These
are ten
useful educational sites language arts teachers and students.
Junior high-level sites are marked with JH;
high school-level are marked with HS.
Most of these sites were found through Google;
others were found through talks with fellow students and instructors.
1. The National Council of Teachers of English (JH/HS)
This site is an amazingly helpful tool for teachers of English. Most of the resources provided are for secondary school teachers, but there are a few elementary-level resources, too. Parts of the site are for registered NCTE members only, but the free resources are fairly extensive, too.
2. The International Reading Association (JH/HS)
This site, designed for all age groups, is a nonprofit association of teachers who instruct students in the art of reading. Lots of the resources on this site are designed to spark interest in reading among all ages. There is also an off line society with which reading teachers can meet and discuss options for reading education.
3. The Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar (JH/HS)
This site, designed for all educational levels, offers resources to assist in the teaching of grammar. It also has a mailing list, which the site masters use to keep teachers up to date on the latest developments and ideas about how to teach grammar. They feature a monthly K-12 classroom resource; this encourages grammar teachers to submit their ideas and methods for peer review.
4. The National Writing Project (JH/HS)
This site is designed to give writing teachers tools and tips to assist them in their educational goals. The NWP is insistent that writing education take place in American schools; writing instruction has taken a back seat to high-stakes testing, and the members of the NWP think that it is unfair to deny students a chance to learn about writing. Most of the free links on this site are about new developments in the field of writing instruction, but there is a paid membership section as well.
5. Oklahoma Writing Project (JH/HS)
This site, our local chapter of the NWP, has a ton of free resources for Oklahoman teachers of writing. The resources are similar to those offered by the NWP, but their focus and instruction materials are more directly related to the Oklahoma standards of education. There are also many links on the site to events sponsored by the OWP, such as an essay contest and teachers' conferences.
6. Web English Teacher (JH/HS)
This site is an astounding repository of information for English teachers. There are specific sections for AP and ESL teachers, as well as sections on interdisciplinary projects and instructions about teaching different genres. Most of the resources are free, and they're all vetted and commented on by other English teachers.
7. ESL Lounge (JH/HS)
This site is specifically designed for teachers who have non-English speaking students. With the diverse student population in American junior high and high schools, it is incredibly likely that all teachers will have at least one student for whom English is a second language. The resources on this site are split into Premium (paid) and regular (free), but all are useful and understandable for a teacher struggling with ESL students.
8. Poetry 180 (HS)
This site offers a poem for each day of a high school year. The poems are chosen by American poet laureate Billy Collins to inspire students and offer an opportunity for teachers to give their students a little poetry every day. Many teachers use the Poetry 180 site as a writing prompt or class opener; others use the poems as models for student poetry, written every day all year. Everything on the site is free.
9. Writer's Digest Writing Prompts (HS)
These free writing prompts are funny, thought-provoking, and useful for a high school environment. Many of the prompts are narratives, putting students in a position to write something other than a simple response to a question. For example, one prompt asks students to write about finding a message written on a restaurant bill. Most of the prompts provide students with a starting point to write a story; they can make it as realistic or as far-fetched as they wish. The site is free.
10. PBS Reading Teachers (JH/HS)
The Public Broadcasting System--America's premiere educational television station--has an array of free resources for teachers of all grade levels and subjects. Users can select a grade level and a topic to help narrow the results. Most of their resources are tied to a series or a program hosted on their station; there are also online interactive lessons that students can access directly from the site. All the resources on this site are free; users can also order DVDs and products to augment the resources from the website.
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