Vaultman's current favourites
 

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Aesop's Fables
This online collection of Aesop's Fables includes a total of 655+ Fables, indexed in table format, with morals listed.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
An excellent resource. Discussion boards, Reviews, References and loads of links.
DfEE Standards Site: Literacy
The home page for Literacy in the Primary National Strategy.
English Resources
A very useful collection of freely downloadable resources for the full age range, primary - A Level and a useful links page.
Freesearch
A simple on line dictionary that claims to contain around 150,000 terms with examples and related words.
FRET - Free Resources for English Teaching
This site has now become a membership site with a membership fee. The F part of FRET is not quite so true anymore. There is still a small selection of free resources. If they are the sort of thing you like then the £20 joining fee will be worth spending.
Hamilton Trust
Weekly plans for Literacy (and Maths, too) with support materials. This is a really useful site.
Handwriting for Windows
Kber sell a very useful piece of software that allows you to print using fonts that look like the sort of handwriting that we want our children to learn and use. We don't usually recommend commercial sites but so many people have told us how useful this is that we felt it worth stretching a point.
Lancashire Grid for Learning Literacy Activities and Resources
Just what it says on the packet! This site is packed full of useful stuff for anyone teaching Literacy to children between the ages of 3 and 16. There is a useful collection of files for use with TextEase.
Learn-a-lot
This Canadian site sells books and games for teaching basic literacy skills. There is also a useful links page
The Many Roads To Japan
You can download the whole text of this book (about 20000 words) and support materials to go with it. It is a text aimed at low intermediate and above ESL/EFL students and tells the story of a young man who refused to fight in Vietnam and the life journey which brings him to settle in Japan. The author, Robert W. Norris, is an associate professor at Fukuoka International University in Japan.
My Home Library
The prime objective of this site is to provide freely downloadable bookplates, many of them designed by leading children's book illustrators. Many of them are in monochrome so that children can colour them as they like. The author Anne Fine is involved in this site and has written book reviews for children of varying ages. There is an area where children can submit their own book reviews and a page explaining the history of bookplates.
National Literacy Strategy: An index for teachers
Exactly what it says - a useful site.This link will take you to "Mr Jennings" website - follow the links to Teachers' Resources.
National Literacy Trust
NLT an independent charity dedicated to building a literate nation and this is their website. Worth a look.
National Reading Campaign
Just what it says. This is part of the National Literacy Trust.
NEWSWISE
An online resource based on topical news stories, designed to improve the literacy and thinking skills of 8 - 18.year olds. Read old ones for free. There is also an online forums for children (moderated).
Persuade Star
A free online tool to help pupils write persuasive essays. Children's writing an then be downloaded. Teachers must register (free). Could be useful.
Pitara
This is a site for kids which is based in India. It is full of interesting stuff with an Indian perspective. In particular there is a very useful section of Indian folktales and stories and poems.
Teaching Ideas for English
Lots of really useful downloadable from this excellent site. (Opens on the Reading page but links to other Literacy pages).
 Teddy Travels
Columbus Bear has been on a world tour. You can read his diary, see his photos and his scrapbook. The site has linked Art and Literacy activities for KS2 children. This is a nicely presented site which children will find very interesting.
 Web Worksheet Wizard
Create online worksheets for your children. I haven't actually tried it myself, but it looks like it could be useful.
WWWebster Dictionary
Online dictionary and thesaurus from Merriam-Webster, the premier American dictionary publishers.
The Word Pool
This is great! It's a UK children's booksite owned by author Diana Kimpton with book reviews, author profiles (including information about authors who will visit schools), ideas for reluctant readers and information for children's writers. There is a particular leaning towards encouraging reluctant readers but there is much much more. Go! Look! (There is also some useful stuff about Maths books).
Words and Pictures
This is part of the BBC's huge output. This one is linked to the TV series of the same name for 5-7 year olds. There are lots of games and activities for developing phonic knowledge.
Visual Literacy
Here's a great idea from Gary Chapman at Pennington Infant School (Lymington, Hants). A week's worth of planned literacy hours using artworks rather than text. The lessons here are aimed at infants but the ideas would be useful with KS2, too.
David Wray
David Wray is professor of Literacy Education at Warwick University. His site has a useful Ideas & Resources section containing ideas on Thinking about Audience, Creating a Literary Environment, Technical Writing Skills and a range of sample Writing Frames.
 

Audrey Wood Clubhouse: Fun for Parents and Children
Audrey Wood is an ilustrator of children's books. Her site is colourful and lively and concentrates of the way books are illustrated. Lots of encouragement and ideas for young writer/illustrators as well as a collection of activities.
Creative Writing 4 Kids
Children's author Antony Lishak visits schools encouraging children to be writers. His site provides a showcase for children to publish their work (There's lots of children's work here). School's need to register to publish their children's writing.
Kids on the Net
A superb website dedicated to publishing writing by children all over the world. Has stories, poems, opinions and much more as well as clear instructions to children about how to submit work. Kids will love it. There is a teachers' page with resources, education news, and links to web sites for the whole curriculum.
The Neverending Tale
Wonderful idea! This is a collection of choose-your-own-path adventure stories. If you don't like the options you can add your own so that the stories grow and develop with time.

Kenneth Taylor's Drama in Education Site
Lots of links to sites and resources of interest to drama teachers. There is also a discussion group.