Smart List | 40 Resources for Homework Help & Parent Organization

It’s that time of year again. Students are going to be going home and asking for help on their homework, and parents are going to be hurriedly scurrying from soccer games to dinner to PTA meetings. Homework is hard, and parent engagement is important, so today we’re excited to share out this list of 40 resources that teachers can provide to parents to help them stay organized and engaged while making sure their students are succeeding.

Homework Help

• CK12: Secondary STEM
• Discovery Education: Science and more
• Facebook: Thousands of study groups
• Gooru: Search engine for education
• Khan Academy: Math and more
• Notability: Powerful, simple note-taking app
• PowerMyLearning: K-12 resources
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): go to source for MLA format
• Quizlet: Not your grandma’s flashcards
• SparkNotes: Symbolism isn’t always as obvious as the white whale
• Spelling City: Help with spelling
• Study Island: Tutoring from Edmentum
• Sylvan Learning: Tutoring and homework help
• Virtual Nerd: Secondary math

Apps for Parents’ Personal Organization

• Cozi: Everything you need to stay organized
• Google Calendar: Program notifications, enter daily homework
• Google Drive & Docs: Sometimes the most helpful are also the most prevalent.
• LaLa Lunchbox: Plan meals and get kids involved in the process
• Naviance: Helpful for organizing the college and career process
• Safari, Chrome or other Bookmarking System: Simple, but useful
• Timepage: Calendar+weather app from Moleskine (yes, the notebook company) with an attractive design
• Trello:Project management tool with every-day applications
• Wunderlist: Getting Smart uses this for our task list needs

Informing & Organizing Parents

• BAEO: Black Alliance for Educational Options
• Common Sense Media: App reviews and sound advice
• Communities In Schools Parent Resource Center: supports parents and educators across Georgia
• Educators for Excellence: Inserting teacher voice into decision making
• Families for Excellent Schools: Organizing in NYC
• Great Schools: The most comprehensive school information site
• Innovate Public Schools: Parent organizing in the Bay Area
• Parent Revolution: Helping parents gain access to quality options
• Smarter Schools Project: Highlighting the positive use of tech

Parent Communication Apps

• Class Dojo: Behavior management app that shares announcements and photos with parents
• Edmodo for Parents: Free app to stay in touch with learning activities
• Infinite Campus: Connecting parents with student progress
• ParentLink: Free app from Blackboard connecting schools and parents
• PowerSchool Mobile: Free app connects parents to widely used gradebook
• Remind: Simple free messaging system
• SchoolWay: Free app from Jostens connects parents and school activities
• Sports Engine: useful for extracurricular activities

We’re sure we missed some great resources. What would you add? Share in the comments section below, and don’t forget to check out our other recent Smart Lists at our Smart List Series Page.

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