Note regarding every listed source: Not all books, learning materials and videos are in alignment with Gate of Hope’s Statement of Faith. Resources are free unless otherwise noted*
Reading
Kidlit.tv is an award winning website offering elementary level books read out loud by the authors. The offer videos and live sessions on drawing, illustrating, interviews with authors. Also available is Kidslit RADIO, a children’s literature podcast that can be accessed through the website or via iTunes. https://kidlit.tv/category/read-out-loud/
Storyline Online is an award-winning children’s literature program offering a large selection of books and videos being read by actors online. https://www.storylineonline.net/
Story Time from Space is a project of the Global Space Education Foundation, which sends children’s books to the International Space Station. While in space, astronauts record themselves on video reading these books to the children of Earth and share them on the Story Time from Space website. https://storytimefromspace.com/
Lee & Low Storytime has a growing library of author read alouds which include several titles read in Spanish. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWvLSVUakWYPsIo4gTnMykhcleuJZVkYz
Read, Wonder, and Learn! Author Kate Messner has compiled growing collection of resources from favorite authors and illustrators that include everything from first-chapter and picture book video read-alouds to drawing and writing mini-lessons. https://www.katemessner.com/read-wonder-and-learn-favorite-authors-illustrators-share-resources-for-learning-anywhere-spring-2020/
Gateway to the Classics offers a huge list of children’s classic literature. Just click on the story title and the online book (some with illustrations) is available to read to free. (Limits apply to some authors/ books.) http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/books_browse_by_title.php
Project Gutenburg is a website containing over 60,000 of the world’s great books of literature for free, with a focus on older works which the U.S. copyright has expired. From https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/, select the category of interest such as classics or children’s books. Children’s books offer selections under categories such as Christmas, picture books, fairy tales and myths, history, literature, book series, etc. One can choose to read the book online or download the book.
Online books library– is a little harder to navigate but offers over 3 million free ebooks. Most are not popular titles. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) collection includes 4,619 books in 59 languages. ICDL identifies exemplary books that help children to understand the world around them and the global society in which they live and makes them freely available on the Internet.Click and read, illustrations included. http://www.childrenslibrary.org/
Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in audio format. http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/
Reading is Fundamental‘s flagship Books for Ownership program ensures that kids living in poverty have access to new, free books of their choice and participate in reading motivation activities. https://www.rif.org/
American Public Media (APM)
APM offers website/podcast audio based learning including:
- Julie’s Library provides a podcast (accessible via website and other podcast platforms) of children’s books being read by Julie Andrews and friends. https://www.julieslibraryshow.org/
- https://www.brainson.org/ is an award winning science podcast for kids and curious adults.
- https://www.smashboom.org/ a debate podcast teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.
- https://www.brainson.org/page/foreverago a free history podcast for kids and family.
PBS Kids
PBS Kids offers a happy, engaging, large variety of free learning programs. https://pbskids.org/ offers a variety of preschool and early elementary learning games, videos, and shows. PBS Kids TV shows can also be watched live on this website.
- https://www.pbs.org/parents/read-along offers authors reading poetry and children’s books on the website.
- https://www.pbs.org/parents offers craft ideas, recipes, and coloring pages for free.
- https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow provides free resources to parents to help teach kids character, social skills, academic skills, and tips on how to make online learning successful.
- https://www.pbsbooks.org/pbs-books-storytime/ ranges from authors reading children’s books, to lessons on illustrating a book and interviews with authors.
Other Resources
*ABCya offers online learning games for kids. Join for premium options and to unlock all the games. https://www.abcya.com/
Go Noodle gets kids up and moving, dancing and exercising. These free videos are available at https://family.gonoodle.com/
NumberRock.com is a fun & free resource for math songs and videos to help kids learn multiplication/ skip counting. https://numberock.com/lessons/skip-counting-by-2/
*ABC Mouse.com is the number 1 online learning resources for kids 2-8 years up. The first month is free but it requires a monthly subscription. https://www.abcmouse.com/abc/?8a08850bc2=T1250687953.1605385580.2325