Some people think of science as learning facts about the world around us. Others think of science and other ways of knowing as “the having of wonderful ideas” (Duckworth, 1987). This latter view of science and ways of knowing match the characteristics of young children as learners. Young children are naturally curious and passionate about learning (Raffini, 1993). In their pursuit of knowledge, they’re prone to poking, pulling, tasting, pounding, shaking, and experimenting. “From birth, children want to learn and they naturally seek out problems to solve” (Lind, 1999, p. 79).
Such attitudes and actions on the part of young children indicate that they engage in scientific thinking and actions long before they enter a classroom (Zeece, 1999). Unfortunately, when science education is introduced in a formal setting, it often reflects the understanding of science as the learning of facts. This approach has led some educators to suggest that “most science learning that takes place in formal settings is not true science” (Zeece, 1999, p. 161).This article will discuss the benefits of active, hands-on learning, goals for early childhood science programs, and suggestions for fostering scientific learning in the early childhood classroom.
Science as Active Exploration
While it is appropriate to introduce older students to science history and expect them to learn facts discovered by others, young children should learn science (and all other areas of study) through active involvement – that is, through first-hand, investigative experiences. Young children should be involved in “sciencing” versus the learning of scientific facts presented by others (Kilmer & Hofman, 1995; Mayesky, 1998; Zeece, 1999). Sciencing is a verb and suggests active involvement. Such involvement should be both hands-on and minds-on in nature. Thus, children should be engaged both physically and mentally in investigating and manipulating elements in their environment (Chaille & Britain, 2003; Kilmer & Hofman, 1995). To be developmentally appropriate and to be in compliance with national guidelines for the teaching of science, science education at the preschool and primary level must be “an active enterprise” (Lind, 1999, p. 73). Both the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993) call for an action-oriented and inquiry-based approach to science with young children. As articulated by Lind (1999), “the best way to learn science is to do science” (p. 74).
Therefore, science for young children should involve asking questions, probing for answers, conducting investigations, and collecting data. Science, rather than being viewed as the memorization of facts, becomes a way of thinking and trying to understand the world. This approach allows children to become engaged in the investigative nature of science (Kilmer & Hofman, 1995; Lind, 1999) and to experience the joy of having wonderful ideas (Duckworth, 1987).
Teachers can’t give children “wonderful ideas”; children need to discover or construct their own ideas. Developing new concepts or ideas is an active process and usually begins with child-centered inquiry, which focuses on the asking of questions relevant to the child. While inquiry involves a number of science-related activities and skills, “the focus is on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy students’ curiosity” (Lind, 1999, p. 79). Knowing the right answer, then, is not one of the primary objectives of science in the early childhood curriculum. Duckworth (1987) refers to “knowing the right answer” as a passive virtue and discusses some of its limitations. “Knowing the right answer,” she says, “requires no decisions, carries no risks, and makes no demands. It is automatic. It is thoughtless” (p. 64). A far more important objective is to help children realize that answers about the world can be discovered through their own investigations. Sciencing, for example, involves coming up with ideas of one’s own. Developing these ideas and submitting them to someone else’s scrutiny is, according to Duckworth (1987), “a virtue in itself—unrelated to the rightness of the idea” (p. 68).
Developing ideas of one’s own add breadth and depth to learning. This is so, even if the child’s initial ideas are inaccurate views of the world. Duckworth (1987) explains: “Any wrong idea that is corrected provides far more depth than if one never had a wrong idea to begin with. You master the idea much more thoroughly if you have considered alternatives, tried to work it out in areas where it didn’t work, and figured out why it was that it didn’t work, all of which takes time” (pp. 71-72).
Desired goals of science in the early childhood curriculum include what we hope children will attain or achieve in three different areas: content, processes, and attitudes or dispositions. Content refers to the body of knowledge representing what we know about the world. Children’s body of knowledge develops and increases over time, and their desire to communicate and represent their knowledge should be acknowledged and supported.
The processes, or process skills, represent the active component of science and include such activities as predicting, observing, classifying, hypothesizing, experimenting, and communicating. Adults should support children in practicing and applying these skills in a variety of activities throughout the day. This can be done by showing a sincere interest in children’s observations and predictions and by providing a variety of materials and settings that invite experimentation.
Certain attitudes or dispositions are also central to scientific inquiry and discovery. These include curiosity, a drive to experiment, and a desire to challenge theories and to share new ideas (Conezio & French, 2002). Teachers should value these attitudes or dispositions, be aware of how they are manifested in young children, and find ways to acknowledge and nurture their presence.
Productive Questions to Foster Scientific Thinking*
Type of Question
Calls attention to significant details
What is it doing?
How does it feel?
Measuring & counting
Generates more precise information
Fosters analysis and classification
How are they alike?
Encourages exploration of properties and events; also encourages predictions
Supports planning & trying solutions to problems
How could we…?
Encourages reflection on experiences & construction of new ideas
Why do you think?
Can you explain that?
*Adapted from Martens, 1999, p. 26
Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
Science is often sadly neglected in the early childhood classroom (Johnson, 1999). Perhaps this is because science is “perceived and presented as too formal, too abstract, and too theoretical – in short, too hard for very young children and their teachers” (Johnson, 1999, p. 19). Perhaps this neglect is also due to the mistaken idea that the “constructivist” approach to education is incompatible with science education (Johnson, 1999).
A constructivist approach to education is based on the understanding that knowledge is constructed by children versus being given or transmitted to them.
In this approach, children are viewed as “intellectual explorers” (Lind, 1999) and “theory builders” (Chaille & Britain, 2003).This approach assumes that as they interact with the world around them, young children develop their own complex and varying theories about this world.
Teachers working from a constructivist approach provide a supportive environment where young children are encouraged to go about testing and revising their original theories. Key ingredients for a supportive environment include: a) a variety of interesting materials for children to explore and manipulate, b) unstructured time for children to develop and test their own ideas, and c) a social climate that tells the children that questions and experimentation are as valuable as knowing the right answers. Productive questions posed by the teacher at just the right time are also critically important to helping children construct their own understandings. Productive questions are, in fact, one of the most effective tools for supporting constructivist learning (Martens, 1999).
Most children have difficulty constructing understanding simply by engaging in an activity – that is, they “fail to make connections necessary to arrive at a desired understanding” (Martens, 1999, p. 25). Productive questions provide a bridge between what the children already know and what they experience through an activity. Productive questions thus “take a student forward in his or her thinking; they enable a teacher to provide scaffolding for students beginning to build their own understandings” (Martens, 1999, p. 25).
As outlined by Martens (1999) and presented on page 32, there are six different types of productive questions that work well with the constructivist approach to teaching and learning. These questions also support the science curriculum goals in an early childhood classroom. Used strategically, these questions allow teachers to meet students where they are in their thinking and provide the type of scaffolding needed at any given moment (Martens, 1999).The teacher’s choice as to what type of question to use is based on what the teacher hears and sees as the children engage in an activity.
The constructivist approach places the child at the center of the educational process. The teacher’s role in this approach is to serve as observer and facilitator rather than instructor (Chaille & Britain, 2003; Martens, 1999). Science education, however, has long been teacher-centered, with the teacher as the authority figure and the one with all the right answers. Without doubt, such a traditional science program – involving authority-based, teacher-directed instruction – is inappropriate for young children (Johnson, 1999). While best practices in science education at all levels call for a more hands-on, inquiry-based approach, the image of teacher-as-authority persists (Johnson, 1999). This image needs to change, so that young children can reap the benefits of a stimulating science curriculum that nurtures their curiosity and their on-going intellectual development. Through such a curriculum, children will experience the joy of having wonderful ideas – that is, the joy of finding out.
Science and Young Children: Comparing Approaches
· Science viewed as already-discovered knowledge
· Teacher viewed as authority
· Areas of study set by teacher
· Large group instruction and investigations
· Evaluation based on right answers
· Content not connected to children’s experiences
· Predetermined parameters around areas of study
· Prescribed ways to collect and record data
· Science viewed as separate area of the curriculum
· Science viewed as active exploration
· Teacher viewed as facilitator
· Areas of study set by child interest
· Individual and small group investigations
· Evaluation based on multiple criteria
· Content connected to children’s experiences
· Content of study open-ended
· Multiple ways to collect and record data
· Science integrated with other curricular areas
Fostering Scientific Thinking
One of the primary goals of the early childhood science curriculum is the development of scientific thinking in young children. Scientific thinking differs from the learning of scientific facts in that scientific thinking involves children in the process of finding out. Instead of learning what other people have discovered, scientific thinking leads children to make their own discoveries. Scientific thinking is manifest as young children ask questions, conduct investigations, collect data, and search for answers. Scientific thinking is evident, for example, when Jake puts one snowball in an empty bucket while he puts another snowball of about the same size in the water table. “I want to see which one lasts the longest,” he says.
Chaille and Britain (2003), inThe Young Children as Scientist, present a constructivist curriculum model for science and emphasize the importance of scientific thinking. They clearly debunk the notion that the constructivist approach is incompatible with science education. They describe young children as “actively inquiring natural scientists” (p. 20) and learning as “the process of theory building” (p. 5). This view of young children and how they learn is supported elsewhere in the literature where young children are described as being naturally curious and “biologically prepared to learn about the world around them” (Conezio & French, 2002, p. 12). In the above example, Jake knew that snow melts when exposed to warm temperatures. He wasn’t sure, however, if water at room temperature would make any difference in how quickly snow melted. His self-selected experiment was designed to help him find out.
To foster scientific thinking, teachers should view young children as active learners (versus recipients of knowledge) and give them varied opportunities to explore and experiment. Such opportunities will allow children to construct meaning and develop understandings that are not only valid but also valuable to their on-going intellectual development. The teacher, in response to Jake’s experiment, could extend – or scaffold – his learning by posing several productive questions (as presented on page 32) at opportune times. A measuring question would be a good place to start. How many minutes will it take before the snowball in the bucket melts? How many minutes for the snowball in the water table? Action questions and reasoning questions could follow: What would happen if we broke the snowball into smaller pieces? Why do you think the snowball in the water table melted first? Can you invent a rule about how things melt?
An environment that fosters scientific thinking is one that gives young children the time, space, and materials to exercise their curiosity. It also gives them the freedom to engage in child-centered explorations, experimentations, and explanations. Note that in the questions posed in relation to Jake’s experiment, the teacher avoided giving facts or stating rules. The questions posed invited more reflective thinking and further experimentation on Jake’s part. The experiment and the related findings were his, not the teacher’s or someone else’s.
To become engaged in scientific thinking, children need access to materials that they can take apart and the tools to assist them in doing so. They need places where they can dig in the dirt and dip water from a pond. They also need magnifying glasses, measuring tools, buckets, and frequent access to the natural world.
Teachers should take advantage of the different ways science can be naturally integrated into a play-centered curriculum. Science should not be viewed as an “add on” or a separate part of the early childhood program. Sciencing occurs, in many cases, in what children already do and how they think about what they do. As a child experiments with a mixture of oil and water, for example, she is making observations and predictions. The child is also building theories and testing those theories. These physical and mental manipulations represent the essence of what science is all about.
Children’s construction of knowledge can be enhanced through social interactions—that is, by sharing their observations and ideas with each other. Children should be encouraged to work together “in building theories, testing those theories, and then evaluating what worked, what didn’t, and why” (Conezio & French, 2002, p. 13). Shared inquiry where children work together can be especially beneficial in fostering curiosity and stimulating new ideas (Chaille & Britain, 2003). One way to involve children in shared inquiry is through solving problems that focus on a specific situation: How can we move this heavy box? or How do we find out what our turtle likes to eat? Shared inquiry generates a number of diverse ideas about the problem and challenges children to communicate the reasoning behind their ideas. There’s no doubt that “problem solving and reflective thinking play an important role in children’s science learning” (Lind, 1999, p. 80).
Science should be integrated into all the other curricular areas. Math, literacy, social studies, and art can all be linked to science. For literacy, it’s easy to introduce and/or reinforce scientific thinking through poetry, storytelling, and non-fiction children’s literature. The benefits of such integration, as outlined by Zeece (1999), include:
- providing accurate information in understandable and interesting language;
- offering topical information from varied viewpoints;
- helping children develop inquiring minds and a scientific approach to solving problems in increasingly sophisticated ways;
- presenting models of scientific methods of observation, hypothesis formulation, data gathering, experimentation, and evaluation; and
- fostering an appreciation, understanding, and respect for living things.
Science-based literature should be chosen carefully with attention to both literacy and science concerns in mind. As expressed by Zeece (1999), “Criteria for selection of natural science-based children’s literature ideally parallel those used for other high-quality literary resources” (p. 161). Additional considerations, however, relate to how elements of the natural world are represented and presented. With these considerations in mind, Zeece (1999) recommends choosing books with the following criteria in mind:
- current, factual content;
- clear and simple explanations;
- depth and complexity of subject matter closely matched to the developmental and interest level of children in the group;
- beautifully presented illustrations and narrative;
- content consistent with overarching philosophy of the program; and
- completeness and ease of use allowing children to answer questions and/or explore ideas effectively.
Science Concepts Typically Taught During the Preschool Years*
Systems (groups or collections having some influence on one another)
e.g.: parts of the human body; ecosystems (where animals and plants live interdependently)
Models (representations of real objects or phenomenon)
e.g.: word descriptions or drawings; physical models
Constancy and Change (how things change over time)
e.g.: seed to plant; different seasons; growth and decay
Scale (focusing on characteristics and comparisons)
e.g.: size; distance; quantity; weight
Patterns and Relationships (structure and organization of matter)
e.g.: properties of materials; alike and different comparisons; patterns in nature
Cause and Effect (explanations for phenomena)
e.g.: shadows; freezing/melting; gravity
Structure and Function (relationship between characteristic and action)
e.g.: makeup of plants and animals; tools; eating utensils
Variations (discontinuous and continuous properties)
e.g.: sounds; colors
Diversity (variety of types)
e.g.: seeds; leaves; living organisms
*Adapted from Kilmer & Hofman (1995)
From this discussion, it should be clear that the science curriculum in an early childhood program should include both teacher planned activities and “spontaneous sciencing.” Teachers should certainly plan a variety of interesting and challenging situations which invite young children to observe, explore, and experiment (Chaille & Britain, 2003). Examples of such situations include teacher-led explorations of the properties of water, characteristics of animals and their habitats, life cycles of plants, and patterns found in nature (seasons, light and shadows, day and night).Many rich opportunities for sciencing, however, occur on a daily basis during unplanned events in the classroom and on the playground. These opportunities invite spontaneous sciencing and can lead to the “having of wonderful ideas.”
“Spontaneous sciencing occurs whenever a child (or a teacher) sees something of interest and wonders about it” (Kilmer & Hofman, 1995, p. 55). A constructivist teacher recognizes such moments and pauses to observe, reflect, and explore with the children. The occasion may be icicles hanging from the roof, a bird building a nest, or ants at the base of a tree. By stopping to observe and reflect, teachers give children the opportunity to grow in appreciation and understanding of the world around them.
Children are naturally curious about the world and want to find out as much as they can. They want to know what makes the wind blow, how trees grow, why fish have fins, and where turtles go in the winter. But they don’t want adults to give them the answers. They want to be the discoverers, the experimenters, and the theory builders. They don’t want science to be something that is imparted to them; they want it to be something that they do. They want to be scientists; not just consumers of science. They want to ask their own questions, collect their own data, and arrive at new and wonderful ideas. These “wants” should shape the foundation of an early childhood science curriculum.
Ruth Wilson, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus of Special Education at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Dr. Wilson has focused much of her research and program development efforts on early childhood environmental education.
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993).Benchmarks for science literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Chaille, C. & Britain, L. (2003).The young child as scientist (3rd ed.).Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Conezio, K, & French, L. (2002, September). Science in the preschool classroom: capitalizing on children’s fascination with the everyday world to foster language and literacy development. Young Children, pp. 12-18.
Duckworth, E. (1987).‘The Having of Wonderful Ideas’ and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning. New York: Teachers College Press.
Johnson, J.R. (1999). The forum on early childhood science, mathematics, and technology education. In American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Dialogue on Early Childhood Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education. Washington, DC: AAAS, pp. 14-25.
Kilmer, S.J., & Hofman, H. (1995). Transforming science curriculum. In S. Bredekamp & Rosegrant, T. (Eds.).Reaching potentials: Transforming early childhood curriculum and assessment, Vol. 2. Washington, DC: NAEYC, pp. 43-63.
Lind, K.K. (1999).Science in early childhood: developing and acquiring fundamental concepts and skills. In American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Dialogue on early childhood science, mathematics, and technology education. Washington, DC: AAAS, pp. 73-83.
Martens, M.L. (1999, May).Productive questions: tools for supporting constructivist learning.Science and Children, pp. 24-27, 53.
Mayesky, M. (1998).Creative activities for young children (6th ed.).Albany, NY: Delmar.
National Research Council (1996).National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Raffini, J.P. (1993).Winners without losers: Structures and strategies for increasing student motivation to learn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Zeece, P.D. (1999). Things of nature and the nature of things: Natural science-based literature for young children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), 161-166.


The artwork on this note card was created by 5768 WRJ Art Calendar artist Césan d’Ornellas Levine.
This "Focus" section tells us what character attributes to value and how to achieve them.
Mark this from The Random House Dictionary, 1987: char-ac-ter 1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. 2. one such feature or trait; characteristic. 3. moral or ethical quality. 4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity. 5.reputation. 6. good repute.
Thus, your character is nothing more-–but also nothing less-–than the sum of traits that define your unique essence, with one significant addition: the term as defined above-–and as used in the "Character" section and in this guide-–always connotes positive, or morally desirable attributes. Further, and as the authors in this section stress, character is essentially an aspiration, a process that points to perfection but never quite gets there because humans are capable of failure and capable of evil. The task is to minimize the influence of your yetzer hara-–the evil inclination--and to maximize the expression of your yetzer tov-–the inclination to good.
Character development and achieving moral behavior, both deeply rooted in Jewish teaching, also concern parents and educators generally. In the United States, for example, achieving these goals became a national priority as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of the U. S. Congress (signed into law January 2002), which included "Skills for Life" among its educational targets. For educators, that means helping students internalize a host of values organized in "Six Pillars of Character" that accord well with Jewish expectations:
While the "Focus" articles approach character development from a variety of perspectives, the understandings they share suggest three "Big Ideas" to explore:
1. '13 Ways to Become a Good Person' by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Citing Torah's view that human nature is morally neutral, Rabbi Telushkin invokes Jewish sources that show us how to control the evil impulse and harness the good. Much of the success in this quest depends on practicing self-awareness, which empowers us to modify behavior appropriately so as to improve character --"the goal of life."
Rabbi Telushkin provides thirteen practical ways, drawn from Jewish wisdom, to start on the path to becoming a good person. They emphasize repeating good deeds, surrounding yourself with people who practice goodness and wisdom, placing others before yourself, understanding your place in the larger scheme of things, and becoming aware of your motivations for acting one way or another.
Recording your behaviors in a "character journal" can focus your efforts, help you avoid improper choices, and provide a framework for seeing God as the "ultimate biblical model for character building."
2. Sidebar 1: '5 Common Character Weaknesses' by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Rabbi Telushkin warns that there is a flip side to building character: the negative character traits that get in the way of achieving the goal. These impediments are easy to recognize because we've often experienced each in some degree. Overcoming the obstacles to character development lies in being aware of your behaviors and in concerted effort to avoid the pitfalls.
3. Sidebar 2: 'Questioning Your Character' by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Knowing which behaviors are good and which ones are bad is only the beginning of the process of character development. Self-assessment is an essential ingredient. Rabbi Telushkin's 18-item check list challenges you to be honestly introspective about your shortcomings and is an action plan for the hard work needed to become a better person.
4. Sidebar 3: 'Perfection is Not the Goal' by Rabbi Jan Katzew
Drawing on Jewish teaching, Rabbi Katzew reminds us that while character development is an essential life goal, it is a never-ending process whose objectives we may never entirely achieve. However, although perfection may always be beyond reach, being good is not, and we are not at liberty to desist from the task of self-improvement. We are capable of change and are obligated to seek a life of ethical balance in which our better self becomes more active than our yetzer hara, a balance that can help us begin to realize our potential as human beings created in the Divine image. In this way we will do "what is right and good in the sight of God."
5. 'I, Jacob' by Peter Pitzele
In Pitzele's midrash (moral commentary) on the account of Jacob's encounter with God (Genesis 35:25-32), Jacob considers his troubled life, acknowledges his imperfection-–the limp imposed by his God-wrestling—and reflects on its impact on the rest of his life. Assessing the consequences of his visible handicap, Jacob rehearses his many failures. Never able to escape the sign of his infirmity, Jacob wonders whether his affliction is blessing or curse. Acknowledging that he is less than perfect, Jacob vacillates between bemoaning his fate and accepting his shortcomings. He comes to understand that while he can never achieve perfection, he is capable of struggling to achieve it, that he can redress failure through teshuvah (returning to God), that we are all God-limpers and God-wrestlers, that the ultimate question is, "How do you limp?"
6. 'Whistleblowing in Washington' by Jesselyn Radack
Radack's account of her personal crisis of character takes us beyond theoretical discussions about choice and doing the right thing and plunges us into her real world of uncertainty, fear, and God-wrestling. As a legal advisor to the U.S. Justice Department in 2001, she informed the FBI repeatedly that they could not question John Walker Lindh, the celebrated "American Taliban," in the absence of counsel retained by his father. The FBI nevertheless proceeded while assuring the public that it was protecting Lindh's rights. As Lindh's trial progressed, Radack realized that the FBI had not informed the court about Lindh's attorney or about her official opinion.
Recalling a verse in her bat mitzvah portion, "You shall not follow the majority for evil, and you shall not follow many to pervert [justice]" (Exodus 22:3), Radack chose to blow the whistle and risk losing a career rather than remain silent and be partner to a miscarriage of justice. Drawing strength from teachers and the Jewish tradition, she steadfastly believes that she made the only choice. She continues to pay the price for choosing conscience over career.
7. 'A Torah of the Heart' by Rabbi Eric Yoffie
Rabbi Yoffie's parents helped shape his values, Yet, as a young rabbinical student, he was unable to find the spiritual guidance he sought, or answers to his questions about God, tradition, worship, and faith. He ultimately found support and sustenance in a personal bond forged with his Hebrew professor at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, who understood the importance of listening with patience and sympathy to one struggling for the right path and who taught him that his challenge was to overcome doubt and define the Torah he would teach the Jewish people. This caring and engaged teacher helped him to understand that he was not alone in his quest, that he could not expect certainty while struggling with theology, and that only he could determine his religious goals. Most important among the many things he learned from his teacher is that while you can find love of Torah in the text itself, it is insufficient without "the care and embrace of those who teach Torah." Today, as president of the Union for Reform Judaism, he continues to measure his relationships with those who seek answers against the model his understanding teacher provided.
8. Rabbi Bulman's Kiss & Other Lessons of a Newport News Childhood' by Rabbi David Ellenson
Rabbi Ellenson reflects on the values imprinted on him by caring teachers and role models—values which guide his character to this day. The HUC-JIR president tries to bring to his students the passion and joy of Torah study that he learned from a childhood teacher. From another formative role model he learned to extend dignity to all, because each person, created in God's image and despite personal limitations, can be God's partner in repairing the world.
Growing up in Virginia in the 1950s, Ellenson witnessed how an elected official suffered in the press and among his friends when he told his constituency to obey the law of the land and respect school integration. The experience presented the eleven-year old with a "profile in courage" that strengthens him to this day to speak out on moral issues; it also reminds him to behave with humanity even when no one else does. The moral anchors he learned in childhood help him define the virtues of character that he tries to exhibit: kindness, love of people, courage, leadership, gratitude, fairness, persistence, and love of learning.
9. 'Still Trying to be a Mensch' by Rabbi Jack Stern
A childhood life-threatening illness left Stern with a short leg and limited hip mobility. He recounts how he translated the care and concern he received from parents, friends, and medical personnel into a paradigm to see disabled people as "normal" and to appreciate the power of "constructive nurturing," a lesson that led him to an early life of social action. While old stereotypes sometimes intrude upon best intentions, Rabbi Stern is able to exorcise these stumbling blocks by recalling the humiliation of a Black childhood playmate who was forbidden by White adults to play with him and his friends.
Learning how to be a mensch (Yiddish: person of high character, considerate, honest, upright) is never-ending and sometimes unexpected, but lessons abound if we are alert to them. Rabbi Stern learned moral responsibility from a mother who upbraided her son in court for not accepting responsibility; from his wife, who counseled him to be honestly introspective so as to react appropriately to criticism; and from a woman worse off than he, who put his own obstacles in perspective. Rabbi Stern concludes that character is "a work in progress."
10. 'How to Become the Person You Want to Be' by Rabbi Edythe Mencher
Rabbi Mencher's vignettes demonstrate that spiritual growth (i.e. character development) takes place not in a vacuum but in "the context of wholesome relationship to others." She also teaches that character-building usually happens in the context of problem-solving rather than from academic discussions about morality.
In beginning the process of character change, Rabbi Mencher explains that most changes take place slowly and incrementally, but nonetheless change is indeed possible. It was this insight—specifically the noting of systemic change in nature--that gave a young shepherd named Akiva the confidence to overcome his obstacles and become one of our great teachers. Similarly, she says, we can overcome roadblocks to character development if our desire to do so is coupled with an awareness of the lessons in the world around us and our acknowledging that change is part of life. Another story emphasizes that defensiveness and fear of change are barriers to character development; that sometimes personal qualities we tend to think of as “positive” can have adverse effects if taken to extremes; and that small changes in behavior can lead to character growth. A third story reminds us of the dangers of choosing business obligations over the needs of family; that family interactions present opportunities to change for the better; and we need to realize the essential value of others and respond to them accordingly. We remove stumbling blocks in our relationship with others "one small character trait at a time."
C. "Big Ideas" to Explore
1. Each person is responsible for his or her actions.
The biblical prophets unambiguously championed personal responsibility. For example:
For Rabbi Eugene Borowitz, responsibility is a consequence of freedom: The root of Jewish teaching about human beings is that God "made" us free...Because we are free, we are responsible for our acts...that's why we feel so bad when we've broken something and lied about it or when we've told a secret we'd sworn to keep. Being responsible for our acts brings us our glory and our guilt. No wonder we keep wanting to blame other people for the evil we do. The Bible has Adam say, when God accuses him of eating from the forbidden tree, "That woman you gave me, she made me eat from it"(Gen. 3:12). Judaism knows there are many influences on us. Despite them, it insists that we are free and so, responsible. -Borowitz (1979), pg. 7
In my own liberal Jewish philosophy, personal autonomy has emerged as the most fundamental intellectual theme. Other thinkers believe that accommodating Judaism to science or the Holocaust or the State of Israel ought to be our major conceptual focus. For all their importance, I would argue that none of these issues deserves priority over the need to clarify the meaning and practice of personal self-determination within the people of Israel's continuing Covenant relationship with God. -Borowitz (1983), pg. 256
Freedom and choice are inescapable aspects of the human condition. Gough, for example, assumes that personal responsibility is primary, arguing that a good-person status is not only your major mission in life but is up to you to achieve.
Using your freedom to choose is the motif of Arendt's exposition of Adolph Eichmann's "I-was-just-following-orders" defense in his trial in Jerusalem in 1961 (see Hausner): What we have demanded in these trials...is that human beings be capable of telling right from wrong even when all they have to guide them is their own judgment, which, moreover, happens to be completely at odds with what they must regard as the unanimous opinion of all those around them….Those few who were still able to tell right from wrong went really only by their own judgments, and they did so freely....They had to decide each instance as it arose, because no rules existed for the unprecedented. -Arendt, pgs. 294-5
That evil can become banal does not excuse its perpetrators, just as the banality of goodness does not diminish the imperative to be good. A society that tolerates evil makes it easier for evil to occur; a social authority that tolerates good facilitates doing good. "Legitimate social authority-–hierarchal or peer authority -–facilitates both antisocial and prosocial behavior." –Blumenthal, pg. 45. For this reason-–and because we are commanded--Judaism expects us to choose acts of mundane goodness that will repair the world.
Nevertheless, evil behaviors occur in "good" societies and people rise to goodness in "bad" societies. Elie Wiesel emphasizes: "One of the perplexing questions to emerge from the Holocaust is what led some people to reach out and help victims while others turned their backs or became perpetrators. [Blumenthal] challenges readers to confront their own behavior and ask whether they live their lives in a way that facilitates the doing of good." –Blumenthal, dust jacket
Blumenthal asserts that "Prosocial attitudes must be 'carefully taught.' No one is born with a prosocial orientation....What is the teaching of goodness? What is the ideology of caring? The social-scientific and historical evidence suggest five such teachings.
Questions for Discussion
2. Overcoming the evil inclination is a gradual process, requires diligence and helps us approach the ideal set by God.
The No Child Left Behind Act (see above) triggered a massive effort by educators to produce a wide range of age-appropriate learning materials and led to the formation of the CHARACTER COUNTS! coalition, a project of the non-profit, non-sectarian Josephson Institute of Ethics (www.josephsoninstitute.org). Wes Hanson, editor of the Institute's basic primer, Making Ethical Decisions, notes in the introduction: Making ethical decisions requires the ability to make distinctions between competing choices. It requires training, in the home and beyond.
Yet however much the material is reworked, the real work remains with you. No one can simply read about ethics and become ethical. It's not that easy. People have to make many decisions under economic, professional and social pressure. Rationalization and laziness are constant temptations. But making ethical decisions is worth it if you want a better life and a better world. Keep in mind that whether for good or ill, change is always just a decision away.
Hanson's assumptions about character-development mirror Jewish teaching:
Thus, the tradition-–based on the idea of One God--enforces what modern education knows about developing good character. Note Wurzburger: I believe that, based upon Maimonides' interpretation of the biblical text, the verse "thou shalt walk in His ways" challenges us to cultivate an "ethics of responsibility." More is required than mere compliance with the explicit rules prescribed by Halakhah. We are commanded to engage in a never-ending quest for moral perfection, which transcends the requirements of an "ethics of obedience."
Jewish monotheism represents a radically different approach to religion. Its novelty consisted not primarily in the substitution of the belief in one God for the plurality of gods worshiped in polytheism. What was even more revolutionary in the Jewish conception of monotheism was… the attribution of moral perfection to God. –Wurzburger, pgs. 3-4
Questions for Discussion
3. God demands proper (ethical) behavior down to the smallest detail of daily pursuit.
That the Jewish goal of human behavior is to move the world closer to the ideal of perfection is clear from Leviticus 19, the Holiness Code. In this, and in other ways, Jews are different from other groups, a reality analyzed by Hertzberg & Hirt-Manheimer: Do the Jews make any contribution to anti-Semitism? The answer is, fundamentally and unavoidably, yes. Their contribution to Jew-hatred is that they insist on being Jews; by definition they challenge the dominant dogmas. From the very beginning, when Abraham broke the idols of his father, Terah, he insisted that the faith in the one God is true and paganism is false. He challenged the culture around him...So long as Jews cling to their own faith and their own values, they call into question the majority faith and culture.
Jews have the right to be different and to dissent from the majority culture. They have the right to demand that the majority culture accept them, and other people in the minority, for who they are. The test of a democratic society is its capacity to deal justly with people who are different, and especially those who question the majority's most deeply held assumptions. –Hertzberg & Hirt-Manheimer, pgs. 6-7
Questions for Discussion
Hannah Arendt. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil (New York, Penguin Books, 1994 edition).
David R. Blumenthal. The Banality of Good and Evil: Moral Lessons from the Shoah and Jewish Tradition (Washington, D.C. Georgetown University Press, 1999).
Eugene B. Borowitz. Understanding Judaism (New York, UAHC Press, 1979).
Eugene B. Borowitz. Choices in Modern Jewish Thought (New York, Behrman House, 1983).
Russell W. Gough. Character is Destiny: The Value of Personal Ethics in Everyday Life (Rocklin, CA. Prima Publishing, 1998).
Gideon Hausner. Justice in Jerusalem (New York, Harper & Row, 1966).
Arthur Hertzberg & Aron Hirt-Manheimer. Jews: The Essence and Character of a People (San Francisco, HarperCollins, 1998).
Walter S. Wurzburger. Ethics of Responsibility (Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, 1994).
See also: Seymour Rossel & Judy Dick. Sefer Ha-Aggadah: The Book of Legends for Young Readers (New York, UAHC Press, 1996): two volumes of selected gems of character instruction adapted from Sefer Ha-Aggadah, compiled by Hayim Nahman Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky in 1908-1911, translated by William Braude, and published in one volume by Schocken Books in 1992.
Search URJ.org and the other Reform websites:
The artwork on this note card was created by 5768 WRJ Art Calendar artist Césan d’Ornellas Levine.
Show your WRJ pride with this zippered canvas bag. Features the phrase "Well-behaved women rarely make history" and the WRJ logo.


Learning to correctly spell and understand words is an invaluable part of a childs educational development. With the influence of word processing programs and smartphones, the motivation of learning to spell properly is often hindered by the convenience of autocorrect. What you need is a grade by grade spelling words list!
However, learning to spell a variety of words is essential to understanding and applying proper English into real-world situations.
With SpellQuiz, an online spelling quiz program, learning to spell has never been more learner-friendly. SpellQuiz offers quizzes and tests for hundreds of spelling words based on the learning stage of the student.
With this guide, youll read about many of the spelling quiz words taken directly from SpellQuiz materials. For each word, youll also find common definitions and insights as to why these words might be relevant to the associated age group, starting with first graders and ending with twelfth graders.
Try this vocabulary tester to understand your current skill level!
Now you can take part in online Spelling Bee too! Check out the SBO section on Spellquiz today!
First graders start out with very simple verbs, nouns, and adjectives. These words will help them get a grasp on the basics of English speaking and spelling. The best 1st grade spelling words quiz should contain words that relate to simple things. This list should include those words that they would do or say in the real world.
The word smell is a verb that describes the action of inhaling a scent or odor with ones olfactory nerves.
Knowing how to distinguish senses by spelling, writing, and speaking is an integral part of learning and communication.
The word dry is defined as something that is free of moisture or not wet.
It is a descriptive word that first graders can learn to use in a wide range of subjects.
The word cold is an adjective describing something that lacks warmth or has a low temperature.
Like other adjectives that describe feelings, knowing this word is important for helping young children learn how to express themselves.
The word hope is defined as a feeling that a given outcome or series of events will turn out for the best.
This word is a noun that can also be used as a verb (for example, hoping).
The word fog is defined as a cloudlike mass that can occur near the surface of the earth. Similar to rain, fog is an important noun to know when discussing the weather.
The word play can be used as a verb when referring to a fun activity for amusement.
It can also be a noun describing a composition of drama performed on a stage.
The word bus is commonly used as a noun to describe a large motor vehicle used for transportation.
Students will likely come to know this word very well.
The word glass is a noun referring a type of transparent substance. Students may use the word when discussing a windowpane or cup, to name some examples.
The word late is an adjective that describes something or someone that has arrived or occurred after the usual time.
Late is an essential word to grasp for anyone who may need to do something within a deadline.
The word drink is a versatile word that can be used as a noun as well as a verb. This is an expressive word that students should become familiar with right away.
A test for 2nd-grade spelling words should include basic words. It would help them incorporate a wider range of adjectives, nouns, and verbs. It would help them get rid of the fear of spelling tests and exams.
Word complexity will increase slightly, but words will still be familiar and vastly applicable.
The word name is frequently used as a noun to describe a word that is designated or assigned to a specific person, place or thing.
Using this word is a great start for children learning to address individuals or ask questions to specific people.
The word puddle is defined as a small pool of water or some other type of liquid. This is a great double-letter word that a student can practice when learning about vocabulary and phonetics.
The word there is an adverb defined as in or at that place. Second graders should be able to start recognizing the differences between there, theyre and their.
The word floor is defined as a surface that encloses the lower part of a room in a structure.
Second graders should be able to spell and recognize the noun, floor.
The word truth is defined as something that is verified or conformed with facts. This is a great example of a commonly used word that ends in th.
The word sister is defined as a female offspring that has the same parents or a close kinship with another. Many students with siblings will use this word on a day-to-day basis.
The word bicycle is a noun referring to a vehicle with two wheels in tandem. This is a commonly misspelled word that students should be introduced to as they learn how to ride bicycles.
The word knits is defined as the action of knitting or making a garment by hand with yarn. This plural noun can be a challenge due to the silent k.
The word soil can be defined as a layer of the earths surface where plants and crops may grow. Students may begin recognizing this word in physical science studies.
The word owl is a noun referring to a member of a group of nocturnal birds of prey from the taxonomic order, Strigiformes. Learning simple animal names is a great way to catch a students interest in a 2nd grade spelling words quiz.
Third graders may begin to learn words that are more specific to certain types of subjects. A test for 3rd grade spelling words may also start to incorporate longer words with more syllables.
The word airplane is a noun referring to heavier-than-air manmade This is a fairly commonly used word with two syllables.
The word cried is derived from cry, which is defined as the action of shedding tears. This is a great example of a commonly used past tense verb.
The word property is defined as a possession (such as a piece of land) that a person owns. This can be a challenging three-syllable word to spell.
The word current can have several different meanings; its commonly used to define something thats passing in present time. This is an example of a word that is commonly used both as an adjective and a noun (the flow of water or electricity, for example).
The word oxen is a plural of the noun ox, which is a type of This word is great spelling practice for appropriate words containing the letter x.
The word pleasure is a noun defined as being in a state of gratification or delight. This word can be a challenge to spell and pronounce.
The word stand is a verb defined as to rise to ones feet or be in an upright position. This word is commonly used as part of many verb phrases (stand down, for example).
The word indoors can be defined as the space inside or within a building. This word is a commonly used adverb.
The word bounce is a verb meaning to spring back from the ground or another surface. This is a unique action word that makes an interesting addition to a 3rd grade spelling words quiz.
The word photograph is a noun referring to a picture, usually produced by a camera. This is a frequently used word and great spelling practice for words that end in ph.
Quizzes with the best 4th grade spelling words will continue adding more complex words that are increasingly difficult to spell and pronounce. Fourth graders may also start to learn more unique adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions as they gradually expand their vocabularies.
The word whenever is defined as at any time depending on the usage. Its a unique yet commonly used conjunction.
The word master is defined as a person who owns or has the ability to control or hold power over something. This word can also be used as an adjective (a master play) or a verb (to master a language).
The word award, as a verb, means to assign or bestow. As a noun, its something that one may receive, such as a medal.
The word citizenship is defined as a position of having certain rights or privileges in a particular country or society. With its four syllables, this word may be a challenge to spell and pronounce.
The word approach, as a verb, is defined as the action of coming near or closer to or to make advances. This word includes double letters (pp), which should be practiced in a 4th grade spelling quiz.
The word acreage is a noun that defines a plot of land or a given extent of an area. This is an excellent spelling word as it can be a challenging word to use and spell correctly.
The word dungeon is a noun that defines a type of stronghold or cell, often found within a castle. Students may come across this word while reading fiction or watching movies.
The word apology is defined as an expression of regret or remorse that may be written or spoken by a person who has wronged another. This four-syllable word is a challenging addition to a 4th grade spelling words quiz.
The word spoil is frequently used as a verb when discussing something that has become severely damaged or diminished in quality. As a verb used without an object, it can mean to become bad or to plunder.
This unique verb means the action of wiggling, such as in discomfort. This word is great spelling practice for uncommon
As they progress through more advanced subjects, a spelling quiz for fifth graders should include more creative or uncommon words that can still be used in typical, mature conversations.
The word crawl is a verb referring to the action of a body thats moving in a prone position, such as on hands and knees. Students may use this word when talking about the movement of an animal.
The word situation is a noun referring to a condition or state of affairs. Students may begin to use this word more frequently in complex sentences.
The word misbehaving is a present participle of misbehave, which means to behave in an improper way. This is a long and challenging word to spell, making it a great addition to a 5th grade spelling words quiz.
The word mighty is an adjective that describes the characteristic of having great strength or power. This word is an interesting adjective that fifth graders may learn to use in their own creative writing.
The word according can be defined as agreeing when used as an adjective. According to is often used as a preposition, meaning in conformity with or depending on.
The word cheapskate is a noun referring to someone who is very stingy, such as with money. This uncommon word is an interesting noun that students may use in creative writing.
The word tourist is a noun referring to a person who travels, usually for pleasure. This word is a great example of when its proper to use ou instead of oo, although the sounds are the same.
The word ceremony refers to a formal activity or rite, usually performed as an important public or personal event. Students may become familiar with this word when attending such events.
The word lexicon is a noun referring to an inventory, dictionary or vocabulary, depending on the usage. This uncommon word is great spelling practice for words that contain the letter x.
The word scissors is a noun referring to a type of instrument made for cutting paper. This is a word that fifth graders may use often, yet it can be a challenge to spell due to the silent c.
Quizzes for 6th grade spelling words should include words that require the student to test their attention to detail and level of comprehension. These words may have various pronunciations or silent letters that require knowing the core meaning of the word.
The word accept is a verb for the action of agreeing to take or receive something. This word should be practiced as it can be confused with the word except.
The word acquired is past tense of the verb acquire, meaning to gain or come into possession of something. Students may use this word to build more advanced sentences.
The word emergency is a noun referring to an unexpected occurrence or event, usually in a situation where help or relief is needed. Students should be able to identify this word when learning about safety.
The word buildings is a plural noun referring to more than one enclosed structure.
The word physical is an adjective that describes something as material or relating to the body. This is an important word to spell as it may be used in a wide range of applications, in school and elsewhere.
The word scientist is a noun referring to someone who is an expert in the field of science. Due to the silent c, this word may be commonly misspelled; however, its a common and important one for students to learn.
The word disagreement is a noun referring to the state or act of opposing something. This is a great example of a word that contains a negative prefix (dis-).
The word autumn is a noun referring to a season of the year, specifically between summer and winter. This is a commonly used yet misspelled word ending in mn, making it a great addition to a 6th grade spelling words quiz.
The word different is defined as unusual or not like others. This word is an adjective commonly used in many types of discussions.
The word tropical is an adjective relating to the tropics, a geographical region often characterized by heat and humidity. Students may come across this word in ecology and geology classes.
Seventh graders should now be able to spell basic and common words with ease. This is a great time for students to practice longer and more complex 7th grade spelling words that they can use in real life scenarios, such as college preparation.
A steppe means an extensive plain, especially one without trees. Students may come across this word while studying physical geography, geography, and ecology.
The word inquiries is a plural of the verb inquire, meaning to investigate or ask for information about something.
The word negotiable is an adjective referring to something that has the ability to be bargained or made a deal with.
This word can help students learn variations of ti sounds.
The word rustling derives from the verb, rustle, meaning to make a sound from softly or slightly stirring or rubbing something, such as leaves. This is an interesting verb that people use in creative writing.
You can describe a plague as an epidemic disease that causes high mortality. Seventh graders may come across this word in their history or literature classes.
You can define Bonafide as authentic. While this word isnt very common, its an important adjective to know that may come up in legal documentation as well as some literature.
The word obstacles is a plural form of obstacle, which means something that blocks ones way or hinders progress. The word can refer to physical barriers or nonphysical concepts.
The word embarrass means to cause confusion and shame. Chances are, most people have felt and used this word in a variety of situations. But the spelling can get confusing based on the number of repeated letters.
The word cancellation means the action of canceling an arranged or planned incident.
However, it is one of those common words that children and adults should all know how to spell correctly. Seventh graders will likely come across this word in many aspects of their academic and career experiences.
The word abandon is a verb meaning to give up or forsake. You may misspell it as abanden.
An 8th grade spelling quiz should contain words that are relevant, interesting and challenging for young adults who may be especially busy with sports and friends. Words related to socializing and events can make for engaging 8th grade spelling words.
The word accompanied is a past tense verb meaning to have joined a person or people in an activity or venture. This can be a challenging yet important word to know, especially in social situations.
The word gymnasium is a noun referring to a large building, usually in a school, where gymnastics and other indoor activities are held. This will prove to be an important word to know as students attend events or practice sports.
The word spectators is a plural noun referring to people who are watching a sport or event rather than participating. This is a great example of a challenging spelling word ending in
The word senator is a noun referring to a person who represents the This word will become more important to know as students learn about history, politics and government affairs.
The word abstain is a verb meaning to withhold or refrain from something, especially when it comes to voting or unhealthy behavior. Students will likely come across this word in health classes.
The word accumulate means to gather something in increments. Its an action word that may come up in a variety of subjects, such as math or science.
The word reunion is a noun referring to the act of being united again, such as the gathering of people who have met previously. This is a good addition to an 8th grade spelling words quiz because its an example of a word that starts with re.
The word acoustic is an adjective that describes the sense of hearing. This word is also often used under the subject of music, referring to musical instruments without electric enhancement.
The word perspective is a noun referring to the point of view or the state of something, such as in spatial relationships or visual experience. This is a great addition to a students vocabulary as it can be used in a variety of applications.
The word punishable is an adjective meaning when something or someone is deemed worthy of receiving punishment. This word is a good example of the use of able combined with a complete word (punish).
Ninth graders are now transitioning into higher levels of education with denser subjects. Quizzes for the best 9th grade spelling words need to contain several interesting or exclusive words that students may encounter both inside and outside of school.
The word orchestra can be defined as a group of people playing a variety of musical instruments to produce harmonious sounds. Students may come across this uniquely spelled word while participating in school activities.
The word gambling is a noun referring to the act of making a risk while playing a game or taking a chance when odds are at stake. Students need to recognize words such as this when dealing with real life
The word acquittal is defined as the state or action of discharge or release. While it may be confused for a verb, its actually a noun and sometimes used in subjects of law.
The word ambiguous is an adjective that describes something thats doubtful or equivocal with many possible meanings. This is a challenging spelling word that ninth graders may begin to come across more frequently.
The word apparatus is a noun referring to instruments or mechanisms that are usually complex in nature. Students may encounter this word in science and physiology classes.
The word laboratory is commonly used as a noun defining a place or building where scientific activities take place, such as experiments for research. This word can frequently be misspoken and misspelled as Labratory
The word approximately means roughly or slightly accurate but not exact. This word is an adverb but derives from the word approximate, which is an adjective.
The word benevolent is an adjective that describes something or someone who has kindly or charitable feelings or the desire to help others over themselves. Students may come across this word in literature.
The word blasphemous is an adjective that describes something that is profane or irreverent. This word makes a great addition to a 9th grade spelling words quiz because it introduces students to words they may not otherwise hear very often.
The word bravado means a bold display of courage intended to impress. While it may sound like an action (verb), its actually a display or behavior (noun).
The best 10th grade spelling words quiz should contain impressive spelling words that help students broaden their vocabulary and gain a firm grasp on proper spelling and grammar. Students should be able to integrate these words into their experiences while having a solid understanding of definitions and usage.
Abnormal is an adjective that describes something that deviates from the norm. This word can be used in a variety of situations and discussions, such as when describing weather, behavior or economics.
The word integral is commonly used as an adjective to describe something that belongs to a part of the whole or something that is necessary to complete the whole. This word may also come up as a noun in mathematic
The word geometry refers to a branch of study in mathematics. Tenth graders will likely be taking geometry classes, so its important that they are able to spell the name correctly.
The word conclusive is an adjective defined as serving to settle or decide a question. This word may be used in discussions of subjects such as science or criminal justice.
The word ecstatic is an adjective that describes the feeling of intense emotions or ecstasy. This word has a unique spelling, making it a great addition to a 10th grade spelling words quiz.
The word discipline is a noun referring to an activity or behavior that involves training to develop a skill or make a correction in accordance with rules. Due to its spelling with sci, this word can be a challenge to spell and pronounce properly.
The word appreciated derives from the word appreciate, meaning to recognize or understand something to its full worth. This word can be categorized as a past tense verb.
The word exhibition is a noun referring to a public display or a showing of something. This word can be commonly misspelled when the h is left out, making it an ideal candidate for a 10th grade spelling words quiz.
The word institution is a noun referring to an organization, society or building that devotes itself to a specific cause or program. Students may begin to come across this word when looking at colleges or learning about organizations.
The word preserve is a verb meaning to keep something alive or maintain something. It can also be used as a noun when talking about, for example, a wildlife preserve or fruit preserves.
The best eleventh grade spelling words quiz will contain several uncommon, challenging adjectives and verbs that students may use to build a more diverse vocabulary for speaking and writing. An 11th grade spelling words quiz may also contain words found in 11th grade class subjects, such as history, criminal justice, earth science and so on.
The word thorough is an adjective describing something that has been completely or perfectly completed or executed. This word is great for spelling practice as you can confuse it with through.
The word castigate is a verb that means the act of criticizing or punishing in an effort. Mostly, Students may come across this word while studying history or criminal justice.
The word intrinsic is an adjective describing something that belongs or lying within something naturally. This is a useful vocabulary word that students may use in papers and essays.
The word abhorrent is an adjective describing something as loathsome. This is a unique adjective that you can use in creative writing.
The word sedentary is an adjective describing something thats at rest such as in a sitting position and not moving. You might confuse this word with the word sedimentary, which has a completely different meaning.
The word parliament means the highest legislature of Great Britain. Although you can use it to define meetings and assemblies related to public or national affairs. This word has a tricky spelling with the silent a.
The word severity has a close connection to harshness or intensity. It often refers to extreme pain or behavior. Students may use this word in a range of applications. So, its important to learn how to spell and pronounce it correctly.
The word nullify is a verb meaning to deprive or declare as void. This is a unique uncommon word that you can see in many subjects, such as history and politics.
The word deprecating refers to the act of expressing disapproval or protesting against something. This word is a present participle of the word deprecate.
The word contentious is an adjective that describes something or someone as argumentative or quarrelsome. Students may use this word when describing people or characters.
A 12th grade spelling words quiz should have advanced, adult to near-adult level words that will truly put students to the test. These words may not be common in typical conversations. However, they still have learning value and you may speak or write them in more advanced topics.
The word reciprocated is a verb meaning to return a feeling or interchange, such as the giving and receiving of gifts. This word is a past particle of reciprocate, a commonly misspelled word.
The word insincere is an adjective describing something that is dishonest or hypocritical.
This is yet another great descriptive word that you can use in creative writing.
The word conversationalist refers to a person who is interesting or contributes well to conversations.
Interestingly, this six-syllable noun is a great challenging addition to a 12th-grade spelling words quiz.
The word cavalier refers to a noun as a man, knight or solider, usually mounted. This word can also be used as an adjective to describe something or someone as haughty, offhand or indifferent to something important.
Here are a few ways that SpellQuiz can directly help students learn and retain even the most complex spelling words:
SpellQuiz offers fun and engaging study materials. So, students can master spelling as well as learn how to use a wide range of useful words throughout their lives.
Spelling Tests per Grade


For teachers and kids, the beginning of the school year means “Reading Assessments”. We test to see if our students’ reading levels have increased, remained the same or decreased over the summer. However, although we get an independent reading level, we know that the reading level may not always be 100% accurate. Asking the right comprehension questions can help kids be better readers.
The following Behaviors/Skills and Questions can be useful when working with students who are at an independent reading level from K through N.
Knowing the skills and behaviors at levels above and below a student’s level will help teachers and parents ask better questions to support comprehension. This strategy can help our students on their independent reading level as well as our Review/Reinforcement and Enrichment students.
Comprehension/Behaviors Skills (F & P Levels K/L)
dialogue to understand characters
cause and effect by understanding characters and events
how problems and events are related
for information to confirm predictions
evidence from the story to support their ideas or thinking
predictions based on prior knowledge and the text
the solution to the problem
important ideas in the text
predictions based on character traits
Comprehension Questions (F & P Levels K/L)
Retell the story in
Who is speaking? How do you know?
Does what you just read
remind you of anything? How does this
help you better understand the text?
name) in detail.
What happened? Why did it happen?
What in the story makes
you think that?
What do you think will
happen next? Why?
What caused (problem or
event) to happen? How do you know?
What do you think
(character’s name) will do? Why?
School Age Readers and Writers – (5 to 9-year-olds)
Give your child encouragement when he or she is doing homework or a writing assignment. Remind your child that writing involves several steps like panning, composing an initial draft, revising, and final editing. No one does it perfectly the first time.
Read different types of books to expose your child to different types of writing. Kids love a variety of fiction and non-fiction formats including plays, chapter books, series books, books with sequels, short stories, diaries and logs, and graphic texts.
Create a writing toolbox — Find a special box and fill it with drawing and writing materials. Think of everyday opportunities for your child to write —the family shopping list, thank -you notes, birthday cards, or sign on the bedroom door.
Ask your child to read out loud what he or she has written.
Create a book together — Make a handmade book together by folding pieces of paper ion half and stapling them together. Your child can write his or her own story, with different sentences on each page. Ask your child to illustrate the book with his/her own drawings.
Show your child how to summarize a story in a few sentences, for example, or how to make predictions about what might happen next. Both strategies help a child comprehend and remember. After reading a story together, think out loud so your child can see how you summarize and predict.
Pick books that are at the right reading level —Help your child choose reading materials that are not too difficult. The goal is to give your child lots of successful reading experiences
Partner Reading – Take turns reading aloud to each other. Whether it’s a page or a sentence, it’s another way of getting a couple minutes of reading fun.
Learning to read is not easy and takes time. Many parents wonder on the best ways to help their kids learn to read. With 8 grandkids under 9, we have various levels of reading going on in our family. Ranging in age from 7 months to “newly 9” we have readers of all sizes and abilities.
I created the following list to make it a little easier for my adult children to have a few “reading ideas” to help their kiddos. Reading is very comprehensive and therefore, there is a wide range of activities at each level. The important thing to remember is reading builds on foundational skills. Therefore, each level is important for reading success. Don’t worry if your more advanced reader wants to do a lower level. Even advanced readers can continue to learn and grow from some of the Preschool Reader activities. Last week we started with our series with Very Early Readers (Birth – 2 years). This week we continue with Preschool Readers (2 – 5yrs).
Preschool Readers (2 to 5 years)
Discuss what’s happening, point out things on the page, ask your child questions
When looking at a book together, point out how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.
Talk about print everywhere. Talk about written words you see in the world around you and respond with interest to your child’s questions about words.
Ask your child to find a new word every time you go on an outing.
Watch My Lips – Encourage your child to watch your lips and mouth while you make certain sounds. Have your child think about how his/her own lips and tongue move. You can say something like, “Can you feel how your mouth moves the same way at the beginning of the words sun, snake, and sour? Watch my mouth while I say them.” Exaggerate the letter s when saying the words.
Play sound games— Give your child practice blending individual sounds into words. For example, ask “Do you know what the word is? m-o-p?” Say the sound each letter makes rather than the name of the letter. Hold each sound longer than you normally would. This will help your child recognize the different letter sounds.
Trace and say letters while saying the letter’s sound at the same time. Use a pan filled with rice, sugar or beans to involve touch, sight and speech.
Play word games — Use a dry erase board to play word games with your child. First, write out a word like mat. Then change the initial sound. Have your child sound out the word when it becomes fat and then when it becomes sat. Next change the final sound, so the word changes from sat to sag to sap. Then change the middle sound, so the word changes from sap to sip.
Punctuate your reading.?! -. Discuss how punctuation on a page represents ways of speaking. You can say, for example, “When we talk, we usually pause a little bit at the end of a sentence. The way we show this pause in writing is to use a period.”
Dig deeper into the story — Ask your child about the story you’ve just read together. Try questions that require your child to draw conclusions. Say something like, “Why do you think Clifford did that?” A child’s involvement in retelling a story or answering questions goes a long way toward developing his or her comprehension skills.
Tell family tales — Children love to hear stories about their family. Tell your child what it was like when you or your parents were growing up or talk about a funny thing that happened when you were young.
Storytelling on the go — Take turns adding to a story the two of you make up while riding in the car. Either one of you could start. Start with a beginning middle and end and work up to a longer story. A fun activity that stretches the imagination!
Every minute counts in becoming a good reader. Why not set a goal to try to do at least one activity a day? Be prepared to have days when it doesn’t get done. It’s only a goal. Most of all, enjoy the special time with your child.
When you think of winter in the Northeast you can’t help but think of SNOW. Whether it’s school delays, shoveling, or road conditions:; native New Yorkers (like me) can’t help but think of the negatives involved with the beautiful, fluffy, white stuff. So, how about thinking about the bright side of snowy days?
How does free (or almost free) skiing for kids? Let’s face it, skiing can be expensive and ski resorts want to get families on the slopes. So, if you have a 3rd through 5th grader you are in luck. Check out the links below and see if you can jump on this great bargain. A pretty good deal if your child is an avid skier or just wants to give it a try. Be sure to check out the websites, there are some requirements associated with the offers. They are certainly worth a look!
The Kids Learn to Ski or Ride Passportis the perfect program for those who do not ski or are true beginners. With the Learn to Ski or Ride program, a child receives a lift ticket, lesson and equipment rental free* at all participating ski areas. There are over 20 ski areas throughout New York State participating in the Learn to Ski or Ride program. Once you receive your Passport in the mail, you can start hitting the slopes! Reservations at ski areas may be required. *$27 processing fee applies. Must show proof child is in 3rd or 4th grade.
Any child in the 4th or 5th grade can ski or ride for FREE at all participating ski areas in the state of Pennsylvania (when accompanied by a paying adult.) Just fill out the application on the back of this flyer, mail us a copy of your 4th or 5th grade report card for grade verification, a 2″ x 11/2″ color photo, plus $35-$40 non-refundable processing fee per child. We’ll mail you your 4th & 5th Grade Snowpass containing one FREE LEARN TO SKI/BOARD PACKAGE (beginner lift, lesson & rental package) to any one area of their choice and 3 FREE LIFT TICKETS for each of the participating Pennsylvania Ski Areas listed on our website. 4th and 5th grade Snow Pass
Ski New Hampshirealpine and cross-country ski area member contributes one free lift ticket or trail pass for your fourth or fifth grader to enjoy New Hampshire’s scenic ski trails this winter. That’s 32 days (or nights) that your child can get outside and explore this season for just $30 upon grade verification. This program is open to 4th and 5thgraders from near and far–not just New Hampshire residents! The 4th & 5th Grade Snowsports Passport will be delivered to your email inbox once you’ve provided proof of eligibility. Look at website for exclusion dates.
Learning to read is not easy and takes time. Many parents wonder on the best ways to help their kids learn to read. With 8 grandkids under 9, we have various levels of reading going on in our family. Ranging in age from 7 months to “newly 9” we have very early readers to advanced readers.
I created the following list to make it a little easier for my adult children to have a few “reading ideas” to help their kiddos. Reading is very comprehensive and therefore, there is a wide range of activities at each level. The important thing to remember is reading builds on foundational skills. Therefore, each level is important for reading success. Don’t worry if your more advanced reader wants to do a lower level. Even advanced readers can continue to learn and grow from some of the Very Early Reader list activities. This week we start with our very early readers.
Very Early Readers (Birth to 2 yrs.)
Read together every day. Uninterrupted 2 minutes of time is time well spent.
Keep a book or magazine with you all the time to read with your child. Every minute counts.
Re-read a favorite – Kids love to hear books again. Repeated reading helps kids read more quickly and accurately. It helps promote their reading confidence. Research shows that repeated reading builds language skills.
Read with fun in your voice. Why not use different voices for different characters. A little acting can go a long way!
Let your child choose —Give your child the chance to pick his/her own books. Letting children choose their own books nurtures independence and their own interests.
Read it and Experience it — Help your child make the connection between what he/she reads in books and what happens in life. If you’re reading a book about animals, for example, relate it to last month’s trip to the zoo.
Make books and reading into something special by taking your kids to the library, helping them get their own library card, reading with them, and buying them books as gifts.
Have a favorite place for books in your home, or even better, put books everywhere!
Talk about what you see and do together.
Talking about everyday activities helps your child’s background knowledge, which is crucial to listening and reading comprehension
You can play games that involve naming or pointing to objects.
Say silly tongue twisters—Sing sings and read rhyming books. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.
When you read aloud, read with expression.
Coming Next Week: Preschool Readers (2 to 5 years)
Coming in 2 Weeks: School Age Readers and Writers (5 to 9 years)
Social Studies concepts can be difficult for some students to learn. However, there are some tools teachers can use increase a student’s access to academic content. Check out the 8 research-based strategies listed below.
Graphic Organizers – Graphic Organizers, Mind Maps and Concept Maps provide a pictorial or graphic way to organize information and thoughts for remembering, understanding and writing.
Multiple Intelligences – Dr. Howard Gardner proposed the theory in 1983 that there are 8 multiple types of intelligences or ways of processing information. (verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal.
Graph Dissection – Taking apart of breaking down information found in graphs, charts, maps and other graphics.
Content Enhancements – Includes advanced organizers, visual displays, study guides, mnemonic devices, peer mediated instruction and computer assisted instruction.
Historical Timelines – Timelines help students understand the passage of time by comparing the length of time passed with a time sequence with which they are familiar.
Textbook Analysis – The systematic analysis of the text materials including the structure, the focus, and the learning assists.
Concept Comparisons – Students use a graphic to compare and contrast key concepts.
Assistive technology – Any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individual with disabilities.
There is no ONE WAY to teach Social Studies. The key to developing lessons is to try different techniques and assess their effectiveness.
The start of the school year brings some new reading terms for parents of children in the early grades. Many teachers use Guided Reading to teach reading. The days of everyone reading together out of one book has been replaced by small-group instruction. The small groups are composed of children that have similar Guided Reading Levels (GRLs). The level is assessed on a child’s word-knowledge, comprehension and fluency. These levels are also used to determine a child’s independent reading level.
Fountas and Pinnell, (F & P) is one of the most popular assessment tools. The levels range alphabetically from A to Z, with level A representing the lowest level and level Z the highest. This allows the teacher to work closely with each student to help them become better readers by introducing them to increasingly challenging books and instructional focus.
How Are Book Levels Determined?
Books are assigned Guided Reading Levels based on several general expectations and capabilities of a reader. As the levels progress, the books become more difficult. Each level is based upon the increasing complexity of ten benchmark common book characteristics that readers encounter at all stages of the reading process from when your child picks up his or her first book through the time when he or she becomes a fluent reader. These guided reading categories are:
Themes and Ideas: Big ideas communicated by the author
Genre: Type of book
Text Structure: How the book is organized
Content: Subject matter of a book
Sentence Complexity: Difficulty of the sentence
Language and Literacy: The writing techniques used by the writer.
Vocabulary: The frequency of new words introduced in the book.
Words: How easy the words in the book can be figured out (decoded) by a reader
Illustrations: The correlation and consistency of images and pictures in the books to the words printed on the page
Book and Print Features: How the printed words are on the page.
How Can I Find Books at My Child’s Guided Reading Level?
Ask your child’s teacher for the appropriate Guided Reading Level (GRL) to practice reading at home. In the classroom, books are often labeled so kids can easily grab a book at their reading level. Your school or local librarian can be helpful to find books at your child’s level. Many book publishers also include a Guided Reading Level on their books.
I’ve written a post about Overdrive as a database to access free books for adults and kids. However, I was not aware that they also have collections of books on different subjects. One of the listed subjects is Education. The collection includes books for both teachers, parents and students. Books are in both digital and audio files.
Using your library card you can borrow up to 10 ebooks or audiobooks from your local library. Just use your library card for your one time registration and you’re ready to go. Books can be borrowed from 7 to 21 days.
Sample: Overdrive PD Teacher Books
Building A+ Better Teacher Green 2015
How Children Succeed Tough 2013
Mathematical Mindsets Boaler/Dweck 2015
Montessori From the Start Lillard and Jessen 2004
Secrets of the Teenage Brain Feinstein/Jensen 2013
Teach Like a Pirate Burgess 2012
The Coddling of the American Mind Lukianoff/Haidt 2019
Over the years I’ve collected a collection of education books. Take a look at the list below and let me know if there are any books that you may find helpful in your placements. I can bring them to your placement on our next observation. Access to your very own professional lending library!
Brainstorm Siegel 2012
Bright From The Start Stamm 2008
Classroom Instruction That Works Marzano & Pickering 2001
For kids in school, knowing historical dates helps them relate to history and builds their general
knowledge. Knowing these dates
can help teachers engage students in conversations and students may even be
impressed by their teachers historical knowledge!
Knowing historical dates provides opportunities for students to learn history and build their general knowledge. Take a look and impress your students!
Article-A-day is a strategy that teachers use in a classrooms that assigns students a non-fiction article to read each day. This technique strengthens a student’s background knowledge, vocabulary and stamina. This research-based classroom routine combines writing & oral sharing. The technique is used in whole-class or small groups and also as an independent project.
A great FREE resource to support your Article-A Day program is ReadWorks. The site provides article sets that include 6-9 articles related on nonfiction topics. The articles are leveled from Kindergarten – 8th Grade. The resources can be printed, used digitally or projected on a Smartboard. ReadWorks encourages teachers to share their resources with other colleagues.
Step 1: Students read an article independently. For students who cannot read independently yet, the teacher reads the article out loud twice.
Step 2: Each student then uses their own “Book of Knowledge” to write down, or draw a picture of, two or three things they learned from reading and would like to remember in their own “Book of Knowledge.” A classroom Book of Knowledge can also be created if the article is used in whole class instruction. The strategy builds writing skills and strengthens the reading-writing connection.
Step 3: Student volunteers share with the class, in 1-2 minutes, what they’ve learned and want to remember.
IF 10 minutes is all you need to make an impact on reading comprehension, why not give it a try?
Eight months down in 2019, how are you doing on those New Years Resolutions? If you are still working on catching up on professional development, take a look at this month’s newsletter. All 10 August posts are below, as well as ALL the posts since I started the blog in September 2018. My New Year’s Resolution to get the Threeringsconnections’ newsletter out on a timely, consistent schedule is accomplished: 8 down and 4 more to go! Have a great month!
I am so pleased to be working with you during student teaching this semester. The college has provided you a high-quality education to prepare you for this day. They have recruited cooperating teachers that exhibit best practice to guide you through your student teaching placement. These mentors will help you graduate as competent teachers in content skills, classroom management, and knowledge of individual student learning needs.
As your student teacher
supervisor, I am here to assist and encourage your professional growth during
your classroom experience. As the liaison between the college and school, I can
assist you with both procedural and content material. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you
have any questions.
These next few months will very busy so try to focus on everything that you experience. These day to day experiences will prepare you to have your own classroom someday. Ask questions, reflect on practice and accept advice. You have been prepared well and are ready for this challenge. Enjoy the journey!