ZoomerOne Family Links

• Skewl Sites: The Best of Educational Web Sites: Language Arts (http://www.skewlsites.com/language.htm) - Skewl Sites evolved from a monthly newsletter researched and written by practicing teachers. This listing of quality Web sites is from their Language Arts/Humanities section with sites for students and teachers in the primary grades.
• The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (http://www.grammarbook.com/) - "Jane Straus's easy-to-use reference guide and workbook is now available as an online resource. This popular book is an indispensable and entertaining guide for writers, proofreaders, editors, managers, clerical staff, teachers, and students. Use this site to find the answers to your questions concerning proper English grammar and punctuation." Check out her helpful links, too.
• Biography.com: The Web's Best Bios (http://www.biography.com/) - Search or browse this comprehensive, authoritative database for biographies of notable personalities from antiquity to the present, with more recent entries including photographs, list of works, video, and related Web links. Entries come from the Cambridge Encyclopedia Database, the Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, and A&E television.
• Bookjackets.com (http://www.bookjackets.com/) - This is an award-winning "interactive website created by kids, for kids, that invites you to meet the authors, explore new books, and to Reach For Words," focusing on children's literature and children's authors, grades 3-8.
• So You Have to Do a Research Project (http://www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/research.html) - "This site was created by Connie Malinowski Zack, Librarian at Cole Junior High in East Greenwich, RI as part of a Model Classroom Initiative funded by the Rhode Island Foundation and the Gates Foundation." It has just about everything you would need to know about writing a research project, for teachers and students, grades 4-8.
• PBS Kids (http://pbskids.org/) - This is the home page for kids on PBS programs, along with interactive reading related games, music, stories, coloring, and current events of interest.
• GameGoo: Educational Games for Kids (http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooey.html) - This is very fun, interesting site brought to us by Cognitive Concepts, Inc., a leader in the literacy learning solutions. The games are some of the best out there on the Web for developing early reading skills.
• Giggle Poetry: Funny Poetry for Children (http://www.gigglepoetry.com/) - "Giggle Poetry is the premier web site for humorous children's verse on the web."
• Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock (http://www.postdiluvian.org/~gilly/Schoolhouse_Rock/HTML/grammar/grammar.html) - An oldie (1973) but a goodie, the Grammar Rock songs helped many to understand the parts of speech. This site provides the lyrics for each of these teaching tools, although I recommend borrowing the tapes from a public library or purchasing them to show in class.
• Writing Bug (http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/writing_bugs.shtml) - Brought to us by the Education World directory, "Writing Bug provides a story starter or journal writing activity for elementary school students each week. A fairly lengthy annotated list can be found at this site.

• Librarians' Index to the Internet (http://lii.org/) - Their motto is Information You Can Trust. LII is a "searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 12,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries. LII is used by both librarians and the general public as a reliable and efficient guide to Internet resources."
• DiscoverySchool.com's Student Guide: Homework Help & More! (http://school.discovery.com/students/) - DiscoverySchool.com has "tools to help you study, games to challenge your mind, and tons of great clip art to use. In addition, there are nearly a dozen learning adventures that let you explore everything from Ancient Egypt to the Space Station." This is great for students.
• EduHound: Everything for K-12 Education (http://www.eduhound.com/mainpage.cfm) - "We've tracked it down, so you don't have to." Includes K-12 resources on every subject. Check out the "Student Resources" and the subject categories, especially "Language Arts."
• Great Web Sites for Kids (http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ALSC/Great_Web_Sites_for_Kids/Great_Web_Sites_for_Kids.htm) - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) network of over librarians, children's literature experts, and publishers bring us this excellent collection of evaluated Web sites for kids up to age 14. Check out the "Literature & Languages" section.
• HomeworkSpot: Elementary Language Arts (http://homeworkspot.com/elementary/language/) - HomeworkSpot is a free, award-winning useful and engaging information portal/resource for first-class study/homework help for K-12 students. This link takes you to the "Elementary Language Arts" section, featuring "General Sites," specialized "Topics," "Quick Reference," and more!
• Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Literature and Language Arts Resources (http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/arts/artlit.html) - This is an excellent page with many helpful links to quality literature and language arts Web resources for kids and teachers.
• KidsKonnect (http://www.KidsKonnect.com/SubjectIndexHome.html) - a dynamic educational Web site for kids, young adults, teachers, and parents. Their target audience is kids, using many animations and graphics. Subjects of interest here include "Language Arts" and "Reading." Check out their "Alphabetized List," too.
• KidSpace @ The Internet Public Library (http://ipl.si.umich.edu/kidspace/browse/rzn0000) - Superb kids section of the Internet Public Library, provides sites arranged by topic. Check out the "Reading Zone" subject collection section for information on reading and writing, as well as the "Reference" subject collection and the "Say Hello" and "Story Hour" KidSpace special features, among others.
• Middle School Hub: Language Arts (http://middleschoolhub.org/school/english.cfm) - This is the entertaining Language Arts page of Middle School Hub, a portal to free interactive "educational games, puzzles, and quizzes for middle school students," which covers the areas of the "Spelling Lessons," "Vocabulary Lessons," and "Word Games" for students, grades 5-8. Notes that some of their learning activities/quizzes require the latest version of the free Flash Player.
• Yahooligans!: The Web Guide for Kids: Language Arts (http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/School_Bell/Language_Arts/) - this is a very good comprehensive and interactive directory intended for students, with this link taking you to their "School Bell: Language Arts" section.