Keep kids and teens engaged with online educational tools and activities while schools are closed.
In this time of school closures, expanded online learning and social distancing, your library is here to provide essential resources and online support. We have tons to offer, and it can all be accessed without even leaving your couch.
The library provides access to dozens of online resources to help school-age kids — and adults — stay in the know, research for remote-learning classes, seek homework help, or just engage in fun and educational activities while at home.
Of course, we also have extensive collections of eBooks and eAudiobooks available through Overdrive, Libby and RBdigital. Right now that includes 130 popular titles we’ve added to a special OverDrive list of eBooks and audiobooks available with no holds and no waits (limit 1 per customer at a time, maximum 2-week checkout, no renewals).
Don't have a library card yet? That's okay. Apply here for access to our digital resources.
Magazines & Newspapers
- Stay in the know with access to the daily Washington Post and the New York Times.
- Flip through favorite magazines like Highlights, High Five Bilingual, Seventeen and ESPN.
- Read through current and past National Geographic magazines in digital format.
Online Educational Resources
With Fairfax County Public Schools closed, caretakers and students may want to keep up with learning and incorporate education into their days at home. The public library gives you online access to research materials to complete virtual coursework, support independent studies or simply provide engaging reading content to supplement eBook and audiobook options. Begin with the Education category in our Research Databases list, and dig deeper starting with the examples below — they're just the tip of the iceberg.
Homework Help
Grades K-6
- Kid's InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 through a graphic interface, a subject search, and full-text, age-appropriate magazines and newspapers on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.
- NovelList K-8 Plus is a trusted source of read-alike recommendations specifically for younger readers. It helps kids find books that are just right for their reading level and interests.
- Scholastic Go! provides credible, accurate, reliable content on almost every core-curricula subject with endless resources for research in a multitude of media. Explore nonfiction texts, world newspapers, videos and more with this easy-to-navigate digital resource designed to strengthen content knowledge, vocabulary, and core proficiency skills.
Middle School and High School
- CQ Researcher offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of current issues. Topics range from social and teen issues to the environment, health, education and science and technology. CQ Researcher explores a single "hot" issue each week.
- eBook High School Collection (EBSCOhost) offers full text titles with unlimited access designed specifically to support a quality learning experience for High School students across all academic subjects from History, to Language and Literature, to Science & Technology. Also includes ACT and SAT test preparation guides.
- Gale In Context: High School is an engaging online experience that merges Gale's authoritative and continuously updated reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience.
- Read It! offers a collection of short informative articles on a variety of topics designed for English Language Learners. Text can be translated into more than 25 different languages or read out loud in English.
- Science in Context, U.S. History in Context, and World History in Context provide contextualized information on hundreds of the most significant subject matter topics.
Homework Related Websites
- Visit our collection of Homework-Related Websites for even more on subjects from general reference, international information and statistics to biographies, current events, economics, personal finance, government, history, languages, literature, math, science, speeches, Virginia and writing.
Tutoring and Test Prep
- The Fairfax County Public School system maintains a list of qualified, paid tutors. Email prc@fcps.edu to get the current list and inquire with tutors about virtual tutoring options.
- Online practice tests, tutorials and eBooks to prepare for academic tests are available in the LearningExpress Library database.
Other Learning Resources for Your Family
- Stories, songs, videos, games and printable activities for your young reader.
- Entertaining and educational websites for teens.
- Libros Electrónicos en Español: new Spanish language eBooks have been added to Overdrive.
Enhanced Gale Resources
Gale is currently offering expanded free access to its interdisciplinary, curriculum-aligned resources for pre-K through undergraduate students. You may be prompted to enter these databases with a password. The password for all is "open."
- Miss Humblebee's Academy is an interactive kindergarten-readiness program that introduces children ages three to six to key concepts in math, science, social studies, language and literacy, art, and music.
- Gale In Context: Middle School combines reference content with age-appropriate videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources, and more.
- Gale In Context: College offers interdisciplinary content that reinforces the development of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation.