Welcome to our series sharing Homeschool Resources: Vocabulary, Games & More. Take a look at the websites and let me know which one you most would like to use with your students and why.
Words and Their Stories is an award-winning, game-based online interactive vocabulary Curriculum from FableVision Learning that teaches the fascinating stories behind words.
A teacher came up with the unique idea to take a digital book from children’s literature and plot out the characters’ travels with the digital mapping tools of Google Earth, providing a multidimensional learning experience.
Students can take a virtual field trip in real-time to visit the places mentioned in the book, making it even more relevant and meaningful.
When you get to the website you’ll see a welcome message and featured highlights.
Frankly, if this is your first visit, the home page can be confusing. Your best bet is to click on “Getting Started” on the menu and read through the details in the Google doc. Then, click on “About Google Lit Trips” for more information. All of the tools you need can be downloaded for FREE at the site.
Once you understand how to use Google Lit Trips, select the grade range appropriate for your child. Then get ready to experience the Google Lit Trips that have been created by various teachers for their favorite children’s books.
- Grades K-5 – You’ll find “The Yellow Balloon,””Paddle To The Sea,” and “Make Way for Ducklings.”
- Grades 6-8 – Includes “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, ‘The Slave Dancer,” and “My Brother Sam is Dead.”
- Grades 9-12 – Get the “Candide” by Voltaire, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, “Night” by Elie Wiesel, and more.
Click on the title to access the Google Lit Trip complete with the digital book, text and illustrations, and a virtual journey that will bring it all to life.
This is a newer venture, but as it catches on more and more titles for Google Lit Trips will be added. The potential is exciting!
LightSail Language Arts Program
LightSail for Homeschoolers is an adaptive online language arts program for pre-school through high school featuring its one-of-a-kind Personalized Reader tool that helps readers unlock the magic of books.
Toy Theater: Free Interactive Educational Website
Toy Theater is a free educational website with interactive activities in the areas of math, reading, art, music, puzzles, and games. The activities on Toy Theater are designed to apply new media to core curriculum concepts in a way that children will be entertained, engaged, and will absorb the concepts behind the activities
This site offers a multitude of educational activities in various key curriculum areas. Below is a brief taste of what Toy Theater has to offer:
Art
- Animation Station is a terrific art tool where you can discover the art of animation.
- Doodle Pad is a fantastic set of virtual crayons.
- Matisse’s Pieces introduces you to the world of fine artists and gives you the opportunity to create your own collage.
Math
- Feed Freddy is a fun way to learn symbols, shapes, and patterns.
- Bowling encourages you to count the pins in groups of ten.
- Fruit Fall introduces the skill of reading a bar graph.
Reading
- Road Signs is a tool where you can create and print out your own signs.
- Action Alphabet displays animations highlighting the letter being explored.
Music
- Composer is an interactive music activity where you can create your own melody.
- Drum Beats are a high energy group that allows you to create your own percussion show.
In addition, Toy Theater has a large collection of interactive puzzles and games that highlight skills such as memory building, symbol recognition, and just plain having fun.
The Playset is a special place you can create your own virtual toy set using cars, planes, plants, insects, buildings, ships, and dinosaurs.
Reading Assistant Plus uses patented technology to listen as the student reads each word aloud and delivers immediate support whenever a learner struggles with or mispronounces a word.
The Bunk Room: FREE Online Magazine For Kids
Grades 3 & up, with parental supervision\
A FREE online magazine written entirely by kids for kids called , “The Bunk Room”.
The free magazine is designed for kids ages 8-18 and was started by two brothers who took the initiative to create their own newspaper one night, in their bunk beds (hence, the name) – while they were supposed to be sleeping.
Their mother, who has a publishing background, helped them turn their creation into an online magazine. The boys’ two sisters got in on the act as well. Mom and Dad supervise and help manage the endeavor.
“The Bunk Room” is a FREE publication and you can read the current issue that is available at the website in a pdf file. Previous issues are also archived at the site.
The magazine is seeking content from kid contributors. The website provides the following list of suggestions for submissions:
- Write about what a day in your life is like. We want details!
- Inspire others with your passion. Showcase your projects, whether it be your latest musical composition, science experiment, Lego creation, tree fort, etc
- What’s your issue? Write about a community cause that you are fighting for. Kids are the future of our country. We can make a difference!
- Poem Corner – Send us your stuff! Get it out of your notebook and let it shine!
- Art of the Month – Scan us your latest masterpiece!
- Kid-‘Spressions – Some kids say “Rad.” Some say “Sick” and they “mean” the same thing! Send us an expression you and your friends say and we’ll watch the trends across the nation and world!
- Great Books – Tell us about your latest favorite books.
- Favorite Subjects – What are your favorite things to learn about? And, we don’t necessarily mean in school. The world is big and bright and full of fascinating things. Tell us what you like.
- Articles can be anywhere from about 100-250 words to 300-400 words.
“The Bunk Room” is a fun read for kids – and their quest for kid contributors is sure to inspire your family’s writers, poets, and artists. You have to register to submit content – so as always parents should preview the site and supervise its use. If you register, you may qualify to receive some free pencils – you’ll find details at the site.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
