Website Number Three

Julia's reference to the BBC in class reminded me of a site we used school-wide last year. During the weeks leading up to the 10th grade MCA-II Reading Test, we needed to help students review. The block schedule means that some students take English in the fall & winter terms, so by April they can be a bit rusty. Our Reading Specialist found the BBC Skillswise site, which has "factsheets, worksheets, quizzes and games to help improve your [English and maths] skills." 

• It is simply, yet interactive. 
• It can be used by the whole class via an LCD projector, or students can spend time working on their own. 

As I haven't used the popular Study Island software, I don't know if this site would be "up to snuff" in comparison, but I like it. Besides, it exposes kids to the fact that education standards are global, not local. It also, at least for English, shows students that vocabulary (math vs. maths) and spelling vary from region to region. They need to use context clues to understand language in all settings, not just in the classroom.