New interactive websites that support learning with high quality free learning activities just keep on coming.  Here’s another one that launched this week.  First impressions are favorable indeed!

PBS KIDS Island is a site from PBS KIDS Raising Readers that targets early learners with research based and leveled activities.  Activities are engaging, and learners earn “rewards” by playing reading games with popular characters from PBS KIDS.  Players systematically advance as they build fundamental reading readiness and reading skills.  Because each user must be registered and signed in, teachers and parents are able to track the progress of individual learners. A teacher or parent may register multiple users, so this is a resource that could be used by a teacher with an entire class.

PBS KIDS Island also offers an extensive collection of short musical videos for early learners that powerfully promote and re-enforce reading skills.  As well, there are helpful resources for parents, teachers and caregivers.  The site’s creators have made it easy to check out the games and activities before getting a learner started.

I’ve only taken a preliminary look, played a couple of the games and watched a few of the videos, but that was enough to convince me that PBS KIDS Island is a valuable resource that deserves to be widely known and used.

NOTE:  The registration process asks for your “ZIP Code”.  I could not register using my Canadian postal code, but I was able to register when I entered my ZIP code as 12345.  I didn’t check it out but the site is also available in Spanish.