Here in South Africa the 2012 year has started and the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3) has started implementing the new CAPS curriculum. I thought this would be a great opportunity to draw your attention to 12 websites that have great reading material for your young learners.
1. Storyline Online
http://www.storylineonline.net/
This site is presented by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. This is an online video programme with their members reading stories aloud. Each story has some activity suggestions plus a further Activity Guide download with some superb activities and ideas on it.
2. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
http://www.rif.org/assets/interactive/peter_rabbit.html
This is Beatrix Potter’s famous tale beautifully retold using the original drawings and showing the words so that the learners can read along.
3. Speakaboos
http://www.speakaboos.com/stories
4. Riffs Reading Planet
http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/read_aloud_stories.htm
5. Topmarks
http://topmarks.co.uk/EducationalGames.aspx?cat=37
6. Meegenius e-books for kids
http://www.meegenius.com/store/books/free/
7. AOL Kids
http://kids.aol.com/KOL/2/koljrstories/archive/animal-stories
8. PBS Kids
http://pbskids.org/lions/stories/
9. Read to me
http://www.readtomelv.com/current-books/
10. National Geographic Young Explorer
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngyoungexplorer/moreissues.html
11. Starfall
12. Short stories
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/childrenindex.html
Classroom application
Perhaps you don’t have the facilities to make use of these in your classroom – but have you ever considered creating a classroom blog? You could then list these websites on the blog so that parents can make use of them at home.
