Reading and Language Arts
Explore the world of words with your kids! Encourage them to love reading and help them improve their language arts skills with these games, printables, and activities.
"Fill in the Blank" Verse for Kids
Kids can print out and use this fill-in-the-blank sheet to create a poem. read more
"Painting Word Pictures" Writing Activity
"Painting Word Pictures" Writing Activity Descriptive writing plays a big part in writing stories, but it stands on its own as a specific type of writing. It is, in fact, a lot like painting a picture with words. A good piece of descriptive writing uses detailed, vivid words to describe all the facets of a person, place, thing, or idea. Painting Word Pictures is a quick activity to help your child practice the power of using detailed description. read more
"Stone Soup" Storytelling Activity
"Story Stone Soup" Storytelling Activity This activity combines a nature walk, a craft activity, and the concept of the classic tale Stone Soup to give your child a creative way to practice his storytelling skills. Since you'll need to gather and create your story stones before using them, when you first try this activity it may spread out over a couple of days. Once the stones are collected and made, though, you'll be able to pick them up anytime you're looking for something fun to do. Skills Being Practiced read more
10 Best Apps to Help Kids Learn to Read
*/ /*-->*/ From learning the alphabet to stringing letter sounds together, reading requires a foundation of many skills. These interactive apps can help provide the building blocks of reading, focusing on literacy skills including phonetic awareness, site words, letter recognition, and letter sounds. Looking for more educational apps? Check out our Appy Friday series! read more
10 Best E-Reading Apps for Kids
Whether your child likes reading fiction, non-fiction, magazines, or storybooks, these top-rated apps will help build her own personal library and encourage her love of reading. read more
10 Everyday Ways to Keep Your Child Reading While Having Fun
Reading is one of the most important skills you should try to boost outside of school. Foster your child's bookworm habits with these simple activities and tips that make reading so fun, he'll fill up his book chart in no time. read more
10 Free Summer Learning Printables for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners
Print these early reading, math, and learning worksheets to help your child prepare for preschool or kindergarten over the summer. Also, print this Preschool and Kindergarten Workbook for even more printables from our friends at Funbrain Jr. read more
10 Tips to Engage Reluctant Readers
According to the U.S Department of Education, a child's interest in reading for fun diminishes after the age of 3. Lack of interest, reading difficulties, and a fear of being made fun for what they read are all reasons why your child might be hesitant to pick up a book. Use these tips and ideas to help spark your child's interest in reading, and find out how to choose the right books in order to get the pages turning. read more
13 Best Kids' Books Turned Movies
*/ /*-->*/ Your favorite children's books are now major motion pictures! Check out which childhood favorites have been turned into movies, and find the perfect one to watch with your child. Then, talk to your child about how the movie and book compared. Looking for more? Use our Book Finder tool to search for new books for kids of all ages! Are you looking for more book ideas? read more
15-Year-Old with LD Won't Read
It's very hard to be motivated to read if reading is hard for you. read more
45 Years Old and Can't Spell
Learn where you can go to find out about organizations that focus on adult literacy. read more
5 Common Handwriting Struggles and How to Solve Them
Handwriting is a complex skill, so it isn't surprising that many children have a hard time mastering it. Poor handwriting skills can make your child stressed and anxious, cause problems with his or her schoolwork, and keep him or her from wanting to write. Here's what children struggle with the most when it comes to handwriting, and tips on how to help. read more
6 Benefits of Learning Handwriting in School
Is handwriting becoming a lost art? The new Common Core Standards adopted by most states in the U.S. make teaching cursive optional and up to individual states. The rise of technology in and out of the classroom means fewer kids are writing by hand in general. But many psychologists and education experts argue that handwriting — both in print and cursive — is still a highly valuable skill. Read on to learn some of the benefits of putting pen to paper! read more
A Day in the Life of...
A Day in the Life of...If you had to be a character from The Vile Village, who would you be? Would it be more fun to be the miserable Count Olaf, or perhaps one of the brave Baudelaire children? Choose a character and have some fun telling us what a day in your character's life would be like. Take a look at this example and then write your own! A Day in the Life of Count Olaf read more
A Flag About Me
Children create a diversity flag that celebrates the uniquely wonderful things about themselves. This activity coincides with the reading of the classic children's book, The Story of Ferdinand. It can also be used when studying and talking about diversity in the community and around the world. read more
A Great Reader, A Horrible Speller
Difficulty in the interpretation of word mechanics is cause for concern. read more
A Home for My Books
A Home for My BooksStarting a home library for your child shows him how important books are. Having books of his own in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more. What you need: read more
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
A Picture's Worth a Thousand WordsBooks that have no words, just beautiful pictures, invite you and your child to use your imagination and make up your own stories. What you need: read more
ADD, Low IQ, and Reading
A mother seeks help for her son with ADD, a low IQ, and reading difficulty. read more
Address Book
Address BookKeeping track of the addresses of friends and family members helps your child practice his writing skills, learn about alphabetical order, and learn how to write addresses correctly. Materials Pencil, pen, or marker Index cards Ruled paper Blank address book or small notebook Stationery and postage stamps (optional)Directions read more
ADHD and Handwriting
Many students with ADHD do in fact have problems with the fine motor coordination necessary for writing. read more
ADHD and Summer Reading
Find some tips for helping reluctant readers with ADHD. read more
ADHD and Written Expression Disorder
Many children with ADHD also have problems with writing, but there are no quick solutions to written expression disorders. read more
Advanced Curious George Double Vision Activity
Promote attention to detail with this visual discrimination game. Children must closely compare and contrast these two Curious George illustrations to find twelve subtle differences. read more
Age-by-Age Guide to Classic Books Every Kid Should Read
*/ /*-->*/ Has your child read the classics? Check out a sampling of beloved, must-read books for babies, toddlers, children, and teens, by the likes of Louisa May Alcott, Beatrix Potter, J.R.R. Tolkien, and E.B. White. They're sure to enchant and entertain your child and live on in our libraries for generations to come. Looking for more? Use our Book Finder tool to search for new books for kids of all ages! read more
Antonyms and Synonyms
Opposites and similar meanings are reviewed. read more
Balloon Connect the Dots
Connect the dots! Learn the letters of the alphabet and practice good pencil skills with this fun balloon dot-to-dot. read more
Be True to Yourself Book
Students create a book about themselves after reading the children's classic book, The Story of Ferdinand. The students' books explore diversity and what makes each person unique. read more
