Resources in this section have been organized into the following categories:
For more tips on how to develop tutoring sessions that help a learner improve their writing skills see our blog post: Taking on the Writing Challenge
Beginner writing skills
- Hand Writing App
Best Kids Handwriting App
This App lets you practice writing on a screen. Using the touch screen users can write on the screen using a finger or a stylus pen. Writing can be erased with a single button. Pen size can be changed to suite your device and learner. Words or sentences can be typed in to the App. The App then produces guidelines for the letters.
Although marketed to kids in it’s title, the App is simple and is suitable for adult learners. Does not contain child-orientated music or graphics.
- Sand Draw
Sand Draw Sand draw is a fun app which lets you draw free on realistic sand. Using the touch screen users can write or draw in the sand. Just shake the device, and let the waves wipe out the sand. Sand Draw can be used to send a message, play Tic-Tac-Toe, practice letter making or spelling or just draw whatever comes up on your mind. There are occasional tasks that the user is asked to draw.
Download Sand Draw from Google Play
Download Sand Draw from the App Store
Writing prompts and exercises
- Learnhip
Learnhip – Tips and Resources, Puzzles and Games
Learnhip is a great website where you can find all sorts of resources and tips for your tutoring session. It has interactive games, puzzles, activities and exercises aimed at learning and teaching English and other subjects online. Contains some great ideas for screen sharing activities in remote tutoring.
- Make Beliefs Comix
Make Beliefs Comix – Something to Write About
Interactive PDF e-book of 65 writing prompts and cartoons developed specifically for ELL and literacy learners. Learners can download the PDF and type their stories right into the document offline or while sharing their screen with their tutor.
https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Something-To-Write-About.pdf
Make Beliefs Comix – Fill ins Interactive PDF e-book of 76 comics with blank speech bubbles for your learner to fill in. Each comic has a basic prompt or hint to get you started. Learners can download the PDF and type their captions right in the document offline or while sharing their screen with their tutor.
https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Make-Beliefs-Comix-Fill-Ins.pdf
Make Beliefs Comix – Spark Your Writing Interactive PDF e-book of 57 writing prompts in the form of a “make believe you could…” prompt. Each comes with a cartoon illustrating the prompt. Learners can download the PDF and type their responses right in the document offline or while sharing their screen with their tutor.
If you like this format there are more writing prompt resources by Make Beliefs Comix:
Pep Talks (short reading passage with an inspirational message followed by prompt – intermediate level text): https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Pep-Talks.pdf
Hummingbird Joy (set up for short responses about joy and gratitude – beginner level text): https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Hummingbird-Joy.pdf
- Teach Starter
Teach Starter – Visual Writing Prompts 4W + 1H Slideshow of colour photos that each have a downloadable PDF writing activities sheet that includes the photo, writing prompts and questions about who, what, why, where and how (4W+1H)
https://www.teachstarter.com/gb/widget/visual-writing-prompts-gb/
- Visual Writing Prompts
Visual Writing Prompts
This blog gives creative photos and prompt captions. You can search for prompts by subject or type of writing. Use the prompts to talk about topics with your learner and develop writing activities.https://visualwritingprompts.wordpress.com/category/subjects/english-ela/
Grammar
- Learnhip
Learnhip – Tips and Resources, Puzzles and Games Learnhip is a great website where you can find all sorts of resources and tips for your tutoring session. It has interactive games, puzzles, activities and exercises aimed at learning and teaching English and other subjects online. Contains some great ideas for screen sharing activities in remote tutoring.
- Listen and Learn English 1
Listen and Learn English 1 – Adults Phonics Course via Video This video Adult Phonics Course is geared for ELL learners but is appropriate for beginner English-speaking literacy learners who are learning the basics of phonics. The videos cover the alphabet, short and long vowel sounds, consonant pairs and vowel pairs. There are 70 separate lessons which last 10 minutes on average.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp5zSGEKWyU6FrxaRZkxieeP7dk4Hu6H6
- Listen and Learn English 2
Listen and Learn English 2 – Basic English Course via Video This video-based Basic English Course is geared for ELL adult learners but is appropriate for beginner English-speaking literacy learners who are learning foundational grammar and vocabulary. There are 54 bite-sized lessons around 10-12 minutes in length that cover foundational grammar and vocabulary
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp5zSGEKWyU4Xmzj3obJHMAFkiLpf7rE5
- Perfect English Grammar
Perfect English Grammar A website that offers paid grammar courses but also generously provides FREE tip sheets for: explaining grammar and doing grammar exercises. These tip sheets cover a very comprehensive list of almost any grammar concept you can imagine. The exercises can be filled in online and also downloaded as PDFs.
- Quill – Featured Activities
Quill – Featured Activities Quill is a website for teachers and students. Their activities help students develop their sentence construction and grammar skills and are designed as supplemental writing exercises that students complete over short, 10 to 15 minute sessions at the beginning or end of a class period.
To access all the materials, you need to sign in. But featured articles (in the dropdown menu under Explore Curriculum) are available without signing in. Search for activities suitable for starter, intermediate, advanced or ELL.
- World Food Program Quiz
World Food Program Free Rice Quiz – Grammar The UN World Food Program (WFP) have created lots of quizzes in a game called Freerice. As you answer questions correctly, ads appear on your screen. When you see one of these ads, you trigger a cash payment to WFP that is equivalent to the cost of 5 grains of rice and this is used to save and change lives.
The Freerice grammar quiz is a multiple-choice quiz with two options to choose from. You can set the difficulty level for the quiz in a drop-down menu on the top left of the screen.
Spelling
- Learnhip
Learnhip – Tips and Resources, Puzzles and Games Learnhip is a great website where you can find all sorts of resources and tips for your tutoring session. It has interactive games, puzzles, activities and exercises aimed at learning and teaching English and other subjects online. Contains some great ideas for screen sharing activities in remote tutoring.
- My Reading Words
My Reading Words My Reading Words is a great App for a learner to practice sight words. The App contains a larger set of the common sight words (Dolch and Fry sight words). You can also custom build your own list of words tailored to your learner’s needs.
Only available for Android devices. Download My Reading Words in the Google Play Store.
Free and can by used offline.
- Spellboard
Spellboard SpellBoard allows you to create any spelling quiz in any language. Including Word Search, Word Scramble, Alphabetize, Word/Sentence Matching, and Missing Letter puzzles. Using this App, learners can practice spelling different words.
Spelling lists can be custom made or are available in different themes (e.g. fruit, furniture).
Only available for Apple devices. Download Spellboard from the Apple Store.
Costs $4.99
