Fun, Educational Websites for Younger Kids

Computers can be great educational tools for young children. Kids develop better eye-hand coordination skills by controlling the mouse, and working with the keyboard reinforces letter and number recognition. But aside from learning those basics, there is a great deal more to be gained from allowing your child to have computer time each day.

There are, of course, many computer programs that parents can purchase to help their kids learn such things as shapes, colors, reading, math, and more. But I have found that these types of programs can be somewhat of a headache for two reasons. First of all, these programs require you to install at least a minimum component of the program into your hard drive. And, if you have more than one program that your child likes to use, these installed components can end up using a good deal of space. Secondly, each time your child wants to switch to a different program, you need to switch which disc is in the player. Sure, you can teach your older children to do this themselves, but this probably isn't a task you want your kindergartener doing.

So, what can you do instead of purchasing computer programs? Simple-bookmark several good learning websites! There are hundreds of websites out on the internet now that are devoted to helping children learn. Because of this widespread availability of educational websites, you no longer need to purchase computer programs at all!

But, how can you find good learning websites? How can a parent know which sites are trustworthy? Which sites are worthwhile, and at the same time, fun? Look no further than the list below.

Starfall

This is actually one of the educational websites that is used in my son's kindergarten class. It is mainly focused on the subject of reading, and has sections for beginning readers up through to advanced readers, from pre-kindergarten to second grade. There are lots of stories for kids to read through themselves, with assistance as needed at the click of the mouse. Early readers may need help with navigation at first.

Prongo