Good morning, welcome to our Homeschool Resources: Reading. I would like to ask you to take a look at the resources I’ve shared with you and let me know if you have used these with your students and what you thought of the resources and why.
Reading Assistant Plus uses patented technology to listen as the student reads each word aloud and delivers immediate support whenever a learner struggles with or mispronounces a word.
Shmoop.com: Find a Study Guide
Grades 7-12, with parental supervision
This ad-supported website offers free, web-based reference guides for studying literature, poetry, and more to make learning and writing more fun and relevant for students in the digital age.
The content is written primarily by Ph.D. and Masters students from top universities including Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale who specialize in “everything from Shakespeare to Victorian literature to African literature…” Shmoop’s laid-back and often humorous approach to the material is really engaging.
When you click on the above link, you’ll land on the literature page where you’ll see a menu of literary works by authors such as Jane Austen, Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, George Orwell, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, and more.
Click on any one and a new page opens with a Navigation menu displayed.
Then check out the top menu for more Free Stuff and more Subjects including English and Writing. Access to all of this rich content is free, without obligation.
NOTE: Because this site links to exterior websites that we have not reviewed, PARENTS SHOULD PREVIEW THE CONTENT TO DETERMINE SUITABILITY.
Finally, we’d like to reiterate that one of the best aspects of this site is the way humor is used to engage students. Students will find the captivating banter irresistible. Just browsing the site can ignite interest in literature, so bookmark it to return often
Achieve3000 Literacy is designed to increase students’ ability to read, comprehend, apply, and communicate information derived from complex text. Web-based technology determines your child’s reading level and delivers reading materials that match their learning needs precisely.
Library of Congress: Books That Shaped America’s History
Grades 5 & up, with parental supervision
The Library of Congress has a current exhibition called “Books That Shaped America” that highlights books that have had a historical impact on the lives of Americans through the ages.
The titles featured are by American authors and as the website explains, ” Some of the titles on display have been the source of great controversy, even derision, yet they nevertheless shaped Americans’ views of their world and often the world’s view of the United States.” The Library of Congress encourages visitors to read the books exhibited to explore the breadth and depth of America’s literary tradition.
This online exhibit presents a unique opportunity to identify books of historical importance by era. When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of featured “Themes” or periods of time, with icon images of a few of the book titles. Click on the link that says “View all items…” under each era including:
- 1750 to 1800 – Find book titles such as, Experiments and Observations on Electricity by Benjamin Franklin, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, and even the first American cookbook.
- 1800 to 1850 – You’ll find Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a book featuring papers written by Lewis & Clark about their great expedition, and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas. You’ll discover why these books were of great historical importance
- 1850 to 1900 – The titles here will most likely be much more familiar and include,The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and many more.
- 1900 to 1950 – Book titles you’ll recognize include The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Jack London’s Call of the Wild, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and more.
- 1950 to 2000 – Discover Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Double Helix by James D. Watson, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, etc.
Click on any book image and a new page opens that explains what the book is about and why it is Historically significant. Some of the explanations are thought-provoking – and could stimulate lots of discussions.
You might want to copy the titles and use them as a guide the next time you head to the library for a good read.
Actively Learn English Language Arts
Actively Learn ELA is an award-winning digital curriculum that drives student engagement through deeper learning with flexible features and comprehensive resources that empower parents to deepen students’ comprehension and customize their approach to learning anytime, anywhere.
Can Teach: Kids’ Novel & Picture Book Activities!
Grades K-7, with parental supervision
Can Teach is an education website with lots of curricula resources designed for use in the classroom – although most can be tweaked for homeschoolers.
When you get to this page of the site, you will find a free selection of fun activities that are based on popular children’s novels and picture books.
For example, here is what you will find by clicking on the following titles:
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White — directions for how to make a spider.
- It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw — an activity designed around squiggle drawings.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl — a recipe for making chocolate treats.
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett — an activity to help students understand character development in a story.
When you are through exploring this section of the site, click on Elementary Resources>English Language Arts on the menu at the top of the screen. You’ll find information and activities to teach:
- Beginning Reading and Writing
- Composition
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
- Writing Prompts & Journal Topics
- ~And More!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
