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A website that gives a good model for reading circles, so they don't become just busy work.

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Literature circles have been used in elementary and high school classrooms across the country in various configurations for at least fifteen years. Harvey Daniels is perhaps their best-known advocate: his Literature Circles : Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom has just been released in a new edition by Stenhouse Books.

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Have students set up a blog or website. Basically give them the parameters and let them discover the tools of the software. This can be an ongoing project that they check in with me on. In this way they can discover the tools, but I can guide them for usage and real world applications.

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Site outlining how to work this in a classroom. Use for current events/ news readings.

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Job/Interview preparation.
Have students come up with questions they could expect in job interviews. Compare their questions with common questions online. Have students fill out job applications or write resumes.

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Having students write an essay following a two hour service project of their choosing. Or have them chose a research topic based on the service they have done.

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Conduct a jigsaw exercise on the process of writing and publishing a book.

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An outline of how to conduct inquiry based learning with articles for class. Pair with a reading of an article of current happenings or academic article about the fictional text being used.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Here is a website that sums up/overview of how Constuctivism works for literacy.

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Constructivist Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Dr. Tony Evangelisto, Professor
Educational Administration and Secondary Education
The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ, USA)
e-mail: evangeli@tcnj.edu

Paper Presented at Bridging Professional Perspectives: The Twelfth Annual Conference
on Educating Adjudicated, Incarcerated and At-Risk Youth
Palm Springs, California
January, 2002

Background on Constructivism

We learn by doing. This vintage concept has appeared under many labels over the years, yet it remains as powerful an educational elixir as ever. Perhaps it is even more potent today than ever before. Life has become more complex as a result of the knowledge explosion, so there is more to learn; as technology advances at breakneck speed, what needs to be learned becomes more difficult to grasp. Teachers are challenged to find approaches in the classroom that will prove successful in helping students of all ages to absorb and understand what needs to be learned. Certainly, this challenge is not new; it is endemic to the profession. Learning by doing provides teachers a strategy that has proved to be successful for decades, if not centuries.

In 1916, John Dewey proclaimed that teachers need to provide students with tasks involving "acquiring and testing ideas and information in active pursuits typifying important social situations."(1) This view has been applied in classrooms for generations and has been reaffirmed in recent years. Lev Vygotsky explains that the zone of proximal development suggests that the learner profits from interaction with others in the process of learning.(2) The zone of proximal development involves teachers and other students as well. Learning is a social phenomenon, and our interactions with others provide the stimulus, the motivation, and the information exchange that is so vital to our total development. This would appear to be most significant with reference to languaging, our most human characteristic.

In recent years, the term Constructivism has been used to label the phenomenon of learning as an active process wherein each person processes information and formulates new ideas. The term may be explained thus: "Constructivist teaching and learning...recognize that knowledge is created in the mind of each learner and that effective teaching approaches delve into the learner's mind through active learning; learner-generated inquiry; concrete, authentic experiences; collaborative investigations
and discussions and reflection; and structuring learning around primary concepts." (3) In developing reading skills and other language skills, interaction with others serves as a stimulus for thinking and clarifying one's views on the information encountered through the mechanism of language.

In the classroom, "constructivism strongly supports the inclusion of a variety of sorts of discussion and group work as part of reading and learning."(4) Clearly, the learning process is reliant upon communication not only with teachers but also with others. Students share ideas and information with others as they engage in learning activities, and this provides a rich environment which helps to focus attention of the participants and enriches the thought processes as a by-product of the interactions.

Bernard Spodek and Patricia Clark Brown (5) delineate "four propositions of constructivism:

1. action, not logic, is the source of deductive thinking;

2. understanding results from self-regulated activities;

3. meaningful learning results from conflict resolution; and

4. correspondences and transformations should be coordinated."

It is interesting to observe that Spodek and Brown cite action as the source of deductive thinking. This point of view may be interpreted to mean that thinking is not necessarily something that happens solely in our minds but through our active thought processes and problem-solving, conflict-resolution, correspondences, and transformations – operations or behaviors that are enhanced insofar as they involve other individuals. Translation: humans are able to think and problem-solve by themselves; however, thinking and problem-solving become more energized through inter-personal interactions. We can construct meanings on our own, using the building materials that we have inside us, but when we get additional information and ideas from others, we can construct more elaborate and potentially more sophisticated meanings because of the enriched base. This suggests that classroom practices which allow for social interaction among students will prove to be highly beneficial.

A great deal of research has been conducted to identify effective means of teaching reading comprehension to children. "In recent years, we have learned that students develop comprehension skills and strategies most successfully through a process approach that emphasizes the underlying cognitive and linguistic skills that are prerequisites for understanding and appreciating texts...As a result, contemporary comprehension instruction should be based on constructivist principles that acknowledge the student's role as the meaning-maker in the reading act."(6) Flood and Lapp [p. 736] identify instructional activities that foster constructivist principles:

Several teaching and learning activities foster constructivist notions that lead to the development of comprehension abilities. These activities are based on the premise that comprehension is a gradual, emerging process in which readers grow in comprehension abilities by processing texts in a generative manner, building on their own experiences, knowledges, and values. Eight categories of activities have proven to be successful in helping students develop their comprehension abilities... include:

1. Preparing for reading activities,

2. Developing vocabulary activities,

3. Understanding and using text structure knowledge activities,

4. Questioning activities,

5. Information processing activities,

6. Summarizing activities,

7. Notetaking activities, and

8. Voluntary/recreational reading activities.

Once again, it is clear that learning which provides for active involvement with reading materials, ideas, and other individuals will prove to be successful. In a different context, Dr. Harry K. Wong asserts the view that "Whoever is doing the work is doing the learning."(7) Experienced teachers know all too well how true this is. If we want students to learn, teachers need to engage students actively in tasks such as those cited by Flood and Lapp above.
Pedagogy that is congruent with constructivist thinking

The teaching ideas presented below demonstrate how constructivist approaches may be used in helping students advance their knowledge and skills in a variety of academic areas. These activities replicate the very processes by which learning occurs in the first place and provide opportunities for social interaction as a vehicle for fostering learning and active practice in the various skill areas.

Various types of materials are used, all chosen with an attempt to use items that are concrete, colorful, appealing to the interests of learners, developmentally appropriate, and accessible to a variety of ability levels.

It will be important to remember that what is presented here is simply for showing particular kinds of activities that teachers may use in their classrooms. The content or specific materials used must be chosen with learners in mind. For instance, when deciding to employ an activity that uses a comic strip through which students will practice language skills, the teacher may select simple ones, with simple line drawings and sparse verbal content for learners who are not yet advanced in their levels of skill.

Some comic strips that would appear to be ideal in this context are Peanuts, Hagar the Horrible, Beetle Bailey, Lucy, Garfield, to name just a few. For more proficient students, teachers may select comic strips that present more complex visuals, with more extensive and complex verbal content, and which focus on more abstract ideas. Some items that may be helpful with the more able students are: Dilbert, Prince Valiant, The Phantom, Doonesbury, The Born Loser, Funky Winkerbean, and Jump Start. The idea of using the comic strip is appropriate for all students; which comics to use becomes a matter of what is developmentally and intellectually appropriate for the students themselves.

It is important that students are required to perform the learning activity and to create a written record of what was accomplished in the process. The learning will result from the thinking, problem-solving, inferring, etc., that is to be done within each given activity, but that learning is extended and enhanced by having the learner write ideas down on paper. The writing itself is highly beneficial and provides additional practice in using language.

The written record has an additional benefit; it allows the teacher to monitor and to assess what students are doing with the assigned tasks and materials. It is important to assess what the students are doing for a number of reasons. Teachers need to be sure that the difficulty of the materials is appropriate for the students, and teachers need to track student growth so as to "raise the bar" incrementally as student proficiencies advance. In addition, the written record and accountability that it embodies, places the responsibility on the student for completion of tasks and production of records of the activities completed.

Note that the learning activities quite often provide opportunities for students to practice and develop skills across the spectrum. Insofar as students work in pairs and small groups, they are able to learn through their interaction, exchange of ideas, mutual thinking and problem-solving.

Many of these ideas have been used for decades in a variety of settings. They have been used in public and private school settings and in correctional institutions. Most of the ideas originate with this author, either entirely as newly sprung activities, or adapted from ideas observed elsewhere. Some of the ideas will be quite familiar to classroom teachers who have seen them used before as part of the common body of knowledge that has accumulated in the profession and whose origins are lost in the mists of time.

Notes

1. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. New York: Macmillan.

2. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

3. Wilen, W., et al. (2000). Dynamics of Effective Teaching, 4th ed.New York: Longman, p.103.

4. Graves, M., Juel, C., & Graves, B. (1998). Teaching Reading in the 21st Century. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, p 10.

5. Spodek, B. and Brown, P.C. "Curriculum Alternatives in Early Childhood Education: A Historical Perspective," in Spodek, B., Ed. (1993). Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children. New York: Macmillan, p. 97.

6. Flood, J., & Lapp, D. "Reading Comprehension Instruction." In Flood, J., et al. (1991). Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts. New York: Macmillan, p. 735.

7. Wong, H. I Choose to Care. Videotape presentation. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong Tapes,

Reading Activity - Beetle Bailey Comic

This activity involves reading a comic strip whose frames are taken out of their original order. Students are asked to ascertain the correct order of the frames. In order to do this, they must read the verbal content as well as the visual content, which provides many concrete clues as to what the comic strip is about. The use of the visual cues is especially helpful to readers whose skills are not highly developed, and sufficient practice with activities such as this helps students to become more proficient at understanding the verbal content with incrementally less reliance upon visual content to help in the process.

In this activity, students are asked to work with a partner or in small groups [no more thanfour students, to assure that everyone has a chance to participate]. The assigned task is to read the comic strip – whose frames are scrambled – and attempt to determine their proper order. They are asked to record the order on a piece of paper and explain why they have arranged the frames thus. The paper is to be turned in to the teacher with everyone's name on it for credit.

Note on assessment: The focus of this activity is to have the students read the content of the comic strip carefully, including the visual content as well as the verbal content. As with many reading materials, multiple correct interpretations are possible. Hence, assessment of the students' work in this activity may be quite flexible,allowing for any arrangement that is adequately supported by the students' reasoning.

Reading Activity - Creating Comics

In this activity, students are given several short reading selections from which to choose. They are asked to pair up with another student or to form a small group [limit of four students per group to assure ample participation of all members]. Students are asked to select one of the items and to read it individually. When students have finished reading the selection, they are to discuss it to be sure that everyone understands it.

Students are then asked to create a comic strip to illustrate the selection that they have read. The specifications for the comic strip may be adjusted to the age levels and proficiency levels of the students. For instance, very young students may be asked to create a comic of only one frame, while older students may be asked to create an actual comic strip of four frames or six frames. For each frame, students are to provide a caption which is directly quoted from the reading selection being illustrated. This requirement is intended to focus students' attention on the words and their connections with the real world that they represent. Many repetitions of activities such as this will cause students to make such associations more automatically.

Note on assessment: Since this is a reading activity, the assessment process focuses on the degree of understanding manifested by the students as they draw comic strip frames to represent the ideas conveyed in the reading material. The degree of artistic sophistication and skill is irrelevant. If the students have captured the essential meaning(s) of the materials provided, they have succeeded. Of course, the captions must fit the drawings.

The Miser (a story from Aesop)

A miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the spot, dug up the treasure and counted it piece by piece to make sure it was all there. He made so many trips that a Thief, who had been observing him, guessed what it was the Miser had hidden, and one night quietly dug up the treasure and made off with it.

When the miser discovered his loss, he was overcome with grief and despair. He groaned and cried and tore his hair.

A passerby heard his cries and asked what had happened. "My gold! O my gold!" cried the Miser wildly, "someone has robbed me."

"Your gold! There in that hole? Why did you you put it there? Why did you not keep it in the house where you could easily get it to buy things?"

"Buy!" screamed the miser angrily. "Why I never touch the gold. I couldn't think of spending any of it."

The stranger picked up a large stone and threw it into the hole. "If that is the case," he said, "cover up that stone. It is worth just as much to you as the treasure you lost!"

Moral: A possession is worth no more than the use we make of it.

Reading Activity: Determining Logical Sequence
In this activity, students are provided with a story. The parts of the story are printed on separate slips of paper. Students are asked to form a small group [up to four students per group] and distribute the slips of paper among the group members. The members of the group are asked to read aloud the segments of the story that they have received. When all of the story segments have been read, the students are to place the segments into the proper order, forming the entire story in logical, meaningful order.

This is a "jigsaw" type of activity which provides a vehicle for combining reading aloud, listening, and comprehending main ideas and supporting details. This activity is particularly helpful in providing students with an opportunity to examine the use of transition words that help in tracking sequence of events in reading materials. Students are then asked to put the parts of the story into the proper order and then paste them onto a full sheet in the order chosen. All students put their name on the paper and submit it to the teacher for review and a grade.

A note on assessment: The emphasis in this activity is on the logic of the order of story parts as chosen by the students. Attention to transition words is a consideration. While the order chosen by the students may not be identical with the order of the story as originally written, it may be accepted on the basis that it makes sense and does not ignore the sequence as clearly indicated by the transition markers.
Sample story [taken from the Panchatantra]Segment A
The tortoise did not like the people shouting and said, "Why should these fools shout like that?" But even as he uttered thsese words, he lost hold of the stick and down and down he went. And when he hit the ground he was killed.
"How can we do that?"

"Why do you bid me farewell?" said the tortoise. "Am I not your friend? Don't you want me also to live? Why do you leave me here to die?"

"But I will do no such foolish thing," said the tortoise. "I will not utter a word as long as we are in the air."

Segment H
They flew over fields and hills and then they flew over a city. The people of the city noticed the strange sight in the sky. They had never seen anything like that before. They clapped their hands and shouted, "Look! How wonderful! Two birds carrying a tortoise, and see how they are doing it."

Reading Activity: Portraying and Dramatizing Reading Materials

Given the opportunity to engage printed material on their own terms, students quite often demonstrate remarkable powers of insight and understanding. One way of facilitating this process is to ask students to act out what they have read and/or to produce a movie poster which depicts major aspects of the material, with words proclaiming the major qualities or elements contained in it.

One piece of literature that is particularly suited to this purpose is Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll. The activity is approached in this manner:

Students are asked to form groups of four to six members. They are first given a sheet of paper with the first four stanzas of Jabberwocky. In the first activity, members of the group are asked to define certain of the words [which are underlined on the copies of the poem they have received] and to determine how the words are to be pronounced. Then, they must decide as a group: Who are the main characters or creatures involved, what are they doing, and what will happen next? They are also asked to determine where the action is taking place.

After the students have reported out to the large group on what they have decided with reference to the tasks assigned, they are then asked to read the last three stanzas and to explain what the message or the moral of the poem is, in a single sentence.

The culminating activity occurs as each group is asked to complete two activities to demonstrate their reading and understanding of the poem: a dramatic reading of the poem and the creation of a poster about it.

Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogroves,
And the mome raths outgrabe

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal sword went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

[Note: A complete power point presentation of the Jabberwocky activity is available here]

Writing Activity: Garfield Speaks

People of all ages enjoy comic strips. They are colorful, visual, concrete, reasonably simple to comprehend, and often entertaining or thought-provoking. More often than not, they address matters of interest or concern taken directly from daily life.

Students enjoy comics, and they tend to be highly receptive to them and are more likely to read them with great avidity and special enthusiasm. Because of this, using comics as a means of fostering the development of language skills is highly beneficial. Use of comics is particularly advantageous in helping students whose language skills are behind where they need to be. This is because comics are motivating and attractive in their own right, and students gravitate toward them more willingly than they are likely to approach other reading items [which are often unaccompanied by photos or illustrations of any kind].

In the preceding section, which addressed reading activities, the Beetle Bailey comic strip was used as an example of how a teacher might use comics for assisting students in developing their reading proficiencies. Here, comics are used to facilitate writing skills, and the approach is quite simple. The teacher may simply use comics that are available from newspapers or even comic books. Simply cut out the verbal content from the dialogue balloons and ask the students, in groups of four, to write the dialogue that they think would fit successfully into the comic strip they have been given.

Note on assessment: Since there is no one, single correct answer required, the students' output may be evaluated on the basis of the appropriateness of what they have written for the comic strip frames provided.

Writing Activity: Sesame Street friends Talk with Each Other

This is a simple activity that makes writing fun and reasonably concrete. Students form a group of four and are asked to complete the activity, following the directions below. While this specific example is quite appropriate for a younger audience, the idea may be adapted quite readily by inserting photos of sports figures, TV or motion picture stars, or any suitable alternative. Students must collaborate on writing the dialogue.

Note: To make the activity, simply mount four photos onto a piece of firm poster board and fashion a spinning arrow in the center. The arrow shown is made from poster board and is laminated for durability. It is fastened with a tiny nut-and-bolt arrangement, using small washers to allow the arrow to spin freely on its axis.

Writing Activity: Forming Sentences from Words on Popsicle Sticks

The objective of this activity is give students an opportunity to form sentences, using words that are randomly provided them. The words selected may be derived from stories the students are reading in class or from vocabulary drawn from the curriculum being taught at the student's particular grade level.

In this activity, students may work in pairs or in small groups [no more than four individuals in each group]. The directions below explain what students are expected to do. The use of the popsicle sticks with words [color coded by part of speech] printed on them allows students to practice writing skills and develop sentences, using the words which they have received.

Students may be asked to share and compare their sentences and suggest changes by way of enhancing them. Each student will be required to write down the sentences created from the popsicle sticks.

A note on assessment: Teachers may evaluate the students' sentences in terms of their correctness in use of grammar and syntax as well as on the basis of how appropriately and successfully they have used the words themselves.
Directions to students:

1. Form a group with other students [group size may be 2, 3, or 4 students].

2. Lay the popsicle sticks face down on the table so the words are hidden.

3. Each of you should select 5 sticks; place them in front of you with the words facing up.

4. If you can form a sentence from the sticks you have, do so. Write the sentence down on a piece of paper. Put those sticks aside, then replace them with the same number of sticks from the ones on the table.

5. Each person in the group takes a turn in doing this.

6. Continue until all of the sticks have been used.

7. The winner is the person who has used the largest number of sticks in the sentences.

Writing Activity: Using toy animals to create a story

The focus of this activity is on writing a narrative, based upon the animals that are provided, either in the form of pictures as shown here or in the form of toy plastic animals. This allows for the imagination to run free and the children to have fun as they create a narrative.

Students may be encouraged to share their narratives and to act them out, using the animals or the photos as props. p>An alternative to this would be to have the students invent fictional animals, drawing pictures of them and describing them verbally as to their qualities and characteristics; then a story may be developed, using these fictional creatures as the participants.

Vocabulary Activity: Fun With Words

Children love to play with magnetic letters and form words with them. For this activity, a generous supply of magnetic letters and a metal surface is all that is necessary. Simply provide the students with a focus for the activity and ask them to form the words, using the magnetic letters, then write the words on a sheet of paper to be submitted for review. As they work in groups to do this, each student should take a turn to form each of the words. Several approaches that may prove helpful are:

1. If you are teaching vocabulary related to reading that the students are doing in the classroom, you may want to point out the words in context to the students and have them form the words, letter by letter, with the magnetic letters. Students should then be asked to write the words down in their notebooks or on a piece of paper to be submitted for review.

2. You may provide the students with categories [animals, sports, food, entertainment, school, etc.] and ask them to form as many words as they can think of for each category.

3. If your curriculum requires that certain vocabulary lists be taught, you may have the students practice spelling these words, again in groups, with the magnetic letters.

Vocabulary Activity: Fun With Words and Beads

Children love to manipulate toys, beads, and magnetic letters. In this activity, the teacher provides students with colorful beads and string to form necklaces or simple word chains. The words are to be spelled out by the children, working in pairs or small groups, and decorated with patterns of colored beads in between the letters themselves. Once again, the students may be asked to spell out words:

1. Taken from the reading materials used in the classroom

2. Related to topics or themes that are being taught

3. Based on the vocabulary required in the school's curriculum

As students are asked to complete this activity in pairs or in small groups, they have the benefit of not only forming the words themselves but also observing and monitoring their peers as they do the same. This extends the base of contact with the spellings; each repetition enhances the memory of what is learned.
A note on assessment: Teachers may want to have students form the bead necklaces, then write the words on individual pieces of paper to be turned in for a grade. This activity may be repeated multiple times to assure that students learn the spellings of their vocabulary words without hesitation.

Vocabulary Activity: Fun With Words and Stamp Pads

Another activity that provides students ample practice in working on vocabulary and spelling skills involves the use of letters and stamp pads. Teachers simply provide the rubber stamp letters, paper, and stamp pads. Students may work in pairs or in small groups, with each student taking a turn to print out each word on the vocabulary list provided by the teacher.

As in the preceding activities, the students may be asked to spell out words:

1. Taken from the reading materials used in the classroom

2. Related to topics or themes that are being taught

3. Based on the vocabulary required in the school's curriculum

As students are asked to complete this activity in pairs or in small groups, they have the benefit of not only forming the words themselves but seeing their classmates doing the same. This extends the base of contact with the spellings; each repetition enhances the memory of what is learned.
A note on assessment: Teachers may want to have students stamp impressions of the words on individual pieces of paper to be turned in for a grade. This activity may be repeated multiple times to assure that pupils learn the spellings of their vocabulary words without hesitation.

Vocabulary Activity: Fun With Words, markers, and templates

This simple activity involves only a template with letters of the alphabet, a marking pen or colored pencil, and some paper. Students are provided with vocabulary lists, as before, and are asked to spell out their words, letter by letter.

The use of small groups allows the students to share the template and the colored marker or colored pencils, and it allows for multiple exposures to the words and their spellings. Each child is required to form the words as many times as is required.

As in the preceding activities, the students may be asked to spell out words:

1. Taken from the reading materials used in the classroom

2. Related to topics or themes that are being taught

3. Based on the vocabulary required in the school's curriculum

Vocabulary Activity: Words and Pictures

An activity that has been successful at all grade levels is a simple one that juxtaposes vocabulary words and pictures or illustrations that relate to them. The students, in pairs or in small groups, are given two sets of items: vocabulary words that are being studied in the classroom and a corresponding set of pictures that match up with the vocabulary words. Students are asked to match the words with the pictures and to write down the matches that have been identified. Group interaction allows students to discuss the best matches.

Vocabulary words used with pictures above:
bemused, contentious, disconsolate, joyful, pensive, playful, proud

Directions to students: Form a small group with your classmates [groups may have 2, 3, or 4 individuals in them]. You are to decide which words best match with the pictures provided to you. As a group, discuss the meanings of the words [look them up in the dictionary] and then determine how each word relates to each picture. It is important that your group arrives at a consensus on your decisions; this means that everyone in the group must be in agreement. Be prepared to explain why you have matched the particular word to the picture.

A note on assessment: Clearly, there is a certain arbitrary quality surrounding the choices that are possible. As students hand in their work in written form, the teacher is simply looking to see that the words are being applied appropriately to the pictures that are supplied. If the justification makes sense, then the response is considered to be correct.

Summary Remarks

The ideas supplied above are merely the tip of the iceberg. There are so many ways to activate children in learning how to read and to use language in all of its facets. The key to this, however, resides in recognizing that students must be actively involved in the learning process. Constructivism reminds us of this. When the teacher is able to provide activities that are colorful, concrete, and enjoyable, then students are likely to involve themselves with a greater degree of enthusiasm, attention, and energy. The results are quite predictable.

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Strategies for Developing Literacy in Students - A Constructivist Approach

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Constructivist Approaches to Teaching and Learning Dr. Tony Evangelisto, Professor Educational Administration and Secondary Education The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ, USA) e-mail: evangeli@tcnj.edu Paper Presented at Bridging Professional Perspectives: The Twelfth Annual Conference on Educating Adjudicated, Incarcerated and At-Risk Youth Palm Springs, California January, 2002 Background on Constructivism We learn by doing.

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A website with free interactive grammar games.

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Sheppard Software's Language Arts page features a variety of games for different grade levels.

Elementary students (and anyone who needs a refresher) can play the animated grammar and punctuation games, which review basic punctuation and grammar concepts. This section is continually being refined and expanded, so check back often!

Middle school, high school, and adult learners can review their SAT and advanced vocabulary through the SAT Words and Vocabulary in Context games. Memorizing a wide variety of important vocabulary words will really help you succeed in the verbal sections of the SATs and GREs. In addition, reading challenging books, using the vocabulary you learn in daily life, and writing will help cement the words in your mind. Practicing vocabulary will not only boost your scores on standardized tests, it will help you communicate precisely what you mean in daily life!

High schoolers and adults can learn medical and computer terminology through the Medical Jargon and Talking Tech games.

If you love games involving letters and words, please enjoy our word games section, which is great for a range of ages. These games and puzzles will exercise your mind as you have fun!

Playing these games repeatedly will strengthen your grasp of grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary in general life, and help you communicate your ideas with greater impact. Please enjoy these games, and let us know if you have any suggestions or ideas for additional interactives!

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Language Arts Games - Grammar, Punctuation, Capitalization, Vocabulary

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Improve your vocabulary, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation with these fun English games!

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Video on reciprocal pairs. Use this technique with reading and decoding meaning.

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Give students the problem of getting to Energy Solutions Arena using two methods (Rail and Bus).

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Riding UTA is easy. Whether you're a first time rider or a seasoned transit pro, find some Trip Tips on riding UTA's main services.

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Having the students act out a Shakespeare scene, or rewrite it into modern language.