Tried and True - Great Sites for Children to Promote

ALA Great Sites for Children

If I had a nickel for every time a parent asked me to recommend a site to them to help their children become better readers, learners, thinkers, problem solvers....etc. etc. etc.  I'd be rich !!  Often times I take them to individual sites and help them write down these suggestions.   This works, but it doesn't give them too many choices, especially if they are not confident Internet searchers or users.

When I recommend a truly GREAT resource I call it T&T - Tried and True.  It means that I have tried and used it myself and that it is truly the Real Deal.  Tried and True resources are all around user-friendly, reliable, easy to load, and effective.  The link above offers a gaggle of super great resources for any interest or ability level.

There are eight areas of interest and each offer an icon that leads you to a useful site.  These topics are: Animals, the Arts, History and Biography, Literature and Languages, Mathematics and Computers, Reference Desk, Sciences, and Social Sciences.  Once you have opened a broad topic, there are also several subtopics listed with adjoining site suggestions.  Just browsing through these sites makes my librarian heart warm...National Geographic, Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, PBS Kids, the Crayola Homepage....  Each site is wonderful and informative and RELIABLE and useFULL.

One of the biggest challenges for parents and adults is to determine if a website is well suited for their children's needs.  It's nice when Liz the Librarian can save them the work and point them in the right direction.  The American Library Association has a comprehensive website for librarians, but do not be scared of this one.  It is has a welcoming tech, smiley guy at the top of the page and is designed for children...and maybe a helpful parent?

If you are feeling adventurous today, visit the site and look for a gray button on the top "Sites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers, and Others."  I regularly use many of these sites such as Bookworm For Kids and Booklist Online.   I hope after visiting this site, it builds up your confidence and your little one's confidence in doing more effective research Online.