Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Don't miss this incredible wealth of math information! Find activities divided up by grade level, including instructional videos. Use the instructional videos to learn the skills required for each practice. Choose Kindergarten through sixth grade by clicking the Practice button. Then, pick a particular skill at that grade level. Each skill (such as Addition, Subtraction, Time, Fractions, Measures, etc.) has multiple practice activities that are rated by difficulty with stars. Increase the difficulty by starting with one-star items and working towards the five-star items. Click on instructional video if you get stuck to view a screencast video of how to solve the problems. These videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Tube Offline, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.
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tag(s): addition (225), decimals (127), division (158), fractions (231), measurement (181), money (185), multiplication (211), numbers (192), percent (80), subtraction (187), time (140)

Prodigy offers engaging interactives for seven to twelve-year-olds to practice their math! Use the anime-style avatars to travel the world and meet wizards and confront challenges. As math skills improve, your characters earn new spells that can be used only when math proficiencies are strengthened and expanded. The activities will differentiate, assigning and reviewing new math skills. Track your success and get help in areas where you are struggling. Some of the instruction videos (for parents and teachers) are hosted on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, you may want to familiarize yourself with this site at home.

tag(s): addition (225), division (158), fractions (231), game based learning (140), number sense (97), numbers (192), subtraction (187)

Find educational activities to reinforce skills for preschool through elementary school students at Knowledge Adventure. Browse by grade, subject, or age. View a list of all games in alphabetical order. Choose any game then read the short instructions before playing. Explore activities to practice typing, sight words, counting, memory puzzles, logic, science, art, color, and more. Most of the activities at the site appear to have been created by Knowledge Adventures, but some were created by other sites and included here (such as JumpStart). The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
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tag(s): alphabet (84), capitals (22), counting (110), keyboarding (40), logic (249), preK (281), puzzles (205), sight words (36), spelling (165), word choice (27)

Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option from the top of the web page to view and play games such as The Mansion or Shipwrecked. Play games online or download to your Windows computer. Design your own games online using your web browser or download software to your Windows PC to work offline. Create an account in Quest to begin creating activities. View the video tutorial for an overview of the activities and creation processes. Create rooms and objects or tasks for each room. Create more complex games by following complete instructions found in the web browser version of the game system creator. Add sound files and even videos to games in addition to tasks. An option allows players to choose their own endings to games. There is a documentation wiki and a forum to get help. This site may require some tinkering around to figure it out! But it is well worth the time. Note: since games available for Play are created by the general public, you will want to preview for appropriateness.

tag(s): interactive stories (31), process writing (45)

Writer Igniter is an "easy to use" writing prompt creator to set minds in motion! Choose the shuffle button then watch the four categories spin before stopping to set the scene for a story. Categories include character, situation, setting, and prop. Writer Igniter is also part of a larger website called DIY MFA offering articles and information for Writing with Focus and Reading with Purpose. Designed to encourage and offer tools for writers, it is a wealth of information for any aspiring writer, though it is intended for adults.

tag(s): creative writing (170), writers workshop (33), writing prompts (90)

Smarty Games offers educational games for pre-kindergarten and elementary students on a variety of topics. Topics include math, reading, coloring, dress-up, and puzzles. Some specific topics include counting, time, money, mazes, sudoku, and several others. Choose a topic to begin. Choose your specific activity within that topic (most have varied levels for differentiation). Each option includes a short description of the game and content included. Some options-- such as the dot to dot games --offer the option of printing.

tag(s): addition (225), alphabet (84), colors (78), counting (110), digital storytelling (151), division (158), fractions (231), money (185), multiplication (211), parts of speech (68), preK (281), puzzles (205), subtraction (187), sudoku (16), time (140)

On the Digital Booktalk site, find high-quality book trailers that will whet your appetite for a good book. Search for books by content level and interests. Then click on a book to be taken to the book's page. Included on each page is a short video (some created by students), book synopsis, Lexile level, publication date, the number of pages, genre, and ISBN. Teachers, library/media specialists, and students can join the project and contribute videos. Read the "UB the Director" area ( UB=You Be) for Lessons and Activities.

tag(s): book lists (130), independent reading (123)

24/7 Science by The Lawrence Hall of Science has interactives and hands-on activities for elementary school students. Some (such as Oobleck) are even appropriate for the pre-kindergarten crowd. The game section contains 25+ online educational interactive related to space, seasons, car design, body functions, Whale Sounds, and more. The hands-on activities area has numerous science learning activities that may require supervision: How Old is Your Penny?, Measure Yourself, Parachute Drop, Oobleck, and others. Be sure to scroll down past the activity, as many of them also include suggestions for related videos. The site contains a link to an educator's section that is coming soon.

tag(s): animals (317), human body (133), measurement (181), planets (133), plants (176), preK (281), seasons (36), STEM (206)

ABCya.com, developed by a web developer turned computer teacher, provides educational games, videos, and activities for elementary students. Nearly every subject is included. Simply click on your grade level (K-5) and find what is available under language arts, math, and other subjects. Specific topics range from basic typing activities to creating word clouds to grammar games (at all levels) and so much more. The interactives are teacher approved and offer colorful and attention grabbing ways for learning. Opportunities for sharing on Facebook, tweeting, and sharing on social bookmarking sites are incorporated. This is a MUST SEE site for elementary teachers looking for some great practice sites for basic skills!

tag(s): alphabet (84), decimals (127), drawing (81), fractions (231), game based learning (140), geometric shapes (169), keyboarding (40), latitude (12), literacy (105), longitude (12), number sense (97), numbers (192), operations (119), preK (281)

Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and sharing. This is the ultimate in "digital storytelling." Click "Explore" to browse many "public" examples on the templates page of books created by others. Take advantage of the free apps that make Bookemon even easier to use with any device! Use Bookemon Reader to READ books you created in Bookemon or Bookemon edCenter (available for both iOS and Android). BookPress for iOS devices only allows you to CREATE books from scratch, including using photos from your iPad/iPhone. InstaPress (for iOS only) offers options to make books from documents, pdfs, etc. to be shared on mobile devices as eBooks. Here is an example of a book created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors. Once you set up free membership on this site, students (or teachers) can select to create from a blank start or to use the templates provided. You can also create a book starter of your own as an example so students can follow the prompts you have created. The book creator allows you to upload your own images and to create books from a Word document or PowerPoint file you have already made. EdCenter users can collaborate on books.

After you save and publish the work, share the URL so people can read the entire book online, either among an audience of "just my friends" or publicly. They also offer the embed code to place your books on a class or school web page, wiki, or blog. The easiest option is to copy the address of the new window displaying the interactive book. There is an option to have the book printed for a fee, but this is not required. You can also read books created by others (if they make them public). Use the fully-public option to create learning materials for classes to access year to year for at-home review or reading practice.

This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include players to view your books on iPads and more.
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tag(s): creative writing (170), digital storytelling (151), writing (365)

Story Jumper helps you write and illustrate stories in just seven steps-- then share them online. Begin by selecting a story format and accompanying graphic. Manipulate the text and add other items to the picture that forms with each addition to the story. You also change the background and upload photos. Add original drawings, as well. When finished with a particular scene, go on to the next page by clicking the arrow. In order to save and share stories online, writers must complete a free registration. Although there is an option to buy the finished story in print format, this is not necessary to use the site. There is a complete guide for the teacher-friendly Classroom Edition offering detailed directions for setting up class accounts, etc.

tag(s): writing (365)

Winner of a 2009 Youth Webby Award, Tate Kids connects the art of the past and present to the world of blogging, on-line activities, storytelling, and craft making. Each project cleverly weaves in a child friendly art history or theory lesson. Features such as "Tate Paint" invite viewers to create and share their own animated masterpiece on-line. Students can select pieces from the Tate Kids Collection or upload their own artwork into the "My Gallery" space and create a personal virtual museum available to visitors around the world. This site screens all submissions before they appear on-line and provides safety tips for children to review with an adult. Signing up for the "My Gallery" option requires a username and password, but no email address is required. Create a sunset reminiscent of Joseph Turner's paintings or experiment body movements suggestive of Bruce Nauman's performance art. Activities such as these and many more craft ideas are located on the "Tate Create" page. The site includes a complete list of materials, procedures, and helpful hints needed for the activities. Each lesson is kid tested at the Tate Gallery itself and corresponds to works of art either on display at the Tate or a part of their permanent collection. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): creativity (120), dance (27), england (54)

All of the activities at this site are designed to take 15-30 minutes and include language arts, math, science, social studies, and Spanish. You can also choose your grade levels: k-2 or 3-5. There are over 50 interactive stories and activities here to share. Examples of activities include Rhyme with Reggie, Myth Brainstorming Machine, Practice Counting Stars, Figure out a Pizza Puzzle, Tour the Mayflower, Build a Plane, Build a Dinosaur, Play Sports on the Moon, Make Weather Happen, and countless others.

If you click on the Student View a spinning wheel will appear. Students can spin to choose a random activity! Many of these activities require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): dinosaurs (50), pilgrims (17), poetry (223), preK (281), spelling (165)

Looking for engaging interactives for math, language arts, geography, and even more? Look no further than this colorful site. These activities are great ways to build skills and work on math and language arts concepts for all students. The activities are divided into multi-player and single player games in such categories as "Addition and Subtraction," "Multiplication and Division," and "Fraction and Ratios." There are also language arts interactives! Looking for how teachers can find success with these games? View the "Success Stories" at the bottom to find innovative ways that teachers have used the games in classrooms. Click the "Play on the Wii" link for great games optimized for use with this gaming system. Some schools may find problems with the multi-player games playing correctly. Step by step instructions for troubleshooting are available on the "FAQ: Firewall Info" link. Access information for Standards, Research, and a game manual across the top of the website. To choose a game, roll your mouse over it to see its title, then click. Read the quick introduction to understand the activity. Provide direction in whether students should enter a player name or use the randomly generated name from the site. Choose to create a new game or join an existing game. Create a private game if you wish, which requires password creation. No email address or personal information is required for these excellent practice activities.

tag(s): addition (225), division (158), fractions (231), multiplication (211), ratios (64), subtraction (187), verbs (38), vision (78), vowels (12)

Find interactive reading activities for emergent/beginning readers at Starfall. It combines instruction in letter-sound relationships, word recognition skills, and reading comprehension strategies. Seasonal activities can also be found on the main page. The four "levels" of reading at Starfall include "ABCs," "Learn to Read," "It's Fun to Read," and "I'm Reading." There is also a premium option, this review is only for the free interactives. The app (available on iOs, Google Play and Kindle Fire) offers more free intereactives than the web version.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (180), phonics (68)

AlgebraLAB highlights the connection between algebra (and many other math subjects) and science. Although this website may appear as an in-depth informational algebra site, there is A LOT more to explore! AlgebraLAB includes 10+ links to various topics: Lessons, Practice, Careers (how Algebra and science are used in countless careers), Directions (offers insight on how to use this site), Word Problems, Study Aids, a Glossary, and several others. Many activities are interactive. This site requires Windows Media Player. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): calculators (40), coordinates (30), equations (155), vectors (23)