Elementary Reading Sites: Fun Websites for Reading Practice

Starfall.com

A favorite of many parents, Starfall's offerings span from simple ABC games for the youngest children to folk tales and legends for more advanced readers. Stories and games are divided into sections by reading ability (pre-reading, learning to read, reading with assistance and independent readers) in addition to having several seasonal animated word games. Its colorful, kid-friendly layout makes it relatively easy for you find the appropriate section of the website and then let your child navigate and explore the games and stories independently. An added bonus for today's busy parents - Starfall apps (Make a Snowman, Gingerbread Man and the ABC's section) are now available for purchase at the iTunes App Store.

PBS Kids' Raising Readers

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is involved in the Learn to Read Initiative's national reading campaign. PBS Kids' Raising Readers is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and uses the latest research on effective learning techniques to help children build reading skills. With a little bit of help from you, your kid can log in to this site to read stories and play games based on PBS's popular children's programming. The website also includes teacher and parent resources, printable stories and reading activities, and even a Progress Tracker to measure your child's improvement. Games and activities are divided into three categories (two reading and one writing):

• PBS KIDS Island (for ages 3-6)
• The Great Word Quest (ages 6-8)
• PBS KIDS Go! Writers' Contest (grades K-3)

Reading is Fundamental's Reading Planet

The nation's oldest children's literacy nonprofit, Reading is Fundamental's Reading Planet has a variety of stories, games and activities targeting early readers. An Activity Lab contains printable stories for children to illustrate on their own, while the Game Station has word-matching and color games, community story making activities and even some language learning tools. For full site access, kids can join the Reading Planet Club and rate and review the books they read, as well as vote in the website's polls. In the Book Zone, thematic book lists help you find more books on a topic your child likes. Interviews with famous authors and illustrators, like Mo Willems and Eric Carle, could inspire your little one to become the next generation's R.L. Stine.