Curriculum Resources for Parents

    The following are curriculum resources that will assist parents in helping their children master the goals and content of the MCPS pre-K - 8 revised curriculum. Internet access is available at all public libraries. Please be aware that Internet sites occasionally discontinue and addresses often change.

    Most of the resources listed below have been recommended by MCPS, MSDE, USDE, or subject-specific professional organizations - NCTM, NSTA, NCTE, IRA, and NCSS. Most are categorized for easy access to information and activities related to MCPS curriculum topics, standards, and indicators.

    Grade Level Curriculum Guides

    Elementary School Parent Guides for the school year are available on-line at the MCPS web site. These guides will give you an overview of each grade level program and explain what your child will be learning in reading and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies during this school year. In addition, you will also find information on ways of gathering evidence of what students learn, how parents can help, and curriculum resources for parents The information in these guides will assist you in providing support for your child throughout the school year. The guides are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format in the following languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, French, and Vietnamese. The Parent Guides can be accessed through this link.

    Reading/Language Arts

    • National Council of Teachers of English - Designed specifically to help parents help their children. Assorted topics. www.ncte.org  
    • International Reading Association - Go to "Shortcuts", click on "Parent Brochures". A variety of topics - also in Spanish. www.reading.org  
    • ABCs of the Writing Process - Supported and funded by the Telus Learning Connection (Canada) and Canada's Schoolnet Grassroots Program. Elaborates on the five-step writing process (prewriting, writing, revising, editing, publishing). Each phase is clearly outlined with links to more sources on the Web. www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/  
    • Helping Your Child Become a Reader - Fun activities parents can use to build children's language skills. Includes a reading checklist, typical language accomplishments for different age groups, book suggestions, and resources for children with reading problems or learning disabilities. ed.gov/parents/academic/help/reader/index.html  
    • A Compact for Reading and School-Home Links - USDE project for K-3. Multiple topics in indicator form (e.g., "Knows the parts of a book and their functions") that provide activities that address each specific indicator. www.ed.gov/pubs/CompactforReading  
    • Guide to Grammar and Writing, Capital Community College, Hartford, Conn. - This site contains an extensive collection of grammar, mechanics, language, usage, and writing topics, easily accessed by multiple indexes. This very comprehensive site addresses rules, examples, exercises, and quizzes. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar  
    • Read, Write, Now! Activities for Reading and Writing Fun - Produced by the U.S. Department of Education in collaboration with the International Reading Association and Reading is Fundamental. This site includes reading activities and reading lists for children through Grade 6. http://www.udel.edu/ETL/RWN/Activities.html  

    Mathematics

    • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Illuminations - From the NCTM Web site. A comprehensive organization of math investigations, lessons, tools, and resources. http://illuminations.nctm.org/  
    • Math Archives, "Topics in Mathematics" - Dozens of basic and advanced math topics with links to related sites and lessons. http://archives.math.utk.edu/topics/  
    • Education Place, "Brain Teasers" - Provided by Houghton Mifflin Company, this site contains a weekly word problem and solution for Grades 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. http://www.eduplace.com/math/brain/  
    • Figure This - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Go to "Math Index". The site provides puzzle-type applications in a variety of algebra, geometry, measurement, number, and statistics/probability subtopics, and includes answers. Each item features a note on where the math can be applied in the real world. www.figurethis.org/  
    • Math Forum at Drexel - Drexel University. A large site with a useful arithmetic/early mathematics link of activities and problems related to basic operations and other basic mathematical topics. Provides a vast selection of resources. www.mathforum.org/library/topics/arithmetic  
    • Helping Your Child Learn Math, Produced by USDE, 1999 - Provides math applications to real-life situations. This second edition of Helping Your Child Learn Math is for parents of children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It has been revised to include a variety of activities that will help children learn and apply mathematical concepts such as geometry, algebra, measurement, statistics, and probability in a useful and fun way. All of the activities in this book relate math to everyday life and complement many of the math lessons that children are learning in school. www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/  
    • www.multiplication.com - The parents page provides multiple strategies for teaching the times tables. Also includes games, flashcards, worksheets, other activities, and other resources. The site employs two instructional strategies - traditional and interactive/innovative techniques with pictures, rhymes, and stories. www.multiplication.com/parents.htm  
    • AAA Math - This site contains hundreds of pages of basic math skills, which are sorted by math topics and grade levels K-8. It includes explanations of topics, practice, games, problems, and interactive practice activities. A traditional, yet fun, approach. www.aaamath.com/index.html  

    Science

    • National Science Teachers Association - Click on the "Other Visitors/Parents" link and then go to "Help Your Child Explore Science" (www.nsta.org/explore). Additional links offer constructive information for parents who wish to help their children in science. This site includes 40 pages of science and mathematics links. www.nsta.org  
    • Helping Your Child Learn Science United States Department of Education booklet - Provides science activities for parents of children ages 3-10. Activities are available for home and the community. www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/index.html  

    Social Studies

    • American Memory - Produced by the Library of Congress, American Memory includes primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections. Some include sound. There are also links to other Library of Congress resources and hands-on learning, lessons, and activities. This site is primarily for teachers, but might be useful to parents. www.memory.loc.gov/ammem/  
    • National Geographic Xpeditions - Produced by the National Geographic Society, this series of lesson plans is aligned to the United States Geography Standards. The site sorts by topic, standard, and grade level and contains an extensive lesson plan bank, each linked to a U.S. Geography Standard. The site teaches clear application skills geared toward addressing real-world issues. www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/index.html  
    • National Geographic Blue Ribbon Links - This site contains links on a variety of geography topics recommended by the National Geographic Society. These links are updated frequently. www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/links.html  
    • National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Databank - This site contains links to resources applicable to the study of social studies. www.ncss.org/