Learning differences in the ESOL/EAL classroom
Do you ever worry that students in your class might have a learning difference?
There’s plenty to read online on Specific Learning Difference/Difficulty, or specifically on Dyslexia (especially with a focus on systematic phonics instruction), but not so much on how it manifests when learning another language.
So, some resources that might help teachers or volunteer tutors:
- I highly recommend a MOOC (a free Massive Open Online Course) from the University of Lancaster, called Dyslexia and Foreign Language Learning. (The link is to a short introductory video.) It was an excellent course, and made me much more aware of the different ways in which a specific learning difference might manifest. It’s not just about adult language learning, but that is addressed, and a lot of the participants were teaching adults. I’ve blogged about the study experience on the clareharris.com website, at the start, middle, and post-course.
- Part of the course involved reading chapters from the book: Dyslexia in the Foreign Language Classroom by Joanna Nijakowska.
- She’s also one of the presenters in a series of four videos on Dyslexic Learners in the EFL Classroom from Pearson ELT.
- There’s also lots of information and a self-study course on the DysTEFL website. They run training, workshops etc in Poland, Greece and Slovenia (good excuse for a trip?)
- Only got 5 minutes? Wondering whether the problem is dyslexia or just the struggle to learn a new language? Watch the slide show by Martha Youman – Dyslexia or Second Language Learning? – which includes interesting points on how dyslexia might manifest in Chinese or Spanish.
- If you have a little longer (5o minutes, to be precise), look at the British Council/BBC “Teaching English” site, where Sally Farley talks about Identifying and Working with Dyslexic Students, emphasising dyslexia as a learning difference (with its own strengths) rather than a disability.
I’ll post more resources as I become aware of them. The great news is that most of the adaptations for specific learning difference will also benefit ESOL/EAL learners…


Weekly family rail, with indoors entertainment tips, a review of “Tangled” and more.
Tip of the Week
With many families "cocooning" this holiday and avoiding holiday travel, parents and children may be in search of some fun, engaging and age-appropriate activities over the winter months and beyond.
- Seasonal hands-on camps: For parents, seasonal day camps offer great solutions to help them organize their children's holiday time off while providing their children with engaging and hands-on educational activities and themes. Kids can have a blast and busy parents get the gift of knowing that their children are continuing to learn and discover during the holiday break.
- Don't forget to play: The colder weather outdoors offers a good excuse for good old-fashioned indoor play time. Play is the natural work of children and essential to learning. Through play, children develop social skills, the ability to solve problems and the courage to express their ideas. The following are some quick tips for educational and fun family playtime:
* For infants, playing peek-a-boo will help baby recognize your voice.
* To help infants and toddlers develop fine motor skills, provide a variety of soft, easy-to-grasp toys, such as soft blocks or plush toys.
* Blow bubbles with your child and watch them have a blast as they chase and catch the bubbles - both reinforce motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
* Toddlers and preschool children like tactile activities like digging in sand and dirt. Make a simple sandbox out of a large shallow bin. Vary the items you put in the bin for your child to explore. Some suggestions: sand, rice, packing peanuts, cornstarch (great to play with and easy to clean up when it dries) dirt or dried macaroni.
* For preschool age children, play listening games such as Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light.
* Involve your preschooler in everyday math - How many steps to the garage? How many dollars to buy that toy?
* Play board games as a family - rolling dice, counting spaces and problem solving are all involved in this type of activity.
* Use stuffed or plastic animals and cardboard boxes to help your child create a zoo, a farm or a wildlife reserve - dramatic play builds vocabulary, social skills and creative thinking.
- Winter reading: Nothing is better than snuggling up to a great book with your child. Reading to a child, as early as infancy, on a regular basis is by far the best way to encourage a budding reader. In fact, studies show that reading to an infant promotes early language acquisition and literacy development and, later on, achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. The winter months are a perfect time to begin a reading routine with your child that can jump-start a yearlong love of reading.
Family Screening Room
Rated: PG (for brief mild violence)
Synopsis: The long-haired Princess Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but when she falls in love with a bandit who was passing by she must venture into the outside world for the first time to find him.
Violence/scary rating: 2.5
Sexual-content rating: 1.5
Profanity rating: 1
Drugs/alcohol rating: 2
Family Time rating: 2. This is one of the best family movies of the year.
(Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being “bad for kids” and 1 being “fine for kids.”)
“Elf on the Shelf,” by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell
Ages: 3 to 8
Synopsis: “The Elf on the Shelf” is an activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed children's book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. This activity allows The Elf on the Shelf to become a delightful hide-and-seek game. Each Tradition-in-a-Box comes with a scout elf, a hardbound children's book and a keepsake box for easy storage.
Did You Know
According to a study in Neurology magazine, there is no danger in moms breastfeeding while on epilepsy medicine.
GateHouse News Service


Practical Life is the foundation for any kind of academics as it provides a sense of order, concentration, coordination and independence.
Initially in the Montessori school experience, Practical Life forms the core of the child's play, especially for the youngest children. This area is designed to aid the child's development in caring for people and the environment, controlling his/her movements, and forming social relations.
Language is learned by absorption. It consists of verbal skills, visual perception, and small muscle coordination.
Language training provides the children with the understanding that separate sounds can be blended together to form words. In addition, children are taught to read by incorporating such movements as tracing of sandpaper letters or forming words with a movable alphabet.
Geography and Science
Bring the world into the children's house. Maps, flags, models, songs, foods, photographs, cards… a variety of appealing materials answer the many questions the older preschoolers has about the world. What are the names of the continents, the countries, the oceans, the animals, plants, rocks and minerals? The Montessori experience leads the child to knowledge and appreciation of the world and its human family, with all their rich variety.
The Book Corner
Developing a love of reading is just as important in a child's growth as developing the skill of reading. Our classrooms are equipped with a variety of children's books designed to appeal to their innate curiosity and interests. The children can look at picture books, read stories, and learn about such their favorite things. Thus, the love of reading is cultivated, and will grow into their most important key to future learning.
The Sensorial materials help the children refine their senses and power of observation. The development of a child's physical senses enhances his/her readiness for greater intellectual work. The materials are designed to develop and train the delicate senses of touch, smell, taste, sound and visual perception.
Montessori Math: Introducing Math Early!
The Montessori Mathematics curriculum is an amazing system that is highly successful and incredibly built. This curriculum consists of incredible hands-on learning materials, detailed lessons, one-on-one instruction, life application and deep levels of understanding process, not memorizing products.
Montessori introduces Math to very young children for many reasons. One of the most basic reasons is because these young children are in a sensitive period for order - and the study of math helps to satisfy the needs and interests that go along with this developmental stage. Children are exposed to materials with which they can explore mathematical principles as early as 2 ½ or 3 years of age, and the curriculum follows them as they develop skills and understanding.
Music with Miss Erica
Developed to build attention and self-expression, music class activities include singing, chanting, moving, focused listening, musical games, exploring musical instruments, creative movement and storytelling. The Musikgarten curriculum nurtures your growing child’s ability to use language and participate in dramatic play within a musical context.
The age-appropriate and sequential curriculum is the most comprehensive in the industry. Developed by music and movement pioneers, the Musikgarten sequence introduces children to the joy of music and effectively guides them toward lifelong, active participation in music.
As a piano teacher and mom of two small children, Erica became interested in early childhood music education. After reading and researching the topic, she decided to write her graduate thesis on the effect of music education on math achievement in preschool children. That research led her to become a certified Musikgarten teacher, allow her to help parents nurture their children in music and set them on a successful path of making music.
In addition to the Musikgarten classes offered, children are given the opportunity to learn piano in a small group setting. Children learn to play songs that they perform for their parents, teachers and classmates in an encouraging performance setting.


Enrichment is an important part of daily life at Eastfield Academy.
Roots of Empathy
The Roots of Empathy programme focuses on raising levels of empathy amongst young children, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression. As part of the programme, which originates from Canada, pupils observe how a baby develops over the course of a school year. The children see the love and care that the baby receives from the parent, and begin to understand the baby’s feelings and emotions.
Our Year 5 pupils will enjoy visits, every 3 weeks, from baby Finley and his mother, giving pupils the opportunity to track the infant’s milestones.
Before and after each visit, pupils are encouraged to discuss their own experiences and share ideas during a positive and respectful discussion.
Mrs Dunkley is our trained Roots of Empathy Instructor and she will gather the children in the classroom around a green blanket, and together they watch the baby grow.
The Singing Schools programme is supporting us to embed daily singing into school life - both through the curriculum and through extra-curricular choral enrichment. There are two parts to our Singing School status:
1. Musical Foundations – Developing musicianship skills through singing
This strand supports all staff to develop the foundational skills and understanding of music (phrase, rhythm, pitch, etc) to enable them to provide a progressive and high quality music education in the classroom.
2. Choral Excellence– Accelerating musicianship and vocal development through ensemble singing
Wrapped around this in-class provision, the choral strand is direct delivery with our KS2 pupils. This moves beyond the Musical Foundations strand and starts to look at children’s vocal and musical development through a broad repertoire of songs. We are lucky to be regularly joined by Charlotte Brosnan, a professional singer with a wealth of teaching experience who leads this provision and supports Mrs Ford, our Music Lead.
Through this holistic and integrated singing strand, every class becomes a choir, and an ‘aspirational’ choir is established for children who wish to take their learning further. Our weekly whole school singing assembly is an opportunity for our pupils to develop and show off their fabulous singing skills!
What sort of skills does enrichment teach?
- Determination to succeed
- Winning and losing with grace
- Respect for others
- Confidence in yourself
- A sense of fun and enjoyment
- Focus and attitude
- Health benefits
Academies across the Trust are encouraged to work collaboratively to make the most of the opportunities on offer.
Highlights from last year include:
- Debating events at the Derngate theatre
- Our choir performing at our local supermarket and shopping centre
- DRET All Star Choir performing at different musical events
- Y6 visit to Nevill Holt Opera House
- A carol concert at our local St Alban's Church
- Visits to Nevill Holt Farm, including day trips and an overnight camp
- Y4 visit to Leicester Space Centre
- Eid celebration
Our most recent opportunities include:
- Cinema trips
- Visit from local magistrates
- Google assembly
- Brass lessons from Northamptonshire Music Performing Arts Trust
- Roots of Empathy
For further information about the enrichment opportunities that are on offer please contact:
Shane Ward & Alex Green
To contact us please call head office:
01476 566 801


Studies have proven the countless benefits of music education. It appeals to multiple types of learners, is cross-curricular, and has been linked to gains in everything from language development, to pattern recognition, and even improved test scores.
We all have memories inexplicably tied to music, sometimes it takes just a single melody to remember an entire summer, or the first note from the theme song of a TV show can send you back in time to a Saturday morning 30 years ago. Music has an amazing way of working itself into our memories and if you’re a teacher, or even a parent, you’ve used some sort of “sing song” verse to get your point across. Is it a parlor trick though, useful for only cursory amounts of information, or is it a legitimate tool that actually works?
Time and time again researchers have lauded the impact music education can have on the mind of a young learner. It’s been linked to increased language acquisition and heightened development in young learners. It can help with pattern recognition and even cognitive development, building the brain itself. Researchers have even studied the impact of learning an instrument and found that music education can set off “fireworks” in the brain, completely altering the way you process and store information. Learn more here with this quick TED talk.
Is Music For Everyone?
While studies have shown schools that implementing a “competent musical program” have seen jumps in both English and Math test scores by as much as +30%, does this mean music is a magic bullet? What if you can’t run a “competent music program” or worse, don’t have a music program at all? I mean, music education is different from music integration right? Absolutely, but you don’t need to be a Beethoven to see benefits in your classroom. Even if you don’t have a lick of musical talent you can still reap some of the benefits. Think of music as a tool to enhance your lessons, it’s accessibility and versatility mean that it appeals to a whole range of learners; ones a traditional lesson might not reach. Use a song as a hook at the beginning of your lesson to engage learners, or lyrics to illustrate examples of figurative language. These are great way to compliment your lesson and reinforce important concepts and ideas.
Heart and Soul
The famous piano piece from the movie BIG, is called entitled “Heart and Soul” and as it turns out, music can be great for that stuff too! The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) praises music’s ability to increase empathy, social emotional awareness, increase self esteem, and decrease anxiety. I know in the era of high stakes testing that teachers could use some decreased anxiety as well. It is a phenomenal way to expose learners of any age to other cultures and can even cross language barriers. Music can help students understand different perspectives and even be used to discuss difficult topics like the holocaust and slavery. Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at Johns Hopkins University, says that music in schools helps to “give you have a better understanding of yourself. The horizons are higher when you are involved in music,” he adds. “Your understanding of art and the world, and how you can think and express yourself, are enhanced.” (1)
So the next time you’re looking for a way to improve your lessons and inspire your students, think about using music. The benefits of music in the classroom are endless and the only thing preventing it from being part of your everyday curriculum is you! Start integrating music and start the transformation today!


International Women’s Day Gender Ground Rules – Task Cards
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A set of task cards to be paired with the International Women's Day comic 'Gender Ground Rules'.
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with the first edition of Teach Starter's Grade 5 magazine.
A beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Grade 5 students.
A set of 14 literature study task cards for upper elementary students to use when analyzing children's literature.
A set of 15 finger puppets that can be used to spark the imagination for creative writing or to perform puppet shows.
A worksheet which encourages students to create a new book cover for a shared class or independent novel.
A set of QR code question cubes to use when working with reading comprehension strategies.
A worksheet to use when asking questions before, during and after reading.
5 different versions of dice to use when asking questions before, during and after reading.
A set of comprehension task cards to help students summarize when reading.
This English unit addresses the common elements of poetry and explores how these may be applied to shape poems, limericks, odes and simple ballads.
A set of 6 reading stamina posters that highlight strategies students can use to read for longer periods of time.
A fun reading activity to help students discover books they enjoy.
A poster providing a definition and example of a simile poem.
Use this flip book template with your upper elementary students when teaching about the features of literary characters.
A worksheet which helps students explore important scenes from a class novel.
A worksheet to assist students in making predictions before reading a novel.
3 worksheets to help students analyze the points of view of opposing characters in a literary text.
3 worksheets to assist with analyzing characters in a class novel.
Choosing your country and state helps us to provide you with the most relevant teaching resources for your students.


Source Reference integrates highly acclaimed reference content with instructional videos and tutorials to provide research instruction in the classroom and at the point of need. Prepare students for any kind of research or the rigors of academia by building their conﬁdence and cultivating essential information literacy skills.
- Intuitive interface: Source Reference‘s platform is designed to empower beginner researchers to navigate the platform and discover the information they need.
- Exceptional reference content from the best academic publishers: Source Reference features more than 400 top-tier reference titles curated for grades 6–12, covering a wide range of subjects. 1.5 million entries cover 3 million topics related to secondary school studies such as biology, physics, mathematics, social sciences, world cultures, world history, and more.
- Expertly curated, the collection features content from leading publishers like Dorling Kindersley, Barron’s, Lerner, and Houghton Mifflin.
- Also ideal for the visual learner, the collection includes 1,500 videos and more than 150,000 contextual visual aids, images, photographs, and maps across all subject areas.
- Click here (Excel) for a list of reference titles included in Source Reference.
- Information literacy development: Tools and features within the platform cultivate essential information literacy skills while students search.
- Versatile teaching materials: 100+ minutes of instructional content for use within courses, one-shot sessions, and more.
- Discover more: Search results include connections to your institution’s other databases, maximizing usage of all of your library’s trusted resources.
- Collaborative features: User-friendly technology facilitates partnerships between the library and the classroom for easy integration of information literacy into the curriculum.
- Build information literacy skills: The dozens of high-quality videos and tutorials in Source Reference cover a wide range of topics like evaluating sources, plagiarism, and more.
- Incorporate multimedia materials into in-class teaching, flipped-classroom instruction, or point-of-need support.
- Engage students in active learning with self-guided information literacy skill development.
- Save time and resources—creating the same instructional multimedia content from scratch would take up to 600 hours!
- Federated search: Source Reference allows for the seamless integration of federated search results from your other library-licensed resources, leading students directly to deeper subject-speciﬁc resources.
- Topic Pages: 11,000+ customizable Topic Pages provide background information and incorporate other library e-resources directly—great for background research, discovering library resources, and building keyword vocabulary!
- Mind Map: One of Source Reference’s key features, the Mind Map is an interactive brainstorming tool for helping students visualize connections between and across topics. This feature is embeddable in course pages, LibGuides, and websites!
- Pro/Con: Source Reference’s Pro/Con is a featured content category for helping students locate reliable reference materials on issues of real-time importance. Highly respected publishers add and update entries regularly, bringing authority and accuracy to students’ current events-related information needs.
- Key Concepts: In Source Reference, relevant terms are displayed within search results to help users identify the focus of each article and provide guidance for additional keywords related to their topic.
- Embeds: Source Reference allows users to embed reference content in their school’s learning management system, virtual learning environment, or other guides/websites. Any article (or Mind Map) may be embedded, including those with images, audio, or videos. This helps foster faculty collaboration while also bringing usage and awareness of the institution’s valued library e-resources.
- Permalinks: Source Reference’s record URLs make it easy for students to return to previously viewed pages and allow users to create “custom collections on the fly.”
- Citation management: With Source Reference, users can conveniently cite entries in MLA, Chicago, APA, and Harvard formats.
- Google Drive integration: Libraries can authenticate their Source Reference users with Google Authenticator, while users (via Google Authenticator or through their personal Gmail accounts) can save entries to Google Docs.
- Integration options: Source Reference content can be embedded into LibGuides or any LMS that supports iFrame, including Canvas, D2L, Moodle, and Blackboard.
- Responsive design: Source Reference‘s platform ensures a smooth user experience on any type of device.
- Accessible content: Audio files and dictation of text content (downloadable in MP3 format) improve accessibility and provide different avenues for students to absorb information. Text content is translated into 60+ languages, helping learners of all backgrounds access reference material.


Kodable gives K-5 schools the tools they need to teach computer science successfully.See it in action
Videos explain new concepts before each unit.
Students practice new skills after each lesson with fuzzy aliens in space.
Stay on track with CS standards and weekly updates.
Create a culture of learning that prepares students academically and personally.
I am for the new lesson plans offered in the classrooms. They seem absolutely perfect for Kindergarten and I love that I will actually have some guidance to understanding and knowing how to teach coding! So stoked!
Fairfield-Suisan Unified School District created a culture of learning for their teachers and students.
Kodable has partnered with CodeHS to provide districts with a comprehensive course pathway spanning grades K-12.
Learn to identify code as a language and how to apply algorithms to complete computational tasks.
Solidify logical thinking and problem solving skills, while transitioning to typing-based coding.
Students learning computer science through the Kodable and CodeHS K-12 pathway will learn foundational skills in computer science preparing them for the next step in their learning, whether that is taking an additional course or pursuing computer science in college or career.
|Kindergarten||Kodable||Core Concepts: Introduction to code as language|
|1st Grade||Kodable||Core Concepts: Algorithms and logic statements|
|2nd Grade||Kodable||Core Concepts: Apply, Describe, Debug!|
|3rd Grade||Kodable||Core Concepts: Algorithms with Multiple Coding Concepts|
|6th Grade||CodeHS||Introduction to Programming with Karel the Dog|
|7th Grade||CodeHS||Web Design|
|8th Grade||CodeHS||Computing Ideas|
|10th Grade||CodeHS||Intro to Computer Science in Python|
|11th Grade||CodeHS||AP Computer Science Principles|
|12th Grade||CodeHS||AP Computer Science in Java|
CodeHS is a comprehensive teaching platform for helping schools teach computer science. We provide web-based curriculum, teacher tools and resources, and professional development. By leveraging CodeHS’ web-based platform, teachers can access all of the tools they need to teach great middle school or high school computer science courses, all in one place. CodeHS also provides tools to help districts scale course pathways across grades 6-12, helping administrators track data and gain insights needed to manage large scale rollouts.


Music psychologists explore the ways that music impacts our emotions, relationships, brain and bodies. We use a range of research approaches to explore the connection between music and individuals, groups and society in order to better understand how music can promote health and wellbeing.
Music Psychology at the Conservatorium
Discovering how people think, feel, behave and learn when engaging with music.
Our Music Psychology Laboratory undertakes research, learning and teaching around the key concept of what it is for individuals and societies to be musical, and the ways music forms an invaluable aspect of everyday life. Our researchers collaborate and engage with other disciplines and organisations in ways that foster exploration, innovation and experimentation.
We work in close association with our sister laboratory at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences – the Clinical Music Neuroscience Laboratory – and collaborate on projects within the Music Mind and Wellbeing Initiative (MMW) at the University of Melbourne.
The Music Psychology Laboratory provides an innovative and overarching framework within which is housed three key areas of music research, teaching and engagement:
Psychology of Music
Focuses on the role music plays in every society and culture, and how it is an important part of all aspects of life, including various social, recreational and cultural occasions. Utilising a range of methodologies, our research initiatives seek to understand the role and purpose of music for individuals and communities, and the ways people engage with music and use music to regulate their mood and emotions in ways that reinforce wellbeing.
Involves the interdisciplinary study of human performance within music. We draw on methodologies across various scientific disciplines to understand the fundamental skills, mechanisms and outcomes of music involvement that enhance the delivery of various forms of professional music performance and music creation.
Applies empirical evidence from music psychology related to skill acquisition, practice quality, and motivation, to explore targeted interventions that can be utilised by musicians and teachers and implemented within music education settings, both formal and informal.
Learn more about Masters in Music - Performance Teaching course
How to Prepare for Peak Performance with Dr Margaret Osborne.
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Understanding The Background of Low Literacy In Women. Former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.”
According to the 2011 census, the female literacy rate is 65.46%which is lower than the world female literacy rate that is 79.7%. Women education in India is still a major issue.
There is an even bigger gap between the two genders when it comes to literacy and education rate. As per 2011 Census, the female literacy rate is 65.46%, as opposed to 82.7% in China, and 79.7% in the world.
Reasons for Low Literacy in Women’s in India
The deep-rooted Patriarchy is the major reason for low literacy when parents cannot afford an education for their kids, the son is always given preference over the daughter if at all they try and send them to school. The daughter stays at home and cooks, cleans, and helps her parents in doing the chores, or she might even be employed as a helper somewhere, which is child labor and illegal as per law.
The truly sad story about Indian parents is they spent more money on their daughter’s wedding then on their Education.Because of this reason, women are said to have jobs and not careers!
Another reason is, still, most people believe that it is not wise for women to be educated, it spoils them, in the end, they have to do house chores then why to waste time in education, it’s better if they stay at home and learn to do household chores. Also, it is believed that the bride should be less educated than the groom; so if the bride is a BA, then the groom should be at least MA and more the groom is educated more will be his demand for dowry.
Another major reason for low literacy is the lack of education infrastructures in rural areas. Most of the villagers don’t have school or school for higher education so students have to travel to another village or city nearby. In this case, most parents aren’t comfortable to send their daughters as it is not safe.
Majors Taken by Government
The Indian government, however, is trying its best to overcome this problem and increase literacy rate in women. It has adopted many strategies, some of which are the following:
- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao- The government of India introduced a new scheme called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao on 22 January 2015 in Panipat in Haryana, which will help in generating awareness and improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare services meant for women with an initial corpus of Rs 100 crores. The Beti Bachao Beti padhao scheme is for survival, protection and education of the girl child. The prime objectives of this program are to bring a change in people’s mindset towards girl child on or after her birth.
- The Girl Star Project- This is a series of films which documents stories of girls from the most disadvantaged communities across five northern states who, through attaining education, have managed to break the shackles of socio-economic constraints to make a success of their lives and become self-sufficient. These young women have grown to become role models in their communities, who inspire younger girls to go to school and continue their education. The selection of characters for the films is from ordinary rural settings which the masses can identify with. These short films will be used as a tool at different levels- To motivated parents to ensure that their daughters go to school and do not drop out.
- Contribution of Literacy Campaigns to Female Literacy- The provision of educational opportunities for women has been an important part of the national endeavor in the field of education since India’s independence. The government of India launched the national literacy mission in 1988 for the eradication of adult illiteracy. The mission of this national literacy campaigns is to create an environment where women demand knowledge and information, empowering themselves to change their lives, spread the message that education of women is a precondition for fighting against their oppression and also highlight the plight of the girl child and stress the need for universalization of elementary education as a way of addressing the issue.
But it’s only the government’s duty but also every individual too to do something to increase the literacy rate of women. Low Literacy in women is a major issue because it gives birth to gender inequality and a nation can never flourish without uplifting the status of women; they constitute 50% of the population.
Also it is well said, ‘ If you educate a man, you educate a person but if you educate a woman, you educate a family.’


Inspiration for the work you do for the children
What Malala’s story teaches me literacy and life
By the time she was 14 years old, Malala openly supported the education of girls in her country, Pakistan. Because she defied the oppressive beliefs of the Taliban by speaking out for the education of girls…because she went to school…because she would not be silenced, the Taliban issued a threat against her.
Despite the threat, she kept going to school and speaking out for educational rights. In 2012, a Taliban gunman boarded her school bus and shot her in the head. She did not die. Malala survived, wrote a book, received the Nobel Peace Prize (the youngest-ever Nobel laureate) attends university, and continues to advocate for the education of girls.
She is a hero for women and girls all over the world. Last week, Malala returned to her homeland for the first time since being shot. Listening to her voice, it was clear that she loves Pakistan and has waited a long time to visit her ancestral home.
As a child, Malala instinctively understood what the School Sisters of Notre Dame and founders of East Side Learning Center (ESLC) knew to be true. Education is the key to solving the equity issues embedded in the culture of our community and the world. By providing a boost in reading—for families unable to afford professional tutoring and/or who fled homelands in pursuit of a better life—ESLC gives each child the opportunity to build foundational skills in reading to be successful in school and society.
A person cannot educate him/herself without first learning to read. Someone must take the time to teach children how to make sense of letter symbols, how to connect letters and sounds, and how to understand the meaning of new words.
We need to remember that not all children learn in the same way or at the same pace. It will always take more time for some children to learn to read than others. That light of “understanding” in a child’s eye when s/he knows that letters make words, words have meaning and words make sentences, will not happen without investing resources in children, in schools, and in communities. What resources, money, time or talent, will you invest in growing a reader?
It takes a trusting relationship with a parent, educator, or tutor, to inspire children to succeed in reading. Once they experience the joy of being independence readers, they are able to achieve success in all subject areas.
I applaud Malala Yousafzai for understanding, by the age of 14, that reading is the great equalizer. I respect her for speaking out when many adults did not because they feared for their lives. Because of her, I am speaking out, too. Children are our most precious resource. How then will we respond? Are we willing to invest to ensure their lives are transformed through the power of education? Malala risked her life to go to school. What then will I do? What will you do?


Definition: Phonics instruction teaches children about the relationship between sounds and letters, and how to use these to read and write words.
- These may be single letter-single sound correspondences (b says /b/).
- Or they may be multiple letter-single sound correspondences (sh says /sh/ or oa says /o/ or igh says /i/).
- Or they may be multiple letter-multiple sound correspondences (pr says /pr/ or ank says /ank/).
Why it’s important
- Phonics instruction leads to an understanding of the alphabetic principle — the systematic, predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds.
What might I observe in students who need support?
- Many words are misread while reading.
- The students hesitate or often get “stuck” when reading words.
- They may have poor spelling.
- Learn more about systematic and explicit phonics instruction.
- Read more about phonics instruction in the National Reading Panel report.
Try out some of the phonics skill-building activities in the Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Activities tool.
- 2Key Terms
- 3Literacy Diagram
- 4Literacy: A Cornerstone of College and Career Readiness
- 5Literacy Skills Develop Over Time
- 6â€œTextsâ€ Come in All Shapes and Sizes
- 7Literacy: An Evolving Set of Skills
- 8Oral Language and the Reading Connection
- 9Unlocking Meaning: Vocabulary is the Key
- 10The Vocabulary Gap
- 11How Do Reading Skills Develop?
- 12How Do We Become Good Readers?
- 13Five Components of Reading
- 14Phonemic Awareness
- 19Comprehension â€” Putting the Pieces Together
- 20Developmental Stages of Reading
- 21Stage 1 â€” Visual Cue Word Recognition
- 22Stage 2 â€” Phonetic Cue Word Recognition
- 23Stage 3 â€” Controlled Word Recognition
- 24Stage 4 â€” Automatic Word Recognition
- 25Stage 5 â€” Strategic Reading
- 26Stage 6 â€” Proficient Adult Reading
- 27Howâ€™s My Reading?
- 28The Power of Writing!
- 29How Writing Skills Develop
- 30Why Literacy Is Important
- 31Preventing Summer Learning Loss
- 32Literacy Everywhere
- 33Deepen Your Understanding
- 34Listen to Students Read Aloud
- 35The Value of Good Questions
- 36Motivation â€” A Key to Promoting Positive Reading Behaviors
- 37Literacy Skills Affect Future Success and Civic Participation
- 38Learn More Library
- 41Check for Understanding


Difference between Wasps and Bees
Wasps and Bees both belong to the same insect order Hymenoptera and they are extremely valuable for the environment. Many people confuse wasp and bees with each other but they are not same at all. They differ in many ways, in particular their behavior and appearance.
- Generally, bees have fuller bodies and have more hairs with a fuzzier appearance as compared to wasps. Wasps have slender legs and shinier bodies.
- Bees are pollinators and only consume plant pollens and nectar but wasps are predators and prey on other arthropods and insects. In late summer and fall, wasps become more interested in collecting sweets and other carbohydrates.
- Bees are less aggressive than wasps. Wasps are known to attack unprovoked but will mainly only sting you if provoked. Honey bees die immediately after they sting once, but wasps can sting over and over.
- Bees are very social creature but it completely depends on the species whether a wasp is social or solitary.
- Bees generally live in geometric hives made from wax whereas wasps live in papery nests made up of chewed wood particles and their own saliva.
- Bees have a round abdomen and thorax but wasps have a cylindrical abdomen and thorax.
- Bees have flat and wide legs but wasps have round waxy legs.
- Legs of bees are not generally visible while flying but in wasps, two thin legs are visible hanging down during flight.
- Honeybees and bumblebees are the most commonly seen species of bees. Cicada killers and yellow jackets are most encountered species of wasps.
- Generally bees prefer to make their hives in more protected areas compared to wasps, who like inside a hollow tree, a wall or even a garden shed.
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New Jersey Common Core Standards
NJ.CC.4.L. Language Standards
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
4.L.4.a. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
4.L.4.c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
NJ.CC.4.RF. Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
4.RF.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
4.RF.4.c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
NJ.CC.4.RI. Reading Standards for Informational Text
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
4.RI.7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.


Norway's gaps in learning outcomes between children of advantaged and disadvantaged families are substantial, despite its generous welfare system. Research shows unequivocally that high-quality early-childhood preschool programs can have substantial impacts on children's learning trajectories. Norway may be missing a key opportunity to close the gaps between children of advantaged and disadvantaged families. This is because the learning framework of Norwegian daycare centers (Early Childhood Education and Care, ECEC) does not reflect international empirical evidence from the early childhood education literature linking key curricular foci to successful child development.
Our project aims to understand whether Norwegian daycare centers can improve children's developmental trajectories by more systematically cultivate key school readiness skills known to promote future learning. To do so, we will design and implement a randomized field experiment in which we offer five-year-olds at Norwegian daycare centers a school readiness intervention program. The development of the intervention program will be done in collaboration with Norwegian daycare teachers. The intervention program will cultivate four sets of school readiness skills - self-regulation, interpersonal, vocabulary and numeracy skills - which numerous studies have identified as foundational for future learning and development. About 100 daycare centers will participate in the field experiment, with 50 randomly selected centers in the treatment group.
We will examine program effects by assessing children's skills with official mapping tests in first grade and more intensive measuring instruments utilized both at the end of day care and at the end of first grade. Important questions are: Can a more systematic cultivation of self-regulation, interpersonal, vocabulary and numeracy skills of five-year-olds in Norwegian daycare centers improve these children's success in the transition to formal schooling? Is the program particularly beneficial for children from disadvantaged families?


Authors: Jamie Strickland*, University of North Carolina - Charlotte
Topics: Geography Education, Landscape
Keywords: Geography Education, Literary Geographies
Session Type: Poster
Start / End Time: 1:10 PM / 2:50 PM
Room: Lincoln 2, Marriott, Exhibition Level
Presentation File: Download
Classroom experience and research studies suggest students exhibit a tendency toward superficial learning when preparing for class discussions, projects and examinations. This is particularly the case in regards to reading assignments and application of the knowledge and perspectives gained from those readings. Previous research indicates that students learn in different ways and may have developed reading skills that emphasize memorization of factual learning (surface learning) rather than for meaning and context (deep learning). This poster presents the case for promotion of deeper engagement with texts in a variety of genres in preparation for the development of a literary landscape signature analysis. This research seeks to enhance students’ conceptual understanding and comprehension of material via the introduction of reading engagement strategies shown to be effective in deepening reading comprehension and retention. It is hoped that this also will extend students’ abilities to apply knowledge and engage in inquiry related to course material. Specifically, this research addresses three questions: (1) How do we foster engagement with texts that support deep reading (learning) among first-year students in a diverse general education course?; (2) What are the differences in those students’ reading comprehension strategies chosen based upon learning style?; and (3) What are students’ assessment of their own learning gains before and after implementing these reading strategies?


When I posted about my upcoming new book yesterday, it went out on RSS Readers before I had completed it and added this description from the publisher. I’ve added it to that post since that time, but wanted to make sure all my blog’s readers saw it:
Give your students the tools they need to motivate themselves with tips from award-winning educator Larry Ferlazzo. A comprehensive outline of common classroom challenges, this book presents research-based and immediately applicable steps and lesson plans for all middle and high school teachers looking to help their students motivate themselves. With coverage of brain-based learning, classroom management, and using technology, these strategies can be easily incorporated into any curriculum.
Learn to implement solutions to the following challenges:
-How do I motivate students?
-How do I help students see the importance of personal responsibility?
-How do I deal with a student who is being disruptive in class?
-How do I regain control of an out-of-control class?
Blogger and educator Larry Ferlazzo has worked to combine literacy development with short and rigorous classroom lessons on topics such as self-control, personal responsibility, brain growth, and perseverance. He uses many “on-the-spot” interventions designed to engage students and connect with their personal interests.
Use these practical, research-based ideas to help your students become intrinsically motivated to learn!


Who Was Confucius
Confucius is considered one of the greatest and wisest leaders in Chinese history, but he died believing he had not made a difference. Born in 551 B.C., Confucius became a teacher and a famous philosopher in China. The Chou dynasty had ruled China for over 500 years, but during Confucius’ youth, new leaders took over China. People threw out old ideas about kindness and tradition. Confucius was worried about his country.
He began speaking out. He believed in treating others with love and respect. He thought that how much money you had did not matter. He thought all people deserved to be educated. The poor people loved Confucius, but many of the leaders did not like him. He spoke against them because they were corrupt and treated the peasants badly. Some of the leaders tried to hurt him; most simply ignored him. Confucius thought he had failed, but people have followed Confucius’ teachings for more than 2,000 years.
Fun Facts About Confucius For Kids
- Confucius taught about the importance of “ren,” or loving others. He taught people to treat each other as they would like to be treated. Does that sound familiar?
- He taught that parents should love their children and children should love their parents.
- He believed that all people can succeed if they work hard and develop character.
- Confucius believed that education was the secret to changing people.
- He believed that leaders should be self disciplined and humble. They should lead with kindness.
Who Was Confucius Vocabulary
- Wise: thoughtful, experienced
- Philosopher: someone who thinks deeply about life
- Tradition: old customs and beliefs
- Corrupt: dishonest
- Peasant: poor people
All About Who Was Confucius Video For Kids
Check out this cool video about who was Confucius for kids:
Who Was Confucius Q&A
Question: What was the real name of Confucius?
Answer: Confucius is a Latin name. The man’s real name was Kong Qui.
Enjoyed the Easy Geography for Kids all about Who Was Confucius info? Take the FREE & fun all about Who Was Confucius quiz and download FREE all about Who Was Confucius worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
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Since 1968, nearly constant war and the settlement of multiple armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have devastated social and economic inequality in the region. As a result, young Congolese living in the region have seen few examples of non-violent change, and much of the youth population has had no meaningful participation in education and employment.
EDC and its partners are working with various governmental ministries in an effort to improve and provide basic education, work-readiness training, and entrepreneurship skills for youth in North and South Kivu provinces. The USAID/DRC Integrated Youth Development Activity (IYDA) is supporting youth in gaining and applying relevant skills for better educational and social outcomes.
IYDA will improve youth skills by connecting them to work experiences and by strengthening existing structures. The project’s activities include:
- Build the capacity of the Ministries of Youth, Social Affairs, and Education, along with their related training centers, to develop and deliver improved accelerated learning and vocational training programs
- Develop and deliver an innovative employability training using EDC’s Work Ready Now! program
- Engage youth in positive community opportunities
- Support youth in establishing their own economic activities through mentoring and coaching
- Work with a network of literacy volunteers to support learning outside of the classroom
- Engage youth and communities to improve participation in civic activities
Over the course of the project, IYDA will provide:
- Improved literacy and numeracy skills to 12,000 children and youth through accelerated learning and vocational training
- Strengthened skills of 790 teachers and administrators and 150 youth literacy volunteers
- Employability and entrepreneurship training to 8,000 youth
- Employment opportunities to 4,000 youth
FHI 360; Catholic Relief Services; Souktel


■ All of the valuable information designed to provide professional educators and college students with educational terms, concepts, issues, and strategies has been completely updated and is now available on CD! The Cyclopedic Education Dictionary CD contains essential information in areas such as legal issues and responsibilities, literacy development, developmental and educational psychology terminology, key mathematical concepts and bilingual terms in the field.
Education definitions A to Z.
Appendix 1: Aabbreviations in Education.
Appendix 2: Legal Terms/Issues Related to Education.
Appendix 3: Mathematics Action-Research Classroom-Planning Steps (MARCS) and MAPP.
Appendix 4: Computer Terms.
Appendix 5: Important Federal Legislation, Milestones and Reports which relate to Education Affairs in the United States: Past and Present.
Appendix 6: Supreme Court Decisions Related to Education.
Appendix 7: Sample Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Appendix 8: Sample Literacy Activities.


Chowan University offers a specialized curriculum to prepare students for successful careers in Music Education, for teaching both instrumental and vocal music in grades Kindergarten through 12. Music Education students take courses that include:
Instrumental Techniques (Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Strings)
Elementary Music Teaching Methods
Secondary Music Teaching Methods
Marching Band Techniques
Since you will be training to be the head of your own classroom, you will also learn conducting for instrumental and choral engagements including score reparation, rehearsal techniques and concert development. Chowan University’s Music Education program also concentrates on the study of specific techniques and materials for classroom music teaching and for general music teaching in elementary and secondary grades, which includes first-hand work in the field.
Music Education students will also gain and hone skills in real world experiences, learn to respond to a variety of students’ needs, and learn the art of working with parents, other teachers and the community.


what is it the IDEAS Festival?
A catalyst for creating better futures
The IDEAS Festival is a fun day of learning and exploration through self-selected interactive sessions in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths (STEAM).
We partner with local tertiary institutions to give students access to a campus with world class facilities for thrilling sessions and learning outside the classroom.
The event inspires future generations by providing high-quality workshops that challenge, excite, and spark ideas. These hands-on, state of the art experiences are led by enthusiastic experts and offer students the opportunity to examine the concepts that challenge and shape their futures.
The IDEAS Festival creates Eureka moments - when an idea resonates, aspirations are nurtured and a potential future pathway is visualised.
why the IDEAS Festival?
Youth living in New Zealand's regions have limited opportunities
In New Zealand's regions we have a problem. Our children and youth don’t have the same access to the technology, science and art education opportunities as students in larger urban areas. A sense of isolation and higher rates of depression can make their future seem unclear.
We wanted to help students explore possibilities for their futures by providing interesting workshops, positive mentors, and exciting examples of how to move forward in their lives with purpose. So, we created the IDEAS Festival.
With the IDEAS Festival, we seek to re-engage students in New Zealand's regions. When students get inspired by seeing how other people have done the things they want to do, they can create more meaningful and fulfilled lives for themselves.


How to Promote opportunities for ICT in Role Play
Role play helps children make sense of the world. Therefore, it must also reflect the technological world in which we all live in.
If well-planned, it can encourage cooperative play and gives the children opportunities to use language, develop literacy and numeracy skills.
Incorporating ICT into role play can give children the confidence they need to use new ICT tools with which they are familiar with and this helps even those who might otherwise be reluctant to do so.
When planning role play, it is important to consider what technology the children have at home but to understand whether the children are allows to use the technology and for what purpose.
Important things to consider when planning role play with ICT include:
- As an early childhood teacher, that you value and understand these developing competencies in ICT – this will help you to plan for challenging and stimulating role play with clear learning intentions that build on what the children already know and do.
- Planning will be informed by discussions with other teachers and parents and by ongoing observations and assessments of the children.
- Develop a clear understanding of children’s ICT competencies, in particular in relation to the vast range of technologies with which children come into contact.
- Appreciate the links between home use of ICT and children’s ICT competencies in order to further develop competencies in the early childhood setting.
We all develop our competencies in ICT differently due to access we have to ICTs at home.
If you are to understand these competencies in ICT you will also need to:
- Ask parents and carers more than just what ICT is available at home.
- Ascertain what access children have had to ICT devices.
- Understand the nature of ICT activities children have had at home.
So when you start to plan to use ICT in role plays it is best that you consider:
- The life experiences and knowledge of children;
- If the children will be involved in the setting up of the role play and what will they do;
- What the attitudes of the adults involved the role play will be;
- What spaces you have available;
- Will it be indoors or outdoors?
- How much time is available for the setting’s daily routine?
- Is there the opportunity for the role play to develop over time?
- The quality and appropriateness of the resources.


In a recently released coroner’s report into the drowning death of a Victorian nine-year old, coroner Caitlin English has urged the Victorian Government to make swimming education a compulsory part of the primary school curriculum. She states:
“Whilst there has been a widespread focus on the importance of adult supervision of children around water, a lack of swimming ability among children contributes to an increased risk of drowning,”
This is also fuelled by Life Saving Victoria’s 2013 report “Sink or Swim: The state of Victorian primary school children’s swimming ability” which found that Victorian primary school children are lacking vital swimming and water safety skills with “60% of Victorian year 6 students […] unable to swim 50 meters”.
NSW has previously heard a similar call, however, nothing was done at a state government level.
One state government in Australia though has already taken action. The WA “Department of Education meets the cost of instruction at Interm classes for all public primary students and private primary students in rural and remote areas”. They state that “approximately 90% of eligible public primary schools across the state have participated in the program.”
We’d like to hear from all – “Should our national curriculum include educating all kids how to swim in primary school?“
Do you think it should be mandatory?
Do you think the primary school education curriculum is already too full?
Do you think this subject is being used as media fodder for the day and will be dropped quickly?
What impact would a change have on already burdened primary school teachers?
Is it cost prohibitive?
Have you had experiences in this topic?
Have your say in the comments box below and leave your thoughts & knowledge on this area.
- Life Saving Victoria – http://www.lifesavingvictoria.com.au/www/html/15-news.asp?n=1976
- WA http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/swimming/detcms/navigation/interm-swimming/


If it were possible to peek inside a child's head when she is learning to write, you'd witness, according to one of the first literacy researchers, Edmund Burke Huey, one of the most "remarkable performances that civilization has learned in all its history." Here are some activities to help a preschooler on that complex, marvelous journey toward literacy learning.
Make a Word Box
When I was teaching at the High/Scope preschool, we used to give every child a small recipe box with empty index cards at the start of the year. This "word box" was always kept nearby so that new words could be collected and used or referred to for children's writing activities.
Tip: Make sure that each word is accompanied by a small, simple sketch representing that word.
Label, Label, Label!
Look around your classroom. How many words do you see? A print-rich preschool classroom has meaningful words taped, glued, or written on objects and equipment in each learning center. To make labels, use a large, clear font to type out a list of items around the room and tape the printed words on the objects.
Tip: Use a camera to add pictures to labels.
Make an Art Documentary in 15 Minutes or Less!
The idea of collecting and displaying children's work is not new, but now there are many exceptional ways to digitally document a child's literacy development. The next time you have a pile of artwork on the drying rack, grab your camera and start a Mozart soundtrack. Make sure all the lights are on the more light, the better. Zoom in for a tight shot on each picture before moving in on the next. By carefully planning the sequence of pictures, you can create a beautiful video showcase of children's artwork in a very short time. Play your movie during parent nights.


At Special iApps, we develop educational apps to support children with special educational needs, including autism and Down syndrome. We took on social investment, in the form of blended finance (loan and grant), from Northstar Ventures to help develop our work.
Special iApps tackles the challenges kids face in their education and development.
For children who have a learning disability, poor fine motor skills, speech and communication challenges there are many barriers in their way: Difficulties with speech mean they cannot tell others what they know; poor fine motor skills mean that they are unable to write; their disability hinders development so they are at often at lower attainment levels and take longer to reach each milestone in their development from birth to adulthood.
There are challenges and problems encountered by the parents, carers as well as professionals - such as speech therapist and teachers who want to support children who have Special Educational Needs thrive to reach their full potential. Creating resources to support learning at home as well as in school is time-consuming. Paper resources are bulky and not easily adapted for each child's own needs with their interest as well as ability.
We support children who have Special Educational Needs to reach their true potential using edtech. Our own son has complex needs, Down syndrome and autism so we’ve first hand experience on the struggles he has had when younger and whilst growing up. Providing apps that can be personalised and tailored to the abilities of each child helps them to learn and develop in a number of areas including: speech, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, self-esteem and self-confidence as well as building vocabulary, improving literacy and numeracy skills and developing working memory.
Our apps are used by kids in Early Years, in Primary and Secondary schools (both mainstream and special school settings) as well as by adults who use or apps to continue developing numeracy and literacy plus supporting independence, social stories and life skills. Parent carers as well as other supporting adults such as Speech therapists and teachers can quickly and easily create personalised resources to support learning and development as well as communication.
Our Special Words app is used to support literacy, build vocabulary, support speech and reading. Special Stories is used to create social stories, for home-school communication as well as step-by-step instructions to support independence. Special Numbers helps with number skills, counting and sequencing and Match & Find helps develop working memory. They are all apps that support young children as well as adults who have Special Educational Needs to reach their full potential.
We received a £20,000 Big Venture Challenge Grant plus £40,000 Fresh Ideas Grant plus £125,000 NESIF loan (£90,000 drawn to date - July 2019). We sell apps that are bought by individuals (such as parent/carers or professionals such as Speech Therapists that run their own business) as well as organisations (such as schools, charities and parent support groups)
Social investment has had a positive impact on our work as it’s allowed us to have unrestricted funds to grow and develop our business alongside grant funding. Funding unlocks other resources as well as giving us time and skills to develop our products and services which in turn extends the reach of our social impact.
- Beverley Dean MBE, Founder
Follow Special iApps on Twitter.


Caves Worksheet – FREE Earth Science Printable Seek a Word Puzzles
Caves Worksheet – Get our entertaining FREE Earth Science Printable Seek a Word Puzzles.
Our FREE worksheet on Caves is composed of a find-the-hidden words game along with a find the word seek puzzle for kids.
This fun and educational printable science worksheet all about Caves is totally FREE for anyone to print and use without charge and you may use our activity sheet as often as you require at home and in school!
Our seek a word puzzle game about Caves is a great way to gain your kid’s interest and attention while taking part in a science enrichment class, homeschooling, distant learning lessons, regular school science classes or while the child participates in early learning activities.
This FREE Caves printable word puzzle is perfect for kids in Grade school from First Grade to Fifth Grade. However, younger kids in Kindergarten and Preschoolers will also benefit from this Caves word search worksheet.
Children will enjoy learning fun facts all about Caves through this FREE science worksheet while playing the word search puzzle.
Your children will enjoy to learn fun facts all about Caves while playing the word puzzles for kids.
Kids in Elementary school from Grade 1 to 5 can use the Caves worksheet as a reading comprehension exercise.
Your kids will learn well about Caves due to the fact that the kids will most likely have to re-read several times the fun facts about Caves to identify the missing words. This printable word search activity isn’t merely a good way to increase their science knowledge, but also improves the ability to remember what they read and also enhances their reading skills.
Preschoolers and kids in Kindergarten who cannot yet read can benefit from the free fun facts Caves worksheet as a fun and educational listening comprehension exercise.
Teachers and Educators can read to the kids the fun facts about Caves. Next, they assist the kids to answer what were the missing words. Additionally, the child learns to recognize words and find them in the Caves search word puzzles activity.
Parents doing early learning activities with their kids can use this Caves worksheet to spend quality time educating their kids about Caves.
Teachers and private tutors are welcome to use our FREE Caves worksheet to supplement regular science classes at school and interest children in learning all about Caves. Most beneficial is you utilize our free earth science worksheet for children on Caves in combination with the free interactive online quiz with score on Caves.
Our Fun Science Website offers plenty more FREE printable fun earth science worksheets for children and FREE printable word search puzzles. Download and use our fun science word puzzles to make learning science fun for your children!
What do you know about Caves? Are Caves dangerous? How are Caves formed? Can hot lava also make a Cave? What is the study of Caves called? What is the difference of a Stalagmite from a Stalactite?
Learn more easy science facts about Caves by downloading our free fun Caves worksheet for children!
FREE Fun Facts About Caves Worksheet for Kids
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Declan, Tobin. " Caves Worksheet - FREE Earth Science Printable Seek a Word Puzzles ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 21 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/caves-worksheet-free-earth-science-printable-seek-a-word-puzzles/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Caves Worksheet - FREE Earth Science Printable Seek a Word Puzzles. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/caves-worksheet-free-earth-science-printable-seek-a-word-puzzles/
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Levels of Language & LiteracyQuestion: What role does knowledge of language play in reading and writing? Answer: A huge role! Teachers tend to focus on the “five components of reading” when thinking about what’s needed to teach students to be good readers (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension). But there is another model that should be considered: the seven levels of language.
Science of Reading in the NewsAs the number of articles, podcasts and blog posts related to the science of reading grows, I've been updating a list I started for our Keys to Literacy trainers to share. We have been getting so many requests about the list, that I decided to make it the focus of this post.
We Need to Pay Attention to the Science of Reading!
The scientific evidence base on how we learn to read and how to best teach reading has been growing and converging over 40 years. This includes brain imaging studies that show how our brains learn to read and underlying causes of why some students have difficulty learning read.
Sadly, teachers often do not have access to this evidence base. Many teachers report that their preservice education in college did little to prepare them for teaching reading. Many veteran teachers report a lack of quality professional development once hired that could help them improve their reading instruction. And for too long, the reading wars have confused teachers and administrators. These wars started in the 1990's when whole language advocates succeeded in convincing too many schools that learning to read comes naturally without the need for explicit instruction in decoding skills. Even today, there are many reading "experts" that say they promote a "balanced" approach to beginning instruction, but what that actually represents is a little bit of incidental phonics thrown in on top of the same approaches to reading instruction that have not worked for the past 25 years. The latest scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation's report card, were just released—and things aren't looking good for the country's young readers.
Why are we still teaching reading the wrong way?“Scientific research has shown how children learn to read and how they should be taught. But many educators don't know the science and, in some cases, actively resist it. As a result, millions of kids are being set up to fail.” This is a quote from Emily Hanford's September, 2018 podcast and article published APMreports by American Public Media. Her piece highlights the lack of teacher knowledge about science-based reading instruction, due in part from not being taught reading science in teacher preparation schools, and in part from incorrect beliefs about how children learn to read.
Multisensory Teaching by Emily GibbonsThis post was written by Emily Gibbons, a dyslexia instructor. Emily provides suggestions for using multiple senses when teaching foundational reading skills. Multisensory teaching is not just crucial for kids with dyslexia, it is good solid teaching for ALL students. Using a variety of senses helps with memory and retrieval and allows students to support their areas of weakness with their areas of strength. Incorporating multisensory learning tools into your classroom lessons will not replace intervention services, but it will make classroom lessons more accessible to students with learning differences.
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and LetterlandLast year, Keys to Literacy decided that it was time to offer a phonics program and literacy professional development for phonemic awareness and phonics instruction in the primary grades. We knew it had to be up to the quality, high standards that educators have come to expect from Keys to Literacy. That is why we chose Letterland!
Resources for Fluency InstructionEven though Keys to Literacy professional development programs focus on comprehension, vocabulary, and writing, we are often asked about resources related to fluency – what it is, why it’s important, and how to teach it. This blog entry is devoted to identifying fluency resources.
I decided to start with the work of Jan Hasbrouck, a friend and colleague who I believe knows more about fluency than any other educator in the country. Together with her colleague, Gerald Tindal, Jan developed the first set of national norms for oral reading fluency performance in 1992. They updated and presented the norms in 2006 in an article: Oral Reading Fluency Norms: A Valuable Assessment Tool for Reading Teachers...
Good Resource for Literacy WebinarsEarlier this winter I delivered a literacy webinar for Voyager Sopris Learning, and discovered that they offer a number of complimentary, one hour webinars delivered by nationally-recognized literacy experts. And, they archive the webinars in case you are not able to participate in the live sessions.
Here is a link to my archived webinar titled “A Best-Practices Instructional Routine for Writing in the Content Areas”...


Bauhaus 100: Harvard pays tribute to the influential art movement that defined us
Mounted in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany the "Bauhaus and Harvard" exhibition presents nearly 200 works by 74 artists, drawn almost entirely from the Busch-Reisinger Museum’s extensive Bauhaus collection.
Founded in 1919 and closed just 14 years later, the Bauhaus was the 20th century’s most influential school of art, architecture, and design. Harvard University played host to the first Bauhaus exhibition in the United States in 1930, and went on to become an unofficial center for the Bauhaus in America when founding director Walter Gropius joined Harvard’s department of architecture in 1937. Today the Busch-Reisinger Museum houses the largest Bauhaus collection outside Germany, initiated and assembled through the efforts of Gropius and many former teachers and students who emigrated from Nazi Germany, including Anni and Josef Albers, Herbert Bayer, Lyonel Feininger, and László Moholy-Nagy.
The exhibition features rarely seen student exercises, iconic design objects, photography, textiles, typography, paintings, and archival materials. It explores the school’s pioneering approach to art education, the ways its workshops sought to revolutionize the experience of everyday life, the widespread influence of Bauhaus instruction in America, and Harvard’s own Graduate Center (1950), the first modernist building complex on campus, designed by Gropius’s firm The Architects Collaborative.
The curated by Laura Muir, research curator in the division of Academic and Public Programs, is organized by the Harvard Art Museums.
"The Bauhaus and Harvard" exhibition is on through July 28, 2019. More info here.
Design for a Multimedia Trade Fair Booth, Herbert Bayer. Opaque watercolor, charcoal and touches of graphite with collage of cut printed and colored papers on off-white wove paper. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
Bauhaus Books No. 12: Bauhaus Buildings, Dessau, László Moholy-Nagy, Walter Gropius. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
Black and Red Color Exercise, Hansgeorg Knoblauch. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Friends of the Busch-Reisinger Museum.
Tags/ Design, art, exhibition, Bauhaus, László Moholy-Nagy, Walter Gropius, Herbert Bayer, Germany, Weimar, United States, Harvard, Busch-Reisinger Museum, achitecture, Anni Albers, Joseph Albers, Lyonel Feininger, The Architects Collaborative, Laura Muir, Harvard Art Museums


Supporting students in music technology higher education to learn computer programming
This article examines methods for supporting students in music technology-related higher education to learn computer programming. The central argument made in this work is that using collaborative activities and encouraging regular reflective writing can benefit novices in their programming. To support this argument evidence from the teaching and learning literature will be presented along with primary research findings by the author. The research findings indicate that the collaborative activities and reflective writing exercise employed on an audio programming module were successful in supporting novices and helped to promote a more active learning environment with evidence of deeper learning and engagement in programming concepts.
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Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Glasgow Caledonian University
Publication date: May 1, 2014
More about this publication?
- The Journal of Music, Technology and Education (JMTE) explores the issues concerning the use of technology in music education. It examines pedagogy at all levels and across genres such as composition, musicology, performance and music production. It is the only journal specifically dedicated to the educational aspects of music technology and the technological aspects of music. Peer-reviewed, with an international editorial board, JMTE aims to draw its contributions from a broad community of educators, researchers and practitioners who are working closely with new technologies in the fields of music education and music technology education.
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- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites


For almost a century the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in President’s Park in Washington, D.C., has been a part of the American holiday tradition, and this year, as part of the 95th Tree Lighting display, works from Cedar City students are joining the celebration.
The first lighting took place in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit a Christmas tree in front of 3,000 spectators on Christmas Eve. Each successive president has continued the tradition and this year 56 trees were lit to represent each state and territory, including the District of Columbia.
Alisa Petersen, Beverley Taylor Sorenson Endowed Chair of Elementary Art Education at Southern Utah University, was chosen to create an initial design for the Utah project, which was executed by middle-school and high-school students in the Cedar City area. Working together under the direction of Peterson, the students used colors and textures found in nature to paint sheets of Tyvek — the insulation panels you’ll often see wrapping a house under construction — before cutting them up into individual decorations.
“I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with these amazing students,” said Petersen. “They enthusiastically created artwork that beautifully captures the essence of the Utah landscape we love so much.”
The trees will be on display through Jan. 1 as part of the America Celebrates display. For more event information and updates, visit www.thenationaltree.org.
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Visual Arts


Welcome to Year 2
Year 2 is an exciting year to be a part of, it is also known as the continent of North America! Like every Year Group at Clockhouse, we have a fun-filled, creative curriculum to excite and inspire the children of the year group. Our teachers work hard to ensure that we make the learning in Year 2 exciting and memorable. Our teachers are Mrs Jarvis and Mrs Everingham (USA), Miss Burrows (Canada) and Miss Martin (Mexico). Mrs Fletcher is the Head of our Year Group and teaches us as well. We also have a number of other adults who help us learn, make progress and be the best that we can be.
Our exciting lessons are linked to the Clockhouse Curriculum and using our topics we also have the opportunity to develop and improve our Literacy and Numeracy skills. During Year 2 we will be learning through the exciting themes of the Polar Regions, Healthy Us, Castles and Knights and China. At the start of each new topic we have an entry point activity which helps us to get involved in the new theme and motivated to learn. At the end of each topic we have an Exit Point where we celebrate our learning throughout the topic. We often invite our parents in as this gives us the opportunity to share our learning in a fun and meaningful way.
During the Autumn term, we learn about the Polar Regions as part of our topic “Who would like to live in a place like this?” The children will learn about the people who live in cold climates and learn about different materials to create clothing appropriate to different climates. They will also be learning about penguins and where they live and what they eat.
During the Spring term, we will be thinking about what humans and animals need to keep healthy. This is part of our topic “How can I be healthy?” We will learn about healthy food, exercise and why keeping our bodies clean is important. We will also be learning about Florence Nightingale and her charity work. Later this term will we start our topic on Castles and Knights. We will be learning about castles and famous knights. This will include learning about the structures of castles, who used them and how.
During the Summer term, we complete our learning about Castles and Knights. Later this term we will be learning about China as part of our topic “Let’s go to China”. The children will consider how China has changed over time. We will learn about their customs and traditions and the different food they eat.
During each topic we will have a home learning project which provides an opportunity to learn about the things that interest us and we want to find out about.
During the year we will have lots of other exciting events… keep checking the website and letters home for further information.
All this sensational learning means that we enjoy our time in Year 2 and are ready and excited for the new challenges ahead of us in Year 3!
Please click on the link below to find out more information about what we will be learning this year:


Italy - Introduction
Higher education aims at promoting science progress and supplying the necessary scientific culture for
the professional practice.
The whole higher education sector in Italy underwent a reform process to align itself with the European
model outlined through the following European agreements: Sorbonne (1998), Bologna (1999), Prague
(2001), Berlin (2003) and Bergen (2005). According to the European prospect, the reform of the Italian
higher education system provides a system subdivided into three separate sectors:
non-university higher education offered by the Higher level Arts and Music Education system
higher technical education and training and non-university higher
education offered by other institutions.
University is the seat of education and critical transmission of knowledge; it systematically combines
research and teaching and assures their freedom. University management is based on the principles of
autonomy and responsibility. Universities have adopted new autonomy statutes which establish their
governing bodies (rector, Senato Accademico, board of management) as well as their teaching and
research structures. The university carries out its institutional aims, like teaching and scientific
research, through faculties, courses, departments (220.127.116.11.2.), institutes and service centres.
The Afam system is made up of the following institutions (6.5.1.): Academies of Fine Arts, the National
Academy of Drama, Higher institutes for Artistic Industries (ISIA), Conservatoires, the National Dance
Academy and officially recognised music institutes. Such educational institutions are the principal seats
of high level education, specialization and research in the art and music sector and they carry out
correlated activities. They have legal status and statutory, teaching, scientific, administrative, financial
and accounting autonomy.
The Higher technical education and training ( IFTS) aims at a quick insertion of students into the labour
market. IFTS courses are destined to young people and adults who, after having obtained a diploma,
want to obtain a specialization corresponding to high level qualifications and specific professional
skills. IFTS courses last from two to four semesters and release a specialisation certificate.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe


Your child will thrive with our Kindermusik program – one that delivers a wide variety of activities and music – yet understands the value of routine and repetition, play-based learning, creative storytelling with years of education and research at the core of everything they do.
Kindermusik is the world leader in music and movement education for young children, and our studio is honoured to be in the top 5% of Kindermusik Studios worldwide!
Kindermusik’s engaging, developmentally appropriate music classes offer thoughtfully integrated sequences of activities that set the stage for optimal, multi-sensory learning. Each lesson is designed to boost school readiness, nurture multiple areas of a child’s development, and tap into a variety of individual learning styles.
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES ACROSS ALL LEARNING DOMAINS
Kindermusik takes early music education to the next level. Our music-and-movement activities are carefully and creatively designed to enhance children’s cognitive, language, physical, creative, and social-emotional development. Plus, Kindermusik’s focus on different musical concepts, genres, and styles helps foster a lifelong love of and appreciation for the music itself.
Click on the icons below to find out more about each level program.
They gain the phonological processing, spoken language, and comprehension skills that are the foundation of reading.
Children build the spatial-temporal and reasoning skills required for math, science, and engineering.
They develop social and emotional skills that are essential for school readiness—like the ability to regulate their responses and relate to others in complex ways.
By moving and dancing to music and playing simple instruments, children improve their gross and fine motor skills.
Activities that encourage freedom within a fun and friendly structure spark their creativity.And of course, they develop a lifelong love of music.


Morton Gould (composer, born December 10, 1913, Richmond Hills, New york; died February 21, 1996) Morton Gould was a prolific and versatile composer whose works throughout this century reflected the moods and outlook of this country in all its rough-and-tumble optimism. Like Gershwin, Copland, and Ives, Gould turned to the indigenous musical styles of the peoples of this country for inspiration--jazz, folk, hymns, spirituals, gospel, and Latin American music--and produces full-blown orchestral works that are immediately accessible and unmistakably American. Gould wrote in a wide range of genres, but he was best known for his orchestral works, which include scores for radio American Symphonette, 1938), Broadway musicals Million DollaR&Baby, 1945), ballets Fall River Legend, 1947), film Windjammer, 1958), and television Holocaust, 1978). As conductor, he led orchestras around the world and made first recordings of works by Shostakovich, Ives, and Copland. He was the oldest of fOur Boys of a nonmusical family. A player piano in the living room was his earliest musical memory. A piano prodigy by the time he was 5, he played a concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music during his first year in school which included his first composition. At 8 he was a scholarship student at the Institute of Musical Arts in New York City. Entering his teens, Gould's family faced financial difficulties. The player piano was sold, and he had to leave school to earn a living as a pianist for vaudeville acts, and giving recitals in which he improvised works constructed around themes contributed by the audience. Eventually he landed the job of staff pianist for the opening of Radio City Music Hall. The year was 1931, and he was 18 years old. Playing for shows at the nation's premier palace for pop entertainment while at the same time studying "serious" music with the likes of conductor Fritz Reiner kept him straddling the two very different worlds of music, which over the years he helped enormously to bridge. Gould next went into radio, in charge of music on the Mutual Radio Network from 1934-42, and in 1943 becoming music director of the popular "Chrysler Hour" on CBS. His audiences ranged in the millions. At the same time he was writing symphonic music that was being performed by such major conductors as Stokowsky, Rodzinski, and Toscanini. His later compositional activities included a Cello Suite commissioned by the Chamber Society of Lincoln Center, I'm Old Fashioned, a ballet score for New York City Ballet based on the Jerome Kern song; America Sing, commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a flute concerto commissioned by the Chicago Symphony, and a new work commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the composer's 80th birthday. Gould's keen interest in music education led him to give lectures on the art of composition, and he was often been found conducting an orchestra of his favorite musicians--students. His peers elected him to the presidency of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and ASCAP, the oldestemperforming rights organization in the world.


The Ontario Government plans to ban cellphone use in the province’s classrooms.
Ontario, Canada’s largest province by population, has made headlines after news broke that its government will reportedly be placing a mobile phone ban in Ontario classrooms.
The ban will go into effect for the 2019-2020 school year.
Although a formal announcement regarding the province-wide mobile phone ban in classrooms has yet to be made, government sources informed the Canadian Press that the province will issue a directive to all public schools for the 2019-2020 school year, which begins in September, Global News reports.
The ban will supposedly apply in classrooms during instructional time, with exceptions being made for medical reasons, students with special needs, or when teachers want to use mobile phones as part of their lesson.
That being said, how the ban will be enforced will be left up to the individual boards and schools.
Not everyone is in favor of the mobile phone ban.
Some educational experts are concerned in regard to how the province plans to ban the use of cellphones in classrooms, feeling that such a restriction will be nearly impossible to enforce. Several questions have been raised, including will the school confiscate the devices before class or will they ask the students to switch them off?
In addition to the difficulties of enforcing such a ban, some experts, parents, students and teachers also argue that mobile phones are very much a part of today’s learning culture. In other words, as much as they can be a distraction, they can also serve as valuable tools for learning.
Still, Ontario’s Education Minister Lisa Thompson, who released the information about the ban, said in a written statement: “Ontario’s students need to be able to focus on their learning – not their cellphones. By banning cellphone use that distracts from learning, we are helping students to focus on acquiring the foundational skills they need like reading, writing and math.”
Classroom cellphone bans are nothing new in Ontario. The Toronto District School Board previously had a cellphone ban in place for four years before reversing it, choosing instead to let teachers decide what works best for their classroom environments.
The board said that enforcing an outright ban proved next to impossible and added that curbing technology use also meant placing limits on education opportunities.
It will be interesting to see what happens once the Ontario Government makes its official mobile phone ban announcement.


People who have sustained brain damage can often find that they suddenly have difficulty writing well. This problem, called acquired dysgraphia, can be treated – but it is important to recognize the symptoms.
Dyslexia & Reading Difficulties
Dyslexia is a learning disability which effects a child's ability to learn to read. Dyslexic children often have difficulty learning the alphabet, with spelling words and reading out loud. There are a number of management and teaching techniques to help dyslexic students which include specialised phonics instruction, individual tutoring and more. Find thoughtful discussions, informative articles and effective tips for teaching students with dyslexia as well as children with other disabilities that cause difficulty with reading.
Joan is an extremely gifted and articulate 6th grade student. She is hiding a secret from her family, friends, classmates and her teachers. Joan can’t read.She has been tested for every learning disability, except the one disability, that is impacting her ability to read. Joan has dyslexia.


The JK and SK program build upon the strong ACEC philosophy of student discipline and academic achievement. Our JK and SK program academic component (English and Math) level meet or exceed the Ontario SK and Ontario Grade 1 curriculum. The programs focus on building our students in all aspects.
Languages – English
Young children will develop into strong readers and writers in our positive and supportive learning environment. We focus on the foundational areas of literacy development:
• Alphabet letter knowledge/letter recognition
• Phonological (including phonemic) awareness
• Letter–sound correspondence (phonics)
• Concepts about print and books
• Oral comprehension and vocabulary (listening and speaking, receptive and expressive language)
Children will participate in weekly reading program and writing exercises. The children are immersed in a state of total reading, including grammar and syntax. Opportunities are provided for verbal and written self-expression. Children will develop literacy skills through activities, such as show and tell, presentation, group learning and individual study. The language program is integrated into all areas of classroom learning.
Language – Chinese
Chinese instruction time is part of our daily schedule, where student is taught on reading, writing, and conversational skills. We believe fluency and literacy in the mother tongue lay a cognitive and linguistic foundation for learning additional languages. We make every effort to provide children with educational activities that stimulate their physical, socio-emotional and cognitive awareness while contributing to their self-development in the Chinese language.
This program provides an excellent foundation and understanding of mathematical skills, always leading children from the concrete to the abstract. We provide an engaging and encouraging climate for children’s early encounters with mathematics in order to develop their confidence in their ability to understand and use mathematics. Our teachers guide children in seeing connections of ideas within mathematics as well as with other subjects, developing their mathematical knowledge throughout the day and across the curriculum.
Mental mathematics will be introduced to enhance flexible thinking and number sense. It also enables students to determine answers without paper and pencil, thus improves computational fluency by developing efficiency, accuracy and flexibility. We also focus on problem solving skill as it fosters multiple, creative and innovative solutions. It is our goal to create an environment where students openly look for, and engage in, finding a variety of strategies for solving problems. Students will learn to explore alternatives and develop confident and become cognitive mathematical risk takers.
ACEC has a strong emphasis on proper discipline and independence. Activities are exercises of daily living which assist children to refine motor skills while providing opportunities to take care of themselves and their environment. Students acquire grace, courtesy, and control of movement while learning to work independently, develop concentration, and prepare for future learning and specific subject areas.
Arts and Music
We believe early art experiences teach children to think openly, create new meaning, be more tolerant of others’ differences, and give them the courage to take risks. We provide lots of opportunity for children to learn various arts and music to support their creativity. Children will be exposed to creative arts programs, such as drawing, painting, drama, dance, movement, music and storytelling to encourage children to express ideas. We also encourage students to participate in many confidence-boosting events such as music concerts and performances.