Middle School English
Taking the lessons of elementary school language arts a step further, middle school English asks students to take a closer look at what they read and how to clearly convey their ideas. This transition can prove to be a challenge, but fortunately, the Internet offers an endless supply of resources for students, parents and those teachers responsible for guiding them through. This Web guide cuts through the clutter to find informative reference sites, curriculum guidelines and additional practice for those who may need it.
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Expand All Guide SectionsStudent Resources for Middle School English
More than just a reading and grammar class, middle school English prepares students for the challenges of high school and beyond, including writing assignments and research projects. The links below can help you strengthen these skills as well as offer extra practice for when class work is not enough.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Research is a big part of language arts classes in middle school and beyond and there are a million Internet tools to help you along the way, but make sure to double-check anything you find online with a source you know and trust.
- If buying new books or making it to the library doesn’t quite fit into your schedule, don’t worry. There are plenty of free online book and short story collections like Bibliomania (described in further detail below) that you can access for free.
- Middle school English classes provide valuable research skills that will be helpful in a variety of subjects in high school and college. There are several sites that offer step-by-step instruction on doing research or studying, regardless of the subject (the CRLS Research Guide and How to Study are two good ones).
Dulcinea's Picks
Help for young writers …
Fact Monster
is an easy-to-use resource for middle school students. The “Word Wise” section has content about books, language and mythology, including helpful grammar and spelling tips.
The Guide to Grammar and Writing
is good to have nearby when preparing reports or studying for a test. Use the drop-down menus to find help with punctuation, paragraph development, essay organization and much more.
Help for young readers …
Bibliomania
is the spot for those who just can’t read enough. It’s packed with thousands of books, short stories and articles. Search by author or title to find appropriate reading material.
Book Adventure
helps students, teachers and parents find just the right book to buy or borrow from the library according to a student’s grade, reading level and interest.
For online games and activities …
FunBrain.com
offers a giant selection of games and activities for a little extra help outside of the classroom.
The Glynn County School System
has put together a collection of game and educational activity sites for a little extra grammar and reading practice, mixed in with a little fun.
Resources for Middle School English Teachers
Middle school English teachers have an endless supply of resource and community sites to choose from. This section highlights the best sites for lesson plans, worksheets and other help addressing the reading, grammar and research needs of middle school students.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Online education communities allow teachers to pose questions to a wide cross-section of fellow educators. One can choose from groups with very narrow topics or broad social networks to ask specific questions about curriculum or lesson plans, or even just vent about the challenges of the classroom.
- Education standards vary from state to state, so check out your regional guidelines on the Web site of your local Department of Education or visit any number of sites that offer direct links to English and language arts standards for all 50 states.
- The “Student Resources for Middle School English” section of this Web guide has several more sites offering games and activities that can be incorporated into language arts lessons.
- The findingDulcinea Teaching Web Guide provides advice, suggestions and more general information to help get the most out of your classroom setting.
Dulcinea's Picks
For standards and advice …
The National Council of Teachers of English
offers official standards information and professional tips for teaching English and Language Arts.
For English lesson plans and printables …
The Educator’s Reference Desk
is a searchable database of lesson plans that you can find according to grade and subject.
The Organization For Community Networks
hosts a curriculum exchange for language arts teachers as a part of its larger selection of lesson plans for all subjects and grade levels.
ProQuest
’s “Educator Tools” section supplies lesson plans, information and activities for a wide array of subjects, including library, language arts and research topics.
ReadWriteThink
furnishes English and language arts lesson plans, interactive tools and online activities for teachers and students alike.
The PBS “Teachers” page
on language arts and reading offers lesson plans and teacher resources that are searchable by grade level and subject.
edHelper.com
is useful for English and language arts printables, providing a simple catalog of activities and worksheets sorted according to topic and grade level.
For online literature catalogs …
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
(SCORE) provides a long list of literary guides to popular books with plenty of ideas for classroom activities suitable for groups and individuals.
The Internet Public Library
is a collection of online text sources, including complete books, short stories and essays you can point students to for additional practice.
The Alex Catalogue
is a searchable database of classic texts: simple, clear and full of choices.
The Educational Technology Training Center
from Kennesaw State University in Georgia offers a selection of digital guides that provide summaries, discussion questions and activity suggestions for popular and classic books. The site also has lesson plans and study guides.
For writing help …
The Writing Site
is an in-depth site offering practice and tutorial tools for teaching and scoring writers of all ages.
Grammarbook.com
offers grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules and examples for students and teachers alike, with interactive, instantly scored, downloadable quizzes with explanations to test comprehension. The free weekly e-newsletter with tips, puzzles, and quizzes. Hundreds of additional interactive quizzes are available by subscription.
The Guide to Grammar and Writing
is another helpful manual you can use with your students or send them to if they need a little help.
Parent Resources for Middle School English
Parents can continue their children’s education at home with the help of a variety of resources for middle school English available online. This highlights the best tools for making sure your child’s education doesn’t end when class is dismissed.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Although education standards are available from the National Council of Teachers, their national scope can be a little overwhelming. To find out how they’re applied to each state, check out the directory of Department of Education Web sites available for all 50 states at the Developing Educational Standards Web site.
- Few would argue that there is such a thing as too much reading. But if buying book after book or taking the time to visit the local library prove to be too much of a challenge, there are plenty of Web sites that offer endless collections of texts to choose from, including short stories, novels and classics. We’ve included our favorites below.
- For ideas on how to find activities and additional practice for your child, visit the “Student Resources for Middle School English” section of this Web guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For educational guidance …
The National Education Association
’s “Help for Parents” section has news and resources for parents of children in grades 6–8, including a “Parents’ Guide” that offers tips on helping your child manage homework.
Parent Academic Resources Incorporated
(PARI) offers advice for parents on how to be involved with their middle school child academically.
The Education Atlas
list of study skills is good for teachers and parents in need of a refresher.
To help your young reader …
FunBrain.com
, recommended earlier in this guide for students, also has a “Parents” section that includes easy-to-find educational games and activities available for playing online or downloading to your home computer.
Bibliomania
is a helpful resource for those students who have been bitten by the reading bug or simply need a little extra reading practice at home. It provides a large catalog of books, research guides and short stories parents can access free of charge.
The Glynn County School System
makes studying fun with a collection of instructional resources for language arts students.
To help your young writer …
The Guide to Grammar and Writing
is an answer guide for English homework questions, explaining rules and supplying grammar quizzes for extra practice.
WritingDen
serves up tips and topics for young writers. Register yourself or your child for the site’s Word of the Day e-mail service.
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