IRA Literacy Newsletter Project #4

IRA Literacy Newsletter Project #4

ABCya

ABCya.com (http://www.abcya.com) is an educational game website that organizes grade level appropriate games according to subject categories for grade Pre-K to 5^th grade.  It is the leader in free educational computer games and mobile apps for children.  ABCya is an award-winning site that has been feature in the New York Times, Apple, USA Today, Parents Magazine and Scholastic.  The game subject categories include letters, numbers, and holiday, strategy, and skills games. Games include arcade-style games, word find games, racing games that can be played against other players, typing games, matching games, and more.  Most games are easy for students to use without much adult or teacher assistance, the games include voice directions which make it easier for younger students to navigate. On ABCya.com most games are free for all users, users that would like ad-free website or access to content unavailable to non-subscribers would have to subscribe to the ABCya.com website and follow the websites payment terms.   For a Family Plan it cost $6.99 a month, which can be accessed on up to 3 devices and for the Classroom Plan, teachers can purchase for $39.99 per month and can access up to 30 devices.  The website is a great tool for students to work on and practice skills that they have learned in the classroom.

Created by a husband and wife team in 2004, today ABCya is one of the most well-known educational sites for kids reaching over 100 million players annual and logging over 1.5 billion games played.   ABCya.com is a great way to have students actively engage in fun games and activities online, on the skills that they have learned in the classroom. I personally love using ABCya.com with my Head Start students. When the children have finished their assigned activity, they are free to explore on their own other games and activities without the fear of inappropriate materials popping-ups.  The games are very self-explanatory and have voice instructions. Our Head Start curriculum requires teachers to teach our students how to use the mouse and other features.  However, they are very fortunate that their computers are touch screen. I was very pleased to discover this site as the literacy games are a great resource for my students to learn how to use the mouse as well as reviewing skills that we were learning in the classroom.

Overall, ABCya.com is a great tool for teachers and parents of students grades Pre-K- 5^th grade who want to find fun and engaging activities for their students or children to practice and review skills taught in the classroom. This website is also a great tool to have the students practice and become more familiar with computers and the internet.