reading comprehension

Description Text Structure: A Simple Guide With Free Learning Resources

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The description text structure is all about helping readers visualize a topic. Descriptive texts focus on what something is like, with details that highlight features, characteristics, traits, or qualities. This structure is used in nonfiction topics like animals, locations, historical figures, and scientific concepts. It helps kids pay attention to key details, specific vocabulary, and […]

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Reading Comprehension: Understanding Nonfiction Text 

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Just as there are ways to examine fiction by studying story elements like plot, characters, figurative language, theme, etc. there are also strategies to help readers make sense of nonfiction. An effective way is to recognize text structures, the patterns writers use to organize information and explain ideas. These structures show up in lots of

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Finding Theme in Literature

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Theme is the message, insights, or truths an author explores throughout a story. Theme encourages readers to contemplate life by examining thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Teaching kids to determine the theme is a key component of literary analysis because it goes beyond retelling and listing of events: (“First this happened; then that happened”),  to thinking

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Elements of Poetry: Free Homeschooling Resources

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This section focuses on the rhythms and patterns writers build into their words so readers can appreciate not just what a text says, but how it sounds. The elements of poetry and poetic devices like alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhyme, rhythm, and onomatopoeia all help to make the language in poetry memorable. Overviews and Tutorials Poetry

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Thanksgiving Books and Activities: Free Resources for Homeschooling

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As the holidays approach, you may be looking for some ways to keep things light and fun while still keeping the learning going. Check out these Thanksgiving-themed titles aligned with free resources across all the major subjects. From turkey crafts that sneak in measurement and geometry to exploring the science behind parade balloons, or diving

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Hands-On Reading Comprehension Activities for Homeschooling

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Our post on reading comprehension tips provides free worksheets for each skill. This companion post is all about practicing those skills through simple, hands-on activities. Main Idea and Supporting Details Try: Main Idea Sentence StripsCopy a short paragraph from a story or article and cut the sentences into strips. Include a few off-topic sentences. Have

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figurative language simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom, allusion, symbolism

Figurative Language and Imagery: Free Resources for Teaching and Practice

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Figurative language enables authors to turn plain sentences into vivid, emotional, and memorable descriptions. In this section, we’ll explore common types of figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, idioms, symbolism, allusion, and imagery. Each element works together to add depth and color to both reading and writing. Overviews and Tutorials Imagery Video (with

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halloween trick or treat jack o lantern

Halloween Resource Roundup

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Fun and Free Halloween-Themed Resources to Drop Into Your Homeschool Week Start with the Crash Course Halloween Playlist to get the story behind the holiday. For a deeper dive, World History’s Halloween article gives you the full historical background. Math Elementary (3rd-6th grade): Jack-o’-Lantern Glyph Activity – Practice following directions and data representation. Halloween Word

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a book with sparks flying out

Analyzing Style and Tone in Stories: Free Resources

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Analyzing an author’s language and word choice within a story is another interesting area for literary analysis. The words an author selects significantly influence the mood of a scene, reveal character traits, and shape the reader’s perception of a story. By understanding things like diction, tone, style, and voice, readers can improve their comprehension and

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a boy, dog popping out of page; a campsite with tent and fire popping out of page

Characters & Setting: Free Tools for Literary Analysis

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Characters and setting work together to pull readers into the world of a story. A clever plot may keep us turning pages, but it’s the people (or creatures!) we care about, and the world they live in, that contribute to making a story compelling. Characters come alive through their actions, dialogue, and choices. They can

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