It’s Wednesday, and time for Language Arts in our Homeschooling Class and I would like to ask you to check out the recommended websites below. If you have used these in the past what did you think of them and why?
Recommended Website:BBC: The Ages of English
Age Range: 8-18 (Grades 3-12, with parental supervision) At this archived website you can explore an engaging timeline of the history of the English language, how it developed, and why it has changed and evolved.
Through images and text you’ll discover how English has developed “through invasion, invention and global expansion.”
When you get to the site, explore the eight ages of the English language that include: The Anglo Saxon Invasions – 449 ADThe Viking Raids Begin – 787 ADThe Norman Conquest – 1066The Resurgence of English 1200 – 1400The Invention of the Printing Press 1476The Renaissance – 1500 to 1650The Colonization of the New World – 1600sThe Industrial Revolution – 1760 to 1830In each stage, you simply click on images in a colorful drawing to learn various aspects of the history of the language through text. You’ll gain understanding about the origins of words, and discover what inquiring minds what to know. There are fun facts and explanations of phrases and idioms too.
Website: Magnetic Poetry
Age Range: 6-18 (Grades 1-12, with parental supervision) April is National Poetry Month so we are featuring this company that makes magnetized words that stick to refrigerators, cookie sheets, etc. Use them to create rhymes, poems, sentences, and cryptic messages.
At their website, you can use free virtual magnetized words to create fun, silly, and serious poetry – or to just have fun with words. Click on any one of the five Magnetic Poetry games: Original KitMustache PoetNature PoetPoet KitGeekYou can drag and drop the virtual magnetized words to create poems or whatever you or your child’s imagination can conceive.
There is great potential here to open a game and leave it on the computer screen in a heavily trafficked area of the house. Start one line of poetry and leave it unfinished. Invite those passing by to add a line or two. See what develops as everyone takes a turn.
Recommended Website: The Children’s University of Manchester – Words
Age Range: 6-12 (Grades 1-7, with parental supervision)
This fantastic multimedia children’s site from The University of Manchester, offers a variety of well-crafted activities and games to learn grammar and parts of speech, along with an animated timeline of the history of the English language. Plus you can explore other languages used around the world to encourage understanding of language in general.
When you get to the site you will see an introduction and a menu to the left that includes:
World Language Map – Click on an animated map to learn about different languages spoken all over the world. As you zero in on a given country, you’ll watch a video of a native speaker saying conversational phrases that are accompanied by English subtitles. Plus, you’ll learn more about the languages and dialects spoken in that country.
Timeline of the English Language – Discover the evolution of the English language and the influence of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, as well as the printing press, English Bible, Greek and Latin root words, Shakespeare, and more.
Naming Nouns – Explore this interactive lesson that explains what nouns are including common and proper nouns, concrete and abstract nouns, collective nouns and more. Play the “Noun Game” and take quizzes to test your knowledge.
Adjective Detective – Learn all about adjectives and how to use them including comparative and superlative adjectives. Play the “Adjective Game” and take quizzes to test your knowledge.
Match the Eponyms – Do you know what an eponym is? Here’s a clue: Do you know the origin of the word “sandwich”? This is a word trivia feast – and lots of fun!
Borrowing Words – Many English words were “borrowed” from other languages. Play a game and try to match the English word to the language of origin. You’ll learn about the origin of words like score, zombie, bandana, skunk and many more.
Idioms Game – Idioms are sayings such as “The early bird catches the worm.” Match the idioms to their meanings in this informative game.
And more
| The games are very engaging. Your kids will learn far more than the standard grammar drills we see in most language arts games. They’ll learn historical and cultural information that will enhance their understanding of the English language. |
Recommended Website: Between the Lions Early Reading Collection
Age Range: 3-6 (Grades PreK-1, with parental supervision)
PBS offers a collection of early reading video segments taken from their show, Between the Lions.
When you get to the site, scroll down to the videos that are categorized for K-1 and PreK, sorted by literacy skill:
- Fluency
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Text Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Book and Print Awareness
- Language and Vocabulary Development
- Letter Knowledge Awareness
- Phonological Awareness
Below the videos, you can read what the video is about, and then look at/download support materials. Be sure to turn on your speakers to hear the stories being read.
Recommended Website: Ninjaword
Age Range: 7-18 (Grades 2-12, with parental supervision)
Does it take you a couple of minutes to find the definition of a word? Do you go to “www.websters.com” only to find you need “www.merriam-webster.com“? No longer.
Ninjawords.com offers a mnemonically easy and fast way to find the meaning of a word. What’s more, your kids may be so taken with the name of the website they’ll want to use it!
Simply create a favorites for Ninjawords, and thereafter you are only one click and a few letters away from getting a competent definition for a word. If you misspell the word, the chances are that Ninjawords will offer the corrected spelling with the definition to boot. For example, we asked for the definition of “spektakular” and got back “Did you mean spectacular?” along with the definition of “spectacular”.
Now, that’s spektakular!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
