Posts

Poetry for Kids

Image
  Poetry offers children a sensually and intellectually stimulating experience. They don’t have to read Shakespeare or Milton to learn to appreciate language play, striking phonetic sounds and rich imagery. Additionally, introducing poetry at a young age prevents a dislike of the genre by teaching children how to be comfortable understanding and writing poetry. The best types of poetry for children are fun, humorous, imaginative, creative and stimulating. Nursery Rhymes Children learn nursery rhymes often before they are even able to talk. Nursery rhymes usually rhyme and contain only a couple of short verses, such as in “Jack and Jill” and “Humpty Dumpty.” Some nursery rhymes follow a musical tune, such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Limericks Limericks rhyme like nursery rhymes but usually have a distinctly silly theme. Limericks follow a rhyme scheme of a/a/b/b/a for a total of five lines. The first two lines and the l

Write a Myth

Image
  In literature, a myth is a traditional story that expresses a culture’s worldview and its own story. All cultures have these ancient stories that were passed down through oral storytelling before written language was developed. Despite cultural differences, myths share some common features. Myths were at one time believed to be true and served to guide human behavior. The settings of myths are ancient, often otherworldly places in which the characters have superhuman and sometimes inhuman features and powers. 1.  Read Examples Start by reading myths from many cultures to gain knowledge of the elements involved in myth writing. Read for example, a classic Greek myth about the gods or the Chinese myth “Why the Sun Rises When the Rooster Crows,” making notes of the mythic elements you encounter as you read. Traditional ancient myths have gods, goddesses and sometimes other supernatural creatures. The plots attempt to explain Earth’s creation, an element of the natural world or a particu

Rollercoaster Photos

Image
  Rollercoasters are both fun and terrifying. Terrifyingly fun, actually! If you’ve ever been on one, odds are that all the twists, turns, and adrenaline pumping through your veins made it a very memorable experience. And if you’re as awesome and cheesy as we are, then you might even have bought one of those amusement park photos that show you laughing, screaming, and (possibly even) crying while on the ride. #1  My 74-Year-Old Grandpa With COPD And I On A Roller Coaster. He Was So Excited #2  Rollercoaster Proposal (She Only Saw It When She Got The Souvenir Photo) #3  I Enjoyed My Daughter’s First Disney Ride More Than She Did #4  I See Your Dad Enjoying The The Ride, And Raise You Three Terrified Daughters #5  Clark Was Very Excited To Ride A Rollercoaster Like A Big Boy, Until The First Drop #6  Years Ago My Brother Lost His Cellphone On A Roller Coaster. We Figured There Was No Way To Know When. Then He Saw The Ride Photo #7  My Brother Before And During A Rollercoaster

Keep You Motivated

Image
  Reading is a great way to build your vocabulary and range when learning English. Working through a whole book in a second language can be tough, though. It doesn’t need to be that way, though. Inspire yourself to stay motivated with these easy to read and motivating books. 1. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Focus on doing the things that count. Although the author has a Ph.D, this is easy to read and full of practical advice for people who feel like they have too much to do. Ideal to help you focus on the important things in life – like learning English. It was the number-one best-selling book in the United States for two years in a row. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Another best-selling self-help book, while many people see the principles in this book as a way to get ahead in their careers, it can equally apply to learning a language. There are several reasons this book is popular – it’s practical, easy to read, and it works. 3. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari The story of a

Create Narrative Flow

Image
  Transition words are useful for all types of writers. Whether you’re attempting academic writing, blogging, speech writing, or writing fiction, transition words can help refine your text and create a narrative flow. What Are Transition Words? Transition words are any words that link parts of text together and create cohesion. Depending on the logical reasoning of your sentences, transition words can denote time, agreement, or opposition. A transition word can be a coordinating conjunction (“and,” “but,” “for,” etc.), a subordinating conjunction (“although,” “because,” etc.) or a conjunctive adverb (“however,” “therefore,” “moreover,” etc.). The transition words you use depend on the context of your writing. What Is the Purpose of Transition Words? Transition words are linking words that bring coherence to and between the sentences of your text, creating a natural flow of thought. Learning to use different transitions effectively will help you write more cohesive pieces and improve yo

Abelard and Heloise

Image
  Abelard and Heloise are one of the most celebrated couples of all time, known for their love affair and for the tragedy that separated them. In a letter to Abelard, Heloise wrote: Who Abelard and Heloise Were Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was a French philosopher, considered one of the greatest thinkers of the 12th century, though his teachings were controversial, and he was repeatedly charged with heresy. Among his works is “Sic et Non,” a list of 158 philosophical and theological questions. Heloise (1101-1164) was the niece and pride of Canon Fulbert. She was well-educated by her uncle in Paris. Abelard later writes in his autobiographical “Historica Calamitatum”: “Her uncle’s love for her was equaled only by his desire that she should have the best education which he could possibly procure for her. Of no mean beauty, she stood out above all by reason of her abundant knowledge of letters.” Abelard and Heloise’s Complicated Relationship Heloise was one of the most well-educated women of

Great Blog Post Titles part 2

Image
  6. Use a “How To” Element in the Title This is one of my favourites. Many articles I’ve published both here on ProBlogger and on Digital Photography School over the years have a “how to” element in the title. These types of titles tie in well with communicating a benefit. You don’t necessarily need “how to” in the title to signal it’s this type of post. You can also use words such as “tips”, “techniques”, “steps”, or “guide”. Even words such as “rules”, “secrets” or “hints” can communicate that your post will teach the reader something. People often type “how to”, “tips” or “techniques” into Google when learning how to do something. 7. Use Numbers List posts (or “listicles”) get used a lot, and some bloggers feel a bit tired of them. But study after study shows that titles with numbers in them tend to get clicked more than titles without them. People have come up with a lot of theories about why this is true. One theory is that numbers make a post feel more manageable. Readers know w