Free Product of the Week at HomeschoolE-Store!

How to Use the Thesaurus
by Weekly Reader Publishing

Helps children ages 7-10 develop word and research skills

A $4.95 value, FREE!

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http://www.activitypad.com/word-puzzle.html

Great for elementary age.

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http://www.creativequotations.com/

http://www.quotationspage.com/

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These are arranged monthly...there are TONS available!

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/edit.shtml

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From www.Education-World.com -- FREE "Writing Bugs" -- ideas to get the creative juices flowing!

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/writing_bugs.shtml

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As seen in http://www.homeschoolfreestuff.com

Great Literature at Your Fingertips...

This tip is for those, like myself, who are on a limited budget but know the importance of providing great literature for their children to read.

I would love to be able to buy a beautifully bound, last-a-lifetime volume of every "great classic" for my children, but I can't afford to do that.  So to supplement the ones I can afford to buy I use online books or etexts. A good place to start is Ambleside Online at http://www.amblesideonline.org  . They have a listing of suggested literature readings for each grade level with links to an online version of most of the children's classic books. You can read them online or you can download them to read at your convenience or you can print them out to read away from the computer.  It is a great way to have access to affordable great literature!  At most the costs are paper, ink, and time. Ambleside also has a great article on printing etexts here:
http://www.amblesideonline.org/etexts.shtml

Also here are some links to sites that have online books or etexts:

• http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/catalogs/bysubject-top.html
• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/Young-Readers.html
• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/collections/subjects/
• http://www.bartleby.com/
• http://www.knowledgerush.com/
• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/
• http://www.bibliomania.com/
• http://www.gutenberg.org/
• https://www.edline.net/pages/Catholic_Central_High_School/Classes/03 842501/library
• http://classicbook.info/
• http://www.anova.org/
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
• http://www.infomotions.com/etexts/literature/english/1800-1899/
• http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
• http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/online.htm
• http://falcon.jmu.edu/%7Eramseyil/online.htm
• http://www.harrold.org/rfhextra/books.html

I hope this is helpful to anyone who wants to provide the classics for their children but can't afford to buy them all.

Happy Homeschooling,

~Lora~

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Welcome to the GradeSaver Writing Resource Center!

The Resource Center is a free service offered by GradeSaver. Each resource has been written and compiled by Harvard-educated essayists in response to questions and editing problems.

The GradeSaver Resource Center is always looking to expand its offerings. If you have any suggestions for new resources, please let GradeSaver know! Contact GradeSaver.

• What Makes a Good Essay?
• Academic Essays
• Admission Essays
• Scholarship and Award Essays
• Key Features of Essays in Different Subject Areas
• Your Thesis and Other Large Projects
• Professional Writing, Resumes and Cover Letters
• Last Minute Writing

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ClassicNotes™

The ultimate study guide collection, written exclusively by Harvard students. ClassicNotes are the best online literature notes available!

All Notes   Literature   Plays   Poetry   Film All Authors

Popular Novels

• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Great Gatsby
• Hamlet
• Macbeth
• To Kill a Mockingbird

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Online Etymological Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com

This is a map of the wheel-ruts of modern English. Etymologies are not definitions; they are explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.

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Thanks to Kerry Beck at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LeadershipEducation/

http://www.lauriefowler.com/writing1.htm

This page is chock full of links, information, lessons, etc. on the writing process.

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Motivate your students to write by entering a contest!  Prizes are awarded
to the winners!

http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/your_assignment_kids_display.asp?id=218

Attention kids ages 13 and under—each month, Writer's Digest hosts a special Your Assignment for Kids competition! Win publication and prizes!

The Rules

• E-mail entries using the online submission form.
• One entry per person please.
• You must be 13 or younger to enter.
• Your entry, including title, must be 75 words or less. (Count them up!)
• Your entry must be e-mailed on or before 10/10/2005.
• Winners will be published online.

Prizes

The winner will receive a free copy of The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published (Writer's Digest Books). He or she will also receive a certificate of achievement from the editors of Writer's Digest magazine, a copy of the latest issue, and a $10 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble bookstore.
The Honorable Mentions will receive certificates of achievement, a copy of the latest issue, and a $5 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble bookstore.
Note: Writer's Digest reserves the right to publish the winners in any of their print magazines or special issues. If so, winners will be notified and receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their writing appears.

Your Assignment #59 For Kids:  Your New Teacher

Summer has ended and it’s the first day of the new school year. You walk into your classroom and discover that your teacher isn’t human! What does your teacher look like? What is your teacher’s name? What does your teacher assign for homework? Provide as many details as you can, in 75 words or fewer.

View Previous Winners »
Your Assignment For Kids Email Submission »
More Contests and Competitions »
Return »

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As seen in www.homeschoolfreestuff.com -- Go subscribe to the newsletter!

Language Arts

Berenstain Bear Country
The creator of the Berenstain Bears was born this week in history. So in celebration of his birthday, and a fantastic series, this is a link to Berenstain Bear Country with lots of educational resources.

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald's birthday, here is an extensive lesson plan about his novel The Great Gatsby. Your child will learn about adapting part of a novel into a dramatic reading which makes your child more intimate with the author's intentions and craft. Plus they will learn how a part of a novel may lend itself to various interpretations.

Don Quixote
In honor of Miguel de Cervantes' birthday this week, this is a great lesson plan to teach your children about the great Don Quixote. There are videos, free online teaching tools, custom woeksheets, puzzles, quizzes and much more!

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Daily Grammar
Daily Grammar used to email daily grammar lessons. They no longer do that, but all of the lessons are archived here, and they are free to duplicate.

Word of the Day
Give you students a new word each day. Have it emailed to yourself free each day.

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The quotes require the students to write what they think the quote or idea means and then write how the idea applies to their lives.

Creative Response

These topics encourage students to think "outside the box." They should be encouraged to be as creative as possible. For most of the topics there is no right answer.

Personal Response

These topics require students to put their personal experiences into words. While there is less creativity, students are turning mental images into words.

Values Prompts

These topics are aimed at helping students: identify what is valuable to them, prioritize values, and see things from someone else's perspective.

Everyday Facts

This is a collection of facts that we are exposed to everyday. Sometimes the answers are not as obvious as they should be.

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From www.freeology.com   "A picture is worth 1000 words." When students are juggling new concepts, a graphic organizer can be an excellent teaching aide. Why do they work? Random factoids are quickly lost. However, the brain's ability to store pictures is unlimited. Since the brain likes to chunk information, the graphic organizer complements the way the brain naturally works. When do they work? Graphic organizers will be beneficial to students whenever they are given new information. Among other applications, they can be used to sequence, brainstorm and orgainize. During reading and listening, students should be encouraged to graphically organize new information. How do they work? The graphic organizers provided here are, for the most part, plain in their appearance. This is so because the brain remembers better when personal creativity has been invested in a project. Allow students to create their own look to there organizer whenever possible. Just click on the ones you want and hit print on your browser.
Venn Diagram	Contrast two ideas in the areas to the right and left. Compare the same two ideas in the shared area.
Pro/Con Scale	Weigh two sides of any issue.
Story Web	Analyze a story by identifying the: setting, characters, problem, and solution.
Triple Venn	Like the two sided Venn, this one allows you to compare/contrast three issues.
Fishbones	Analyze the who, what, when, where, why, and how of an event or story.
Thematic Web	Main idea goes in the middle, and ideas connected to it go in satellite boxes.
Short Story Plot	Identify the events of a story and see the definition of each element.
Character Study	This works for self-study or study of a character in a story.
Note Taker	Organize notes with: main events, important people, key terms, facts, and important quotes.
Timeline	Sequence events. Dates go on the left, explanation goes on the right.
Get one Give one	Great for review or hooking students into a new lesson. Students put their own ideas in the top three boxes. Then, on teacher's cue, they move about the room asking the other students for one of their ideas. At the same time they give one of theirs. This is done until all boxes are filled.
KWL Chart	Before a lesson, have students write what they know about a subject. Then have them write what they want to know. Lastly, when the lesson is over, have them write what they've learned.
Lord of the Flies Note Taker	Organize notes for this novel by illustrating the island and identifying important people, places, and things.
Of Mice and Men Note Taker	Organize notes for this novel by illustrating the state of California and facts about John Steinbeck. Also, identify important places, people, and things.
Of Mice and Men Teacher's Notes	The teacher's guide for the above organizer.
SQ3R	This organizer helps students with reading comprehension. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Retell, Review. First, survey or preview the selection. Second, write questions that arise. Third, read the selection and write what was learned. Fourth, retell or write a summary of what was learned.

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http://www.kidskonnect.com/Games/WordGames.html

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http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/language_arts.htm

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