Language Arts

The language arts are arts surrounding words. Reading and writing are two obvious forms of language arts. Some music, drama, and storytelling are also part of the tradition. To improve yourself in the area of language arts, you must build your vocabulary, learn about conventions of plot and appreciate components of a dramatic play.

The websites selected for the top five online resources are a mixed bag of skills-building sites, games, encyclopedias and lesson plans for teachers. Learning about language arts is much the action of improving knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the written and spoken word, in all of its forms.

Reviewed Sites

Free Rice: www.freerice.com

Free rice is a vocabulary website and world food distribution site. Visitors to the site can practice honing their vocabulary skills. For each correct answer, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. The site pays for the donations with revenue from sponsors. It is an addictive place to visit, but at least when you're there, you are expanding your brain for a good cause.

Story Arts: storyarts.org

Story arts is a comprehensive website about storytelling. Sections for teachers, students, storytellers, parents and the general public give a leg up on storytelling techniques and resources.

Drama: www.dramaresource.com

Dramaresource.com is a one-stop shop for new drama groups, teachers wishing to incorporate drama into classroom activities, and community theater. The site has instructions and directions for warm-up exercises and links to other resources. The site is continually updated with the latest news and information on the drama front.

Artists Books: www.artistsbooksonline.org

Artist's Books are interpretations of books by artists. What does that mean? Artists books can be small or large, made of traditional materials or found objects. These books are prized by collectors and collected by university libraries. Due to their fragile nature, they are not often on public display. Artistsbooksonline.org is a virtual digital library, showcasing these delightful works of art for anyone with internet access.

Language Arts Teacher Resources: www.readwritethink.org

Tips for Success

1. Think broadly when studying language arts. Language arts encompasses a broad range of language-related genre.
2. Incorporate all aspects of language arts into all subject areas. Students are more likely to remember difficult science vocabulary if learned while playing a drama game.
3. Try your hand at making your own artist.s book. Artist.s books are collages, expressions of a person, and are as fun to make as they are to look at.
4. While reading, if you encounter a word you do not know, look it up. Sometimes you can gain the meaning from the overall context of the sentence, but you can learn other meanings and broaden your horizons by looking up the unknown word.
5. Read, write and read more to build language arts skills. The best way to boost skill levels is to practice.