Learning Grids

i'm not sure if what i'm going to share is what we're looking for here, but it's great! i've used learning grids before (part of Clicker 5 program). i'm not sure how many of you have used it or are familiar with it. if you visit the link below, you can register FREE (i always like the free ones!) and have access to so many resources:
http://www.learninggrids.com
if this one doesn't work, visit the UK site:
http://learninggrids.com/uk
then click on the "north american site" at the top of the screen.

the learning grids provide information and e-texts (or e-books) on many categories from arts, citizenship, math, and science to language arts.like i said, i've used this is school quite a bit last year, but i've having some difficulty opening files on my computer at home. maybe some of you will have better luck, or can offer me some suggestions.

anyway, i will share with you some examples of what's offered on the site. firstly, once you click on a category it lists all the grids available. for each, it provides the ages that are appropriate for the grid and a brief description of what the grid is about.for example, i found an on-screen book about weather. each page shows a weather symbol and its name, followed by a page showing the type of weather in a picture context, and a sentence about it using the construction "It is...".

for some categories, they do not have resourcees available yet. i tried to get into history > first world war (since i just covered that part of the curriculum last month), but there are no resources yet.aside from e-books, they also provide grids to support writing tasks. for example, under history > black history > the underground railroad, this set of Clicker Grids is designed to support writing about the Underground Railroad. students choose starter sentences about the railroad that connect to word banks to support further writing.they also have an ESL category with further links to writing, talking books, sentences, and high frequency words. in the talking books section, there is a Clicker Grid Set that allows students to write and illustrate their own on-screen book about a trip to the beach, appropriate for ages 4 to 6, or older users with special needs. i get pretty excited when i go through this site because there are so many uses for ALL of my students.

especially in intermediate grades (as i've stated before) the resources available for special needs and ESL students are not age appropriate. a site like this helps to conquer those challenges. you really have to navigate through the site to appreciate how it can contribute to your planning for all your students.once i'm at school, i'll get a better chance to get reaquainted with the site!i strongly recommend to check this out!