Learn a New Language
- Little Pim (preK to grade 1): Brief video vocabulary lessons in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Hebrew.
- MUZZY Online (grades 1-5): A multimedia mix of stories, songs, and interactive activities that immerses the child in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Korean, and English.
Literacy, Reading, and eBooks
- BookFLIX (grades preK-3): Fiction video books are paired with nonfiction Scholastic eBooks to develop critical reading and comprehension skills to help students become fluent, confident and independent readers.
- Capstone Interactive eBooks (grades preK-6+): Choose from different subjects, genres, and levels to find just the right book. Every title is supported by audio that’s recorded by professional voice-over artists. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to Capstone!)
- International Children’s Digital Library (grades preK-8): A collection of eBooks that represents outstanding historical and contemporary books from all over the world. Select titles from a variety of categories, from age range to themes to cover colors. Available in 55 languages.
- Storyline Online (grades K-4): The Screen Actors Guild Foundation records well-known actors reading children’s books and makes dynamic videos so that children can be read to aloud with just the click of a mouse. Each title includes an activity guide for teachers.
- TumbleBook Library (grades K-6): TumbleBooks are narrated animated picture books that children can read or have read to them. Includes books in Spanish and French as well as graphic novels and math stories.
- TumbleBookCloud Junior (grades 3-8): Contains early reader chapter books, children’s classics, graphic novels, children’s audiobooks, and National Geographic videos – many of which are paired with e-books.
Math
- TumbleMath (grades K-6) has the most comprehensive collection of math stories available anywhere– all in the world-famous TumbleBook format, which combines animation, narration, and sound to create a compelling and enticing story for students. The eBooks are accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans and quizzes. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to TumbleBooks!)
Practice Exercises and Learning Activities
- Brainfuse’s SkillSurfer (grades 3-5): Get lessons, watch videos, and build skills in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Log in with your library card number and then click on “SkillSurfer” under “Expert Help” on the left.
- Howard County School System’s activities for supporting students at home (all grades): Find PDFs for each grade level with suggested activities in the following subjects: language arts, math, science, social studies, and related arts.
- Khan Academy (all grades) offers free practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empowers students to study at their own pace. They tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more.
- LearningExpress Library (grades 4-5): Includes math skills and English/language arts skills practice sets. You must create an account with an email address to save your child’s learning progress. Log in with your HCLS card number and then click “School Center.”
- Scholastic Learn at Home (grades preK-6+): Includes very specific learning activities and exercises organized by grade level. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to Scholastic!)
- Wide Open School powered by Common Sense Media (grades preK to 12): A free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense. Here you’ll find resources from organizations such as DuoLingo, Flocabulary, GoNoodle, Noggin, ChopChop Family, ABCya!, and more grouped into practical categories such as daily schedule, emotional well-being, get moving, life skills, and more. Please note that some links require registration with a valid email address.
Research and Explore New Subjects
- Abdo Zoom (username: abdo zoom, password: 2020) (grades preK-2): Young readers can explore interactive content on animals, biographies, and STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art, and math). The animals content is also available in Spanish. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to Abdo!)
- Elementary research [formerly Kids InfoBits] (grades K-5): Includes articles, biographies, photos, magazines, and news on a variety of topics including animals, music & movies, people, plants, sports, tech, arts, geography, health, literature, science, and social studies.
- National Geographic Kids (grades 1-5): Includes National Geographic Kids magazine, National Geographic Kids eBooks, and kid-friendly downloadable photos. Explore animals, environment, history, peoples & cultures, places, and science & tech.
- PebbleGo (grades preK-3): Features built-in reading and research tools expertly leveled for new readers. Topics include animals, science, biographies, and social studies.
- Scholastic GO! (username and password: hcls) (grade 2-adult) is an online encyclopedia that contains more than 115,000 articles covering every core-curriculum subject. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to Scholastic!)
Science
- ScienceFLIX (grades 4-9): An in-depth examination of more than 30 different scientific fields, such as archaeology, atoms and molecules, robotics, and disease. Includes videos, experiments, critical thinking questions, news, and research.
Streaming Video
- Kanopy Kids (ages 2 to 8): Enjoy quality educational content like Sesame Street, Arthur, and language-learning series for young kids.
- Scholastic Watch & Learn (pre-K to grade 3) has more than 230 videos to help students build knowledge and vocabulary. These videos with real-world footage build science, social studies and social-emotional knowledge. (Temporary access available during HCLS’s closure due to COVID-19. Our thanks to Scholastic!)
