It’s Wednesday, and time for Language Arts and I would like to ask you to check out the Recommended Websites: If you have used these resources let me know what you thought of them and why.
Age Range: 14 and up (Grades 9 and up; children with parental supervision) Sponsored by the Poynter Institute and the Knight Foundation, this site offers over 100 journalism training courses (some that are free, others that are available for a fee) on writing and reporting, multimedia storytelling, ethics and values in journalism and much more. Professional journalists use this site for continuing education in their field.
When you get to the site, scroll down to the Course Catalog and choose from the topics including:
- Broadcast
- Editing
- Fact-Checking
- Visual Journalism
- Writing
- and so much more!
You’ll find both paid and free courses relating to journalism including Self-Directed Courses, Group Seminars, Master Classes, Certificate Programs and Webinars.
Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision) ReadWriteThink.org is a result of a partnership between the International Literacy Association (ILA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the Verizon Foundation, whose mission is to “provide educators, parents, and after school professionals with access to the highest quality practices in reading and language arts instruction by offering the very best in free materials.”
Bookmark this site NOW. It’s one of the best Language Arts sites we’ve seen – and we’ve seen a lot!
When you get to the site you’ll see some featured highlights including:
- National Poetry Month
- Write a Spring Haiku
- Spring Weather
Then scroll over Classroom Resources in the top menu and choose from:
- Lesson Plans
- Student Interactives
- Calendar Activities
- and more
Under Lesson Plans, you’ll find an array of standards-based lesson plans that integrate Internet content into the teaching and/or learning experience. Each lesson includes a grade level, a detailed instructional plan and materials such as worksheets, interactives, and links to web resources. And it’s all FREE! You can also explore Teacher Resources by Grade.
Use the Student Interactives section to incorporate online activities (such as games, webquests, puzzles, writing starters, etc.) into your language arts curriculum for K-12 students. The activities are tied to specific lessons, but can be used independently or with other lessons as well.
And don’t miss the Calendar Activities. You can view the calendar by day, week or month to see activities and online resources associated with events in literacy and literature.
For example, on the April calendar you’ll find language arts lessons with enrichment activities to learn about: Hans Christian Andersen, Maya Angelou, Pocahontas, Noah Webster, and more. (Just click on the description on any given day of the calendar to access the resources.)
Students can enjoy using technology while developing their literacy skills. The beauty of the ReadWriteThink website is that homeschoolers – no matter what methodology you use – will find something useful.
Traditionalists can follow lesson plans, while unschoolers can enjoy the activities that peak their interests. Eclectics can use a little of everything.
Recommended Website: FunBrain: Grammar Gorillas
Age Range: 4-13 (Grades PreK-8, with parental supervision) As we celebrate National Pet Week, today’s websites are centered around gorillas. It will have your kids swinging on vines…
Did you know that “Grammar Gorillas” is also a term used to describe any feature of grammar which people find particularly challenging? At this site, learn various parts of speech and grammar with this fast-paced, fun, and interactive game called “Grammar Gorillas.“
Most people don’t have pet gorillas. However, in Woodside, California there was a very unusual “pet” gorilla named Koko, who had learned to sign over 1,000 words and could also understand spoken English! Here are a couple of websites that feature Koko and her uncanny ability with language arts:
Recommended Website: ThoughtCo. – English
Age Range: 8-18 (Grades 3-12, with parental supervision) If you haven’t checked it out, ThoughtCo. is a wonderful resource for just about anything you can imagine. It is “one of the largest and most comprehensive learning, information, and education sites online.”
Today we are focusing on Language Arts. When you get to the website, you have a choice of English Grammar or Writing. There are lists and articles including:
- How to Choose the Right Word
- 13 of the Longest Words in the English Language
- The Most Beautiful-Sounding Words in English
- A Guide to Deep Reading
- 11 Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing
- Guidelines for Using Capital Letters
- 4 Rules for Using Commas Effectively
- How To Organize a Descriptive Paragraph
And so much more!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
