Check out some amazing (often free) resources for students and parents! These are not affiliate links and I do not get any perks from posting, but I want to pass along some useful places that I've come cross :) Please vet for yourself. ~Last updated August 2020~







Mochi
Tech-free coding! "Mochi teaches children the basics of computer programming in a playful, hands-on way as they explore the universe and learn colors, numbers, letters, basic words and more! Montessori approved, LEGO Compatible."
https://learnwithmochi.com/


Build Your Own Monument
"Looking for fun ways to pass the time at home? The Archaeological Institute of America challenges you to build your own monument!" Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, the Colosseum, and more. 
www.archaeological.org/build-your-own/


Building Beats
Building Beats provides DJ and music programs that teach entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills to under-served youth. The link below offers free online music tools for those who want to explore making music.
buildingbeats.org/toolbox


Diversity Book List and Activities
This organization's goal is "respecting and understanding all the different cultures that we live with." For book ideas and activities that promote compassion, understanding, and diversity, go to their website.
https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/multicultural-reading-resources/diversity-book-lists-for-kids/


Audible
As of April 2020, Audible is providing more than 300 free stories! There’s no membership (Audible, Amazon, or otherwise) to sign up for, no fees, and no limits on the amount of books you can stream. To access the library, use this link, and you’ll be taken to the Audible Stories home page.


Believer Magazine
On Fridays, Black Mountain Institute (BMI) and Believer Magazine partners with artists to offer free art workshops via Zoom for all ages. Check out one of the episodes here called "Draw a Cartoon You with Leslie Stein."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t9HxKEWeuU


Rhyming Dictionary
Poet Kenn Nesbitt offers a free rhyming dictionary to help you write fun poems.
https://www.poetry4kids.com/rhymes/ 


Lexile
Search for a book title and get its Lexile reading level, as well as 10 key vocabulary words.


Learner's Dictionary
This website is provides student-friendly definitions.


Thesaurus
A good website to find good synonyms for good writing ;)


DOGO News
Current events, as well as book and movie reviews for students grades K-12.


CNN Student News
A 10-minute news show that provides students with worldwide news.


newsELA 
News articles that can be adjusted based on reading level and includes quizzes and activities.


MSN Kids
Curated news stories pulled from various news sources and categorized by interest.


Time for Kids
A division of Time magazine, this site has articles for grades K, 1, 2-3 and 4-5.


Scholastic News
News for kids, by kids for grades 1-6.


Reading Rockets
This website teaches kids how to read and helps those who struggle.
Great resources for parents and their site is available in Spanish.


Families In Schools
Their mission is to involve parents and communities in their children’s education to achieve lifelong student success.
Get involved with their Million Word Challenge.


The Big Read
The Big Read...inspiring people across the country to pick up a good book. Listen to radio programs, watch video profiles, and read brief essays about classic authors.


Ready. Set. Grow!
Their vision is to create a future throughout our communities where all young children are born healthy and raised in a loving and nurturing environment so that they grow up healthy, are eager to learn, and reach their full potential. Check out their events page-- it lists many free family-oriented things to do. 


Word Teasers
These boxed sets include brain teasers, SAT questions and vocabulary builders.


LA Library
Not only is the library a great place to find new books and quietly read, but it offers tons of other services and free events.


Culture LA
Art, classes, events, workshops and more.


Free Little Library
You can start your own free little library, or search for ones around you.
Thrift shops are often a great place to find gently used books at a great price too.


Khan Academy
Their mission is to provide free world-class education to anyone, anywhere.
Includes brief videos on introduction to grammar, music appreciation, US and world history, and more!


Brain Pop
Started in 1999 by Dr. Avraham Kadar to explain difficult concepts to his young patients in a creative way, Brainpop offers fun, educational videos. Subjects include science, social studies, English, math, art, health, and more, and are offered at a subscription rate, although they feature 1 new video daily for free.

Also available are Brainpop Jr for K-3 and Brainpop ELL for English Language Learners.


Common Sense Media
A non-profit that provides age-based ratings and reviews so you can find the right movies, games, and apps for your kids.


Sweet Search
A search engine for students (a safer alternative to Google). 


Scratch
Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century. Create interactive stories, games and more. Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge.



For Creative Writing

Writopia Lab offers workshops, camps, and internship opportunities for those interested in creative writing.
https://www.writopialab.org/for-students


Lighthouse has workshops, open mics, youth writers anthology, young authors collective, and more.
https://www.lighthousewriters.org/young-writers


WriteGirl is "a community of women writers, and promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls."
https://www.writegirl.org/about


NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month challenges youth writers to pen their novel in 30 days in November.
https://ywp.nanowrimo.org/


Think Written provides over 300 creative writing prompts for kids. 
https://thinkwritten.com/writing-prompts-for-kids/


826 LA has "inventive resources to ignite a love of writing" plus writing prompts, submissions, and more!
https://826national.org/resources/


The Porch offers free and low-cost writing workshops online for students grades 3-12.
https://www.porchtn.org/programs/youth


From the Conejo Valley Library, there are creative writing prompts that are updated regularly.
https://padlet.com/tolibrary/cwfn6f8x4flty1rw


Recommended Apps

For vocabulary practice: Chegg, Quizlet, or Cram

For creative writing prompts: Story Cubes

For language development: Duolingo, or Memrise

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"We want education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased,
the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet."
-S. Vivekananda

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