Here are my favorite ABC/early literacy websites. If a link doesn't work, try removing any blank spaces (they sometimes get added by the forum's server for some reason).
http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm# - a good one with all the basics (upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc).
http://www.starfall.com/ - We had a lot of fun here yesterday, on the ABCs "Let's Get Ready to Read" section. Click on each letter for pictures (with sound and animation) of stuff that starts with that letter, and activities. Train lovers will like the letter T.
http://www.getreadytoread.org/ (Gus and Inky online movies with built-in early literacy activities)
http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.html
www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=L2_LanguageArts
Word match, word search and word builder. You choose the level, from ABC (no words, just sounds) to silent letters and "consonant digraphs" (for example ch and th).
www.poissonrouge.com - Their ABC section has games in French, Spanish and English.
http://www.ictgames.com/literacy.html - early literacy games, many for the CVC word reading level (ie 3 letter words with consonant vowel consonant). Dinosaurs and jet planes help with motivation.
http://www.jacobslessons.com/ - ABA style online activities to learn letter sounds, etc.
http://www.avenscorner.com/namegame.aspx - game for learning how to spell one's name. The website has other basic learning games, too.
Any others to add to the list?
NorwayMom,
Thanks for the sites, he was playing on Starfall.com b/c that's what they were using at school but is already tired of it so I'll try some of your suggestions for him. All he wants to play is Spongebob on nick.com but he'll be learning to read this yr at school and know he's going to need lots of help so thanks again!
Thanks for the sites! I am adding them to my fav's.The site includes early literacy games, many for the CVC word reading level (ie 3 letter words with consonant vowel consonant). Dinosaurs and jet planes help with motivation. My personal favorite was Writing Runway:
http://www.ictgames.com/writing_runway_v2.html
In this particular game, the grown-up writes a sentence (use those special interests or write down something the child dicates). Then the computer scrambles the words, and the child has to place them in the right order on the plane runway. I can even use Norwegian characters.
Another favorite was Sky Writer, where an airplane demonstrates how to write the various small letters. Perfect for those learning to hand-write, or, like my oldest, trying to unlearn bad writing habits.
http://www.ictgames.com/sky_writing.html
Thank you for all of the great links. I really liked the