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 Printable Literature, Math, Writing, Reading Activities for Kids

 Parents and teachers, looking for free, fun ways to keep kids reading and learning all summer long? 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.

Scroll down the parent page for gobs of free printable literature-based activities. For kids ages 4-7, there's a plethora of free printable math, science, reading and writing activities. Scholastic has printable games, puzzles, coloring pages and lessons for preschoolers. Woven in are book themes, holidays, weather, animals and favorite characters. For grades 1-2, Scholastic has free printable science crafts, booklets on math and writing, graphic organizers, grammar and spelling activities, writing prompts and frames and reading games. Free Printable Literature, Math, Writing, Reading Activities for Kids

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 

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

Kids World Poetry

Childrens' Poetry Around the World Poetry is the color of music, the rhyme of the rainbow, and the rhythm of life. Poetry is ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods, nourishment for the soul. Here are some collections of poetry which you can celebrate with a child. View more »

Free printable lesson Plans from The Mysteries of Harris Burdic by Chris VanAllsburg

Inspire and Enthrall Students with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Want to go on an adventure with a book like none other? Run, don't walk to the library to get The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris VanAllsburg (The Polar Express, Jumanji)! It reminds me of an M.C. Escher image in real life. This is the very best thing VanAllsburg has ever done and that's saying a lot! I introduced Harris Burdick to students in 1986--they were agog and couldn't put it down. We got some very inventive stories from those images. View more »