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The coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone around the globe in a myriad of ways, but one group whose lives have been particularly impacted is young kids and their parents. We’ve all learned we may have been taking for granted the daily grind of learning and discovered a new found appreciation for those in charge of educating our kids. Whether your child has been able to go back to school in-person or is currently attending school online, the need for high-quality, online learning resources has never been greater. We’ve put together five top-rated programs designed to help you child enhance their learning ability and skill sets in a fun and interactive way.
Epic: Personalized Online Learning Resources
Website: GetEpic.com
Epic has become one of the largest and most popular online learning resources for parents and teachers, with over 40,000 books, audiobooks and videos available for kids aged 12 and under. The personalized learning experience recommends eBooks and activities based on your child’s individual interests and reading level. Customized quizzes help measure your child’s comprehension and retention level while awarding learning along the way with progress badges.
Epic’s digital dashboard makes it incredibly easy for parents to track their child’s progress and gauge their areas of interest to apply to everyday activities. You can easily view your son or daughter’s reading activities by interests, time spent and more. The personalized tracker even grows with you child, providing new recommendations based on their progress and diversified interests.
One major feature of Epic’s online program is its offline accessibility, allowing you to learn from literally anywhere at anytime. The online interface is extremely easy to use for kids and parents on desktop and mobile devices.
Epic is sure to provide the perfect combination of reading and learning activities for your child and complements any in-school or online learning plan. And at just $7.99 per month, Epic provides one of the most affordable online learning resources on the market. The best part? You can sign up for a free 30 day trial.
IXL: Online Learning Resources For All Ages
Website: IXL.com
The IXL online learning resources suite offers detailed and measured programs in a variety of subjects including math, language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. Content is available for all grades including Pre-K learning programs. The key feature of the IXL program is its adaptive technology that automatically adjusts learning material based on your child’s individual progress and learning level. In addition, users have the ability to choose topics and content based on state standards, so you can feel confident your child is receiving the appropriate material for your local educational requirements.
All learning is done with real-time diagnostics, allowing parents to know exactly where their child is excelling or needs extra help, and creative personalized learning plans. The achievement-based modules make the interactive experience even more fun by allowing your child to earn awards and uncover hidden treasures as they accomplish their personalized learning goals.
IXL does require a paid membership with users choosing a package ranging from $9.95 per month up to $19.95 with annual discounts available. The IXL Learning App is available for Apple and Android devices, allowing you to use the program from anywhere. They also offer grade-specific workbooks in their Amazon store. Whether you’re seeking an in-depth learning plan for your child or simply wanting to augment their current online or in-person schooling, IXL is sure to be a difference maker in your child’s learning.
Raz-Kids: Making Reading Fun For Elementary School Children
Website: Raz-Kids.com
Raz-Kids, part of the Learning A-Z Family, is designed to help students increasing their reading ability with fun and interactive online reading activities. The site currently boasts over 400 eBooks and open-book eQuizzes that allow your child to read and listen to, and even record themselves in order to track progress over time. Reading content includes songs, nursery rhymes, poetry and more, all available anytime and accessible through the Raz-Kids.com website and mobile app.
One of the key features of the Raz-Kids online learning resources is the 29 different levels of literacy it offers. Each e-book comes with an accompany e-Quiz that measures your child’s understand, comprehensive and retention of the material. As they demonstrate increased literacy, your child will advance to a higher level with increasingly advanced content. The digital reporting tool offers an easy way for parents to track their child’s progress and assess potential areas for improvement.
This award-winning offering is available for less than $10 per month, but is purchased for an entire year. Additional programs featuring vocabulary, science, and writing workshops also available. Parent company, Learning A-Z, also offers a referral program for users that provides $5 discounts and a chance to win a free license for your child.
Lalilo: Research-Based Phonics & Comprehension
Website: Lalilo.com
Lalilo is a completely free tool designed specifically for students in kindergarten, first and second grades. The interactive, kid-friendly and fun program provides exercises to help your child develop and improve their phonics, word recognition and comprehension. Each activity is not only phonics-focused, but engage students in wonderful learning environment as well.
Lalilo’s program is extremely easy for younger kids to use and enjoy, and is easily accessible on computers and tablets, making it extremely easy to incorporate into an at-home or distance learning program. Its interface provides a whimsical-like experience for children, allowing them to earn as they learn by unlocking stories they can read and listen to as they complete each task. The analytics dashboard allows teachers and parents to track the progress your child is making.
While Lalilo does not require a paid subscription, it is currently only available to teachers. Fortunately, Lalilo makes it extremely easy for teachers to sign up and grant access to parents using a specific teacher code.
Storyline Online: Storytime With Celebrities
Website: StorylineOnline.com
Storytime is always a highlight of any young child’s day, but StorylineOnline.net has made it fun for kids and adults alike. The children’s literacy website is part of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and features dozens of kids book read by celebrities including Sarah Silverman, James Earl Jones, Betty White and, of course, Oprah.
While the site doesn’t exactly provide any direct learning, it does allow for a nice break in a day and the chance for kids to enjoy a fun story read by a familiar face and voice. The site’s collection is easily searchable by title and celebrity, with additional videos available on the Storytime Online YouTube Channel.
