Cool Web sites for parents and kids

Check out these sites to help you help your kids get the most out of school.

(Please note that the ISEA does not control the content of the sites pointed to below--they are entirely the responsibility of the respective webmasters. While we believe these sites to be generally of high quality, parents should carefully monitor their children's use of the Internet to ensure that specific sites do not contain links to more questionable content.)

• National Education Association
  A look at the issues that shape the future of education in America.
• Iowa Department of Education
  All you need to know about education in Iowa.
• PBS Parents
  Check this site out for tips on fun parenting along with issues and advice.
• U.S. Department of Education Family Involvement Initiative
  Lots of well-organized and useful information for parents PLUS links to other interesting education-related web sites.
• Ask Dr. Math
  If you have a question related to math, then it's most likely been answered here!
• Yahooligans!
  The first web guide for kids, this handy resource leads users to content appropriate for children. The Yahooligans! interface retains the familiar look and feel of the popular Yahoo! site while integrating more youth-oriented graphics.
• Family Education Network
  A unique membership-based online service designed to help families get more involved in their children's education.
• Family Fun
  Check out this award-winning Web site which focuses on innovative activities for families and practical ideas for busy parents.
• Iowa PTA
  Find out how to get involved in your school.
• National PTA
  Click here to see how parents can be educational partners.

Keep your kids safe online

WiredSafety.org offers a large collection of resources on keeping kids safe online. Learn about cyberbullying, online scams, spyware, safe surfing, and good e-mail practices. You'll find parent's guides to understanding online safety issues, links to safe sites for kids of all ages, and tips to protect your family's privacy online.

Translate your kid's cyberlanguage

Do you know what PAW means? How about LUWAMH? It's hard to keep an eye on your kids online when you don't speak the same language. Teenangels.org, a division of WiredSafety.org, offers a downloadable chat lingo translator and an updated list of common acronyms used in instant messaging and text messaging. Netlingo.com is another source for the shorthand and acronyms used in online communication.

How to talk to your child's teacher

Your child receives a bad grade, and you want to discuss it with her teacher—without either of you getting defensive. The right words can make all the difference. Author Sam Horn has simple tips for talking with teachers and principals that'll help you raise concerns effectively and work together on solutions.

Discipline problems hurt student learning

Teachers and parents believe that a few persistent troublemakers cause most discipline problems in schools -- but that those few are interfering with other students' learning and causing teachers to leave the profession, according to a new study from Public Agenda. Eight in 10 teachers say students are quick to threaten to sue over being disciplined. The study found that parents and teachers generally support the same remedies for restoring order in classrooms. Read more about the study, "Teaching Interrupted," and answer some of the survey questions yourself to see how your opinions match up.

Give kids good schools

Here's an easy way to help put a quality teacher in every classroom. At GiveKidsGoodSchools.com, a new national campaign from the Public Education Network, you can send an e-mail to your governor demanding that good teachers be a top priority in your state.

Preparing your child for Kindergarten and beyond

Children's earliest experiences can make a big difference in how their brains develop and how well they do in school. That's why finding good child care and preschool programs that help children to learn and grow is so important. Parents' Action for Children offers tips for finding quality child care and preschool programs, as well as advice to help you decide what type of arrangement is best for your child.

Reading tips for spanish-speaking parents

Reading Rockets, a multimedia initiative of PBS station WETA, created Colorín Colorado! , the first major Web site specifically for Spanish-speaking parents to help their children learn to read. Featuring beautiful illustrations from Caldecott Award-winning illustrator David Diaz and entertaining video clips of celebrities such as the late Celia Cruz, Miguel Varoni and author Pat Mora, the site also includes downloadable resources for teachers and librarians to distribute to parents in their own communities.

Web site points Hispanic students to scholarships

Get easy access to more than 1,000 sources of college financial aid at the Hispanic Scholarship Directory Web site. Sponsored by NEA and the National Hispanic Press Foundation, the site includes college application guidelines and a scholarship database searchable by state, college, and field of interest.

What makes a good school?

What Makes a Good School? (PDF, 26 KB, 11 pp.), from the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards & Student Testing, uses sound research findings to identify the qualities of a successful school. Good schools, the authors say, have strong and professional administrators and teachers; a broad curriculum available to all students; a philosophy that says all children can learn, coupled with high expectations for all students; a school climate conducive to learning; an ongoing assessment system that supports good instruction; and a high level of parent and community involvement and support.

Develop MegaSkills!

MegaSkills programs, now in over 3000 schools in 48 states, serve diverse communities by training teachers to conduct workshops and provide home learning "recipes" for families. Evaluation indicates higher achievement scores, decreased TV watching, increased homework time, higher attendance and decreased discipline incidents.

Math help: go figure!

The Figure This! Mathematics Challenges for FamiliesWeb site offered by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provides interesting math challenges that middle school students can do at home with their families. Looking for more math resources? NEA has compiled a list.

PBS's award-winning 'Between the Lions'

NEA has endorsed the "Between the Lions" TV show for kids 4–7. The series offers educationally sound reading instruction that combines phonics and whole language. Airing weekdays on PBS, Between the Lions is set in a magical library run by a family of big "cats"—lions Theo, Cleo, Lionel and Leona—who run a library where characters pop off the pages of books, vowels sing and words take on a life of their own.

Public Agenda studies child-rearing challenges

Public Agenda has conducted a number of research reports on family and education topics. The latest, "All Work and No Play?" explores what parents and kids want from out-of-school time. "What Parents Are Saying About TV Today" outlines parents' concerns about sex, violence and profanity on TV, while questions about pop culture, drugs and crime figure in "A Lot Easier Said Than Done: Parents Talk About Raising Children in Today's America". "Playing Their Parts: What Parents and Teachers Really Mean by Parental Involvement" looks at the ways parents and teachers agree -- and disagree -- about what parents should be doing in their kids' schools.

Join the Public Education Network

The non-profit Public Education Network (PEN) believes "that equal opportunity, access to quality public schools and an informed citizenry are all critical components of a democratic society. PEN's goal is to ensure that the availability of high-quality public education is every child's right and not a privilege."

PTA has To say

The National PTA , the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States, offers parents substantial resources to help them ensure "the success of your child in school, with friends, and in life."

PTO Today focuses on parent group leaders

Founded in the Spring of 1999, PTO Today, Inc. is a resource for parent group leaders and serves as a connection between those leaders and parent group marketers. Their Web site, www.ptotoday.com , is intended "to facilitate sharing among parent leaders."

Librarians' picks

The American Library Association recommends quality booklists and Web sites for parents, kids, teens and families, as well as tips for keeping kids safe online.

Family-school partnerships pay off for kids

The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education "advocates the involvement of parents and families in their children's education, and fosters relationships between home, school, and community to enhance the education of all our nation's young people."