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Phonetic Instruction In order to learn to read either a
In order to learn to read either a native or foreign language, the reader must be able to identify words quickly and accurately. This process is known as decoding. Decoding words involves changing what the reader sees printed on a page into spoken language. The reader then decodes the word by sounding it out, using the context around the word for clues about it's meaning. In order to sound out words, a reader must be able to relate specific spellings with specific sounds. Phonics is the process of relating the sounds of the words to their spellings. There are many ways to teach phonics awareness and use. However, most types of phonics instruction focus on the sound- spelling relationships so that the new reader can come up with an approximate pronunciation of the word and then check it against their own oral vocabulary in order to attempt to try to determine the meaning of the word. Research has shown that phonics instruction increases reading and spelling abilities in new readers. Most phonics activities are oral and usually offer an engaging way for new readers to differentiate the sounds that make up the new words they are being exposed to. The two primary types of activities are oral blending and oral segmentation.Oral blending activities help new readers hear how sounds are put together to make words. They prepare the student to decode, sound out, or blend words independently. Oral blending activities begin with blending larger word parts, like syllables, and progress to whole words sound by sound. Beginning oral activities should use those that begin with continuous consonants like s, m, l, f, r, and z. This makes it easier for the student to hear the distinct sounds and to more efficiently model the principal of oral blending. For example, you can stretch out the word sat to be sssssssssaaaaaaaaatttttttttt. It is often helpful to add visual cue when there is a move from one sound to the next within a word. Oral segmentation activities held new readers to separate words into sounds. These exercises should begin with a focus on syllables because they are easier to distinguish than individual sounds. Segmentation activities prepare the student for spelling, and then writing. A student is developing segmentation skills when he/she begins asking questions like 'What makes the sh sound in shop'' or 'What makes the xt sound in next''There are a few things to keep in mind when providing phonics instruction to new readers. Don't stress written words or letters. Over using printed materials before the student is familiar with the alphabet can confuse a new reader. Keep the atmosphere of the class relaxed and informal. This increases STT and the confidence of the students. Monitor each student's progress through out the term- addressing individual weakness as needs. And continue to offer ongoing praise and encouragement. Keep assessing the phonemic awareness and use by the students. Most importantly, the instructor must provide large amounts of language experiences. Nothing takes the place of reading, writing, and listening to stories or dialogues when learning a new language. Phonics training can have a significant impact on learning a new language. By integrating phonemic awareness and practice into their lesson plans, an ESL instructor is providing the student with a powerful tool that will continue to serve them as they develop their new language skills and abilities. ResourcesHiskes, Delores G., Phonics Pathways. Livermore: Dorbooks, 2000Blevins, Wiley, Phonics from A to Z. New York: Scholastic, 1998


Literacy development is evident in all areas of our school curriculum. I (Yiola) have been thinking about the Ontario Curriculum, particularly the new Social Studies curriculum and how much it has evolved over the years. The latest Ministry policy for teaching Social Studies has made significant gains in developing critical literacy and culturally relevant pedagogy.
This weekend while I was celebrating the Easter holiday with my family I wondered how this culturally significant event could be included in the curriculum without alienating those students who do not observe Easter.
The Grade 2 social studies curriculum has a strand: Changing Family and Community Traditions. When I taught Grade 2 the strand was called: Traditions and Celebrations. By the heading alone one can see the conceptual shift that has taken place in how we think about traditions. Then it dawned on me, must we compartmentalize units of study to blocks of time? Why not open the unit of study and have students throughout the year share the community traditions they observe? And of course, they needn’t be limited to formal holidays. They can be as significant as the family tradition of quilting or playing music.
Then I began to think about how important this particular family tradition is for my children and how I would like for it to be affirmed in school; not for its religious value; but for the importance it holds in our family. What if Sylvia Clare wrote a procedural piece on making “flaounes” with her Papou (see image)? She could talk about, experience, and write about how to make traditional Cypriot flaounes. And, if this opportunity were open throughout the year for all children to share at any time a special community/family tradition in a way that was meaningful to them (through writing, speaking, doing) so much knowledge, information and appreciation could be shared. Just one small example of how literacy and social studies could work together.


EVERYTHING A TEACHER NEEDS. ALL IN ONE PLACE.
CAPIT Reading is a dynamic instructional tool that advances learners in phonics as they demonstrate mastery and automaticity of foundational skills.
CAPIT Reading is easy to implement alongside any core Language arts curriculum and is used in the classroom (PK-2) and with struggling students. The program provides a digital solution that teaches reading, writing and beginning keyboarding skills; a digital library of books; as well as downloadable and physical resources. Our Complete Phonics Solution ensures teachers get all their Digital, Downloadable and Physical Resources in one place.
CAPIT Reading App
CAPIT Homework App
Digital Leveled Books
Beginning Keyboarding Skills
Analytics, Assessments & Reports
Alphabet Wall Art
Sound and Spelling Wall Cards


I have been keeping my own visual journals for a few years. They tend to be conglomerations of note taking, sketches, collage, photo montage, my granddaughter's art, paper cutting, thoughts and ideas. Not only do I enjoy the activity of creating journal pages, other folks seem to enjoy browsing through them.
Since I have been curious as to how I could use visual journals in the elementary art room, I attended the session "The Visual Journal and Creative Possibilities"at the Virginia Art Education Association conference. The presenters were Eric Scott and David Modler. They have a blog called "Journal Fodder Junkies" and a book titled The Journal Junkies Workshop.
The presenters said that their own journals are used as personal tools for:
They described the qualities of manufactured journal books that you can purchase and then described ways that kids can create their own. They can be as fancy and high quality as your budget permits, or can be as low tech as folded drawing paper stapled together on the side.
For their high school students, the journal is a self directed activity. Friday is their designated "journal day," though students are required to put in a certain number of hours in the journal during the week on their own time. They experiment with techniques in the journal; take notes there; and work through their own ideas.
The presenters' book is interesting but not geared towards the classroom. It contains a lot of techniques for creating different kinds of art in a journal. I wish they would write a book on how to use the visual journal in a classroom and show lots of examples of student work.
I'll write this week about what my students are doing in their journals and maybe show my own as well.


Children’s oral vocabulary – their knowledge of the sounds and meanings of words – is strongly positively associated with their reading all the way through school. Understanding this relationship is important for making children’s reading as strong as possible.
Our new research has pointed to one mechanism underlying this association: when primary school children know a spoken word, they form an expectation of what that word should look like when it is written down – and they do this even if they have never seen it before.
Using eye-tracking technology, we demonstrated that these expectations can help children to process orally familiar words more quickly when they read them for the first time.
The tech: understanding eye-tracking
Advances in technology have made it much easier to use eye-tracking with children. Unlike old systems that were mounted on participants’ heads, new systems (shown below) sit on the desk in front of the child. The eye-tracker finds a small target sticker on the child’s forehead and uses it to work out where the child’s eyes are.
Eye-trackers are special cameras that can follow the movement of the eyes as children read in real time. They provide information about where children look and how long they look for, giving insight into what is happening when children read.
When the properties of a written word are changed (for example, how many letters it has or how frequently it occurs in written language), this influences how easy or difficult those words are to process.
Put simply, when processing is easy, looking times are shorter. When processing is hard, looking times are longer.
The experiment: from hearing to seeing
In order to form expectations about written words that have not yet been seen, children require a combination of knowledge about:
- the pronunciation and meaning of a spoken word; and
- the links between the sounds in spoken words and the written letters that represent them.
The figure below illustrates that by drawing this information together, children can imagine the written form of words they cannot see.
We taught children in Year 4 the pronunciations and meanings of some made-up words. We told them the words were inventions coming from “Professor Parsnip’s invention factory”. Each invention had a name and a function. A “nesh”, for example, is an automatic card shuffler (see below).
During this training period children learned some new oral vocabulary but they never saw any of the words written down.
Later we took the words the children had learned about and some other words they hadn’t learned about, and put them into some simple sentences. We then tracked the movement of the children’s eyes as they read.
Previously heard versus previously unheard words
We found that when children had previously learned about a spoken word, they spent less time looking at it than other words they hadn’t heard about. This suggested their reading was enhanced by their previous oral vocabulary.
The time spent looking at the words they had learned about was also affected by how predictable the spellings of the words were. This revealed that children formed advance expectations about how the words were likely to be spelled.
When a word was spelled in a way that was what they expected to see, this helped their reading. For example, if the children had learned the spoken word “nesh”, we showed them the written word nesh.
But when we showed them a word that was spelled in a way the children probably did not expect to see, the children were surprised by this and they focused on it longer. For example, the children were surprised when they learned the spoken word “coib” but we showed them the written word koyb.
In the two videos, there is a clear difference in reading times for the unpredictably spelled word koyb and the predictably spelled word nesh.
The fact that children’s reading was affected by whether they knew the spoken form of the word and how predictably it was spelled shows that when children hear spoken words they form expectations about what those words should look like before they see them. In turn, this can help their reading.
Building oral vocabulary and boosting literacy skills
Making deposits in children’s spoken word banks – their store of words with known pronunciations and meanings – is an important and practical way of helping to support their literacy development.
Classrooms are logical places to teach children new spoken words, but parents can create learning opportunities at home too. If an unfamiliar word arises during conversation or shared book reading, perhaps try starting a dialogue by asking your child whether they have heard it before.


Creative Club Hub
Short film suggestions for film scoring practice
2016 UPDATE: Our short film collection is being moved to our new Music Education site, MusicWiz.club. When the move is complete, you will be able to access the list from either VirtualArtists.com or MusicWiz.club.
MusicWiz is mobile-ready and uses the latest technology to keep your favorite information available on all devices. MusicWiz also features a highly…Continue
Piano Adventures Level 1 – Nancy and Randall Faber
This series of books works very well for the young beginner. The Lesson and Performance books are particularly helpful. Students really enjoy singing along as they play, which is excellent for their ear training. New concepts are introduced clearly and at appropriate times. All in all, it’s a great series for the younger…
Added by KeyNotes on March 12, 2015 at 11:00am — No Comments
I usually teach my students that music contains the following elements:
Sure this list can be discussed, but I've found it working. My simple definition of melody is "a bunch of single tones in a meaningful order". Again, "meaningful order" is a subject of debate, but I usually give my students the following "rules" for the "meaningful order",…Continue
NOTE: The above picture is tongue in cheek - how NOT to write a legible score!!!
Just when you think your new piece is finished, that's the time when editing begins! This checklist will help you ensure a professional quality score. The more you incorporate…Continue
Added by Harmonia on January 1, 2012 at 10:00pm — No Comments


Sounds of the world’s languages differ greatly , e.g., English has 44 phonemes and Spanish has 21. By 6 months old, your student’s brains are wiring to sounds of a language other than English. Our software uniquely targets the phonemes of English to build the foundational skills required for all literacy. With brains “wired” for English, listening comprehension and all language development happens faster and easier.
Using game-like technology designed by neuroscientists, your students complete 1000s of trials practicing grammar, academic vocabulary and listening comprehension skills needed for fast ELD improvement – more practice than is achieved by other interventions or teacher-directed work. Our exercises infinitely adapt to each student to keep them motivated, but challenged just enough.
Students need to apply their newly learned language fundamentals as they read texts aloud. Your students get nonjudgmental support form the only software that uses speech recognition technology to “listen” to their English pronunciation, decoding, etc., offering support just when they need it. It includes over 300 non-fiction and fictional reading selections across genres with embeded vocabulary support.
”Students with limited or no English speaker proficiency need instruction in recognizing and distinguishing the sounds of English as compared or contrasted with sounds in their native language.”
“Instruction for ELLs in oral language knowledge, skill, and abilities must be explicit, intensive, and extensive.”
“Oral proficiency in English (including oral vocabulary, grammar, and listening comprehension) is critical for ELLs to develop proficiency in text-level English reading comprehension.”


Degree Granting Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Elementary teaching techniques, Elementary education, Cognitive-based learning, Brain-compatible research, Brain-based classroom management
This thesis discusses brain-based methodology and how educators can use brain-based techniques to impact, support, and advance cognitive growth. Current research on learning and memory is enabling educators to better understand how the brain learns and what environmental factors assist in or detract from student learning. Brain-based learning techniques are considered by brain-based researchers as one way to create a learning environment that fosters student learning at individual academic levels while concurrently challenging each student and promoting academic growth. Teachers can further student academic advancement through the direct manipulation of the classroom environment rather than by purchasing a particular program that promises results.
Scholar Commons Citation
Herson, Laurie A., "Brain-compatible research: using brain-based techniques to positively impact student learning" (2006). Graduate Theses and Dissertations.


Artist, professor and writer Theresa McCormick held a discussion on efforts for peace and progress for women educators with a group of students Wednesday during college hour in Wilber Hall.
McCormick began her discussion with a brief overview of the history of women’s rights and the struggles and successes that affect women today.
"Often history books don’t tell us about it… there are many non-governmental organizations that focus on peace and peace education," McCormick said.
McCormick spoke about the pattern of inequality female educators face, which, she said, began in the 1800s when the demand for teachers increased and young women could be paid low wages.
She specifically spoke of "Women Peace Educators," an organization headed by Betty Reardon, and its three principles: planetary stewardship, global citizenship and positive human relations. These are "most helpful" for teachers, she said.
She went on to discuss how important it is for students to have role models, which could be teachers. McCormick reminisced about her third grade principal and how greatly influenced she was by a woman who held a leadership role.
Remaining hopeful, McCormick gave advice to her audience of mostly education majors.
"You may think you don’ t make a difference but you can and you do," McCormick said.
McCormick closed her discussion with the story of Ida B. Wells’ 1884 conflict with a train conductor after he discriminated against her racially.
"[She was] an amazing woman," she said.
McCormick began her career in education by teaching art for K-12 in West Virginia. She went on to get her B.A. in art education, her Master’ s degree in art and a doctorate in education. She taught as a professor of education in multicultural and gender studies at Iowa State University for twenty years. She has also written two books on gender and multicultural equality in the classroom.


Piet Mondrian for Kids | Biography and Lesson Resources
Art Lessons and Printable Resources for the Elementary Art Student
Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian (1892-1944), is one of the most respected artists of the modern era. The focus of this collection of free art lesson plans and resources is to provide elementary school students with free lesson materials to learn about and appreciate the art of this famous artist. Some of these activities are simple to prepare and enjoy. Others may require a trip to the art store.
Piet Mondrian was born in Amersfoort in the Netherlands, in 1892. He was the second of his parent's children. At a very young age his father Pieter and his Uncle Fritz, both artists themselves, introduced Piet to the world of art.
In 1892, Mondrian entered the Academy for Fine Art in Amsterdam as a qualified teacher. While teaching at the academy he also practiced his painting. Most of his paintings from this period were of landscapes. These pastoral images of Holland included fields, cows and windmills. These paintings were representational and show the influence that the pointillist (painting with dots) and fauvist (vivid colors) movements had on him...
This free printable Piet Mondrian word search worksheet helps students to build reading skills while learning about Mondrian. Tell your students how many words there are to find. Then ask them to complete the word search worksheet by identifying the keywords biography and circling them on the worksheet.
Your students will have a blast, and the homeroom teachers at your school will be thrilled that you included an activity like this one in your art lesson plans.
Free Art Lesson Plans
Introduce students to the art of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, and then create a masterpiece after his work. This lesson plan is designed to fulfill Standard #4: K-4 and Standard #4: 5-8 of the National Standards for Art Education: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
Blue, Red, Yellow, White and Black Construction Paper
Create a work of art in you kitchen. Bake a batch of sugar cookies, whip up some frosting, and then turn your cookies into a Mondrian masterpiece.
4" Sugar Cookies
Popsicle Sticks or Paint Brushes
Icing Bag (or sandwich bag with corner cut)
Cookie Design Worksheet
Enjoy the work of this master artist over and over again with free desktop wallpaper of his work from his most memorable period.
Take a moment to color a Mondrian masterpiece.
This art masterpiece coloring page of Piet Mondrian's Composition with Blue, Red and Yellow, will give children an opportunity to interact with a piece of art in a way that they may have never experienced before. Not only will they look at this masterpiece, but they will interact with it. As a result, it will leave a much more lasting impression of the artwork and possibly a greater appreciation for art in general, than had they only looked at it.
Artist Supplies on Amazon
Being a great artist starts by have the right supplies. Get started with art supplies from Amazon.com.
Have something awesome to add? Share away!


Single parenting might negatively influence academic achievement in that when you are a single parent, you are doing the work usually allocated to two people. This means less time, as a parent, to check papers from school, help your child practice spelling, and also attend school functions. However, marriage does not always improve student grades, and can even have a negative impact. Students whose families are in transition may score lower than students in a stable single parent home.
Single Parents Can Raise Successful Students
Studies such as "Academic Achievement of Children in Single Parent Homes: A Critical Review" by Mark S. Barajas in The Hilltop Review, indicates that children in single parent homes statistically have lower academic achievement and may have difficulty forming attachments. However, this same study indicated that despite overall statistics, that 70 percent of children from single-parent homes graduate from high school, and that 50 percent of them attend college. The low academic scores were attributed to economic challenges and time constraints.
Society and the Single Parent
Nancy E. Dowd, in her book, “In Defense of the Single-Parent Families," argues that the statistics presented against single families reflect social prejudice. She adds that the number of caregivers in a household is less significant than the focus given to child needs and development. Furthermore, she adds, many two-parent families function as a single-parent family in that one person is primarily responsible for needs of the children. In today's society of two paycheck families, children in all families might attend daycare or become latchkey children.
Literacy and Teen Pregnancy
People can become single parents for a variety of reasons. A study by the American Public Health Association called "Literacy, A Powerful Predictor To Pre-Teen Pregnancy" seems to indicate that girls who have low literacy levels are more likely to become pregnant during their teen years than age peers who have higher reading levels. "The Handbook of Language and Literacy" by C. Addison Stone, states that family cultural practices have a strong influence on literacy development. It is probable that mothers with low literacy would be less likely to set a reading example for their children.
Exhaustion Factor and Support Networks
For single parents with a reasonable degree of literacy, the greatest challenge of raising children alone is the exhaustion factor. After working all day, these parents must pick up their children from the sitter or daycare, prepare an evening meal, interact with their child, and do any cleaning or preparatory work for the following day. Active parenting is often fitted into one or two short hours. A good support network such as friends or family or even supportive teachers at a school facility, can help bridge the exhaustion gap for single parents.
- NCBI: Does Children’s Academic Achievement Improve when Single Mothers Marry?
- Academic Achievement of Children in Single Parent Homes: A Critical Review, Mark S. Barajas
- In Defense of Single Parent Families, Nancy E. Dowd
- American Public Health Association: Pre-teen literacy a strong predictor of pregnancy in US teens
- Handbook of Language and Literacy, (Challenges in Language and Literacy)
- Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images


This generation is currently faced with limited options for work, yet holds the greatest potential in ensuring levels of social and environmental sustainability, and cultural integrity of their ancestral domains. From these youth come the next cultural leaders, the teachers of the next generations; the keepers of indigenous values, knowledge, and practices. It is a progressive learning strategy that allows indigenous youth to participate in and contribute to broader Philippine society.
The program is held in the Pulangiyén gaup (ancestral domain) of Bendum. It is made up of multiple courses collectively called Hulas, and each course runs for eight weeks with usually two technical subjects and one formative subject. It is a live-in arrangement where a learning community is formed with daily classes, activities and responsibilities, including house management and vegetable gardening.
The program acknowledges 20 years of education efforts in the area that started with functional literacy and is now acknowledged as contributing to the national program of culture-based elementary education through the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center. There are active plans to establish a formal training center for a national program of multilingual education that can offer a parallel Kinder to Year 12 (K-12) program for indigenous and other upland youth.
Tuén hu Uyag evolved from the continuing engagement of the Environmental Science for Social Change with the youth in Upper Pulangi, with training and skills courses that started in 2010 through the project Bridging leadership in Mindanao for cultural and environmental stability, with support from Misereor.
For further information about Tuén hu Uyag, the program brochure can be accessed here.


Young minds require a solid foundation to support future learning. Our curriculum is designed to excite students about learning and prepare them for success.
The curriculum in the first two years eases the learner into formal education. The educational experiences act as a bridge between the preschool and the demands of formal schooling. Our emphasis remains on strengthening literacy and numeracy skills which will support the learner during one’s entire school life.
For learners to become lifelong readers and writers, it is essential that they approach early reading and language skills through a strong integrated instructional process. To help the child to become a fluent and skillful reader, we offer an extensive engagement with the English language including hearing and talking about stories and everyday events. The child also learns to connect words with ideas to express in oral and written communication.
For learners to achieve mastery in mathematical concepts, it is essential that they discover the principles underlying mathematical operations with an emphasis on problem solving. Through mathematical activities that are practical and relevant to their lives, learners develop mathematical understanding that they can apply in their daily lives and eventually in the workplace. The five strands of number sense and numeracy, measurement, geometry and spatial sense, patterning and algebra, data management and probability are gradually revealed to the young learner.
As the learner has gained mastery over basic concepts underlying each subject area in the primary years, the learner is now ready to meet the rigours of the academic programme in the secondary section aligned with the ICSE Examinations.
The focus shifts to self-reliance and initiative with purposeful, goal-directed facilitation by the teacher. Opportunities are therefore created for questioning, enquiry, debate, reflection and arriving at concepts or creating new ideas.


The expectations for kindergarten have gotten higher and our five year olds are expected to do more and more. Of course they are! They should do more and they should learn more. The amount of knowledge that is available to them in this modern world is tremendous, and they should be prepared and able to access all of it.
However, at the same time that we are trying to expose our children to more knowledge, we are also losing important aspects of childhood development. We are giving up the practices that have always defined early childhood learning. But correlation is not causation. Just because these two events are happening in our education system at the same time, it does not mean that the one is not causing the other. In fact, if we truly want to increase the amount of knowledge that our children acquire in their early years, our teaching should become more developmentally appropriate, more hands on, more sensory motivated, and more directed by play. We know through countless research studies that this is the best way to disseminate information to a young mind, and if we want young minds to grow, these are the practices we should be using.
If we are not using these techniques in the classroom of the young child, then we are wasting precious time and opportunity. If we do not allow our children to paint, then we are missing a chance to teach about shapes and geometry. If we throw out our building blocks, then we aren’t teaching the spatial skills and divergent thinking needed for jobs like computer programming and engineering. When there is no playhouse in the classroom, children lose a chance to engage in activities beyond their current level of understanding (as proven by the research of Piaget) and develop persistence in problem solving and coping with changing situations. If we teach children only through direct instruction (or worse: worksheets) instead of games, then we have lost a chance to expand their memory and logical thinking. If we don’t sing, how can we expand a child’s vocabulary? If we get rid of the puppets and toys, we have lost the chance to expand a child’s comprehension of a story through retelling in a medium they easily understand. If we take out the sensory play, then we’ve lost a chance to help a child understand the science of the natural world, to problem solve, and to take chances. Why is it that in the current school setting, where expectations are so high, we are voiding ourselves of the very tools that would make our jobs easier?
Yes, it is true that kindergarten is becoming less and less appropriate, and the repercussions are frightening. However, blaming high expectations and the Common CORE are not going to solve the problem because expecting our children to do and think remarkable things is not, and has never been the problem.
If teachers teach what they are required to teach using proven early childhood methods, the results will be astounding. Yes, it is more demanding of talents, time, and energy to teach in this way. Yes, it takes more support from other teachers, parents, and administrators to teach in this way. Yes, it takes better educated teachers to teach in this way. And, yes, it takes more guts to teach in this way. But, it is worth it. And our kids deserve it.


A teacher-librarian (TL), school librarian, or school library media specialist (SLMS), is a certified librarian who also has training in teaching. According to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), the official title for a certified librarian who works in a school in the United States is school librarian.
The school librarian performs four main leadership roles: teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator. In the teacher role, the school librarian develops and implements curricula relating to information literacy and inquiry. School librarians may read to children, assist them in selecting books, and assist with schoolwork. Some school librarians see classes on a "flexible schedule". A flexible schedule means that rather than having students come to the library for instruction at a fixed time every week, the classroom teacher schedules library time when the expertise of the school librarian, library and information skills, or materials are needed as part of a learning experience.
In the instructional partner role, school librarians collaborate with classroom teachers to create independent learners by fostering students' research, information literacy, technology, communication, and critical thinking skills.
As information specialists, school librarians develop a resource base for the school by using the curriculum and student interests to identify and obtain library materials, organize and maintain the library collection in order to promote independent reading and lifelong learning. Materials in the library collection can be located using an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)
This role also encompasses many activities relating to technology including the integration of resources in a variety of formats: periodical databases; Web sites; digital video segments; podcasts; blog and wiki content; digital images; virtual classrooms, etc. School librarians are often responsible for audio-visual equipment and are sometimes in charge of school computers and computer networks.
As program administrators, school librarians define, lead, and manage school library media programs by establishing library policies; overseeing the library budget; planning the physical and virtual library space; and maintaining a welcoming, positive, and innovative learning atmosphere. Librarians also maintain the collection by adding items to enhance curriculum and entice readers in order to have a good relationships with the patrons, both teachers and students. Many times, librarians are also responsible for repairing damaged books and periodicals.
In the United States, a teacher-librarian must have a baccalaureate degree and a certificate in secondary or elementary education, and must also complete a school library media program and gain a state certification. Programs in library science vary between institutions; however, state requirements must be met before a library media specialist is allowed to teach. Some school library media specialists hold the full Masters of Library Science (MLS) or Masters of Library Information Science (MLIS) degree, while others do not. In many instances, school librarians who have an MLS but do not have the requisite teaching credentials must obtain these teaching credentials and classroom teaching experience first before they are permitted to work as teacher-librarians, and often additional library science graduate coursework is required, focused specifically on issues pertaining to school librarianship.
Teacher-librarians rely on the support of local, state, national, and international professional organizations for career and professional development, employment opportunities, and awards/grants/funding. Groups like the International Association of School Librarianship; the American Association of School Librarians; the School Library Association in the United Kingdom and the Australian School Library Association host websites, publish journals, and sponsor conferences, workshops, and other events which showcase current research and practices in the field.
In the United States, teacher-librarians are also supported by state organizations which advocate for teachers at the district and school level. A comprehensive list is available from the ALA.
None of the audio/visual content is hosted on this site. All media is embedded from other sites such as GoogleVideo, Wikipedia, YouTube etc. Therefore, this site has no control over the copyright issues of the streaming media.
All issues concerning copyright violations should be aimed at the sites hosting the material. This site does not host any of the streaming media and the owner has not uploaded any of the material to the video hosting servers. Anyone can find the same content on Google Video or YouTube by themselves.
The owner of this site cannot know which documentaries are in public domain, which has been uploaded to e.g. YouTube by the owner and which has been uploaded without permission. The copyright owner must contact the source if he wants his material off the Internet completely.


Really? You can estimate in Algebra? I never thought about how important estimating is until I visited Estimation 180’s website.
It’s so important because when you go to the store, you estimate how much it’ll cost for 10 pieces of gum when the gum varies in price.
You estimate the length of carpet you need to buy to replace the piece your dog tore up.
Estimation is key and I’ve never used it in Algebra. Why not? It’s state-tested, there can’t be time! No way that any algebra concepts could be estimated.
Wrong. What I’m excited to try in my classroom now that we have moved onto coordinate planes, points and linear equations, is the use of “no number coordinate planes”.
Why shouldn’t students be able to estimate a point given only one number on each axis? I also think that students may feel comfortable entering the topic given that they’re not expected to have the correct answer. Additionally, there’s mystery to the activity creating engagment.
How about estimating slope? To estimate slope, students could understand from the placement of the line that it is positive and if it’s not steep it must closer to zero.
The whole time they’ll be developing the skill of estimation and conceptual knowledge of points/slope/linear equations.
I also love that this will require students to think outside the bounds of whole numbers. If the glass isn’t full and it’s not empty, it must be some point between the two. The students can think more in decimals and fractions to build foundational skills that are often lacking.
My first step is going to start with basic estimation examples and then more them more into content or unit specific. Regardless, skills are being developed and are a great tool for students to interact with mathematical and logic skills.


National Standards Project Designed To Highlight Arts' Role
Surrounded by an elementary-school glee club and children's artwork, officials of three federal agencies last week announced plans to develop "world class'' national standards for student achievement in the arts by 1994.
Slated to receive $250,000 this year, the project will set standards for what students should know and be able to do in four disciplines--dance, theater, the visual arts, and music. It is being funded jointly by the Education Department, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
"I hope the arts will be an important part of the curriculum in every school in America and I hope the arts will be integrated into a variety of subjects in every school in America,'' Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander said in making the announcement June 4.
Mr. Alexander has been criticized during the past year over the failure of national education-reform efforts to recognize arts education. In particular, critics contend that by focusing on only five subjects--English, geography, history, mathematics, and science--President Bush's America 2000 reform program makes it easy for schools to ignore the arts.
Amid such criticism, Mr. Alexander announced plans in March for an America 2000 Arts Partnership intended to strengthen arts education in the nation's schools. The standards project, Mr. Alexander said, is a key element of that strategy, which also calls for a national center on arts education and a network to promote such studies in schools taking part in the America 2000 plan. (See Education Week, March 25, 1992.)
The voluntary standards will be developed by a consortium of national groups active in the arts. Led by John Mahlmann, executive director of the Music Educators National Conference, they include: The American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the National Art Education Association, and the National Dance Association.
Francie M. Alexander, the department's deputy assistant secretary of the office of educational research and improvement, said the standards project will "run parallel'' to efforts already under way to develop national student assessments in the arts. The National Assessment Governing Board at its March meeting voted to begin testing students' grasp of that subject through the 1996 National Assessment for Educational Progress tests.
"People from both groups are working together so there will be some coordination,'' she said.
A 'First Step'
Members of the arts community who are taking part in the standards project said the effort was "a major first step'' toward quelling some of their concerns about the lack of national attention to their field.
While the arts are considered a frill in some schools, most elementary schools teach music and art, according to a 1989 survey by the now-defunct National Arts Education Research Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. But students only spend an average of 50 to 60 minutes each week studying those subjects. Dance is offered in about 7 percent of all elementary schools.
Arts-education proponents said they hope the standards project will increase the amount of time students spend on the arts in school and improve the quality of instruction.
"I don't think it could do anything but help,'' said Rebecca Hutton, direction of the National Dance Association.
The question now, added Thomas Hatfield, executive director of the National Art Education Association, is whether federal efforts to improve arts education will continue.
"I hope this doesn't die after the November elections,'' he added.
The new project is the third attempt by the federal government to support standards-setting in a subject area.
Last fall, the Education Department gave $500,000 to the National Academy of Sciences to oversee standards-setting efforts in science. And, in January, the department and the N.E.H. unveiled a $1.6-million standards project in history.
Mr. Mahlmann said the arts-standards group plans to complete a set of draft standards for widespread review in two to three months.
Vol. 11, Issue 38, Page 19


I have loved books and reading (anything) since I was a young child. I loved all kinds of books- babysitters club, goosebumps, a gymnastics series. I even studied English and Creative Writing in College because I was so drawn to literature. I knew that when I had children of my own, I would surround them with the written word. My son's bookshelf is already full of stories and adventures. We read to Aiden as often as we can- it's great bonding time and we love watching his little facial expressions. Please enjoy this article on the importance of books and reading.
Learning to Read
By: Kathleen Thomas
- Ask your child’s teacher for a list of books that relate to what is happening at school; buy or borrow these books from the library and read them together at home
- Surround children with age-appropriate books on a variety of subjects
- Read stories to children daily from infancy and encourage them to participate in the story
- Always keep favorite books in the car for “waiting” periods and long trips
- Older children, preschool and above, who have been read to will proudly “read” their favorite familiar books aloud. They will usually retell the story as they turn the pages and point to the illustrations. Sometimes children will make up entirely different stories to go with the pictures. This is a significant stage in literacy development because children are demonstrating that they know books are meant to communicate stories. They are “getting” it.
What is your favorite child's book? What books did/do your children like?


The Arts World Wide curriculum recognizes that learning is holistic and contextual. Students will engage in heuristic processes in order to creatively express themselves in a work of art that is personally meaningful to them, to develop their expository writing abilities, and to achieve other curriculum objectives. For these reasons alternative assessments, including portfolio assessment, are highly recommended for use.
Teachers can conduct formative assessment of each students creative progress, knowledge, skills, and attitudes by observing them as they work, having formal and informal discussions with them, and periodically reviewing their portfolio of artworks and their written journal of their thoughts and actions. The students also will participate in formative assessment by providing feedback on the preliminary ideas and sketches of their peers.
Summative assessment of student learning can be based on each students final artwork, papers, and oral presentations in addition to their cumulative portfolio of artworks and their written journals. Again, the students contribute to the assessment process by jurying the exhibition of student artworks.
An increasing number of states in the United States are requiring art education for high school graduation and college entrance. The prospects for art education have also improved at the federal level with the Goals 2000: Educate America Act which passed with strong bipartisan support in 1994. The Goals 2000 Act sets education improvement as a national priority to be accomplished through local and state initiatives. One of the primary goals of this legislation is that all students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including history and the arts. The Act also calls for the development of a national vision and strategy to infuse technology and technology planning into all educational programs and training functions carried out within school systems at the State and local levels. Taken together, these goals of the Goals 2000 Act speak directly to the aim of this curriculum.
Copyright 1995, 1998-2009 Eric Pals. All rights reserved.


This paper presents a model which weaves together an adaptation of Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1989, 1993) and the tenets of human agency theory (Bandura, 2001; Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 1996; Bandura, Pastorelli, Barbaranelli, & Caprara, 1999; Carlson, 1997), which are central to decision-making, self-regulation and self-determination. This model provides a framework to explain how non-Indigenous lecturers were able to work in culturally appropriate ways with community members in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Australia, on a project which focussed on improving the literacy and numeracy skills of four-year-old children. The aim of this initiative was to enhance children’s capacity to engage with expectations on entry into formal schooling. There were multiple levels of engagement in the design and implementation of the project. For the positive outcomes to be sustainable it was imperative that the initiative be embraced by the community and that they see themselves, rather than the non-Indigenous stakeholders, as the key to its success. The project’s implementation is described in detail and outcomes are provided. These include the children demonstrating increased pre-reading and numeracy skills and, importantly, the engagement of the whole community in the project and the previously unqualified early childhood educators being motivated to complete a Certificate III in Children’s Services.
- bio-ecological model,
- human agency theory,
- remote Aboriginal communities
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/marguerite-maher/16/


Vegetable gardening and health are interlinked. Children who grow their own vegetables are more likely to eat them and to try new ones. Children who eat more vegetables are less likely to be obese. In Putnam County the rate of obesity is 4 percent higher than the state average.
We at Cornell Cooperative Extension are working with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam and the Putnam County Department of Health’s Live Healthy Putnam Coalition to bring garden-based education programs to childcare centers in Putnam County.
Vegetable gardening also makes great tie-ins into science-based curriculum that meets common core and early childhood learning guides and standards, like Cognition and Knowledge of the World & Living Things, Scientific Thinking and Nutrition. Don’t think you have enough space for a garden? Many of these activities can take place in pots and on windowsills.
If you are interested in starting a garden at your childcare facility, or gardening with you child at home, contact us. We can help you get started and introduce you to many helpful resources including: Cornell's Garden Based Learning website.
Last updated January 11, 2016


The study of human beings and their associations and accomplishments is truly a vast and many-faceted undertaking. After the great historian, Will Durant, and his graduate student, later wife, Ariel, had spent several decades writing eleven monumental volumes of The Story of Civilization, they wrote a 100-page conclusion they titled The Lessons of History. The introductory chapter of Lessons concludes, "Since a man is a moment in astronomic time; a transient guest of the earth; a spore of his species; a scion of his race; a composite of body, character, and mind; a member of a family and a community; a believer or doubter of a faith; a unit in an economy; perhaps a citizen in a state or a soldier in an army; we may ask under the corresponding headings--astronomy, geology, geography, biology, ethnology, psychology, morality, religion, economics, politics, and war--what history has to say about the nature, conduct, and prospects of man. It is a precarious enterprise; only a fool would try to compress a hundred centuries into a hundred pages of hazardous conclusions. We proceed."
The mysterious concept "culture" tries to capture the essential characteristics of human groupings and their accomplishments. The definition of "culture" I like best is, "the interlocking network of language, beliefs, and practices of a group of people, and the child-rearing practices that perpetuate these."
There have been tens of thousands of identifiably different cultures on earth. There are today certainly several thousand. A few dozen are hidden away in the Amazon rain forests or jungles of New Guinea, isolated from and bewildered by the trails of jet airplanes they see crossing the sky high overhead and the loggers and poachers who infringe on the margins of their worlds. Many others interact with one another, and are even proprietors and custodians of the great machines and ideas and interconnections we think of as "the modern world."
But each of the thousands of cultures is unique--different from all the others--and generally considers itself the "best" or "only" way to live. "We are right and they are wrong" is an almost universal mantra. said that Western European-American culture is the only cultural grouping, of the hundreds he had studied, that holds " " as a core cultural value. In other words, ours is the only culture that believes, as one of its root values, that alien cultures have valid points of view.
Were you surprised to see "child-rearing practices" as part of that very short, tight (hence incomplete) definition of "culture" that I chose? And yet a group of people who cannot teach their children to teach their children to teach their children...their core language, beliefs, and practices, cannot endure--cannot pass the test of time--the test of making their own unique history.
So we come to the central problem: trying to uncover and refine our child-rearing practices.
It is obvious that adults are different from one another in many ways, including their emotional reactions. Confronted with a sudden and unusual event, one adult will feel frightened, another amused, another curious, another angry, and others will experience many other reactions. There are certain common elements to the biological startle reaction--focused attention, rising blood pressure and racing heart, etc. But it is axiomatic that a lot of learning--including early childhood learning--goes into modifying the reaction. Each culture--each set of child-rearing practices--sculpts the body's startle reactions toward different cultural expectations. Similarly, each sculpts every other biological process and reaction toward the cultural mold.
One further complication. As children grow, they change radically in their openness to learning certain things. A child, for example, who has not learned--because of social isolation, deafness, or other physical or emotional disability--to speak a native language by the age of five, will never be able to learn any language with fluency--native language, foreign language, sign language, or any other. A child's brain seems to awaken to learning sound groupings, symbols, and meanings and if the child is not stimulated to learn the crucial language steps at the crucial times in development, the child's brain can never be awakened to those possibilities and connections again. The same is true for various steps in manipulation of numbers, in music, and in many other sensory-motor skill sets.
Human cultures vary widely. But they all depend on teaching their children to become adults in the culture's mold. This is complicated by the fact that children's learning abilities come and go as they grow. How these variables interact is at the essence of who we are as individuals, and what we can become as a human species.
Bun Gladieux, president of the Presssure Positive Company, has a blog with an interesting series of topics.
You and Your Muscles
8 years ago


Like February is African American History Month and March is Women's History Month, President Obama has declared October National Arts and Humanities Month. There are events planned all over the country this month to celebrate.
According to the National Agency of State Arts Agencies, National Arts and Humanities Month's four primary goals are to:
- Create a national, state and local focus on the arts and humanities through the media (which is where I come in)
- Encourage the active participation of individuals, as well as arts, humanities and other interested organizations nationwide (keep on reading... there's a list of my favorite music organizations, please comment below and tell us what yours is!)
- Provide an opportunity for federal, state and local business, government and civic leaders to declare their support for the arts and humanities
- Establish a highly visible vehicle for raising public awareness about the arts and humanities
The proclamation by President Obama states:
"Every American deserves an opportunity to study, understand, and contribute to the arts and humanities. This must begin in our schools, where children may have their first and most important exposure to these disciplines."I'm glad to see the federal government at least showing some kind of public support for the arts and humanities. We can talk all day about how we need to put arts education back into our schools, but until the cash shows up, that's all it is: talk. And until schools start seeing this money, we have arts organizations to help take the place of music and art education.
To read more of my article click here


Ignite your practice with Dalcroze training
Capture the pulse of modern music pedagogy and discover how to bring your classroom to life with a sense of play. This progressive, student-centered Dalcroze-based eurhythmics course gives you the skills to infuse your practice with dynamic purposeful education.
While a variety of perspectives on the Dalcroze method of music education are presented, a focus is given to the following areas to unlock creativity, nurture imagination, and open doors to enriched musical experiences:
- Eurhythmics – train the body in beat, rhythm, meter, phrase, form, nuance, affect, aesthetics, and Plastique Animée;
- Solfège – train the ear, eye, and voice in pitch, melody, and harmony;
- Improvisation – bring all elements together according to the student's own interpretation, including movement, voice, and instrument;
- Pedagogy – learn techniques that enable you to adapt what you have learned to your own work;
- Teaching lab with children – gain hands-on experience teaching leading children in Dalcroze activities.
Designed for music educators of all varieties
The Dalcroze eurhythmics training course is on the cutting edge of music education, and as such, designed for those looking to break the mold – teachers and beyond – including:
- College professors and graduate students looking for a more embodied approach.
- K-12 classroom music teachers.
- Those interested in starting their own music programs or businesses.
- Performing musicians of all ages and abilities.
- Music educators, dance educators, and other music education specialists.
- Music therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and recreational therapists.
- Students currently studying music performance, music therapy, music education, or dance.
Learn to adapt to face challenges
Course content is specifically geared to challenges faced by classroom music teachers, among them:
- Oversized/large classes;
- Classroom spaces that are not optimal;
- Sparse/varying weekly instructional time;
- Special needs learners;
- Differentiating instruction;
- ESL learners;
- Grade-level programs;
- Lack of instruments/materials;
- Interdisciplinary curriculum planning;
- Collaboration with classroom teachers;
- Fostering parent involvement;
- Advocating within public school community.
Access state-of-the-art facilities on campus
The Dalcroze training is delivered in the inspiring setting of the Rocky Mountain foothills, on campus at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Here students have access to state-of-the-art facilities for music and movement, including:
- Two full size professional dance studios;
- The University dance theater, complete with Marley floor, stage lights (for Plastique Animée), and sound;
- Runyan Choral Hall;
- A 4,800 square foot Instrumental Rehearsal Hall with wooden floors;
- Program rooms equipped with SMART board technology;
- Piano labs;
- An extensive Dalcroze library;
- More than 40 practice rooms.
Meal and lodging coordination is available for those travelling, a service not available through many other programs.
You have the option of completing this program for personal enrichment, or to enroll in the academic three-credit course to receive transcript credit for the Dalcroze-based eurhythmics course.


Today I want to share some little tips you can use to make your art studies with your kids more enjoyable and more effective. I see so much confusion around how to approach art, what to study, how to introduce it, and a million other questions moms have when they begin to think about studying art history with their kids.
I’ve come up with a simple system I like to follow when I’m exploring art with my own kids, and I use it as the foundation for everything I create at Art History Kids as well.
I call it the 4 pillars because I like to think of it visually as 4 elements that all work together to make the structure (in this case art education) more stable, and more solid.
The 4 pillars are:
- observation and conversation
- open ended project ideas
- a process oriented mindset
- curiosity and critical thinking
Today we’ll be focusing on #1 - observation and conversation. I've created a short video to go into detail...
If the video isn't displaying for you on this page, you can also click here to see it:
Try it out the next time you’re looking at art together, and watch as you transform the depth of their interest and understanding. It’s really an amazingly simple shift, but one that’s so incredibly powerful.
Next week we'll chat about pillar #2- the importance of inviting your kids to do open ended art projects.
PS. Don't miss out on the fun promotion going on right now. When you purchase the Modern Art Bundle, you'll get a LOT of fun extra bonuses. So, if you’ve been meaning to do more art with your kids, or make the time you spend doing art more meaningful… check these out. The bonuses will be available through Thursday, and they are really fun.
To get more tips and tricks like this, and chat about this video, join the Art History Kids Facebook Group! I can't wait to meet you in there and say hi!


Choosing a Preschool / Separation
- Is Your Child Ready For Preschool?
Starting preschool is such an exciting and momentous occasion! When children are 3-years-old, they are no longer toddlers. They are “big kids” ready to start preschool. As parents, we can help our children prepare for this next big step.
- 10 signs of a great preschool
How to spot a top notch program for your child.
- How academic should a preschool be?
The best preschools blend play time and “seat work,” helping develop academic skills while allowing children to learn through play.
- A smooth start
When your child starts preschool, she may experience separation anxiety and regressive behavior. Child psychiatrist Joshua Sparrow explains what you can expect.
- How important is play in preschool?
As preschools strengthen their academic focus, play maintains a vital role.
Learning / Milestones
- Why should your child attend preschool?
In preschool, your child will learn to share, follow instructions and begin the foundation for school learning.
- Developmental milestones: Ages 3 through 5
Knowing what to expect as your child grows can reassure you that your child is on track with his peers or alert you to potential concerns.
- Write Out of the Box!
Fine motor skill development for preschool children
Fine Motor Skill Development Ideas
- One of the best and least expensive materials for strengthening fine motor skills is playdough. Here are some ideas:
- Roll pieces and form letters or shapes
- Roll pieces and snap apart with pincer grasp
- Roll pieces and cut apart with scissors or a plastic knife
- Cold or warm playdough will stimulate the nerve endings in the fingers
- More fun fine motor skill ideas:
- Create a design using a Lite-Bright
- Pick up objects with tongs gradually decreasing the size (pick up beans with tweezers)
- Tear paper stripes
- Twist small pieces of tissue paper on the end of a pencil eraser – glue the pieces into a shape outline
- Make matching games using clothespins to attach to the answer.
- Connecting cubes or unifix cubes
- Match keys to locks and lock and unlock
- Folding – washcloths or pieces of fabric before paper
- Dress a Doll – zippers, buttons, hooks
- Weave construction paper strips
- Peg boards and geo boards


M.S. in Elementary Education
Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education
College of Education
Education, Elementary--Research; Mathematics--Study and teaching (Elementary)
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of small group mathematical instruction when compared to whole group mathematical instruction. The participants of the study consisted of 35 first grade students from two intact classes from a suburban school district in New Jersey. The control group included 21 students who received whole group mathematical instruction. The experimental group included 14 students who received small group mathematical instruction. All students were pre-tested, instructed in mathematics, and post-tested in their respective groups.
This study hypothesized that first grade students who received small group mathematical instruction would show a higher significant gain when tested compared to first grade students who had not received small group mathematical instruction when pretest and post test scores were compared.
The results of a t test analysis indicated that students who received small group mathematical instruction did not show a higher significant gain. The results indicated no significant differences between the control group and the experimental group when the pre-tests and the post-tests were compared.
Storms, Theresa A., "The effects of small group mathematical instruction" (2005). Theses and Dissertations. 1084.


What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapists are health care professional who work with children a to help them engage in day-to-day activities. These activities can include self-care, school participation, and play.
We can help with:
- Fine motor skills including printing, scissor skills, buttoning, zippering, and lacing.
- Gross motor skills such as balance,
bilateral coordination, support with motor planning skills, core and upper body strength.
- Sensory processing which include the visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular and
All children have their own strengths and weaknesses in the area of motor skill development and it is not always necessary to address a weakness in therapy. However, for some children, a skill that is slow to develop can be a source of continued frustration or a cause of avoidance of important developmental tasks such as writing, dressing, participation in sports, and academic life.
The first step, is to have your child participate in an assessment. The assessment consists of both standardized and non-standardized tests that allows the therapist to determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses for fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and sensory processing. Based on the results of the assessment and discussion with the parent goals for therapy are then established.
We offer two types of assessments:
- Fine motor assessment with a gross motor screen. This assessment will evaluate your child’s hand skills, printing skills, scissor skills, visuo-motor skills, and in-hand manipulation skills. In addition, we also complete a gross motor screen to look at upper body and core strength, balance, and coordination. Gross motor skills are the foundation to fine motor skills. This assessment is done on the first visit.
- A sensory assessment is consists of all the components of the fine motor assment and gross motor screen, however, in addition, the parent will be asked to complete two questionnaires for review. This assessment requires two visits. The first is the assessment and the second visit is a consult session to review the results of the assessment, discuss your child’s profile, and provide recommendations. Based on the information gathered at the second visit, a parent should be able to make an informed decision on how to proceed with their child’s care, either with a home program, direct intervention with a therapist or both.
Based on assessment results, your Hand Skills’ Occupational Therapist, will establish a fun program for your child to develop fine and gross motor skills, and support sensory processing skills. Services are offered one to one with a therapist or in group format for printing and gymnastics.
For information on our different programs please click on the respective link:


How and why it works
How it works
S.M.A.R.T. Boost Up Plus is based off of three principles you may hear a lot when visiting A Chance To Grow: Frequency, Intensity and Duration.
FREQUENCY: the repetition of multi-sensory input of material or information through different activities
INTENSITY: the high quality of participation and active involvement of the students
DURATION: the consistent amount of time spent in a program of at least 80 hours to produce a change in the body and brain.
Our body systems work in cooperation with one another, not in isolation. By engaging children in a comprehensive program, we are able to address all of their underlying difficulties in a social and fun setting. The children interact in a large motor workout with organized movement that increases foundational skills such as balance, coordination, reflex integration, kinesthetic awareness, visual skills and auditory skills. When this foundation is strengthened, children find it easier to be successful in school, their social lives and in everyday functions.
Why it works
S.M.A.R.T. Boost Up Plus works because certain kinds of exercises can produce chemical alterations that give us stronger, healthier and happier brains, equipping us to think, remember and learn. Due to the comprehensive and intensive programming of S.M.A.R.T. Boost Up Plus, children's bodies and brains make quick permanent neurological changes that make learning and overall functioning easier.
This program is unique because it works at the base of the learning pyramid, or the areas you see in yellow, and “fills in” the foundational cracks to increase readiness and ease for higher-order tasks.


How often do you hear someone say “I’m not a numbers person”? I’ve heard myself utter these words on more than one occasion, even though I’ve successfully completed multiple graduate-level statistics courses. Somewhere during our many years of educating students, we’re sending the message that some people just aren’t cut out for math even if they perform well through the years. What about “I’m not a words person”? Probably not as often, right? We put a lot of pressure on students to be competent, even excellent readers, regardless of whether they struggle with the skill, but, with math, we often let kids believe they either have it or they don’t. We covered this topic back in 2011, but there have been some interesting updates in the research since then.
So how do teachers and parents help prevent the formation of math anxiety? A recent article in The New York Times provides some insight into the difficult subject. First, math begins at home, long before children enter school. Parents can point out the usefulness of math in the everyday environment – at the grocery store, while cooking, counting toys, etc. It’s second nature for parents to introduce young children to letters and literacy before school, but many adults, especially those who are anxious around numbers, might leave all the math work to the teachers. Research shows, however, that entering kindergarten with some solid early numeracy skills makes a real difference in achievement later on. There are plenty of bedtime stories out there that focus on numbers, as well. The website Pre-K Pages has a sizeable list. Most importantly, though, parents should work to overcome or face their own math anxieties and to be cognizant of how they are communicating to their children about math skills. Am I sending the message that this is another important skill to be conquered over the years, or am I telling my child that she or he might have what it takes, but might not?
If you want to take a short quiz to see where you fall on the math anxiety spectrum, check out this one, modeled after the tool used in the 2015 research.
Want to learn more about math anxiety? Check out these resources:
Aubrey, C., Godfrey, R., & Dahl, S. (2006). Early mathematics development and later achievement: Further evidence. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 18(1), 27-46.
Foley, A. E., Herts, J. B., Borgonovi, F., Guerriero, S., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2017). The Math Anxiety-Performance Link: A Global Phenomenon. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26(1), 52-58.
Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents’ math anxiety on children’s math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 0956797615592630.


How we help
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Speech and Language - Speech and language development for children with Down syndrome (5-11 years)
Advice and guidance to support the development of speech and language skills for children with Down syndrome.
This book offers advice and guidance to support the development of speech and language skills for children with Down syndrome. Discussing speech clarity, vocabulary development and grammar, it offers practical information in an accessible format.This module provides guidelines for the assessment of vocabulary, grammar, speech sound production and interactive communication skills, and activities to progress children's skills across all of these areas. The authors emphasise the importance of improving the quality and quantity of everyday communication experience for children with Down syndrome and the equally essential need to work on targeted activities for both speech and language skills. The majority of speech and language targets can be incorporated into the regular curriculum and daily activities in the classroom. This module follows on from Speech and language development for individuals with Down syndrome - An overview which should be read first, to provide the reader with an adequate understanding of speech and language development to be successful in using this programme.
NB: The library resources are available for ADSA library members to borrow. Unfortunately we do not sell direct to the general public.
You might also be interested in ...
Getting Started!!! Using Visual Systems to Promote Communication
A practical resource for parents about visual systems to develop your child's communication skills.
See & Learn - Language & Reading - First Sentences
Fourth step - a series of activities specially developed to help children who have Down syndrome learn to talk and to read. (Lending Period - 10 weeks)
Stamping Fun - Common Fruits
A box with 8 wooden stamps of common animals (a banana, apple, pineapple, pear, orange, grapes, durian, rambutan). Comes with a CD of 16 reproducible worksheet ideas to encourage language and listening.
Turn The Page With Me
A DVD that helps parents and caregivers to support their child's language and literacy development from birth to school entry.
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Once you choose to become a teacher prepare yourself to be a knowlegeable person teaching a variety of subject matter covered in the daily lesson plan but as long as you enjoy working with children there will be days when you think more things should have been done specially when you are expecting for a teacher's evaluation on how your class is achieving What I am referring to is a curriculum based in a country where I came from. Elementary Grades Teacher Curriculum takes four years to get a Diploma . For the first two years a student would enroll in general courses like liberal arts as a prerequisite to education subjects which is mostly offered when you are introduce to become a student teacher namely Principles of Education , Principles of Teaching, Elementary School Methods I & II, History of Education, Observation and Participation, Tests and Measurement,Art Education, Fundamentals of Adult Education, Child and His Curriculum, Music Education, Physical Education, and most important is the Practice Teaching. Practice Teaching means the student teacher will take over an actual class during the day and the teacher in charge of the class will observe how the lesson plan is being executed by the student teacher. The format of a lesson plan shows how many minutes of each subject matter will be taken during the day. By the way , there are different subjects and the length of time to be taken for each grade, Grade I to Grade Six.The student teacher will be given all the chances to execute a lesson plan of the the different grades. After graduation the new teacher will take part in a provincial teacher's exam by the Office of the Provincial School Superintendent. The chance of the new teacher to become a permanent teacher right away depends upon her over-all score in the exam. If there are twenty vacancies during that school year, those twenty top scorers will take those permanent positions. All new graduates will be given the opportunity to act as substitute teachers for those who go on leave during the year using the ranking system.


If you Google music, what will you find? Well, if you search deeply enough, you will find many results that explain how music can be used as outstanding learning tools for kids.
Research has conclusively shown that music helps children (and adults too, for that matter!) study and retain information. Using elements of music, such as melody and words of an audio recording, has been shown to improve the academic performance of students again and again.
Educational music, where music is used as a teaching method, comes in a variety of formats and styles: improvisational music, video/audio recordings, sheet music, and others. Educational music is not to be confused with children's music, which is a different genre altogether, although most of the educational music available today is indeed geared towards children.
Incorporating music in the classroom has been shown to raise student scores in standardized state tests, reduce the number of students referred to the office on disciplinary grounds, and heighten rates of class attendance. It can provide long-lasting results when it comes to memorizing, and may be able to achieve success where other educational methods fall short.
Kids who play musical instruments or who are otherwise musically trained have been shown to have a better verbal memory, when compared to students of the same demographic with no musical training. The importance of music education is such that music penetrates a place in our mind and brain that is perhaps deeper and more in sync with our natural rhythm, as opposed to the classic and traditional classroom dynamic.
Music connects us emotionally, and manages to hit certain spots deep within ourselves (sometimes only unconsciously) which activate and stimulate our minds. We all have a sort of life playlist or soundtrack, in which we associate certain songs, words, and melodies with specific events and occurrences. It can also help us learn things faster, and retain those pieces of information for longer periods of time.


Optical-illusion art is a picture or drawing done in such a way that it deceives one's visual perception; it tricks one into thinking it sees an image that was not originally seen. Artwork that utilizes the concept of optical illusion appears in a 3D view generally. The vision does not perceive it as a flat picture, it appears to have a three-dimensional effect, according to Archimedes' Lab.Continue Reading
Archimedes' Lab explains that the illusion is created to depict the object as it is seen in reality. For example, a block can be drawn as a simple, two-dimensional flat object, however, with the additional line and coloring this same block appears as a block sitting on a flat surface. This gives the effect that it can be picked up physically.
The optical illusion artwork is becoming more popular throughout the years, with some areas having artists that create wonderful illusions on the sidewalks or roadways in the city. Optical illusion artwork is a play on one's perceptions. An illusion artwork piece intrigues a person, because he wants to understand how it was created. But he discovers that many times what is depicted is actually impossible to accomplish or understand.
Many such artwork illusions are shown in art education. For instance, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania shows a historical perspective in its Principals of Artistic Perceptions. These types of illusion artwork can be mind-bending, and challenge individuals to figure out what they are seeing.Learn more about Drawing


Answer/Quote: “Teachers can ask students to explain how they approached and completed some of the key tasks…. In addition, teachers can use the time to ask second-language students how they view their progress in the two languages. They can also ask students to identify what they are currently finding easy and difficult to do. This procedure may uncover unique problems or questions teachers never anticipated.” P. 200.
Title: “Assessing the Literacy Development of Second-Language Students: A Focus on Authentic Assessment.” Georgia Earnest Garcia, pp. 180-205. In Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students. Eds. K Spangensberg-Urgschat and R Pritchard. Newark, DE: IRA. 1994.


Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the influential teacher of the Suzuki method of music education, spoke frequently of the ability that all children have to learn things well if they were placed in the right environment. His motto is “any child can learn”. His methods, though sometimes controversial, make sense to me. Expanding his concepts to areas beyond music opens the door to new concepts in education. Believing that any child can achieve optimal intellect, I embarked on a journey to explore ways to help my own children become thinkers and not mere reflectors of the thoughts of others. As a public school teacher, I knew that some students learned to think, but many who crossed my path were simply satisfied with becoming cookie-cutter students; ones who followed the crowd and interacted and learned just like their peers. It seemed that if I put my own children through the same process as the norm, the risk of developing reflectors rather than thinkers was great. During the discovery process, I came across a simple formula for creating children who knew how to think, create, and excel and I was hooked! This formula was developed by Harold McCurdy and his team of researchers. They were commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute to discover the recipe for the creation of genius’ throughout history. The results of their research revealed simple and amazing principles that any parent can implement in their homeschool. Would you like to know the formula? Here it is: 1) provide the child with warm, responsive parents and other significant adults in their life, 2) isolate the child from peers outside of their immediate family, and 3) give the child much freedom to explore and follow their own interests. Although simple, this formula goes against much of what current culture believes and endorses for raising intelligent children. But, when these principles are not present, or are only minimally present in the lives of children, it is found to suppress the development of his or her intellect. Would you like to raise children who can think? Consider the formula for raising a genius!


ALW 2013 – resources about adult learning
Date posted: April 8, 2013
In honour of Adult Learners’ Week, the library will be highlighting resources on adult learning and resources for adult learners during the week. Today, we’re featuring some resources that describe adult learning, its special features and what it means for teaching.
Adult learning basics.
William J. Rothwell. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press, 2008.
Examines the principles of adult learning theory and how they relate to training. It addresses how individual learning competencies, organizational learning climate and technology-related issues affect the adult learning process. Considers 7 kinds of adult intelligence and the most effective ways to address them.
Improving adult literacy instruction: options for practice and research.
Committee on the Learning Sciences. Alan M. Lesgold and Melissa Welch-Ross, eds. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2012.
Also available online www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13242
This report examines the research on literacy development, including neurobiology, instructional design, motivation and technology use, and makes recommendations for literacy instruction for adult basic education.
Jump start the adult learner: how to engage and motivate adults using brain-compatible strategies.
Laurie Materna. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2007.
Combining adult education theory with brain-compatible learning, this book presents practical, brain-friendly approaches for working with adults in formal and informal settings. Background information accompanies techniques and strategies for classrooms or workshops, including graphic organizers, music energizers, exercise activities, and self-assessments.
Learning in adulthood: a comprehensive guide. 3rd ed.
Sharan B. Merriam, Rosemary S. Cafarella, Lisa M. Baumgartner. New York: John Wiley, 2007.
Just as the title says, this is a comprehensive guide with information on different models of adult learning as well as a section on newer approaches to adult learning that includes embodied, spiritual, and narrative learning, non-Western perspectives, and critical theory, postmodern, and feminist perspectives.
Making sense of adult learning. 2nd ed.
Dorothy MacKeracher. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004.
This is a guide to the essential of how adults learn and how to apply that knowledge to practical, everyday situations.
Planning instruction for adult learners. 3rd ed.
Patricia Cranton. Toronto: Wall & Emerson, 2012.
A practical approach to planning instruction for adult learners, including characteristics of adult learners, formulating realistic goals and objectives, sequencing topics, and selecting instructional strategies and materials.
Planning programs for adult learners: a practical guide. 3rd ed.
Rosemary S. Caffarella and Sandra Ratcliff Daffron. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2013.
The most recent edition of a book on developing education programs for adult learners. Written for educators, practitioners, volunteers, and anyone responsible for adult education programs.
“Sit & get” won’t grow dendrites: 20 professional learning strategies that engage the adult brain. 2nd ed.
Marcia L. Tate. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, 2012.
This practical handbook presents an approach to teaching adults based on research on brain-based learning, differentiated instruction, multiple intelligences and adult learning.
To borrow any or all of these titles, email


The Resource Centre contains practical material about good teaching and learning in the tertiary sector. The Resources can come from the Communities and Project Groups on the site. The Resources are high-quality, well-presented, evidence-based, and relevant to New Zealand.
Workplace Learning includes apprenticeships, cooperative education, workplace learning, work-integrated learning, and clinical practice.
The purpose of this project was to gather information to assist educators to actively connect teaching with workplace learning. The parameters of the project were confined to learners’ needs regarding child and youth health as that is a priority, high impact field of learning for practice nurses.
This research project tested the validity and reliability of the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) scale as a tool for assessing students' perception of the quality of their learning in community settings.
This Ministry of Education report describes a project that supplemented workplace learning with online numeracy activities. It found that simple online tasks that trainees completed in their own time helped them to improve their numeracy skills.
This website aims to enhance the quality of student experiences whilst on practice, i.e. work-based placements. A key part is a resource section containing materials that can be used by anyone involved in many aspects of practice based student supervision, including preparation and support.


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two The Unique Contribution Art Makes to Education
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ability achieve aesthetic development appreciation areas of art arrange art activities art education art ex art experiences art materials art problems art program art qualities art structure art teacher artist Baton Rouge become aware capacities Chicago Public School chil child classroom teacher clay color concepts constructive create creative imagination daily experience dents discover discuss drawing dren educa elementary school emotional emphasis ences encouraged evaluate explore expres feeling felt-ideas free designs function of art grade group action high school individual innocent eye integral involved learning living Louisiana State University maturing means ment nature objects opportunities organization painting Paltz perience Photo physical play portunity projects Public Schools pupils puppet realize responses rience sensitivity shape situations skills social space stage stimulate teaching art texture things tion tive Tulsa Public Schools ture types understand velop visual wood young


Improving The Quality of Elementary Education - in developing countries and India (especially post-RTE); equal learning opportunities for the poor and marginalized; insights gained from processes in India and South Asia. All this adds up to CHANGE - and the material here is meant for those sharing the adventure...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Five Ideas for Teachers' Day
Teachers' Day is round the corner. Once again, we'll have the same old speeches, boring comments and everyone showing so-called 'respect' for teachers for one day - then it will all be forgotten till the next year comes around again!
For those of us who feel we need to go beyond the usual platitudes, here are a few straightforward suggestions. As always, your responses and further suggestions would be very welcome indeed!
1. Prepare a 'Teacher Strength Chart'
On a chart, put a photo of the teacher (could even be children's drawing) and write down 5 things that you like about the teacher or 5 good qualities the teacher has. (Every teacher has these, just that some of them may not know they have them.) Who should do this? Students / SMC or parents / CRCC or fellow teachers. Keep the chart up for as long as you want.
2. Invite the teachers' families and honour them
Host a function where teachers' parents / spouses / children are invited and honour them along with the teacher. Why? Firstly because if a teacher teaches well, gives a lot of time, and lives up to professional standards, the family has to support the teacher and sometimes even make sacrifices. On the other hand if a teacher doesn't live up to professional standards, the family will... you get the picture! The SMC or the CRCC would obviously have to take the lead in organizing this, with students' help.
3. A special 'sports' session for teachers
Teachers have to be so responsible that they sometimes forget what it is to be a teacher. So how about something that helps them recall the time when they themselves were young. So you could organise a kabaddi or cricket match for teachers, or even races. Other possibilities include a Talent Show (whether teachers get to display their skills such as singing or mimicry) or even a picnic. Once again, the SMC with the students' help and the CRCC's support can easily organize this.
4. Stock the school library with books bought especially for teachers
Ask the teachers what they would like to read - and buy as many of those books for your school library as the budget permits. The CRCC would need to take active lead in this, with guidance from BRC and DIETs/
5. Launch a year-long 'Search for Greatness'
This is a difficult idea, so read carefully! Every teacher and every school can improve and reach a level far better than what it is today. In honour of teachers on Teachers' Day, the SMC and students as well as the CRCC can get together, promise their support and work out how they will improve the school in the year ahead. Together they will discuss what it means for their school to be 'great' (and will not focus on infrastructure but learning processes), identify concrete steps to attain this greatness (see suggestions separately in my blog), and work out a phased implementation plan (see ADEPTS). Teachers will naturally be part of this discussion.
You can build on the School Development Plan and dedicate the effort to teachers (of course, they too would take active part in implementing the plan). Inform the teachers that the successes will be because of them, and shortcomings because they would not have got enough support from us (that is our Teachers' Day gift to teachers). So this would be a year long effort to show our respect to teachers while also working with them to bring about actual improvement. Neat, no?
With some days to go, you can still plan and implement some of these ideas. In the meantime, let me have more suggestions please!


Social Skills are so important!
Calling all Special Education teachers, Speech Therapists, Regular Education teachers, School Counselors, and Inclusive Classroom teachers! These Social Stories are perfect for reinforcing appropriate social skills in regular education students, students with autism, and students with ADHD. Classroom Management will become a breeze with the addition of these books to your Elementary Education Curriculum!
It Is PERFECT To Not Be Perfect (A Social Story About Accepting The Mistakes We Make) is a great way to help students understand and accept when they make mistakes in the classroom. This book explains the learning opportunities making mistakes bring, and what to do when we make mistakes, in simple kid language! It also includes two classroom posters about accepting the mistakes that we make! This product can be printed out or projected onto the SmartBoard, and includes multiple ideas for use in the classroom, including large group, small group, and individual instruction.
Check my TPT store for other Social Stories in this series!


The Cleveland Arts Education Consortium’s mission is to work as a partnership to promote and strengthen art education in Northeast Ohio, and advocate on behalf of arts learning for people of all ages and circumstances. Administrators do not risk their personal money in their duties: they use taxpayer money and funds collected through donations and grants to the university. The Philadelphia Public School Notebook, Philadelphia Media Network – owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and , and Drexel University’s School of Education are hosting a public forum on this critical issue. Check out our website to find out more about the online arts school that we are building with video classes in music, visual arts, dance, and theater: ! Buffalo, NY: Center for Comparative and Global Studies in Education, State University of New York at Buffalo. The range of issues in education is vast, yet you’ll be able to explore topics of your choice in depth.
The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis (A&E) and Wells Fargo Advisors recently announced a continued partnership in the areas of arts and culture. It provides important information to education leaders, teachers and parents about levels of access to and enrollment in arts courses in schools. Learn what you can do to promote arts in education with the Arts Education Month toolkit , from ArtsEd Washington.
While students in art classes learn techniques specific to art, such as how to draw, how to mix paint, or how to center a pot, they’re also taught a remarkable array of mental habits not emphasized elsewhere in schools. That all Alabamians should gain enough knowledge about the arts in order to understand their own cultural heritage and the cultural heritage of others. There was no upper limit of grant that can be applied for, however applicants are asked to take note of previous grants awarded for an indication of realistic award figures.
This statement articulates the purpose and value of arts education in the balanced curriculum of all students, asserts its place as a core academic subject area, and details how sequential arts learning can be supported by rigorous national standards and assessments.
Although cultural pluralists in art education argue that Western mainstream art is neither politically nor ideologically innocent, we tend to embrace the art of other cultures as if it were harmless, failing to examine its politics and ideology (Collins & Sandell, 1992, p. 9).


Tips for Teaching English to Asian Studentson July 3, 2007 11:13 AM
If you have a large number of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese students in your English-as-a-second-language classes, you might want to purchase the summer copy of MultiCultural Review (a single copy is $25) or find one in a library. The issue, which isn't free online, contains an article, "Asian ESL Students and Literacy Development," that tells about the learning styles of Asian students and summarizes some differences between several Asian languages and English. It's written by Peter Edwards, a professor of education at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., and Hui-Chin Yang, a professor of education at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The article says "one characteristic of the Asian learning style is a teacher-centered, closure-oriented learning mode, leading Asian students to dislike ambiguity, uncertainty, or fuzziness." I recall how when I was an English teacher in China nearly two decades ago, I had a student who believed he could become fluent in English by learning all of the grammar rules for the language. To be able to connect with my Chinese students and build on what they already knew, I had to learn quite a lot about English grammar.
The comparisons between languages offer insight not commonly discussed in education journals. In the Korean language, disagreement is expressed more directly and forcefully than it is in American English. In Chinese, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs don't have suffixes. The word, "happy," for instance, can be used as several parts of speech without any change, while in English the word changes to "happily" or "happiness."
You teachers have a challenge to explain to students why English is the way it is, and it can't hurt to know where students might be helped or hindered by influences from their native languages. By the way, does anyone have a good explanation for why I need the word "does" in this question? I know from my own teaching experience that it's hard to come up with explanations for some of this stuff on one's feet.