Posts Tagged ‘writing’

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Join the Word Wizard Club!

June 15th, 2022

It’s Wednesday, June 15, 2022, and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Lexiteria LLC: Dr. Goodword’s Word Wizard Club

(www.alphadictionary.com/ww/)

Grades 1-8, approximately, with parental supervision

This archived website is a language lover’s paradise! The host, Dr. Goodword, has amassed an incredible array of helpful tips and activities to improve grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, along with fun interactive games and quizzes, and links to many other related resources.

Some of the fun language arts activities at the website include:

  • Game Closet — Try your hand at the Goodword Junior crossword puzzle. A few years’ worth of puzzles are archived here. All the words for each puzzle are available for you to review before you play. These crosswords can be played online (complete with hints and answers) or printed from the Teacher Resources page and completed offline. *Note: Due to the discontinuation of Flash, you will need to print the puzzles. Also in the Game Closet is a huge collection of language jokes and stories about where English and other languages come from. Can you guess how old English is? You can find out here!

  • Miss Spelling’s Spelling Center — Find a fun poem to challenge your pronunciation skills (“Spelling Chaos”), six tips for better writing, lists of commonly mispronounced and misspelled words, and more!

  • Reference Shelf — This menu item takes you away from the “kids” section, back to the “mother” page for this website called AlphaDictionary.com, where you’ll find articles about the nature of language, correct usage, and other fascinating linguistic tidbits along with word games and activities for teens and adults.

Use the menu to find an array of items from exploration of English word origins and roots, to fun with puns, to text messaging shorthand and more. You’ll also find:

  • Slingin Slang: From the Flappers to the Rappers — Did you know that the slang you use/used in high school and college reveals your true age! Or does it? Try this quiz and see!

  • Are you a Yankee or a Rebel? — Take the quiz and find out.

  • And more!

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Practice Manuscript & Cursive Handwriting

June 8th, 2022

It’s Wednesday, June 8, 2022, and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Handwriting For Kids

(www.handwritingforkids.com/)

Grades K-5 approximately, with parental supervision

This ad-supported website offers free lessons and practice worksheets for learning how to print, write in cursive, and learn English grammar. (It also offers instruction and worksheets for learning arithmetic.)

When you get to the website you will see an introduction and a menu on the left side of the screen that includes:

  • Manuscript — Learn to print by tracing letters of the alphabet, words, and sentences using the free worksheet variations available here.
  • Cursive — Learn cursive writing by tracing first, and then writing independently. Free printable worksheets of individual letters, words, and complete sentences are provided for practice.
  • English — Use the free lessons and worksheets to learn grammar, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions.
  • Mathematics — You’ll find a selection of interactive math lessons, worksheets, and drill games.

You’ll also find links to further resources, Spanish worksheets, Biblically-themed handwriting and cursive worksheets, and a flash card-making tool.

Click on any topic and a new page opens where you’ll find the lessons and worksheets. The layout isn’t always crystal clear – but if you just click on a couple of items, you’ll figure out how best to use this site quickly.

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Writing Instruction for Middle & High School

April 27th, 2022

It’s Wednesday, April 27, 2022, and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

The New York Times: The Learning Network

(www.nytimes.com/spotlight/learning-activities-for-students)

Grades 8-12, with parental supervision

The New York Times offers free lesson plans, writing prompts, activities for students and more — all based on The New York Times journalism.

When you get to the site you will see Activities for Students:

  • Writing Prompts – Student Opinion Questions and Picture Prompts
  • Articles & Questions – Articles of the Day, Teenagers in the Times, and STEM Articles
  • Quizzes & Vocabulary – Weekly News Quiz, Word of the Day, Country of the Week, and Student Crosswords
  • Photos, Graphs and Videos – What’s Going on in this Picture?, Film Club, and What’s Going on in this Graph?
  • Contests – Check out the Annual Summer Reading Contest.

You can access the news stories for free, and no registration is required.

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English Grammar & Writing Resources

April 20th, 2022

It’s Wednesday, April 20, 2022, and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

ThoughtCo. – English

(www.thoughtco.com/english-4688281)

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!

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Discover Children’s Author Audrey Wood

March 23rd, 2022

The Audrey Wood Clubhouse

(audreywood.com/)

All grades; children with parental supervision

This is a terrific site for parents and children who are fans of the children’s authors and illustrators, Audrey Wood and Don Wood (their books include The Napping House, Elbert’s Bad Word, Weird Parents, and so many more), and their son Bruce Wood who is also a book author and illustrator.

When you get to the site, use the menu to explore:

  • Audrey Wood — Read her biography, see her picture, find out some of her writing secrets.
  • Don Wood — Read his biography, see photos, and gain some insight about his illustrations.
  • Bruce Wood – Read his bio, see photos, and more.
  • All Wood Books – See a menu of all of the books authored and illustrated by the Wood family.
  • Activities — Find fun activities based on the books and lots of printable coloring pages.
  • Secrets — Get the inside scoop on what inspired the stories and artwork.
  • Parent & Teachers — Get reading suggestions from the author on her best books for boys, girls, and for dealing with particular problems; read hints for writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books; read the FAQ’s, and check out the links to other sites.

This site is really interesting and fun to explore — especially because of the family aspect of the lives and work of Audrey, Don, and Bruce Wood.

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Art Tutorials for Middle & High School

March 19th, 2022

John MacTaggart: Artyfactory

(www.artyfactory.com/)

Grades 6 and up, with parental supervision

This ad-supported website includes step-by-step, how-to art lessons. It also offers art appreciation tutorials on topics like “Still Life” or “Animals in Art” or broader “Art Movements.”

Description: When you get to the site, choose from:

  • Art Lessons
  • Art Appreciation
  • Design Lessons

Little ones can’t interact with Artyfactory on their own. The content and writing are at an advanced level. (In fact, it is suspect most of the content doubles as MacTaggart’s college course material.) But there’s tremendous potential here for a creative homeschooler as follows:

  • Use it directly as reading or coursework for a high school student.

  • Adapt the lessons for younger pupils. The “Pencil Shading” exercises, for example, found under “Pencil Portraits” in the Art Lessons section, would be a fun challenge. The “How to Draw Animals” lessons might work with a talented middle school student, too, but these are no Ed Emberley thumbprints: they require a good eye and a controlled hand.
  • Fill in holes in your own knowledge. After spending some time on this site you’ll be able to introduce your children to Expressionism paintings and more next time you visit a museum.

There’s a wealth of information here: color theory (both technical stuff like the color wheel and the emotional impact of colors in painting), a thorough overview of African masks and Egyptian hieroglyphs, shading techniques in pen and ink, etc.

NOTE: As always, PARENTS SHOULD PREVIEW the site to determine suitability of content for your own children.

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