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Posts Tagged ‘arts’
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May 21st, 2012Reading, Writing, Spelling, & Grammar Games!
May 16th, 2012Hi! It’s Wednesday, May 16, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
BBC: Skillswise
Age Range: 11 and up (with parental preview and supervision)
This BBC website offers free interactive games that teach practical literacy skills. Although designed for adults, students (about 11 and up) can use this resource as well. Instead of playing young “kiddie games” that are sometimes too elementary, slow-moving, or annoyingly “cutesy,” students can practice basic reading, writing, grammar and spelling with games that use more sophisticated vocabulary and topics (although some of the games are still very simple with young-ish animations).
When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of English skills including:
*Reading – Learn phonics, letter and word recognition, reading comprehension and more.
*Writing – This section covers handwriting, typing, filling in a form, writing a paragraph or letter, and proofreading.
*Spelling – Discover root words, prefixes and suffixes, letter patterns, and more.
*Word Grammar – Find out about verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns.
*Sentence Grammar – Practice sentence structure, tenses, and punctuation.
Click on any topic and a new page opens. Watch a short video, play some games to reinforce learning, and take some short quizzes.
IMPORTANT: In all of the games I sampled for this review, I didn’t find any objectionable content. However, I did not sample everything. Because Skillswise was designed for adults, PARENTS SHOULD PREVIEW AND SUPERVISE ALL USE.
Free Bird Language e-Course!
May 9th, 2012Hi! It’s Wednesday, May 9, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
WhatTheRobinKnows.com
Age Range: All (with parental supervision)
Renown naturalist and tracker Jon Young just announced the release of his new book, What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World. This website is a companion to the book, where you can get a free sneak peek, and even listen to examples of the “five voices” of bird language in action.
Not only that, you can sign up for a free, 10-lesson e-course called Bird Language Basics. Simply register for the course by entering your email address in the box in the right margin of the home page, and you’ll receive the lessons in your inbox over a period of 10 weeks.
If you wonder if studying birds and their language will be appealing to your children, I can tell you that my own sons had the opportunity to take several nature classes for homeschoolers from Jon Young. They found the information fascinating and gained new awareness and respect for our feathered friends. :)
At the website, you’ll also find information on how to buy the book and participate in Jon Young’s programs that are dedicated to providing mentoring and deep nature connection practices that bring positive transformation and wellness to individuals and communities. But you don’t have to purchase a thing to read a short excerpt from the book and sign up to take the free Bird Language Basics e-Course.
Boost Your Vocab & Feed the Hungry!
May 2nd, 2012Hi! It’s Wednesday, May 2, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Free Rice
Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)
This ad-supported website offers you the opportunity to boost your vocabulary and help end world hunger. For each word you get correct in the online vocabulary quiz, 10 grains of rice are donated through the United Nations World Food Program to help feed the hungry. The best explanation of the concept comes directly from the website:
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FreeRice has two goals:
Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.
FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors.
FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place.
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If you have more questions, check out the FAQs at the website. This is an ingeneous idea and it’s lots of fun to participate.
Free Reading & Writing Activities for K-12!
April 25th, 2012Hi! It’s Wednesday, April 25, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
ThinkQuest: Write On Reader
Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision)
ThinkQuest offers this remarkable archive of activities to help students of all ages acquire a love of reading and writing. When you get to the site you will meet your guides, Buster Book and Penny Pencil. They may seem kind of childish for older students but don’t let that¬ fool you — the content here is for all ages. Below them, you will see a menu that includes:
*Favorite Book Surveys — See the polling results (divided by boy/girl preference and by grade level) of students’ favorite books, illustrators, and authors.
*How A Book Is Made — Discover how a traditional book is published. Learn how to make your own book and get it published!
*Writing — This is a highlight of the site. Read the history of writing and then follow step-by-step instructions for how to create a quality piece of writing.
*Literary Awards — Find out what designations like “Newbery,” “Caldecott,” “Young Reader’s Choice,” and other awards mean and how they can help you choose interesting books to read.
*Word Games — Play all kinds of interactive word games including crossword puzzles, scrabble, Mad Libs, and more.
*Expert Advice — Read interviews with authors, illustrators, editors, technical writers, librarians and others whose careers are centered aro und reading and writing.
*Helping Others — Get suggestions on how to develop reading and writing skills — especially for those who struggle with either or both.
This is a remarkable resource – bookmark it to return again and again.
Free Folk Music & Dance Steps for Grades PreK-6
April 21st, 2012Hi! It’s Saturday, April 21, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Utah Office of Education: Fine Arts
Age Range: 4-12 (Grades Pre-K-6, with parental supervision)
A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this website by the Utah Office of Education that encourages learning Fine Arts to “enable students to express their feelings, communicate thoughts, explore their creativity, solve problems, communicate ideas, develop a sense of community, and appreciate themselves as participants in history, tradition, and culture.” To that end they offer a free music catalog of downloadable song files (mp3), sheet music with lyrics, and dance instructions that accompany some of the songs.
When you get to the site you’ll see the Elementary Songbook Music Catalog with a menu of traditional children’s music and folk song titles that include:
- A Tisket, A Tasket
- Bingo
- Buffalo Gals
- Down By the Bay
- Going to the Zoo
- If You’re Happy
- Old MacDonald
- Take Me Out To the Ball Game
- You Are My Sunshine
- Yankee Doodle
And many more titles that you’re sure to recognize.
Plus, you’ll find a menu of Movement/Dance Options that include free, printable instructions for folk dances you can do as you listen to the songs. You’ll discover:
- A simple line dance in a middle eastern style
- A couple dance after the style of French Canadian step dancing
- A simple circle dance in the style of “big circle mountain” dancing
- A contemporary American country line dance for sets of 3
- A Latin America line dance popular at Carnival
- A circle dance adaptation of traditional Native American style
- A square dance in traditional formation
- A simple variation of the traditional Virginia Reel in long sets
This is a terrific resource to help your kids learn songs of historical and cultural significance. You can learn the dance steps too, and it might be a great project for a homeschool support group or scout troop.
