Paranormal Prose Flash Fiction Slam for Halloween

Host a flash fiction slam for Halloween and you're students will love you forever! It's easy. Just give them paper, pencil and some quiet time to write. Don't get too fussy about subject--let them explore paranormal, haunted, ghosts, zombies, witches. It doesn't mean you approve. But kids love ghost stuff. Trying to quell will only make them run to it. So let them express that inner EA Poe. Encourage them to read aloud. Serve snacks and flavored coffee afterwards (very adult). No contests or prizes--just a good old slam. Paranormal Prose Flash Fiction Slam for Halloween

Free Poetry Writing Prompts, Poem Games, Activities

April is National Poetry Month. For online writers, it's NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writer Month). And what better month to celebrate than April with spring awakening, nature busting out all over and Earth Day nestled in? Want to join the poem-penning but don't know where to begin? Here are poem writing prompts, story starters and word games to call forth your inner bard! Perfect for homeschooler parents, English and creative writing teachers.

Verse-adventure: Hands down, there's no better poetry muse than mother nature. Get outside and start your poem quest. Pack a bag with pen, paper, thesaurus and blanket. Station yourself in a garden. Walk in the woods. Sit on the beach. Observe the elements: wind, sun, water. Notice the flora and fauna: trees, flowers, animals, land formations. Jot down sensory details--colors, sounds, smells, shapes. Check your thesaurus for new, fresh words to express ideas. Free Poetry Writing Prompts, Poem Games, Activities 

Free Printable Literature Activities, Reading Games, Writing Prompts

Looking for inspiring back-to-school activities to get kids excited about learning? Or maybe you need to supplement homeschool or classroom curriculum? Look no further. Scholastic is your one-stop source for free printable hands-on lessons and activities. Use these activities during the summer to keep kids reading through vacation.  Free Summer Learning Enrichment Activities

Onomatopoeia in Works of Fiction: Dickens, Poe, Lewis Carrol

Onomatopoeia: Words that Name Sounds Onomatopoeia (ah-nuh-mah-tuh-pee-uh) is as much fun to say as it is to write. Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek words meaning 'name' and 'I make'. Onomatopoeia is a long word that means 'sound words'; words named for the sounds they make. Read More