Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Brereton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Organized, info-packed resource a gift for pre-K parents.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Videos and Photos
Ele
What's It About?
The Fred Rogers Center Early Learning Environment -- or ELE -- offers digital resources that families, educators, and others who work with children can use as learning tools for kids who are five or younger. Activities range from songs to games, electronic books, and videos and are designed to help kids learn about listening and talking, reading, writing, science and math, the arts, and interacting with other kids. For example, the video "I Feel Frustrated" features real kids talking about what frustration feels like in their bodies; parents then can refer to the "Talk About It" tab for questions to ask and find out "Why It's Important" on another. Parents also can create playlists of their favorite activities and share them with each on the site.
Is It Any Good?
Ele is easy to figure out; it's filled with quality activities and information; and it's impressively detailed -- in short, it's a helpful, well-designed website. Appropriate materials are easy to find because parents can sort activity options by age, intended skill (such as reading or writing), or media type, which lets them use videos or other items they think will best resonate with their child. Each activity includes a brief description of what kids will learn, which also can help parents customize a learning program for their children. User reviews help parents identify how they can utilize each lesson; and they can save of-interest activities to a playlist for further reference.
The mostly interactive activities are creative and entertaining -- and, best of all, many of the games, ebooks, and other items, culled from sources such as the National Center for Family Literacy and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, feature activities parents and kids can do together. Ele can be a great way to help kids get ready to start school, combining learning, some adult instruction, and ample amounts of family fun time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss setting limits on the time you spend online. How much time each day should you spend online -- even if you're using an educational site?
Starting school can be an emotional endeavor. Start preparing your kids now by talking about what kindergarten will be like and trying to build excitement for their first day of school.
Do your kids like to read about new places, or animals, or other subjects? Learn more about what they love together by conducting research online or at your local library.
Website Details
- Subjects : Language & Reading : letter or word recognition , reading , writing , Math : counting , measurement , patterns , Science : biology , physics , plants , Arts : drawing , music , painting
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : investigation , part-whole relationships , Self-Direction : academic development , personal growth
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Arts , Numbers and Letters , STEM
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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