Online Learning Tools That Work for Families
Skip the searching—here are online learning tools your kids will actually love using.
What’s New This Week 🔛
Online Preschool on YouTube: Discover the best online preschool YouTube channels like Ms. Rachel, Super Simple Play, Scratch Garden, and more for fun, educational screen time.
100 Hours of Read to Me Videos: Explore 100+ hours of Read to Me videos for kids on YouTube, Amazon Kids+, and Netflix’s Vooks—fun, engaging storytime that builds early literacy.
100 Hours of Audio for Kids: We’ve dug up 100+ hours of audio for kids with audiobooks, podcasts, and bedtime stories—fun, screen-free entertainment!
What We’re Reading This Week 📖
Arizona’s Public School Closures & Voucher Program Trends: In Arizona, the expansion of school voucher programs and alternatives to public schooling has been linked to declining enrollment in traditional public schools. This trend has led to school closures in certain areas, sparking debates about equity, funding, and the impacts on underserved communities.
Michigan Awards $6.7M in Grants for Literacy Innovation: On the flip side, thirty-nine school districts across Michigan have been awarded over $6.7 million through the Reading Excellence and Advancing District (READ) Innovation Grant. The funds will support both traditional public schools and charters in boosting literacy outcomes through new and creative teaching approaches. Let’s hope trends like these continue even amidst struggles!
Associations Between Screen Time & Health Outcomes Among U.S. Teens: A CDC-backed study reviewing data from 2021–2023 found that teens (12–17+) spending 4+ hours/day on screens are significantly more likely to report depression, anxiety, sleep troubles, less physical activity, and weaker social/emotional support.
Helping kids learn how their brains work: In Dallas, a private elementary school serving many low-income families is weaving neuroscience and mindfulness into daily lessons, starting from pre-K through 5th grade. Lessons help students understand how their brains work (e.g., what happens when they’re stressed) and build tools for emotional regulation!
How We’re Feeling This Week 🤔😌🙃
One year older!… and therefore a little introspective. I celebrated turning 30 last week (🎉) and have been taking an inventory of my 20’s while looking ahead to what excites me about this new decade. And even though I’m well out of school, it almost feels like how a new school year starts; getting to fine-tune who I’ll be “this year” and looking back on “summer” and hoping all my friends will join me in this new adventure. It’s been a bitter-sweet analysis, but I’m grateful for all the things I’ve learned so far and beyond excited to see what’s still to come!
Talk soon,
Your Team at MomBrains