Recommended Web Sites

English Language

AGLOA (Academic Games League of America) (language arts, math, and social studies games for home or school; local and national competitions)
http://www.academicgames.org/

Bethump'd (the Bethump'd with Words series [games about words and the story of English], Bethump'd with History, and Feilong: The China Game. Visitors to GrammarAndMore qualify for a 10 percent discount on purchases made online or by phone [toll-free 888-496-4094]. Please use Coupon No. GAM888.)
http://www.bethumpd.com

Chiasmus (a wealth of information about this rhetorical device that inverts the order of words in otherwise parallel phrases; from Dr. Mardy Grothe, who has studied this phenomenon for a decade)
http://www.chiasmus.com

English on a Roll (an innovative new tool for teaching grammar, syntax, parts of speech, and punctuation; especially effective for ESL, special education, and basic literacy)
http://englishonaroll.com/

Idioms (Learn the origin, as well as the meaning, of hundreds of common idioms and expressions.)
http://www.idiomsite.com

Oxymoronica (a wealth of information about this rhetorical device that celebrates the paradoxes in our world; from Dr. Mardy Grothe)
http://oxymoronica.com/

Richard Lederer's Verbivore
http://www.verbivore.com/

SPELL (Society for the Preservation of English Language and Literature)
http://www.spellorg.com

Visual Thesaurus (See a word's "map," with parts of speech and word relationships as well as synonyms.)
http://www.visualthesaurus.com

Well-Trained Mind (guidelines and resources for parents or teachers attempting to provide a classical education)
http://www.welltrainedmind.com

World Wide Words (includes stories behind various words and phrases; links to many other sites focusing on words)
http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm

Your Dictionary (A linguaphile's delight! Access to more than 1500 online dictionaries representing 230 languages. Some dictionaries are in specialized fields; some offer translation. The Fun and Games page, which includes a Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia, is of special interest.)
http://www.yourdictionary.com

ESL

Daily English Practice (an interactive site with free exercises, idioms, common abbreviations, slang, proverbs, and much more)
http://www.english-daily.com

Many Things (an interactive site featuring quizzes, word games, puzzles, a daily page, and much more; especially valuable for its 280 common American slang expressions [however, finding a particular expression would be a challenge])
http://www.manythings.org/

Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students (an interactive site that includes about 1,000 quizzes on a variety of topics and of varying difficulty)
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/

Reading

Academy of American Poets (biographical information, text of nearly 1,000 poems, audio renditions, discussion groups, events, and more)
http://www.poets.org

Autographed By Author (order autographed copies direct from your favorite authors)
http://www.AutographedByAuthor.com

Bookcrossing.com (a unique program for sharing books and your ideas about them through journaling and recycling)
http://www.bookcrossing.com/home

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site (recommended reading)
http://www.carolhurst.com

The Children's Literature Web Guide (recommended reading)
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown

Dear America Series (find all of the titles in Scholastic's four fictional biography series for girls and boys -- plus a wide array of extension activities)
http://www.scholastic.com/dearamerica/

Dorbooks (books and games to develop decoding and spelling skills for children and adults)
http://www.dorbooks.com

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center; resources for parents and teachers in reading, English, and communication)
http://www.eric.ed.gov

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration (annually published collections of historical family stories written by young people in grades 4 through 8; an index of all stories published helps you find stories on particular topics to enhance curriculum)
http://www.thegrannieannie.org

Kids and Reading (articles and tips to help children enjoy reading and improve their reading ability)
http://www.kidsandreading.co.uk

Landmark Editions (books for students by students; also publishes The Emotional Impact Series, self-help books, and high interest books) Great news! The Written and Illustrated by . . . Contest for kids 6-19 has been revived!
http://www.landmarkeditions.com

Picture Books (5,000 picture books searchable by topic)
http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks/

Planet Esme (Esmé Raji Codell recommends books and activities to get children to love reading)
http://www.planetesme.com

Poet's Paradise: A Collection of Helpful Resources (links to sites about famous poets, types of poetry, poetry collections, teacher and reference resources, and poetry and literary organizations)
http://www.amsterdamprinting.com/Article/Poets+Paradise+A+Collection+of+Helpful+Resources/6820/Default.aspx

Reading Skills and Great Books for Kids (a page of links to a wealth of information -- recommended books for kids of all ages, summaries and notes for some popular books, strategies for improving reading skills, even guidance for writing short stories)
http://www.freebooknotes.com/reading-skills-great-books-for-kids/

The Reading Tub (tm) (a not-for-profit company that promotes literacy by publishing book reviews written by parents and kids. This helps you find books your family will enjoy -- so that you can spend more time reading with your family and less time searching for appropriate books. Your family might even want to get involved in the review process!)
http://www.TheReadingTub.comb.com

Stories for Kids Who Love Reading (links to text of children's books, lists of books recommended for children and young adults, information about children's authors, writing topics and tips)
http://www.readers.com/resources/education/classic-stories-for-kids/

Trelease on Reading (the read-aloud guru presents information about reading in addition to recommending books and linking to other sites that recommend more books)
http://www.trelease-on-reading.comcom

Writing

Biography Maker (step-by-step process for converting facts to a lively story)
http://bellinghamschools.org/department-owner/curriculum/biography-maker

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration (submission of historical family stories written by young people in grades 4 through 8 might lead to publication in annual collection; site includes helpful resources, including stories published previously)
http://www.thegrannieannie.org

A Guide to the Types of Essays (topics and tips for writing persuasive/argumentative essays, expository essays, cause-and-effect essays, compare-and-contrast essays, literary essays, and informal essays)
http://www.paperstarter.com/resources/a-guide-to-the-types-of-essays

Handwriting Without Tears (an occupational therapist offers many tips for improving penmanship -- as well as a multisensory instructional program)
http://www.hwtears.com

Plagiarism and Copyright (a short, clear explanation that will help you understand copyright and avoid plagiarism)
http://juris.nationalparalegal.edu/IntellectualProperty.aspx

Poet's Paradise: A Collection of Helpful Resources (includes links to pages that help in writing various kinds of poems)
http://www.amsterdamprinting.com/Article/Poets+Paradise+A+Collection+of+Helpful+Resources/6820/Default.aspx

Punctuation (information about punctuating correctly, celebrating National Punctuation Day®, and Punctuation Playtime® -- an assembly program for elementary school children)
http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com

Reading Skills and Great Books for Kids (includes links to a number of sites that provide guidance for writing short stories)
http://www.freebooknotes.com/reading-skills-great-books-for-kids/

Research Papers (helps you select a topic and begin online research)
http://www.researchpaper.comer.com

Research Papers (a clear and comprehensive -- but not overwhelming -- guide to all stages of writing research papers)
http://www.crlsresearchguide.org

Scrapbooking (a great resource for scrapbooking ideas, scrapbook poems, free scrapbook pages, free scrapbook downloads, and more!)
http://www.scrapbookingnow.com

Skills and Strategies for Web Researching (links to pages that provide guidance on advanced search commands and strategies, and subject-specific catalogs and databases)
http://www.crucial.com.au/skills-and-strategies-for-web-researching.php

Stories for Kids Who Love Reading (includes links to writing topics and tips)
http://www.readers.com/resources/education/classic-stories-for-kids/

Writers' Online Community (for writers and readers of all interests and skill levels)
http://www.writing.com

Writing Prompts (hundreds of ideas)
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html

Thinking

Jigsaw Puzzles, Floor Puzzles, Bible Puzzles, and Jigsaw Books (a huge selection of wood puzzles and children's jigsaw puzzles with a wide variety of pictures and themes)
https://www.puzzlesandbeyond.com/

Situation Puzzles (A situation is described in a sentence or two. Those solving the puzzle -- a group works best -- ask yes/no questions to discover the explanation behind the situation. Great for developing logical thinking. These puzzles can quickly engage minds that might otherwise be idle -- around a campfire, in a car, during an unexpected break in classroom activity, etc.)
http://www.kith.org/logos/things/sitpuz/situations.html

Educational Resources -- All Subjects

English Resource Guide (resources for high school students, especially, to improve their skills in various areas of language arts: grammar, punctuation, writing, literary terms, vocabulary, reading, and study skills. This page, which was recommended by high school students in the Honors English class in the Green Mountain Central School District in Vermont, will lead you to many different websites—many of them at colleges and universities across the United States.)
http://www.qrreaders.org/english-resource.html

The Teaching & Learning Center: Creative Resources for Quality Education (a wealth of resources for teachers, students, and families; much content is accessible only after paying a modest subscription, but some is free; sign up for a free one-day pass to explore the entire site before you subscribe)
http://www.k12tlc.net

Special Challenges

Down Syndrome (resources to help you understand and teach people with this condition)
http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/teacher-resources/teaching-individuals-with-down-syndrome/

Dyslexia (a wealth of information, including symptoms, assessments, and methods of instruction)
http://www.brightsolutions.us/

Educating Children with Dyslexia (links to a wealth of information to help parents and teachers of people with dyslexia)
http://www.accredited-online-college-degrees.com/dyslexia.html

LD Online: The Interactive Guide to Learning Disabilities for Parents, Teachers, and Childrenhildren
http://ldonline.org

Optometrist's Network (information about vision problems -- therapy, relation to learning difficulties, and referral to a developmental optometrist in your area)
http://www.children-special-needs.org/parent.html

P.A.V.E. (Parents Active for Vision Education; current research, reading lists, pending legislation, support groups)
http://www.pave-eye.com/~vision/

Wilson Language System (a highly structured multisensory approach to reading and spelling that has been used successfully with dyslexics of all ages)
http://www.WilsonLanguage.com

Suggest a Web Site

If you have a Web site that you think will be helpful to our visitors, please send your URL and a brief description of your site to info@GrammarAndMore.com. Please tell us why you think your site would interest our visitors. If, after exploring your site, we agree that it seems to match the needs of our audience, we will contact you regarding a reciprocal link.