Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms

Having a clear understanding of synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms can help children communicate more effectively in speaking and in writing.  Nobody wants to read or hear a story that repeats the same word over and over.  In case you need a quick review, synonyms are words that mean the same thing (pretty/beautiful), antonyms are words that are opposites (sit/stand), and homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings (pen/pen - one you write with, one you hold an animal in). 

Click HERE to play a fun frog themed matching game to review each of these concepts.

Weekly Resource: Sight Word Practice

Our early elementary teachers are always stressing the importance of learning sight words.  These words don't follow a regular pattern, and can't be sounded out.  The only way to learn these words is to memorize them.  Identifying the words should become automatic.  Practice sight words at 3 different levels by visiting this website.  Kids get to play a fun movie theater themed game.

Wednesday Resource: Guys Read

As a child, I was a voracious reader.  I happily sat in my room reading a book while my friends went sledding and played outside.  It rarely took me longer than a day to finish a new book.  Luckily my mom owned a bookstore!  When I became a mom, I read to my son from day one with a full heart as I shared my own childhood favorites with him.  As a toddler, he loved sitting on my lap and listening to stories.  We celebrated when he "read" his first book, Big Egg.  I was convinced that I was raising a book lover.  Then 2nd grade hit.  Baseball, Tae Kwon Do, video games, swimming, and fishing were all more fun than books (insert mom tears here!).  In his words, all books were BORING and DUMB, and he HATED reading!  If you've hear those words at your house, I encourage you to check out www.guysread.com.  This website was started by author Jon Scieszka to recommend books that appeal to boys.  You can search by age or topic, and can even submit your own recommendations!  

Wednesday Resource: Free Rice

Freerice.com is operated by the United Nations World Food Programme.  Answer questions about English, grammar, or vocabulary.  Each correct answer helps end world hunger.  10 grains of rice are donated for every correct answer.

Wednesday Resource: Newsela

Do you have a kiddo interested in current events or informational articles?  The website and app Newsela offers free resources for grades 2 and up.  This is a great way to incorporate science and social studies topics along with language arts skills such as fluency, reading comprehension, and informational text features.  Visit https://newsela.com  for more information!

Wednesday Resource: ABCya

Play educational games that are organized by grade level at www.abcya.com.  Choose from categories such as letters, numbers, strategies, or skills to target specific areas.  

Wednesday Resource: Starfall

Practice phonics while playing fun games and using interactive activities at starfall.com.  You can pay for a subscription, but I recommend taking advantage of the free activities instead.  This was a family favorite at my house when my kids were little!

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Wednesday Resource: Storyline Online

The Screen Actors Guild operates a website called Storyline Online, where famous actors read their favorite childhood stories.  Visit storylineonline.net to find your favorite book or celebrity!

Wednesday Resource: Unite for Literacy

What do deserts and books have in common?  According to Unit for Literacy, if a household has fewer than 100 books in the home, it is considered a book desert.  Did you know that in Erie, 50% of homes are considered book deserts?  (http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/corp/esri). Beat the book desert by accessing digital books at http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/. 

Wednesday Resource: Epic

We are fortunate to be members of a 1:1 district, where all students have individual access to technology.  Although iPads are sometimes used for fun and games, at Erie Elementary, we use them for learning.  One app that most classroom teachers use is called Epic.  Using the Epic app allows students to have access to tons of digital stories.  Our younger readers can take advantage of the read aloud function, and engage with videos.  This is a free app that you can try at home.  Visit www.getepic.com for more information.