How Do I Get a Job Reading Books on Tape?

Ever listened to a voice narrating an audiobook on a long car trip and thought, "I wonder how they got that job?" It seems like easy money, but voice-over narrators are hard-working professionals. Recording audiobooks likely entails reading aloud an entire novel or nonfiction book, often with multiple takes necessary to correct errors.

Search Online

As with so many other careers, the best place to begin your search may well be online. A search for "audiobook voices" will yield an impressive number of results. Some websites, such as voice.com, allow you to create a profile, upload audio samples of your voice and browse available assignments. Many sites also connect potential narrators with those who need voices for projects. Producers of books on tape can select a recording artist based on his audio samples.

It's important to note that if you do not have audio samples, you'll need to record them yourself or hire an audio engineer. Prepare a number of samples reading from different sources and in different styles. Diversity of samples can open the door to different types of recording opportunities.

Advertise and Network

Many professional audiobook voice-over artists maintain websites showcasing their talents. If you wish to pursue a serious career recording voice-overs for books on tape, consider setting up a website to cater to potential clients.

Often the author of the original work will be asked to approve the selection of narrator. Some authors read their own books aloud for audiobook source material. If you are interested in doing a voice-over for your own work, contact the publisher to see if this is a viable option.

As in any field, making contacts is one of the most important steps to success. The Audio Publishers Association offers membership for a fee; in return, members gain access to notifications, opportunities and connections in the audio-publishing field.

Start Small

Your local library or university might offer a way to build your resume before approaching professional audiobook publishers. Many libraries and colleges offer programs for hearing-impaired patrons, and have a consistent need for those willing to record audio texts. Consult these local sources to see if such opportunities exist in your area.

In the meantime, work to develop your craft. Audiobook narrators need to be engaging, to develop a sense of timing and to possess the patience and stamina needed to read through entire works of various lengths. Practice narrating so that you'll be ready for that first assignment.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Divergent

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Amazon.com Review
A Q&A with Author Veronica Roth

Q: What advice would you offer to young aspiring writers, who long to live a success story like your own?

Roth: One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldnt rely on it, because its not guaranteed and its not permanent and its not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writingthe characters, the story, the words, the themesand make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they dont warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you dont fall apart.

Q: Youre a young author--is it your current adult perspective or not-so-recent teenage perspective that brought about the factions in the development of this story? Do you think that teens or adults are more likely to fit into categories in our current society?

Roth: Other aspects of my identity have more to do with the factions than my age. The faction system reflects my beliefs about human naturethat we can make even something as well-intentioned as virtue into an idol, or an evil thing. And that virtue as an end unto itself is worthless to us. I did spend a large portion of my adolescence trying to be as good as possible so that I could prove my worth to the people around me, to myself, to God, to everyone. Its only now that Im a little older that I realize I am unable to be truly good and that its my reasons for striving after virtue that need adjustment more than my behavior. In a sense, Divergent is me writing through that realizationeveryone in Beatrices society believes that virtue is the end, the answer. I think thats a little twisted.

I think we all secretly love and hate categorieslove to get a firm hold on our identities, but hate to be confinedand I never loved and hated them more than when I was a teenager. That said: Though we hear a lot about high school cliques, I believe that adults categorize each other just as often, just in subtler ways. It is a dangerous tendency of ours. And it begins in adolescence.

Q: If you could add one more faction to the world within Divergent, what would it be?

Roth: I tried to construct the factions so that they spanned a wide range of virtues. Abnegation, for example, includes five of the traditional seven heavenly virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, patience, and humility. That said, it would be interesting to have a faction centered on industriousness, in which diligence and hard work are valued most, and laziness is not allowed. They would be in constant motion, and would probably be happy to take over for the factionless. And hard-working people can certainly take their work too far, as all the factions do with their respective

How to Calculate the Words Per Minute for Reading

If you've ever wondered how quickly you read compared to others, you're not alone. Reading quickly, with a high comprehension rate is a useful skill that will make work, school and pleasure reading more efficient. Reading rates vary between fiction and non-fiction; people typically read fiction more quickly as it is generally more entertaining. Calculate fiction and non-fiction rates the same way, using different reading material.

Instructions

1

Figure out how many words are in the passage you're reading before you start. The easiest way to do this is to use a passage on the computer and put it into a program that performs a word count on the selection. If the passage you're using is not online, you can either count the words yourself, or get a rough estimate by counting the number of words in a line and multiplying by the number of lines in the passage.

2

Set the timer or stopwatch.

3

Start reading. Ensure that you're reading at a normal rate, and that you comprehend the material.

4

Take the number of words in your selection and divide it by the number of minutes it took you to read them. This number will tell you the number of words you read in a minute.

For example, if you read 1,000 words in five minutes, you would perform the following calculation: 1000 / 5 = 200. Therefore, you read at a rate of 200 wpm.

If your numbers don't come out evenly, you need to convert the time into seconds for the calculation, and then back into minutes at the end. To do this, you take the number of minutes, multiply it by 60, then add the number of seconds. Then, like before, you divide the number of words you read by the number of seconds. Then you multiply your answer by 60 to get your final wpm count.

For example, if you read 994 words in 4 minutes and 33 seconds, your equations would look like this: (4 x 60) + 33 = 273. Then, 994/273 = 3.64. Then, 3.64 x 60 = 218.46. Therefore, you read 218.46 wpm.

How to Make a Newspaper on Microsoft Word

Make a quality newspaper with a professional appearance using Microsoft Word and your printer. Making a newspaper helps people stay informed and connected. Make one for your classroom, school or family without using an expensive desktop publishing program. With Word, define the layout yourself or use templates that do much of the formatting work for you. The only things you need to dig up are stories and pictures.

Instructions

Format Manually

1

Open a blank Word document.

2

From the Page Layout tab, click "Columns" from the Page Setup group. Then select "More Columns" and enter set the number of columns you need on the first page. Click "This point forward" to apply the columns to the document.

3

To set a line between columns, click "Columns," "More Columns," and then check the box next to "Line between." Here you can also adjust the width of the column and its spacing.

4

Turn off columns to insert an image or an editorial. Open the Page Layout tab and click "Columns" in the Page Setup group. Click "One" to return to a single column.

Use a Template

5

Open a document in Word.

6

Select "File," and then "New."

7

From the list of available templates choose the appropriate template. Use one that is installed with word by selecting "Sample Templates," reviewing the available templates and clicking "Create." Use a template you use frequently by clicking "Recent Templates," selecting the template you need and clicking "Create." Use a template you've created by selecting "My Templates," selecting your template and clicking "OK."

8

Download a template from Microsoft (full link in Resources). From the template category, review the list of templates, click the one that works best for you paper and then select "Download." The template becomes available under the Sample Templates listing.

Waking Up Married (Harlequin KISS)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description

From USA TODAY bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly comes WAKING UP MARRIED, a free book in Harlequin's brand-new contemporary romance collectionHarlequin KISS.

Her first thought: "Who are you?"

It's the morning after her cousin's bachelorette party in Vegas and Megan Scott wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. Even worse, she's in a stranger's penthouse having woken up with something else as wella funny, arrogant, sexyhusband!

Up until now, finding even a boyfriend had seemed impossiblebeen there, got the broken heart, sworn off men for good. Then a few martinis with Carterno, Connor Reed and she's gone from first meet to marriage in one night!

Megan wants a lawyer. But Connor's shocking bombshell?

"I don't want a divorce."

If you loved WAKING UP MARRIED, be sure to catch four fun, flirty and sensual Harlequin KISS titles available every month starting February 2013!

How to Annotate a Reading Assignment

Reading comprehension requires you to connect with the reading assignment. Marking and annotating the text gets you to engage and interact with it in a physical way. Your pencil, pen and highlighter are terrific tools you can use to improve reading comprehension and remember the assigned text. Get the most out of a reading assignment by marking it up.

Instructions

1

Circle unknown and unfamiliar words as you read. You may need to come back and reread the sentences before and after the word to get at the meaning of the word. Write a brief definition in the margin when you grasp it.

2

Underline, highlight or circle sentences that provide you with definitions of key terms. Write "Def" in the margin so you can locate the definition quickly.

3

Mark an X or an asterisk next to a sentence that provides an important example or a main topic.

4

Draw a question mark beside a point that is confusing. You may need to research this further or ask your instructor about it.

5

Number lists of ideas that the writer provides as support points to back up the main concept. Write a number in the margin next to each support point that clarifies the main idea.

6

Place a check or star next to important passages. This is a good practice when taking a test that requires you to read a passage, because the questions that follow the reading will most likely refer back to these main points.

7

Make notes to yourself in the margins. As you read, write any questions or comments that crop up in your mind in the margin next to the passage. Use these annotations in class discussions, essay writing or exams.

8

Keep it simple. Remember, you are trying to connect with the reading in some way. Mark no more than 15 percent of the text.

Activities for 8th Grade Reading Comprehension

Mastering reading comprehension is important for 8th graders as they leave middle school and prepare to enter high school, where they will need to be able to understand information in textbooks and literature, as well as pass standardized tests. You can practice reading comprehension in the classroom or at home by using a few activities specifically tailored to their grade level.

Advertisement Dissection

Have the student read political advertisements, like the ones featured on TV411. Ask them to label each persuasive point the politician is trying to make and categorize it either as a generalization, a scare tactic or an exaggeration. For commercial advertisements, ask them to read through the whole ad and the fine print. Write a list of details that may or may not be in the ad and have them write "no" or "yes" next to those details depending on if they were or weren't in the ad.

Drawing Conclusions

Have the student practice drawing conclusions or reading between the lines using Studyzone's activity on its website. The student will read a short story containing pertinent details. Studyzone then has the student fill out a multiple-choice quiz asking the student questions about where the character in the story probably lives, what kind of activities the character might enjoy, and so on.

Charting the Story Arc

Use the TeacherVision Five Elements of a Story activity to identify the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution portions of a story. Give the student a short story to read through a couple times. Then ask him to briefly synopsize each portion of the story in a few words that corresponds to one of the elements, and write it on the TeacherVision graphic next to that element.

Newspaper Article Memory

Give the student a newspaper article. Allow her to read it through two or three times. Then ask the student to answer a series of questions in essay form, including as much detail from the article as possible. Repeat this a few times with different articles and discuss the responses with the student.

How to Sell a Short Story

The best short story can be as engaging and enthralling as a novel. Though many writers set their sites on the novel, selling short stories can be a way for a writer to get his feet wet and gain exposure. The process of pitching a short story is similar to that of pitching an article or approaching a publisher with an idea for a novel.

Find a Market

Literary journals, magazines and online publications publish short stories. It pays to do your research before you submit a story. If a magazine interests you and seems to fit with your style, read several issues of the magazine before you send in your story. For example, if your genre is fantasy, read a few issues of your fantasy magazine of choice. You will learn the general style and length of stories that the magazine publishes. You'll also figure out if the magazine has previously published a story similar to yours, in which case, it might not want your story. Before you submit a story to a publisher or magazine, ask for the company's guidelines.

Consider E-Books

The e-book market can be a boon to short story writers. According to David Coe of "Science Fiction and Fantasy Novelists," the earnings from publishing an e-book version of a short story are similar to those from a traditional market. Coe also notes, however, that self-publishing might not advance a writer's career as much as pursuing sales through traditional markets or publishers. If your goal is to earn money rather than pursue an agent or publication with a larger publishing house, self-publishing e-book versions of your stories might be the route to take. You can self-publish through a number of online publishing companies.

Polish Your Story

Once you've determined where you want your story to go, focus on the meat and bones of the story itself. Ask people you trust to read the story and provide feedback. Consider joining a writer's group or workshop to get feedback from other short story writers. Make sure your story fits the guidelines of the publication. Don't try to submit a piece that is over the word limit or considerably shorter than the requirements.

Craft a Cover Letter

Always include a cover letter when you submit your story to a magazine or website. The cover letter should tell the editor what you are submitting and its length. You don't need to include much else in the letter. For example, you don't need to include a synopsis of the story or share its submission history, especially if the story has been turned down by other publishers, according to C.M. Clifton of FreelanceWriting.com. If you are sending the story via email, make sure to attach the file to your letter and use the proper file format.

ANIMALS: 30 Fascinating Bedtime Stories About Animals - Children's Book With Pictures For Kids Ages 4-8 (Kids Learning Books For Kindle)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
ANIMALS - 30 Fascinating Bedtime Stories About Animals, Children's Book Ages 48Busy Little Buzzy Bee StoryOmar The Desert Animal Camel StoryTommy Helps A Friend Cat StoryColorful Camilla Chameleon StoryMama Moo Cow StoryDilly The Reptile Says Sorry Crocodile StoryBilly Chases The Housekeeper Dog StorySally Teaches The Mermaid How To Dance Dolphin StoryDonny The Helpful Friend Duck StoryEly Saves His Family Elephant StoryFanny The Tall Pink Bird Flamingo StoryTodd Hops Back Home Frog StoryGigi Learns A Lesson Giraffe StoryStan The Fastest Runner In The World Horse StoryKenny The Australian Animal Kangaroo StoryLeo And His Little Cubs Lion StoryKiki The Naughty Animal Monkey StoryLittle Mosey And Her Friend Rat Mouse StoryPolly Learns To Talk Parrot StoryPenny And His Dark Blue And White Feathers Penguin StoryHow Paul The Bear Became White Polar Bear StoryRoger Tricks Billy Goat Rabbit StoryPesky Gets Caught In A Trap Rat StoryRiri Gets A Nose Horn Rhino StoryScotty Becomes Friends With Seal Shark StoryMilo The Slithering Animal Snake StoryHow Stacy Made Her Wedding Dress Spider StoryHow Chippy Got His Bushy Tail Squirrel StoryTammy And Her Great Big Shell Turtle StoryZoey Gets Some Stripes Zebra Story

Have you been looking for a book that interacts with your child in a fun and imaginative way? The new book ANIMALS, 30 Fascinating Children Bedtime Stories About Animals is a great way to get your child excited to learn about the many different animals found all over the world!

With 30 interactive stories about different animals, the book is a delight to read. At the end of each story, the child is asked which animal was being discussed. Each story is told in such a detailed manner that your child will have no problem guessing the animal ...

Add ANIMALS To Your Cart: click on 'Buy now with 1-Click' above

What Is a Basal Reading Program?

A basal reading program is a core reading program that is used to teach children to read. The term "basal" comes from the word "base," as the program acts as the basis for the lessons that teach children reading skills. Basal reading programs are mainly used by school districts, as they are generally too expensive for most homeschoolers and tutoring centers.

History

The 1860s saw the first mainstream use of basal readers in the United States through a series called the McGuffey readers, which pioneered progress levels of reading material for emerging readers. The next famous basal series was the "Dick and Jane" series by Scott Foresman, which began in the 1930s. This series started the now rejected "look-say" method of teaching reading, which favored memorizing whole words and not teaching phonics.

Identification

Basal reading programs are produced by major publishers like Pearson Scott Foresman, McGraw-Hill and Harcourt. They include student books (which are usually anthologies of short stories, poems and articles), student workbooks and teachers' editions that provide lesson-planning information and answers to the questions in the workbooks.

Function

Good basal reading programs cover all aspects of reading learning (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) in a systemic, explicit and comprehensive way. They are intended to teach children to read at or above grade-level expectations and give them all the skills they need to make reading progress.

Misconceptions

Basal reading programs do not mean that the program is the only thing teachers may use to teach reading. Rather they provide a base for teachers to use; in most schools teachers are encouraged to supplement the core reading program with other texts and activities. Also, today's basal readers bare little resemblance to the dry, repetitive texts that were common until the 1980s. They now include interesting and relevant stories, challenging vocabulary words and phonics instruction.

Types

Two of the most popular basal reading programs are the "Open Court" series by McGraw-Hill and "Reading Street" by Scott Foresman. They are both phonics-based and require at least two hours of instruction a day.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Inferno: A Novel (Robert Langdon)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: Inside Inferno Explore the sights of Inferno alongside Robert Langdon in this exclusive first look at Dan Brown's latest thriller.

As Langdon continued on toward the elbow of the square, he could
see, directly ahead in the distance, the shimmering blue glass dial of the
St. Marks Clock Towerthe same astronomical clock through which
James Bond had thrown a villain in the film Moonraker.

The Tetrarchs statue was well known for its missing foot, broken
off while it was being plundered from Constantinople in the thirteenth
century. Miraculously, in the 1960s, the foot was unearthed in Istanbul.
Venice petitioned for the missing piece of statue, but the Turkish authorities
replied with a simple message: You stole the statuewere keeping our
foot.

Amid a contour of spires and domes, a single illuminated facade dominated
Langdons field of view. The building was an imposing stone fortress
with a notched parapet and a three-hundred-foot tower that swelled
near the top, bulging outward into a massive machicolated battlement.

Langdon found himself standing before a familiar facethat of Dante Alighieri.
Depicted in the legendary fresco by Michelino, the great poet stood before
Mount Purgatory and held forth in his hands, as if in humble offering,
his masterpiece The Divine Comedy.

Amazon Exclusve: Additional Reading Suggestions from Dan Brown The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno(Penguin Classics) The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend BiologyRay Kurzweil (Author) Brunelleschi's DomeRoss King (Author) The Lives of the Artists Volume 1Giorgio Vasari (Author), George Bull (Translator) The Book Of Symbols: Reflections On Archetypal ImagesARAS Q&A with Dan Brown

Q. Inferno refers to Dante Alighieris The Divine Comedy. What is Dantes significance? What features of his work or life inspired you?

A. The Divine Comedylike The Mona Lisais one of those rare artistic achievements that transcends its moment in history and becomes an enduring cultural touchstone. Like Beethovens Ninth Symphony, The Divine Comedy speaks to us centuries after its creation and is considered an example of one of the finest works ever produced in its artistic field. For me, the most captivating quality of Dante Alighieri is his staggering influence on culture, religion, history, and the arts. In addition to codifying the early Christian vision of Hell, Dantes work has inspired some of historys greatest luminariesLongfellow, Chaucer, Borges, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Monteverdi, Michelangelo, Blake, Daland even a few modern video game designers. Despite Dantes enduring influence on the arts, however, most of us today have only a vague notion of what his work actually saysboth literally and symbolically (which, of course, is of great interest to Robert Langdon). A few years ago, I became very excited about the prospect of writing a contemporary thriller that incorporated the philosophy, history, and text of Dantes timeless descent into The Inferno.

Q. Where did do your research for Inferno? How long did you spend on it?

A. Researching Inferno began with six months of reading, including several translations of The Divine Comedy, various annotations by Dante scholars, historical

How to Do Book Reports

When you read a book that you love, you want to tell others about it and encourage them to read the book as well. Teachers assign book reports to students of all ages book reports for this reason and others. Writing a book report shows that you not only read and enjoyed a specific book, but that you also understood the concepts and ideas in that book. To do a book report, you should follow a proper outline and format for the report.

Instructions

1

Read the book slowly, and with concentration. Make notes as you write, focusing on individual characters, as well as major plot lines and developments in the book. If you decide to add quotes from the book, write those down and include the page number, to easily find the quotes later.

2

Create an introductory paragraph that describes the topics that you will discuss in your book report. The introductory paragraph should include the title of the book, the name of the writer and the reason why you read the book. You may want to include information on how many copies the book sold or when it was originally published.

3

Write a second paragraph that describes the main characters in the book. Focus this paragraph on the top characters in the book and what they're like or what they do in the book. In the second paragraph, explain any minor characters that are still important to the story.

4

Make a new paragraph that describes the plot of the book. This may lead to additional paragraphs that explain specific moments or events that are integral to the plot.

5

Use the final paragraph as both a conclusion and a way to express your feelings about the book. Describe your initial impressions of the book, as well as how you feel about the book now. Explain whether you're happy with the finished book or disappointed and what you would do to change it.

How to Start a Newspaper

Starting a newspaper business is not an easy task. It requires hard work and commitment to launch the first issue and keep the public interested in the publication. You must be willing to go the extra mile to gather important news and present it in a fair and factual manner. Start your own newspaper business by taking into account the following steps.

Instructions

1

Do a general survey before launching your newspaper. Find out how many people are interested in reading newspapers and what kind of elements they would like to see. Know about your competitors and make a strategy to make your newspaper stand out.

2

Decide whether you want to start a full newspaper business which publishes a paper every day, a monthly publication, periodical or a community newspaper. Keep in mind the population size and target audience of the newspaper. It is advisable to start with a small newspaper and progress to a wider audience as the popularity of your publication increases.

3

Contact your county or state to obtain a legal permit to start your own newspaper. Register your business with the county or the state before publishing your first copy. Pay the normal registration fees which vary by state.

4

Start by hiring a few reporters depending upon the size of your newspaper. Employ a few individuals to do the page layouts. Also make a contract with a printing press or a web press in your area for publication. Edit the newspaper yourself if you have enough knowledge or appoint a professional editor.

5

Contact local businesses and encourage them to place advertisements in your newspaper. Offer them good rates so that they are tempted to buy ad space.

6

Talk to your local newspaper distributing services and post office to go over mailing options for your newspaper. Pay the initial postage fee and mail the first copy of your newspaper to a specific neighborhood that you want to reach. Another option is to have the paper delivered to one area one week and another area the next week.

7

Place free copies of your newspaper at local stores, subways and malls for a wider advertising campaign. Hopefully people will subscribe once they get interested in the newspaper and its unique approach. Keep the initial price of the newspaper as minimal as you can to attract more subscribers.

Beauty from Pain (Beauty Series #1)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller....

They agreed on three months...but their love knew no boundaries.

Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australias most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth makes him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and thats why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and theyre always the same. No long term relationships. No real names.

Its his game and his rules. Hes content to play as usual, but when Laurelyn Prescott enters his life, his strategy must change because this player is like none he's ever encountered. His world is turned on its head after he begins a three month affair with the beautiful American musician. Nothing goes according to plan and as he breaks more and more of his own rules for her, shes exceptionally close to becoming something he never thought possible. His ultimate game changer.

Beauty From Pain is an adult contemporary novel and is not intended for younger readers due to mature content.

How to Check if a Relay is Bad

A relay is an electrically operated switch used to isolate one electrical circuit from another. In its simplest form, a relay consists of a coil used as an electromagnet to open and close switch contacts.

Instructions

Testing The Coil And Switch Contacts

1




Place the test leads from an ohm meter across the coil terminals (shown as points A and B in the schematic diagram). This will check for continuity of the coil. The ohm meter should show a very low resistance if the coil is good. It is possible for a coil to have shorted windings, but this is rare. Use this procedure to check the coil in any type of relay, regardless of the number of "throws" and "poles", or the voltage needed to trip the coil.

2




Test a relay's switch contacts with an ohm meter. In the case of a relay that has a single pole single throw contact, as shown in the schematic diagram, place the test leads across points C and D.

3

Measure the resistance, which will either be infinity or a dead short, depending on whether the relay configuration is normally open or normally closed. A reading of infinity indicates an "open" circuit, and a reading of zero ohms (short) indicates a "closed" circuit. Next, apply the proper voltage to the coil (points A and B) to energize it.

4

Apply the voltage either with a battery or power supply set to the proper voltage specified by the relay, such as 12 volts DC (direct current). With the test leads still attached to points C and D, once the coil is energized, the ohm meter should give the opposite reading as it did when the coil was at rest and no voltage was applied. If the ohm meter does not show a change between the on and off states of the coil, then the switch contacts in the relay are bad. Typically dirt, dust and carbon buildup will cause relay switches to fail to make good contact.

5




Measure the contacts on a double pole single throw relay by placing one test from an ohm meter on the center switch contact (point E on the schematic diagram), and the other lead on point C. Note the ohm meter reading, either open or closed.

6

Apply the proper voltage with either a battery or a DC power supply to energize the coil. Again, note the ohm meter reading. It should be opposite the reading when the coil was at rest. Continue by checking the switch contacts between E and D.

7

Use the same procedure, checking the open/closed status during the two states of the coil, energized and at rest. If any of these readings to not show a difference between the times when the coil is energized and at rest, then the switch contacts are defective. Note also that the at rest/energized coil state should give opposite readings for switch C E as it does for switch D E. For example, if the contact between C and E is normally open when the coil is at rest, then D and E should be normally closed, and vice versa.

8




Attach an ohm meter test lead to point D (as shown) and one on point C of a double pole double throw relay, and check for open and closed conditions with and without voltage is applied to the coil.

9

Move the one test lead from C to E and repeat the test. Note that this time the results should be opposite what they were for D and C. For example, if the contact between C and D is normally open when the coil is at rest, then D and E should be normally closed. When the coil is energized, the opposite readings should be present. A double pole double throw relay has another set of contacts, shown here as F, G and H. Use the same procedure to test this section of the switch.

How to Convert MP4 Files to CD Recordable Files

The MP4 file format is used to compress large audio or video files into a size that is small enough that it can be quickly downloaded. Unfortunately, not many CD burning programs recognize the format, so in order to burn MP4 files to a CD you first have to convert them to a format such as MP3.

Instructions

1

Double click on the desktop icon for your web browsing program. Navigate to a website that offers an MP4 compatible conversion software program, such as "Koyote Free Conversion" (see Resources).

2




Navigate to the section of the website that offers downloads and then click on the "Download" button.

3




Wait a moment for your web browser to pop up a new window asking for instructions. Click on "Save File" in the new window.

4




Open the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and then navigate to the folder on your computer's hard drive where your downloaded files are saved. Double click on the installation file for the conversion program. Click on the box marked as "I Agree" under the terms and conditions section. Click "Next" on the next window that appears.

5




Wait for the installation process to finish and then double click on the conversion program's desktop icon. Click on "File" at the top toolbar and then choose "Add Files." Navigate through the browser that appears to find the MP4 file you want to convert.

6

Double click on the file to add it. Scroll down to the section that is labeled as "Output Format" and set it to "MP3." Click on "Convert" to change the file from the MP4 format to the MP3 format.

How to Study the Book of James in the Bible

James is a short book located in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. It is easy to understand for the lay person in that it contains simply-written guidance for issues in daily life. When studying James, keep this in mind as it will help you to apply the verses personally to your situation. If you struggle with, or just want to know more about temptation, faith and how to handle money, follow these steps to thoroughly study this Biblical writing.

Instructions

Study the Book of James in the Holy Bible

1

Know the background. James was a biological brother of Jesus, but he was not an early supporter of His ministry. In fact, James was probably an unbeliever. When studying the writings of James, it is important to note the transformation in his life following the resurrection of Jesus. His life is an example to other non-believers of what is possible after faith in Christ is confessed.

2

Know the audience. James was writing to early Christians in and around Jerusalem as well as to a new Christians in other countries. This is important as both groups needed exhortation to follow the teachings of Christ. Newly converted Jewish Christians needed to know how they could retain their customs but not let them interfere with accepting Gentile believers who may not adhere to their dietary and social guidelines.
James' teachings were also for Christians that had been scattered abroad as the result of Roman persecution. Much of this short book is filled with verses of strength and reassurance in the face of hard times.

3

Understand the prominent themes. Know the main themes of the book of James: wisdom, faith, trials, speech and wealth. It will be helpful to write these themes in a notebook, then write down the main scriptures that support each one. This will be a handy future reference.

4

Use Bible dictionaries and concordances. Most Bibles have other verses footnoted in the chapters that support or add knowledge to what is given by the writer. It is worth the time to read these. Most will explain the historical context, which is important in fully understanding what the author is saying.

5

Use other reputable sources. There are innumerable books, study guides and websites that can be used for Bible study. These can be great resources, but use them carefully, noting that a resource can be based on one person's perception of the facts. Read the notes about whoever has written the book and always read the "about us" section of websites that will tell what religious denomination is affiliated with that site.

How to Read a Book & Take a Quiz

Teachers use a variety of techniques, including quizzes, to encourage their students to read the books for a particular course. Quizzes offset a habit that may students have of procrastinating or neglecting to stay up to date with a class's reading assignments. Passing a quiz is not difficult if a student develops good reading skills and habits and is diligent in keeping up with the reading assignments. Passing a quiz is difficult if you wait until the night before the quiz to read the book.

Instructions

1

Setup a reading schedule for the book. Avoid waiting till the night before the quiz to read the book. In most cases, setting a schedule simply entails paying attention to the syllabus for the course that you are reading the book for. Diligently read the assignments as they are outlined on the syllabus.

2

Take notes are you read. Taking notes helps you to digest the content of the book, and note taking is also a useful tool for keeping your attention focused on the book. Another helpful technique is to underline or mark important passages in the book with a pencil.

3

Write a short summary after completing each chapter. Writing a one or two paragraph summary forces you to actively reflect on and organize the content of each chapter.

4

Pay attention to the teacher's lecture on the contents of the book. Take notes during the lecture. The teacher will emphasize elements of the book that he thinks are the most important and relevant.

5

Review your notes and summaries before each class. Reviewing your notes and summaries not only prepares you for the quiz, it also helps to make you better prepared overall. You will be in a better position to appreciate and understand the teacher's discussion of the book, and you will have insightful things to contribute the class discussion as well.

Bluegrass State of Mind (Bluegrass Series)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
See where the USA Today Bestselling Author Kathleen Brooks began!
This is the first book in Kathleen Brooks' Best-Selling Bluegrass Series.

McKenna Mason, a New York City attorney with a love of all things Prada, is on the run from a group of powerful, dangerous men. McKenna turns to a teenage crush, Will Ashton, for help in starting a new life in beautiful horse country. She finds that Will is now a handsome, successful race horse farm owner. As the old flame is ignited, complications are aplenty in the form of a nasty ex-wife, an ex-boyfriend intent on killing her, and a feisty race horse who refuses to race without a kiss. Can Will and McKenna cross the finish line together, and more importantly, alive?

How to Listen to Audio Books for Free

Listening to audio books can be a great way to pass the time, entertain yourself and learn something new. Audio books can make a long road trip more fun, or make your commute to and from work a more productive time. Books on CD can help you catch up on classic novels or self-help books you have always wanted to read but haven't had the time for, or allow you to study topics related to your career. You can also listen to MP3 files of audio books as you do housework or work out at the gym to make those activities more fun.

Instructions

1

Check out books on CD from your library. This is probably the easiest way to listen to audio books for free, and it will give you the largest selection of newer books. The limitations to this method are that you can only listen to them on a CD player or on your computer, and you may have to wait for another patron to return the book you want if it's checked out when you visit the library.

2

Ask your library if they have eAudiobooks or a similar program. These programs will allow you to download audio books by simply entering your library card number on a website. Not all libraries participate in these programs, but many do, so it's worthwhile to ask. One limitation is that, largely, these collections are educational and include a lot of nonfiction and older classic novels. If you are looking for the latest thriller or chick-lit book, this will probably not be the best route for you.

3

Check out Project Gutenberg online. Project Gutenberg offers a wide variety of books in text for free, but they also offer a rather large selection of audio books. All of these books are older ones that have gone into the public domain and can be downloaded and listened to for free, without any copyright issues. That means, again, you won't find the latest thrillers here, but they do have an interesting collection of older volumes, from "Aesop's Fables" to Jules Verne. Another limitation is that the file sizes and types may not be compatible with your MP3 player; in some cases, you may only be able to listen to these books on your computer (see Resources below).

4

Visit other websites that allow you to download audio books for free. If you're a science fiction fan, sffaudio.com will link you to a variety of websites that offer science fiction and fantasy audio book downloads for free. The Internet Archive (archive.org) will also allow you to download audio books for free, as will librivox.org. The one downside to listening to audio books read by volunteers is that the quality of the reading can vary wildly. Some readers are quite good, while others read in monotones or have inferior recording equipment. With Librivox, especially, you may have five or ten different authors reading various chapters of the book, and this is often not as satisfying as listening to one professional actor reading an entire book on CD.

5

You can also do an Internet search to see if some of your favorite authors might offer short stories or books on audio for free. You will be surprised how many will do this simply to get their names out there and widen their audience. One author who does this frequently is science fiction author Cory Doctorow (see Resources below).

Bewitching the Werewolf

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
When witch for hire, Megan Stephens, is assigned to help the local werewolf pack leader find a mate, she thinks the job will be easy. Get in, get him up and get gone. But when she meets Zack Connor, she realizes her future might have a lot more dog jokes in it than she ever imagined.

This is a short story-- approximately 40 pages in length-- and includes an excerpt from Love is Darkness, the first book in the Valerie Dearborn series.

**Please be aware that this book contains sex. And not in a fade-to-black-sort-of-way but an-OMG-that's-in-public-sort-of-way**

Awaken His Eyes: The Awakened Book One

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
THE HISTORY: Over five thousand years ago, a renegade faction of angels abandoned the spiritual realm and began their inhabitation of earth. Worshiped as gods for their wisdom and power, they corrupted the realm of the physical and forever altered the course of history.

THE PROPHECY: Amidst the chaos of a dying world, a lone voice foretold the awakening of a human warrior who would bring an end to this evil perpetrated against all of creation. But with the cataclysmic destruction of earth and rebirth of humanity, the prophecy went unfulfilled and faded from the memory of our kinduntil now!

THE AWAKENED: The physical dimension is fractured. What remain now are numerous fragmented worlds moving simultaneously through time, sharing a common history, connected only by a guarded portal. On a parallel earth, in the city of Bastul, Colonel Adair Lorus disappears while investigating the death of an informant, triggering a series of events which will tear his family apart and set in motion the resolution of an ancient struggle. Kael, sentenced to death after rising up against the cruel leadership of his new step-father, is rescued from prison and trained in the arts of war by a mystical order of clerics. Excelling in every aspect of his training, Kael inwardly struggles to give himself fully to the methods of his new family, or the god they worship. Maeryn, bitter over the disappearance of her husband and supposed execution of her son, fears for her life at the hands of her newly appointed husband. Finding comfort and purpose in her unborn child, she determines to undermine his authority by reaching out to an underground social movement known as the Resistance. After being forced from his home, Kaels former mentor, Saba, uncovers a clue to Adairs disappearance. Sensing a connection to his own forgotten past, Saba begins an investigation which leads to the discovery of a secret military organization operating within the Orudan Empire.

In book one of his Amazon bestselling debut series, Jason Tesar launches an epic saga that will journey from earths mythological past to its post-apocalyptic future, blending the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and military/political suspense.

A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Two

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Amazon.com Review
How does he do it? George R.R. Martin's high fantasy weaves a spell sufficient to seduce even those who vowed never to start a doorstopper fantasy series again (the first book--A Game of Thrones--runs over 700 pages). A Clash of Kings is longer and even more grim, but Martin continues to provide compelling characters in a vividly real world.

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

Sound complicated? It is, but fine writing makes this a thoroughly satisfying stew of dark magic, complex political intrigue, and horrific bloodshed. --Nona Vero

Preschool Observation Tools

Preschool is a crucial time in a child's life. Brain development and motor skills are heightened, and children become aware of their surroundings. There are different observation tools educators and parents alike can use to observe students' behaviors. Observation tools can be purchased from professional educational partners or created by highly skilled educators. Typically, observations monitor socioemotional development, work habits, motor skills, reading readiness and math and science readiness.

Work Sampling

Work sampling is a professional way to document and assess a child's growth and development. Work sampling has proven effective for a curriculum-based assessment; guidelines, checklists and portfolios are used to monitor students' progress. This program is helpful because it not only meets national standards but it allows parents to collaborate with educators in the observation process. The main aspects of work sampling include observations of social, emotional and cognitive development. Data are constantly reported throughout the year, and the educator is able to form a comparison of a student's progression.

Program Assessment

Program assessment uses a specific curriculum to observe students. A variety of programs, such as Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs (APECP) and Classroom Language and Literacy Environment Observation (CLEO), are used to monitor a child's growth in a particular area. The CLEO program evaluates language and literacy using various observations and rating scales. Each program is designed to pinpoint specific growth development areas and see how a child rates in each category.

Research Components

An in-depth research practice focuses on observing the response of children in targeted classroom situations. This observation technique takes family collaboration into consideration. Research is held over a period of time, and the data found are presented to families and colleagues to have a personal approach in research. Because this observation uses research data, children are prompted to learn and identify classroom practices, acknowledge social and emotional situations and respond to various social actions.

Self-Made Study

A self-made observation study is used by many educators in forming a basic opinion of how a child responds in developmental observations. Typically, self-made observations consist of checklists that include all components of daily preschool activities. Educators are able to easily observe a child's behavior and rate that child with a basic grading scale. Scales are usually rated beginner, developing and proficient. These observations are simple yet effective in exploring how a child is developing in preschool.

How to Get Free Books to Read by Mail

Reading is a favorite pastime for many people. Some people are avid readers. Some read once in a while. Some plan to read on vacation. No matter what your reading preferences are, you can get free books to read by mail. Yes, it is true. You can get your name on different lists to receive free books by mail. Sometimes you might have to write a short review of the book, but you get to keep the book as payment. Get on a few different lists and you can have all sorts of free books to read.

Instructions

Book Swaps

1

Find an online book site like Goodreads.com. Fill out any necessary information to join the site and go to the "Swap" page.

2

Choose a book you want and find someone who wants trade it.

3

Pay the shipping and receive the free book in the mail. (The book is free, but since these types of books come from other people just like you, you do need to pay the shipping costs.)

Book Publishers

4

Find publishers that are looking for people to read and review their books, which will require a little research on your part since not all publishers are looking for reviewers all the time.

5

Write a cover letter to send to the publishers asking to be a book reviewer. Remember, this is not the same as a reader, who is someone who reads manuscripts before publication and book reviewers read already published books and promote them. Tell the publishers that you enjoy reading and give any other information that may be helpful, such as your education and any book reviews you may have done.

6

Contact the book publishers either by mail or email. Wait for them to contact you by sending you free books in the mail.

Magazines

7

Look for magazines that publish book reviews. Look through different magazines for book reviews.

8

Follow this example from Christian Library Journal: Log into the magazine's website (see the link below) and read through all the instructions for becoming a reviewer. Fill out the form completely. (Christian Library Journal does not require that you be a professional writer to write reviews.)

9

Wait for a reply from the editor and start receiving books in the mail directly from the publisher, sometimes in the form of a galley or an ARC (advance reading copy).

10

Follow all the magazine's instructions for reading the books and writing the reviews; for example, Christian Library Journal has a list of books on the site that you get to choose from. Remember that if you continue to write the short reviews and are in good standing with the magazine, you will continue to receive free books in the mail.

How to Start a Short Story

Writing a short story is supposed to be easier than writing a novel as well as preparation for doing so. For how easy it is, the hardest part can be just putting pen to paper and getting started. There are as many methods to writing as there are writers, and this How To will help you to understand one such effective method with which you can develop your own.

Instructions

1

The advice, "Just sit down and write anything," is good advice to get your gears turning. If you don't yet know what your story is about, have no characters or even a concept, just write anything. Tom Robbins' breakout first novel, Another Roadside Attraction, started with a random sentence and became a best seller. Write down anything at all until you have a character or an idea, or both.

2

Now that you have a concept, focus on it loosely to develop it. Do not be rigid with your idea. A great author once wrote, "You must kill your little darlings," meaning do not get attached to your drafts. If your concept is a character, ask yourself some questions about that person. What does he do for a living? What would he rather be doing for a living? Where would he rather be right now? Does he pick his nose? Does she have a hobby, a secret, a keepsake from her father?

3

Do not worry that you don't know where your story is going or what your characters will do next. What are they doing now? What is happening now in the world beyond them?

4

Once you have characters and a situation ask yourself a little more about both. What is the situation and how do the characters fit in to it? Don't get too complex yet. What will happen will change as the story is written. What are your characters interests and motivations? Everyone wants something, even the Buddhist monk wants to want nothing.

5

Once you have written down a couple of paragraphs or a page about your characters, the situation and the setting just forget what you planned to happen in your story and let it roll. You can edit this later after you've immersed yourself in your fictional world, let the words flow out as if you're telling a story to a bunch of children or lying to stay out of trouble. The more you babble now the more you'll have to work with later.

Beautiful Disaster: A Novel

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesnt drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern Universitys Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wantsand needsto avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abbys resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Traviss apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

How to Make Inferences in Reading Comprehension

Inferring is a skill that is necessary for reading comprehension. It involves several processes that simultaneously take place while reading. Inferring, sometimes called "reading between the lines", is what occurs when the reader draws upon prior knowledge to make a prediction about upcoming events in the story. Good readers infer without realizing it because they read often and become proficient with increased practiced. Inferring aids comprehension by causing the reader to ask questions as they read and use context clues to determine the author's purpose and meaning of the entire book.

Instructions

1

Complete pre-reading activities that guide you into inferential thinking. Pre-reading includes skimming the text and previewing the book. To begin previewing the book, read the information on the back or the inside jacket cover that gives details about the plot and characters. Skim any existing chapter titles to get insight about what might happen in the story. This practice builds interest in the story and prompts you to make predictions and generate questions about additional details and meaning.

2

Use prior knowledge from similar experiences to make inferences. This process is called "making connections". Readers do this when they identify with characters, their conflicts and actions. This is a skill that improves with practice. After you have read a chapter in a fiction book, reflect on the events that just occurred. Ask yourself if anything reminds you of a particular situation you experienced and how you reacted. This practice helps you to make a reasonable inference about what might happen next.

3

Record your inferences on a graphic organizer. This is a helpful exercise for comprehending the entire book. Free Reading.net and Reading Lady.com have free organizers that are easy to complete. When you encounter an unfamiliar word, record the inferred definition based on context clues. After reading, record the actual definition and compare the results. Follow the same procedure when inferring characters' motives and actions.

4

Practice inferring with online activities. There are free resources available on the Internet that you can access. Quia.com has an inferring activity that presents the reader with brief scenarios and a multiple-choice selection of reasonable inferences. The player clicks on one answer and the game gives instant feedback on the results.

How to Reference a Book

A general rule of thumb for referencing a book is to list the author's name, followed by the year, book title, location of publication and the name of the publisher. The title should be underlined or in italics. More formally, however, there are two styles for citing references: APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). The following steps will assist MLA style references for books, with sources below to both APA and MLA style guides.

Instructions

1

Reference a book with the following elements in order: author(s) or editor(s), the complete title, edition (if indicated), place of publication, the shortened name of the publisher, date of publication. Underline the title. For example:

Example: Dickory, Hick. How to Smoke Salami (underlined). 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Publisher, 1990.

2

Reference a book with two authors by using "and" and listing the second author with first name first and last name second. Example: Crumb, Susan, and Donald Crumbly. Worlds of Experience (underlined). New York, NY: Mom & Pop Publishing, 2004.

3

Reference a book with three authors by listing the first author traditionally (last name, first name), follow with second author's name, "and," then the last author. Make sure to list the second and third authors with first name first and last name second. Example: Lowe, Theo, Ben Green, and Howie Jackson. The Silent War: How Neighborhood Turf Battles Rage Unobserved (underlined). Berkeley, CA Norton Press, 1999.

4

Reference a book with more than three authors using the "et al." abbreviation. The "et al." used in a citation is short for the Latin "et alli" which means "and others." Example: Gilford, Steven, et al. Baby Steps: a Guide to Parenting in the New Millenium (underlined). Berkeley: U of California P, 2002.

5

Reference a corporate author by the title of the corporation. Example: James Smithsonian Museum of Science. The History of James Smithsonian (underlined). 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: Washington Press, 1973.

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

How to Write a Newspaper Headline

The one thing that can make or break a newspaper article is the headline. A good newspaper headline is concise, informative and, at times, entertaining. When you write a newspaper headline, your goal is to hook the reader into reading the article. Writing a headline for your article is easy, if you follow these steps.

Instructions

1

Reread your article; identify the underlying theme.

2

Express the theme in an active voice using as few words as possible. Active verbs lend immediacy to a story. If a reader sees a headline written in a passive voice, he or she might glance right over it.

3

Keep your headline in present tense.

4

Keep it simple. A headline is a short, direct sentence without extra adjectives or adverbs.

5

Provide enough information in the headline to give the casual reader an impression of the entire story.

Reading Comprehension Exercises for the 2nd Grade

Reading comprehension is a test of whether a reader understands what he has read. There are lots of ways to test for this, and lots of levels of comprehension. Second graders are just starting out on their reading journey, and the best way to work on comprehension is to read as much as possible and read all different kinds of literature. There are activities to do with your child that can help if he is struggling in this area.

Find Practice Worksheets or Workbooks

Print out practice reading comprehension worksheets on the Internet, or buy workbooks with reading comprehension exercises in them, available in many bookstores. Use these for practice and to assess your child's ability and strengths and weaknesses. Go over the wrong answers with her so she can learn from her mistakes. Look for patterns in the types of mistakes she makes to narrow down what you need to work on.

Practice Narration

Narration is a method popularized by homeschoolers who follow the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, an educator in Britain at the end of the eighteenth century. But anyone can use narration; it's not just for homeschoolers. It involves having your child tell you, in her own words, either orally or in writing, what a story he read was about. Start with short stories, maybe stories he is familiar with. If he's new to narration, have him practice with easy stories first, or even a TV show or movie, before moving on to stories he has read. As he gets more proficient, prompt him to add in details and note the types of things he tends to omit. Look for patterns and have him work on aspects he often misses. For example, have him describe a setting if he tends to have trouble with descriptive passages. Or have him draw conclusions about a character's motives, if he is weak on making inferences from his reading.

Tell the Main Idea

Reading comprehension tests often ask the main idea of a passage. You can practice this at home in many ways. A good way for a younger student to start with main ideas is to think up a title for a story or article. If your child is struggling with reading, have her find the main idea in a TV show or in a story you read to her, before she tries on a story she has read herself. It is often easier to find the main idea of an article rather than a story, so look for magazines written for kids, or read newspaper stories to her and look for a main idea.

Pay Attention to Sequence of Events

Another reading comprehension skill that figures prominently in testing is sequence of events. Start by picking out two or three events from a story and ask your child which happened first, second and third. After this becomes easy for your child, have him practice telling the events in order. Talk about beginning, middle and end. Ask him to draw three pictures illustrating what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story.

Look for Cause and Effect

If a story has a situation with a cause and effect, be sure to point it out when reading. This is another concept that comes up a lot on reading tests. It is generally an easy concept for second graders to understand. She just may need help picking these elements out of a story she's read.

Talk About Setting

The setting of a story is where it takes place. It can also be when it takes place, if the story is set in the past or in some science fiction future or alternate reality. This is another easy idea for second graders to grasp. Encourage your child to make a picture in his mind of the locations for a story. Have him draw a picture, or even a map, if a story takes place in several different locations in a neighborhood.

Ask Questions

Before your child reads a book, ask her what she thinks it's about. Use the cover, the table of contents and illustrations, if there are any, to get a feel for who the characters are and what is going to happen. Ask her to predict what she thinks will happen. Then have her start reading. Periodically, while she is reading the book, have her stop and make a prediction about the ending or what will happen next. Encourage her to ask questions about the motives of the characters. She may not know the answers to all of the questions, but it will get her thinking as she reads, which is always a good thing.

Learn About Inferences

Inferences are hard for second graders. They involve making a jump from the facts you know to an idea or conclusion you only think may be true. A good way to practice inferences is to read mystery stories. Encyclopedia Brown books are good easy detective stories for young readers. Making inferences is a skill your child will be working on for years to come, so don't worry if he doesn't master it in second grade.

Never Stop Reading

Many parents make the mistake of thinking they should stop reading aloud to their child once she can read on her own. Instead, move up to a level of reading beyond her reading level. Make time as often as you can to read aloud to your child. Have her read aloud to you. Pick a book of poems and take turns reading. Beyond the obvious benefits of learning, reading aloud is a great way to spend quality time with your child, making memories that will last a lifetime.

How to Turn Up the Volume on a Kindle

Amazon's Kindle device is an e-reader that has gone through four iterations, including the larger "Kindle DX." The most recent Kindle doesn't have a unique name, but many people call it the "Kindle 3." This new Kindle has plenty of features, including its own audio options for audiobooks, the Kindle "Voice Guide," background music and the Kindle's "Text-to-Speech" function. If you want to use the Kindle's audio features, you can easily increase the volume using the controls built into the Kindle itself.

Instructions

1

Begin listening to the audio content you wish.

2

Locate the controls on the bottom edge of your Kindle device.

3

Identify the volume control, which is the farthest control on the left. This is a "volume rocker," with a plus and minus icon on either side of it.

4

Press the right side of the volume control, which has a plus icon on it. Each time you press it, the Kindle's volume will increase slightly. You can also hold down the control to constantly increase the volume until it reaches the level you want.

Short Stories for Intermediate ESL

Short stories open up a world of literature to English as a second language (ESL) students. Incorporating short stories into your students' lessons along with other types of authentic reading material exposes them to a range of sentence structures, vocabulary and writing styles. Intermediate ESL students will benefit from regular exposure to short stories in their studies.

How They Help

Students can read short stories out loud to practice their oral and pronunciation skills. Stories also show how to correctly build sentences and use vocabulary. Students develop reading comprehension, which helps them learn new words to use in their everyday English conversations.

Why Use Short Stories

Short stories are generally more engaging and interesting than many other types of writing. They connect with readers on a personal level. Stories are written in different styles and offer comprehension challenges to intermediate students who are well on their way to becoming fluent English speakers.

Choosing Material

The stories you choose should be appropriate to your specific class' level of English. Contemporary fiction from the 1930s or later is generally the best to choose. The vocabulary in this era of stories is generally easier to understand than material written earlier. Keep to more mainstream topics in the stories you choose that will not potentially upset readers.

Free Weekly Story

The Library of America is a nonprofit publisher that offers weekly emails of stories. Stories may be in the form of essays, a poem or perhaps a character sketch. When a short story comes up that your students may enjoy, print it out and copy it for them. Authors are from America's literary heritage.

ESL Fast

The ESL Fast website has 365 short stories for intermediate ESL students on its website. They cover a range of topics and titles, including "The Vacuum Cleaner Filter" and "The Starbucks Robbery." At the bottom of each story, choose from a number of exercises to reinforce students' understanding of the story and its vocabulary and work on a grammar point used in the story.

ESL Monkeys

The ESL Monkeys website allows you to search for short stories for your class based on their ages. This helps you identify stories that are appropriate and interesting to the level you teach. You can also translate the webpage for each story into another language, which can be a helpful tool for students if they are studying the stories on their own in their own languages.

Teachers' Assessment Tools

Teachers' assessment tools are an important part of judging the capabilities, progress and development of students. Assessment tools help teachers judge how much a student knows at the beginning of a school year, semester or subject. Assessment tools also help track progress and inform the teacher when the subject matter has been adequately learned by the students. Teachers' assessment tools come in various forms, including homework, tests, interviews, oral reports, papers and instructor observation. Teachers' assessment tools can be formative, summative, objective and subjective.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment tools are used to evaluate a student at the beginning or middle of a class, semester or subject. Placement tests, interviews and teacher observation and feedback are examples of formative assessment tools. Formative assessment tools are designed to help a teacher understand a student's progress. Formative assessment tools are not graded. They are intended solely to guide a student to mastery of the given subject and inform the teacher where she needs the student to focus.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment tools are used to gauge the outcome of the learning process. They focus on the curriculum presented during the learning unit and are used to find out whether or not a student was effectively taught a particular subject. A graded test, final exam, quiz, thesis paper and midterm exam are all examples of summative teachers' assessment tools. Summative tools should be designed to reflect the information given in the course. Unlike formative tools, they are designed to reveal what already has been learned during the course of a particular educational unit. Only summative assessment tools should be graded.

Objective Assessment

Teacher's assessment tools, whether formative or summative, can be further divided into two other categories: objective and subjective. Objective assessment tools have a clearly defined right and wrong answer. They are used to assess a student's knowledge of particular facts and figures that are universal. Examples of objective assessment tools are true/false and multiple-choice questions. Math problems are almost always objective assessment tools, as they leave little room for interpretation. Objective assessment tools are the easiest to design and grade and, therefore, are the more common type of assessment tool.

Subjective Assessment

Subjective assessment tools require a little more creativity and opinion on the part of the student. These are questions, papers or tests that rely on the presentation of arguable material. Essay questions, research papers and argumentative speeches are examples of subjective assessment tools. They can often reveal more than an objective assessment tool because they allow for more than just memorization on the part of the student. The student's tastes, personality and approach to education can more effectively be observed with subjective assessment tools. Objective and subjective teachers' assessment tools often are used in conjunction, such as a test that has a section of true/false questions and then an essay question at the end.

Starfall Reading Games

Named one of the best educational sites on the web by Homeschool.com, Starfall.com offers free games and activities that help children learn to read. The phonics-based games provide children with a fun way to learn the basics of reading. Starfall has games for everyone, from children learning their ABCs to children who have mastered the basics of reading and are beginning to read fluently.

Make a Word

Make a Word gives children the last two letters of a word and asks them to choose the correct first letter to make a word to match the picture shown. The words all belong to the same word family. After five words, the game gives them a gold star and repeats the words along with the pictures.

Make a Match

Make a Match offers children a memory match game that asks them to match a word with its picture. Children click on cards to turn them over. If the word and the picture match, the computer reads the word out loud while showing the picture. After six matches, the child moves to the next level. The game has three levels.

Picture Hunt

Picture Hunt asks children to read directions to click on something in the black and white pictures. If a child cant read, the computer will read the directions when the child clicks on them. Once the child clicks on the correct object in the picture, that object changes to color and the computer reads the word that corresponds to the object. Once the child has completed all the directions, the picture switches completely to color and becomes animated.

Word Sort

In Word Sort, children sort words according to certain characteristics. For example, one version of the game might ask children to sort the words based on the vowel sound in the word. Once the word has been correctly sorted, the a picture of the word appears in the scene. After sorting six words, the scene becomes animated.

Ten Little Snowmen

In Ten Little Snowmen, children read directions that ask them to build a snowman. Each page asks the child to choose a different feature for the snowman from scarves to eyes. When the child finishes the snowman, the computer sings the child a song about 10 little snowmen.

Gingerbread Man

Much like Ten Little Snowmen, Gingerbread Man asks the child to create his own gingerbread man cookie by choosing the eyes, nose and buttons. The game teaches shapes and colors and requires the child to follow the written directions. Once the child finishes the gingerbread man, the gingerbread man jumps up and runs away while the computer reads a short poem about the gingerbread man running away.

How to Use a Nook E-Book Reader

The Nook e-book reader, a hand-held electronic device, provides a convenient way to store and peruse any number of electronic documents, including newspapers, magazines and, of course, books. While the Nook Color version is categorized as a tablet, the original Nook with its e-ink technology is a great choice, especially for heavy readers who may spend hours a day on it.

Instructions

1

Set up your Nook by turning it on, accepting the terms of service, selecting your time zone and registering your Nook to your Barnes & Noble account. Create an account if you don't already have one; you need to synchronize your new e-book reader with your account in order to purchase reading material.

2

Explore the color menu beneath the main reading screen on your Nook reader. The first touchscreen menu button is "The Daily," which is your Nook inbox. This is where your new periodicals are delivered, as well as any pertinent messages regarding your account, or books you've borrowed or loaned. Next are "My Library," "Reading Now," "Shop" and "Settings."

3

Touch the "My Library" button to see books that you've purchased, downloaded for free or borrowed. If this is your first time using the Nook, there will only be a few titles here, typically samples of books you can buy. As you buy books and borrow them from friends, your library will grow and there will be more to browse.

4

Buy books and magazine and newspaper subscriptions through the "Shop" touchscreen button. You'll see the Barnes & Noble Nook store, where you can look through bestsellers, new releases, recommended titles and popular selections, or search by author or title for material you want to read on your Nook.

5

Read your new books on your nook by selecting them from your library. If you turn off the Nook or look at something else, you can get right back to where you left off by touching "Reading Now."

6

Check email or browse the Internet through your Nook's basic web browser, accessible via the "Web" touchscreen button. While it's unwieldy for lengthy or in-depth online research, the browser does the trick for simple tasks and is accessible wherever you have access to Wi-Fi (or cellphone coverage, if you have the 3G version).

Free Reading Games for 4th & 5th Grade Students

Reading games can keep students involved and engaged. Having rewards for answers or winners will help the students want to play more games. Some rewards can be stickers, candy or pencils with characters on them. There are newspaper games and games to help with vocabulary and understanding compound words.

Crazy Compounds and Word Search

Crazy compounds is a game that helps children learn compound words. First, write a compound word, such as airport, on the board. Discuss what compound words are with the class or child. Then, write out ten or more sentences with compounds in them and have the children circle which word in each sentence is the compound word. There are websites that you can create word search puzzles on, or create them yourself. Have the list of words surround a theme like animals or holidays. Word searches can aid in building vocabulary as well as build reading skills.

Word of the Day

One reading game could be the word of the day. Have the word of the day written on the board with the definition. Then plan your reading period with a book that contains that word a few different times in the reading. Have the class be on the lookout to hear the word of the day. Whoever can notice the word can get a sticker.

Newspaper Game

For the newspaper game, have the class look for certain items in the paper each day. Have set questions already written out and have papers for each student. Some of the questions could ask the student to write down a classified ad for a car or item they would like to buy. Not only will this game help them with developing reading skills but looking for details as well.

Reading a Label or Want Ad

For this game, copy labels from a variety of foods that kids normally eat. Under the copy of the label, list a few questions about the food. Questions can include information on calories, sugar content, vitamin content and serving sizes. For reading a want ad, copy a few ads out of the paper. List questions about the different ads. Questions can be about which job needs five years experience or which job pays more.

The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
When Dr. Catriona Ross discovers clues to a long lost highland treasure, her only hope of finding the jewels is to obtain the help of Scotland's most eligible bachelor and playboy, Iain MacCraigh.

Iain can't believe his luck when he finds out the jewels are hidden away somewhere on his land-- and it doesn't hurt that the historian looking for them has curves to go with her smarts. With his brother betting the family fortune, this is the life line he desperately needs.

The odds are against them, and with word getting out about the jewels, they're not the only ones on the hunt. Time's running out, but can they learn to trust each other, or will they lose the jewels and true love in the process?

* This is Book One in the series. *

How to Know What Strength Reading Glasses You Need

As people age, they often develop presbyopia, the inability to focus on things close at hand. Bifocals are meant to correct this, but many people find them disorienting or excessively expensive and choose reading glasses instead. Drugstore reading glasses cost less than $10 on average and come in a wide variety of strengths and styles.

Instructions

1

Consider going to an optometrist or ophthalmologist to get prescription reading glasses. Most people require slightly different lenses for each eye. Over-the-counter reading glasses do not correct for eye differences or common vision problems such as astigmatism. These one-size-fits-all lenses can cause eyestrain and even headaches.

2

Pick out a pair of glasses at a strength you think might be right. Reading glasses in pharmacies are usually sorted by strength. Don't worry about finding a pair you like yet--as long as it fits you reasonably well, it will do for the moment.

3

Get a magazine from the magazine rack or a book from the checkout aisle and hold it the way you usually do when you read. If you like to read lying in bed with your book right in your face, for example, hold it right in your face. Try reading it and notice if the words are blurry.

4

Try on a stronger pair of reading glasses. Are they better or worse than the first pair? If they are better, try on an even stronger pair. If they are worse, try on a weaker pair. For example, if your first reading glasses had a strength of 1.00, try 1.25 glasses. If they work even better, try 1.50. Keep trying on new glasses until you find the best strength for you.

5

Once you find the right strength of reading glasses, pick out a style you like. Reading glasses come in full-frame styles, which cover your whole field of vision, and half-frame ones, which only cover the bottom. Full-frame are great for looking at things very close up, but they don't let you look into the distance clearly. If you are going to be switching your focus between near and far objects, get the half-frame glasses. If you are only going to be concentrating on what is right in front of your nose, use full-frame ones.

Crime and Punishment

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Amazon.com Review
Mired in poverty, the student Raskolnikov nevertheless thinks well of himself. Of his pawnbroker he takes a different view, and in deciding to do away with her he sets in motion his own tragic downfall. Dostoyevsky's penetrating novel of an intellectual whose moral compass goes haywire, and the detective who hunts him down for his terrible crime, is a stunning psychological portrait, a thriller and a profound meditation on guilt and retribution.