The art of communication is the language of leadership.
English Language Arts (ELA) is more than reading and writing. ELA involves:
- Communicating effectively in various places for many different audiences and reasons
- Selecting appropriate forms, structures and technology for a variety of contexts
- Understanding, appreciating and creating a broad range of texts (including multi-media, visual, oral, and print)
Articles for Parents/Guardians:
Calgary Public Library:
- Creative Writing Club is a new drop in program for students ages 8 to 14. Participants can play literacy games, work on creative writing, and get help on school writing assignments. In partnership with the University of Calgary, Department of English. The program runs Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30. See calgarylibrary.ca for more information
Online Games:
- ABCYa!: Practice idioms, synonyms, spelling, contractions and more with fun word games (Grade 5, and Grade 6+)
- Word Gametime:To find inspiration for their writing and to help keep their minds sharp for analysis, children can play a large selection of free vocabulary games, including those that involve breaking codes and solving crossword puzzles. This game goes up to Grade 7.
- New York Times: The New York Times has a series of student crosswords (American content)
- Grammar Gorillas: Practice parts of speech Grades 2-8.
TED Talks:
- TED lessons: See a list of ted talks related to writing and composition- including the origin of words, grammar and instructional videos.
Tools:
- LitPick: LitPick is a safe, fun environment for YA lovers to read >span > favorite books while learning how to discuss literature.
- Rewordify: Rewordify simplifies difficult English for faster comprehension
- Read Write Think: Read Write Think has parent resources and podcasts for Grades 5-6 and 7-8
