Story Elements (interactive)
Elements of a Story is an interactive website where students can learn about different literary "ingredients" that make up a story. After watching and listening to an interactive version of Cinderella, students will learn about various elements that are common to all stories: setting, characters, plot, exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution.
This site features an interactive explanation of each literary element, which is then followed by a series of activities to enhance students' understanding. Students will be asked to put plot developments into the correct order, select appropriate settings and characters, and sort events and exposition.
Scholastic Home Base (3D interactive Book World / digital comics)
Scholastic Home Base is a safe, free, 3D interactive world that celebrates favorite stories through book-based games, live author events, and a large community of readers.
Customize a character, create a digital comic, and see the epic Comic Club Wall!
Authors Everywhere!
This is a YouTube Channel created and run by middle grade author Susan Tan, and made possible by an amazing community of children's book writers and illustrators. On this Channel, you'll find workshops, readings, activities, art projects, writing games, writing advice, and more. New videos are being added all the time, and they take requests!
Storyline Online (Listen to actors read favorite children's books!)
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Foundation is proud to bring you Storyline Online, an online streaming video program featuring SAG members reading children's books aloud. Each book includes accompanying activities.
Free Reading Activities for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt}
Learning to read and write English is a great journey. Our fun reading activities for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will help students with reading practice, so they can gain the right literacy skills. These free learning resources will help you find the perfect activity for every student.
2nd Grade Language Arts Skill Builders
Grammar
Phonics
Reading: compound words, comprehension, main idea, online stories, opposites, sequencing, sight words
3rd Grade Language Arts Skill Builders
Reading: author's purpose, cause/effect, compare/contrast, main idea, parts of a book, reading comprehension, sequencing, stories, vocabulary builders
4th Grade Language Arts Skill Builders
Grammar
Reading: author's purpose, cause/effect, compare/contrast, main idea, parts of a book, reading comprehension, sequencing, stories, vocabulary builders
5th Grade Language Arts Skill Builders
Grammar
Reading: author's purpose, cause/effect, comprehension, context clues, fact/opinion, main idea, run-ons and fragments, story elements, vocabulary builders
Fun4theBrain
This site is currently being revamped, but there is a fun sight word "Snowball Fight" game!
ReadWriteThink
Providing educators and students access to the highest-quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction
CHECK OUT THESE HELPFUL STUDENT INTERACTIVES!
Reading Rockets
Offers strategies, lessons, activities, and ideas designed to help young children learn to read.
Speakaboos
This website offers hundreds of stories, plus a growing catalog of interactive picturebooks that will instill a love of reading in your child. Speakaboos is available on all web browsers, iOS, and Android apps. There is currently a free, 7-day trial offer for unlimited use of 150+ interactive stories.
Scholastic Kids
Scholastic.com, the flagship Internet portal for the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, offers content and products for children ages 0-13.
Hangman
Guess letters one at a time to solve the word puzzle. (Click a letter or type on your keyboard.) Each time you solve a word, the balloons you save are added to your score. Up for a challenge? Increase the difficulty, and you'll have fewer balloons to hang on to!
Word Search
Click and drag over a word to check it off the list. Set the difficulty in the Options menu to change the directions that the words are in. Want to increase the challenge? Try the Ultra-hard Maniac Mode!
Patricia Polacco
Patricia Barber Polacco is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children.
Patricia Polacco tells warm family tales drawn from her own childhood among an extended immigrant family of grandparents and cousins. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Patricia Polacco talks about writing and illustrating and the passing down of family history whose themes resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
Eve Bunting
Eve Bunting is one of the most acclaimed and versatile children's book authors, with more than 200 novels and picture books to her credit. Among her honors are many state awards, the Kerlan Award, the Golden Kite Award, the Regina Medal, the Mystery Writers of America and the Western Writers of America awards, and a PEN International Special Achievement award for her contribution to children's literature. This link lists her entire bibliography.
Michelle Knudsen
Michelle Knudsen is the author of more than forty-five books for young readers of all ages. One of her most famous books is The Library Lion. Mrs. Knudsen visited Mill Lake during the 2016-2017 school year!
Mo Willems
Mo Willems is a writer, animator, and creator of children's books. His most famous books are Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and the Elephant and Piggie series.
Eric Litwin
Eric Litwin is most well-known for his Pete the Cat books, but also is the author of The Nuts and Groovy Joe series. He is a song-singing, guitar-strumming, # 1 New York Times Best Selling author who brings early literacy and music together. His books have sold over 10 million copies, been translated into 15 languages, and won 19 literacy awards (including a Theodor Geisel Seuss Honor Award).
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli wrote the Newbery Award-winning book Maniac Magee. His novel Stargirl was a Parent's Choice Gold Award Winner, a New York Times Bestseller, and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. He also wrote Wringer (a Newbery Honor book), Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?, and Knots in my Yo-Yo String (his autobiography) .