It’s hard to imagine a time when you didn’t know the alphabet, so the idea of teaching the letters to someone else can be daunting. But for toddlers and preschoolers (and anyone else learning English), the letters of the alphabet are the building blocks of the English language. Learning and recognizing them is the first crucial step to developing strong literacy and language skills.

Enter: alphabet games. Alphabet games make mastering letters fun—which is exactly what learning should be! So whether you have a little one just starting out on their literacy journey, or know someone learning English as a second language, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about alphabet games. In this article, we’ll explain what alphabet games are, the best ones to use, and the mistakes to avoid when using them to guarantee learning success.

The Romantic Era is famous for its poetry--in fact, Romanticism is one of the most influential periods in the history of English poetry.

It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll have to tackle Romantic poetry at some point, whether it’s in your English classes or on the AP Literature and Language exam. That’s why we’ve whipped up a crash course on the Romantic Era for you! We’ll explain the following in our crash course:

• Answer the question, “What is Romanticism?” by providing a Romanticism definition and describing the historical context of the era
• Explain Romanticism characteristics that are unique to the period’s philosophy and literature
• Give an overview of the key traits of Romanticism literature and poetry, including Romanticism examples
• List the six most important Romantic poets you need to know
• List five books for further reading if you want to learn more about the Romantic Era!

There’s a lot to cover about Romanticism, so let’s get started!

If you've ever read a wild headline like, "Study Shows Chewing Rocks Prevents Cancer," you've probably wondered how that could be possible. If you look closer at this type of article you may find that the sample size for the study was a mere handful of people. If one person in a group of five chewed rocks and didn't get cancer, does that mean chewing rocks prevented cancer?

Definitely not. The study for such a conclusion doesn't have statistical significance—though the study was performed, its conclusions don't really mean anything because the sample size was small.

So what is statistical significance, and how do you calculate it? In this article, we'll cover what it is, when it's used, and go step-by-step through the process of determining if an experiment is statistically significant on your own.

On the ACT, students with disabilities or other conditions might need accommodations, such as extra time or frequent breaks. But how do you get accommodations like extra time on the ACT?

This in-depth guide will teach you about the process of applying for accommodations and which accommodations are most common. You want to do your best on the ACT—disability or other condition aside—so read on to learn about how to get the ACT accommodations you need.

The traditional four-year bachelor’s degree program isn’t for everyone. People from all walks of life have benefitted from earning an accelerated bachelor’s degree, online and in person, for years.

But, like with most things, you need to know a few things before you enroll in one of these programs. Not only do you need to understand what fast online degrees require, you need to know how they look on a resume and how to find the accelerated degree program that’s right for you.   

Looking to spice up your writing? Poetic devices are the salt and pepper (and, if you get really into them, the saffron and caraway) of writing; when deployed effectively, they add flavor and texture to your work.

But what is a poetic device? Do they only work in poetry? In this article, we’ll cover what they are, when you can use them, and how to better understand their function in any literary form!

When you hear successful people talk about the secret to their success, time management often comes up. But what is this vague and elusive “time management” they’re talking about? What does time management look like in practice, and how do you make it happen when you’re already stretched thin and overwhelmed?

It’s important for anyone who’s busy, over-committed, or stressed to have an arsenal of concrete, effective time management skills to lean on when things get tough...and when things are easy too! Our expert time management tips will help you make decisions about how to implement time management skills and techniques to organize and guide your daily life, through the good times and bad.

After reading our guide to time management, you’ll be prepared to design a personalized time management strategy based on the skills and techniques you learn about here. In this guide, we’re going to cover the following info for you:

• What is time management, and why is it useful?
• Top time management tips for reducing stress and increasing success
• Best tools to support your time management strategies

So take some deep, calming breaths and settle in to discover some effective time management techniques!

Ever wonder what makes creative writing, well, creative? A big part of creative writing is coming up with a compelling way to express something. And similes and metaphors can be especially helpful when trying to do this. But what exactly are similes and metaphors? More importantly, what is the main difference between a simile and metaphor?

This comprehensive simile vs metaphor guide answers both these questions and gives you several examples so you can learn how to differentiate between these two key literary devices. This article also includes key tips for using similes and metaphors in your own writing.

The roaring twenties were an iconic era, characterized by a post-war economic boom, the rise of the newly wealthy, and monumental cultural shifts that would continue to define art, politics, and fashion for decades to come. 1920s fashion was all about creating a Look — an overall aesthetic that used modern trends to demonstrate the wearer’s creativity. For the first time, fashion was about self-expression, and you could be anyone you wanted if you had the right clothes.

After World War I ended in 1918, the world pieced itself back together, and people tried to make sense of the events that occurred. As the world changed and healed, people pushed rapidly toward modernization in women’s rights, technology, and culture. The roaring twenties was a decade in which everything changed, and thankfully, gave us one of the most fun and influential decades of fashion.

You’ve likely read at least a few sonnets in English class, perhaps during a Shakespeare unit. But what is a sonnet exactly? Is there just one sonnet form? Did Shakespeare invent it?

Read on to learn about the history of the sonnet and the various qualities that make up a sonnet poem, including the traditional sonnet rhyme scheme and meter. We'll also go over all the major types of sonnets, give you examples, and offer a handful of tips for writing your very own sonnet poem.

Pronoun agreement errors are an especially confusing type of ACT English question because people often misuse pronouns, especially when you speak. In fact, I just made a pronoun mistake: can you spot it?

Take a closer look at the second half of my first sentence: "people often misuse pronouns, especially when you speak." Who is "you" referring to here: "people." However, the correct pronoun for the third person plural is "they." The correct version of the sentence is "people often misuse pronouns, especially when they speak."

On the ACT English section, you'll be expected to spot these kind of errors in a variety of different contexts. I'll go over both the basic rules for pronouns and the common mistakes you'll see on the test, so that you can approach the test with confidence.

Most of us have played with playdough at some point. Brand name Play-Doh, it's a staple of most childhoods. But what actually is playdough and how is it made? We'll discuss what exactly playdough is and offer some of our favorite recipes and tips on how to make natural DIY playdough right at home.

Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!

Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.

Do you need to write an analytical essay for school? What sets this kind of essay apart from other types, and what must you include when you write your own analytical essay? In this guide, we break down the process of writing an analytical essay by explaining the key factors your essay needs to have, providing you with an outline to help you structure your essay, and analyzing a complete analytical essay example so you can see what a finished essay looks like.

A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story.

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif—a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.