Literacy Lava – A downloadable pdf written by multiple contributors and filled with lots of ideas to improve literacy at home and in everyday life.
Language Arts
Make Beliefs Comix – Create your own comix “in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Latin!”
Making an Alphabet Book by Kathryn Stout. You could get as creative and crafty as you want, but this gives you a good guide to get started.
Spelling Rules. “Very few spelling rules are effective in teaching spelling. For a rule to be valid, it must apply to a large number of words and have few exceptions. Following are rules that meet this definition.”
Education Pages | DonPotter.net. “This page is dedicated to the dissemination of materials of value to parents and educators interested in improving the quality of education in America and throughout the English speaking world.”
FreeRice – Answer the vocabulary questions and “[f]or each answer you get right, we donate 10 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger.” Watch out, this is addictive. For older students (and parents).
Confusing Words. “a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused.”
Bembo’s Zoo. A must see.
Strunk, William, Jr. 1918. The Elements of Style “…this classic reference book is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated.”
GrammarNOW! – a site “dedicated to answering grammar and composition questions.”
Wacky Web Tales. Enter your nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. in the list and see how your words create a goofy story in the end!
Vocabulary.com – English vocabulary puzzles and activities using Latin and Greek roots.
What’s the Big Idea? for lower to upper elementary.
Address Practice Craft Printable. A great way to learn your address, practice handwriting and how to address letters
Create Your Own Printable Handwriting Worksheets Just type in the words to practice, pick a font style (traditional or modern manuscript), include instructions to display on the worksheet if you like and click “create worksheet”! Easy peasy.
Fake Out! A game in which you “choose a word and guess its definition.” Or, make up your own definition to a given word and then check back in a few weeks to see how many people chose your definition! (K-8)
News for YOU – Each article is accompanied by various activities and discussion questions to aid in comprehension. The articles are relatively current and “timeless” in nature. These articles are appropriate for grade 2 and up and might be a good introduction to a regular newspaper.
Every-Day Edits – for upper elementary; learn about various historical events in the process
Animals A to Z Edits – for lower elementary; learn about animals in the process
Writing Bugs – There are some cute starters here to get the creative juices flowing. Some are fun (“You can decorate one room any way you want…”), some are serious (“Write about a goal you’d like to achieve in the year ahead.”)
Handwriting Worksheets and Printable Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten – There is a wealth of activities here for the younger set.
Copywork – This is a very helpful article if you are wondering about copywork, how to do it and its benefits. The Charlotte Mason method is particularly encouraging of copywork.
If you’ve got a leftie (I do!), there are some special things to consider when teaching handwriting. Here are three resources that offer some great tips:
How to Hold a Pencil – Draw Your World – Correct Pencil Grip – with diagrams and tips
Downloadable & printable grammar & writing workbooks for grades 1-6 – Very nice workbooks!
Sandpaper Letters II – a great idea for the kinesthetic learner
Alphabet Preschool Activities and Crafts – Printables, worksheets, book recommendations, crafts, etc.
Easy, Fun Spelling: My No-Cost Approach for Kindergarten/First Grade – THis is a simple and practical approach to teaching spelling. A good sampling of spelling lists are provided.
Jan Brett Alphabet – These would be a great reference guide for any handwriting curriculum. The illustrations are wonderful. You could even print them on cardstock (and frame them?!) and decorate a room, they’re that sweet. Or hang them on the wall of your schooling room. Choose from traditional manuscript, cursive manuscript and modern manuscript.
Alphabet (ABC’s) Theme – If you’re teaching the letters, this is a great resource