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Diane Flynn Keith began publishing “ClickSchooling” in the year 2000 while she and her husband, Cliff, homeschooled their sons. Now, Diane’s sons are grown, and she is an internationally recognized voice in education outside the traditional classroom walls.
games like Windshield Entomology, Road-Cut Geology, 18-Wheeler Chemistry, and Drive-By History that are guaranteed to turn your kids into “Road Scholars”.
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Posts Tagged ‘rhymes’
Feeling the Luck of the Irish? Well, you should be…
March 14th, 2013Fun with Homonyms & More!
January 16th, 2013
Hi! It’s Wednesday, January 16, 2013 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Age Range: All (with parental supervision, non-readers will need assistance)
ClickScholar Nicole suggested this site – and it’s a hoot! A father named Dave and his six-year-old son Isaac collaborated to create this free game to challenge your knowledge of homonyms, homophones, and puns.
As explained at the website, “Homonyms are words with the same sound and spelling but different meanings. Homophones are words with the same sound but different spellings and meanings. Puns are homonyms and homophones that are funny.”
When you get to the site, you’ll see a brief introduction. Just click on the words, “Click here to Start” and the game begins. Essentially, you look at the pictures and read the rhymes for clues to guess the right homonym, homophone, or word that solves each puzzle. The original illustrations are pure whimsy, and the rhymes are pretty “punny.” LOL.
I tried about 12 or 13 puzzles for this review. I’m not sure how many are there in total, so if you visit the site and get to the end, let me know how many are there.
To learn more about the creators, Dave and Isaac (and see their picture), click on “Info” on the menu bar at the bottom of each page.
This is just too cute for words. Maybe it will inspire you and your kids to design some entertaining learning games too.
Free Virtual Magnetic Poetry!
October 3rd, 2012
Hi! It’s Wednesday, October 3, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Age Range: 6 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)
Are you familiar with the Magnetic Poetry company? They make magnetized words that stick to refrigerators, cookie sheets, etc., that you can use 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.
When you get to the site, you’ll see their featured products and a horizontal menu at the top of the page.
Click on “Kids Area” and a new page opens with two Magnetic Poetry games for kids (emerging readers) called “First Words Kit” and “Kids Kit.” Click on either one and a new screen opens where you can drag and drop the virtual magnetized words to create poems or whatever your child’s imagination can conceive.
Those who already read can click on the word “Play” on the main menu and access six different games with more advanced words themed around topics such as poetry, love, nature, and geeks (computer techies).
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.
Stories From A Long, Long Time Ago
February 15th, 2012
Hi! It’s Wednesday, February 15, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Long, Long Time Ago Stories
Age Range: 6-11 (with a separate page for ages 3-5, see details below)
Children’s book author, Rohini Chowdhury, retells a collection of timeless tales for kids that you can read online or print out to read offline. There are no bells and whistles at this website just interesting stories that children will enjoy reading or hearing.
When you get to the site you’ll see a menu that includes:
- Fables
- Folktales
- Fairytales
- Myths
- Festival Stories
- Tales from History
- Classics
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Stories Behind Great Discoveries
- Tales Behind Nursery Rhymes
- Short Stories
Click on any item and a new page opens with a brief historical introduction and a short menu of stories in that tradition. Most are retold by Chowdhury, unless otherwise indicated. The stories are presented in plain text, and a few of the stories are accompanied by colorful illustrations.
NOTE: Because myths, fairytales, legends, fantasy and the like can touch on many themes and topics, parents (as always) should preview the material on this site to determine suitability of content for their own children.
Chowdhury also offers a collection of stories for young children (about ages 3-5) called “Pomegranate Pips.” These stories are all accompanied by illustrations.
In addition to the stories available on the site, you’ll find some free, printable, activity pages – a crossword and wordsearch for older children, and a maze for young children.
To top off the offerings on this site, you’ll find reviews of children’s books and some very interesting biographies of children’s writers.
The Bubonic Plague & Nursery Rhymes
November 30th, 2011
Hi! It’s Wednesday, November 30, 2011 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Nursery Rhymes – Lyrics, Origins & History!
Age Range: All (with parental supervision)
This website offers the fascinating and surprising history of nursery rhymes. Did someone actually put their baby on a tree top? Why sing about Jack and Jill getting hurt? Did horses really attempt to reassemble Humpty Dumpty? Did someone named Peter actually eat a pumpkin and then lock his wife inside the shell?
On this informative, ad-supported website, read about all your old favorites, and perhaps discover a few new ones. As a bonus, you’ll learn surprising things about the history of England and its neighboring countries too.
For example, did you know that the Bubonic Plague and its symptoms were parodied in “Ring around the Rosy”? Or that “Boston” was named after someone called Saint Botolph?
Many of the featured rhymes have more than one history, which just makes them all the more fun. You get to pick which one you’d like to believe! (Some of them are so old, it’s difficult to be certain of their true origin.)
NOTE: Because this is an ad-supported site, parents (as always) should preview the site to determine suitability of content and supervise all Internet use. Some of the ads look like part of the site but aren’t. To be sure, depending on your browser settings, you may be able to mouse over the links and see the URL’s before clicking on them. For example, “Trial by Trivia” is not part of this site; it’s hosted elsewhere.
Early Literacy Rhymes & Songs
June 15th, 2011
Hi! It’s Wednesday, June 15, 2011 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
King County Library System: Tell Me A Story
Age Range: 2-8 (approximately, with parental supervision)
A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this website, sponsored by The King County Library System of Washington state, that provides hundreds of rhymes and songs to promote early literacy. You’ll find the printable lyrics/words, and in many cases you can watch librarians and educators perform the fingerplays or sing the songs on video.
When you get to the site you’ll see two menus. One is an alphabetical list of ALL the titles that are included in this archive. (Click on the “next 200″ link located on the bottom left side of the page to see them all.) You’ll also find a “Themes” menu that includes:
- Animals
- Clothing
- Body Parts
- Counting
- Bugs and Insects
- Food
- Seasons
- Weather
- Colors
- Holidays
- Shapes
- And More!
Just click on a theme and a new page opens with an alphabetized menu of titles. For example, if you click on “Animals” you’ll find familiar rhymes such as, Farmer in the Dell, BINGO, Five Little Pumpkins, Hickory Dickory, Dock, I Wish I Were A Fishy In The Sea, Kookaburra Song, Old MacDonald, Pop Goes The Weasel, Willoughby, Wallaby, Woo, and hundreds more!
Click on any title and a new page opens with the lyrics of the rhyme, and in many instances you can watch a video presentation as well. You can watch the videos with your child, or use them to refresh your memory of the words, tune, or hand gestures and motions so that you can introduce them to your child offline.
Bookmark this site, it’s a great resource whenever you need a fun rhyme or song to enhance learning, or just to brighten the day.
Note: I did not review any other portion of the Kings County Library System website. Therefore, parents, as always, should preview the website and supervise Internet use.
