Synonyms and Free Rice

Freerice.com donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme for each correct answer. Click the image above, or right here to help end hunger and expand your vocabulary.

Newsela

Newsela is a website that offers nonfiction news articles for readers of all levels. Readers can adjust the Lexile level of every article. Take the quiz after reading to check for understanding. Click here to explore current events around the world.

Storyline Online

At Storyline Online, famous actors read picture books aloud. Minimally animated illustrations are included.

Murky Along the Way

Poetry rounds out the year in writing workshop. This haiku narrative was written back in college for a children's literature class. After scanning and tweaking the art a bit in Photoshop, then digitizing everything through Flipsnack, it's now available here for everyone to read.

myON

myON offers thousands of books tailored to kids' interests and Lexile reading levels. Access your account by selecting Chase Street Elementary as your school. Enter your six digit lunch number for the username and password.

International Children's Digital Library

The International Children's Library, or ICDL, has a free catalog of children's books from around the world. New titles are translated and added all the time. Search by age, length, language (over 50!), or category. They even have books from the 1800s! Click the image above, or right here to explore.

CBBC Newsround

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround

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Children's BBC has a news page just for kids. Click here to explore the latest news, from Cecil the lion, to Lionel Messi.

Pronoun Practice

Possessive Noun Practice Games

 

Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Rhyming Dictionary

Word Central is perfect for young writers looking for just the right word.

Close and Critical Reads

Close reading is when a person dives deeper into a text to figure out what it all means. How does this connect to something else I have read? What is the main idea? How are the author's ideas organized? What are some of the key words I need to understand, and how are they related?

Critical reading occurs when that person digs even deeper into the text. How do I feel about what I just read? What is the author not saying? Does this have anything to do with me? How does the author feel? Does the author do a good job in communicating their ideas? If I was the author, what would I do differently? How does this connect to the world around me? Can I figure out motivation? What questions do I still have?

The human mind is like a lightbulb. Even when the lightbulb is on, it can become dusty and dim. When someone can read a piece of text, the lightbulb is on. They recognize the letters and words, but they can't really see what it means because everything is a bit dark. Reading closely and critically dusts off the lightbulb. When it shines brightly, the person sees and understands how the world really works. Click the the image above, or right here to begin dusting off your lightbulb.

Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan's books are beautifully written and illustrated. The Lost Thing, was made into a movie nominated for an academy award. To visit his website, click here. Watch a video interview about The Arrival here.

Wordle

Copy & paste, or type any amount of text, and Wordle creates a customizable word cloud.  Click here to seed your own.

Reader's Workshop, Week 26

Authors write for a reason, so we're reading a variety of texts to determine whether the purpose is to inform, entertain, or persuade.  To think critically about what authors want us to think or feel, we need to read a variety of texts.  Click the image above, or right here to practice.

Reading/Language Arts Prezi

Quarter 2 Reading/Language Arts Review on Prezi

Prezi is cloud-based and zoomable.  That means you can create floating presentations with text, photos, drawings, or video on any computer with an internet connection. Zooming allows the user to hide things, like the popular I Spy books.  The only drawback is that it requires an email address.

After the break, students will begin to create their own.  In the meantime, please explore the review above.  Click "More" to toggle full screen, then wait for it to download. The toolbar on the right zooms in and out, and takes you to the home view.  It's a work in progress, so check back for additional content throughout the year. 

Ticket to Read

Improve your reading skills from any computer with internet access at Ticket to Read.

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein's art and poems found in Where the Sidewalk Ends, and A Light in the Attic, are third grade favorites.  To visit his website, and read his poetry, click here.

Indykids Newspaper

Indykids is a free, online newspaper for kids.  To read about people and events around the world, click here.