About the Kid Zone!

The Kid Zone! was created with kids in mind.  But it also is a place where families can connect with one another.  Parents and caregivers play an important role in promoting and supporting children’s literacy development.  You can do this by listening, looking, helping, and encouraging while your child explores the Kid Zone!

Listen
Note which sounds, letters, and words seem hard for your child and what he or she sounds like when reading aloud.

Look
Watch for the skills or tasks that appear difficult for your child. See if they improve with practice.

Help
Pause and give your child a chance to correct a mistake. Then try giving him or her a hint or prompt to figure it out.

Encourage
Talk with your child about the book or game experience. Offer praise when successful and reassure him or her when difficulties arise.

In the Kid Zone!, you and your child can access ebooks, audiobooks, and stream videos of stories read aloud. Follow the adventures of Kayla, a girl with dyslexia, in an original comic series. Or find cool games that focus on different literacy skills.

Five Ways to Help Your Young Child Make the Most of the Kid Zone!

  1. Ask if he or she would like to read or listen to books or play games.  Click the Read, Listen, or Play icons at the top to get to the right activity.

  2. Use the Browse by Age filters to find books or games likely to engage your child. It is ok if he or she is interested in listening to books at a higher age level or reading books at a lower age level.

  3. Read the book description and themes together to get an idea of what the story is about. Talk about what might happen in the story.

  4. Use the Teaches menu to find games focusing on a skill your child is learning or practicing. Read the game description together and talk about the purpose of the game.

  5. Search the NCIL Resource Repository for literacy activities you can do with your child at home or in your community. Sort by audience, topic area, and resource type to find activities matched to skills identified in Kid Zone! games.

How to Use the Kid Zone!