then reading them aloud. Record young readers/writers reading their own stories aloud and share the link with parents/grandparents or deployed military parents.
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Tar Heel Reader - University of North Caroline
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Find free on-line books perfect for emergent readers. The author of the site, the Center for Literacy and Disabilities studies at the University of North Carolina, wants to provide...more
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Find free on-line books perfect for emergent readers. The author of the site, the Center for Literacy and Disabilities studies at the University of North Carolina, wants to provide free resources to give everyone an opportunity to learn to read and write. All books are free and available for download as slideshows using PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash. Book topics include biographies, fairy tales, history, science, math, nursery rhymes, poetry, food, and more! All stories have speech enabling, can come in as many as fourteen different languages, and are compatible with touch screens. Since a wide range of age groups use this site, they have a rating system to suggest what is suitable for younger readers. Tar Heel Reader is also a great way to write books. Upload images from your computer or Flicker, add text, create, and share student stories with an authentic audience of readers. Tar Heel Reader is a great way to engage students with reading material, increase class participation, and create inclusive instruction for those with illiteracy or learning disabilities.
** This site does contain some materials NOT suitable for all classrooms. Be sure to read the "rating" system, and contribute your own opinions (as the ratings are only as reliable as the pool of contributing voters). Books rated 'E' are meant for everyone but a 'C' means to use caution as it may not be proper material for some. Determine what titles are suitable and save them to the favorites file for students to access.
** This site does contain some materials NOT suitable for all classrooms. Be sure to read the "rating" system, and contribute your own opinions (as the ratings are only as reliable as the pool of contributing voters). Books rated 'E' are meant for everyone but a 'C' means to use caution as it may not be proper material for some. Determine what titles are suitable and save them to the favorites file for students to access.
tag(s): literacy (101)
In the Classroom
Increase your big book collection ten fold by projecting Tar Heel Readers onto an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use interactive shared reading lessons to strengthen student recognition of common sight words, concepts of print, decoding skills, and use syntax cues and unlock the meaning of text. Ask students to circle known sight words, count the number of words in a sentence, trace capital letters, or point to the first letter of a word during a choral read. Help ESL/ELL students by creating books out of photos from class field trips, events, or experiments. Integrate text that uses key vocabulary words and creates reading materials that are both relevant to grade level curricular standards and match your student's readability level. All books you publish on the web site are public domain and available to all other users. Be sure to get parent permission before publishing student books on-line. In order to create a book, users will need to register. Unfortunately, this requires users to email gb@cs.unc.edu to request of an invitation code. With this code, simply create a username, submit your name, and email address. Set up a single teacher account and have all the students use that login to avoid safety concerns. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further reading practice.
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Kinder Site - Joel Josephson & Ziv Avidor
Grades
K to 6
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This international, award winning site provides a large collection of games, stories and songs for pre-school and kindergarten age children. They are beginning to extend similar services...more
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This international, award winning site provides a large collection of games, stories and songs for pre-school and kindergarten age children. They are beginning to extend similar services for children age seven to twelve. English Language learners may be able to access the site in their primary language as the site is available in seven languages. Some stories, songs, and games on the English speaking site are in Spanish. You can search for material by age, content, or by "educational," "playability," or "fun" value. Save appropriate activities on your "my page" for future use. There are some advertisements and a few video ads before interactive activities meant for older students. Ignore the advertising; the site content is worth it. Every link and site on Kindersite conforms to "Department of Children, Schools and Families" (UK) guidelines for safe sites for children.
Kindersite collaborates with outside institutions to develop educational projects that compile resources, generate new curriculum models, create training materials, and implement teacher-training seminars. Researchers can gather user data from Kindersite that represents varying population sizes, geographical groupings, and languages.
General Tips and Reminders: Some sites originate from the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English. There is some advertising on the right side of the page. Some links may direct students to sites that also contain advertising. Warn your students to avoid them.
Kindersite collaborates with outside institutions to develop educational projects that compile resources, generate new curriculum models, create training materials, and implement teacher-training seminars. Researchers can gather user data from Kindersite that represents varying population sizes, geographical groupings, and languages.
General Tips and Reminders: Some sites originate from the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English. There is some advertising on the right side of the page. Some links may direct students to sites that also contain advertising. Warn your students to avoid them.
tag(s): literacy (101)
In the Classroom
Invigorate shared reading with Kindersite's songs and stories. View the colorful illustration and text on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Some stories and songs highlight the tracking of words. Other sites provide character voices when you click the text in quotations. The animation will definitely engage everyone even those who wiggle on the carpet. Differentiate computer centers with the "my page" function. Save interactive tasks that target the instructional needs of students. Make a shortcut to the "my page" site collections on classroom computers and use it as a center. Be sure to take advantage of the professional resources Kindersites provides as well. Post a link to this site on your school website for parents to access at home.
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Make a Peter Rabbit Puppet Show - The World of Peter Rabbit
Grades
K to 2
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Feature a child in this interactive puppet show with Peter Rabbit. Customize the puppet show by choosing their name, the state they live in, their favorite Beatrix Potter character,...more
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Feature a child in this interactive puppet show with Peter Rabbit. Customize the puppet show by choosing their name, the state they live in, their favorite Beatrix Potter character, and a digital photo. Upload a photo no larger than 2MB and the student becomes a star. Watch the show whole group, at computer centers or share it through email. This is just one of the many interactive features on the World of Beatrix Potter website. There is much for young children to explore and enjoy here.
tag(s): england (47)
In the Classroom
Create a Peter Rabbit puppet show featuring the birthday boy or girl in class. Share the show on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Enjoy the show as a whole class, at computer centers or send it to a family via email as a birthday surprise. There are enrichment activities to support a unit about Beatrix Potter and her books. Post a link to student puppet shows on your class website. The site text is available in English, Japanese, and Chinese. The puppet show only appears in English.
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Signed Stories
Grades
K to 5
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The goal of Signed Stories is to increase the literacy of deaf children; however, it is a great resource for all children. After choosing a story, you will see the ...more
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The goal of Signed Stories is to increase the literacy of deaf children; however, it is a great resource for all children. After choosing a story, you will see the text, hear the story and see it in sign language. Almost 100 titles are available and can be searched by topic or by browsing all titles. Some stories offer more options than others. Many stories have pause and rewind buttons, so you can replay to see signs again.
In the Classroom
Use stories on the interactive whiteboard or projector to teach story elements - pause as the story is read to allow students to retell details to the stopping point then make predictions of what will happen next. Help students understand disabilities and adaptations to disabilities through watching the stories being told in sign language. This is also a great resource for students with deaf/hearing impaired parents or students/teachers trying to learn or practice sign language. In sign language classes, consider creating your own signed story videos for children's books and share them on a tool such as TeacherTube reviewed here.
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Online Audio Stories - Abbey Rice
Grades
K to 3
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Bring classic children's stories to your classroom in an engaging and easy-to-use manner! This site contains many stories such as Jack in the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, The Princess and the...more
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Bring classic children's stories to your classroom in an engaging and easy-to-use manner! This site contains many stories such as Jack in the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, The Princess and the Pea and more in both audio and video format. Choose the story you want to read by genre, theme, author and other choices. Click to play and you are ready to listen and read along with the storyteller. One great feature of this site is that you can click on any word in the story and choose a language to see the word translated - a great addition for ESL students and families. All stories can also be downloaded in mp3 format, meaning that they can be played on most audio players and ipods. Note: This site may take long to load. Be patient.
tag(s): air (181), audio books (19), folktales (59)
In the Classroom
Download stories onto a mp3 player for students to listen to during reading time. Play the audio version of stories while following the written version on the interactive whiteboard. Use the stories during a fairy tale unit to compare and contrast characters. Share this link on your class web page for families to enjoy at home. These stories are worth playing over and over. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students to explore both in and out of the classroom.
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Listening and Reading Comprehension - Childtopia
Grades
1 to 5
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This site offers a variety of children's stories that children can listen to while they watch scenes or graphics corresponding to the story. Besides the stories, there are both listening...more
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This site offers a variety of children's stories that children can listen to while they watch scenes or graphics corresponding to the story. Besides the stories, there are both listening and reading comprehension sections for each story. Both the audio and the text are available. As the story is being read, the words are highlighted on the page. Also available is the full screen option for the story. The reading comprehension questions use both aural and text format and also use an interesting illustration to capture the reader/listener's attention. Stories and all activities are also available in Spanish, Catalan, French, and other languages. There are some advertisements on the side. Select the full screen option to avoid them.
In the Classroom
Have students try out this site on individual computers, with head phones, or let them listen in pairs. Before they go to the questions, ask them to list the questions the site might ask them after they have seen the model of one story. Share this link on your class web page, wiki, and/or in a parent newsletter. Share the site with special language teachers at the elementary level.
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Curious Corner - The Art Institute of Chicago
Grades
K to 7
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What student could resist matching sounds to characters in a painting, searching for hidden animals in illustrations, matching shapes to a drawing or creating their own curious collections?...more
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What student could resist matching sounds to characters in a painting, searching for hidden animals in illustrations, matching shapes to a drawing or creating their own curious collections? Students will make personal connections to art as they work through unique interactive art activities: story time, match up, and play with art. The parent and educator resources include tips for looking at art together, engaging follow up activities, podcasts, video clips, and lesson plans. Don't miss this site!
tag(s): artists (39), literature (185), matching (17), painting (54)
In the Classroom
This colorful website will appeal to lower elementary students immediately, but its activities are stimulating for older students as well. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard. Have pairs of students explore the site together and create multimedia presentations to share with the class. You could create a class wiki for students to share their thoughts on the podcasts, video clips, or artwork. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Another idea, have students create online books demonstrating their new knowledge using a site such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
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