Make your own E-Book for iPad

From langwitches, http://www.scribd.com/langwitches, here is a cool and easy way to create your very own E-Book for iPad:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59261208/Create-your-own-E-Book-for-your-iPad

So have fun brainstorming and creating!

How To Read Aloud to Children to Increase Growth in Vocabulary

I ran across a new blog with an informative article on how to use read alouds to increase vocabulary growth. Check this site if you would like to become more skillful in how to use reading aloud to your child to aide in grow their vocabulary in fun ways.

http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-read-aloud-to-children-to.html

Help for Struggling Readers from The Electric Company

Through the use of celebrities, comedy and current music, The Electric Company and Thinkfinity team up to help struggling readers. Videos, activities, interactive games and award-winning multi-media literacy offer high interest content, from music to sports to outer space to captivate and motivate young readers.

The site offers something for children, parents and teachers. Check it out here:
http://www.thinkfinity.org/the-electric-company-feature

50th Anniversary of NASA

Wow! If you are a space geek, like me, you are going to love NASA's 50th Anniversary site. Along with tour guide Automa and a time-line that allows users to explore NASA's past, present and future, visitors can spend hours re-living NASA's accomplishments, disappointments, triumphs, failures and hope for the future. This site is a wonderful mixture of science and history. Fun for kids of all ages, visit http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/50th/main.html . Be sure to share this with your future astronauts!

National Geographic Education Teachers Beta

National Geographic has a completely redesigned beta website for teachers. The site is still under development. This is a seek preview. They appreciate your feedback as new content and features are added. According to the website, "This beta site is just the first phase of a next-generation website with a wide range of free educational resources that bring geography, science, and social studies to life for educators, learners, and their families".

Please visit http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/edu/ to check out all the new features.

Check out Scholastic's live vocabulary competition on April 27th with Word Girl at http://scholastic.com/wordgirl/. Sign up for the free webcast which includes a free ebook.

Vocabulary.com helps you learn new vocabulary in a fun game quiz format by tracking the words you miss, then adding them to a list of words that you are learning. Based on those words you miss, a prediction is made about words you don't know and then they teach them to you. Your progress is tracked as you master new words and grow in your vocabulary knowledge.

Check it out. It is fun and free at vocabulary.com!

Read Every Day!

Encourage your child to enter Scholastic's Read Every Day contest to have a chance to win a custom home library and a poster from Taylor Swift. There will be 31 winners and you can enter every day. Last day to enter is November 26, 2010. The contest's goal is to promote daily reading, of anything - newspapers, magazines, on-line texts, even books! Go to the following link and sign up today! http://www.scholastic.com/readeverydaysweeps/

Read Every Day

Its Time to Buy the Cards!

Well, its time to start getting serious about the upcoming holiday season. I knew it was time when riding down the main street of my town (before Halloween) and saw the Christmas banners already posted on the streetlamps! But I am a step ahead because last year's one snow event furnished me with a great picture that I plan to use for this year's Christmas card. This will be a simple and stress free task by using Shutterfly's holiday cards. I will simply chose my favorite card design from their Christmas cards designs or Christmas photo cards . This year I have chosen the Gifted Tag Christmas 4 x 8 photo card for 1 to 2 photos. I will then upload my photo or photos directly from my computer. I can then add text and other finishing touches. After that I will decide how many cards I need, and order! Mark that job off the list!

Scholastic Launches You Are What You Read

Scholastic has launched a new social networking site for those who love books and reading and to help promote the importance of reading. Users may list the five books that have had the biggest impact on their lives. They will also find the "bookprints" of many recognizable names from education, media, publishing, entertainment and more. Users will have the choice of several activities and have the opportunity to interact with others who share a love of reading and books. The site is a part of the celebration of Scholastic's 90th anniversary and is a part of their global literacy campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. For further information visit:
http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/adults/ .

Free Phonics All-in-One Reading Program

For parents, teachers, tutors, or anyone who wants to teach a child to read, Progressive Phonics is a free resource available on-line. Books and worksheets are available for downloading or can be viewed on-line. Free registration is required, but you can view sample books before registering. Check it out at this link:

http://www.progressivephonics.com/

Roald Dahl Day - September 13th

Today is officially Roald Dahl Day. You may recognize him as the author of James and The Giant Peach, Matilda, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and more. To help celebrate you can download a party pack which comes complete with activities, printables, instructions, historic facts and party or lesson ideas. Make your Roald Dahl Day a great one by visiting the following web site:

http://www.roalddahlday.info/Resources.aspx

Become a Revolting Reader by reading three Roald Dahl books. Check out the details at

http://www.roalddahlday.info/Competition.aspx

Tha Cat Tips His Hat to Science

On Labor Day PBS introduces "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" It is a new PBS series that will be introduced on Labor Day. Based on Random House's Learning Library series, it is a half-hour program with Martin Short as the voice of the Cat. The Cat leads his viewers to explore the natural science world, helping them learn through daily adventures.

This is a link to fun online games and activities.

http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/

Rooting For New Words

Helping children become familiar with common root words helps them figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words. Here is a game that teachers and parents can use to help from ReadWriteThink called Make-a-Word Card Game:
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/printouts/make-word-card-game-30249.html

The Online Etymology Dictionary http://www.etymonline.com/index.php is a great resource for understanding what words meant and how they sounded in years past.

Inspire Reading with Ramona and Beezus

Take your children to see "Ramona and Beezus", but be prepared to read the books! You and your children will love Beverly Cleary's wonderful character and will want to follow all of Ramona's adventures. Get a preview of the fun at the following links. Go see the movie, then be ready to whip out the library card on the way home!

Have fun and happy reading!

(If the links won't work, copy and paste the address in your browser address bar).

http://www.ramonaandbeezus.com/


http://books.google.com/books?id=lw6K8J8-KRoC&dq=ramona+and+beezus&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=wPJKTICMMYL_8Ab8tYk1&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Vocabahead

Easter Fun in Peter Rabbit's World

Second Grade's President Day Program

Second Grade's President Day Program