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The National Jump$tart Coalition Clearinghouse is a database of personal finance resources available from a variety of education providers such as government, business and non-profit organizations. The Clearinghouse provides brief descriptions of more than 600 titles which can be ordered directly from the author or publisher, of these, nearly 250 resources are offered absolutely free.
No registration, sign-in or passwords are required to search the clearinghouse, and the "virtual library" is provided at no cost to the user. Users can search by topic, grade level, type or title of material, key word and language, then they can sort by price and newest entry. The search function makes it easy for users to narrow their choices to those materials that meet their needs.
Resources on Teaching Financial Literacy in Elementary Education
The Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition's Board offers the following list of web sites to assist in teaching and talking to elementary aged kids about financial literacy. This list is not exhaustive and the Board recommends perusing the National Clearinghouse (link above)as well to review other resources.
Financial Fitness for Life (FFFL)
provides high-quality instructional materials for use with students from kindergarten to grade 12. These materials are presented in separate publications for four grade levels (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12); within the grade levels, lessons are clustered in themes. The overarching goal of the materials is to help students make thoughtful, well-informed decisions about important aspects of personal finance, including earning income, spending, saving, borrowing, investing, and managing money.
Junior Achievement (JA)
JA offers free learning materials for financial education. "Parent Lessons" and "Money Management Actio Plan" are particularly recommended.
Free Resources for Parents on Teaching Youth Financial Literacy
The Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition's Parents Work Group has compiled a list of web sites to assist parents in teaching and talking to their kids about financial literacy.
Find free resource that helps parents understand, talk about, and manage money. There are 12 key financial tips to cover with your teen. This web site also has a teen section for helping teens ask their parents questions about finance.
Financial Literacy for Kids & Teens
Parents and teachers, help kids learn about money -- making it, saving it, and managing it. This web page provides a wealth of free resources and interactive games to make learning money management easier and fun.
How to Teach Kids About Money
Discover a series of 23 short videos, narrated by Janet Bodner, author of Money Smart Kids
, that give advice on how to teach your kids key principles of money and finance.
Financial Fitness For Life: Parent Guide
Share financial fitness for life with your children at every grade level using this first-time curriculum developed for parents. This resources is applicable for Grades K-5 and Grades 6-12, and is also available in Spanish. Online guides are free, and hard copy guides are available for purchase.
Finance in the Classroom
This web site includes resources for children of all ages, pre-school through teen. Learn how parents can educate their children about personal finance.
Are you a parent dealing with kids and money? This resource gives parents tips and tools for teaching money literacy and helps them assess their ability to model good financial habits.
Financial Literacy Books for Parents
Sometimes teaching can be as simple as using the right tools. These books -- sorted by grade level from preschool to Grade 12 -- guides parents toward books that can help teach financial literacy to their children.
This page contains links that will take you outside of the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition's web site. Outside links are provided for your convenience. The Jump$tart Coalition is not responsible for the opinions, content or availability of any linked third-party web sites or the privacy practices of such third party. These links do not constitute an endorsement for products or services offered, and the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition assumes no responsibility for services or products purchased on this site.


Your child can reuse and repurpose old seeds and paper into something new - seedy decorative paper! Not only will your child make a pretty final product, her finished seedy paper can be planted when she’s done with it, with flowery results!
What You Do:
- Start by researching the paper making process with your child by either visiting your local library or going online. Paper is made from trees that have been broken down into a pulp and then put through a straining and pressing process.
- Invite your child to go on a scavenger hunt around the house for old newspapers and bits of construction paper to use for making her own special paper.
- Now your child can tear the paper into one-inch strips and place into a blender, tearing enough to fill the blender.
- Invite your child to fill the blender about three-fourths of the way with water and then pulse until the paper blends with the water, creating paper pulp!
- Help your child find a sunny spot outdoors with good drainage where she can place the window screen. A driveway or picnic table works great!
- Now your child can pour the paper pulp over the window screen and gently press and spread the pulp with her hands, creating an even layer of the pulp on the screen.
- Don’t forget those seeds! To make her recycled paper even cooler, she can sprinkle her seeds on top of the paper pulp and press with her hands, securing those seeds.
- Allow the paper to dry in the sun for a couple of hours, or as long as it takes to dry, and then gently pull away from the window screen.
- Now your child can cut the seedy paper with scissors and use sections for making unique bookmarks, decorating the front of cards, or as decorative paper for the front of notebooks!
Tip: Any ink or dyes in the papers you use will have an effect on the color of your final paper product.
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


Do you want to keep the kids in your life busy till school is back in
session? Do you want to provide a safe and creative outlet for them to
learn new skills? Or do you just want some time to yourself?
you said, “yes” to any of these questions, Van Wert Civic Theatre would
love to see your pint-sized bundle of joy on July 27 and 28, 7 p.m., at
auditions for Camp Omigosh by Wade Bradford and directed by Amber Evans.
haunted camp comedy with a sci-fi twist has it all: ghosts, aliens,
robots, plant zombies and, of course, dodge ball. Auditions are open to
any student, kindergarten through twelfth grade. Camp Omigosh is a play,
not a musical. Students will be reading (not singing) from a script.
Student participation in youth theatre has a host of benefits. While
very few students who do participate go on to become professional
actors, there are so many skills that can be used in their everyday
lives, no matter what profession they decide to pursue in the future.
and reciting from a script will have a positive impact on student
literacy and verbal skills. According to research the arts support
literacy development by increasing students’ desire for and commitment
to expressing personal meanings. Communicating by creating and
performing in the arts often enhances students’ desire to read, write,
Participation in the
performing arts also improves social skills. Students with sustained
involvement in theatre arts, according to research, were shown to have
greater self-confidence, more motivation, and higher levels of empathy
Performing arts involvement also encourages and
promotes high levels of personal responsibility. Not only is there a
responsibility to support your fellow actors and designers but there is
also a responsibility on each and every member to maintain the integrity
of the group.
Increased levels of responsibility aren’t the only factors that help young people ‘grow up’.
one’s own personal identity is very important and is a monumental task
that awaits all adolescents. Youth theatres gives students an
opportunity to learn things about themselves. Ironically, the theatre is
an environment where individuals don’t have to act, where they can be
themselves. In a place where you are constantly taking on different
roles and characters it is difficult not to reveal your true self.
my opinion, the most important aspect of youth involvement in the
performing arts is the friends and relationships that can be developed.
Being in a cast creates seriously strong bonds in relatively short
period of time. A live theatre production requires the dedication of
like-minded people to create a cohesive piece of art; becoming “besties”
with a cast mate is inevitable. The benefits are seemingly endless. So,
what are you waiting for? Talk to the children in your life today about
performing on stage at Van Wert Civic Theatre in our second youth
theatre production, Camp Omigosh by Wade Bradford.
follows Conner. His summer is off to a rough start: the camp bus almost
crashes, his cabin mates don’t trust him, and the girls on the other
side of the camp constantly outsmart him. But when he and his friends
Tasha, Parker, and Kimberly investigate the mystery surrounding the
“Ghost of Dead Billy,” they begin a hilarious adventure that is worlds
away from a typical campfire story.
Auditions are set for July 27
and 28, 7 p.m., at VWCT located at 118 S. Race Street. Van Wert Civic
Theatre and Camp Omigosh Director, Amber Evans, are thrilled to offer
this exciting and safe learning opportunity to area youth.
more information on our second youth theatre production, please visit
vwct.org, “like” us on Facebook, and “follow” us on Twitter.


Grover and Elmo have been encouraging kids to read for years, but now the people behind Sesame Street are encouraging parents and teachers to get kids to read and write every day.
The nonprofit Sesame Workshop has partnered with the nonprofit Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation for a new campaign, Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day, that aims to improve childhood literacy with a number of online resources.
The campaign, which can be found online at www.sesamestreet.org/literacy, offers bilingual, digital resources that include tips, games and activities to engage children and improve their reading and writing capabilities.
The program includes:
- Video segments, like this song Born to Learn, that draw from everyday life and model ways for parents to easily engage their children in activities around vocabulary, reading and writing.
- Materials volunteers can use to plan fun-filled literacy-based experiences for children and families, like this volunteer coordinator guide (PDF download).
- A parent/caregiver guide (PDF download) bursting with information and activities to encourage literacy development for children ages 2 to 5. The guide also includes additional material that parents can use to help form the building blocks for literacy in children ages 0 to 2.
- A new mobile site with videos, games and activities for parents and volunteers to enjoy with children on the go, as well as an online section dedicated to Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day, on sesamestreet.org.
“We are excited to bring Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day to young children,” says Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president for community and family engagement at Sesame Workshop. “Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day will provide families, parents, caregivers and volunteers with materials that draw from everyday life, thus giving adults an easy way to implement literacy into their daily interactions with children.”


Offers a step-by-step approach to using ITUs to help pupils acquire the knowledge and develop the problem-solving skills required for today's changing–and challenging–times. Addresses the content, technology, diversity, and classroom management of ITUs. Material on curriculum standards, scoring guides, and the relationship between the interdisciplinary thematic unit approach and professional education tests. Extensive coverage of the role of pupil input into ITUs. For future educators.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
A Guide for Developing Interdisciplinary Thematic Units 4/e
Patricia L. Roberts and Richard D. Kellough
Do you want to learn more about planning and delivering interdisciplinary thematic units (ITUs), that support, high-stakes testing? This practical and concise guide designed for preservice and inservice teachers offers current and practical methods, guidelines, and resources for developing ITUs to use in K-12 classrooms.
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
Patricia L. Roberts joined the faculty of the School of Education at California State University, Sacramento where she taught courses in children's literature, reading, and language arts, and served as coordinator of a Teacher Education Center in Elementary Education and as an Associate Chair and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education. In addition, Dr. Roberts is the author and co-author of more than 20 teacher resource books and texts, including A Guide to Developing Interdisciplinary Thematic Units, 4th Edition (with R.D. Kellough). She writes for journals and is a member of the National Council of Research on the Teaching of English and other professional groups. Her current research centers on teaching curriculum content with chilren's literature and family values found in fiction for children. Dr. Roberts, an invited bigoraphee in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award for the University of the Pacific and the California State University's Award for Merit for Teaching. The Award of Merit is given for a superior teaching record and outstanding service to the institution and to the community. Additional recognitions include listings in International Who's Who of Intellectuals, Who's Who in American Education, Two Thousand Notable American Women, The Director of Distinguished Americans, International Directory of Distinguished Leadership, and The International Who's Who of Contemporary Achievement. Richard D. Kellough is author and co-author of more than 40 textbooks, including A Resource Guide for Teaching K-12, Teaching Young Adolescents: A Guide to Methods and Resources, Secondary School Teaching: A Guide to Methods and Resources, and Your First Year of Teaching, as well as numerous journal articles. A member of several prominent organizations, Dr. Kellough has been elected to the Phi Sigma Society, the Botanical Society of America, the American Bryological Society, and was the recipient of the Outstanding Biology Teacher Recognition Award from the National Biology Teachers Association, State of California. His many recognitions include being named a National Science Foundation Research Fellow at the University of California, Davis, as well as listings in the International Authors and Writers Who's Who, Leaders in the Eco Education Men of Achievement (Volume 1), Dictionary of International Biography, and Leaders in Education.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Book Description Pearson, 2006. Paperback. Book Condition: New. Brand New, Gift conditionWe Ship Every Day! Free Tracking Number Included! International Buyers Are Welcome! Satisfaction Guaranteed!. Bookseller Inventory # 33059738t
Book Description Pearson, 2006. Book Condition: New. Brand New, Unread Copy in Perfect Condition. A+ Customer Service! Summary: Chapter 1: Introduction to Integrated Curriculum and Interdisciplinary Thematic Units Chapter 2: Initiating an Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit Chapter 3: Developing Objectives Chapter 4: Assessing Student Learning Chapter 5: Completing Your ITU: Finalizing Activities, Lessons and Units Appendix A: Hints for Short-Answer Response Questions; Praxis Prep Appendix B: Resources: Teacher Planning Guides and Childrens Literature Titles Glossary Name Index Subject Index with Target Topics for Teacher Tests. Bookseller Inventory # ABE_book_new_0131755013
Book Description Pearson, 2006. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 4. Bookseller Inventory # DADAX0131755013
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Book Description Prentice Hall, 2006. Paperback. Book Condition: Brand New. 4th edition. 283 pages. 10.50x8.00x0.50 inches. In Stock. Bookseller Inventory # 0131755013
Book Description Pearson, 2006. Paperback. Book Condition: New. Bookseller Inventory # P110131755013


Answers to all of the exercises in the workbook can be downloaded here
Exam boards: Edexcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC
The AS Music Literacy Workbook will develop students’ notational skills to the level necessary to succeed in the exam.
This workbook explains the notation of a wide variety of instrumental techniques, and includes a whole chapter devoted to score reading.
Students will be able to read and understand any classical, jazz, pop or guitar scores they might come across during their AS studies and beyond.
The workbook emphasises learning by doing. It includes numerous scorereading exercises based on jazz and classical music, which encourage students to cross-reference their knowledge. The workbook builds towards a series of exercises and model answers, allowing students to check their work.
This workbook is tailor made for anyone wanting to develop a grounding in music theory to AS level, but is also a refreshing new resource for candidates preparing for higher grade exams in music theory, BTEC National and Scottish Higher Grade Music.
Rebecca Berkley is a freelance writer and musician, and is a music education consultant. She has taught percussion to students of all ages, both as a private teacher and as a workshop leader, and published percussion music. She is also a choral conductor, running several choirs and directing music festivals with her husband. After starting her career as a music teacher in secondary schools, she became a lecturer in music education at the University of Southampton and the Institute of Education, University of London. Her PhD thesis focused on how GCSE students learn to compose, and how best to teach them. She is the co-author of Rhinegold’s Edexcel GCSE Music Listening Tests (Book 3) and contributes as a freelance writer to Classroom Music Magazine.


Knowing the cause of your child's developmental delays can facilitate a family's access to critical early childhood intervention services such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy (OT) and/or physical therapy (PT). Early intervention may help program staff identify areas of specific need or risk. For example, some SMS families have benefited from using sign language with their child before his or her speech developed. Additionally, a diagnosis of SMS opens the doors to a network of information and support from professionals and other families dealing with the syndrome.
By law, U.S. public school districts that receive federal funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) must provide early intervention programs for children under the age of 3.
"The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through age 2 years, and their families. In order for a state to participate in the program it must assure that early intervention will be available to every eligible child and its family."
Check with your public school district to see what programs are available in your area.
Your physician can help you determine the need for therapy or you can have your child evaluated by a therapeutic service provider. For most school-aged children, therapy services will be provided by your school district if included in your child's Individual Education Plan (IEP). Services may be provided as direct or consultation services, depending on school policy. It is important to note that schools will provide therapies only if your child's delays are seen as " affects their ability to learn." For some delays, private services are the only answer.
Speech and language therapy
Onset of speech is often delayed in children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome and articulation can be affected by muscle tone issues. Once speech has been acquired children often experience difficulties with processing information. A licensed speech/language pathologist can address all speech/language related issues. Please see our speech and language page for more information.
Children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome often have visual-spatial deficits and difficulty with fine muscle control, such as picking up small objects. Occupational therapy primarily addresses fine motor skill development in children with SMS, but is also your source for help with feeding issues and sensitivity to textures.
Occupational therapy should be provided by a licensed Occupational Therapist. You can obtain more information about Occupational therapy by visiting the website of the American Occupational Therapy Association
Children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome can have balance problems and weak muscle tone. Physical therapy will address gross motor skill development in children with SMS.
Physical therapy should be provided by a licensed Physical Therapist. You can obtain more information about Physical therapy by visiting the website of the American Physical Therapy Association.


Boys Trail Girls in Reading Across States
A new study on gender differences in academic achievement, offering what it calls “good news for girls and bad news for boys,” finds that, overall, male students in every state where data were available lag behind females in reading, based on an analysis of recent state test results. At the same time, in mathematics, a subject in which girls have historically trailed, the percentages of both genders scoring “proficient” or higher were roughly the same, with boys edging out girls slightly in some states and girls posting somewhat stronger scores in others.
In certain states, such as Arkansas, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Vermont, the gender gap for reading proficiency was 10 percentage points or higher, based on 2008 test data.
“The most pressing issue related to gender gaps is the lagging performance of boys in reading,” says the report, released today by the Center on Education Policy, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.
In a conference call with reporters, Jack Jennings, the group’s president and chief executive officer, noted that whether looking at student outcomes at the elementary, middle, or high school level, male rates of proficiency were lower than for females across all states studied in 2008. (Forty-five states had data available for all three levels.)
“There is a consistent achievement gap,” he said. “Something is going on in our schools holding back boys.”
The report does offer some encouragement for boys in reading, suggesting that as a group, they are making some gains over time, and that the gender gap has narrowed in many states.
For instance, in 38 out of 44 states, the percentages of 4th grade boys scoring proficient or higher climbed between 2002 and 2008. Also, in 24 out of 44 states, the gender gap for 4th graders in the percentage of students scoring proficient or higher narrowed over that time period, though it widened in another 14 states.
When looking at the data another way, however, based on changes in the average of test scores, the gaps between boys and girls in reading “widened across all three grade levels [elementary, middle, and high school] as often as they narrowed.”
‘Clear and Startling’ Differences
The new report from the Center on Education Policy is part of a series of studies the organization has been conducting that examine trends on state tests since 2002, when the federal No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush.
The center notes that one reason for the report’s focus on the rate of students deemed “proficient” is that the designation is the key indicator used to determine whether districts and schools have made adequate yearly progress under the federal law. However, as the report emphasizes, each state uses its own tests to gauge proficiency and also sets its own cutoff score for what it judges proficient.
The report says that research has long noted historical differences in the achievement of boys and girls in reading and math, though considerable recent research suggests there is no longer a gender gap in math achievement.
With its state-by-state analysis, the report is able to identify those states that appear to struggle the most with gender gaps in reading. In Arkansas, the gap was 13 percentage points at the elementary level and 14 percentage points at both middle and high school in 2008. On state tests in Hawaii that year, boys came in 14 percentage points behind at the elementary level, 13 in middle school, and 16 in high school.
In the conference call, Mr. Jennings noted that even Massachusetts, a state known for its strong academic standards and performance, has a sizable gender gap, at 13 percentage points for elementary students in 2008.
Some other states, however, such as Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, and Virginia, had much smaller reading gaps at all levels. In Virginia, for example, the gender gap for boys was 3 percentage points at the elementary and middle levels and just 1 percentage point in high school.
In most cases, the gender gap in state math achievement did not exceed 5 percentage points, the 2008 data show.
Susan B. Neuman, an education professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in literacy development, called the new study “an extraordinarily important document.”
Ms. Neuman, a former U.S. assistant education secretary under President Bush who was invited to participate in the conference call but was not involved in the study, emphasized the findings with regard to boys’ achievement, noting that it is a relatively recent trend.
“We’ve been talking about closing the achievement gap in so many different ways, ... but we have not focused on the gender gap, which is very clear and startling in this report.”
She added, “I think we have to re-evaluate our curricula, re-evaluate how we are managing our classrooms.”
Vol. 29, Issue 27


Harold and the Purple Crayon
1998 edition of Harold and the Purple Crayon
|Publisher||Harper & Brothers|
|LC Class||MLCS 2006/43120 (P)|
Harold wants to go for a walk in the moonlight, but there is no moon, so he draws one. He has nowhere to walk, so he draws a path. He has many adventures looking for his room, and in the end he draws his own house and bed and goes to sleep.
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)
- Harold's Fairy Tale (1956)
- Harold's Trip to the Sky (1957)
- Harold at the North Pole (1958)
- Harold's Circus (1959)
- A Picture for Harold's Room (1960)
- Harold's ABC (1963)
The original story was adapted by Weston Woods Studios and Brandon Films into a seven-minute short film in 1959, directed by David Piel and narrated by Norman Rose. In 1971, Gene Deitch directed an animation of A Picture for Harold's Room, and in 1974 an animation of Harold's Fairy Tale. In 1993, these three animations were packaged with a documentary, and sold as the Harold and the Purple Crayon and Other Harold Stories set.
In 2002, the stories were adapted into a 13-episode television series for HBO narrated by Sharon Stone, which won a Daytime Emmy Award for "Main Title Design", and was nominated for an Annie Award and Humanitas Prize.
In the couch gag for the Simpsons episode "The Bob Next Door", Harold is shown drawing the Simpson family living room during the regular title sequence. Homer also asks Harold to draw him a can of beer after he finishes with the living room.
In February 2010, it was reported that Sony Pictures Animation and Will Smith's Overbook Entertainment are developing a computer-animated film adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon. It is being produced by Will Smith and James Lassiter, and written by Josh Klausner. As of 2015, the film's status is unknown.
The book inspired programmer Petri Purho to create the computer game Crayon Physics Deluxe, The book potentially inspired the kid's TV show Chalkzone, and has been used frequently in children's and art education lesson plans. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.
- Trilogy Studios (August 8, 2011). "Harold and The Purple Crayon Climbs to #1 in iPad Book App Chart in First Week of Release" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
This timeless classic by Crockett Johnson is about the world a curious four-year-old boy creates by simply drawing it with a purple crayon.
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (1959) at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- Crockett Johnson Homepage: Film and Video
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (1959) at the Internet Movie Database
- Harold and the Purple Crayon – HBO
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (2002) at the Internet Movie Database
- Harold and the Purple Crayon – DC Theatre Scene
- Enchantment Theatre Company presents "The Adventures of Harold & the Purple Crayon"
- Rowles, Dustin (February 25, 2010). "Exclusive: Harold and the Purple Crayon Headed to the Big Screen". Pajiba. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- Computer Game A Mash-Up Of Crayons, Physics : NPR
- Crayon Physics Deluxe Interview
- ARTSEDGE: Exploring Neighborhoods through Art
- National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- Bird, Elizabeth (July 6, 2012). "Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- Crockett Johnson Homepage: Books: The Harold Series
- The Appeal of 'Harold and the Purple Crayon', NPR - All Things Considered, May 29, 2005


Welcome to Music
We want children to experience learning through their entire body. Teaching to all seven intelligences, children will come to fully understand both musical as well as academic concepts. The students will participate in music through many facets: movement, voice, playing instruments, reading and creating to name a few. Children will feel welcome and comfortable to share their thoughts and ideas. We strive to give every child an overall appreciation of a variety of musical styles.
Students in grades 1-5 have music twice a week for 30 minutes in the music room. Our program follows the Loudoun County Elementary Music Curriculum, which is aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL’s) and the National Standards for Music Education.


About the Data
Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs®), a comprehensive and standards-driven system designed to improve the teaching and learning of English language learners (ELLs) for K–12 students.
One purpose of ACCESS for ELLs® is to monitor student progress in English Language Proficiency (ELP) on a yearly basis and to serve as a criterion to aid in determining when ELLs have attained language proficiency. Another purpose is to meet the requirements of the NCLB accountability. The test is carefully crafted to be representative of the social and academic language demands within a school setting as exemplified in the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English Language Proficiency/Development Standards (2004, 2007. 2012).
Access for ELLs® test results are available in WISEdash beginning with the 2006-07 school year. The results are submitted directly to the DPI by Metritech Spring of each school year Limited English Proficiency/ELL. For students that have not taken the exam (reported empty booklets), DPI still receives the result and reports as “Not Tested” on the Dashboard.
Exam results are included for students that cannot be positively identified from the record. These records are included in aggregate charts with unknown student demographics.
Students normally take four language domain tests Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Based on the combination of language domain tests actually taken, they will receive up to four different composite scores (Oral Language, Literacy, Comprehension, and Overall Score). If all four of the language domain tests are not taken then the student will not receive Overall Composite scale score, but can receive up to three other composite scores.
For example if a student took listening and speaking only, then he will receive only the Oral Language Composite score. The other three composite scores require reading and/or writing, which were not taken.
- Oral Language: The Oral Language composite score combines equally weighted scale scores from Listening (50%) and Speaking (50%).
- Literacy: The Literacy composite score combines equally weighted scale scores from Reading (50%) and Writing (50%).
- Comprehension: The Comprehension composite score combines the scale scores for Listening (30%) and Reading (70%).
- Overall (Composite) Scale Score: The Overall Scale Score reflects a weighted score based on the scales scores for Listening (15%) , Speaking (15%), Reading (35%), and Writing (35%). The weighting of the scores reflects the differential contributions of each language domain required for academic success, with heavier emphasis placed on literacy development.
Composite scores should be used with caution after careful consideration of their compensatory nature. The same Overall Scale Score for two students can reflect two very different profiles. For example, one student may be very strong in Listening and Reading, but weaker in Speaking and Writing, while another student with the same Overall Scale Score is strong in Reading and Writing, but weaker in Listening and Speaking.
Proficiency Level Scores: The proficiency level scores are interpretive scores. That is, they are an interpretation of the scale scores. They describe student performance in terms of the six WIDA language proficiency levels (1-Entering, 2-Beginning, 3-Developing, 4-Expanding, 5-Bridging, and 6-Reaching).
Scale Scores: Scale scores allow raw scores across grades to be compared on a single vertical scale from Kindergarten to Grade 12. With the vertical scale, scale scores across grades can be compared to one another within (not across) a language domain (Listening, Speaking, Reading, or Writing). There is a separate scale for each domain and are reflected in a scale from 100-600.
Raw scores: Raw scores indicate the actual number of items or tasks to which the student responded correctly out of the total number of items or Tasks. Raw scores should be used with caution and are not appropriate to track students’ progress between school years or compare different students on different grade levels of ACCESS for ELLs.


Winter weather got your child feeling down? Your fourth grader can turn that frown into some winter fun by creating a colorful winter weather collage. Before you take those magazines to be recycled reuse them for this cool art project! She can hone her cutting skills by creating a montage of winter images to create finished artwork sharing what she loves, or doesn't, about the winter season!
What You Do:
- Invite your child to write a short paragraph or poem about what winter means to her, or what she thinks about when the days get cooler. Encourage her to use lots of descriptive words to create a feeling or emotion for her winter writing.
- Now, offer her some magazines to look through for finding winter scenes. When she finds an image she likes, she can tear out the page to use for later.
- Once she has a stack of pictures to work from she can begin cutting out images from the magazine pages. Encourage her to cut as close to the outside edge of the object as possible encouraging her hand-eye coordination!
- While she's working, play some seasonal themed classical music, such as "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi. Listening to music while creating encourages the brain to concentrate!
- A collage is a collection of images arranged in a free form or organized manor. Before gluing her cut images onto a sheet of 9 by 12-inch construction paper she can experiment with placement until she's satisfied.
- When she's ready, she can glue the winter images on her paper to finish the winter weather collage! Remember to help her print out her poem or paragraph to include in the finished creation!
This is a great activity to create some winter season decoration—she can tape it up to be seen or make it part of a scrapbook.
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


*Return to Main Page of Reading topic.
Research about Adult Reading Instruction
- (from the preface) This report is the product of the NIFL/NCSALL Adult Literacy Research Working Group (ALRWG), a panel of experts on reading research and practice convened by the Institute and the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy to identify and evaluate existing research in adult reading instruction and to provide a summary of scientifically based findings. This report is a follow-up to the Group’s initial effort, Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction, published in 2002.
- This website provides information about a longitudinal study of adult learning conducted by Stephen Reder's team at Portland State University over a 10-year period. The study investigated 4 research questions: To what extent do adults' literacy abilities continue to develop after they are out of school? What life experiences are associated with adult literacy development? How do formally organized basic skills programs contribute to these learning trajectories? Workplace training? Other contexts and activities? What are adult learners' patterns of participation over time in literacy training and education? In other learning contexts? What are the impacts of adult literacy development on social and economic outcomes?
- For a summary of a discussion with Stephen Reder held on the Reading and Writing Skills Discussion List May 2-6, 2011, click here.
- This webpage overviews six research projects in adult literacy funded by The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), and the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Vocational and Adult Education. All studies used either experimental or quasi-experimental designs, and some also included qualitative methods. Following the description of each project is a list of the peer-reviewed publications related to the study.
- This Partnership for Reading publication summarizes research findings related to teaching reading in adult basic education classes. Findings are categorized according to the weight of the research evidence behind them: Emerging Principles, Trends, Ideas, and Comments. (128 pages)
- Teaching Reading to Adults (2005) is a 14-page publication based on the larger report. The primary audience is adult basic education teachers, and the authors present implications for instruction in alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
- This NCSALL report describes an investigation of the relationship between two dimensions of instruction (authenticity of instructional texts/activities and degree of student/teacher collaboration) and change in adult learners' literacy practices.
- A 2-page NSCALL Research Brief about this study is available.
- Taking Literacy Skills Home (April 2001) is a Focus on Basics article about this study.
- A peer-reviewed article about this study ("Impact of Authentic Literacy Instruction on Adult Literacy Practices") is published in the Reading Research Quarterly (2002), 37, 70-92.
ESOL Reading Instruction
- Discussion: Reading and Adult English Language Learners (2008). Heide Spruck Wrigley facilitated a discussion on the Adult English Language Learners Discussion List about teaching Reading to Adult English Lanugage Learners May 12-16, 2008. Click here for the announcement and background reading. Click here to review the archives for May 12-16, 2008.
- How Should Adult ESL Reading Instruction Differ from ABE Reading Instruction? (2005). CAELA brief by Miriam Burt, Joy Kreeft-Peyton, and Carol Van Duzer
- A Conversation with FOB: Modified Sustained Silent Reading (2005)
- What Works for Adult ESOL Students (2003)
- In this Focus on Basics article, Heide Spruck Wrigley answers questions related to a major study funded by the US Department of Education and carried out jointly by the American Institutes for Research and Aguirre International.
- Heidi Spruck Wrigley and Larry Condelli discussed the study on the Special Topics Discussion List April 9-15, 2007. Click here for access to the discussion announcement, recommended readings, and transcripts.
- Reading and Adult English Language Learners: A Review of the Research (2003) by Miriam Burt, Joy Kreeft Peyton, & Rebecca Adams (Center for Applied Linguistics and National Center for ESL Literacy Education
- Second Language Acquisition in Adults: From Research to Practice (2003) by Donna Moss and Lauren Ross Feldman
- Teaching Reading to Adult English Language Learners (2007) (Module from The CAELA Guide for Adult ESL Trainers)
Return to Main page of Reading topic.


any skill-sets worthwhile of earning employment for its graduates. Therefore, despite having undergone vocational training at fairly substantial costs, the Indian youth is still failing to garner skills for contributing to the growth of the economy; making both the youth and the economy eventual losers.
What, then, is India to do to give a facelift to its skills landscape?
Research has shown that it is a nation’s success or failure in realising the economic potential of young people during this ‘low dependency ratio’ period that can make the difference between sustained and faltering long-term development. Skill upgrade can no longer be ignored if we want to reap the demographic dividend of having a working population of 800 million.
The government is taking some initiatives. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF) are surely steps in the right direction. However, for this effort to be successful and sustainable on a large scale, industry/corporate sector should own the skill enhancement/intervention programmes. Managing such a huge inflow of candidates across domains every year is a gargantuan task. It needs joint efforts from all entities of the skill ecosystem. An effective use of the new Companies Bill mandating corporate social responsibility (CSR) might come handy if only CSR initiatives are result oriented and measurable.
One way to train this deluge of unskilled population is to create a nationwide network of affordable community colleges with courses and diplomas closely tailored to the skilled labour market. In fact, it would be better if the courses in these ‘colleges’ are designed keeping in the mind the needs of the local markets. These would not only help in creating opportunities where people live, it would also check the unsustainable migration to big cities. In rural areas, where poor children are forced to drop out of the education system due to several socio-economic reasons at a very early age, vocational training can be incorporated into post-elementary education. In fact, the government can also consider an ICT-based long-term plan for addressing the skill requirements by involving key stakeholders.
Perhaps a mandate for the industry such as the ‘Companies Bill’ by the major industry bodies in India to work closely with NSDC, NVEQF, along with universities to encourage innovation, help improve skill levels and address employability challenges may solve the issue of skilled workforce in India. In fact, depending on demand, some vocational courses could be converted into full-fledged ITI/diploma


Maybe you don’t learn everything you need to know in kindergarten, but elementary school teachers certainly have a great responsibility for providing young students with a strong foundation for academic and social success.
Nicholls understands that it takes more than a few boxes of crayons to manage a classroom. Teacher education courses help students learn how to develop lesson plans incorporating cutting-edge teaching strategies and technology. Classroom observations and student teaching experiences prepare future teachers for the reality of what it’s like to work in elementary education today.
All candidates in the Elementary Education program must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA and a “C” or above in all coursework.
Elementary Education candidates are required to take courses in:
- Methods in providing a multicultural environment
- Methods in Creative Arts and Music
- Methods in Language and Literature, Math, Science, and Technology
- Methods in Developmental Reading Methods in Elementary Education
- Classroom Management and Lesson Planning
Field Experiences: Elementary Education candidates complete various field experiences throughout required coursework and a student teaching experience that is completed at the end of the program. These experiences include observations and teaching whole group, small group and individual instruction in public school settings as well as experiences within the Demonstration Room within the College of Education.
Candidates must also complete Praxis I and the following three sections of Praxis II for Louisiana Teacher certification in Elementary Education: PLT: K – 6th , Special Education: Mild Moderate, and Elementary Content Knowledge
Praxis I must be completed prior to entering EDUC 250 (Introduction to Education) and Praxis II must be completed prior to the final student teaching semester.


Once a week, a Franklin College professor teaches math to six fourth-graders and takes notes about what the 10-year-old students are learning.
That information will be useful to his other set of students, who are training to become elementary school teachers.
Assistant professor Paul Fonstad teaches math and elementary education courses at Franklin College, and earlier this year he wanted to spend time in an elementary school classroom to learn about math lessons for fourth-grade students. So he volunteered to help teach math with Creekside Elementary School teacher Beth Hoeing once each week.
Working regularly at Creekside shows Fonstad how elementary school math lessons are different today compared with 10 years ago, so he can adjust his lessons at Franklin College. The partnership also means students in Hoeing’s class who get lost or confused by a lesson have more chances to work one-on-one with a teacher, Hoeing said.
Hoeing has 32 fourth-graders in her class, one of the largest classrooms in the school district; and most of her students are in the high-ability program and learning fifth-grade math lessons. Fonstad can work with the six students completing fourth-grade lessons, while Hoeing works with the others.
“The more time that (students) spend with a teacher, the more time they’ll have to grasp a concept,” Hoeing said.
Teaching all 32 students at the same time is difficult, especially since the students are split between fourth- and fifth-grade math lessons.
Teachers typically don’t want elementary school classrooms to have more than 25 students, but this year Hoeing and several other teachers have larger class sizes because Franklin had to cut 18 teaching positions at the end of last school year.
The school district has to cut an average of $3.5 million in spending each year for the next decade, and cutting the 18 teachers is saving Franklin about $1 million this year, but it also means some classrooms will have 30 or more students for at least 10 years.
One of the problems with larger class sizes is that teachers have less time to give extra help to students who need it. Fonstad’s weekly visits help ensure all students get assistance if they need it, Hoeing said.
Because Franklin won’t be able to replace the positions that were cut, school officials need to look for qualified volunteers in the community who can help teach students, Hoeing said.
“It’s about working smarter, not harder, and getting these resources into the classroom. It’s using what we have to the best of our abilities,” Hoeing said. “And if we have people in the community that are willing and want to come in to take these types of volunteer positions, then we definitely need to use those resources. Because, unfortunately, some of those other resources are gone.”
Fonstad takes the six students studying fourth-grade math to a separate room and works with them for more than an hour. He uses the same textbook and assignments as Hoeing, but he can adjust the lessons and explain them a different way if a student doesn’t understand. For example, if a student doesn’t understand a lesson on fractions and probability, Fonstad will try to explain the concept differently or use different examples to show the student how to solve the problems.
Sometimes students just need to hear a lesson explained a different way, Fonstad and Hoeing said.
The time in the classroom also keeps Fonstad up-to-date on what students are learning and how. After he returns from Creekside, he reviews his college classroom lessons to see if any of the concepts he’s teaching his students need to be updated.
Fonstad said he has to make sure the students in Franklin College’s elementary education program understand everything there is to know about the math lessons fourth-graders are learning. That way they’ll see the problems students typically have with those lessons and will know how to help them, he said.
“The more I can do to see what the students I’m going to be teaching are going to be facing, the better I can prepare my students,” Fonstad said.


Subitizing will prepare your child’s mind for all kinds of numeracy skills. Math is more than memorizing facts and procedures. A truly mathematical mind will develop understanding of numbers and the connections between them. Subitize Me will teach children to visualize groupings of objects, knowing their number instantly. This will develop flexibility in their thinking and allow them to advance quickly in establishing number sense. This DVD will introduce them to subitizing in a fun and entertaining way.
In the special features, the viewers can subitize like TT and Bebo, returning to each setting, such as the Arctic or outer space. These exercises are in order from simplest to most difficult. Depending on their present abilities, some children will start with the first Subitizing Exercise, while others will want to start at a more difficult level. The Subitizing Exercises can be done with a whole class or by one or two children at home. By learning to subitize a child is learning:
I need to tell you how much of a difference your movie “Subitize Me!” has made in my school. The children are asking to see it over and over again. I have students coming up to me in the hallway holding up some fingers and saying “Subitize me!” They have gone home and taught their parents. The children are so excited about the concept!
I have seen the movie 70+ times already. Every time, I sit in awe reflecting on how well it was put together and what a great acting job the 2 kids did. Excellent product!
Indian River CSD
Philadelphia, New York


Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement
Project Intersect is funded by a Department of Education grant awarded to Cloquet Public Schools and the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School for a period of three years: July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2009. The primary purpose of the project is to help students increase their understanding and appreciation of visual and performing arts, language arts, math, and science and how American Indian culture intersects with these areas. The project is a collaborative effort of the American Indian community, the Ojibwe tribal college, the elementary and middle schools, University of Minnesota art education faculty, and the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. Year one of the project was a planning year devoted to establishment of a design team and development of an intervention design to integrate American Indian arts content into grade 1-8 curriculum. Year two was the first implementation year. In addition to continuing implementation, year three will include creation of a replication manual and dissemination of print and Web-based materials. CAREI evaluated three aspects of Project Intersect: teacher participation, teacher professional development, and classroom implementation.
Project Intersect:: Year Two Evaluation Report (Cloquet Public Schools & Fond Du Lac Ojibwe School.
Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
Content distributed via the University of Minnesota's Digital
Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use
restrictions applied by the depositor.


Classical Chinese Dance is a unique dance heritage. Classical Chinese dance has as its foundation China’s divinely inspired culture of five thousand years. The unique art of Chinese dance that we know today, with its impressive scale and system, is the product of generations of dancers’ many years of artistic experience combined with their refining, reorganizing, and reworking of the art form.
Classical Chinese dance has its own complete set of training methods in foundational skills, a strict regimen for perfecting bearing and form, and means of training for skill sets such as jumps, turns, and flips, as well as extremely demanding aerial techniques.
It is the deeper resonances of traditional Chinese culture, however, that imbue a dancer’s movements with such rich expressive power. The dancer is thus capable of not only portraying a given figure’s disposition or mood, but even the vivid expressions unique to a certain age, whatever the land or time.


10 Ways to Lead in Art Education
What do leaders in Art Education look like? In such a specific field, often art teachers can feel as though they do not have room, or a place, to grow. It’s very easy to get comfortable with your daily life and teaching. Some teachers thirst for leadership. They call it the “Leadership Itch.” Through personal and professional research, here are some things I recommend, and am working toward myself, to become a better leader and teacher in this field.
First, what do “Teacher Leaders” look like?
- Propel a program and their colleagues forward
- Make their program stand out
- Are courageous and confident
- Involvement in the community
- Help others around them grow
- Rally others to get involved
- Have a vision and have dreams
- Take action steps to get to those dreams
- Decide what is right for them and pursue it with passion
- Stay current with best practice in the field
10 Ways to Lead in Art Education:
- Become a member of a professional organization
- Present at state and national conferences
- Talk to your school board about the arts
- Submit an article to a professional publication
- Professional Development: Take classes or pursue higher degrees
- Social Networking: Make a presence on the web
- Teach classes at a local AEA or Community College
- Apply to coordinate your own district’s art department
- Mentor a new teacher
- Make art yourself!
Now don’t just sit there, go LEAD!
What are other ways you see yourself as a leader in the field of Art Education?


Nature Education with Young Children
Integrating Inquiry and Practice
Edited by Daniel R. Meier, Stephanie Sisk-Hilton
Routledge – 2013 – 232 pages
Nature Education with Young Children is a thoughtful, sophisticated teacher resource that blends theory and practice on nature education, children's inquiry-based learning, and reflective teaching. The book’s guiding conceptual framework is founded upon the integration of four key ideas for effective and transformative nature education:
• The power and value of equity and access to nature education
• Effective teaching encompasses child development domains and integrates ECE curriculum
• Children learn best through inquiry-based and child-centered teaching
• Powerful teaching is founded upon teacher inquiry and reflection.
Implementing nature study is one critical way that educators can integrate more science learning across the ECE curriculum and do so in an active, discovery-based manner. Nature Education with Young Children strives for an American version of what the Reggio Emilia educators do so well: creating a seamless integration of science concepts into the daily intellectual investigations that occur in classrooms everywhere.
"Nature Education with Young Children … is a great teacher resource. In the book, eleven authors share their experiences and practical tips on educating in an active, discovery-based fashion. … Helpful photos and commentaries in the book make it easy for readers to grasp how to implement nature study in an early childhood education curriculum." —Green Teacher
Part I —
Science, Nature, and Inquiry: Theoretical and Practical Foundations
Chapter 1: Science, Nature, and Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood, Stephanie Sisk-Hilton
Chapter 2: Nature Education and Teacher Inquiry, Daniel Meier
Part II —
Science, Nature, and Inquiry: Infants and Toddlers
Chapter 3: Babies and Nature — The Act of Noticing in Infancy, Camille T. Dungy
Chapter 4: Promoting Nature Study for Toddlers, Mabel Young
Chapter 5: Overcoming Our Fears — Embarking on a Nature Journey, Gita Jayewardene
Science, Nature, and Inquiry — Preschoolers
Chapter 6: Naturally Speaking: Parents, Children, Teachers in Dialogue with Nature, Darcy Campbell and Shawna Thompson
Chapter 7: Preschool Children Explore the Forest — The Power of Wild Places in Childhood, Anna Golden
Chapter 8: Putting the Forest on the Map — Using Documentation to Further Natural Inquiry, Marty Gravett
Chapter 9: Nature Education and the Project Approach, Jean A. Mendoza and Lilian G. Katz
Chapter 10: Promoting Play in a School Garden and Using a Blog to Document Children's Nature Explorations, Heather Taylor
Chapter 11: Drawing, Photographs, and Painting — Learning about the Natural World in an Urban Preschool, Isauro Michael Escamilla
Dr. Daniel R. Meier is Professor of Elementary Education at San Francisco State University. Dr. Meier is Co-Editor of Voices of Practitioners, the only national and international journal publishing ECE teacher research.
Dr. Stephanie Sisk-Hilton is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education at San Francisco State University.


Ken Jennings, the famous Jeopardy champion who in 2004 won more than $2.5 million as he won 74 consecutive episodes, gave an interesting TED talk earlier this year in which he asserts that humans’ need to know Jeopardy-like factoids is essentially obsolete. In 2011, Jennings famously lost an exhibition Jeopardy match against IBM’s Watson supercomputer.
So how does this apply to us in elementary education? Is it really true that knowledge is no longer important? We’ve always known that Google is the best place to search for anything from cats making crazy faces to articles containing certain keywords, but what does it mean for the future of schooling when computers are also more capable at answering naturally-worded, real-life questions than even the smartest human? Is it time to give up on knowledge and focus our educational efforts entirely on things like getting students to work creativity, collaborate effectively, and ask better questions? Or is there still some purpose in having students learn things like basic math facts, major dates and events in history, and scientific processes like mitosis and photosynthesis?
I’m still on the side of knowledge, and I’ll explain why in my next post. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the importance of knowledge in a world of digital know-it-alls?


With approximately 473,000 public school students, Kansas has plenty of work to go around for educators. The Sunflower State has seen roughly a $10,000 salary increase for classroom teachers in the last decade alone. Becoming a teacher in Kansas is a process much like those found in other states. For instance, as in other states, a Kansas certified teacher must order, complete, and mail back a fingerprint card, a law that has been in effect since August 2011.
To obtain a Kansas teacher certification, students must complete a teacher preparation program in the area they want to teach. Those interested in teaching pre-K through elementary school, for example, need to complete a program that focuses on elementary education. Future middle and high school teachers, on the other hand, must first receive a degree in the subject matter they wish to teach, like math or science, before completing a teacher preparation program approved by the Kansas State Board of Education.
Kansas Teaching Certification
All Kansas educators need a state-issued certification to teach. To qualify for licensure, Kansas candidates must have a bachelor’s degree, complete an approved teacher preparation program, pass the required tests for their licensure area, and submit all necessary licensure forms and fees. Kansas also offers an alternative teacher certification program called Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway, which provides accelerated training to college graduates and professionals seeking a career change.
To obtain an initial teaching license in Kansas, all candidates must complete a content knowledge assessment in each subject or endorsement area you plan to teach, as well as a pedagogy or teaching skills assessment called the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT). Kansas educators must receive a passing score from one of the four PLT tests and the content assessment to obtain licensure.
State Certification Reciprocity
All out-of-state applicants who want to teach in Kansas must hold a valid full or standard out-of-state license or certificate and have completed a state-approved teacher preparation program. Licensure to teach in Kansas depends on the applicant’s experience and/or qualifying out-of-state tests. Teachers from all other states will be considered, but additional testing and training may be required beyond a one-year comparable certificate.


Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
© 2007Grade 2
The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
Page 3 of 39
Grade 2TE LessonsFromPageToPageStandards
Just for You:Theme 1:
Henry and MudgeUnder the Yellow Moon
Reading Standards for Literature
3. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.5. Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and theending concludes the action.7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3 textcomplexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
3.d. Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.3.f. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.4.a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.4.b. Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.4.c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points,and provide a concluding statement or section.
Speaking and Listening Standards
1.a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care,speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).2. Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through othermedia.
6. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts,including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).


Creator: Nancy Ratzloff
Title: "Something Fishy," adapted from Art Education,
Medium used in production activity: clay
Target Age: Grades 3-5
Students will be introduced to cultural differences in artistic
style and develop their critical skills by examining four artworks
with a common subject: fish. They will create their own clay fish
sculptures using their knowledge of fish anatomy from science class,
and natural bilateral symmetry of color and form found in nature.
- reproductions of "fish" art
- Chinese scroll with swimming fish (A.D. 1068-1085
- Clan Hat from the Northwest Coast of North America
- Roy Lichtenstein's 1978 sculpture, Goldfish Bowl II
- Frank Gehry's 1929 sculpture, Standing Glass Fish
- lots of images of fish ( freshwater and tropical )
- chart of fish anatomy
- earthenware clay or any of the new air-dry clays or wet-set
- rolling pins, slab sticks
- clay tools
- glazes or paints
- collect visual images (reproductions)
- prepare information and discussion questions concerning the
- prepare materials for demonstration
(three or four 50-minute art classes):
- Introduce the four artworks to the students. Have them guess
where the art may have come from. Ask them what the art could
tell us about the artists who created it. Ask if perhaps the art
may have any purpose. (10 minutes)
- Briefly explain the origin, artist intent, and purpose of each
piece. Explain what a scroll is. Discuss the difference between
a painting and a sculpture. Discuss why fish were used as subjects
for all these artworks. Discuss the importance of fish to the
represented cultures and artists and to the student's own cultures.
- Demonstrate the method for creating a clay fish sculpture using
the slab method. (15 min.)
- Roll out two oval-shaped clay slabs using rolling pin and
- Form a clay "pocket" by pinching the edges of the two slabs
together and stuffing with a wad of newspaper for support.
- Turn the pocket of clay with newspaper stuffing over and
form the fish shape by squeezing the clay to form a tail and
the mouth. Pinch out the dorsal fins, pectoral fins, and anal
fins. Keep the bottom of the fish open so it's easy to remove
- This lesson works well in collaboration with a classroom
teacher as an interdisciplinary lesson with science and art.
The students may create their own interpretations of a fish,
real or imaginary, but still include the basic fish parts
studied in science (mouth, tail, gills, eyes, dorsal fins,
anal fins, pectoral fins, and scales). Students should also
keep in mind the bilateral symmetry of fish.
- Details and texture can be added with various objects or
clay tools pressed into the wet clay. end of first class period)
- Second class period. Students create their fish. (50 minutes)
- Third class period. Fish have air dried or have been bisque-fired
and are ready to be glazed or painted. This could take one or
two class periods.
Each student is responsible for his or her own workspace and assigned
art helpers put away materials and clean off art tables.
Students will prepare their fish sculptures for an art show by
creating a labels. Each label will show title and artist's name.
The teacher will evaluate each sculpture by observing its sculptural
qualities and checking for bilateral symmetry and the inclusion
of the basic parts of a fish.
Students will reflect on the meanings of the four introduced artworks
and write a short paragraph on the meaning or "story" of their own
Minnesota student with
scroll--A portable art object usually made of
paper or cloth that tells a story as it unrolls.
bilateral symmetry--When objects on one side of
a center line are identical to those on the other side.
culture--For the purposes of
this unit, culture is the values, customs, language hustory, and
traditions of a group of people. This term includes, but is not
exclusive to, ethnic origin.


This post was originally published in Nick Glass’ monthly column for Curriculum Connections, an e-newsletter published by School Library Journal in partnership with TeachingBooks.net. Subscribe to this free newsletter here.
At TeachingBooks.net we believe that books belong in every K–12 classroom and strive to support reading experiences by offering multimedia resources to enliven and expand on meaningful conversations about books in the curriculum.
In this month’s post, you’ll find strategies and suggestions that highlight ways educators of all disciplines can incorporate online author interviews, lesson plans, and audio recordings to engage students in any subject area.
We want teachers to know how easy and powerful it can be to have the authors of assigned titles share insights into their work—online, anytime. For example, students can watch and listen to Lois Lowry as she discusses how she came to create the setting for her Newbery winner The Giver (Houghton Mifflin, 1993) in this video.
Introduce an assigned book with an audio performance such as Susan Adams and Selma Blair’s reading from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Recorded Books, 1982).
Host award-winning authors and illustrators in the library each week starting with Patricia Polacco, author of Thank You, Mr. Falker (Philomel, 1998) and The Keeping Quilt (S & S, 1988).
Assist student researchers in understanding the context of classic books by directing them to ready-to-use literature guides for assigned readings of titles such as Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God (Lippincott, 1937).
Support the literacy development of English Language Learners by sharing videos of authors such as Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman discussing her collection of poems for two voices You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together (Little Brown, 2001).
Explore ethnic identity in contemporary literature with discussion questions for Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street (Arte Publico, 1983).
Expand on the science concepts found in books for young children by playing amusing audio clips of authors such as Jon Scieszka introducing and reading from Science Verse (Penguin, 2004).
Offer professional insights into content-area literacy programs by sharing four award-winning authors (Avi, Sharon Creech, Walter Dean Myers, and Sarah Weeks) as they perform and reflect on Reader’s Theater.
More suggestions for educators can be explored in the Curricular Uses area of TeachingBooks.net:
Posted by Nick Glass, Founder & Executive Director of TeachingBooks.net


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 12 - MIT's Highlights for High School site has been recognized as a Landmark Website for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians. An outgrowth of MIT's renown OpenCourseWare program, Highlights for High School features more than 2,600 video and audio clips, animations, lecture notes and assignments taken from actual MIT courses, and categorizes them to match the Advanced Placement physics, biology and calculus curricula. Demonstrations, simulations, and animations give educators engaging ways to present STEM concepts, while videos illustrate MIT's hands-on approach to the teaching of these subjects.
MIT President Susan Hockfield described the Institute's motivation for the program at its November 2007 launch. "Strength in K-12 math and science will be increasingly important for America if the nation is to continue to lead in today's innovation economy," said MIT President Hockfield. "Highlights for High School will provide students and teachers with innovative tools to supplement their math and science studies. We hope it will inspire students to reach beyond their required classwork to explore more advanced material and might also encourage them to pursue careers in science and engineering."
The AASL's Best Websites for Teaching and Learning program honors websites, tools, and resources of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians' Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. The Landmark Websites are honored due to their exemplary histories of authoritative, dynamic content and curricular relevance. They are free, web-based sites that are user-friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover and provide a foundation to support 21st-century teaching and learning (read more).
Since its launch, the Highlights for High School site has received more than 700,000 visits. Surveys indicate that visitors include high school educators (34%), high school students (15.5%), and parents of high schoolers (13%). In using the site, educators most often integrate Highlights for High School into classroom instruction, increase their knowledge of a specific subject matter, and learn new methods of teaching. Students use the site to help them study for tests and to learn for personal knowledge.
MIT has a long history of support for secondary and elementary education, with successful prior national efforts. For example, the Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) formed in 1956 by a group of university physics professors and high school physics teachers, and led by MIT's Jerrold Zacharias and Francis Friedman developed new pedagogies for the teaching of introductory courses in physics. MIT also has over 40 successful current K-12 programs and initiatives addressing science and engineering preparation at a local and national level.
The MIT OpenCourseWare site, from which Highlights for High School draws content, contains the core academic materials for more than 1,900 of MIT's courses, voluntarily provided by MIT faculty under an open license that allows site users to download and modify the materials for noncommercial use. The site contains notes from more than 1,500 lectures, 9,000 assignments, and 900 exams. Many courses include enhanced multimedia content, including 32 that contain complete video recordings of course lectures.


Abhiyan (SSA) is Government of
India's flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary
Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the
Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of
6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.
SSA is being implemented in partnership with State Governments to cover the
entire country and address the needs of 192 million children in 1.1 million
The programme seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have
schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through
provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant
and school improvement grants.
Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional
teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by
extensive training, grants for developing teaching-learning materials and
strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district
SSA seeks to provide quality elementary education including life skills. SSA has
a special focus on girl's education and children with special needs. SSA also
seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.
माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के आदेशानुसार ३४५४० शिक्षकों की नियुक्ति के क्रम में जहानाबाद जिले को प्राप्त सामान्य एवं उर्दू शिक्षक के पद नियुक्ति हेतु सूची से अनुपस्थित आवेदकों की सूची एवं पुनः काउंसलिंग / औपबंधिक नियुक्ति पत्र निर्गत करने हेतु निर्धारित कैंप की तिथि एवं स्थान


Pupils lack basic maths skills, such as knowing how to multiply, in about two-fifths of primary schools and half of secondary schools in Wales. That's according the school's inspectorate, ESTYN, following inspections that were carried out between 2010-2012.
The report says that pupils cannot apply advanced numeracy skills because they are struggling with the basics. Some pupils struggle with decimals, fractions and percentages, such as understanding the relationships between 2/5ths, 0.4 and 40%.
Other aspects that need to be improved are the tracking and monitoring of pupils' progress. Only a minority of primary schools and a few secondary schools have effective systems to track pupils' progress in numeracy beyond their maths lessons.
More top news
Two people have died after being involved in separate lightning strikes in Wales' Brecon Beacons today.
Any lingering showers will ease this evening, to leave a dry night with plenty of clear spells. Minimum temperature 11 deg C (52 deg F).
Blackwood mother Trudy Jones was on holiday when she was gunned down in the Tunisian beach massacre that claimed the lives of 30 Britons.


Most children begin learning phonics by sounding out letters and learning what items represent that sound and that letter, i.e. A is for apple; A sounds like “aaaaaaaaaaaaaa”. Children begin learning phonics from parents, siblings, videos, and music at a very early age (2-4 years old) even before entering school.
Phonics and phonemic awareness are comingled when teaching children in this manner. Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and written symbols, whereas phonemic awareness involves sounds in spoken words. Therefore, phonics instruction focuses on teaching sound-spelling relationships and is associated with print. Most phonemic awareness tasks are oral.
Even though parents are the initial teachers, it will take a professional to instill all of the rules of phonics and to teach students decoding skills as they begin to read. Hiring a tutor with experience teaching early learners will ensure a student’s success as they begin elementary school. A professional tutor can also reinforce phonics for those students that were taught the Whole Language approach to reading and are still struggling in 2nd and 3rd grades. Hiring an Advanced Learners tutor is a guarantee that you will receive a professional tutor that can make a difference in a child’s ability to read.
High School Tutors
As soon as your student begins high school the pressure is on. Many students find the transition into high school rough. When every grade counts towards a scholarship or college acceptance, starting high school on the right foot and staying on solid ground can be a struggle for many students. Do not wait to hire a tutor when you see your student struggling! Hiring a professionally educated, experienced, and qualified tutor can save many stressful nights of studying and test preparation anxiety. A commitment to your student’s education doesn’t have to be a costly one; our high school tutors work around your schedule and we work with your budget.
Our Tutoring Service
We offer our clients only the very best selection of tutors. When you request a tutor for a certain subject, you get what you ask for. Our tutors are expertly matched to your individual needs based on the criteria you provide to us. We will provide you with the degrees, credentials, and certifications that each selected tutor holds. Equally important is the peace of mind we offer you knowing that each of our tutors has been cleared by a nation-wide criminal background check, a sexual predator check, and social security verification. We want you to have the same confidence in our tutors as we do.


By Alan Dropps: Guest columnist
Today marks the beginning of “Music in our Schools Week.”
This event is celebrated annually in the Clovis Municipal School District. We celebrate in a variety of ways.
We hold a poster contest for our elementary students, present a “Grand Concert,” perform individual school concerts, and conclude the week with a solo contest co-sponsored by the El Desayuno Kiwanis Club.
Since 2001, the national educational focus has been on the “No Child Left Behind” act. Since NCLB’s implementation, many school districts have decided to abandon music education and focus solely on reading and math test scores. This in spite of the fact that research shows that students who are involved in music do better in school in a variety of ways.
Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training.
Musical training improves memory. After one year the musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visio-spatial processing, mathematics and IQ.
Furthermore, students who are in music education continue to outscore their peers on college entrance exams.
Students who took music education courses scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion and 43 points higher on the math portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test than students who were not involved in music education.
As you can see, music makes students smarter at all academic levels.
Instead of abandoning music education, school districts should be embracing all that music education affords their students. Aside from the academic benefits, music education gives students so much more.
Music allows students to connect with themselves and it also serves as a bridge to positively connect with others.
Music has the power to bring people together.
Fortunately for our students, CMS has been ahead of the curve when it comes to recognizing the importance of music education.
Approximately 5,800 students receive music instruction from a certified music teacher in the Clovis school system.
Furthermore, CMS recognizes music as a “core subject,” meaning it is just as important as reading, math, science and social studies.
I would like to thank the community for its continued support of music in our schools and to remind all that having a strong music education program is in the best interest of our students.


This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, (MUP), 1976
Alexander Morrison Thomson (1841-1871), geologist and chemist, was born on 4 February 1841 at Bartholomew Square, London, son of William Dalrymple Thomson, bookseller, and his wife Mary Ann, née Ranger. He received an elementary education in London before moving in 1853 to Aberdeen, where in 1857-59 he attended classes in arts at King's College and University, Aberdeen, spending much time on geological excursions with his schoolfriend James Campbell Brown. After returning to London, Thomson worked for Winsor and Newton, colourmakers, and in 1859-61 attended night classes at King's College, University of London (B.A., 1862; B.Sc., 1864; D.Sc. 1866), gaining the prize for natural philosophy in 1860. In 1862 he passed the Civil Service Commission examination and worked briefly with the boards of Inland Revenue and Customs. Next year he won an exhibition of £50 in chemistry and natural philosophy. In 1865-66 he worked at the Royal School of Mines.
In 1866 Thomson was appointed reader in geology and assistant in the chemical laboratory of Professor John Smith at the University of Sydney. He arrived in Sydney in December bringing with him new instruments and specimens. Next March he began courses in geology, physical geography and mineralogy; his lecture notes show his thoroughness and his zeal in keeping up his reading. He quickly gained the confidence and co-operation of colleagues such as Smith and Rev. W. B. Clarke who became a close friend. After acting as examiner in scientific subjects in 1869 he was appointed professor of geology in November at a salary of £450 'together with the fees'. He also lectured in physical and natural science at Sydney Grammar School.
Thomson's 'integrity of purpose … singleness of mind and readiness to oblige at all times and by all means' won him many friends among the divided scientific community of New South Wales. Elected to the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1867, he served on its council in 1870-71. At the Australian Museum, where he was a trustee from 1869-71, he did useful work in cataloguing and assaying. He worked vigorously in the field. In December 1868 at Marulan he prepared a paper on the geology of the Goulburn region which he read in August 1869 to the Royal Society. That year he published in Sydney his Guide to Mineral Explorers, in Distinguishing Minerals, Ores & Gems, and in September with Gerard Krefft he explored the Wellington Valley caves. In May 1870 their report included Thomson's detailed summary of the geology, in which he attacked Samuel Stutchbury's ideas on the theory of limestone cave formations. He also geologized at Molong and Boree, visited the diamond washings on the Cudgegong River near Mudgee, and made surveys of other centres in the west.
Thomson was forced to convalesce with chronic rheumatism early in 1871. Constantly in pain, by August he was confined indoors, able only to catalogue specimens brought from the university and write to his many geological co-workers. Aged 30, he died on 16 November 1871 in his residence in Queen's Street, Newtown, and was buried in Rookwood cemetery. He was survived by his wife Lydia Martha, née Barnes, and by a son and daughter. His personal estate was valued for probate at £850.
His early death shocked Thomson's scientific colleagues and friends, and they raised money to repatriate his family to Britain. Had he lived longer he undoubtedly would have made a notable contribution to Australian chemistry, mineralogy and geology. His successor Archibald Liversidge built on the foundations which he and Smith had laid.
Michael Hoare, 'Thomson, Alexander Morrison (1841–1871)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/thomson-alexander-morrison-4715/text7819, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 5 July 2015.
This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, (MUP), 1976


Study Guide for MTTC
Sources for MTTC Study Guides
Michigan Test for Teacher Certification or MTTC is a test used for identifying the candidates who possess the skills and subject knowledge that are required to become teachers. A thorough preparation is required to pass this test and the study guides for the test are described in this article.
For any test preparation, you need books and other resources which can be used for studying and the test is no exception. The resources can be broadly classified into:
Books- Books are one of the most commonly used preparatory resources. The study guide of MTTC generally covers all the topics of the test, a few practice tests, solutions to the practice test questions and tips that prove to be very useful both while preparing for the test and while answering questions in the test.
Practice tests- Practice tests constitute an important part of any test preparation. A practice test helps you in understanding the format of the test and your strengths and weaknesses. Based on this, you can work hard on converting your weaknesses to strengths and thereby increasing your scores in the test.
Sources of Study Guides
The sources of a study guides can be broadly classified into:
Online Resource- Many books or other resources are available online. You can download them after paying the cost of the resource or you can order a book through an online store. This source is very helpful since you can purchase the guide from the comforts of your home. You can read a few reviews of the various book available and choose the one that is best suited for you. Then, you can order it and it will be delivered at your doorstep.
Conventional Book Stores- Most study resources are available in conventional book stores. You can visit a book store and flip through the books and decide on the one that you will require. The major advantage of a book store is that you can know about the book before you buy it.
Reviews of a Few Study Guides
There is many study books available in today’s market. Here, a few of the good books are reviewed:
MTTC Study Guide
This book is from the makers of the test. A PDF form of the study guide can be downloaded and used for the preparation. All the subject areas and the Basic Skills test are covered in this. You can visit the page, http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/MI_viewSG_opener.asp for the details of the guide. A printed version of this is available but you must pay a fee for it. You can order it using the ordering form available at http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/PDFs/MI_20122013StudyGuideOrderForm.pdf.
- MTTC - Basic Skills & Elementary Education Tests (MTTC
Teacher Certification Test Prep-)The Editors of REA
This is a comprehensive study guide and all the lessons help in reinforcing the necessary skills. It has been written by experts who have thorough knowledge about the test. The book also helps you in learning about the test like the topics covered and the scoring system. Apart from this, the book also helps you in charting a schedule for the test preparation. A diagnostic test is also available which will help you know your strengths and weaknesses. It also has tutorials which will improve your test taking abilities. Moreover, two full-length tests with answer explanations are present. This book is available at amazon.com and the cot of it is $28.06.
- MTTC Study Guide from 240 tutoring- http://www.240tutoring.com/StudyGuideMTTC.aspx
This company offers study guides for a few subjects of the MTTC. The subjects are; Elementary Education, Mathematics (Elementary and Secondary), Integrated Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. The study materials are comprehensive. The details of the study guides along with the cost are available at the link mentioned above.
A review book will help you in preparing for the test and many such books are available. However, you must work hard to master the skills and acquire the knowledge that is expected from you to qualify for a teaching position. Read the reviews of the books, identify the one that satisfies your requirements, and use it to prepare for the test and pass the test with flying colors.


July is National Hot Dog Month. See how many things or ideas you can come up with for this "summer food" month.
1Browse around the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council homepage. They have anything from the history of the hot dog, to how a hot dog is made, and even quizzes to tinkle your hot dog knowledge.Ad
2hot dog eating contest with your friends and family. Hot dogs are best served with lemonade, iced tea, or cola.
3Know the correct etiquette for eating a hot dog. Never use utensils and always squirt the condiments on the hot dog meat itself, not the bun.
5Learn and teach yourself different methods of how to cook hot dogs. If you're in a rush, roll the individual hot dog in a paper towel and heat it in the microwave for 40 to 50 seconds. You can also enjoy a barbecue and grill hot dogs over an open fire.Ad
We could really use your help!
Science for Kids?
Getting a Girlfriend?
- Because hot dogs are from processed meats, it's not advisable to eat hot dogs on a constant basis.


Read to Achieve: Understanding the Foundation of Learning
April 18, 2013 – What does the Excellent Public Schools Act mean for teachers and students? This was the theme of the New Literacies Collaborative Spring Symposium co-sponsored with the NC Department of Public Instruction at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation yesterday.
“Reading is foundational for most of what we do in academics as well as in life,” said Dr. Hiller Spires, professor of literacy and technology and co-director of the New Literacies Collaborative. “Providing strong support for early reading is essential to a vibrant and successful educational system in North Carolina.”
Participants spent the morning outlining North Carolina’s new program, Read to Achieve, part of the Excellent Public Schools Act, and talking about the implications for teachers and students as the law will take effect for the 2013-14 school year. The new law requires all students to pass the state’s reading test by third grade.
“The Read to Achieve law is an opportunity for early childhood educators to be proactive and focus attention on the development of solid reading foundational skills and the use of interventions to scaffold learning toward meaningful comprehension for all students,” said Carolyn Guthrie, DPI Literacy Director.
After implementing a similar policy in Florida, the group was joined by live videoconference with Dr. Barbara Foorman, Director of REL and Florida Center for Reading Research, and Kevin Smith, Research Alliance Manager, REL Southeast. Foorman and Smith stressed the importance of early reading interventions in K-3 to help students succeed later in their schooling.
“Research consistently highlights the benefits of early reading intervention efforts for students, and the implementation of high-quality early interventions will be one key to the success or failure of Read to Achieve,” said Dr. Steve Amendum, assistant professor of elementary literacy.
Break out sessions of the symposium included small group discussions on best practices in: early literacy intervention, literacy coaches and summer reading. These discussions were lead by NC State faculty and graduate students, as well as, teacher leaders in local elementary schools and educational administrators.
“Summer reading loss is a huge problem; some argue the cumulative loss across elementary school is more than a grade and a half (compared to those who do read consistently),” said Dr. Kristin Conradi, assistant professor in K-12 literacy and facilitator at the session on summer reading. “How we as a state proceed with summer reading programs is critical if we are serious about closing the achievement gap.”
The role of literacy coaches was also discussed as an essential element in the success for Read to Achieve. “It is clear from research that when teachers benefit from high quality coaching, literacy instruction improves and student achievement increases,” said Dr. Angela Wiseman, associate professor of elementary literacy and facilitator of the session on literacy coaches.
The Excellent Public School Act was passed in the fall of last year and is designed to improve literacy for students in kindergarten through third grade. The Department of Public Instruction will have traveling summer institute presentations to ensure the information and assistance reaches the entire state.
The New Literacies Collaborative is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and educators who promote research, teacher professional development and global connections through new literacies. Click Here for more information on the New Literacies Collaborative. Click Here for more information on Read to Achieve.


The push to put babies to sleep on their back to reduce the risk of sudden death has led to an uptick in flat heads, but few cases need any intervention, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Most skull deformities in otherwise normal children resolve with just monitoring and counseling for the parents on positioning, a report from the AAP noted in the December issue of Pediatrics.
Orthotic helmets to mold the head into shape should be considered only for severe cases of deformity or those that don't improve after 6 months of age, noted the writing committee, which was led by James Laughlin, MD, of Indiana University in Bloomington.
Since the AAP started recommending putting infants on their back to sleep in 1992, the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has fallen by more than half.
But positional skull deformity has risen drastically since then and now affects about 13% of healthy singleton babies, the report noted.
Parents often worry about it causing developmental delays, but there's no rigorous prospective evidence for a causal link, Laughlin's group pointed out.
Keeping babies supine leads to some delay in early motor skill development related to upper body strength and rolling over, they acknowledged, but this resolves over time.
Clinicians should watch for skull deformity risk factors at birth, such as multiple births, large for gestational age, and breech or transverse position, and then screen for it at each well-child office visit up to age 1, the report recommended.
Parents can help prevent or resolve positional skull deformity by:
- Placing the baby supine for 30 to 60 minutes of "tummy time" when the baby is awake and being watched
- Alternating the position of the head when the baby goes to sleep each night
- Periodically changing the direction the baby sleeps relative to active areas, such as the door to the room
- Avoiding prolonged time spent in car safety seats and swings
In cases of torticollis, or "wryneck," specific neck exercises should be done at each diaper change to stretch out the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.
Two to three months of these kinds of measures usually lead to improvement.
"There is currently no evidence that molding helmets work any better than positioning for infants with mild or moderate skull deformity," the AAP report emphasized.
In severe cases, helmets are best used from ages 4 months to a year.
Imaging studies are unnecessary for diagnosis of positional skull deformities in most cases, and can even be misleading, the authors noted.
In the interest of minimizing radiation exposure and possible need for sedation, imaging should be ordered by specialists rather than pediatricians or primary care physicians, and should typically be reserved for suspected craniosynostosis or cases requiring surgical intervention.
Surgery is rarely needed, but may be indicated in severe refractory cases of positional skull deformity, the report noted. When it is needed, early surgery tends to take less invasive procedures.
The researchers declared that any conflicts of interest had been resolved through a process with the American Academy of Pediatrics Board of Directors.
Zalman S. Agus, MD Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner