Aesthetic Codes in Early Childhood Classrooms: What Art Educators Can Learn from Reggio Emilia
Tarr, Patricia, Art Education
The visitor to any institution for young children tends to size up the messages that the space gives about the quality of care and about the educational choices that form the basis of the program.
(Lella Gandini, North American"liaison for the Reggio Emilia preprimary schools, 1998)
In this article I will compare the messages contained in the physical environments of early childhood classrooms in Reggio Emilia, Italy, with typical early childhood settings in Canada and the United States from the perspective of the "aesthetic codes" (Rosario & Collazo, 1981) embodied in these spaces. I will discuss how these codes reflect each culture's image of the child, cultural values, and broad educational goals. I will conclude with the implications these codes have for art educators. For clarity, I will focus on the North American kindergarten that is specifically for year-olds in the year prior to entry into first grade. Many aspects of this discussion also apply to preschool classes for 3- and 4-year-olds. While I will focus my description on kindergartens in the North American context, classes for year-olds in the Italian context are an integrated part of their preprimary schools that serve children from ages 3 to 6 years. (The Municipality of Reggio Emilia also funds infant-toddler centers for children under 3 years of age that operate under the same educational philosophy.)
The term "aesthetic codes" comes from Rosario and Collazo (1981) who looked at the kind of children's artwork valued by teachers in two preschool classrooms. Rosario and Collazo drew on Pierre Bourdieu's work on the sociology of perception in which Bourdieu described aesthetic perception as a social construction that is learned consciously or unconsciously (Rosario & Collazo, p. 74). My purpose is to explore how these aesthetic qualities, or codes, operate within these early childhood classrooms and what these codes might be teaching children both formally and informally. Here, "aesthetic" will refer to both the visual qualities of objects and the environment and to those experiences that permit deep feeling (Flannery, 1977). Flannery decribes coming into aesthetic behavior:
As one allows one's attention to focus intensely upon the multi-- faceted, multi-layered presence of feeling-visual feeling, tactile feeling, olfactory feeling, kinesthetic feeling,gustatory feeling, and emotional feeling-- one comes into aesthetic consciousness and into aesthetic behavior. (p. 19)
I would also like to extend Efland's (1988) notion of "school art," art that exists only in schools and is "an institutional art style in its own right" (p. 519), to include the classroom environment as also an institutional style in its own right. I will argue that while all classrooms may have their own school art style," North American early childhood classrooms are more distinct aesthetically from other social contexts than are classrooms in Reggio Emilia.
North American Early Childhood Classrooms
I will begin with examining the classroom environment of a typical North American kindergarten. Of necessity, the descriptions will be generalized and do not reflect all classrooms. In both Canadian and U.S. programs there is a strong value for preparing children for future life in schools. For example, in Alberta, the Kindergarten Program Statement (Alberta Education, 1995) specifically states that kindergarten is to prepare children for grade 1 as well as for the future. This strong relationship to first grade, reinforced by the kindergarten's location within the elementary school, plays a strong determining factor in the aesthetic codes that operate within the classroom.
As we enter the school there is traditionally a corridor for human traffic to move through and into self-contained classrooms as quickly and quietly as possible. The classroom space is a discrete entity that is subdivided into "centers" including art, writing, sand/water, reading, math, manipulatives, blocks, science, and a domestic/house or dramatic play area. …


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- Stenhouse Publishers 2001; US$ 16.99
The goal of teaching writing is to create independent and self-motivated writers. When students write more often, they become better at writing. They acquire habits, skills, and strategies that enable them to learn more about the craft of writing. Yet they require the guidance and support of a more knowledgeable person who understands the writing... more...
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- Taylor and Francis 2005; US$ 39.95
This jargon-free book has been specially written for teaching assistants taking up posts in primary schools working at NVQ Level 2 and 3 of the National Occupational Standards of Teaching Assistants. It covers every area of primary education, including: an overview of primary education the qualities, knowledge and skills needed the curriculum... more...
- ASCD 1999; US$ 16.95
A guide to teaching beginning language learners introduces the picture word inductive model of instruction which uses a picture to prompt the words which will be used to build reading and writing skills. more...
- Taylor and Francis 2010; US$ 40.95
How can you unlock your own creativity to help children learn science creatively? How do you bring the world of ?real science? into the classroom? Where does science fit in a creative curriculum? Teaching Science Creatively explores how creative teaching can harness primary-aged children?s sense of wonder about the world around them. It offers... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2004; US$ 49.95
This CIERA sponsored book is based on the premise that high-quality texts of all kinds are essential to good teaching in elementary classrooms. Experts on a variety of text-related topics were asked to summarize existing research and then apply it to literacy development in an "ideal" classroom. The most comprehensive and up-to-date book in its field,... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2014; US$ 54.95
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- Palgrave Macmillan 2006; US$ 38.00
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Precursor: Pasted somewhere in your family album is a visual collection of white shirts and khaki pants. Well maybe the shirts are black and the pants are denim, but the optical philosophy persists. Your family is dressed in uniform, making it simple to identify the confederate members. While there’s nothing distasteful with this strategy, particularly when extended groups are involved, perhaps you long for something unexpected, maybe you’ve nibbled at accented neturals (ie black and white with dashes of red). The following post is intended to present a feast of fresh photographic possibilities.
The Allen family is led by an artistic matriarch who carefully orchestrated a harmonious yet unexpected color scheme for her Autumnal family photo. While she is collegiately papered in chromatic proficiency, the rest of us can benefit from a crash course in color theory.
First the Color Wheel
Our primary colors, as learned in our elementary education, are red, yellow, and blue. Every other color on the wheel is born from a combination of these hues.
The first generation of genesis are secondary colors. When two primary colors are combined, a secondary color dawns. The next lineage of colors is tertiary, created by mixing a primary and secondary color.
Finally, it is relevant to register the left side of the wheel as cool and the right side of the wheel as warm.
Now, on to our harmonies:
In the preceding specimen, the entire ensemble sprouts from the same red-violet base. Monochromatic harmonies are clean and elegant. To keep them interesting combine textures as well as tints (hues created by adding white), shades (hues created by adding black), and tones (hues created by adding gray). For example, combining the opulent velvet magenta shade with the gauzy rose tint.
The pointed pair above illustrates a soothing analogous color harmony. The scheme shares a common violet core but introduces variation by mixing more blue on one side and red on the other. Not only does this combination cross hues, but it also bridges the warm/cool boundary which further enriches the effect.
This intrinsically attention absorbing harmony adds natural vibrancy. When used judiciously it can add energy and interest. Desaturating one component (the blue in this sample) allows the opposing golden orange to dominate and shine. Using tints, shades, and tones as well as secondary and tertiary color combinations also keeps the scheme from appearing trite (ie a primary red again a secondary green Christmas combination).
The harmony visualized in the foreground of the image (left-front daughter in blue-violet + right-front baby in red-orange + emerald green grass) provides high contrast without the strong tension of a straight complementary scheme.
And let’s just acknowledge here and now for all you smarty britches, that this citation is not a perfect split complementary. The color compound should include red-violet instead of true violet, but I like it and as the owner/writer of this blog, I say, “close enough.”)
This harmony illustrated by the upper tier of image representatives (son in blue green scarf and yellow-orange plaid + daughter in red-violet jacket) offers rich contrast while retaining optical balance. The trio is not as visually demanding as the complementary scheme, but it shines in balance and interest.
The dominant colors within the image form a harmonious tetrad. The varying shades of red violet shine against the yellow-green grass. The blues and oranges conflict just enough to create dynamic interest. And as a whole they balance each other beautifully.


Out of Africa
Beyond slavery, beyond civil rights, a whole other layer of African-American history often gets glossed over, or cut from school lesson plans entirely. The "Bin Yah Gullah" (Been There, Gullah) exhibit at the Children's Museum of Houston provides an opportunity to educate children and adults about the culture, contributions and talents of the Gullah people, the tradition-minded descendants of African slaves who live in relative isolation off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia.
"Unfortunately, the years have shown us that most African-American children have grown up with a misrepresentation of their heritage," says Niobe Ngozi, the museum's director of art education and curator of the exhibits. Many, for instance, are unaware that as many as 40 percent of African-Americans have Gullah roots. (The West African natives made their way to the Sea Islandswhen they were brought to work the rice plantations as slaves.)
"It was a personal journey for me because I knew that by making the decision to focus on the Sea Islands, there was a potential to connect with family I'd never met. The work led me to another place I can now call home," says Ngozi, who grew up in New York. "I know the exhibit will give children information they have not had presented in this way .It provides a framework to support their pride, to inspire their pride."
Features include artwork by Jonathan Green, slave narratives spoken by the Actors Theater of South Carolina, and a history quilt created by children of the Project Row Houses after-school program. Interactive exhibits allow children to learn about weaving sweetgrass baskets, using indigo to dye fabric, creating Seminole patchwork and making African masks.
Adults should learn something about the contributions of the Gullah people as well. "When we did Gullah last year, the interest was across the board generationally," Ngozi says. So it's not all kid stuff.
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Top Ten Advocacy Points for Parents
Music Education Advocacy Resources on amazon.com
1. In a 2000 survey, 73 percent of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems.
– Americans Love Making Music – And Value Music Education More Highly Than Ever, American Music Conference, 2000.
2. Students who can perform complex rhythms can also make faster and more precise corrections in many academic and physical situations, according to the Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills
– Rhythm seen as key to music’s evolutionary role in human intellectual development, Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills, 2000.
3. A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background.
– Dr. James Catterall, UCLA.
4. A 1997 study of elementary students in an arts-based program concluded that students’ math test scores rose as their time in arts education classes increased.
– “Arts Exposure and Class Performance,” Phi Delta Kappan, October, 1998.
5. First-grade students who had daily music instruction scored higher on creativity tests than a control group without music instruction.
– K.L. Wolff, The Effects of General Music Education on the Academeic Achievement, Perceptual-Motor Development, Creative Thinking, and School Attendance of First-Grade Children, 1992.
6. In a Scottish study, one group of elementary students received musical training, while another other group received an equal amount of discussion skills training. After six (6) months, the students in the music group achieved a significant increase in reading test scores, while the reading test scores of the discussion skills group did not change.
– Sheila Douglas and Peter Willatts, Journal of Research in Reading, 1994.
7. According to a 1991 study, students in schools with arts-focused curriculums reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities than students in a comparison group.
– Pamela Aschbacher and Joan Herman, The Humanitas Program Evaluation, 1991.
8. Students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their daily lives.
– “Cassily Column,” TCAMS Professional Resource Center, 2000.
9. In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels.
– The Arts Education Partnership, 1999.
10. College admissions officers continue to cite participation in music as an important factor in making admissions decisions. They claim that music participation demonstrates time management, creativity, expression, and open-mindedness.
– Carl Hartman, “Arts May Improve Students’ Grades,” The Associated Press, October, 1999.


Preschool Education (Educación Preescolar)
Primary Education (Educación Primaria)
Lower-Seconary (Educación Secundaria)
Upper-Secondary Education (Educación Media
Higher Education (Educación Superior)
in Mexico is offered by institutions under the jurisdiction of the
federal, state and municipal government, as well as private
institutions. Formal education, except for autonomous universities, is
regulated by the Secretaría de Educación Pública SEP
(Ministry of Education). Certain specialized schools are controlled by
the ministries of defense, navy, agriculture and health.
In 1991, the Federal Government spent $9,792,140,685.2 on
education. $1,997,898,827.6 was spent by state governments,
$37,398,982.1 by local governments (municipalities) and
$692,694,190.15 by the private sector.
- The Mexican educational system has a total of 25
million students and 170,000 schools.
Primary education represents 56.2% of the total number of
students. Secondary education represents over 30% of the system and
higher education represents 4.5% with 1,200,000 students currently
education system of Mexico is organized as follows:
and Public Education
are classified depending on their source of financing as follows:
institutions with academic programmes must be accredited by the SEP.
The SEP is responsible for designing the curriculum for all public
and private primary schools.
- The academic
calendar for elementary and secondary education begins in September and
ends on June 30th, with vacations in December and April. The academic
calendar for institutions of higher education varies. Some universities
offer year-long courses, although most institutions now employ a
- Until 1984,
elementary education teacher training was offered at upper-secondary
teacher training institutions, escuelas normales. Currently,
teachers for both elementary and secondary education, are trained at
tertiary level institutions. These programmes are generally four years in
length and lead to the award of licenciatura (licentiate).
- The grading
system for most institutions at all levels of education is as follows:
Education Services, International Grade Conversions
Revised: May 06, 2004
Copyright © 2001 World Education Services.
All rights reserved.


2005 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge winners announced
Winning entries will appear in the 23 September 2005 issue of the journal Science
Sometimes the best way to express a scientific idea is through an image that grabs the eye and invites viewers to wonder what they're seeing.
Nine entries, each telling a scientific story with a careful balance of accuracy and beauty, have won the 2005 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the journal Science, published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.
The contest, currently in its third year, recognizes outstanding achievement in the use of visual media to promote understanding of research results and scientific phenomena. The judges' criteria for evaluating the entries included visual impact, innovation and accuracy.
The winning entries communicate information about the brilliant spectrum of fluorescing molecules, the fleeting moment when one neuron prepares to signal another, the spectacular emergence of the 17-year cicada, and more. A news story in the 23 September 2005 issue of Science presents all of the entries, which will also be freely available at www.sciencemag.org/sciext/vis2005/. The entries will also be displayed at the National Science Foundation's website, http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/overview.jsp
When the embargo lifts at 2:00 PM US ET on Thursday 22 September, a web version of the 17-year cicada movie, plus a "Science for Kids" story about this entry, will be freely available online at the EurekAlert! Kids Portal, http://www.eurekalert.org/cicadas
The winning entries are in five categories:
Graham Johnson, Graham Johnson Medical Media
The Synapse Revealed
INFORMATIONAL GRAPHIC First Place:
Cheryl Aaron, Omega Optical, Inc.
Fluoressence: The Essence of Fluorescence
James S. Aber, Emporia State University
Autumn Color, Estonian Bog
Tracy M. Sterling, New Mexico State University
Transpiration: Water Movement Through Plants
Roger Hangarter, Indiana University
Return of the 17-Year Cicadas
Note: When the embargo lifts at 2:00 PM US ET on Thursday 22 September, a web version of this movie, plus a "Science for Kids" story about this entry, will be freely available online at the EurekAlert! Kids Portal, http://www.eurekalert.org/cicadas
Mogi Massimo Vicentini, Civico Planetario Di Milano
Planetary Motion From Euxodus to Copernicus
Steve Deyo, Kevin Fuell, Katherine Olson, Dan Ritter and Seth Lamos, UCAR/COMET
Rip Currents: Nearshore Fundamentals
Leslie Ann Aldridge, National Geographic TV & Film
Forces of Nature Interactive Website
Nina Amenta, University of California, Davis
Evolutionary Morphing: Statistical Interpolation of Ancestral Morphology
Source: Eurekalert & othersLast reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.


FIRST 5 invests in neighborhood-based Family Resource Centers throughout Santa Clara County which are designed to provide children, parents, and caregivers with welcoming, innovative spaces to learn and grow together.
Breast milk is the healthiest food a mother can give her baby. It has all the nutrients, calories, and fluid a newborn needs for the first six months of life!
Research shows that by talking, reading, and singing with infants and toddlers from birth, parents and caregivers have the incredible power to help form new neural connections and build a young child’s vocabulary.
Learning to read and write doesn’t start in Kindergarten, it begins at birth! The first year of your baby’s life is a critical time for learning. Through positive interactions like talking with your baby about the things you see around you and cuddling up to read a book together, you are strengthening your baby’s early literacy skills.
Soft pillows, cozy blankets, and a warm comforter – sounds like the perfect sleeping environment, right? While these things may make a bed comfortable for you, they are unsafe and can even be deadly for your infant.
Placing your baby in a crib with soft blankets or covering him or her with a comforter can raise chances of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – one of the leading causes of infant death in the United States.
Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a group which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, released a policy statement recommending that pediatric providers promote early literacy development during visits starting from infancy.
The statement specifically recommended that during visits pediatricians should advise parents that reading aloud with young children can enhance parent-child relationships, guide parents toward reading activities to enjoy with their child, and provide developmentally appropriate books for high-risk, low-income children (by lerma).
Dr. Pamela High, the lead author of the statement, said the recommendations aim to help parents “immunize their children against illiteracy.”


Parents and Teachers
Encourage your kids' creativity and you could win big!
Win money for your school's art program!
Receive free U.S. Kids activity books for each student entry!
Get a free classroom subscription to a U.S. Kids magazine of your choice!
When your child or student enters the U.S. Kids Cover Contest, your school becomes eligible for a donation of $1,500 to support your art program!
Teachers, our cover contest makes a great class project. Print out entry forms and drawing pages here on our website, and give your students a chance to get creative! Be sure to select the magazine on the entry form appropriate for each student's age. A parent or guardian must sign each entry form. Enter at least 10 of your students and receive a free subscription to the U.S. Kids magazine of your choice and a free U.S. Kids Fun Time Activity Book for each student, while supplies last.
10 Art Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Children may not draw things the way they look to adults. They draw and paint their world in their own way. It is different from an adult's world. It is a young child's world.
- Every art activity should be a creative experience that requires original thinking, planning, and doing.
- All children do not create at the same speed. Some are slower than others in developing original ideas. Do not feel that your child must finish his artwork in one sitting. Unfinished work should be left where the child may work on it when he or she wishes to do so.
- Encourage your child to talk about his or her artwork. This seems to give children greater confidence about their work, especially when the listener shows a genuine interest in the child's art.
- Be encouraging by watching your child work. Try to stay interested by asking questions about what your child is creating.
- Show your child some techniques you remember learning when you were growing up.
- Supply your child's creativity. Have lots of paper available on which to draw, whether it is drawing paper, construction paper, or scrap paper you bring home from work. Have a good pencil sharpener, #2 pencils, high-quality markers, crayons, colored pencils, and watercolor trays handy.
- Keep supplies organized and labeled on shelves at the child's height. Show the child how to get out his or her own supplies, where everything belongs, and how to clean up independently.
- Encourage your child to try new, unique ways of doing things.
- Set children up for success. Ensure a project is broken down into simple-to-master tasks.
10 Lessons the Arts Teach
by Elliot Eisner
- The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail.
- The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.
- The arts celebrate multiple perspectives. One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world.
- The arts teach children that in complex forms of problem solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds.
- The arts make vivid the fact that neither words in their literal form nor numbers exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.
- The arts teach students that small differences can have large effects. The arts traffic in subtleties.
- The arts teach students to think through and within a material. All art forms employ some means through which images become real.
- The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to find the words that will do the job.
- The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling.
- The arts' position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important.
SOURCE: Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Yale University Press. Used by permission from the National Art Education Association (NAEA). For more information on art education and its benefits, visit http://www.naea-reston.org/


Shona, group of culturally similar Bantu-speaking peoples living chiefly in the eastern half of Zimbabwe, north of the Lundi River. The main groupings are the Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Tonga-Korekore, and Ndau.
The Shona are farmers of millet, sorghum, and corn (maize), the last being the primary staple, and a variety of other crops such as rice, beans, peanuts (groundnuts), and sweet potatoes. Cattle are kept by most groups, but, although useful for their milk, they are mainly for prestige, as a store of value, and for bride-price payments. Villages consist of clustered mud and wattle huts, granaries, and common cattle kraals (pens) and typically accommodate one or more interrelated families. Personal and political relations are largely governed by a kinship system characterized by exogamous clans and localized patrilineages. Descent, succession, and inheritance, with the exception of a few groups in the north that are matrilineal, follow the male line. Chiefdoms, wards, and villages are administered by hereditary leaders.
Shona traditional culture, now fast declining, was noted for its excellent ironwork, good pottery, and expert musicianship. There is belief in a creator-god, Mwari, and a concern to propitiate ancestral and other spirits to ensure good health, rain, and success in enterprise. Elementary education, Christian missions, and partial urbanization have weakened traditional institutions and leadership. However, magic and witchcraft continue as important means of social control and explanations for disasters.


When one thinks of the divisions in education or of the reasons educators bicker over pedagogical issues, we are hard pressed to come up with a more contentious topic than that of phonics instruction. No Child Left Behind placed explicit phonics instruction front and center. In contrast, the authors of the Common Core State Standards have treated instruction in the code as something of a stepchild. There is relatively limited discussion of how to teach how the written code works, presumably because this topic is so divisive. Say what you will about the Common Core authors, but for better or for worse, they were out to get things done, not get into debates, including the traditional debates over phonics.
We presume that Foundational Skills, the portion of the Common Core which addresses teaching how words work, are not included in the anchor standards because there are only four of them and they are not consistent through the grades. For the most part, the Common Core’s Foundational Skills’ anchor-ish standards seem to make room for the factions divided over how to teach the code, giving either extreme room to do what they want. That is, if systematic, explicit phonics instruction in the extreme, perhaps even that which is scripted, is your cup of tea, then nothing in the Common Core will stop you from teaching phonics this way. You will have to pay careful attention to meaning work, including read aloud and interactions with texts of substance, which tends to be neglected in such instruction, whether you want to admit it or not. What the Common Core doesn’t do, which seems to be making people angry, is say that everyone MUST teach this way.
If on the other hand, you prefer to teach word work in ways that are embedded in interactions with text that you feel are more authentic, or if you feel that children can learn the code in ways that are more holistic, then the Common Core won’t get in your way, either. You will have to work hard to get children to attend to the print and you will have to be systematic in your own right, as attention to the code is typically lacking in classrooms that take such an approach to an extreme. What the Common Core doesn’t do is say that children MUST learn to read in “authentic” texts, and this is making some other people angry.
As with the Common Core, you may notice that we are taking both sides of this issue. We don’t think there should be a fight. In both instructional philosophies, those teachers on either extreme, as well as those along the continuum between either extreme, will have to pay close attention to the truth of the criticisms lodged against them, instead of simply choosing to be angry. If you think there are no holes in your instructional philosophy, if you think you have the ONE right way to teach children to read, if you are angry because people don’t know everything you know, then take a deep breath, shut up, and listen for a change. Children can learn to read in either classroom setting, just as children can fail to read in either classroom setting. The success of the children has more to do with the quality of the teachers than with the philosophy of instruction, and we are all lucky if we have honest critics who can help us see what we are inclined to overlook.


VITAL SIGNS: SAFETY; Baby Walkers Found to Be Safer but Still Risky
By Eric Nagourney
Published: March 14, 2006
For years, many parents have viewed infant walkers, the wheeled contraptions that let youngsters zip around the home before they can walk, as a great way to occupy their children. But they kept a lot of emergency room doctors busy, too.
Now a new study finds that safety improvements made to the walkers over the past decade and increased use of stationary play centers have reduced the number of injuries. The study, by Brenda J. Shields and Dr. Gary A. Smith of Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio, appears currently in Pediatrics.
For years, Dr. Smith said, pediatricians warned parents not to use walkers. But for child and adult, they were liberating, letting the youngster amuse himself while the parents got things done. ''They didn't understand that they could cover four feet per second across the floor,'' Dr. Smith said.
For thousands of children a year, that journey ended with a fall down stairs, the study said. From 1990 to 1994, an average of 23,000 walker-related injuries occurred each year, most involving stairs and head injuries.
In 1997, however, the walker industry voluntarily adopted new safety standards. The devices were widened to 36 inches or greater, so that they could not get through most doors, and a brake was added to stop them if one wheel left the floor. The changes helped contribute to a decline in injuries of about 75 percent, the study found.
Even so, the researchers said they agreed with the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics that walkers should be banned. They serve no useful purpose, they said, despite the belief of some parents that they teach walking earlier. (They may actually delay motor skill development, the study said.) And they still lead to injuries, as when an infant uses them to reach a stove or other dangerous object.
The broader lesson, Dr. Smith said, is about the value of passive safety systems. ''The focus has been on admonishing parents to be careful and supervise their children closely rather than on implementation of passive protection measures,'' the authors wrote.
Drawing (Illustrations by Stuart Goldenberg)


A Pathway to School Readiness: The Impact of Family on Early Childhood Education
Hanson, Renée R., National Urban League. The State of Black America
Early childhood education is an important aspect of any child's life. Birth to three years old represent critical years when children begin to communicate and build other positive developments that are shaped through the preschool experience. Early childhood education can also produce long-term effects on academic achievement and social adjustment. According to a recent report by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), low-income young children attending high-quality programs are more likely to stay in school, go to college, and become successful, independent adults. They are also less likely to need remediation, be arrested, or commit violent crimes.1
The primary goal of early childhood education programs is to create a solid start to school readiness. "School readiness is described as a combination of experiences and care that a child has received from birth to school entry. There are five dimensions included in a child's school readiness. They are 1) physical health and well-being and motor development; 2) social and emotional development; 3) approaches to learning; 4) language and literacy development; and 5) cognition and general knowledge".2 According to the National Education Goals Panel, school readiness can also mean, "children's readiness to enter school; schools' readiness for children; and family and community supports that contribute to the readiness of children".3
As a child's first teachers, parents also play a critical role in children's early learning and school readiness by transmitting basic knowledge and skills, as well as through nurturance and cultivation of other socio-emotional developments. For example, research has shown that parent participation in childcentered activities, specifically play, is important for children's social and emotional development.4 It has also been reported that "parent participation with their children in activities such as arts and crafts is associated with children's literacy development".5
This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) to examine the role of family background and parental involvement in determining early learning outcomes of children in kindergarten. Based on a sample of 5,528 African-American, white and Hispanic kindergarten students enrolled in public schools throughout the United States during the fall of 1998,1 address several questions:
How does early academic achievement vary by race and socioeconomic status?
To what extent do differences in family background alone account for differences in early academic achievement?
Does a child's preschool setting have a significant effect on early learning?
To what extent does parental involvement, specifically parents reading to their children, improve early academic achievement?
Preschool Attendance and Kindergarten Math & Reading Scores
The two most basic academic skills acquired by school-aged children are the ability to read and perform mathematical operations. For the ECLS sample, reading and math skills were assessed during one-on-one testing sessions during the fall of the kindergarten year.6 The reading test assessed knowledge of letters and word recognition, beginning and ending sounds, vocabulary and passage comprehension. The math test assessed understanding of numbers, geometry and spatial relations.
Table 1 displays average reading and math scores of children from four types of preschool programs-relative care, non-relative care (nanny or babysitter), Head Start, and other center-based care. The average math score for children who came from Head Start or some other type of center-based care was slightly higher than the average for all students in the sample. There was also less variation between the different types of preschool care when it came to math scores than there was in the reading scores. The lowest average reading scores were for those children coming from relative care and nonrelative care and again students from Head Start were more likely to score slightly above the average. …


Classical Hebrew and Judaism Curriculum 1 (EDMT5610)
UNIT OF STUDY
This unit of study is the first in a series designed for students who intend to teach Judaic Studies/Classical Hebrew texts within relevant syllabuses in Stages 4 and 5 and the NSW Board of Studies Classical Hebrew Stage 6 Continuers and Extension Syllabus. The unit develops foundational skills for language pedagogy for the classroom teaching of Classical Hebrew texts in the local Judaic Studies educational context.
Our courses that offer this unit of study
Further unit of study information
1x 1-hr lecture/wk for 9 wks, 1x 2-hr seminar/wk for 9 wks
2500wd essay (40%) and lesson plans (25%) and resource portfolio (35%)
Faculty/department permission required?
Study this unit outside a degree
If you wish to undertake one or more units of study (subjects) for your own interest but not towards a degree, you may enrol in single units as a non-award student.
If you are from another Australian tertiary institution you may be permitted to underake cross-institutional study in one or more units of study at the University of Sydney.


RIVERSIDE COUNTY – Music’s efficacy as a teaching tool has long been studied. Though some still doubt if music has any effect on student performance, a strong body of evidence suggests otherwise.
Studies into the effects of music on learning are nothing new. Such studies have been conducted for decades, gaining popularity during the 1950s when research was done on something called the “Mozart Effect.”
The Mozart Effect theorizes that listening to Mozart can temporarily improve performance and may even boost a person’s IQ. In response, many parents started playing Mozart and other classical music in their homes. By the late 1990s, Baby Einstein, a company that offers a wide range of developmental and entertainment products for babies and toddlers, released a series of CDs and videos that prominently featured classical music amid visual learning sequences for young children. “Baby Mozart,” “Baby Bach” and “Baby Beethoven” were just a few of the videos capitalizing on the evidence that children learn more when exposed to classical music.
Ongoing research continues to support the theory that music education can help children on many levels. In Canada, a research group from McMaster University conducted their own study into music education. That study, which was published in the journal Brain in 2006, examined two groups of children, ages 4 to 6. Each were taught the same lessons, but one group was also given musical instruction. The study found that the group of children who received musical instruction scored much better than their peers in literacy, mathematics, IQ, and memory skills.
Long Island University researchers Joseph Piro and Camilo Ortiz found that children exposed to a multi-year program of music instruction, involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills, displayed superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared to their peers who did not receive musical training. The authors concluded that, “because neural response to music is a widely distributed system within the brain, it would not be unreasonable to expect that some processing networks for music and language behaviors, namely reading, located in both hemispheres of the brain would overlap.”
Music education is not just for the average student. Other research shows it may be beneficial to children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. A study completed at Stanford University showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the ability to process parts of the spoken language. The researchers believe that additional research might develop a way to use the knowledge obtained in the study to increase language development for individuals with dyslexia or cognitive disorders.
In many schools, music education is being drastically reduced or eliminated. Parents may want to look outside the classroom for music instruction or play more music at home.


Ear Tests and Drills ::
For 'clean' or 'blank' manuscript/staff paper (also called score paper)
Ear test and drill resources, maintained off the Music Theory Online site, we believe to be accurate but we are not responsible for any errors.
Sites that give helpful hints about how to approach acquiring aural skills, although no actual exercises are included.
Tools and resources on the Practicespot Web Site
- Sightreading Chef
- Scales Chef - how scales manuals should be, filled only with the scales you ask for
- Theory Sheets - the web's largest collection of free printable theory sheets
- Notereading Wizard - pitchreading quiz for any clef you need, just when you thought you could read it all
- Graphical Scales Manual - all 24 major and harmonic minor scales, presented visually on keyboards for ease of use
- Music Psychologist - professional, free advice from Lucinda Mackworth-Young, who is a leading Consultant in Psychology for Musicians
- Rhythm Gym - free carefully graded rhythm reading sheets
- Rhythm Generator - create and print out randomly generated rhythm drill sheets
- Sightreading Examples - test your sight-reading ability with 101 examples, sorted by difficulty
- Music Crosswords - PracticeSpot's crossword collection - all dedicated to the subject musicians know best
- Chord Wizard - the ultimate chord decoder - you can see which notes to play
Music Education Resources
Other Education Resources (including Music)
Other Music Theory Resources
- Ear Training Blog -
Tips, news and thoughts on the world of ear training, music theory
and songwriting from Graham English.
We will be reviewing and adding further useful online resources to this page shortly.
:: next lesson


Sugden and Wade, leading authors in this area, comprehensively cover motor development and motor impairment, drawing on sources in medicine and health-related studies, motor learning and developmental psychology. A theme that runs through the book is that movement outcomes are a complex transaction of child resources, the context in which movement takes place, and the manner in which tasks are presented. The core themes of the book involve descriptions of motor development from conception through to emerging adulthood, explanations of motor development from differing theoretical, empirical, and experiential perspectives, and descriptions and explanations of atypical motor development when the resources of the child are limited in some way. Readership Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paediatricians, teachers (physical education, early childhood development, elementary education), educational psychologists, kinesiology and sports scientists.
David Sugden has an academic background in developmental psychology, special education and physical education, his PhD is from the University of California at Los Angeles. He has taught in primary, secondary and special schools as well as lecturing at college and university level in the UK and the USA. His specialist research interests include motor development, motor impairment, motor learning, and children with developmental disorders. His work centres on the characteristics of typically developing children and those with various forms of impairment. He is co-author of the most widely used assessment instrument for motor difficulties, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. He is currently Professor of Special Needs in Education, University of Leeds, UK.
Michael Wade has published extensively in two areas of motor skill development across the lifespan: one with emphasis on individuals with motor difficulties and the other being the effects of ageing on motor skill performance. Dr Wade holds Fellow status in the American Academy of Kinesiology and the American Academy of Mental Retardation and is a Past President of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. He teaches and researches in the areas of motor development, ageing, developmental disabilities, human factors, and the foundational aspects of the field of kinesiology. He is currently Professor of Kinesiology and Professor, Centre for Cognitive Science at the University of Minnesota, USA.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Motor Development
Chapter 2: Biological Influences on Developmental Change
Chapter 3: Developmental Models and Theories, Motor Control and Development Theories:
Chapter 4: Early Movement Development: Birth to 24 Months
Chapter 5: Motor Development of Young Children: Two to Seven Years of Age
Chapter 6: A Movement Development of Young Children; Seven Years of Age through Puberty
Chapter 7: Cerebral Palsy: The Condition
Chapter 8: Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
Chapter 9: Children with Intellectual Disability
Chapter 10: Motor Development in Children with Other Developmental Disorders
Chapter 11: Children with Visual Impairment
Chapter 12: Assessment and Intervention for Children with Movement Difficulties
Chapter 13: Perspectives on Development: Typical and Atypical


Success Comes Out of Reading Everyday
In 1989, the Big Ten Conference sought an opportunity to help make a difference in the community...to expand and supplement educational opportunities available to children in the Chicago metropolitan area. In January of 1990 the Big Ten Conference partnered with Melody School, an elementary school on the west side of Chicago to begin a recreational reading program in that school.
What began with one school, two grade levels and five classrooms has grown in this its seventh year to include grades two through six, encompassing all classes and 415 students at Melody School. Additionally, Louis Armstrong School, also on the west side of the city, is also a SCORE program participant, with two grades and 145 students participating.
What SCORE is About and What is Achieved by Participation.......
To inspire students to develop a love for reading and to become life-long readers.
One measure of the program's success is the enthusiasm and frequency by which students voluntarily choose to read. Additional goals achieved have been the students' family awareness of the need for reading skills, with active parental involvement in the reinforcement of the program's focus at home. Development and solidifying of a "community" of support for the goals of the program...cross-grade reading partners and literature circles, storytelling and play production. The SCORE program nurtures every aspect of literacy development.
Over the history of the program, activities have been arranged to engender enthusiasm among the students and augment the reading focus.
The program is proven to have a positive impact on the students' academic lives. National test program scores for both Melody and Armstrong have documented solid growth in reading skills over the seven years of the program.
Not measured by test scores: Students showing a sense of pride in their accomplishments...positive attitudes toward academic achievements...building skills for a lifetime for career success and just for the pure enjoyment of the experience.
What people are saying about this program.......
"Consistent with the concept of service learning that is encouraged on campuses, SCORE has been a vehicle for the Conference office and its staff to make a positive difference in the community in which it finds itself. SCORE is a living example of the Conference's increased desire to assert its value for academic priority in the lives of student-athletes, and of providing quality educational opportunities for young people of all races."
"SCORE has meant so much to our boys and girls. This program has become a part of our school, our communtiy and our students' daily activities. SCORE has brought books into homes that would not have been exposed to such a world of knowledge otherwise. The incentives have been terrific."
"The Big Ten is well known for its share of victories in college sports, but perhaps less so for winning the battle of the books on the grade school playing field. But now, thanks to the Big Ten Conference, there is a program that boosts reading achievement like some coaches work on physical prowess."
SCORE PROGRAM HELPS LAUNCH MOBILE TOUR
Approximately 100 elementary school students from Louis Armstrong Public School in Chicago helped launch the Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour at the Big Ten office in Park Ridge, Ill., on August 31, 2011. Part of the Big Ten's SCORE program, the students were the first to participate in the mobile tour's activities and to have their pictures taken with the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy, which made its first public appearance Wednesday morning.
"The Big Ten Conference would like to thank Louis Armstrong Public School for its participation in today's event," Big Ten Chief Communications Officer Diane Dietz said. "We value our partnership with the students and faculty, and were thrilled to have them join us at our tailgate party."
"The Big Ten Conference has been extremely gracious to us over the years," Armstrong principal Demetrius Bunch said. "We have estimated that over 2,500 students have been serviced by the Big Ten over the years, and we would like to thank the Big Ten Conference for their continued support and efforts."


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Why Art Education?
What does art education do for the individual and for society? Why do we teach art? How does art contribute to education at all levels? There are many good answers to these questions, but three stand out as crucial in today's social and economic climate. We believe that art-and therefore art education-means three things that everyone wants and needs.
Art Means Work
Beyond the qualities of creativity, self-expression, and communication, art is a type of work. This is what art has been from the beginning. This is what art is from childhood to old age. Through art, our students learn the meaning of joy of work-work done to the best of one's ability, for its own sake, for the satisfaction of a job well done. There is a desperate need in our society for a revival of the idea of good work: work for personal fulfillment; work for social recognition; work for economic development. Work is one of the noblest expressions of the human spirit, and art is the visible evidence of work carried to the highest possible level. Today we hear much about productivity and workmanship. Both of these ideals are strengthened each time we commit ourselves to the endeavor of art. We are dedicated to the idea that art is the best way for every young person to learn the value of work.
Art Means Language
Art is a language of visual images that everyone must learn to read. In art classes, we make visual images, and we study images. Increasingly, these images affect our needs, our daily behavior, our hopes, our opinions, and our ultimate ideals. That is why the individual who cannot understand or read images is incompletely educated. Complete literacy includes the ability to understand, respond to, and talk about visual images. Therefore, to carry out its total mission, art education stimulates language-spoken and written-about visual images. As art teachers we work continuously on the development of critical skills. This is our way of encouraging linguistic skills. By teaching pupils to describe, analyze, and interpret visual images, we enhance their powers of verbal expression. That is no educational frill.
Art Means Values
You cannot touch art without touching values: values about home and family, work and play, the individual and society, nature and the environment, war and peace, beauty and ugliness, violence and love. The great art of the past and the present deals with these durable human concerns. As art teachers we do not indoctrinate. But when we study the art of many lands and peoples, we expose our students to the expression of a wide range of human values and concerns. We sensitize students to the fact that values shape all human efforts, and that visual images can affect their personal value choices. All of them should be given the opportunity to see how art can express the highest aspirations of the human spirit. From that foundation we believe they will be in a better position to choose what is right and good.
We in the National Art Education Association are committed to this three-part statement about the importance of art instruction for America's children. Our specific recommendations for school art programs are set forth in Purposes, Principles, and Standards for School Art Programs and in Design Standards for School Art Facilities. In addition, our various publications describe in detail the views of leading art educators about the issues confronting the art teaching profession.
CONTRIBUTE TO NAEF
Donate today and make an investment in the future of visual arts education. Your contribution will help provide professional development for art educators, classroom supplies for innovative projects, curriculum development for art classrooms, and ground-breaking research in visual arts education.


Easter egg hunts are always fun, but plastic eggs are so versatile that we try to use them as many ways as we can before they get put back into the seasonal box. We have 3 different sizes of eggs: mini, medium and large, and look for ways we can use each size in our daily activities.
Here are 5 Ideas for Plastic Eggs:
1. Put them in a Sensory Bin, a bin of rice or a big bowl of oats! Plastic eggs are great scoopers and opening and closing them helps fine motor skill development. Filling the eggs with oats and rice and shaking them is another fun sound activity!
2. Use them for sorting and matching activities. For some reason opening and closing plastic eggs never gets old for Sweet P. She loves discovering what is inside of each egg and also likes matching the colors when she puts them back together. Sort the eggs by color, size, or into containers using an ice cream scoop or egg tongs. Put numbered stickers on both sides of the eggs for a fun math and counting activity.
3. Stack them or use them for patterning activities. The round shape of the eggs allows them to fit into each other pretty well. Sweet P discovered stacking while gathering the eggs to put them back into a bag after she finished a tray they were on. She thought it was pretty neat and said, "Look at this, mama!" If you have various colors, you can also create patterns with the bottoms/tops of each egg.
4. Sound eggs: Use your plastic eggs to create sound boxes. Read more about this activity on our Sound Eggs post. These keep Sweet P interested for quite awhile.
5. Put them in the bath! Some of our plastic eggs have holes in the tops so they are fun to fill and pour out again and again! Sweet P loved watching the bubbles come out of the little holes when she held them under water. We also had fun seeing them float and sink when she filled them with water! Then, she built towers by stacking them all along the side of the bathtub.


Phonics and Reading With McGuffey 1.3
Phonics and Reading With McGuffey is an affordable and complete computer based training system for beginning literacy that emphases phonics instruction.
The program does not require any technically trained supervision to administer to students. Each lesson introduces new letter sounds which are incorporated into new words. The lessons combine phonics with reading practice. Spelling and sight word practice is included to improve fluency. There are software programs for phonics and there are software programs for sight words. But none of them incorporate phonics, sight words, spelling and reading practice from classic literature except this one. Your student will develop skills that will form the foundation of a lifetime of success at reading using just this software. The McGuffey Primer textbook has helped to educate tens of millions of people. Now that excellent textbook comes as its own tutor with this simple to use software. Lessons are structured such that: 1. Letter sounds are introduced with an animation along with an onset word and a sound effect. 2. New words are introduced that incorporate the new sounds. 3. Letter sounds are drilled with smart flash cards. 4. Students experiment with building words and hearing a real human voice announce them. 5. Each lesson has a full color illustration of the reading practice 6. Reading practice is guided so the student does not get lost. 7. A letter sound quiz determines if the student should go back to review the lesson material or to go on. 8. A guided spelling practice helps the student understand the structure of words when they fail to spell correctly. 9. Sight word drilling is used to improve fluency. By the time the student completes all 52 lessons he or she will know all 44 letter sounds in the English Language and most of the important graphemes. The student will be reading at a first grade level.


Adapting Art Education for Exceptional Children
Henley, David R., School Arts
A current theory in art education calls for the teaching of studio art in concert with the disciplines of art history, criticism and aesthetics. Each of these areas can have an enriching effect upon a child's learning experience and artistic development. However, for the child with physical, mental or emotional special needs, the introduction of academic material into the studio experience carries with it serious implications. In recent years, studio art has been widely called upon to be the first (and sometimes only) opportunity for the special needs child to be mainstreamed into regular classes. Art is widely regarded as a more "forgiving" subject in which successes can be achieved despite a child's other deficits.
With some modifications in lesson structure, or adaptations of media or techniques, exceptional children have been able to reap the rewards of being in a mainstreamed environment. These rewards include access to more normative peers, greater educational challenges, lessening of social stigmas and increased opportunities to become adjusted to life beyond a sheltered special education atmosphere. However, with the increase in academic expectations in the art curriculum, exceptional children may again find themselves straggling, defeated or, quite possibly, removed altogether from the mainstream setting. It may be pertinent then to explore some possible solutions to these problems, and suggest some approaches for the use of art historical/contemporary visual aides and art criticism with students who require special consideration.
While art historical or contemporary visual aides play an important part in the learning process, it is important that there be a balance maintained between self-expression and academic rigor. In those programs in which academic rigor dominates expressive self-exploration, the work is often stereo-typical, pretentious or slavishly mimetic. Visual aides should aspire to motivate and inform the child artist, regardless of whether the student has special needs. Handled with sensitivity, the introduction of contemporary or historical visual aides should not necessarily intrude upon the expressivity of the child artist. Used as a motivational resource, they can assist in generating ideas or can facilitate a needed shift in content or style away from commercial stereotypes. For this reason, art reproductions should be complementary to the child's aesthetic sensibility, so that the capacity to stimulate and expand creative responses leads to a greater investment in artistic effort.
Such resources can inspire students if connections are made with particular artists whose work reminds them of their own. For example, by using Chagall's dream-like images to further the aims of motivation, rather than to study and imitate, children filter their own iconography through the master's. Students may also begin to research other modernists working in the so-called primitivist or naive manner such as DuBuffet and Klee. Research should not pretend to assume an academic style of learning (i.e., memorization, stylistic analysis, etc.). However, by creating a working relationship and identification with these artists, students may absorb the modernist sensibility. Such experiences allow a child's own style to expand while remaining true to its own nature.
A group of middle schoolers were shown slides of Stonehenge, earthen drawings from the ancient Peruvian Nazca People and the Ohioan Indian Snake Mounds along with the con temporary work of Robert Morris, Nancy Graves and Isamu Noguchi. …


Topics In Jazz And Musical Creativity For The Classical Pianist
By Lee Evans. Evans Piano Education. 32 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.290105).
Item Number: HL.290105
ISBN 0793574056. 9x12 inches.
A collection of articles written by Lee Evans. Contents: * Understanding Chord Symbols * Jazz Improvisation Part 1 - Easy Melodic Improvisation Techniques Part 2 - Jazz Accompaniment Techniques Part 3 - Chord Improvisation * Jazzing It Up In Style (Guidelines for Keyboard Jazz Performance) * Popular Music In Music Education * Student Compositions (based on the Learn to Compose and Notate Series).


But below that surface, the roots of elementary education as an omnibus civic good in American life run very deep, which helps explain why the post-Newtown trauma feels equally so.
“We have our greatest hope. And it lives in the school,” says Carolyn Mears, author and editor of an anthology entitled “Reclaiming School in the Aftermath of Trauma.” Her son was a sophomore at Columbine High School during the 1999 shootings, and the path she followed after that day led her to her current job as adjunct faculty at the University of Denver’s education college.
In “Small Wonder: The Little Red Schoolhouse in History and Memory,” Jonathan Zimmerman asserts that the romantic imagery of one-room schools is an emblem of America right up “alongside the flag, eagle and Uncle Sam in the American patriotic pantheon.” The notion of the elementary school itself, he said this week, still serves the same purpose — these schools contain not only our young but the story of us.
“They’ve been this force in defining who we are,” he says. “They were really the first public building in most American communities. Not just a place where kids went to school but where citizens gathered for public purposes — weddings, funerals, religious worship, voting. There was no other place. The school was our place.”
Echoes of that sentiment remain, even though the world today is so, so different. Even as the details and execution of American elementary education divide us, the potent democratic vision of safe, universal public education still unites us.
And when people mourn the fallen young and educators of Newtown — as they did at Columbine, at Virginia Tech, at Jonesboro, at the Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa. — they are mourning, too, another notion: that one more American institution has been, through someone’s ugliness, forever sullied.
When Mears talked to people involved in previous school violence about what helped them recover, she found one very common theme: “that essence of community — the future, society, how we relate one to another.”
“That sense of location, sense of place, is profound,” she says. “And when that is torn away, when we find that we’re not living where we thought we lived, that this world is different, that the future is not what we thought it would be? Well, you have to rebuild it all.”
We like to call such a feeling a “loss of innocence” — and, in the past five days, the country has spoken of that often. But given the school’s place in the national imagination, isn’t it more the wounding of an ideal, of a possibility, of the promise of a bright future? And that, to Americans, is painful stuff indeed.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ted Anthony writes about American culture for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/anthonyted


Fundamentals of String Playing is a document that has been in progress for a number of months. The goal of this paper is to present the fundamentals in such a way that a student can understand it. At this point, section one deals with development of technique and section two deals with the teacher-student relationships that are essential to learning.
The String Pedagogy Notebook is a resource that has been put together by Michael Hopkins at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has compiled Pofessor Robert Culver's string pedagogy class notes along with pictures to illustrate the principles.
A personal library of pedagogy resources is important for any string teacher. The following bibliography is in no way complete, but it does give a good beginning for any teacher or would be teacher. It represents multiple and deverse opinions on the subject. Heterogeneous Teaching
Do you have an interest in string music from other cultures? The Middle Eastern Violin page will provide information about the Arabic style of violin playing as well as links to other non-western string instruments and musical styles.
The Internet Cello Society is in the process of being put together by John Michel at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. You will find great information here for cellists of all levels from beginners to teachers, and amateurs to professionals. Be sure to become a member of the ICS and receive your monthly newsletter by e-mail. Bass
Here is an extensive list of articles on vibrato from journals and professional publications dating from the late 1950's.
Search carefully in this list of music medicine articles and you will find some that pertain to the subject of vibrato.
The Suzuki method is more than a method of teaching the violin. It is also a philosophy of education and when followed is a life style. Here is a compilation of articles from the MERB database.
The Violin, Bow and other Bowed Stringed Instrument makers pages will lead you to information about those who make and repair instruments and bows.
The J.W. Pepper company has gone online. You can search for music here for you string program.
Methods & Pedagogical Materials
There is no lack of teaching materials for the string teacher. Beginning with Samuel Applebaum in 1960 there has been at least two new methods in each of the decades from then until now. Each new method reflected in some way the the prevailing educational philosophy and psychology of the day. Included here are the primary string methods, developed for class teaching, many of which are still in use today.
There are an increasing number of web pages that should be of interest to string teachers and their students. Most of them have graphics and pictures. Some of them even have sound clips giving you the opportunity to listen to their performances.
Here is a list of Symphony Orchestra home pages from not only the United States but from Europe, and New Zeland as well.
There are two home pages for the Kronos String Quartet. The "unofficial" Kronos Quartet page is put together by some devoted fans while the "Official" Kronos Quartet home page is put together by their recording company.
The Florestan Trio is a piano trio from Portland, Oregon with a recently released album. Follow so of their leads to other exciting music pages.
Yo-Yo Ma's home page has sound clips from two of his most recent recordings. Enjoy the sound
Mstislav Rostropovich's home page will give you his basic biographical information.
Here are several sources for computer technology as it relates to music education and string education.
Music Instruction Software is a page that links you to ftp sites where you can download music software.
Technology In Music Education (TIME) is a database of reviews of software for all areas of music education. If you are aware of software for string teaching that is not included in the database there is a section for you to submit a review.
Here is a gopher menu of string educaiton software.
There are times when some string humor will do a world of good. Here you'll find not only the infamous viola jokes but also violin, cello, and bass jokes.


Careers & Employment Outlook Possible programs students could transfer into at a four-year institution include the following: Studio Art (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, and ceramics); Art Education; Art Therapy; Studio Assistant; Art History; Graphic Design; Industrial Design. Artists held about 221,900 jobs in 2008. About 60 percent were self-employed. Of the artists who were not self-employed, many worked for advertising and related services; newspaper, periodical, book, and software publishers; motion picture and video industries; specialized design services; and computer systems design and related services. Some self-employed artists offered their services to advertising agencies, design firms, publishing houses, and other businesses. Employment of artists and related workers is expected to grow 12 percent through 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations. An increasing reliance on artists to create digital or multimedia artwork will drive growth.Median annual wages of salaried craft artists were $29,080. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,730 and $39,120. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,290, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,550.Median annual wages of salaried fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, were $42,650. The middle 50 percent earned between $29,230 and $60,650. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,780, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,410. Earnings for self-employed artists vary widely. Some charge only a nominal fee while they gain experience and build a reputation for their work. Others, such as well-established freelance fine artists and illustrators, can earn more than salaried artists. For more information you can visit the U.S Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook.


Introduction to Contemporary Art
Petit, David A., School Arts
Teaching about contemporary art has long been a sticking point in middle school art education. There are few art teachers who would deny the value of contemporary art appreciation, but getting past student resistance can be an overwhelming obstacle. School schedules work against the teacher because they don't allow in-depth study of contemporary art without sacrificing time for production. Student developmental levels must also be addressed or the art teacher risks teaching concepts that are too advanced, or not challenging enough. A feeling for the average students' level of sophistication is crucial.
Problems that result from a combination of these factors can be overcome. The limitations and possibilities of the students must be acknowledged so that the starting line can be drawn.
Three teaching approaches to contemporary art are here proposed. They are relational thinking, history and media. These approaches are designed to give students information and understanding to carry an idea to finished works in a contemporary or original interpretation of a subject.
Introducing concepts of contemporary and abstract art requires first establishing the validity of the work. Students need to realize that creating a traditional image may not have been the intention of the artist. Art is a form of communication; even traditional approaches abstract reality by creating the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional plane, or recreating a form in durable material such as bronze or marble. From this point of view, it is legitimate to label the Mona Lisa as an abstraction of reality. Letters in the alphabet are also abstractions; they are written abstractions of the sounds we make with our vocal chords. Combinations of letter are abstract representations of speech and, therefore, communication. Written numerals communicate by representing quantities.
Understanding any unfamiliar concept is easier when you work from the knowledge base of the student. Understanding and appreciating contemporary art is no exception. Every person has an idea or a feeling about what constitutes a work of art. The more exposure and training a student has, the more concrete that expression becomes. Students should learn to talk about art in descriptive terms and avoid editorializing. It is not necessary to like a work of art to discuss it intelligently. If students have a grasp of the principles of art, they can develop an understanding of how elements are manipulated by a trained hand to create the form of communication we call art.
The next step is the application of emotion to the elements of art. Students can be asked to create emotive lines. The response will be a variety of jagged, forceful diagonals to words like anger, fear and tension. When asked to draw calm lines, the lines smooth out and become flatter. The manipulation of emotions and reactions by other art elements and design principles can be discussed. Physiological influences of color, creating tension through asymmetrical balance, and use of strong light sources to model forms are other ways artists evoke emotional responses. The use of this manipulation in traditional images becomes more evident as a result.
One activity that can increase understanding of abstract work is the creation of an abstract sketch. Hand out three blank index cards to each student. Ask them to write an adjective on one card, an adverb on another and a noun on the third. Tack the cards to a bulletin board and ask each student to choose one from each category, stipulating that they must not choose their own words. Each student must create a sketch that reflects the words chosen without creating a recognizable form. The results may not be completely successful; the students may not even like their sketches, but they will come away from the exercise with an appreciation for communicating in a non-literal way. …


One of the ways the Plan Ceibal English programme is able to work is through the use of a specially-written lesson plan that allows the (generally non-English speaking) classroom teacher (CT) to follow what the remote teacher (RT, the English teacher) is teaching in Lesson A, and also that allows her to carry out the practice activities in the follow-up lessons B & C, when she is alone with the children.
As Jeremy Harmer mentioned after his visit and observation of a remote class:
The English lessons in Plan Ceibal look (as far as I can see) pretty much like most Young Learner English lessons. They include monsters and songs, basic grammatical patterns, the sort of vocabulary you'll find in most general English coursebooks, and scripts (with quite a lot of Spanish thrown in) to guide the distance teacher.
|Objectives slide from the Week 1 lesson plan|
The lesson plans are similar to the kind of lesson scripts you can find in some published course-books. They indicate (in some detail) what the teacher should do in each part of the lesson
There are actually two versions of each scripted lesson plan, one in English and one is Spanish. The Spanish version allows the classroom teacher to understand exactly what to expect to happen during the remote (class A) lesson and what they need to do to practise in the follow-up (classes B & C) lessons.
This seems to be working well. The survey of classroom teachers that was undertaken last year (650 out of a total of 985 CTs responded) showed that 65% of the CTs used the lesson plans almost always for classes B & C. 33% said they used them sometimes, and only 2-3% stated they never or almost never used them. It's also great to see that 98% of the CTs evaluated the digital materials of the programme positively.
The lesson plans were (and are still) being written by a team of writers based in Argentina, led by Cristina Banfi and Silvia Rettaroli, and it is thanks to their hard work and those of their colleagues that they are working so well.
You can learn more about how these materials were developed by reading the paper 'ELT through videoconferencing in primary schools in Uruguay: first steps' by Dario Banegas (2013), who was the former project manager on the programme. In this paper, he talks about the importance of the weekly cycle of coordination (between the CT & RT), the lessons A, B & C and the ongoing evaluation and adjustments. The lesson plans have also been written to tie in with the Uruguayan primary curriculum. As Banegas states:-
The authors (Banfi and Rettaroli, 2012) drew on curricular content to teach English and established curricular and procedural bridges with the Uruguayan primary school curriculum. The course authors justified the adopted approach on the necessity to encourage language use related to learners' experience of the world and their formal education trajectories. This led to developing lessons which responded to learners' interests and context.
In a future blog post, I'll be looking at one of these lesson plans in detail.


1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/John, Augustus Edwyn
John, Augustus Edwyn (1879– ), British painter, was born at Tenby on Jan. 4 1879. He received his art education at the Slade School, London, and afterwards worked in Paris, later spending some time in Provence. He became a regular exhibitor at the New English Art Club, and in 1901–2 was teacher of art in the university of Liverpool, returning to London in 1902. He early became prominent as a powerful draughtsman and painter with a fine sense of design. His earlier work includes “The Way Down to the Sea” (1906), lent by Mr. John Quinn to the Metropolitan Museum of New York; “The Kitchen Garden,” “The Smiling Woman” (1910) and “The Mumpers” (1912). For the Arts and Crafts Exhibition at Burlington House 1916, he executed a mural decoration illustrating “Peasant Industry.” During the war he held a commission as official artist in the Canadian Corps, and exhibited at the Canadian War Memorial Exhibition 1919 a cartoon for a large decoration, “Canadians opposite Lens.” He was later commissioned by the Imperial authorities to paint the chief characters of the Peace Conference. These portraits include two of the Emir Faisal and of Mr. W. M. Hughes, and those of Lt.-Col. T. E. Lawrence (presented to the Tate Gallery by the Duke of Westminster), Sir Robert Borden and Mr. Massey. He also painted portraits of Mr. Lloyd George (1916), Mr. Bernard Shaw (1916), Lord Fisher (1917), Lord Sumner (1918–9) and the Marchesa Casati (1918–9). His etchings form an important part of his work, the majority being produced between 1901–10. They include portraits, single figures and groups. He is marked among his contemporaries by his choice of figure subjects and a preference for small plates. He is represented in the Tate Gallery by several pictures, including “The Smiling Woman,” “Peasant Industry,” “Robin” (1917–8), and “Rachael,” and in the Print Room of the British Museum. His early work, with its definite contour enclosing areas of colour, relates him to the quattrocento Italian painters. Distortion for personal emphasis and decorative effect is another marked characteristic. In 1921 he was elected A.R.A.


This paper focuses on the phenomenon of high school graduation credit being offered for applied music study completed under outside private music teachers. (1) Specifically, this narrative chronicles how it was conceived, introduced, spread, and declined during the first third of the twentieth century. That development was part of a larger trend as high school curricula expanded to include music appreciation and harmony study as well as participation in choirs, orchestras, and later, bands. In order to fully understand this topic, we need to set the historical stage.
School music instruction as a part of the regular curriculum was introduced in Boston, Massachusetts in 1838, but it was established in other cities relatively slowly between that time and the end of Civil War in 1865. In each instance, when music instruction was introduced, a highly motivated and determined music teacher, supported by local citizenry, led the struggle to persuade the local school authorities to approve music as a regular part of the school program. However, the last third of the nineteenth century witnessed a number of remarkable changes in American public education and in higher education. Those changes were stimulated by notable economic, technological, social, and political developments. During the last twenty-five years of the century, the nation witnessed a significant influx of immigrants from northern and western Europe, a large trans-Mississippi migration to the Great Plains and beyond, a substantial growth in population in northern cities, increased industrialization, a spurt in scientific discovery, and peace between 1865 and 1898. Fueled by economic growth, a population surge, a higher standard of living, and an increased interest in education by the general public, the number of students enrolled in public schools increased significantly.
Those developments created conditions that permitted the following transforming changes in school music instruction to occur:
1) an increased acceptance of music instruction in primary and grammar grades in many cities and towns,
2) the wide use of graded music series for children in primary and grammar schools,
3) music instruction in primary and grammar schools taught by growing numbers of classroom teachers guided by music supervisors,
4) chorus singing in high schools,
5) summer training courses for school music teachers sponsored by book companies, and
6) emerging courses of study for music teachers in normal schools. (2)
These changes were aided by the Child Study Movement and Progressivism gradually developing in educational thought, a number of conservatories of music and music departments in colleges and universities being established, and national music organizations forming (MTNA, 1876, and the NEA Music Section, 1884). (3) The rise of the private music teacher, community choral societies arising, and a number of professional symphony orchestras forming also contributed indirectly to the growth of music education in the public schools. (4)
Conceptualizing a Plan for Applied Music Study
By the beginning of the twentieth century, such encouraging conditions led to high school music curricula being expanded beyond chorus singing to include courses in harmony and music appreciation. Some of those who taught these early music courses include Mary Regal, Springfield, Massachusetts (1896); Frederick Chapman, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1899); Francis Elliot Clark, Ottumwa, Iowa (around 1900); Will Earhart, Richmond, Indiana (1901); Peter Dykema, Indianapolis, Indiana (early 1900s); and Osbourne McConathy, Chelsea, Massachusetts (1904). These courses were taught one or two days a week, were rarely more than one year in length and, for the most part, were introduced in smaller school districts where change could be accomplished with less bureaucratic difficulty. These isolated and widespread efforts set the stage for a development that is the subject of this study--a greatly expanded high school music curriculum that included multi-year courses in music theory, music appreciation, and applied music study under outside private teachers for credit toward graduation. …


Step one of being Creative, getting comfortable
While preparing to speak to a group of elementary education students on how to bring creativity into their classrooms, I asked myself, what are the foundational pieces that must be in place for asking anyone to be creative?
If you’ve ever turned to google to find tips and tricks to being more creative, it’s extremely likely that you’ve been told to step out of your comfort zone. However, I believe that we are often in too much of a rush to get uncomfortable. While discomfort is a part of the process, it’s not the first part.
The foundation of creativity is comfort and confidence, so don’t be in such a rush to jump out of your comfort zone.
Before I ask students to be creative, I first need to make them comfortable, with themselves, with the space and with me.
What in your environment do you need to be comfortable with?
Start by setting up a workspace, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy, but it needs to be a space that you like to be in. Light some candles, put on your favorite music, and slip into those jeans that make you feel all sexy and sassy.
Create something that you’re comfortable making, or write about a topic that you know you’ve got nailed. Start in a space of comfort, and then step away. As you work in that space, where you feel safe and fully confident that you can rock it, you’ll naturally start to feel a pulling to push it forward, you’ll hear questions dancing in your head… what if…. what if….
When you feel that pull, and hear those questions ,now it’s time to get uncomfortable, you’ve built the foundation, and are ready grow. And when you feel yourself ramming into a wall, that means you’re ready for another moment of comfort, give it to yourself, rest in the knowing.


Art education in Fairfax County Public Schools is a core discipline, essential to the growth and development of all students.
The sequential art curriculum for grades K-12 is organized in three strands:
The curriculum is designed to develop content knowledge and skills in the following areas:
Art instruction in Fairfax County Public Schools provides an environment which offers challenges to all students, builds on individual differences, and provides means by which students may express themselves and develop positive self concepts.
All students in Fairfax County Public Schools Elementary Schools receive art instruction from a certified art specialist.
The elementary art program of Fairfax County Public Schools is exploratory and conceptual in nature. Children are able to explore a variety of thinking processes, art forms, materials and techniques, and sources for inspiration such as observation, memory, and imagination. Students look at, talk and write about art from different cultures and times, as well as their own art and art of peers. Students use creative, critical and design thinking processes to solve problems or challenges to make meaning of their world.
Because children change emotionally, mentally, and physically throughout elementary school, the elementary art program is designed with a sustained focus on “A Sense of Place” allowing students opportunities to question, explore, and document their personal growth. The students of Fairfax County Public Schools come to the classroom with diverse cultural backgrounds and unique life experiences. “A Sense of Place” is an enduring idea that validates the experiences of young artists while challenging students to deepen their understanding of alternative perspectives. The unifying idea of “A Sense of Place” is rich with opportunities for artistic exploration, creative work and dialogue.
By examining their own lives and experiences, our students can consider the enduring idea of “A Sense of Place” from a personal perspective. By examining the enduring idea from multiple perspectives, students can begin to understand what it means to be human and become more empathetic to the people, cultures, and environments they encounter. Developmentally appropriate exploration of “A Sense of Place” develops conceptual thinking abilities in both concrete and abstract ways. These cumulative experiences in elementary school lay the foundation for using enduring ideas as a conceptual learning tool throughout middle school and high school.
The last time that all students are required to have art instruction is the 6th grade.
All 6th grade students also participate in the Sixth Grade Art Museum Field Trip as a culminating experience for elementary art.
Art 1-4, Computer Graphics 1-4, and Photography 1-4 are standard course offerings at the high school level. Availability of the optional course offerings (2-D Studio Art, 3-D Studio Art, Visual Communications, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate) will vary.
Fine Arts Coordinator
Art Educational Specialist
Secondary Art Resource Teacher
Elementary Art Resource Teacher
November 20, 2013


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Understanding why painful words are painful | In Our Opinion
Poulsbo Elementary School Principal Claudia Alves has been placed on administrative leave after she used the N-word, not once, but several times — first, in a discussion with a student about how a word of concern to the student wasn’t as bad as the N-word; then in more than one discussion with the student’s parents, one of whom happens to be African-American.
Contrary to some reader comments, the issue is not that students felt uncomfortable using the word “Negro” in a school play, a word that is likely unfamiliar to them. The issue is that a principal used the N-word to explain how “Negro,” a race classification, is not the same as the offensive word. The school district’s director of elementary education said it was not necessary for Alves to use the N-word in explaining that difference. And it wasn’t necessary for her to use the actual word again, and again in discussing the issue with the student’s parents.
Whether we like it or not, the N-word is painful, and we as individuals and as a community need to be sensitive to words that are painful to others. It bothers us that some readers believe “the speech police” are out to dumb us down, to sanitize history, that it’s a word used in literature and in music, as if that excuses its use.
Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, who is African-American, explained in a recent column why the N-word is painful. It’s something that people who are not of a part of this history cannot understand. But we need to try.
“The N-word is unique. It was present at the act of mass kidnap that created ‘black America,’ it drove the ship to get here, signed the contracts at flesh auctions on Southern ports as mother was torn from child, love from love and self from self. It had a front-row center seat for the acts of blood, rape, castration, exclusion and psychological destruction by which the created people were kept down and in their place. The whole weight of our history dictates that word cannot be used except as an expression of contempt for African-Americans …”
Some reader comments point out that the N-word is used in rap music and by some African-Americans, and Pitts addresses that too, disagreeing with that “context” argument. Referring to a New York Times column by African-American social critic Ta-Nehisi Coates, Pitts wrote, “In defending the N-word as an ‘in-word,’ Coates noted how some women will jokingly call other women by a misogynistic term or some gay people will laughingly use a homophobic slur in talking with or about one another. Some of us would say that’s not such a good look ... Some of us think there is cause for dismay when women, gay people or any put-upon people adopt the terminology of their oppressors as self-definition.”
That discussion is happening in homes and communities across the country. In fact, the 11-year-old boy who had the discussion with Alves lives in a home that teaches that the N-word is wrong and is never to be used, in any circumstance. But note: As people work to bury oppression terminology, the rest of us do not have a ticket to perpetuate the words that hurt.
— This version corrects the boy's age in the last paragraph. He is 11.


A while back you mentioned the 2 Websters' definitions of criticism.
You suggested that people too often refer to / focus on the 1st one (that
criticism is negative or unfavorable commentary) and neglect the 2nd
defintion (that crit. is analysis and evaluation of art).
I agree this 2nd defin. is overlooked and it is the most appropriate oen
for art crit. For students to really analyse and think about art and what
the artist intends; the reason/purpose behind it and the ideas in back of
it, are what's really important.
Students can then consider their own artworks in context with how they
reflect on others. Ideas can be developed for one's own art based on
reflection/understanding/analysis of others. Art production is more than
only process- the act of doing art. It needs foundation, purpose, reason,
meaning, intent, etc...
Nancy, am I on target?? Do you concur??
I'm an art education student at the Univ. of Maryland. I also teach ESL
classes in the evenings to adults and occasionally do some substitute
teaching, to pay the bills.


Natural science is an area of emphasis under the Elementary Education Program. Successful completion of the natural science major along with a minor and the education coursework will qualify the student for a middle-level science endorsement (4th-9th grade). The natural science minor does not result in endorsement but is suited for a science specialist in grades kindergarten through 6th. Much of the required coursework is taught through inquiry pedagogy and spans six areas of science: astronomy, chemistry, earth science, life science, physics and space science.
Science teachers in middle school are in high demand. Consequently, students completing the natural science endorsement will have many opportunities to find employment. The natural science major or minor will also be marketable for the 4th-6th grade level.
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- STEM Goes Rural
Thanks to a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team of educators from the College of Education, College of Engineering, College of Science, and College of Technology and funding from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Lilly Endowment, Purdue University has pioneered a program designed to create highly qualified educators for secondary rural schools in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
- P-12 Assessment Task Force
- A task force is identifying guiding principles to increase assessment literacy throughout Purdue’s teacher education program and specifically each candidate’s ability to assess their impact on student learning. The task force anticipates that its final recommendations will facilitate the development of a national model demonstrating how teacher education programs can prepare candidates to assess student readiness levels, the impact of their instruction on learning, adjust instruction based on data analysis, and improve the learning of all students they teach.
- Co-Teaching Pilot
- Local school corporations and the College of Education are piloting a co-teaching model for elementary education in which student teachers will work alongside the cooperating teacher for a longer clinical experience. The goal of co-teaching is to enhance P-12 student learning, build the instructional skills of Purdue teacher education candidates, and benefit partner schools.