Please pardon our dust; this page is under construction. We will be adding more resources shortly.
Quick Index:
Testing:
Standardized Testing
Test-Taking Strategies
Inspiring Books:
Creative Writing
Essay & Research PapersGrammar Multiple Areas
Distance Learning:
Elementary Level
Secondary Level
AP English
Teaching Materials:
Books to Teach Writing
Critical Thinking
Curriculum Planning
Language Arts Games
Writing-Related Software
Other Information:
Articles
Learning Differences
For Kids & Teens +:
Books & Authors -- Online
Nonfiction Books for Fun
Vocabulary Games -- Online
Writing Opportunities
Parents, Teachers, & Kids
Please note that the links provided are not an endorsement of any product or service. The links are supplied only as suggestions to our users.
SAT Registration, SAT Prep, College Guides Has information on SAT I, SAT II, PSAT/NMSQT, AP, CLEP tests, and much more.
New SAT: The Writing Section Gives a breakdown of the changes to the new SAT, coming March 2005.
New SAT: Rubric for Writing Section Includes a detailed list of what is expected to attain a certain score.
Barron's How to Prepare for the AP United States History Advanced Placement Examination Gives information to teach essay writing and test-taking strategies, mostly for writing. Barron's other corresponding AP guides for US. Government, English, etc. supposedly are just as good for writing as the AP U.S. History guide.
Becoming a Master Student by Dave Ellis Has information on Learning styles, time management, memory, reading, test-taking strategies, thinking, and much more. Each chapter also highlights a master student. Benjamin Franklin, for example, is the master student in the first chapter.
Inspiring Books
Sahara Special by Esme Rajii Codell
Online Writing Help
Reading & Writing Guides Index Includes a set of guides on taking notes, reading essays, writing various types of essays, etc. (From the University of St. Thomas)
The Five Paragraph Essay Gives a basic overview of the five-paragraph essay. (From the University of St. Thomas)
History Writing Guides Has information on writing essays and research papers, as well as reading primary and secondary sources. Additionally, this site has examples of good and bad writing. (From Bowdoin College)
The Five Paragraph Essay Wizard -- How to write the essay Gives information on the various types of essays with links to examples of each type.
Basic Guide to Essay Writing Uses buttons to literally step through the writing process of the essay, concluding with a sample.
Writing a Five Paragraph Essay Has information on writing various types of essays, as well as the writing process, some rhetorical techniques, etc.
Languages Has information on learning German, Latin, and English. For English, check out the sentence diagramming and Latin derivatives.
Online Writing Lab Provides information for secondary students and teachers and has information on teaching the gifted.
The Gifted Writer (Coming soon.)
Distance Learning for the Gifted
EPGY English Department Has courses for elementary and secondary students, including an AP English course. There are courses that cover expository writing, creative writing, and grammar. (This program is run by the Education Program for Gifted Youth at Stanford University.)
Virtual School for the Gifted Has gifted enrichment courses for any age; however, for very young children, parents are to check with the staff for permission. These courses tend to be very open-ended. (This program is run by the Virtual School for the Gifted in Australia.)
EPGY English Department Has courses for elementary and secondary students, including an AP English course. There are courses that cover expository writing, creative writing, and grammar. (This program is run by the Education Program for Gifted Youth at Stanford University.)
Gifted High School Courses Has several English courses for gifted students, including African-American Literature, American Literature: Society and Developing Identities, Critical Thinking, Her Stories: Women's Voices in American Literature, and King Arthur and the Middle Ages. (This distance-learning high-school program is run by the University of Missouri-Columbia.)
Honors Courses, Learning Links, Center for Talent Development Has several English honors courses, including English Vocabulary: An Etymological Approach, Creative Writing, Advanced Create Writing, Literary Analysis, Media and Dramatic Script Writing, Nonfiction Writing, Journalistic Writing. (This program is run by the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University.)
Virtual School for the Gifted Has gifted enrichment courses for any age; however, for very young children, parents are to check with the staff for permission. These courses tend to be very open-ended. (This program is run by the Virtual School for the Gifted in Australia.)
AP English (Advanced Placement):
EPGY Advanced Placement-level English Courses Prepares students for the English Language and Composition Advanced Placement Exam. (This program is run by the Education Program for Gifted Youth at Stanford University.)
AP English Literature - Fall (Online) (1st semester) Prepares students for the English Language and Composition Advanced Placement Exam. (This distance-learning high-school program is run by the University of Missouri-Columbia.)
AP English Literature - Spring (Online)(2nd semester) Prepares students for the English Language and Composition Advanced Placement Exam. (This distance-learning high-school program is run by the University of Missouri-Columbia.)
Teaching Materials
Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8
Writing Strands -- Books Designed for grades K-12.
- Reading Strands: Understanding Fiction
- Writing Strands: Evaluating Writing
- Writing Strands Level 1 through Level 7
- Writing Exposition
- Creating Fiction
- Dragonslaying Is for Dreamers (this comes with a manual for parents to help discuss the elements of fiction with the child)
Barron's How to Prepare for the AP United States History Advanced Placement Examination Gives information to teach essay writing and test-taking strategies, mostly for writing. Barron's other corresponding AP guides for US. Government, English, etc. supposedly are just as good for as the AP US History guide.
Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings by Ramage and Bean College-level book that uses the traditional approach to rhetoric.
Everything's an Argument by Andrea Lundsford College-level book that teaches rhetoric in a less formal, everyday way.
Readings for Writers by McCuen and Winkler AP English Textbook
When A Writer Can't Write: Studies in Writer's Block and Other Composing Problems edited by Mike Rose (limited availability)
A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers (a VERY complete guide) by Erika Lindemann
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Huddleston and Pullum A reference guide for grammar in the authors' words, aims to "outline and illustrate the principles that govern the construction of words and sentences...without recommending or condemning particular usage choices."
Foundation for Critical Thinking Has books, resources, events, etc.
Prufrock Press Has educational resources for teaching the gifted and talented.
- Great Critical Thinking Puzzles Grades 3-12
- Arguments A-1 Grades 7-12
Content Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners
Acronymity
Ad Liners
Bethump'd with Words
Boggle
Double Talk
Huggermugger
Mad libs (If you don't have a paper version handy, try the 2 online links below)
More Rummy Roots
Oxford Dilemma
Polyglot
Quiddler
Rummy Roots
Scattergories
Scrabble
Think of a Word
WFF 'N PROOF Instructional Games for Thinkers - Home & School
- LINGUISHTIK: The Language Game
- ON-WORDS: The Game of Word Structures
- QUERIES 'N THEORIES: The Game of Science and Language
- REDI-READ:Series of Games Designed to Stimulate Reading Development
- The MEDITATION Game: Thoughts and Relaxation
- The PROPAGANDA Game: Techniques of Persuasion
- WFF: The Beginner's game of Modern Logic
- WFF 'N PROOF: The Game of Modern Logic
Word Thief
Word Trek
- Editor-in-Chief This is a whole series for grades 3-12+
- Reading Detective Grades 3-12+
- Word Roots Grades 4-12+
Other Information
Grammar for Teachers Index Presents a list of articles for teachers of grammar.
Man of Letters (Requires a free account at Education Week.) Describes the struggle of a teacher at John Hopkin's CTY (Center for Talented Youth) distance writing program to learn how to teach creative writing.Ê
Rhetorical Grammar: A Modification Lesson Discusses grammar and how it fell out of favor in schools. Also, it gives ideas on teaching grammar in positive ways.
Standardized Tests with Writing Discusses timed writing tests.
For Kids & Teens +:
Books & Authors Has Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare for kids to young adults.
The authors Annie Dillard, Stephen Jay Gould, and Barbara Tuchman use creative writing techniques in their nonfiction books
Magic School Bus series
Time Warp Trio series
Horrible History series
Horrible Geography series
The Knowledge series
Dead Famous series
Murderous Maths series
NOTE: Most of the Horrible History and Dead Famous series and all of the Horrible Geography, The Knowledge, and Murderous Maths series can only be found through UK distributors, such as amazon.co.uk.
Vocabulary/Word Games -- Online:
Language Has a variety of sites, including etymology.
Madlibs Create your own, including some based on Shakespeare's plays.
Wacky Web Tales: Tongue Twisters Make tongue twisters, using Madlibs.
Writing Has a list of sites for those who love journalism. Also, has societies, clubs, and workshops.