100 Top Free Education Web Sites from Help Teaching
10 Awesome Education Sites
Whatever the grade-level or subject area, these websites have
something to offer. From high-quality lesson plans to entertaining games
and educational videos, they represent some of the best educational
websites in existence.
Power My Learning gives
parents, teachers, and students a way to find some of the best free
learning activities online. By creating an account they can save
activities and browse activities by standard. Users can also recommend
activities to add to the site.
Code.org has gained recognition with
its Hour of Code initiative. The website offers free, easy lessons to
help kids learn some of the basics of coding. The lessons also help
teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Google is something most
teachers know about, but many haven’t taken the time to explore all of
their awesome free resources for education. There are some fun
activities too, such as Build with Chrome where kids can build with LEGO-style blocks online.
Kidblog offers a simple, safe
blogging platform for teacher. While there may be fancier systems out
there, there’s something to be said for simplicity and Kidblog does its
job well.
FunBrain helps students learn through fun games related to math and reading. They’ll also find books and other entertaining resources.
Scholastic has
developed a reputation for its high-quality educational books and
materials and its website does not disappoint, offering lesson plans,
interactive activities, and articles designed to help teachers and
parents.
Gooru helps students take control of their own learning by providing them with information about how they learn best.
Edutopia focuses
on helping educators grow. From articles and blogs from those working
in the field to informational videos and classroom guides, educators in
all areas of education will stay on top of the latest trends and find
tips to help them improve.
DIY.org encourages kids to learn new skills. Teachers and parents can challenge them to set goals and complete tasks on the site.
Edudemic helps
teachers with technology. Both technology experts and those just
getting started will find plenty of tips and resources on this site.
Coding
Every day, in classrooms around the world, kids are learning how to
code. Coding is a valuable skill that helps teach kids to think
logically and develop the critical thinking and reasoning skills they
need for our increasingly technological world. These resources offer
free coding activities for kids.
Code.org is
home to the Hour of Code. In just an hour, kids can complete a fun
coding game. There are many games to choose from, including those that
feature popular characters kids love.
Tynker offers its own free Hour of Code activities and games for kids to enjoy.
CodeCombat is an online, multiplayer game that requires kids to write code to play.
Kodu Game Lab is a visual programming tool that kids can download to create games of their own.
CS Unplugged teaches
the principles of coding, but not in the traditional way. The site
offers a large selection of offline activities designed to help kids
develop these critical thinking skills.
Reading
Find games and activities for early readers, as well as texts for
advanced readers in this collection of high-quality reading websites. In
addition to these sites, Help Teaching offers a large collection of
public domain and
original reading passages organized by grade-level, word count, and Lexile level.
CommonLit contains a wealth of free fiction and non-fiction texts for use in the classroom. Texts are organized by grade-level and theme.
Media Literacy Clearinghouse introduces
students to a new type of literacy – media literacy. With all of the
new technology and messages appearing everyday, it’s important for kids
to be media literate.
Awesome Stories uses
non-traditional reading materials, such as biographies and primary
source texts to get students learning through reading. Students can use
the site to help with research and teachers can use the texts as part of
lesson plans. Creating an account allows users to access audio versions
of many of the titles as well, making it an ideal site for auditory
learners and those with learning disabilities.
ReadWriteThink gets students to participate in critical thinking and reading activities through its lesson plans and student interactives.
Book Adventure is a free online reading program that provides students with incentives for reading.
Bookopolis is
essentially a GoodReads for kids. The site allows students to read
reviews written by their peers and helps them find the perfect book.
Writing
Whether students need an outlet for their creative writing or want to
brush up on their grammar skills, one of these resources will get the
job done.
ToonDoo gives kids a place to
create their own cartoons and store them online. It features tons of
clipart and other artistic effects to make the comics visually
appealing.
Voki features
animated characters that students can customize and manipulate to speak
their words. It’s a great tool to help with creative thinking, writing,
and storytelling.
Grammar Bytes tests students’ knowledge of grammar through simple multiple-choice activities and rewards them with cheesy virtual prizes.
Purdue OWL is
an online writing lab from Purdue University that provide students,
particularly those in high school and college, with everything they need
to know about writing a paper, including grammar advice and paper
formats.
Social Studies
Teachers can find primary source documents, high-quality lesson
plans, and connect students to history, geography, government, and other
areas of social studies online.
Chronas is a
new history resource that seeks to give students’ a better
understanding of history. It visually and chronologically organizes
Wikipedia information to create a unique digital textbook of sorts.
GeoGuessr tests kids’ geography
skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in
the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are.
National Archives: DocsTeach allows
teachers to incorporate primary source documents and other historical
texts into a variety of critical thinking and thought-mapping
activities. Pre-made activities are also provided. Students can complete
the activities online or through the DocsTeach app available for the
iPad.
iCivics offers
high-quality and engaging games for students to play and learn about
civics. Lesson plans help teachers incorporate the games in the
classroom.
HSTRY gives students the chance to create free interactive timelines and engage in collaborative learning.
What Was There? allows
students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of
historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help
them learn about history.
Math
Not all websites focus on
elementary math skills.
While many of these games do work well for elementary-age students,
many of them also provide games and lesson plans for students tackling
subjects such as algebra, geometry, and calculus.
Math is Fun is
full of math resources for kids and teachers. It also includes an
illustrated dictionary of math terms to help students understand
difficult concepts.
Numberphile features short videos about numbers. They help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun.
Math Games
offers a large collection of math games and questions organized by
grade-level and skill. It also includes a progress-tracking feature so
teachers and parents can see what kids know.
AAA Math features online interactive math lessons for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
Yummy Math connects math with the real-world through timely new stories and other reading passages.
Math Forum offers online professional development opportunities and other resources to help math teachers improve their skills.
Science
Help students understand science with this collection of videos, games, experiments, and creative science activities.
PhET features many engaging simulations to help kids learn difficult concepts in science and math.
Wonderopolis shows
kids a wonder of the day and then gives them a chance to test their
knowledge or join in on a discussion related to that wonder. Kids will
be surprised by all of the cool facts that they learn and they may spark
some interesting discussions in the classroom.
Molecular Workbench contains hundreds of simulations, curriculum models, and assessments designed to improve the teaching of science.
Science Made Simple gives kids science experiment ideas and other science project topics, as well as help preparing for a science fair.
The Science Spot offers
lesson plans, activities, and student examples from one teacher’s
science classroom, as well as daily science trivia challenges and daily
science starters.
BioDigital is a human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways.
For even more science-specific resources, check out the
Ultimate Guide to Teaching Science.
Art
Art museums around the world have made it their mission to teach
students about art. These websites introduce students to art theory, let
them explore classic works of art, and even give them the chance to
create art of their own.
Artsonia bills itself as the
world’s largest kids art museum. All of the artwork has been created by
kids and, while the site is free, parents can also purchase products
featuring their kids’ artwork.
Artsology helps kids learn to
appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play
games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art.
The Artist’s Toolkit introduces
kids to the tools and mediums artists use to create their works.
They’ll even find videos of artists hard at work in their studios.
NGAKids Art Zone allows kids to explore popular art movements, themes, and painters and offers guides to help teachers as well.
Tate Kids gives
kids a chance to explore famous works of art, play art-related games,
and even create their own works of art to add to their online gallery.
Music
Encourage kids to think beyond One Direction and their other favorite
artists and experience new types of music. Kids can learn about the
symphony and classical music or even build their own musical skills by
learning about ear training or playing instruments online.
Andrew & Polly is
an indie children’s music duo that has created a podcast called Ear
Snacks designed to help kids learn through music, sound, and unique
experiences.
Classics for Kids regularly highlights famous composers and provides teachers with activities to incorporate into the classroom.
KIDiddles has lyrics and audio files for over 2,000 kids songs for music teachers, or any teachers, to use in their classroom.
Good Ear may not look like an
awesome site, but it contains a lot in its simple design. This website
provides virtual ear training to help serious student musicians learn to
recognize the differences between notes.
Virtual Musical Instruments lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos.
Health and Safety
Health and safety are important to kids. Whether kids want to know
more about keeping their bodies healthy or staying safe online, these
websites have them covered.
KidsHealth is the top
website for kids to learn about their bodies and their health. It
features easy-to-read articles and kid-friendly graphics to help kids
learn about a whole host of topics related to health and safety.
CDC BAM! focuses on teaching
kids about their bodies. BAM stands for body and mind and all of the
resources on the site help kids learn more about their bodies and
keeping their minds sharp.
McGruff the Crime Dog has
been helping kids learn about safety for decades. His interactive
website features games, articles, and videos about safety for kids.
NetSmartzKidz and its sister site, Netsmartz, promotes online safety. Kids and adults can learn all about staying safe online and avoiding dangers such as cyber bullying.
StopBullying.gov helps
prevent bullying in all forms by providing teachers, parents, and
students with resources to educate them about bullying and let them know
what to do when bullying occurs.
PE Central is a physical education teacher’s ultimate resource. It includes lesson plans, assessment ideas, and other resources.
Early Education
Don’t forget about your younger learners too. Many websites, including our own
Early Education collection, offer games and activities designed to help toddlers and preschoolers build their basic skills.
Preschool Express is
full of crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and finger plays for
early education teachers and parents to use with kids.
Starfall promotes beginning reading and number skills with fun stories and activities.
Funbrain Jr. brings the fun and quality of Funbrain to a younger audience with its early learning games.
Songs for Teaching offers a large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool students.
Super Simple Learning’s resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents.
Educational Games
Kids love to play games online. Why not encourage the practice by
introducing them to some fun educational games websites? They’ll have
fun and you’ll know they’re learning.
Arcademic Skill Builders offers
a series of racing games for kids focused on math and ELA skills. Best
of all, many of the games are multiplayer so kids can create rooms and
play against their friends.
Quizalize lets teachers turn
content into fun quiz games for students. It’s free to create quizzes,
but teachers can also buy inexpensive quizzes from other teachers in the
marketplace.
Cool Math Games is the
ultimate site for kids who want to play math-oriented games. These
arcade-style games are a lot of fun and many accompany the lessons found
on the site.
Primary Games has a lot of educational games for kids to play mixed in with some “just for fun” games too. All of the games are kid-friendly.
Games for Change gets
kids thinking about problem-solving and social issues by providing them
with unique games to play. Many of the games help kids solve world
problems or introduce them to social issues.
Educational News
It’s important to keep up with the news. These websites cover the
latest education news and also provide kid-friendly news sites to use
with students.
Education World has
undergone a site redesign in the last year so that its main page now
highlights the latest news in the world of education, including
interesting research and controversy.
Education Week publishes a weekly newspaper all about education. Its website highlights many of those stories so you can access them for free.
Smithsonian TweenTribune features unique news stories for kids. Stories are organized by Lexile level and cover topics related to kids’ interests.
Time for Kids gives
students and teachers access to many of the articles from Time for Kids
magazine, even if they don’t subscribe. Stories focuses on world news
stories and pop culture.
DOGO News promotes “fodder for young minds” by sharing unique news stories, including stories of people doing good around the world.
Educating Yourself
With the introduction of open courseware and TED talks educating
yourself online has never been easier. Find access to actual college
courses and learn what you want to know from the experts in the field.
Last year at Help Teaching, we launched our own line of
online K-12 lessons that students can use for self-directed learning.
TED features videos and other
resources from some of the world’s greatest leaders, innovators, and
thinkers. If you want to learn more about a particular field, chances
are there’s an expert talking about it.
Khan Academy offers free
online courses in a wide variety of subjects. It offers the most content
in math, but also has courses in science, economics, test prep, and
more.
Open Education Consortium allow you to search for open courses around the world. It also provides news on the open courseware movement.
MIT OpenCourseWare gives you access to courses from one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges.
Coursera helps you find and sign up to take free online courses from some of the world’s top universities and other experts.
Youtube has been around for a
long time, but that only supports its awesomeness. You’ll find a lot of
videos tutorials on everything from fixing a car to learning how to beat
a difficult level on Angry Birds. Don’t forget to check out Help Teaching’s YouTube channel with online lessons too.
Homework Help and Study Skills
For general homework questions and help studying for that big test,
students should check out this collection of websites. Teachers will
also find study skills lessons to go over with students in class.
BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper features
information, resources, and links designed to help students with their
homework, as well as resources for parents and teachers.
HomeworkSpot provides
students with links, resources, games, and reference materials to help
them build their skills and help them complete their homework..
Fact Monster Homework Center connects kids with reference materials and tools to help them successfully complete their homework.
Shmoop offers homework help,
literature guides, and a ton of other resources for students. The site’s
writers incorporate a lot of humor in their writing too, making the
site incredibly entertaining.
Howtostudy.org features
articles on different study skills and test-taking strategies. There’s
even a subject-based “How to Write” section to help students learn how
to write all kinds of informational texts.
Don’t forget Help Teaching’s
Study Skills and Strategies worksheets either!
Lesson Planning
Lesson planning can be time consuming, but with high-quality
pre-created lesson plans, lesson plan templates, and a place to store
their lesson plans, teachers can simplify the process.
The Differentiator provides
teachers with lesson plan ideas to help them incorporate higher-order
thinking skills, change up the products students create, and add to the
resources they use. This helps ensure teachers aren’t presenting the
same lessons all the time and that they reach students in many different
ways.
Buck Institute for Education (BIE)
helps teachers learn more about project-based learning. It also offers a
collection of PBL activities for teachers to use in the classroom.
Makerspaces.com provides teachers with tips, tricks, and resources to create a Makerspace in their schools.
ShareMyLesson offers lesson plans and other resources shared by teachers, educators, and educational companies around the world.
Classroom Management
If teachers want students to learn, they must have good classroom management. These resources help
keep students in control and encourage behavior that promotes learning.
ClassDojo is a classroom
management system that allows teachers to set goals for students, track
their progress, and reward them for that progress. Parents can also
access reports to see how their children are doing.
Remind gives teachers a free,
easy, and safe way to share important information with parents and
students via text message. All phone numbers are kept private and
parents must opt-in to receive messages.
BouncyBalls is
an online game where the noise level makes the balls bounce. The more
balls bouncing, the noisier the classroom is, reminding students to
quiet down and focus on their work.
NEA Classroom Management offers
a classroom management survival guide, as well as articles and
resources to help with specific areas of classroom management.
Super Teachers Tools contains
free resources such as seating chart makers and countdown timers that
can help teachers implement solid classroom management strategies.
