The Teachers' Tech Lounge Exploring the wise use of tech to increase student achievement 

Tell Me a Story Fingerplays and Rhymes has (sorted by themes) dozens of fingerplays, rhymes, and songs to go along with curricular topics. 

Kidopo.Com has a variety of games, printables, and arts & crafts ideas for early learning.  My only negative is the ads featured on the site.

Grades K-2 Student Online Literacy Projects from University of Conneticut’s Literacy Web has online projects for early learning.

Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That is a new PBS series premiering Sept. 6 that will teach children science concepts.  You might want to set your DVR and check it out.

Voiced by award-winning actor Martin Short, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat guides friends Sally and Nick – with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2 – on fun-filled expeditions where they make natural-science discoveries such as learning how bees make honey or why owls sleep during the day.

 Roy: A Tale of the Singing Zebra

Fun Interactive Reading Games that can be used on your interactive whiteboard or computers. The games focus on all aspects of teaching early literacy.

Speakaboos Online Stories has read aloud stories great for Promethean Boards.  Genres include favorites, fables, folk tales, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and songs.  There is a teacher section with other resources such as story guides, worksheets, and even related arts/crafts projects.

Room 108 Collection of Learning Games for Primary Students

The Magic Key Literacy Activities from BBC

The Magic Key website is aimed at children aged 5-6 years and  covers sentence and text level work in a new and imaginative way.

Popcorn Words is a cute game for K/1 that has students identify basic sight words.

Peep and the Big Wide World.Com is a fun site for kids with video, music, games, and even science experiments.  There is also an extensive list of activities for kids tied to learning.

Literacy Empowerment Foundation – Free Books for Primary Grades

The Reading Resource Project is an ongoing program that runs throughout the year. The program distributes softcover books FREE of charge for Read Across America day, National Drop Everything and Read Day, Children’s Book Week, International Children’s Book Day, and other literacy programs.

Recipients merely pay shipping, handling, and administrative costs, which is only $0.68 per softcover book ($68 per set of 100 books). Reading Resource Project books come in sets of 100 books per set. There will not be more than five copies of the same book in any set. Reading levels are available for Pre-K through Second Grade. Book selection and quantity is dependent upon availability, so there is no guarantee of specific titles. Books are sorted and shipped as close to a project’s needs as possible, with regard to reading level and topic.

Reading Resource Project books are available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis. Requests for quantities of less than 30 sets can be shipped within 3 to 4 weeks; larger orders may require a longer time period to fill.

Moppet Games.Com has educational learning games for students ages 3-8.

Kidfoniks is a site with free phonics study guidelines and downloadable materials.

Frank Asch Animated Books Online is a great author site and works well with Promethean.  There are also many teacher resources to go along with reading the books.

17 Great Spring Ideas for Early Learners is a nice list of activities to close out the school year from the We are Teachers blog.

The Preschool Playbook Blog is a wonderful site with practical hands-on ideas you can use in your preschool classroom.  You should subscribe by RSS so you don’t miss a thing.

Both sites offer research studies on the topic of preschool effectiveness.

Pre-K Now.Org Study on Benefits of Pre-K

Public Policy Forum Pre-K Research Index

Spin and Spell.Com reminds me a lot of the old See and Say toys of old.  Students choose a category, click on an item, then click letters on the wheel to spell.

Big Brown Bear Online Phonics Games

National Geographic Young Explorers is a great site to use on Promethean to explore various regions of the world and the wildlife that lives there.

Prekinders Early Childhood Search Engine & Other Tools

Prekinders Links and Resources for Early Learning

Prekinders Blog for Early Elementary Teachers

Prekinders Resources by Subject Area

Lego Activities for Early Learning

Highlights Magazine for Kids Web Site 

We all remember Highlights Magazine.  The web site has some great offerings including Story Soup where students can publish and a Science Corner complete with experiments.  Check it out.

PBS KIDS PLAY! Classroom Edition

PBS is currently looking for preschool and kindergarten teachers interested in doing a pilot for the PBS KIDS PLAY! Classroom Edition. (Broadband access is required) There is no cost to the school in exchange for feedback about the service. The pilot will run through June 30, 2010. If you are interested please send an email to pbskidsplay_teachers@pbs.org and include your name, school name, email address and phone number.

Learning Planet is a subscription based web site with some great subject area games and activities for students.  Pricing is very reasonable at $39.95/yr for up to 5 students (Could be used on Promethean board), or you could sign up your entire classroom for $99.95/yr.  Would be great for centers or a way to help differentiate instruction.