Reading Resources

05/11/2021

Amazing Free Reading Resources

Looking for some great reading resources? Here’s a couple of fun items we recommend!

·         Storytime from Space

The Global Space Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation, created this online resource, where astronauts read books to kids while orbiting the Earth in the International Space Station! How cool is that? The foundation sends books to the astronauts who record themselves reading them, and there are currently 17 books to choose from, with two more marked as “coming soon”. Find these fun videos here. They are also starting to create science videos, which you can find here.

·         Vyds With Ry

This YouTube channel was founded in 2015 with the belief “that a magical part of childhood and learning is unlocked through daily reading and fun bedtime stories.”  Using animation, music and more, kids can read along to some of their favorite books—and discover new ones.  A classic we like is Eric Carle’s “The Very Lonely Firefly”, which you can watch here.  You can subscribe to the channel here.

·         Oxford Owl

This website by Oxford University Press offers parents and caregivers a selection of free leveled reader eBooks they can access for children from age 3 to 11.  Free registration is required, and the site will offer appropriate reading resources if you enter the child’s age. Accessing it from a smartphone or tablet is easy, and the free books appear right on your screen. Tips for reading the books together are offered for each book, along with suggested activities at the end. The site is based in the UK, so kids may have fun learning different words and phrases used there, like “jumper” instead of “sweater”, and the extra “u” in words like “colour” and “favourite”.  We liked “Dolphin Rescue and Other Stories”, which ties in nicely with Tails & Tales. Their full ebook selection can be found here. Additionally, they have storytelling videos and other resources available on the site, which can be accessed here.

·         PBS Kids: Reading Games

As always, PBS Kids’ curated content is fantastic. The site offers a wide variety of activities led by favorite PBS Kids characters. The Xavier Riddle Story Creator lets kids write their own adventure, choosing different plot twists along the way. Molly of Denali takes kids on an Alaskan Adventure, photographing and learning about wildlife on the way. Almost any character you can think of is here on the site, offering kids interactive learning experiences.  You can access the full PBS Kids Reading Games site here, or the full PBS Kids site, with activities for reading, science, math and more, here.