Currents in Literacy

Web Resources

There are thousands of web sites that offer information on various issues concerning education and literacy. We have selected a sampling of sites that address these issues from a variety of viewpoints: parents, teachers, administrators, and elementary school students.

We hope these are informative and fun sites for you. If you have found others that you would like to share with our readers, please forward the URL to the editor at Currents in Literacy.

Government

www.doe.mass.edu/news.html
The Massachusetts Department of Education homepage includes newsbreaking press releases, details of superintendent mailings to school officials, summaries of Massachusetts Board of Education meetings, and examples of the Massachusetts teacher test questions.

www.ed.gov/index.html
U.S. Department of Education: This site lists the administration's seven priorities, funding opportunities, research and statistics related to education, press releases and newsletters, and publications and products.

www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/index.html
America Reads Challenge is a national program to support teachers and help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of third grade. Its homepage includes ways to get involved with the program, information on legislation, publications, research resources, and more.

Organizations

www.nea.org/
The National Education Association homepage highlights important education information for teachers and parents. Teacher sections include high-tech resources and teacher union discussions. Parent sections include how to help your child read, how to help with homework, and other tips.

novel.nifl.gov/
Learn more about the National Institute for Literacy and their activities. Includes the LINCS network (Literacy Information aNd Communication System), statistics on literacy for adults, non-English speakers, and prisoners. Also has an Institute publications list.

www.ascd.org
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, conferences and workshops, publications, discussion forums.

www.reading.org/
The International Reading Association offers forums on beginning reading instruction, publications, and a World Congress in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, July 21-24, 1998, as well as a campaign for world literacy.

www.ncte.org
The site for the National Council of Teachers of English offers teaching ideas, book lists, a public policy center, publications, chat list, and other items.

Parents

www.ed.gov/pubs/parents.html
The webpage of the U.S. Department of Education includes a selection of publications for parents of children from elementary school to college age. Includes "Simple Things You Can Do to Help a Child Read Well and Independently."

www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/www/indexfr.html
Family Literacy Center at Indiana University. This site contains the on-line magazine, Parents and Children Together Online. This colorful, easy-to-read magazine includes original stories, poems, and articles for parents. Parents and children are also invited to submit their stories and poems for the magazine. Many other resources can be downloaded for free from this site.

www.pta.org/
Check out the information on PTA Education, Arts in Education, Health and Safety, Leadership, and Awards programs.There are also bulletin boards to help share ideas and the legislative action section for national news.

npin.org/
This webpage of the National Parent Information Network includes Parent News (a monthly magazine), a link to the ERIC Clearinghouse on information for urban and minority families, a question answering service for parents, a parenting discussion list, resources for parents and for those who work with parents, and internet resources for and about parents.

www.ala.org/parentspage
The American Library Association has a webpage for parents, which includes "How to Raise a Reader" and "Good Books for Kids" sections.

Adult Literacy

www.vcu.edu/eduweb/CRA/eal.html
Exploring Adult Literacy: This peer-reviewed electronic journal from the Adult Learning Division, Virginia Commonwealth University, includes practical, research-based articles on new ideas in the field, lesson plans, and an interactive forum for adult literacy providers.

www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/used/familylit/
This is a project prepared for the U.S. Department of Education. It contains strategies to make family literacy and parent involvement a part of bilingual education. The site describes projects that serve Spanish, Navajo, and mixed language groups.

Bilingual/ESL Issues

www.nabe.org/
National Association for Bilingual Education. A beautifully designed red, white, and blue website. Learn all about the California English-only school initiative which is opposed by NABE, legislation and policy issues, current press releases, and conference information.

www.cal.org/ericcll/Minibibs/bilingual.html
This location provides a bibliography of current research in bilingual education. There is a listing of journal articles and documents with annotations on research done by current authorities.

www.ncbe.gwu.edu/links/index.htm
National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education has a language and education links page which includes sites for instructional programs and materials, teacher training programs, lesson plans, tutorials, journals, employment opportunities, literacy resources for LEP students and their families, and much more.

Kids

http://www.thepotters.com/ltrain.html
Learning Train: Building Blocks to Reading is a readiness program for children three to six years old. "Make a Book" encourages children to write their own books. "Learning Train News" is for parents, child care providers, and other professionals who care about children. Articles, resources, reference materials, and links to other sites of interest.

www.theideabox.com/
The Idea Box: Early Childhood and Activity Resources. Seasonal projects, games, music and songs, recipes, and crafts. Links for children, on-line stories, printable learning and coloring pages.

www.eduplace.com/hmco/school/math/brain/index.html
Brain Teasers: This site is sponsored by Houghton Mifflin and Texas Instruments and features brain teasers for kids grades 3-4, 5-6, and 7+. Each Wednesday a new teaser and the answer to the previous week's puzzle are posted.

Schools

www.edweek.org
Daily breaking news items as well as more in depth coverage about national and local issues. Teacher Magazine includes features, research, commentary, book reviews and more.

northport.k12.ny.us/~bellrose
Visit the East Northport, New York school webpage and get a sense of what goes on in school every day. Each classroom has its own pages to describe what they do during the school year. There is also a school calendar, map of the school, and special events information.