Ohio Ready to Read
Being ready to read by kindergarten is an important skill for children.  Unfortunately, some children enter kindergarten unequipped to read.  Visit the following site for teacher or parent resources on helping your child or student be ready to read!

ELSIE - Early Literacy Story time Idea Exchange
Hennepin Library offers an idea exchange & tips for sharing titles for the Early Literacy crowd.  Search the database for ideas of stories to share.  Contact the Children's Department (330-335-1295) to see if the Library owns the titles or can reserve them for you.  Check the feed below to get an RSS feed of a daily updated list of titles.

Elsie RSS Feed

Arbor Day Foundation
Looking for ways to celebrate Arbor Day in or out of the classroom?  Look no further.  This site features downloadable material for educators and divides Arbor Day celebrations into different categories such as Science, English and more.

Astronomy for Kids
Brief basics on specific topics such as the solar system, deep space travel and more.  There is a teacher's section as well.


Common Sense Media 
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families.

Dealing with Bullies
Need help starting a conversation with your kids about bullying, check out this resource for ideas.

Entertainment Software Rating Board: Parentools
Do your kids love to play video games?  Do you wonder about the different ratings of new & top-selling games?  Subscribe to this free electronic newsletter, Parentools, for more information on ratings and top-selling games.

FactHound
Search this web portal designed by Capstone Press by topic to get a list of approved and recommended websites for students.

Five Finger Test
Do you know how to judge if a book is too easy or hard for your child?  If not, learn about the five finger test and discover other resources to help your children with reading.

Great Websites for Kids
Not sure what websites would be ideal for your children?  Let the American Library Association & the Association for Library Service to Children help you.  They have compiled a list of great websites for children.  Click the link above and start exploring!

Internet Keep Safe Coalition
The Internet Keep Safe Coalition group teaches basic rules of Internet safety to children and parents, reaching them online and in school.

GetNetWise
This site provides parents with tips on Internet Safety broken down by age level, type of technology and more.

Google SketchUp
Need to visually represent something in 3D?  Download this application and get started.  Recommended for older students.

Homeschool Legal Defense Association
"HSLDA is a nonprofit national membership organization of families who homeschool their children." This organization seeks to protect the rights of families to homeschool.

Injury Prevention for Kids
Do your kids need to learn about being safe while participating in different activities such as sports, backyard fun, on wheels, in the sun?  Then check out this website by the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh that's just for kids and all about safety!

Kids A Cookin
Do your kids like to help out in the kitchen?  This site provides a recipes, definitions of cooking terms and tips for cooking with your children while having fun.

Medina County Career Center
Homeschooling and want your child to have a chance to train for a specific career?  Visit this site to learn more about the career majors available.

National Network for Child Care Fingerplays Plus
Looking for fingerplays to use with your child?  Try this website for ideas.

NetSmartz
This educational resource from the NationalCenter for Missing & Exploited Children discusses various internet safety topics.

Ohio Department of Education
This website offers everything from information on homeschooling, standard curriculum, teaching opportunities, and learning support to report cards on school disticts.

OnGuard Online
Practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you protect your identity, your computer, and your family online.

Out on a Limb - A Guide to Getting Along
The University of Illinois Extension has put together a resource for parents and kids to use to discuss conflict.  It covers feelings, getting along, how we see things and more all in a fun, animated, cartoon environment.

Paper Rater
Does your student need help with proofreading?  This site has free online proofreading, no downloads required.  Find out if a portion of your paper is plagiarized or get writing suggestions.

PlagiarismChecker.com
Simply copy and paste text into this website to find out if it's been plagiarized.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Learn about all different aspects of the writing process, from creating citations to plagiarism and how to avoid it.  Have a question about writing?  Submit it to the OWL Mail Tutors.

SafeKids
Your family's guide to making the Internet and technology fun, safe and productive.

Starfall
Starfall "is a free public service to teach children to read with phonics... systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice."

StudyDroid
Have an Android phone and need to create flashcards?  Download this app for free for your phone and start creating your flashcards.

Thinkfinity
Thinkfinity is presented by the Verizon Foundation and can be a helpful resource for both parents and students.  Learn how to support your child's efforts in school, introduce them to games and activities that are fun and educational.

Wild Music
Learn how animals make sounds, the current study of sound,  or build a soundscape.