Family Literacy Special Collections: Ideas for Parents

• Family Education Network
  http://www.fen.com
  The FamilyEducation Company's mission is to help parents help their children succeed. We provide parents with the information and resources they need to actively participate in their children's learning process. Today's parents want to ensure that their children get the best education available. And today's schools want an easy way to reach out to parents and the community to make that possible. The FamilyEducation Company can help both groups by providing tools and support to develop an internet information service that brings local, state and national education resources together in one place -- free of charge to both parents and schools.

• Reading Rainbow
  http://gpn.unl.edu/rainbow
  The new Reading Rainbow is one of the most handy for teachers, librarians, parents and kids... The web site has individual sections - depending on whether you're a teacher, parent, librarian or child - where you can find activities for the week. Click on "Wednesday", for example, and you'll find the list of feature books, the review books, the supplemental books and related episodes to that day's program. As appropriate, you'll also find curriculum suggestions and teacher guides.

• ALA Resources for Parents, Teens and Kids
  http://www.ala.org/parents/
  This page from the American Library Association has wonderful links to resources for families.

• Parents and Children Together Online
  http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/fl/pcto/menu.html
  The magazine's goal is to further the cause of family literacy by bringing parents and children together through the magic of reading. PCTO features original stories and articles for children, suitable for reading aloud. A special section for parents features articles on issues related to children's reading and writing and book reviews of recent children's literature.

• Partnership for Family Involvement in Education
  http://www.thefamilyworks.org
  To increase opportunities for families to be more involved in their children's learning at school and at home and to use family - school - community partnerships to strengthen schools and improve student achievement." This U.S. Department of Education new site offers publications, linkages, initiatives, and partnerships in several roles.

• Parents as Teachers
  http://www.patnc.org
  An international family education and support program for parents with children from birth through age 5. Parents acquire skills in child development, with activities that encourage language, intellectual, social and motor growth. All families are preparing children for success in school and life.

• Baby Bag
  http://www.babybag.com
  Baby Bag offers current news, events for parents, health and safety, reviews, pregnancy and childbirth information, feeding and nutrition, family fun, professional questions, and otehr bulletin boards.

• The Activities Club
  http://www.activitiesclub.com
  The Activities Club has developed 14 hobby kits for at-home use packed with fun-filled activities, an interactive newsletter, a pen apl program, and more. Since then, they have also developed 17 theme-based curriculcm packages for school-age children so they can continue to learn and explore outside the classroom. The Activities Club has successfully introduced thousands of children to exciting hobby topics that have the potential to develop into lifelong interests.

• The White House for Kids
  http://www.whitehousekids.gov
  The White House for Kids shows you the location, history, president, kids, and pets of the White House. There is a newsletter for young people called Inside the White House, and historic moments of the Presidency.

• Zero To Three
  http://www.zerotothree.org
  At ZERO TO THREE, we concentrate exclusively on these miraculous first years of life - the critical period when a child undergoes the greatest human growth and development. It's also a period when you - the parent or professional - have the opportunity to make a great impact and positively influence a child's future. Our mission here is simple: to help children best navigate their first three years of life in order to develop a solid intellectual, emotional and social foundation. For parents and professionals alike, there's always something new and exciting to be discovered! So, set aside some time to explore - and come back often and grow with us!

• Kids Source On line
  http://www.kidsource.com/
  KidSource on line is an information service for busy parents and educators, and we provide timely, interesting, and unique information about children in a manner that respects and understands the limited time that parents have. We're focusing on heath, education and recreation information as the areas that we are all concerned about.

• FAMILY.COM
  http://www.family.com
  FAMILY.COM contains parent sites for all regions throughout the United States. Upon entering the homepage you can select from a host of general sites, or select a region-specific page. These regional pages have possible selections for each state, which in turn have individual articles from parenting publications specific to that state. Numerous articles to choose from with a wide spectrum of topics.

• Parent Soup
  http://www.parentsoup.com
  You have just left the world of screaming kids, sleepless nights and soggy Cheerios. I'd like to be the first to welcome you to your very own oasis of information and community. We call it Soup, Parent Soup.

• ParenTalk
  http://www.tnpc.com/parentalk/index.html
  ParenTalk newsletter provides the latest in medical, behavioral, and educational information. This site includes insights from a host of child rearing professionals on a variety of subjects relevant to parenting.

• Parents and Children Together Online
  http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/fl/pcto/menu.html
  "The magazine's goal is to further the cause of family literacy, to bring parents and children together through the magic of reading. PCTO features original stories and articles for children, suitable for reading aloud. Children are invited to visit our Global Campfire forum and share in the storytelling".

• National Parent Information Network
  http://npin.org/
  The purpose of NPIN is to provide information to parents and those who work with parents and to foster the exchange of parenting materials. Materials included full text on NPIN have been reviewed for reliability and usefulness. Publications, brochures, and other materials that are merely listed on NPIN may not have been reviewed and are included for informational purposes only.

• National PTA
  http://www.pta.org
  The mission of the National PTA is threefold: to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; to assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

• Positive Parenting
  http://www.positiveparenting.com/
  One area of this site that is beneficial is the newsletter and the newsletter archives. These questions, answers, and observations about difficult child rearing issues are dedicated to raising children in a positive self-directed way through authoritative parenting. Excellent site to discuss or ponder the issue of discipline and punishment.

• ParentsPlace.com
  http://www.parentsplace.com
  A comprehensive site on children's emotional, physical, environmental health care. Good links to other sites, as well as evocative briefs on many health topics. A resource that can provide considerable discussion on children and health.

• Kids Health.Org
  http://kidshealth.org/
  KidsHealth is the Web site about kid's health information. Created by the medical experts at The Nemours Foundation, KidsHealth is an exciting, safe place for kids to find out more about their bodies and feelings. Parents will find accurate, up-to-date information on important issues ranging from child behavior and development, to nutrition, growth, surgery, immunizations, and more. Medical professionals also will find important resources addressing their needs. There's trainloads of surprises, too, so get on board and explore!

• Kids' Money
  http://www.kidsmoney.org/
  An extensive site on the topic of children and allowances. Seems like a good site for views on giving allowances and could generate some good discussions on the topic.

• Family Education
  http://familyeducation.com/
  Before you begin exploring our site, you may want to get to know us a little better. Like most communities, we're known for something. No, it's not potatoes, the nation's capitol, or movie stars. FamilyEducation Network is all about you helping your kids learn. It's about friends lending advice and experts giving suggestions about parenting and education. And, because we've put it all together in one place, you may even save yourself some time!

• Motherstuff
  http://www.motherstuff.com
  Welcome to Motherstuff, a meta-index of mother-knowledge on the internet. Motherstuff is a ParentsPlace.com affiliate member, and as part of this program there is a Motherstuff Bulletin Board, which is open to all mothering topics and all people.

• Feminist Mothers at Home
  http://www.lollygag.com/fmah/
  Here is an original site supporting "feminist" stay at home moms. As the title suggests it is an alternative site, for women who would like to look at life and their role as moms from a non-traditional standpoint.

• Motherheart
  http://www.motherheart.org
  The focus at this site is on nurturing for optimal growth and development. It lists various sites related to parenting, children and childbirth. It contains a fairly esoteric collection of links.