| By Lisa Luea, Gale copywriter and former educator |
With big changes happening in our world daily, it’s hard to keep up. So imagine what it must feel like to be a kid. Children ages 3 to 6 are some of our most impressionable learners. They take in information much differently than older children and adults, which makes it crucial for parents and educators to make learning fun and exciting—not overwhelming.
A favorite learning tool among parents and librarians is Gale Presents: Miss Humblebee’s Academy. This award-winning, online kindergarten-readiness program is designed specifically for the nuanced needs of children ages 3 to 6 and the adults who support them.
Gale Presents: Miss Humblebee’s Academy was named a 2021 winner in the
“Best Remote/Blended Learning Tools for Primary Grades (K-6)” category.
The program lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning success by building strength in core subject areas: language and literacy, math, science and social studies, art and music, social and emotional learning, and fitness. Monthly reports are available to help librarians measure the impact on early literacy development in your community.
A Welcoming Space for Children
Gale Presents: Miss Humblebee’s Academy also embraces the beautifully diverse children, families, and communities that public libraries serve.
The curriculum is modeled after the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework because of its history and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
Plus, recent resource enhancements have been made with specific focus on EDI, including the removal of binary, gender-based language and the addition of diverse characters, student avatars, and on-demand video instructors.
Avatar room. Product screen capture as of March 2021.
Gale Presents: Miss Humblebee’s Academy also has language translation functionality, which includes Spanish-translated navigation. For off-line learning, users can translate and download activities, assessments, lesson reports, and website content into Spanish and 107 other languages using Google Translate.
Navigation translated in Spanish. Product screen capture as of March 2021.
Hundreds of Guided Lessons and Activities
- Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Content – A collection of nearly 100 online classroom lessons and off-line extension activities help children learn how to regulate their emotions, develop self-confidence, and more. Includes digital animations, real-life video modeling, songs, and eBooks for both online and off-line opportunities.
- Off-line STEAM Curriculum – Hands-on activities reinforce current lessons focused on kindergarten readiness and developmental milestones, while supporting the American Academy of Pediatrics screen-time recommendations.
- Teacher-Led Videos across All Subjects – Short video lessons delivered by teachers address key kindergarten-readiness skills and concepts in all subject areas, including SEL.
- Interactive eBooks – Offering a read-aloud option, titles are located within the lesson stream and in the searchable library. All eBooks include prediction and comprehension questions. The end of each eBook has an off-line printable template to retell the story with words or pictures. Includes a new nonfiction series, World Changers, featuring stories about inspiring individuals of all ages.
- Bee Fit – Short, on-demand videos and printouts encourage kids to get moving as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Resources for Parents and Caregivers
- Interactive kindergarten-readiness checklist and age-related development milestones.
- Printable trackers, charts, planners, and schedules.
- Weekly progress and performance reports.
Discover everything this educational program can do for young learners. Request trial access >>
Lisa Luea has been a copywriter at Gale for four years. She earned a Master of Arts degree in religion from Andover Newton at Yale Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Michigan. Working in both education and writing, Lisa has applied her background in theology and social justice to understand the importance of taking a person-centered approach to learning and teaching. When she isn’t reading, writing, or editing, Lisa enjoys traveling with her husband and adventurous cat, Chaplin.