Article Surfing Archive

Let's begin with primary school learning. Reading and storytelling are the keys for primary school children. One of the best sites for primary school children is: http://www.storybrooklane.org/index.jsp Here you will find picture stories, sing-alongs and other fun things to do. Click on a section header to open the link.

The Story Brook Lane website also provides a history of the site for both parents and children. You will find an email address, if you would like to contact the site administrators.

The stories are on screen, page by page. You will have to click on the 'continue' button to turn the page. Some of the stories will give you options. Click on one of the options to determine where the story goes next.

Quick Tip: While you and your child are reading the stories, you can read them offline. This will free up your phone line, if you use a dial-up connection. Do this in Internet Explorer by going to the 'File' menu and clicking on 'Work Offline'.

The sing-along part of this site is very popular with primary school children. Click on the sing-along icon, found on the right side of the home page. You will be taken to a page that shows the stories they can read. Scroll to the bottom. There you will find the sing-along stories. Not only do the kids have fun with these, but it's great reading practice!

Another site that is quite popular is: http://www.mamamedia.com When you get to this site, click on the link that says, 'Web Safety Center'. This page will tell you all about the MaMamedia site and give you information about your child's online safety. The MaMamedia site contains a lot of movement, color and energy.

There are search engines geared to children. One of them is Ask Jeeves For Kids: http://www.ajkids.com Your child will type in a question, then Jeeves will help find the answer, by listing websites that contain relevant information. Your child will also find 'Fun & Games' and 'Study Tools' for their use.

Would your child like to send email? There is a site: http://www.epals.com that links children from around the world through email. It can bring together children of similar ages studying similar subjects.

The Global SchoolNet is a site where parents can check out websites of prospective secondary schools. Go to: http://www.gsn.org/hotlist and click on the state you would like to browse. You can then choose the type of school (ex-Elementary....). A list will appear and you can click on the particular school name. If the school has a website, the home page will appear.

If you type in: http://www.gsn.org , you will be able to see all the different things offered at this website. They also have contests and activities for children.

Another site that children love is: http://www.yucky.com This site is brought to you by Discovery Kids on NBC. It offers a child-friendly interactive science site, which provides education and is entertaining.

A Smart Tip: To prevent your child from accessing unsuitable material on the internet, consider buying a Web-screening program, such as:

Cyber Patrol http://www.cyberpatrol.com

Net Nanny http://www.netnanny.com