The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in many children continuing their education from home. Here are some resources that you can use to help your child continue to grow in the areas of language and literature.
Story Time
Astronauts read children's books and conduct science experiments during their visits to the International Space Station!
Enjoy celebrated actors reading children's books on this award-winning literacy website. Supplemental activities are available in the teacher's guide for each book.
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County reads a new story every Monday and Wednesday at 7pm. Tune in live on Facebook or find the archives on YouTube.
Listen to classic stories accompanied by classical music. Stories include Stone Soup, Paul Bunyan, The Nutcracker, and more.
Read advice on how to fit daily reading with your kids into your schedule, and how to make it count.
Free Books
Enroll your child to receive free picture books in the mail. The program is available for children ages 0 to 5 who live in Hamilton County and throughout Ohio.
Volunteers read aloud books that are in the public domain in the USA. Find favorites such as Mother Goose, Pride and Prejudice, Peter Pan, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Dive into 60,000 free ebooks, a collection that includes the world's greatest literature. Read classics such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Treasure Island, or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from your web browser or eBook reader.
Listen to free, streaming stories for children of all ages. Find Winnie the Pooh, White Fang, C.S. Lewis, and more.
Flip through these digital picture books to learn about a wide variety of topics, including animals, plants, community, health, and friendship. Read them yourself or listen to the narration in multiple languages.
Book Lists
Each year the American Library Association awards this medal to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Browse this list of winning book titles from 1922 to the present.
This honor is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Browse the list of book titles on the American Library Association website.
Browse book recommendations for various ages and topics, or listen to over 160 podcasts about helping your kids to fall in love with books.
Poetry
Grab a tasty snack, a pot of tea, and some poetry, and you have the makings of poetry tea time! Scroll down to find inspiration, discussion guides, writing prompts, and poet biographies.
Enjoy animated videos of poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and other books by Shel Silverstein. Find more poetry in the form of printables, desktop wallpaper, and learning resources.
Interactive Websites for English Language Arts
Play over 400 educational games for kids from pre-K to sixth grade. Games are organized by subject, grade, and common core standards.
Improve your child's reading and spelling skills with this interactive phonics chart. Toggle between audio and video clips to learn the sounds of different letters and letter combinations. In addition, you will find free courses on the LOE eLearning website and free teacher training videos on the LOE YouTube channel.
Choose a story theme, add some missing words, and then laugh as you reveal your silly story creation. Great for learning parts of speech in a wacky way! Try original Mad Libs or Mad Libs Jr.
Browse videos and resources that strengthen English language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
World Languages
Practice dozens of world languages with this popular interactive website. Many activities are available even if you do not create an account.
Learn American Sign Language through videos and text. This free curriculum resource center teaches common words and phrases, finger spelling, Deaf Culture and more.
Learn Spanish, Japanese, French, German, or Chinese through this collection of educational videos and resources.
Understanding Language Development
In this article from the Child Development Institute, learn how communication skills develop in children and what parents can do to help.