Early success in school is significantly increased when children have had at least a thousand books read to them by the time they are 5 years-old. Literacy development is enhanced and emotional bonds are strengthened when families read together.
Via the 1000 X 5 Projects now underway in School Districts No. 61, 62 and 63, gently used picture books are collected through schools. The books are screened, sorted and bagged as gifts for families with children (from birth to 5). The bags are regularly distributed to three local food banks, 15 Strong Start Centres, many family-serving agencies and social programs, and other easily accessible locations. As of May 2013, over 112 000 books had been distributed throughout our region, with approximately 1400 families receiving books each month.
Watch a YouTube video clip from Chek News about this program.
To contribute or for information about work underway in your community, please contact:
Denise Brown - Project Leader, Westshore 1000 X 5 at: email@example.com
Eileen Eby - Project Leader, Victoria 1000 X 5 at: firstname.lastname@example.org
Daphne Macnaughton - Project Leader (Saanich Peninsula) PCEC 1000 X 5 at: email@example.com


6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
- Second semester 2018 (On-campus)
This unit is framed around the importance of teachers having a profound and flexible understanding of fundamental mathematics, particularly as it relates to number and algebra. The core of the unit involves students working in groups on carefully selected mathematics problems that focus on a deep conceptual and connected understanding of number and early algebra. Carefully chosen problems, together with whole class discussion emerging from students' work on the problems, challenge students to reason about the mathematics and develop their problem-solving skills. Importantly, students are encouraged to view learning as supported by dialogue and to develop their own understandings through working with others' thinking on a topic. Students learn to communicate mathematical ideas effectively, using a range of media including information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the mathematical content underpinning number and algebra in the primary school curriculum
- show awareness of how the concepts and structure of primary number and algebra relate to the mathematics for secondary schooling and beyond
- demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the historical and cultural nature of number and operations and how this relates to education of students from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- display confidence in being a competent and creative mathematics learner who can foster these attributes in their own learners.
Report on problem-solving activity (can include individual and/or group work) (1600 words or equivalent per student, 40%)
Project report (can include individual and/or group work) (2400 words or equivalent per student, 60%)
Minimum total expected workload equals 144 hours per semester comprising:
- Contact hours for on-campus students:
- 2 hour workshop per week
- Additional requirements:
- 10 hours of independent study per week
See also Unit timetable information


Foundations of Literacy for English Learners: The Nature of Reading
Designed to provide teachers and administrators with research on how English learners learn to read in a second language and the supports they need to be successful at decoding and comprehending.
In this online, self-paced course, participants will explore learning to read in a second language and the supports they need to be successful at decoding and comprehending. This online course is developed from CAL’s workbook and Study Guide, What’s Different about Teaching Reading to Students Learning English? and based on decades of research by CAL on the development of second language literacy and extensive experience working effectively with educators to help English learners succeed in the classroom.
Foundations of Literacy for English Learners will explore the strengths English learners bring to reading in English, including bilingualism, and the challenges they experience in developing vocabulary, fluency, phonological and phonemic awareness, letter recognition, phonics, and reading comprehension.
This online course is divided into three modules designed to provide an overview of research-based approaches to reading instruction and are dedicated to select areas of literacy development and instruction. Each module begins with a warm-up activity and includes a narrated PowerPoint presentation and readings. Throughout the course, participants have opportunities to reflect upon and practice new learning, self-assess through quizzes; view real-world examples through video demonstration; and apply lessons learned through applicable wrap-up activities.
- Module 1 defines “reading” and situates literacy as part of comprehensive and effective instruction for English learners. After determining the components of skilled reading, participants will analyze the backgrounds of English learners in their classrooms and the strengths and challenges they bring to the reading process and overall comprehension.
- Module 2 includes a demonstration of what it is like to learn to read in a second language and the types of supports needed become fluent readers in an additional language. Participants will also consider the linguistic differences between languages and how they affect reading, both at the level of decoding and comprehension. Lastly, participants will apply what they have learned and research the language of one of their students to determine how to support that student’s literacy skills.
- Module 3 examines the four-cueing systems model of reading, analyzes the predictors of reading success, and explores how to use the information from a running record to investigate how a student’s first language knowledge may be impacting their decoding or reading comprehension.
Upon registration and payment, you will receive log-on credentials for the course via the email address provided upon registration.
Each module is self-paced and takes approximately five hours to complete. You will have three months to complete the course. At the conclusion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Center for Applied Linguistics.
CAL also offers a tiered pricing structure for schools and districts who wish to have 10 or more teachers take the online course.
To register, please follow the registration link to begin the registration and payment process.


NEW DELHI: Nearly eight years after the Constitution was amended to make education
a fundamental right, the government today implemented a historic law to provide free and compulsory education to all children
in age group of 6-14 years.
The 86th Constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right was passed by Parliament in 2002. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, a law to enable the implementation of the fundamental right, was passed by Parliament last year. Both the Constitutional amendment and the new law came into force from today.
The new law makes it obligatory on part of the state governments and local bodies to ensure that every child gets education in a school in the neighbourhood.
Its implementation will directly benefit close to one crore children who do not go to schools
at present. These children, who have either dropped out from schools or have never been to any educational institution, will be enrolled in schools.
The Right To Education
is being touted by the UPA government as another major achievement after Right To Information Act and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
At present, there are nearly 22 crore children in the relevant age group. However, 4.6 per cent of these children (nearly 92 lakh) are out of school, a ministry official said.
The school management committee or the local authority will identify the drop-outs or out of school children above six years of age and admit them in classes appropriate to their age after giving special training.
The Act makes it a right of every child to get education. The Act makes it obligatory for the appropriate governments to ensure that every child gets free elementary education.
The Act mandates that even private educational institutions have to reserve 25 per cent seats for children from weaker sections.
Certain schools have already challenged the law in the Supreme Court as being "unconstitutional" and violating fundamental rights of unaided private educational institutions. However, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has said that legal process would not affect the implementation of law.
The Finance Commission has provided Rs 25,000 crore to the states for implementation of the Act.
As per the government's estimate, there will be a requirement of Rs 1.71 lakh crore in the next five years for implementation of the Act. Sibal said that the government has arranged the required funds for implementing the law.
The Act says no school can deny admission to a student and all schools need to have trained teachers. In case of schools not having trained teachers, they will have to comply with the provision within three years.
As per the new law, the schools need to have certain minimum facilities like adequate teachers, playground and infrastructure. The government will evolve some mechanism to help marginalised schools comply with the provisions of the Act.
The government has already prepared model rules which have been circulated to the states for preparing their own rules for implementation of the Act. The Centre has also prepared separate rules for the Union Territories which will be notified by the Law Ministry next week.
As per the Model rules, the local bodies and the state governments will undertake household surveys and neighbourhood school mapping to ensure that all children are sent to school.
The rules say that the state governments or local authorities will determine the neighbourhood schools by undertaking school mapping. Such agencies shall ensure that no child is subjected to caste, class, religious or gender abuse in the school.
The local authority will conduct a household survey and maintain a record of all children in its jurisdiction. The record will contain detailed information about the child and the parents and will specify whether the child belongs to the weaker section or disadvantaged group or having any disability.
The state government or local authorities will identify children with disabilities and children from disadvantaged groups every year.
Unaided and private schools shall ensure that children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups shall not be segregated from the other children in the classrooms nor shall their classes be held at places and timings different from the classes held for the other children.
The new law will ensure that quality education is provided to children of all community, including minorities and backward classes.
However, the reservation for weaker section will not be implemented from this year as the admission season is almost over. It will be implemented from 2011-12.
The state government and local authorities will establish primary schools within walking distance of one km of the neighbourhood. In case of children for Class VI to VIII, the school should be within a walking distance of three km of the neighbourhood.
The government has prepared a short film on the new law which would be aired on TV channels to create awareness. QnA: Will the bill help eradicate illiteracy in the decades to come in India?


Math thinking, activities, and math word problems for second graders.
July 13, 2020
Warm weather and more daylight hours mean now is a great time to take advantage of outdoor spaces. There are so many ways to incorporate math into your child’s outside activity.
Card games provide meaningful practice of the basic number combinations. These common card games that children learn in school or at home can be revisited many times and can be adapted to children’s own math skills as they develop over time.
En Español También. Language and math have a lot in common! For example, every time you describe something—as red, tall, sticky, or loud, for example—you are helping to define and categorize things. And defining and categorizing is huge in mathematics!
En Español También. Every day dishes need to get cleaned, and every day dishes need to get put away. By involving children in tasks like doing the dishes, you can help them see mathematics in this work.
En Español También. Going for walks is an excellent time to talk about math with your child. You’ll be surprised how much math talk you can have when you look for the math in your very own neighborhood.
En Español También. Whether you have a machine at home or visit a laundromat, there is all kinds of math involved in doing laundry. And there are all kinds of ways that children of all ages can join in the thinking and doing.
En Español También. Jigsaw puzzles are a great way for children to develop their spatial thinking and problem-solving skills. Children enjoy doing all kinds of puzzles and making ones from materials found around the house keeps it fresh and new.
In her presentation “Cognition and Early Childhood Numeracy: How Number Concepts are Built and Why Input Matters,” Kelly Mix bridged research and practice in her discussion of math language and learning.
In this lesson launch, we see a third-grade teacher using reading comprehension strategies to help children understand a math story problem using a Three Reads strategy.
Early Mathematics Learning in Family and Community Contexts was the 2019 topic of the Promising Math biennial conference. Framing the event were three plenary presentations that brought cognitive, contextual, and collaborative lenses to the topic.…


We investigated the influence of nonparental caregivers, such as foreign domestic helpers (FDH), on the home language spoken to the child and its implications for vocabulary and word reading development in Cantonese- and English-speaking bilingual children. Using data collected from ages 5 to 9, we analyzed Chinese vocabulary, Chinese character recognition, English vocabulary, and English word reading among 194 native Cantonese-speaking children in Hong Kong with English-speaking FDHs (n = 46), children with Cantonese-speaking FDHs (n = 32), and children with no FDHs who were spoken to in Cantonese (n = 116). Multilevel modeling results showed potential advantages in initial English vocabulary and disadvantages in initial Chinese character recognition among children in the English-speaking FDH group, with no evidence for compounding or diminished costs or benefits over time. Results are discussed in relation to both theoretical and practical aspects of home language and literacy development. Copyright © 2016 Language Learning Research Club, University of Michigan.
CitationDulay, K. M., Tong, X., & McBride, C. (2017). The role of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong Chinese children's English and Chinese skills: A longitudinal study. Language Learning, 67(2), 321-347. doi: 10.1111/lang.12222
- Language exposure
- Domestic helpers
- Language acquisition


Starting the day by exploring the world sounds great for our little Pollys.
Kids were very happy to count the colors on the floor while jumping. It was a good learning activity as kids learned during playing.
Such a great way to improve their numeracy skills.
Kids did a very good job during Arts and craft class.
Very interesting panda craft has been done by their tiny hands.
Little Pollys know that in the ZOO they can find a lot of big and small animals.
This activity was aimed to encourage them to freely explore the world they live in.
It was a fun day today as the little Pollys had outdoor games and they exercised their bodies.
They really enjoyed as it had their muscles stretched.
During the Numeracy hour, kids traced numbers on paper using pencils.
Here they improved their fine motor skills.
Also, their counting and concentration level was improved.
Well done Pollys!!!


Federal Republic of Germany is a federal state in Western Europe. šNegara This has economic and political position is very important in Europe and in the world. šDengan wide 357.021 kilometers persegi (about 2,5 time Java) and a population of approximately 82 million, countries with 16 state is a key member of the European Union organization. Let's see why Germany is classified as a developed country…
š Jerman adalah negara dengan ekonomi terbesar di Eropa, The world's fourth largest GDP, and gross national income in the world's fifth largest 2008. Since the era of industrialization and industrial capitalism, The country managed to become the motor, innovator, and economic globalizers. Germany is the world's second largest exporter of the year 2011 with the value of 1,409 trillion dollars.
2. Per Capita Income
šPendapatan perkapita masyarakat jerman yaitu Rp 521.070.725/tahun atau setara dengan Rp 43 million / month. This makes Germany as a country with a per capita income of the 4th largest in the world.
3. Science and Technology
Pencapaian Jerman di bidang sains mempunyai pengaruh signifikan bagi perkembangan dunia. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 103 German. Many German researchers get Nobel Prize in science, among others Physics, Chemistry, and physiology or medicine. Germany is also a country of many inventors and engineers, such as Johannes Gutenberg (inventor of the printing press), dan Konrad Zuse (The first automatic digital computer maker). Germany is also the hometown of the most famous scientist in the world of Albert Einstein.
šDengan posisinya yang berada di tengah Eropa, Germany is a transport link. It can be seen from such a complex transportation networks and modern. Motorway network is the third longest toll road network in the world and is famous because it has no speed limit. Germany also has a railway line quickly. Network Inter City Express or ICE serves major cities in Germany as well as destinations in neighboring countries to speed up 300 km / h.
5. Economic Sector
šJerman adalah Negara dengan ekonomi terbesar dan terkuat di eropa. The service sector contributes to 71% total PDB, industry 28%, and agriculture 1%.
6. Life expectancy
Rata-rata angka harapan hidup untuk laki-laki adalah 77,8 year, while for women is 82,4 year, and the average overall is 80 year.
7. Unemployment Rate
Tingkat pengangguran rata-rata negara ini (May 2012) is 6,7%. The official unemployment rate in this country also includes people working part-time who are looking for full employment (full-time job). The average unemployment rate unofficially this country around 5.7% year 2011.
š Lebih dari 99% German population aged 15 years and over can read and write. Education level of kindergarten available to all children ages 3-6 year, but not required. šSetelah it, compulsory education for the children to get the most minimal 9 year. Older elementary education in this country is ranged 4-6 tahun.Berikutnya, secondary education is available in 3 kind: Gymnasium to prepare students for university, Secondary School, and Hauptschule for vocational school students. German universities are known internationally, with 6 No university in 100 big world, and 18 there are at 200 big world. Most universities in Germany is a state university, the tuition is only about USD 951.000 per semester. Then, education is affordable for almost all German residents.
šDengan total penduduk sekitar 81,7 million people, Germany is the 15th most populous in the world. Since 2003 total German population decreases slowly with population growth 0:29% / year. The reluctance of German families to have children and rising death rates were low because of population growth.
10. Results Industry
šDari 500 The world's largest companies (based revenue) written by Fortune Global 500, 37 of which is headquartered in Germany. German companies like Volkswagen famous, Nivea, Siemens, Audi, Adidas, BMW, give Mercedes Benz.
source : http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halaman_Utama


Why Reading Music Is as Important as Reading Literature
By Chris M. Bernotas | March 2, 2017
Don’t you love all of the parallels that are drawn between music and other subject areas? You know what I mean, right? Music and math can easily connect through the basic idea of subdivision or how many beats there are in a measure. Music and team sports draw comparison through the concept and practice of working together for a common goal with people of all different skills and backgrounds. Well, how about reading and literature? You already know the importance of sight-reading and focusing on concepts that involve reading notes and reading rhythms. Both are incredibly important and necessary concepts, but really think about music and reading.
When you read a good book, you get absorbed in the characters, follow the storyline, and comprehend the words as they transform into images in your brain. Your emotions can go on a rollercoaster ride as you read the words describing an exciting chase or the evil villain or the feeling as the characters fall in love. Reading music is about comprehension in very much the same way. Learning the note names are the basic words. Learning the scales are putting those words in order and understanding some sentence structure. Performing a piece of music is the same as reading all of the words as they weave into a completed sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, a series of chapters and so on. You’re piecing together musical words and phrases to tell a story, complete with good guys, bad guys, thrilling storylines, romance, and sometimes pure fun. You can tell serious stories, happy stories, sad stories, and sometimes historical stories. There really is no limit.
Just as it is important for students to recognize why they read literature—to experience and connect with themselves and each other (sound familiar?)—they should recognize how the musical language and literature can fulfill the very same human needs. In honor of National Reading Month and Read Across America Day, make sure to read with your students today and share in the story together!
Composer, conductor, clinician, and educator Chris M. Bernotas (b.1969) earned a Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson University and a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Marygrove College. As Director of Instrumental School Methods and Repertoire for Alfred Music, he draws upon his 28-year experience as an instrumental music teacher in New Jersey, and brings an energetic and enthusiastic approach to the world of music education.View Author Page
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Strengthen foundational reading skills with a reading comprehension book tailored to help students at various reading levels.
Guided Reading: Analyze for first and second grades makes lesson planning easier with six sets each of six nonfiction readers. There are 36 readers—two each for below-, on-, and above-level student readers. This teacher resource book helps engage students as they learn about Japan, zoos, pets, and more.
Ready to Go Guided Reading: Analyze offers the essentials for an effective, comprehensive guided reading program for first and second grades. This book includes:
- leveled readers that cover high-interest topics
- prompts to encourage students to work with the text and text features
- discussion guides
- graphic organizers and an observation sheet
The readers are separated into three readability levels and designed to keep students’ attention. Various callout boxes direct students to apply guided reading strategies to the texts, such as scanning for meaning or word work. Each reader concludes with a writing prompt.
The Ready to Go: Guided Reading series for first to sixth grades includes everything you need for guided reading organization. Each 80-page book is essentially a guided reading set, containing 36 total readers, six discussion guides, and three reproducible pages. Each grade span includes 8 books, focusing on the following reading comprehension strategies:
- Determine Importance
Each nonfiction reader contains short nonfiction texts, vocabulary banks, photographs, charts, and maps.


Middle Grade Levels
The Bridges Prep middle grades (6-8) curriculum builds upon the foundational skills focused on during the early years and prepares students for the rigor of high school coursework. We continue with both Paideia and STEM instruction, while providing a more flexible learning environment.
Students frequently work in small groups, just as teams do in the workplace. This teaches problem solving as a team. Teachers instruct students on how to research and determine accurate sources of information in an increasing challenging environment.
The goal of our middle school curriculum is to strengthen the foundation skills while giving students more responsibility. By doing so students will begin to understand important life skills including time management and accountability.
For specific questions concerning our middle school curriculum, please contact John Kabel, Bridges Prep 7-12 grade Principal at email@example.com
Health and Fitness Curriculum:
Health & Wellness


Whole word, also known as "Sight Word" and "Look and Say", teaches reading skills and strategies in the context of authentic literature. Word recognition accuracy is considered less important than meaning accuracy; therefore, there is an emphasis on comprehension as the ultimate goal.
Students in this method memorize the appearance of words, or learn to recognize words by looking at the first and last letter from rigidly selected vocabularies in progressive texts (such as The Cat in the Hat). Often preliminary results show children taught with this method have higher reading levels than children learning phonics, because they learn to automatically recognise a small selection of words. However later tests demonstrate that literacy development becomes stunted when hit with longer and more complex words later.
That said, does anyone teach "Sight Words" in Lashon Kodesh? What have your results been? Do you feel this is worthwhile? What about with boys who are having difficulty with Kriah?


About General Music
The General Music program is an integral part of every child's education in the the District. In general music, students gain the skills necessary to participate in music, create their own music, and understand the complex nature of music. Using these skills, students develop a means for self expression, which is an important component of personal development. Participating in music education helps students develop cultural sensitivity, internal motivation, positive self-esteem, and the ability to function both individually and within a group.
In the District, general music is taught using a child-centered approach. Many of our teachers are highly skilled in using the Orff-Schulwerk approach of teaching, which focuses on creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. In Orff-Schulwerk classrooms, children begin with what they do instinctively: play! Experimentation, improvisation, and personal expression occur naturally as students become confident, life-long musicians and problem solvers. The Orff approach to teaching is a model for optimal learning in the 21st century.


The Curriculum and Assessment Department is responsible for the oversight of school curriculum grades K - 12 including the Instructional Materials Curriculum Review Committee (IMC) and the required state and school assessments to measure student progress.
Director of Curriculum and Assessment
Curriculum and Assessment Services Secretary
As a member of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, students in the State of Washington now take the Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. This includes all students in Grades 3-8 and 11. Click here to take a Smarter Balanced Practice Test, and here are other tools to accompany the SBA Practice Tests.
Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) in Science
Until 2014-15 the MSP was the primary state assessment for all students at Grades 3-8 in Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science. From 2014-15 on, the MSP Science assessments will continue to be administered to all students in Grades 5 and 8.
English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century
Administered in February or March each year to students in kindergarten and Grade 1. The purpose of this assessment is to determine initial student eligibility for English Language Services. The WELPA is given to students whose families answer yes to: Is your child’s first language a language other than English? on the Home Language Survey.
OSPI-Developed Assessments in Social Studies, The Arts, Health and Fitness, and Educational Technology (a.k.a the CBAs)
CBAs administered in Social Studies and Health & Fitness. CBPA administered in Fine Arts. CBAs and CBPA are administered once each year to each student in grades 5, 8 & 11. Washington State supports the development of classroom-based assessments that are based on the state’s learning standards and help guide day-to-day instruction. State curriculum specialists create tasks and questions that model good assessments and provide them to local school districts. For more information on CBAs and CBPAs please go to: www.k12.wa.us/assessment/default.aspx and scroll to the bottom of the page.
STAR Early Literacy
A benchmark screening and progress monitoring assessment system at the primary levels from kindergarten through Grade 1 and above.
A benchmark screening and progress monitring assessment system from Grades K through 12. Students receive this assessment in the fall, winter and spring.
A benchmark screening and progress monitoring system for assessing growth in mathematics achievement. STAR Math is administered to all students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 in the fall, winter and spring. Students who score below grade level are assessed more frequently (progress monitored) in order to measure growth in response to interventions.
Advanced Placement (AP) ExamsThe Advanced Placement program was designed for high school students and offers them the opportunity to take college-level courses at the high school. College and university professors and high school teachers develop the course materials. Students are able to demonstrate the concepts and skills mastered through academic specific tests. Students who receive a satisfactory score on any of the tests might receive college credit or be allowed to waive a specific introductory college class. Tests are given on various dates depending the the test subject area. For further details, contact your high school counselor.
PSATThe Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. The PSAT/NMSQT measures: Critical reading skills, Math problem-solving skills and Writing skills. The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to: Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study, see how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college, enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11) and help prepare for the SAT. The PSAT is administered in early Spring to all students in Grade 10 at no cost to families. For further details, contact your high school counselor.
SAT/ACT: Grades 11 & 12The SAT and ACT Tests are designed to assess a student’s academic readiness for college. These exams provide a path to opportunities, financial support and scholarships. The SAT is the most widely used college admission test. The SAT test is administered in early Spring to students in Grade 11 at no cost to the families. The fee for students to take the ACT test is paid by parent/and or guardian. For further details, contact your high school counselor.


Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
- Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- Reading 2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- Craft and Structure 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- Craft and Structure 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
- Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
- Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 9: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
- Language 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
- Comprehension & Collaboration 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- Comprehension & Collaboration 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- Comprehension & Collaboration 3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 3: People, Place, and Environments
- Theme 4: Individual Development and Identity
- Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
National Standards for Music Education – National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
Core Music Standard: Creating
- Plan and Make: Select and develop musical ideas for defined purposes and contexts.
- Evaluate and Refine: Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work(s) that meet appropriate criteria.
- Present: Share creative musical work that conveys intent, demonstrates craftsmanship, and exhibits originality.
Core Music Standard: Responding
- Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
- Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Core Music Standard: Connecting
- Connecting 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make music.
- Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.


Can Apps Make Your Kids Smarter?
MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Smartphones, tablets and laptops are everywhere, and young children are fascinated by them. Now, new research suggests that parents might be able to harness that curiosity and use apps on the devices to boost early learning.
The review found that apps could be particularly useful for teaching early math and language skills.
"Screen time is here, and it's here to stay. We should not just be paying attention to the amount of screen time, but instead to maximizing that screen time. The idea is to look for ways to leverage screen time in a positive way," said study author Shayl Griffith, a postdoctoral associate in the department of psychology at Florida International University in Miami.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages any screen time before 18 months, except for video chatting. From 18 to 24 months, for those who want to introduce their children to digital media, the AAP recommends limited use of high-quality apps that you use with your child. From 2 years on, the AAP says to limit screen time to an hour a day.
But instead of looking at the potential risks of too much screen time, Griffith and her team focused on the potential benefits of letting kids use apps. These readily available products are certainly effective at capturing kids' attention. The researchers wondered if that would be useful in teaching kids certain skills.
The investigators looked at 35 studies that had previously been done. The studies included more than 4,600 children under age 6. The kids were from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands and Germany.
The apps in the studies needed to be an interactive game app on a touchscreen. Interactive generally means that when a child interacts with the screen, it has an effect on the material presented. For example, children might have to match items, or they might have to count items.
The review also included three studies that used apps for children with autism to try to teach social communication skills. Griffith said these apps might ask a child to do things like identify a facial expression.
Griffith said the apps appeared to be strongest at teaching math and early pre-literacy language skills. "Academic skills may be more conducive to app learning. These are foundational skills that need to be repeated and varied in practice," she said.
The apps didn't seem to significantly help with social communication skills for kids with autism. Griffith said that while the kids got better at playing the apps over time, that experience didn't seem to translate into real-world social communication skills.
The review was published online Dec. 23 in the journal Pediatrics.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Michael Rich from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the original childhood media teachers -- "Sesame Street" -- and he said that show really set the bar that apps and other early childhood "edutainment" should be following.
Rich said parents and kids need to realize that "all media -- even books and blackboards -- are educational, but what they teach and how they teach varies. Screens are uniquely suited to grab kids' attention. Even if you try to drift away, it's harder than it is with a book."
But, that doesn't mean that screens are inherently bad. Rich said they are a "powerful, but neutral, tool that can be used in a variety of ways."
He said it's important that parents don't consistently rely on these devices or TVs to be an "electronic babysitter." If you let you child watch TV or a movie on a tablet so you can make dinner, "the problem is that you're not there to help your child process the information and content they see. They might see a trailer for a violent film, and because you've let them watch, it's like you're tacitly condoning it, and it leads kids to think it's normal, and they might be terrified," he explained.
"We should be expecting more of our screens," Rich said.
Here's more about kids and screen time from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
SOURCES: Shayl Griffith, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate, department of psychology, Florida International University, Miami; Michael Rich, M.D., M.P.H., director, Center on Media and Child Health, Boston Children's Hospital, and department of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and department of social and behavioral sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston; Dec. 23, 2019, Pediatrics, online


The Creativity Commons at Lesley offers a shared space for scholars and students from across the university to explore the role of innovation in 21st-century teaching and learning.
The pursuit of creativity is a Lesley University tradition that’s over 100 years in the making. A tradition that Edith Lesley pioneered when she opened the first school for kindergarten teachers in Cambridge. By providing a collaborative setting where our community can generate new knowledge, we’re not only upholding Edith’s legacy, but we’re also examining what it means to be creative in today’s evolving educational landscape.
What happens here
The Creativity Commons is a space where our community is free to explore collaboratively, offering creative ideas and solutions for problems we share. Together, faculty, doctoral students, and administrators pursue new concepts and initiatives that often lead to interdisciplinary programs, workshops, and publications across the university.
We invite guest speakers and fellows to stimulate creative thought and action. In the past, this has led to new programs, projects, and scholarship for schools, community organizations, and other institutions that support the mission of Lesley University and contribute to solving social problems.
Sidewalk Math is an innovative, movement-based approach to developing mathematics readiness in elementary school students. Created by the Creativity Commons and informed by early childhood learning theory, it is intended to encourage parents to count in a wide variety of ways with their children.
Sidewalk Math Research Highlights
Sidewalk Math (SWM) carpets combine movement, visual and spatial intelligence, play, and imagination into the activities of young children learning math skills and developing number sense in school.
Research in schools across Massachusetts has shown that the Sidewalk Math carpet-based activities created by the young children, mostly kindergarten students, combined with guided facilitation and structured lessons created by their teachers, add a dimension of enthusiastic and imaginative free play to the task of math learning. Students engage in kinesthetic activity spontaneously with the carpet designs, using them as the basis for learning and sharing their newfound math skills and for devising new number-based games leading to enhanced abilities in math.
The students, aged 3-5 years, had both structured and unstructured activity time with each of the three different number pattern designs, Count Things:
and Count Dragons:
Students with special needs, or those without number recognition skills, offer the most noticeable improvement and enhanced engagement with the numbers and patterns on the carpets (Diaz, 2018).
Why we value documentation
Documenting our research on teaching, learning, and creativity at Lesley will provide valuable resources to disseminate within Lesley and beyond. By documenting our work, we support our goals to:
- Share work and provide a feedback loop within Lesley and outside communities.
- Archive the Commons' work for future use and to support grants and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Support the need to communicate creative research containing multiple languages, such as text, sound, symbolic representation, painterly and scientific images, moving elements, diagrammatic language, and color.
As part of this work, the Commons asks each person or group using the studio to leave traces of their work for the community's use in a binder available in the Commons and online.


As part of our focus on Aeroplanes this week on The SEN Resources Blog, we’ve been fortunate enough to try out the Clicformers Transportation Set.
It was our first time playing with Clicformers and we were very impressed with how fun, educational and unique they are.
Clicformers are plastic building blocks that click to each other and enable children to make 3D creations. Like Magformers, they encourage children to follow instructions to plan and build 2D nets and fold into the 3D model.
What did we like about them?
- Fun- Clicformers are wonderfully unique and enjoyable. From the loud click they make when you connect the pieces to the way they fold to create shapes- the children loved everything about constructing with these.
- Hand Strength and Fine Motor Skill Development- What really struck me when I was helping the children create with the Clicformers was how fantastic they are for helping children develop their hand strength and fine motor skills (Read more about fine motor skills here). In terms of hand strength, it requires a fair bit of force to click the pieces together and is therefore, in my opinion, a fun way to develop this. Both hand strength and fine motor skills are imperative for tasks such a learning to write, using scissors etc.
- Brilliant Creations- We loved the creations that the children made with Clicformers. The cleverly designed vehicles in the transportation set are brilliant and very intricate. They are fantastic for teaching children how to follow instructions carefully. The children also had a lot of fun designing their own builds, showing how great it is for creative play too.


Phonics definition is the science of sound.
Holistic phonics definition. Holistic education is concerned with connections in human experience connections between mind and body between linear thinking and intuitive ways of knowing between academic disciplines between the individual and the community. Whole language approaches to reading instruction are typically contrasted with phonics based methods of teaching reading and writing. Holistic definition is of or relating to holism. How do you teach phonics. Holistic literacy provides a balance of whole language and explicit phonics teaching combined with phonological awareness games time for reading and writing during child directed inquiry and literacy development through play. Whole language is a discredited philosophy of reading that is based upon the unsubstantiated premise that learning to read english especially for young children comes naturally to humans in the same way that learning to speak develops naturally. How to use holistic in a sentence. This allows students to learn phonemic awareness and phonics through a phonetically based program when they are younger and develop reading fluency vocabulary and reading comprehension when they are older.
A holistic approach to reading.
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For many years, music education was at the top of the list when it came to funding at public schools and that it really was given a lot of room for maneuver and interest. However, in recent years, funding and interest have faded somewhat and it has led many to question music education in the public school domain. It’s easy to see why so many are questioning the important of music in the educational world but there are reasons why it’s needed.
Gaining Interest for Music
A lot of people, including parents and even some teachers, all believe that music education in public schools is quite simply a waste of time. Some believe it is not helping the children and that it’s one very big expenditure that should be removed from the school board. However, music education in public schools is important and it helps to give children, from all backgrounds and ages, the ability to gain a serious interest in music. Some children love to listen to music while others want to learn to play instruments and get involved professionally in this industry also in later life. That’s why it’s important to have music education in public schools.
It’s Expensive to Pay for Private Music Lessons
In all honesty, if music education was taken out of public schools that would mean private lessons would have to be sought out for those interested in giving their children musical education. However, private lessons are expensive and it doesn’t matter if you have a single parent household or a two parent household, music lessons are expensive! Most families struggle to afford to send one, two or three children for music education and it’s a shame they have to miss out. Keeping music education in public schools can help ensure all children—even those from poorer families—have access to good education. It could be a saving grace for many youngsters.
Offers Children a Way to Learn Something They Can Enjoy
In all honesty, a lot of children don’t like to learn when they are at school and they often find it difficult as well. However, being able to offer a subject most children like or enjoy can allow them to open their minds a little more as to how they learn and what they learn. Music education in all public schools can be a very important message for any and all school boards to consider simply because of its value. Children don’t always enjoy P.E. and they don’t always enjoy English classes or Math but they can enjoy music education because it’s interesting and it’s a very vast field. It offers everyone something to learn.
On one hand, it’s easy to see why many public schools are considering removing or scaling back on their music education but on the other, it’s easy to see why it’s such a bad idea. Music education can open a child’s mind and learn something they would normally not think or care about. Children of all ages can have a real passion for music and being able to undertake music education in public schools is vital, it’s sometimes the only option available for thousands of children.


There is continual, ongoing art historical research taking place, to obtain a greater knowledge about the art collections. The focus here is on the core collection, and making it available digitally in collaboration with the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (National Department for Arthistorical Documentation, the Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed (National Department Cultural Heritage) and museums which house part of the Rijksakademie collections.
Here you'll find some special pieces from the core collection:
For correct depiction of the human body, it was important for artists to study anatomy. Body proportions and the muscular system of humans and animals were taught. That the artist had to learn this in detail, becomes clear when looking at the notes depicted, from a female student, beginning of the 20th century.
Dozens of notebooks give insight into art education.
The library was a vital source for information in the academy. Books and prints were used in the education of artists. This print depicts a woman with a anatomized back. The print is part of an anatomical atlas, Myologie complete en couleur et grandeur naturelle. The Rijksakademie has14 copies in its collection.
The academy probably didn't buy the prints for the study of the human body – these plates are not known for its anatomical correctness. Instead they were most likely bought for their aesthetic value and the special printing technique.
‘Beschryvinghe van Albrecht Dürer van de menschelijcke proportion. Begrepen in vier onderscheyden Boecken, zeer nut ende profijtelijck voor alle Lief-hebbers deser konste.’
Arnhem: Ian Iansz boeckverkooper, 1622
The Dutch translation of the work on human proportion written in 1528 by Dürer and illustrated with his woodcuts. Dürer was the first artist to intensively study, compare and describe the human body in a scientific manner, trying to construct a ‘canon’ of the body. The book was seen as a standard tool for artists.
The artist collective ‘Ingenio et Labore’ held their original meetings in the home of art theorist Gerard De Lairesse to discuss and draw. After the passing of De Lairesse, the group came to the Stads Teekenacademie.
The knowledge and ideas of De Lairesse came together in the ‘Large Painter's Book’, dealing with subjects such as composition, color, portraiture and techniques.
The book was much in use, especially during the time of the Koninklijke Academie, and was regularly awarded to prize winners.
This study by Louis Stracké was probably made in the Amsterdam zoo. The work was presented to Allebé to mark his 25 year anniversary.
In 1880 August Allebé, former student of the Koninklijke Akademie and professor at the Rijksakademie, was appointed professor–director. He stressed the importance of practical assignments, theoretical foundation and exams. As director, Allebé was quick to institute changes. The renewed contact with the Koninklijk Genootschap Natura Artis Magistra was just one of these. It gave students the opportunity to draw life studies of animals in Artis Zoo.
Encounters between artists at the Rijksakademie regularly result in the founding of artist-run initiatives. During his study years from 1940 to 1943, Karel Appel became acquainted with fellow students Corneille and Constant. Their friendship later gave rise to the international progressive art movement, COBRA.
This work, made by Appel during his time at the Rijksakademie, depicts the three kings in adoration of Mary, with the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It shows that in the 1940s, subject matter from the Bible, mythology, history or literature, were still considered important. The collection makes it evident that for a long time such narrative themes were upheld as lesson assignments and as part of the Prix de Rome competition.


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Teacher Written Feedback and Students' Writing: Focus and Nature
Over the last twenty years, the focus on the teaching of writing has shifted from product to process. Students' writings today undergo a series of drafting stages which teachers correct and comment on, and students need ...
The Process Approach and UAE High School Students' Attitudes Towards Writing
Many students have negative attitudes towards writing and they feel frustrated because they do not know what to do to improve it. One of the main reasons behind this attitude is the adoption of the product approach that ...
Oral ESL Test Anxiety with Emirati Secondary School Students
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Cultural Schema and Reading Comprehension: A Means to an End
Studies on good readers have identified a number of reading comprehension strategies to be highly useful. These strategies range from the simple to the complex. A strategy that has been recommended by cognitive scientists ...


Order it now! Visit the Books page for larger collections available for purchase. Bill HoestJerry Marcusand Virgil Partch began as magazine gag cartoonists and moved to syndicated comic strips. Glossary of comics terminology. Yockey, Steve In print media, a cartoon is an illustration or series of illustrations, usually humorous in intent. Becker, Stephen D. By format Comic books Comic strips Manga magazines Webcomics.
Monitor Political Cartoons
· >|. Permanent link to this comic: Image URL (for hotlinking/embedding): Holds the artwork for more thanBritish editorial, sociopolitical, and pocket cartoons, supported by large collections of comic strips. View more daily cartoons, and visit for a new one each day. Weyant was named a Nieman Fellow of Journalism at Harvard for the Class of and won the Theodor Seuss Geisel award for his first illustrated children’s book, “You Are (Not) Small,” written by.
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Views Read View source View history. Rutgers University Press.
PHD Comics Nature vs. Science, pt. 2
Thomson issued the first The Dandy Comic in December Harris has had published in the last few years, and there are thousands of additional cartoons available on many subjects.
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|Glossary of comics terminology.
We are celebrating by Kickstarting a new bookhaving a huge sale and offering custom comics and cartoons!
Nonetheless, the creators of comic strips—as well as comic books and graphic novels —are usually referred to as " cartoonists ". Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. His career was renowned for his social caricatures of English life for popular publications.
For example, the cartoon Wonderlab looked at daily life in the chemistry.
Latest World & National News & Headlines
The following is a list of comic strips. Dates after names indicate the time frames when the strips Science fiction · Superhero · Teen humor · Tijuana Bible · Underground · War · Western · Wrestling · Tropes · Antihero · Funny animal · Superhero. The cartoons of S. Harris, covering a wide range of subjects, including science (biology, chemistry, physics, et al.), medicine, psychology, the environment.
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Although they also employ humor, they are more serious in tone, commonly using irony or satire. Constable, William George SegarMort Walker and Bill Watterson.


Resources › For Educators Baseball Printables Share Flipboard Email Print For Educators Homeschooling Spelling Geography Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Elementary Education Secondary Education Special Education Teaching By Beverly Hernandez Homeschooling Expert Beverly Hernandez is a veteran homeschooler and the former administrator of a large independent study program. our editorial process Beverly Hernandez Updated October 12, 2017 01 of 05 Word Search - The Grand Slam and More Though baseball is no longer the nation's most-watched professional sport -- football grabbed that honor decades ago -- the national pastime, with its rich history, has infused the American-English language with words and phrases. "Grand Slam" is now used by a major restaurant chain as the name of its most popular breakfast; a "steal" describes a great deal; and, "triple play" represents everything from the name of several hotel chains to a guiding philosophy of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Yet these terms -- and many more -- originated or were popularized through baseball. Use this baseball word search to introduce students to these terms as well as their origination in the sport. 02 of 05 Vocabulary - Making a Sacrifice A sacrifice is actually a simple term: "It’s when a batter sacrifices his at-bat for the betterment of the team," according to Lootmeister Sports. But, the term has come to mean so much more than that as students can learn after filling out this baseball vocabulary worksheet. For example, John McGraw, considered by many to be baseball's top manager, favored the hit-and-run and sacrifice bunt, and often got the most out of older players that other teams had given up on. The term shows how sacrificing yourself can bring about a greater good. 03 of 05 Crossword Puzzle - The Dugout The dugout has a varied history that long predates its use in baseball as a shelter for players awaiting their turn at bat -- or a chance to play, as this baseball crossword puzzle will help students learn. Use this worksheet to help students understand the deeper historical meaning of the term dugout, as well as other baseball-related words. 04 of 05 Challenge - The Steal You wouldn't think that a respected doctor would take the time to write an entire article entitled, "The Art of the Steal." But, that's exactly what Dr. Peter Gorman did when he described the physical and mental attributes needed when stealing a base: recognition, attention, decision, acceptance and reaction. All of these ideas present opportunities for teaching and discussion after students fill out this baseball challenge worksheet. 05 of 05 Alphabet Activity - Squeeze Play The squeeze play -- also called the suicide squeeze -- refers to a situation "when a runner at third takes off for home during a pitcher’s windup and the batter attempts to bunt," according to "The New York Times." Review this baseball term with students, along with others, after they complete this alphabet activity. But, use this worksheet only as a starting point: The term squeeze play refers to a sacrifice by an individual player that can lead to a major gain for the team: a run scored and a possible win against a tough opponent.


|Abstract: ||India’s Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) mandates free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school for all children between the ages of six and 14 years until the completion of elementary education. The RTE Act articulates children’s right to education as enforceable by law for the first time in India. A salient feature of the RTE Act is the 25 percent free seat provision (FSP), which mandates private unaided schools to allot, for free, 25 percent of their seats (beginning in Class 1 or pre-primary, as applicable) to children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. This major research paper critically examines the regulatory framework constituted by the rules that have been notified regarding the 25 percent FSP, taking Karnataka and Delhi as case study states. Furthermore, the study analyses the potential impact of the rules on opportunities for access and inclusion to children from economically weaker and disadvantaged groups. Through the use of critical discourse analysis, several lexical, syntactical and content issues have been highlighted.
The study finds that the rules adopted by both case study states generally constitute regulatory frameworks that comply with the RTE Act. However, there are gaps in terms of capturing multiple identities that children may hold as persistent sources of historical discrimination. Furthermore, the grievance redressal mechanism, the only institutionalised enforcement mechanism in the Act, demonstrates ambiguities and lacks clearly defined roles for authorities, weakening its efficacy.|


What is Taking Off With Numeracy?
Taking Off With Numeracy (TOWN)
Taking Off With Numeracy (TOWN) is a whole-class intervention initiative which focuses on improving numeracy skills of students in the upper primary years identified as not performing at expected stage level. The initiative provides ongoing professional learning over the school year to assist teachers to assess each student’s current numeracy understanding and to monitor student progress against a research-based framework. Beyond this, the program aims to provide explicit guidance in designing whole class teaching programs to further develop each student’s numeracy understanding. Emphasis is given to the teaching sequence related to developing Place Value, as it underpins the four operations and decimals, as well as important concepts in measurement. Focus is also given to the teaching of Multiplication and Division concepts.
Outline of TOWN
- Taking Off With Numeracy uses a phased implementation model.
- School teams will identify some or all of Stage 2 and Stage 3 teachers to participate, one of whom will be team leader and will coordinate the initiative within the school and facilitate local discussion.
- The school TOWN team will participate in an introductory professional learning led by a TOWN Lead Trainer.
- It is anticipated that each teacher may require approximately one day's release to go assess students as part of phase one.
- Phase 2 professional learning sessions will be scheduled after school hours. There are six sessions each of two hours duration. All team members are expected to attend each session and complete between-module tasks.
- Schools will develop an implementation action plan for Phase 1, Phase 2 and for sustaining the program initiative.
TOWN Phase 1
TOWN Phase 1 provides site-based professional learning for participating teachers, coordinated by a school team leader and led by a TOWN Lead Trainer. Resources, including assessment materials (at a cost to the school) are provided to assist schools in conducting self-paced professional learning sessions. The focus for Phase 1 is on teachers developing a strong understanding of the numeracy continuum and on completing an assessment process in order to determine where each student is having difficulties. The duration of Phase 1 is one term.
TOWN Phase 2
Participating schools are supported to implement TOWN Phase 2 through the delivery of six professional learning modules face-to-face, via video conference or other ICT modes. Participating teachers will have access to the TOWN website which provides resources, including classroom teaching materials and presentations, to support the professional learning in each module.


Lego’s research into play based learning
It may be a company with commercial interests but can Lego change the way we approach early education in this country?
There was a very interesting piece in the press lately about the concerns the Lego Foundation have over the neglect of play-based learning. They are funding a research project to investigate its effect.
Play based learning helps develop valuable skills like creativity, hand-eye coordination and problem solving, all needed for the development of literacy and numeracy as well as other skills. Yet because of the structure and formal pursuit of these academic subjects play opportunities are abandoned far too early, they suggest.
Pedal (the Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning at Cambridge University) would back up their view. Read more at Tutor Hub…
As explained, play-based learning helps develop a host of skills in children that span both formal and informal educational settings. The paradox is that this method is being left out of preschoolers’ curriculum with increasing frequency. This is a mistake.
When we delve into play-based learning further, we find that different play activities affect different aspects of childhood development. For instance, the following post describes some activities that increase your child’s potential to learn:
4 Play-Based Activities that Increase Your Child’s Learning Potential
There are few relationships in the world more natural than the relationship between children and play. Especially during infancy, toddlerhood and preschool, playtime provides much more than simple entertainment. Young children are inherently curious and imaginative, and creative play is how they explore and learn about the world around them. Parents and caregivers can help facilitate play-based learning by tapping into this process.
Play to Learn
Little ones’ rapidly developing brains turn the ordinary into extraordinary during playtime. Play, especially make-believe or pretend play, allows children to explore, imagine, create and interact with others. Pretend play promotes cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional development in children, helping to build a strong foundation for future learning. Read more at Primerose Schools…
While the benefits of play-based learning are varied and significant, it’s important to realize that not all play is equally beneficial for promoting learning. In fact, some toys may prove counter-productive if they don’t encourage children to think on their own. The following post takes a closer look at good and bad toys for encouraging play-based learning:
Bad Toys and Best Strategies for Promoting Play-Based Learning
Anything that requires batteries or buttons to get its play-value is not a good toy. While brands such as LeapFrog and Vtech have educational content programmed into their toys, these toys aren’t great for early childhood learning.
Often these toys are marketed as “developmental” because the toy has so many different functions. Unfortunately, this often has the opposite effect for the child. The more a toy does, the less your child has to do. If your child can sit and watch the toy “perform,” then it is likely more entertaining than educational… In short, the most useful toys are those that require the most action on the part of a young child. The more children have to use their minds and bodies to make something work, the more they learn.
With all this information, you should have a better idea for making playtime at home even more beneficial for your child. You should also be better prepared to find a preschool that will promote their learning and development. By every metric, Spanish for fun! is your best bet.
We combine the loving care that your child needs with Spanish language education, cultural learning and lots of fun activities. Get in touch with us today to schedule a tour of our Wake Forest Daycare Center. Call 919-881-1695 or complete the contact form. We look forward to showing you why your child will thrive with us.


“Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” —Abraham Lincoln
President Lincoln is one of my all-time heroes. I respect his deeply rooted character, and that he didn’t sway or compromise his principles. According to Lincoln’s own observation, character is the real thing—it is the essence of who we are. His metaphor of a tree reminds us that teaching our children time-honored principles can help them stay grounded and rooted so that they can stand tall and live with integrity when winds of challenge blow. Others are also positively affected when children offer fruits of kindness, responsibility, and respect.
Character is an aggregate of all our traits and includes all of our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. Our children’s character is molded by their decisions and affects every aspect of their current and future life. As parents and teachers, we’re responsible for their upbringing, and we play a vital role in helping children develop their full potential. With the many varied messages children see in the media and in their associations, we can’t expect them to merely observe and adopt the character traits and maturity that we’d like them to develop. A consistent and thorough teaching of ethical behavior is critical to shaping character. Here are some reasons why:
1. Character development is the basis for personal growth. As children practice skills that promote character development, they build a reservoir of strength that they can draw on throughout their lives. Self-esteem, confidence, courage, resilience, integrity, and forgiveness are examples of traits that can sustain children at home, at school, and in the community.
2. Character development is the foundation for lifelong learning. Schools that teach character education report increased academic performance and attendance. They also report decreases in disciplinary problems. Children appreciate the safe environment that occurs when their peers are also learning about respect, honesty, and compassion. Teachers also find it easier to teach when children are learning to exhibit habits of patience, diligence, and self-control in the classroom.
3. Character is the bedrock that solid relationships are built on. Our children will be happier, more caring, more forgiving, and more responsible as they are taught to think about the needs of others.
Cooperation, tolerance, and teamwork are examples of social skills that can be experienced firsthand when children are given the tools and opportunities. Schools and homes are ideal settings for children to practice communicating, sharing, and getting along. Speaking of how relationships and character are intertwined, Woodrow Wilson said, “If you will think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself.”
4. Character shapes us as neighbors and citizens. Our character is a holistic language we daily communicate to others. We constantly affect one another. Beyond our homes and schools, our children’s character will also affect all of us in the workplace and in our communities as they grow to be our employees, neighbors, and leaders. When young people have not been taught principles of character that can anchor them, and if they don’t feel strong ties to faith, family, or community that nurture them, they may feel adrift and hopeless. They may not be attuned to the consequences of their actions, or to the needs of others. Delinquency, gangs, and violence are sadly visible in our culture and are a reminder that we have an awesome responsibility to exhibit strong character ourselves as we raise and influence the next generation.
Developing a respectful and responsible character is a skill every child needs in order to thrive, find fulfillment, and be an influence for good in society. On the importance of character education to prepare children for learning and for life, Dr. Kevin Ryan (founder of the Center for Character and Social Responsibility) emphatically stated, “Character education is not one more thing to add to your plate. It is the plate!”
Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed., has her master’s degree in elementary education and gifted education. A former first-grade teacher, she has taught education classes at Utah State University and has supervised student teachers. She is the author most recently of the Being the Best Me!® series of picture books. Cheri and her husband, David, have six children and enjoy the company of their lively grandchildren. They live in Laurel, Maryland.
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Share your comments, stories, and ideas below, or contact us. All comments will be approved before posting, and are subject to our comment and privacy policies.


Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) was a Hungarian composer who revolutionised music education. In a nutshell he believed that the only way to truly learn and embrace music is through the instrument that nature gives us for free: the voice.
While we can read books on music theory and learn to read, write and play music, it is through vocalisation that music is most rapidly internalised, promoting deep understanding of musical concepts.
Kodály claimed that music “must not be approached from its intellectual, rational side, nor should it be conveyed [to the student] as a system of algebraic symbols, or as the secret writing of a language with which he has no connection”.
There are a number of tools associated with the Kodály philosophy, the most common of which are the use of tonic solfa and rhythm syllables.
A Kodály approach to learning music is renowned and respected all over the world. In the words of the British Kodály Academy, “the training… is one of the finest approaches to music education yet devised and therefore suited to all ages and stages of musical development”.


Recorded: September 18, 2019 – This webinar explains the importance of providing language learning and exploration opportunities for children and young adults who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). A review of child language development milestones and fundamental components of language learning in early childhood is provided. This webinar then focuses on using readily available tools and materials that can help with providing opportunities for adults and peers to model the use of external language (e.g., symbols, speech generating devices) in a practical setting. Examples of ways that child language development principles can be incorporated into AAC treatment are offered as starting points for identifying creative problem solving strategies. Finally, a discussion of the importance of language play and exploration for all children and especially those with complex communication needs is offered.
- About the components of language development in early childhood as they relate to language development for children who use AAC.
- The value and meaning of core and fringe vocabulary – including ideas for exploring them in the classroom, on the playground and in other socially valued venues.
- Fundamental techniques for supporting language development in multiple modalities and promoting increased participation in learning environment.
Jane Puhlman is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of Maine. Her research centers around early intervention, specifically examining parent-child interactions within routines and creating interventions that are feasible and family focused. In addition, Dr. Puhlman investigates interventions to support language and literacy development for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Jane has been a licensed speech pathologist since 2003.
Jennifer M. Seale is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Maine. Her academic, research and clinical interests are focused on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) science and practice. Dr. Seale has expertise providing AAC services to diverse populations. Her research aims to inform AAC service delivery and product design using human computer interaction, social interaction analysis and mixed-methodologies. In addition to these interests, Dr. Seale is devoted to advocacy and public education around important social and systemic issues unique to the AAC community.
References and Resources for Materials and Additional Learning
Maine Department of Education – Special Education Forms
Note: As these forms are updated from time to time, you are advised to visit the Maine Department of Education Special Services website for the latest information.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC)
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC)
- Home page of PrAACtical AAC
- TELL ME About It: AAC Literacy Kits
- Literacy Lessons for Beginning AAC Learners
- Infusing Literacy Learning Opportunities in AAC Therapies
- PrAACtical AAC & Personal Narratives


Past and Present Trends in Art Education
by Royal Bailey Farnum, Robert Stose Hilpert, Grace Sobotka, William G. Whitford & Alma C. Field - 1941
A study of the development of art education in this country must commence in the early decades of the nineteenth century, where we find drawing taught as a special and somewhat detached subject, advertised in local newspapers on the one hand by professional painters, who offered such instruction in limited classes with a definite vocational intent, and on the other hand by the boarding-school mistress.
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In 1867, several years after the Civil War, seven male African Americans gathered in Fayetteville to discuss opening a school for educating the future black race. The men organized into a board of trustees, and they gathered $140 dollars for two lots of Fayetteville’s Gillespie Street. General O. O. Howard donated funds to construct the first education facility on the new lots. The school became known as the Howard School, in honor of its benefactor.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed a charter for a black teacher training school in 1877. Recognizing the success of the Howard School, the legislature selected the institution and changed to the State Colored Normal School. The first state-supported school for African Americans, the Fayetteville institution was presided over by Charles W. Chestnutt from 1880 until 1883. After his retirement, Chestnutt became a successful writer, and one of his major works was The Wife of Frederick Douglass.
The young Dr. E. E. Smith, an alumnus of Shaw University, became the principal of the school in 1883, and served until 1888, and again from 1895 to 1933. During his tenure at the State Colored Normal School, Dr. Smith served as President Grover Clevelend’s Minister of the United States to Liberia and he established North Carolina’s first newspaper for African Americans, The Carolina Enterprise. Yet, he remained a vital leader to the Fayetteville institution. Smith donated some 90 acres to the school, and in 1907 the school relocateded to Murchison Road.
In May 1937, the State Colored Normal School became a four-year college, offering an elementary education degree to its students. Two years later, the school became the Fayetteville State Teachers College. The college grew in the 1940s and 1950s, and eventually programs other than teaching were added to curricula. In 1963, due to its addition of undergraduate programs, the school became Fayetteville State College after its physical plant expansion.
More students enrolled in Fayetteville State, and in 1969 it became Fayetteville State University (FSU). Dr. Charles Lyons, Jr., led the school through its university transition, and Lyons was later able to secure FSU’s incorporation into the University of North Carolina System. In the late 1980s, FSU added a school of business and economics and in 1988 a health and physical education facility was built on campus.
FSU has a student body of over 6,300 students, and the institution offered over 40 undergraduate programs and 23 graduate programs. In addition, Fayetteville State University offers one doctorate degree in educational leadership. The school’s innovative Freshman Year Initiative draws in numerous freshman as it helps high school students better transition to life in college.
"Fayetteville State University.” William S. Powell, ed. Encyclopedia of North Carolina (University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, NC 2006).
“Fayetteville State University.” North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program website. A Division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. (accessed January 23, 2012).
“FSU History.” Fayetteville State University website. http://www.uncfsu.edu/pr/history.htm, (accessed February 6, 2012).


Soul and R&B icon Aretha Franklin once said, “Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.”
New Jammies couldn’t agree more.
We see the benefits of music, not only for the mind and spirit, but also for the heart, in kids of all ages. From babies to big kids-at-heart, we’re all affected by music as a simple way to relax, enjoy fun and entertainment, and benefit personally from physical and emotional therapy.
According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy can make a difference with young children in stimulating all of the senses. by involving the child at many levels. This approach facilitates many developmental skills, promoting quality learning and maximum participation as children experience the joy of play, says the organization.
“The medium of music therapy allows this play to occur naturally and frequently. Music is highly motivating, yet it can also have a calming and relaxing effect,” the AMTA says. “Enjoyable music activities are designed to be success-oriented and make children feel better about themselves.”
The American Music Therapy Association also reports that music therapy can help a child manage pain and stressful situations. Also, music encourages socialization, self-expression, communication, and motor development.
“Because the brain processes music in both hemispheres, music can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for remediation of some speech/language skills,” music therapy experts say.
Music Together is an internationally recognized organization that offers early childhood music and movement programs for children, birth through age 7, to experience with their parents and caregivers. Music Together started in the late ’80s, pioneering the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum strongly emphasizing and facilitating adult involvement.
“It’s based on the recognition that, in a supportive environment, children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and confidently participate in the music of their culture,” says Music Together. “By emphasizing actual music-making experiences, we introduce children to the pleasures of producing music instead of passively consuming it from iTunes or TV. We’re very high-touch. Face to face, heart to heart, voice to voice, for a truly bonding and enriching experience.”
New jammies founder Nicole Ludlow has enjoyed her experience at Music Together with her young boys.
“They love it,” she says. “And the music is for kids but I actually like listening to it at home, too.”
To introduce children into the world of music, PBS hosts a plethora of information available on its pbs.org website, on the Music page. Articles range from “Creating a Musical Home Environment,” which offers easy steps to include music in the home and daily routines in meaningful ways, to “The Benefits of Music Education,” showing that learning the do-re-mis can help children excel in ways beyond the basic ABCs.
Music Together cofounder Kenneth Guilmartin contributed to the article, adding that “Making music involves more than the voice or fingers playing an instrument; a child learning about music has to tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously. For instance, people use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles.”
“Music learning supports all learning. Not that Mozart makes you smarter, but it’s a very integrating, stimulating pastime or activity,” he added.
For more information on Music Together and classes in your area, click here.
New Jammies was born as an environmentally responsible company offering 100% certified organic cotton and flame retardant-free children’s pajamas. Learn more at newjammies.com.


Primary School ( Grades 1-4) Primary School ( Grades 1-4)
The primary school (Grades I to 4) follows a customized syllabus based on American psychologist Howard Gardener’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. The interdisciplinary approach acknowledges the existence of multiple types of intelligences and its diverse expression in each student; and the curriculum is designed to address all the versatile forms intelligence takes. Spatial, linguistic, logical-mathematical, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist elements are incorporated into a well-rounded curriculum, such that every student can excel at whatever he or she does best, while improving any under-developed areas.
The curriculum at Primary school is not just textbook and knowledge but is holistic learning which focuses on value systems to sensitise young minds to the environment around them. Interdisciplinary activities (Art and craft/ Music tied up with SST or English lessons) are commonly used. The key areas that the primary school curriculum addresses are
- Honing of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, ( English, Hindi and Kannada ), Compulsory Library sessions, Spelling and handwriting classes every week
- Building a strong foundation in mathematics, ( Math, Mindspark, Mental Math)
- An introduction to the subjects of science and social studies (EVS) inquiry sessions, story sessions ( Multi disciplinary language- SST)
- Nurturing an interest in General Knowledge,
- Art & Craft, Yoga, Music( Indian & Western), Theatre and Dance( Indian and Western)
- An emphasis on physical education and sport
- Basic of Computer Tech- Focus on Microsoft Office, Linnux
- Guest lectures, Field trips and Nature walks add to experiential education.
- Essential Life Skills like folding clothes, serving water, cooking without fire, sewing etc.
Every day begins with circle time: Here the teacher discusses with the children Life skills and values which need to be reinforced time and again to ensure good behaviour and attitude in children.
At The Deens Academy, we follow a system of continuous multi-disciplinary assessment, which could be formal or informal. We also follow a differentiated system of assessment to cater to the varied needs of children.
The child seeking entry into Deens is evaluated on his/her skills and abilities in order to determine the level in comparison to the expectation of the class into which admission is sought. This helps the teacher to modulate the classroom transaction in order to meet the child’s needs.
With the firm belief that education touches the mind as well as the being and each influences the other, information regarding each student is collected, taking into account their ability to apply knowledge, their learning process and how they conduct themselves in different situations. These findings form the basis of a continuous feedback process to the student and parents. A systematic follow up programme is built around these evaluations, be it on the academic, co-scholastic or value/attitudinal front.
We recognise that the larger objective of the academic programme is to open minds and steer a child towards critical thinking and application. To this end, we administer assessments that are generated by our staff, keeping in mind the acceptable academic levels globally. Children experiment through and find their feet, thus honing critical life skills and sharpening their academic prowess. The curriculum is therefore designed to ensure that children are in a state of perpetual academic readiness.
Tasks could be varied within a class, homework, class work, projects, presentations- each lends to assessment, projecting a different aspect of the child’s learning.
Much of the assessment conducted is diagnostic, but we also take recourse to summative assessments at the end of each learning period
The school year is divided into 2 terms for Grade 1 – Grade 5 follow a continuous assessment pattern using the above methods with a summative assessment at the end of every term. The marks are published on the student ERP page. The students of grade 1-10 are evaluated by a 9 point grading system. Each grade, given on the basis of both formative and summative assessments will correspond to the range of marks indicated below:
Olympiad – The SOFworld provides competitive platform of IMO (International Math Olympiad), NSO (National Science Olympiad), NCO (National Cyber Olympiad) within the school premises which aims at enabling students to put his / her skills, memory, talent and knowledge to test.
Asset – ASSET Stands for Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing. It is a scientifically designed, skill-based assessment test. Rather than testing rote learning, through multiple-choice questioning, it focuses on measuring how well SKILLS and CONCEPTS underlying the school syllabus have been learnt by the student. The test provides information on the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and also entire classes.


1-DAY KODALY-BASED PRIMARY MUSIC COURSE
IMPACT YOUR SCHOOL AND SEE GREAT RESULTS IN PRIMARY MUSIC!
FRIDAY 31st JANUARY 2014 – ACS HILLINGDON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
‘It’s mindblowing how many games there are to use in the classroom’
Come along for:
- Increased confidence in music teaching
- Increased knowledge of the Music National Curriculum
- Discussion about the NEW Music Curriculum in 2014
- How to teach music skills progressively
- 100 + of activities – songs, singing games and practical musical activities to teach immediately in the classroom
- Tips on how to work towards outstanding music lessons
- A refreshed love for music teaching
Receive a FREE singing games book and DVD of your choice – worth up to £34.99!
We have an ever-expanding repertoire of over 500 singing games and musical activities – but don’t worry, we don’t teach them to you all at once! We teach:
Singing game with xylophones
circle games, name games
rhythm games, pitch games
puppet games, instrumental games
Turn-taking games and many, many more!
We then USE the games to teach musical skills such as notation and composition
WILL THIS COURSE WORK FOR YOU? WHAT DO OTHERS THINK?
‘Brilliantly useful – it’s mindblowing how many games there are to use in the classroom’ – ‘very engaging and practical’ – very enjoyable music course – great subject knowledge and pace – thank you’ – ‘excellent pack of resources and ideas’ – it has inreased my bank of songs, rhymes, games etc and improved my confidence’ – I like the many ways of using one song to develop musical skills’ – ‘I now have an overview of developing musical skills stage by stage’ – a practical approach to learning just as the children do’……
Course run by Sally Wagter, an experienced music specialist of 15 years, music trainer of 10 years and creator of 6 Primary Music Resource books and the Active Music Primary Music Teaching Scheme. Sally has a B/Ed (Hons) and a Professional Practice Certificate in the Kodaly Concept of Music Education accredited by Roehampton University.
Call Sally on 07963 431405 if you would like to attend or have any questions about the course,
For LASTING RESULTS IN YOUR CLASSROOM MUSIC, please join us on this fantastic one-day course. Cost £99.00 per teacher. FREE SINGING GAMES BOOK AND DVD. Call Sally on 07963 431405 or visit our contact page and send us an email.
ACS Hillingdon International School 108 Vine Lane, Hillingdon, Middlesex UB10 0BE England


To quote the famous author, Dr Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Reading can bring such joy in so many ways. Reading allows us to learn new words and concepts, and it also allows us to find out more about places that we haven’t visited before. Reading expands our knowledge of the world around us and stimulates to learn more.
We Incorporate Stimulating Activities for Clients
We encourage literacy within our Day Programs across Australia. This could be in the form of reading recipes, road signs or visiting the library. It could also be reciting the alphabet, or in a more formal worksheet form where clients are supported to work through different activities.
For our Jamisontown Day Program clients, the library came to them. Our imaginative and innovative Jamisontown staff created the site’s very own pop-up library!
Clients were able to browse the many books on display. With a ‘librarian’ on hand, they were also able to borrow by having their books scanned. Everyone was encouraged to borrow a book and read it outdoors in the sunshine.
Real-Life Skills Development
Not only does this support literacy development, but the role-playing has also enabled clients to work on their social skills to apply in real-life situations. Interaction with the librarian, asking for help to find a book, requesting to borrow a book all contributes to the development of personal skills to use in everyday life.
The pop-up library was a huge success, with everyone devouring the stories of the books they had borrowed.
Spontaneous skills development projects such as the pop-up library ensure that clients are stimulated by different and engaging activities every day.
Find out more about Afford Day Programs and the engaging programs available to suit your needs and abilities.


Since the mid-twentieth century, Zoltán Kodály’s child-developmental philosophy for teaching music has had significant positive impact on music education around the world, and is now at the core of music teaching in the United States and other English speaking countries. The Kodály Today handbook series is the first comprehensive system to update and apply the Kodály concepts to teaching music in elementary school classrooms.
Kodály in the Fifth Grade Classroom provides teachers with a step-by-step road map for developing children’s performance, creative movement, and literacy skills in an organic and thoughtful manner. Through six years of field-testing with music kindergarten teachers in the United States, Great Britain, and Hungary (the home country of Zoltán Kodály), authors Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka have developed a methodology specifically for 21st century classrooms. Houlahan and Tacka use the latest research findings in cognition and perception to create a system not only appropriate for the developmental stages of first grade students but also one which integrates vertically between elementary music classes. The methods outlined in this volume encourage greater musical ability and creativity in children by teaching them to sing, move, play instruments, and develop music literacy skills. In addition, Kodály in the Fifth Grade Classroom promotes critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. Although the book uses the Kodály philosophy, its methodology has also been tested by teachers certified in Orff and Dalcroze, and has proven an essential guide for teachers no matter what their personal philosophy and specific training might be.
Numerous children’s songs are incorporated into Kodály in the Fifth Grade Classroom, as well as over 35 detailed lesson plans that demonstrate how music and literacy curriculum goals are transformed into tangible musical objectives. Scholarly yet practical and accessible, this volume is sure to be an essential guide for kindergarten and early childhood music teachers everywhere.