South Florida Choice Resource Center

Parent Resource Center

Education Resources

Flipping for Phonics

Flipping for Phonics® is a phonics teaching tool that is fun and easy-to-use. It is a powerful phonics flipbook unlike any other on the market. It has 6 columns of flipping tabs that are tiered and labeled for easy access.
Because it has 6 columns it can form not hundreds, but thousands of words. Each tab has rounded corners for ease of use and each column contains all 26 letters of the alphabet.
It is printed on durable thick stock and is bound by a strong spiral binding. Its instructions for use are simple to understand. It also has 3 bonus pages of "built-in flash cards" - rows of colorful thumbnail pictures representing each phonetic sound. Along with the flip book you will receive a handy booklet containing a list of over 2000 words which can be formed with this flipbook. You will also receive a Supplemental booklet containing 15 fun and creative lesson plans. This flipbook is a must for anyone wanting to teach young children how to read.

Ideal for Children, Adults with Reading Problems or Special Needs Learners
http://www.flippingforphonics.com/

No Child Left Behind

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Act is the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since ESEA was enacted in 1965. It redefines the federal role in K-12 education and will help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. It is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.

No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide
No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide is meant to provide parents with information about No Child Left Behind. It summarizes the main provisions of the law, answers common questions, and provides information on where you can find additional resources. The guide can be found on the US Department of Education’s No Child Left Behind website at http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/parentsguide.html.

School Accountability

Florida A+ Education Plan
http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/education/learn
/aplusplan/youKnow.html

The Florida A+ Plan is a comprehensive system of school reform. Improving student achievement and ensuring that children in Florida receive a quality education are the top priorities of the Plan.

The plan was built upon two principles:

Each student should gain a year's worth of knowledge in a year's time in a Florida public school.
No student will be left behind

Highlights of the A+ Plan are:

Accountability
Choices for Parents
More resources
Rewards for improvement and success
Change when students are not progressing

Florida School Indicators
http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/

The on-line Florida School Indicators Report (FSIR) is a searchable database that provides data on public elementary, middle, and high schools for each of Florida's 67 school districts. The FSIR provides numerous indicators of school status and performance over the last five school years.

School grades and accountability reports for all the public schools in Florida can be found at http://www.firn.edu/doe/schoolgrades/.

General Curriculum

Education Index
http://www.educationindex.com

The primary goal of Education Index is to provide learners and educators with access to the best educational websites in a variety of subjects and lifestages. Since it went online in September of 1996, the Education Index has grown to more than 3,000 sites in 66 categories. Resources are listed by Subject and by Lifestage, for example you can find resources for preschoolers, college students, continuing education, and careers. The sites provided as links are reviewed and summarized by what you'll find on them.

FunBrain.com
http://www.funbrain.com

FunBrain.com is a website developed by the Family Education Network, Inc. The website provides educational content and resources for students, parents and teachers.

Math

Math.com: The World of Math Online
http://www.math.com

Math.com is a website devoted to providing definitions, examples, problems, practice, and resources from basic math to advanced topics.

AAA MATH
http://www.aaamath.com/

AAA Math is an online resource in basic math for students in K – 8 grades. The website offers:

Hundreds of pages of Basic Math Skills.
Interactive Practice on every page.
An Explanation of the math topic on each page.
Several Challenge Games on every page.
Math Problems are randomly created.

A+ Math
http://www.aplusmath.com/

A+ Math or Aplusmath.com is a website designed to help students improve their math skills interactively.

Reading

Just Read, Florida!
http://www.justreadflorida.com/parents.asp

Just Read, Florida!, developed by Governor Jeb Bush, is a comprehensive, coordinated reading initiative aimed at helping every student become a successful, independent reader. Reading is the most powerful common denominator in education and is vital to an individual's success. Research strongly indicates that an inability to read well is the most common reason children are retained, assigned to special education, or given long-term remedial courses. On the Just Read, Florida! website you will find suggestions and resources for parents to help build children’s reading skills.

Just Read Families
http://www.justreadfamilies.org

Just Read Families strives to make every child and every family member a reader. The website offers families reading suggestions and resources on ways to get started, great ideas, a kids page, and a recommended reading list.

Get Ready to Read!
http://www.getreadytoread.org/

Get Ready to Read! is a national campaign to build the early literacy skills of preschool children. The campaign brings research-based strategies to parents and early childhood teachers and caregivers for helping prepare children to learn to read and write. Their goal is to ensure that all children have opportunities to become successful readers.

Reading Rockets
http://www.readingrockets.org

Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project that looks at how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help them. Reading Rockets includes:

A five-part PBS television series called Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers;
A one-hour documentary for public television called A Tale of Two Schools;
An extensive Web site that is updated daily;
A national outreach campaign in partnership with the country's foremost education associations;
A new mentoring project called "First Year Teacher";
A teleconference series for teacher professional development; and
Print guides for viewers, educators, and families.

The Reading Rockets Web site is updated daily and offers comprehensive information on helping young children learn to read. The site is for parents, teachers, and other caring adults. It contains research-based articles on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle; daily news headlines about reading; monthly recommended children's books; exclusive interviews with top children's book authors and illustrators; forums for sharing ideas and thoughts about kids and reading; and links to national and local literacy organizations and resources.

The Partnership for Reading
http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading

The Partnership for Reading offers information about the effective teaching of reading for children, adolescents, and adults, based on the evidence from quality research. The Partnership’s website provides information on the research, principles about reading instruction suggested by the research, and products for parents, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers.

FCAT

FCAT Explorer
http://www.fcatexplorer.com

The FCAT Explorer is a web-based reading and math practice and skills reinforcement tool based on Florida’s Sunshine State Standards. The FCAT Explorer also offers support to parents, guardians, and mentors, who play an important role in helping students learn. Public school students and teachers can use the FCAT Explorer free of charge.

FCAT Publications
http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/fcatpub1.htm

FCAT publications from the Florida Department of Education are provided in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Home Education

Learning is for Everyone, Inc.
http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org/

LIFE, Inc., a non-profit Florida corporation, supports educational choice and advocates a cooperative environment between public, private and home education. LIFE, Inc. provides valuable resources and information to families through a comprehensive website, networking opportunities, a quarterly online newsletter, and a free annual conference.

National Home Education Network
http://www.nhen.org

The National Home Education Network (NHEN) exists to encourage and facilitate the vital grassroots work of state and local homeschooling organizations and individuals by providing information, fostering networking and promoting public relations on a national level. NHEN offers information on homeschooling and networking opportunities through e-mail, op-ed webpages, event listings, support contacts, newsletters, and news reports.

Homeschool.com: Your Virtual Homeschool
http://www.homeschool.com/

Homeschool.com’s founding principal is to consistently provide resources, information, and support to all homeschooling families. Homeschool.com supports each family's unique approach to preparing their children for success.

Planning for the Future

FACTS (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students)
http://www.facts.org/

FACTS.org is a central web resource for planning and managing your higher education experience. FACTS.org is an online gateway for college information. The website offers information for high school and other prospective students and current and transferring college students as well. FACTS.org offers information on choosing a college, picking a major, financial aid, and career guidance.

Mapping Your Future
http://www.mapping-your-future.org/

Mapping Your Future's mission is to counsel students and families about college, career, and financial aid choices through a state-of-the-art, public service web site. To accomplish this mission, the Mapping Your Future professional staff and volunteers have established the following objectives for the project:

Provide accurate and up-to-date information about student aid.
Develop innovative student aid services to assist students and families.
Promote technical innovation by sharing information with other participants about technologies and industry trends.
Establish a national reputation of reliable information and quality service for the web site and for sponsoring agencies.

Family Involvement

Eduville
http://www.eduville.com

Cheli Cerra, M.Ed., the founder of Eduville, has helped thousands of children achieve school and life success. Cheli has developed exceptional strategies for helping children “to achieve their best” through public seminars, workshops, personal consulting, widely published articles, and books. Parents, from all over the country, have benefited from the powerful learning resources, practical advice, information, and support found on Eduville and in Cheli's e-zine "Successful Kids Secrets."

Public School Parents Network
http://www.psparents.net/

The Public School Parents Network (PSPN) is an information source and resource guide for all parents of school age students. The website is designed and maintained by parents of public school children. PSPN is committed to candidly addressing the educational issues that confront school age students, and their parents daily.

Office of Family and Community Outreach
Florida Department of Education
http://www.firn.edu/doe/family/home0077.htm

The Office of Family and Community Outreach provides resources, training, and technical assistance for parents, volunteers, schools and communities to support a high quality education for children.

ASPIRA Association
http://www.aspira.org/

The ASPIRA Association, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth.

With community-based offices in large cities of six states and Puerto Rico, ASPIRA's 1,100 staff members work with over 50,000 youth and their families each year to promote the empowerment of the Puerto Rican and Latino community by developing and nurturing the leadership, intellectual, and cultural potential of its youth. Since its founding, ASPIRA has provided a quarter of a million youth with the personal resources they need to remain in school and contribute to their community.

Parent-Directed Education
http://www.ParentDirectedEducation.org

Parent-Directed Education (PDE) seeks to promote informed choices by empowered parents. PDE emphasizes networking and sharing information to facilitate connections between parents who are homeschoolers and parents who have children in public school and private school, and parents who use tutors or other methods. Their website offers information for families on a variety of topics, such as charter schools, homeschooling, online schools, vouchers, and special needs.

Parent Leadership Associates
http://www.plassociates.org

Parent Leadership Associates is a collaboration between the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and KSA-Plus Communications. Their mission is to improve student achievement by engaging parents to become decision-making partners in public schools through on-site consulting, technical support, workshops, conferences and materials.

Parent to Parent of Miami
http://www.ptopmiami.org

Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc. is a federally funded Community Parent Resource Center serving Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Parent to Parent provides information, educational training, support, and emergency assistance to families who have children and adults with disabilities and/or special needs. Services are provided in English, Spanish and Creole.

Parent Power
http://www.edreform.com/parentpower/

Parent Power is an electronic newsletter for parents who want to know more about the issues that affect their children’s education. Each issue is packed with informative articles that highlight new trends in schooling and offer helpful hints to parents who want to take a more active role in their local schools. Parent Power! also actively solicits articles from parents about unique experiences they have had educating their children or working for education reform.

Florida School Choice Home About Florida School Choice Resource Center Public School Choice Options Parent Resource Center About the Parent Resource Center (PRC) What is public school choice? Public School Choice Programs Tips for Parents Parent Survey Education Resources Flipping for Phonics No Child Left Behind School Accountability General Curriculum Math Reading FCAT Home Education Planning for the Future Family Involvement Advocacy Resources PRC Events PRC Event Gallery Educator Resources District Resources Choice Newsletter Online Training Legislative Corner Upcoming Events Contact Us		Parent Resource Center Education Resources Flipping for Phonics Flipping for Phonics® is a phonics teaching tool that is fun and easy-to-use. It is a powerful phonics flipbook unlike any other on the market. It has 6 columns of flipping tabs that are tiered and labeled for easy access. Because it has 6 columns it can form not hundreds, but thousands of words. Each tab has rounded corners for ease of use and each column contains all 26 letters of the alphabet. It is printed on durable thick stock and is bound by a strong spiral binding. Its instructions for use are simple to understand. It also has 3 bonus pages of "built-in flash cards" - rows of colorful thumbnail pictures representing each phonetic sound. Along with the flip book you will receive a handy booklet containing a list of over 2000 words which can be formed with this flipbook. You will also receive a Supplemental booklet containing 15 fun and creative lesson plans. This flipbook is a must for anyone wanting to teach young children how to read. Ideal for Children, Adults with Reading Problems or Special Needs Learners http://www.flippingforphonics.com/ No Child Left Behind On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Act is the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since ESEA was enacted in 1965. It redefines the federal role in K-12 education and will help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. It is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work. *No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide* No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide is meant to provide parents with information about No Child Left Behind. It summarizes the main provisions of the law, answers common questions, and provides information on where you can find additional resources. The guide can be found on the US Department of Education’s No Child Left Behind website at http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/parentsguide.html. School Accountability Florida A+ Education Plan http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/education/learn /aplusplan/youKnow.html The Florida A+ Plan is a comprehensive system of school reform. Improving student achievement and ensuring that children in Florida receive a quality education are the top priorities of the Plan. The plan was built upon two principles: Each student should gain a year's worth of knowledge in a year's time in a Florida public school. No student will be left behind Highlights of the A+ Plan are: Accountability Choices for Parents More resources Rewards for improvement and success Change when students are not progressing Florida School Indicators http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/ The on-line Florida School Indicators Report (FSIR) is a searchable database that provides data on public elementary, middle, and high schools for each of Florida's 67 school districts. The FSIR provides numerous indicators of school status and performance over the last five school years. School grades and accountability reports for all the public schools in Florida can be found at http://www.firn.edu/doe/schoolgrades/. General Curriculum Education Index http://www.educationindex.com The primary goal of Education Index is to provide learners and educators with access to the best educational websites in a variety of subjects and lifestages. Since it went online in September of 1996, the Education Index has grown to more than 3,000 sites in 66 categories. Resources are listed by Subject and by Lifestage, for example you can find resources for preschoolers, college students, continuing education, and careers. The sites provided as links are reviewed and summarized by what you'll find on them. FunBrain.com http://www.funbrain.com FunBrain.com is a website developed by the Family Education Network, Inc. The website provides educational content and resources for students, parents and teachers. Math Math.com: The World of Math Online http://www.math.com Math.com is a website devoted to providing definitions, examples, problems, practice, and resources from basic math to advanced topics. AAA MATH http://www.aaamath.com/ AAA Math is an online resource in basic math for students in K – 8 grades. The website offers: Hundreds of pages of Basic Math Skills. Interactive Practice on every page. An Explanation of the math topic on each page. Several Challenge Games on every page. Math Problems are randomly created. A+ Math http://www.aplusmath.com/ A+ Math or Aplusmath.com is a website designed to help students improve their math skills interactively. Reading Just Read, Florida! http://www.justreadflorida.com/parents.asp Just Read, Florida!, developed by Governor Jeb Bush, is a comprehensive, coordinated reading initiative aimed at helping every student become a successful, independent reader. Reading is the most powerful common denominator in education and is vital to an individual's success. Research strongly indicates that an inability to read well is the most common reason children are retained, assigned to special education, or given long-term remedial courses. On the Just Read, Florida! website you will find suggestions and resources for parents to help build children’s reading skills. Just Read Families http://www.justreadfamilies.org Just Read Families strives to make every child and every family member a reader. The website offers families reading suggestions and resources on ways to get started, great ideas, a kids page, and a recommended reading list. Get Ready to Read! http://www.getreadytoread.org/ Get Ready to Read! is a national campaign to build the early literacy skills of preschool children. The campaign brings research-based strategies to parents and early childhood teachers and caregivers for helping prepare children to learn to read and write. Their goal is to ensure that all children have opportunities to become successful readers. Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project that looks at how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help them. Reading Rockets includes: A five-part PBS television series called Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers; A one-hour documentary for public television called A Tale of Two Schools; An extensive Web site that is updated daily; A national outreach campaign in partnership with the country's foremost education associations; A new mentoring project called "First Year Teacher"; A teleconference series for teacher professional development; and Print guides for viewers, educators, and families. The Reading Rockets Web site is updated daily and offers comprehensive information on helping young children learn to read. The site is for parents, teachers, and other caring adults. It contains research-based articles on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle; daily news headlines about reading; monthly recommended children's books; exclusive interviews with top children's book authors and illustrators; forums for sharing ideas and thoughts about kids and reading; and links to national and local literacy organizations and resources. The Partnership for Reading http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading The Partnership for Reading offers information about the effective teaching of reading for children, adolescents, and adults, based on the evidence from quality research. The Partnership’s website provides information on the research, principles about reading instruction suggested by the research, and products for parents, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers. FCAT FCAT Explorer http://www.fcatexplorer.com The FCAT Explorer is a web-based reading and math practice and skills reinforcement tool based on Florida’s Sunshine State Standards. The FCAT Explorer also offers support to parents, guardians, and mentors, who play an important role in helping students learn. Public school students and teachers can use the FCAT Explorer free of charge. FCAT Publications http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/fcatpub1.htm FCAT publications from the Florida Department of Education are provided in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Home Education Learning is for Everyone, Inc. http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org/ LIFE, Inc., a non-profit Florida corporation, supports educational choice and advocates a cooperative environment between public, private and home education. LIFE, Inc. provides valuable resources and information to families through a comprehensive website, networking opportunities, a quarterly online newsletter, and a free annual conference. National Home Education Network http://www.nhen.org The National Home Education Network (NHEN) exists to encourage and facilitate the vital grassroots work of state and local homeschooling organizations and individuals by providing information, fostering networking and promoting public relations on a national level. NHEN offers information on homeschooling and networking opportunities through e-mail, op-ed webpages, event listings, support contacts, newsletters, and news reports. Homeschool.com: Your Virtual Homeschool http://www.homeschool.com/ Homeschool.com’s founding principal is to consistently provide resources, information, and support to all homeschooling families. Homeschool.com supports each family's unique approach to preparing their children for success. Planning for the Future FACTS (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students) http://www.facts.org/ FACTS.org is a central web resource for planning and managing your higher education experience. FACTS.org is an online gateway for college information. The website offers information for high school and other prospective students and current and transferring college students as well. FACTS.org offers information on choosing a college, picking a major, financial aid, and career guidance. Mapping Your Future http://www.mapping-your-future.org/ Mapping Your Future's mission is to counsel students and families about college, career, and financial aid choices through a state-of-the-art, public service web site. To accomplish this mission, the Mapping Your Future professional staff and volunteers have established the following objectives for the project: Provide accurate and up-to-date information about student aid. Develop innovative student aid services to assist students and families. Promote technical innovation by sharing information with other participants about technologies and industry trends. Establish a national reputation of reliable information and quality service for the web site and for sponsoring agencies. Family Involvement Eduville http://www.eduville.com Cheli Cerra, M.Ed., the founder of Eduville, has helped thousands of children achieve school and life success. Cheli has developed exceptional strategies for helping children “to achieve their best” through public seminars, workshops, personal consulting, widely published articles, and books. Parents, from all over the country, have benefited from the powerful learning resources, practical advice, information, and support found on Eduville and in Cheli's e-zine "Successful Kids Secrets." Public School Parents Network http://www.psparents.net/ The Public School Parents Network (PSPN) is an information source and resource guide for all parents of school age students. The website is designed and maintained by parents of public school children. PSPN is committed to candidly addressing the educational issues that confront school age students, and their parents daily. Office of Family and Community Outreach Florida Department of Education http://www.firn.edu/doe/family/home0077.htm The Office of Family and Community Outreach provides resources, training, and technical assistance for parents, volunteers, schools and communities to support a high quality education for children. ASPIRA Association http://www.aspira.org/ The ASPIRA Association, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. With community-based offices in large cities of six states and Puerto Rico, ASPIRA's 1,100 staff members work with over 50,000 youth and their families each year to promote the empowerment of the Puerto Rican and Latino community by developing and nurturing the leadership, intellectual, and cultural potential of its youth. Since its founding, ASPIRA has provided a quarter of a million youth with the personal resources they need to remain in school and contribute to their community. Parent-Directed Education http://www.ParentDirectedEducation.org Parent-Directed Education (PDE) seeks to promote informed choices by empowered parents. PDE emphasizes networking and sharing information to facilitate connections between parents who are homeschoolers and parents who have children in public school and private school, and parents who use tutors or other methods. Their website offers information for families on a variety of topics, such as charter schools, homeschooling, online schools, vouchers, and special needs. Parent Leadership Associates http://www.plassociates.org Parent Leadership Associates is a collaboration between the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and KSA-Plus Communications. Their mission is to improve student achievement by engaging parents to become decision-making partners in public schools through on-site consulting, technical support, workshops, conferences and materials. Parent to Parent of Miami http://www.ptopmiami.org Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc. is a federally funded Community Parent Resource Center serving Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Parent to Parent provides information, educational training, support, and emergency assistance to families who have children and adults with disabilities and/or special needs. Services are provided in English, Spanish and Creole. Parent Power http://www.edreform.com/parentpower/ Parent Power is an electronic newsletter for parents who want to know more about the issues that affect their children’s education. Each issue is packed with informative articles that highlight new trends in schooling and offer helpful hints to parents who want to take a more active role in their local schools. Parent Power! also actively solicits articles from parents about unique experiences they have had educating their children or working for education reform.