As tablet style computers become more common, it is necessary for educators to determine how best to use them in the classroom setting. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the unique advantages tablet-based educational applications (apps) offer in teaching children effective literacy skills. By making effective use of these new and interactive techniques, instructors [...]
Archive for the ‘Reading’ Category
Inheritance Series Book 4 Release Date Announced – We’re Celebrating with Free Stuff!
Posted by ginac on November 5th, 2011
Our Giveaway has now ended. Thanks to everyone who participated. Congratulations to Melissa Taylor for winning the Inheritance Book! Enjoy the free Inheritance Series resources we’ve created and curated just for Inheritance Series fans. Get the Inheritance Vocabulary List Inheritance series vocabulary list - Google Doc (web page) Inheritance series vocabulary list - Google Doc (Downloadable [...]
Posted in Activities, Books, Contests, Reading 
Tags: Books, Brinsingr, Eldest, Eragon, fantasy fiction, giveaway, Inheritance, Inheritance Series, Paolini, reading, Saphira, young adult literature 
14 Comments »Learning by the Path of Least Resistance
Posted by ginac on October 31st, 2011
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao-Tzu Humanity has disrupted nature’s path of least resistance by creating cities, structures, roads, and even political systems that defy natural conditions. We [...]
Posted in Eclectic Homeschooling, Interdisciplinary, Reading, STEAM, Unit Study Tags: constrtuctivism, creativity, Homeschooling, Learning, play, Project-based learning, technology, Unschooling, whole learning Comments OffGreat Collection of Literacy Resources for Young Children
Posted by ginac on October 14th, 2011
The Book Chook’s Susan Stephenson has compiled terrific literacy resources in an easy-to-browse format using Scoop.it. Susan is passionate about literacy, and the resources she has curated in this collection reflect her goals of making learning and reading enjoyable for children. Through Susan’s collection, I learned about Youngzine, an online news magazine for school aged children — [...]
Posted in Books, Games, Literacy, Literature, Reading, Writing Tags: Book Chook, Books, childrens literacy, literacy, play, reading, Writing Comments OffFavorite Halloween Books for Little Kids
Posted by ginac on October 5th, 2011
As a young child, my favorite Halloween book was “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. Even though I read it over and over, I always hoped the Great Pumpkin would show itself at the end of the book. That’s the best thing about good books — they inspire our imaginations. We don’t care for [...]
10 Great Dragon Books Young Readers Will Enjoy
Posted by ginac on September 12th, 2011
Dragons are fascinating mythical creatures. They’re magical, beautiful, fierce, intelligent, fire-breathing creatures with powerful wings and shiny scales. Some stories feature evil dragons that guard the imprisoned princess or stolen treasure. Most of the dragon books that we prefer, however, feature good dragons that help the hero fight against evil. Here is a small collection of [...]
Cool Ways to Learn with Legos Beyond S.T.E.M.
Posted by ginac on August 29th, 2011
Most Lego fans are familiar with the connection between building with Legos and engineering, programming, and science. Lego Education products have awesome kits full of pulleys, gears, and even programmable robots that respond to light, motion, and more. But what about learning with Legos for kids who love to create stories, read, or create art? [...]
Posted in Activities, Learning Methods, LEGOs, Make, Online Tools, Reading, Science, STEAM, technology, Writing Tags: constructivism, Lego Minifigures, LEGOs, Mindstorms, S.T.E.A.M., S.T.E.M., Seymour Papert Comments OffCorner Bookmarks You Can Make
Posted by ginac on August 18th, 2011
If you are a reading family or just have tons of reference books for your home learning library, you’ll like this project. It’s a fun project, so don’t make just one bookmark. Get the family to make their very own bookmarks, or just have the kids create one for each family member. The great thing [...]
Ten Unusual Ways to Explore Literature
Posted by ginac on August 10th, 2011
Literature is such a powerful learning tool, especially for project-based, child-led learning. However, many of us approach learning assessment through quizzes and discussions. What if we found unusual, more creative ways to engage learners with literature? Christina Pilkington of the fabulous Interest-Led learning blog, shares some great but non-traditional techniques and resources for exploring literature. [...]
Posted in Activities, Books, Language Arts, Reading Tags: child-led learning, Eclectic Homeschooling, Literature, Unit Study, Unschooling 2 Comments »Favorite Harry Potter Book?
Posted by ginac on July 13th, 2011
What’s your favorite Harry Potter book? Spotty Banana loves them all but enjoyed reading the Deathly Hallows the most. Interestingly, our favorite movie doesn’t match our favorite book, but that’s the subject of a different poll!
Posted in Harry Potter, News, Reading Tags: Books, chamber of secrets, deathly hallows, goblet of fire, half-blood prince, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, order of the phoenix, sorcerer's stone Comments Off
