LINKS

These resources are here to help you have fun learning about how to become a better parent as well as to assist the Professional Parent Educator.

Please be aware that PIRC is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor does PIRC endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered at these other Internet sites.

< Jump To A Link Category > General Kid Friendly / Activities Wellness Education Special Needs Children Child Care Professional Early Childhood Education Organizations Publishers / Suppliers Parent Involvement No Child Left Behind

 

GENERAL:

Kinder Start: incredible search engine with focus on children birth to age seven.

Center for Effective Parenting: great links and parenting information handouts

Parent Soup: parenting tips, discussion groups, name finder and access to ‘expert advice’.

The National Parent Center:  reading rooms, newsletters based on age specific groups, toys and other related products reviewed and rated

National Institute on Media and the Family: rating system rates tv, movies, video and computer games from a family oriented perspective

PBS Parents: easy to navigate, and has a great search engine for family issues related to program topics that have been on their network.

Parenthood Web: weekly electronic newsletter, super ‘forum’ for parents and articles, surveys, and chat with other parents during live scheduled chats.

KID FRIENDLY / ACTIVITIES:

Great Sites: created by the American Library Association, this site contains approximately 700 web sites recommended for children

Crayola: arts and crafts projects, coloring books, activity pages, kids’ games, on-line school supplies, and kids art gallery as well as pages for parents and educators

Yahoo Kids: great search engine with comprehensive listings of websites by categories easy to search and navigate

National Geographic for kids: National Geographic for Kids Magazine, games, activities and experiments, cartoon factory, creature features, Geography Bee Challenge, Homework Help, and maps and book club

WELLNESS:

Kids Health: Sections for kids, parents, and health care professionals that is topical and easy to navigate

American Academy of Pediatrics: Comprehensive site of the American Academy of Pediatrics with a great search engine.

Kids Healthworks: Official site of Discovery Health Channel’s “Kids Healthworks” show. Many topics available.

EDUCATION:

US Department of Education: has wonderful information for parents on issues related to their children’s education from birth all the way to college

South Carolina Department of Education: click on the link to the parents tab to receive good information about South Carolina public schools

Give Kids Good Schools: A project of Public Education Network which seeks to build public demand and mobilize resources to provide quality public education for all children

SchoolMatters provides searchable information about public schools, school districts, and state education systems throughout the nation, including student achievement data, financial information, demographic breakdowns, tax base details, and much more 

Office of Early Childhood Education: Full of great information about early childhood education in South Carolina.

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN:

Children with Special Needs: Internet Guide for Parents and Professionals The topics covered in this rich resource range from adaptive toys and sibling relationships to specific disability sites. If you're looking for a source for online information for families or professionals, go to Children with Special Needs internet guide.

Family Village: Resources on disability related topics.  Includes chat room, web boards and catalog of disability-related products, and web links

Learning Disability Online: Information on learning disabilities, offers a free newsletter, bulletin boards, and activities for children at various ages and stages.

The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities: Comprehensive site with publications, fact sheets, parent guides, bibliographies, and state resource listings.

Learning Disabilities Association of SC: Answers questions of what is a learning disability, what is the Learning Disabilities Association, and provides links to other sites related to learning disabilities

Pro Parents: South Carolina information and training about education to families of children with all types of disabilities, advisors assist parents to become more aware of their rights and responsibilities through telephone counseling, workshops and written material.

Family Connection: Family Connection South Carolina is a support network for families who have children with special needs providing parent-to-parent connections, linking families to community resources, and sponsoring a number of educational and support programs

CHILD CARE:

National Association Child Care Resource and Referral Affiliates: National Organization for resource and referral provides local links and other resources

National Network for Childcare: Have over 1000 publications, discussion group, newsletter, and information about the network.

PROFESSIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS:

National Association for the Education of Young Children: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) exists for the purpose of leading and consolidating the efforts of individuals and groups working to achieve healthy development and constructive education for all young children.  South Carolina’s affiliate of the National Organizations is,

South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children.

Southern Early Childhood Association: Members receive many benefits, including a quarterly journal, Dimensions of Early Childhood, discounts on publications and conference registration

Parents As Teachers: Develops curricula, trains early childhood professionals, and certifies parent educators to work with parents to provide them with parenting support and information on their developing child

Parent Child Home Project: proven, innovative home-based literacy and parenting program serving families challenged by poverty, low-levels of education, language barriers and other obstacles to educational success

PUBLISHERS / SUPPLIERS:

US Department of Education Publications: Wealth of information for teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, parents, students, and others who have a stake in education.

Environments: Environments Catalogs feature equipment and materials for the places where children play and learn. Child-centered environments promote growing experiences, building confidence, knowledge, and independence. Catalogs include, early childhood equipment and materials, Pre3child, and Early Literacy.

National Association for the Education of Young Children Resources Catalog: Professional resources for the early childhood educator

Kaplan Early Learning Company: sale of educational materials through four catalogs, as well as publishing curriculum and assessment materials based on comprehensive early childhood research

Lakeshore Learning Materials: From language and literacy to science and mathematics, school supplies, teaching materials and classroom tools

Channing Bete: large inexpensive publishers with search engine for schools, early education, and parent involvement

Pro Ed Early Childhood Products: nationally standardized tests, resource and reference texts, curricular and therapy materials, and professional journals

Redleaf Press: variety of services and programs that support child care professionals, parents, and diverse communities in nurturing young children.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT:

Harvard Family Research Project: Family Involvement Network of Educators: A rich and diverse offering of research materials and tools, FINE equips teachers to partner with families and informs families and communities about leading-edge approaches to full partnership with schools

National Network of Partnership Schools: researchers, educators, parents, students, community members, and others are working together to enable all elementary, middle, and high schools develop and maintain effective programs of partnership.

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education: representative for strong parent and family involvement initiatives at the national level and provide resources and legislative information.

South Carolina School Improvement Council: SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC) was created to provide training and services to School Improvement Councils statewide in support of their work to improve public education in each community

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND:

No Child Left Behind: website has a section that provides parents with useful information to assist in helping their children learn.

Parent Involvement: guidance from the Department of Education. Find the latest information on the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Educational Trust: gathered general information on the NCLB act including a user’s guide and fact sheets.