International Reading Association (IRA) Newsletter Weekly Project: Effective Literacy Website #1

International Reading Association (IRA) Newsletter Weekly Project: Effective Literacy Website #1

ABCya provides free educational activities and games for children in the primary through intermediate grade levels. Each game and activity on the website are also organized into different subject categories, such as letter, numbers, holidays, and strategy, and skill. The games available on ABCya were designed by parents and educators, with many of them meeting the standards associated with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

The website includes a tab for parents and teachers, with options to become a member, read and understand the Common Core State Standards for grade levels kindergarten through 6, and search and read blog posts from others who share their experiences using the ABCya’s games in their classrooms or with their own children.  Users can also narrow down their search of games by selecting specific standards and skills they want to focus on.

There are many word games for children to play, including Alphabats- Rhyming Words, where users can practice phonemic awareness by matching rhyming words. Other games include Sight Word Bingo, Upper- and Lower-Case Letter Match, and Ghost Typing Junior to name a few. Some games require Adobe Flash Player, but many others do not. There are so many games to choose from that users will be sure to find something to meet their interests and needs. What’s great about the games on the site is that they provide visual and audial instructions and commentary from characters making it user-friendly and perfect for young children and struggling readers. Another pro about the games is that if an incorrect answer is chosen, users are given another chance until they get the correct answer.

ABCya is a great literacy website because it is well-designed and provides fun, interactive, and educational games for children. Being able to select games to address different CCSS standards is perfect for educators who want to focus on specific skills for students to master. Users will enjoy learning without realizing that they are!