Safe Website Collections and Databases for K-8 Students

By Caitlin Buddingh

Teachers, students, parents and librarians all agree that the internet is a goldmine for young people conducting research. Answers to questions are at children’s fingertips, and a thousand books can be stored in a space the size of a comic book.  At the same time, these groups are wary of the things the internet has to offer.  It is easy to get lost in the links, distracted by internet games and advertisements, and young people do not often have the experience to differentiate between sources of quality and sources that are more suspect.

Luckily, young people are not alone in their search for quality, trusted web resources. Several groups are dedicated to making the internet research process more rewarding for K-8 students.  The following resources were compiled by the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) Digest.

Collections of Websites:

BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper: http://bjpinchbeck.com/

This website was started by a middle school student who wanted to compile resources for fellow students.  Since 1996, when BJ started the site with his dad, over 10,000 students have visited the site.  The site is maintained with a philosophy that students should be able to use the internet without excessive advertising, and confidence that they are not accessing questionable content.

Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything: http://www.schrockguide.net/

Kathy Schrock has compiled a variety of resources for students and teachers, including apps, resources for creating classroom websites, assessment tools, bulletin board resources, and a variety of others.

American Library Association: http://gws.ala.org/

The ALA compiles a number of what they call “great websites.” These websites are for kids, parents, and educators. This site is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children,  a division of the ALA.

Reference Materials:

Biography.com:  http://www.biography.com/

Biography.com is a search database that covers the biographies of over 20,000 notable people. This resource draws from the Cambridge Encyclopedia Database, and the Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography.

The Internet Public Library: http://ipl.org/div/kidspace/

The Internet Public Library is a collection of sites, resources, and project ideas ranging from History, Health and Nutrition, Math, Science, Art, Sports, and includes games and craft ideas. It includes safe searches for kids, as well as resources designed for parents and teachers.