Reading and writing are all about practice, which means a lot of resources are needed for kids to use at home. Luckily, there are tons of online tools like writing apps, online reading programs, fun reading websites, reading and writing games, and more for your family. There are paid and free learning websites for kids by the dozens, and we’ve curated the best for you. Chris Slavin, founder of the fun and easy-to-use Classroom Cereal, gave us some advice when looking for resources:
“Consistency is always key, but it's especially important now that kids are learning in such new and different environments. My advice is to look for materials that provide consistency. Find products that encourage routines. Quick, fun, educational exercises that kids can look forward to every day.”
With our crowdsourced data and parent recommendations, we’ve provided a detailed list on the top writing and reading websites for kids. From vocabulary lists to writing prompts and grammar lessons, these sites are ready to help you and your child get through language arts classes at home. Even if you have a child who hasn’t learned to read yet, there are excellent reading resources that you can use.
Online learning program for kids that provides interactive games to teach language arts, math, science, and social studies. Children join an immersive virtual universe where they create their own unique character and they can interact with their friends online in the game.
Age Range: 8-13 years
Brave Writer has programs available for kids ages 5-18 that incorporate original thought, mechanics, literature, and projects. Writing bundles are around $200, but these are in-depth programs. There are free, short-term lessons and prompts available as well.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Classroom Cereal is for middle school-aged kids to practice grammar skills through free, printable short stories. Their free short stories are broken into season 1 and 2, and with a subscription, you get access to quizzes, grammar maps, and other educational resources.
Age Range: Middle school-aged students (around 6th - 8th)
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) is a nonprofit organization to help users write novels through progress tracking, setting milestones, and connecting with a community of writers. Use their Young Writers Program for under-18 writers. All of these resources are free for anyone to use.
Age Range: All ages, but geared towards middle and high school-aged students
Night Zookeeper has writing tools and lessons to help supplement your child’s writing class. Based on a series of magical books, children interact with the characters and storyline as they complete online writing tasks.
Age Range: Grades K - 8th
Quill has free online writing tools for students K-12. Gain access to 400 writing and grammar activities by making a free account.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Reading Eggs is offering free access for 30 days to parents who are homeschooling their children right now. Children learn to read through games, songs, rewards, and exploration through the website. The brand has three programs for their target age groups. Reading Eggs Junior for kids 2-4, the original Reading Eggs for ages 3-7, and Reading Eggspress for ages 7-13.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 8th
Storybird has a library of artwork from around the world for kids to use to inspire creative writing and short stories. Writers, readers, and artists have come together to create over 30 million stories using Storybird.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Reading mini-games help children to practice letter recognition and increase speed and accuracy. These games involve helping your monster to read the online books, thus they help kids learn to read themselves. Through the Usborne Foundation, the website version is 100% free, while the proceeds from the app version are put back into creating more ways to teach children to read.
Age Range: 4-8 years