For Parents

Library Policies

Policies about using our library and the collection are explained fully on the Policies page.

Search Engines for Kids

The next time your child wants to jump on Google, why not try a search engine aimed at kids? (Note these are not filters, but rather they guide students to appropriate sites.) Here are some good ones:

  • WebPath Express - WIS subscription to excellent pre-screened web sites. Access it from our online library catalog

  • SweetSearch - sites are pre-selected by research experts at Dulcinea Media.

Students who have not yet learned how to evaluate web sites for credibility, bias, currentness, etc. are discouraged from using Google to search. However, if you use Google at home you may want to use their "Safesearch" option, a filter to prevent explicit content in its search results.

Parenting in the Digital Age

Common Sense Media - a site for parents of children of all ages that rates the latest video games, apps, movies, websites, etc. for content.

Webwise.ie for Parents - Webwise is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre. It provides resources and advice on internet safety topics, including cyberbullying and privacy.

NetSmartz for Parents - Advice for parents, including how to recognize dangers and increase self-confidence whenever kids go online.

Tocomail.com - Tocomail is a free email client for Gmail with optional parental controls available for a fee through an in app purchase.

ICL Learning Outcomes

At the start of the 2014-2015 academic year, the WIS Primary School released its Information and Communication Literacies Learning Outcomes for students in grades 1 through 5. The Outcomes have been revised twice since then and are applied throughout the school.

Where can I find good books in our three languages, other than the library shelves?

Our eBooks collection is a great place to start, and here are some more resources to try:

English:

French:

Spanish:

Spanish and French at local public libraries

The public libraries below have children’s books available for borrowing in French and Spanish, even to residents in the DC area living outside their borders. Their online catalogs do not represent their language collections well so we recommend going into the branches detailed below to browse. Ask a children's librarian to help you select more from their catalog and the books can be brought to you at your branch of choice.

If you are looking for French then we recommend 1) Montgomery County Public Libraries' Bethesda branch (7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD) and Rockville branch (2100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD) and 2) DC Public Library's Georgetown branch (3260 R St, NW) and Cleveland Park branch (3310 Connecticut Ave, NW).

If you are looking for Spanish then we recommend 1) Montgomery County Public Libraries' Bethesda branch (7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD) and Rockville branch (2100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD) and 2) DC Public Library's Mt. Pleasant branch (3160 16th St, NW) and 3) Arlington Public Library's Central library (1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA).

Local bookstore partners

Browse the carefully selected titles from our book fair vendors' online stores and place an order for at-home delivery.

BOOKWORM CENTRAL for English and Spanish

  • Enter Org Code at top of page: "wisp" and our Library will earn 15%

  • Shipping is free for orders over $20.

BONJOUR BOOKS for French

  • Shipping is free.

Encouraging reading

DC Public Library's summer reading program is a fun way to keep reading and earn prizes. Here is a flyer to learn about the GEORGETOWN BRANCH'S program.

READING ROCKETS is a national multimedia literacy initiative offering information and resources on how kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

Book reviews

Book reviews are a wonderful way to share recommendations within a community. WIS students can write book reviews in the library and often in their classrooms. We can also share them via our online catalog. If you'd like to read book reviews written by students outside of WIS and perhaps even write your own, visit Scholastic's "Share What You're Reading."