Effective Literacy Website: ABCya

               As an undergraduate, my professors always told me that the more engaging you make a concept, the better the chances a child has of retaining the information you taught.  Following this premise, ABCya.com must be a very effective literacy website.  This website has a large compilation of educational games and activities for children.

            When you enter the home page of ABCya.com, you will see links for different grade levels on a tree.  There are games and activities available to students who are in kindergarten to those who are in the fifth grade.  When you click on a grade level, it will link you to a webpage where all the games and activities are organized by categories.  Categories include: letters, numbers, a miscellenous section (including social studies, science and art), holidays, and a “Just for Fun” section.

            I became interested in the games and played for a long time without noticing all the time passing by.  I enjoyed the “Crossword Puzzle Maker” game as well as the “Letter Blocks” game.  The website allows for an individual to choose to make an easy or difficult crossword.  Individuals have a choice to either complete the puzzle online or print it.  The “Letter Blocks” game is a lot like Boggle.  Individuals have to create words that are 3 to 8 letters in length.  I believe this will be good for students because it allows them to use word skills.  I tried the “Parts of Speech” game with my students to reinforce lessons that I have taught.  Other language activities include typing a friendly letter, working with synonyms and antonyms, spelling words, and creating word clouds.  Even though the other games are in other subject areas, the games still require a great deal of reading, so it will enhance literacy skills.

            Aside from the online games and activities, ABCya.com also provides educational games and apps available on mobile devices and tablets including the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. 

Another interesting fact about ABCya.com is that all the activities featured on website has been created or approved by certified school teachers.  This provides a little more reassurance that these activities are utilized by other professionals across the globe.

Engagement holds a key role in the education of students. ABCya.com does a wonderful job in engaging students.  Check out the website for yourself at http://www.abcya.com/.

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