Making Language Arts Fun: An Online Guide
While reading classic novels, diagramming sentences and writing five-paragraph essays may be fun for an English teacher, it is rarely as exciting for students. However, when you bring technology or at least the Internet into the equation, language arts can be a lot of fun. From interactive eBooks to interactive learning games, the Internet is full of opportunities to help students see reading books, learning grammar and building vocabulary words a little differently. With technology, boring five-paragraph essays can also be seen in a new light with unique publishing resources and creative opportunities. Most students are not verbal/linguistic learners; English/language arts teachers must keep that in mind as they help students see the value in learning to read and write.
Interactive reading activities and non-traditional reading materials help make reading entertaining for both beginning and struggling readers. From phonics and sight words to comprehension activities, these activities are designed to help students become stellar readers. They can also motivate disinterested readers to pick up a book and begin to see the importance of making reading a regular activity.
- Starfall – Beginning readers can learn their phonics through interactive stories and fun activities.
- Roy the Zebra – Kids will enjoy the guided reading stories featuring Roy the Zebra and the worksheets and interactive activities to accompany them.
- PBS Reading Games – Many of kids’ favorite PBS characters and shows are featured in games designed to teach them to read.
- Get Ready to Read – Read a chapter of Get Ready to Read’s story featuring characters from Between the Lions, then play a related game.
- Book Adventure – Kids are motivated to read with Book Adventure’s online reading program, which has them take quizzes based on books they have read and rewards them with prizes.
- Storyline Online – Listen to favorite stories read by members of the Screen Actors Guild and see favorite characters come to life in a new way.
- Funbrain: Reading – Read excerpts from popular novels for pre-teens or fill in MadLibs to create silly stories.
Grammar Games and Activities
Very few students enjoy conjugating verbs and diagramming sentences. Instead of making students groan when it comes time to learn the basic elements of English grammar, spice up grammar instruction a little. Many interactive grammar activities present the elements of grammar in entertaining ways, allowing students to use grammar to come up with silly stories and apply their knowledge of grammar to accomplish entertaining tasks.
- Grammar Blast – Grammar Blast covers the basics of grammar for kids in second through fifth grade through its interactive lessons and games.
- Grammaropolis – Pay a visit to Grammaropolis, a city all about grammar with boroughs for each part of speech and featuring animated videos and songs using those parts of speech.
- Grammar Gorillas – Help the Grammar Gorillas identify the parts of speech in these interactive grammar activities.
- Maggie’s Earth Adventures – Play games related to nouns and verbs, editing for grammar and using prefixes and suffixes.
Spelling/Vocabulary Games and Activities
You may be able to get by without knowing how to spell or define antidisestablishmentarianism, but the same is not true for many other words. A dictionary is useless if you do not have some idea of how to spell a word and a thesaurus can easily get you in trouble if you do not know enough vocabulary rules to determine the general meaning of a word. Reading the dictionary cover to cover is not the most exciting, or efficient way to build spelling and vocabulary skills, but online games and interactive activities can help build a strong knowledge of words.
- Free Rice – Donate grains of rice to the World Food Programme while learning new vocabulary words.
- Wordshake – Try to make as many words as possible in three minutes using the letters found on the grid.
- Vocabulary Workshop –Play hangman, review flash cards or complete word searches and crosswords that correspond to vocabulary lists designed to appeal to students at multiple levels.
- Spelling City – Practice spelling words and build vocabulary with Spelling City’s vocabulary lists and interactive practice activities.
- Wordle – Create unique graphics with lists of key vocabulary words or spelling words.
Writing and Publishing
Most of the writing people do in life will not be in the form of a five-paragraph essay. Therefore, student writing should not always have to take that form. Think outside of the box when it comes to publishing both creative and informative pieces of writing, using the Internet to expand the audience and change up the form to make writing fun.
- Glogster – Instead of a traditional blog, publish writing in the form of a Glog, a collection of words, images, audio and video.
- Xtranormal – Tell a story, give a speech or share a presentation through a short animated video rather than a traditional paper.
- Story Jumper – Turn a story into a picture book, adding your own graphics or graphics from the Story Jumper library. The story can then be shared through social media or e-mail.
- Writing with Writers – Professional writers provide their tips for writing all sorts of pieces from news reports and book reviews to mysteries and folktales.
- My Story Maker – Create silly stories by manipulating the characters and objects that are part of the My Story Maker set.
- Wacky Web Tales – Fill in a few key details, then read your wacky web story.