What are things you are teaching your child? Advice and techniques please!
She's learned her ABCs just from singing them while washing her hands. She doesn't actually know most letters yet. We work on counting objects. She can count to ten, but is still grasping the actual counting part. I just incorporate it into other activities. She's learning colors through identifying what color she's using as she colors. She LOVES to read books which I think has helped her learn things. Also we've found Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood cartoon is great for this age. Every episode has some toddler life lesson it teaches. It's free on Amazon Prime. She also helps with chores - unloading the dishwasher, laundry, picking up toys, cleaning up, sweeping the floor. Granted she's not successful in actually folding laundry or getting any dirt off the floor, but she's 'helping'. ;-) My daughter seems to want to do everything I do so I'm taking full advantage of incorporating chores at this early age. Hoping it sticks as she gets older.
We sing the ABC song all the time and I count everything. My LO is good up to ten. We are working on recognizing numbers and letters, especially for her name. Also having her learn her name and ours (instead of mommy and daddy). Otherwise colours and vocabulary. I try to be specific instead of general. "That bird is a robin, eating our worms from the garden." You get the idea. We also read all the time and encourage pretend play with any object that is presented. I think they see the world very differently and there is so much opportunity for kids to learn. We also do catching, throwing and rolling. Most of this is unstructured playtime although I am working on adding creative activities- painting and crafts, etc.. work in progress!
Like the others have said....ABC's, counting (up to 14), colors, basic shapes, animals/sounds, different emergency vehicles/people, and things like that. He learns from books and copying his siblings mostly. My teen taught him to count to ten in Spanish. Lol He mostly learns through play, books, and copying us. His favorite question right now is "what is it?" It's cute.
Everything is a learning activity. Anytime you interact with your child, they are learning from you about behavior, about new words, everything around them. Read. Read as many books as you can to your kid (I know sometimes it's tough because they like to move around, but do it). See if your library has any kids' programs that they offer. Our library has a daytime story time (10:30am on Thursdays) and an evening story time (6:30pm on Tuesdays) every week. Check out library books that interest your kid and read those to them. Have them play with other kids. They will learn from their peers, just like they learn from you. Color. Either get coloring books or download coloring pages (there's a ton of free ones on the internet) and let them color, but don't correct them with their hand position. Teach them what color they are using. Tell them, "What color crayon do you have? Blue. You have a blue crayon." Soon they will know all their colors. Go for a walk and point out what different things are along your walk. I take my kids (ages 2.5 and 10 months) for a walk and my 2.5 year old will point out every robin along our route because she loves animals, so I have taught her what the animals are that we might see on our walks. The simple act of pointing at something and saying, "That bird is a robin." will help them learn. Once they know what something is, reinforce the learning by asking them, "What's that?" It helps to teach to their interests, if your kid likes cars, get to know different model cars or be able to tell the difference between a backhoe and a dump truck. Take your kids to places where they can learn about things they love. We have a membership at our local zoo because my kids love animals and I want them to learn as much as they can about animals. If it is interesting they will retain more. Learning non-academics is far more important than learning academic subjects and I say that as someone with a master's degree in elementary education (although I now stay home with my kids) and coming from a long, long line of teachers (my great grandmother was an education professor at a college as well as the first kindergarten teacher ever in one of the local public school districts, my grandmother and my mother, as well as several aunts and cousins were/are also teachers). Your kids are constantly learning from everything around them.


The first day of school is exciting and a little nerve wracking for both students and teachers. It's a new beginning, but it's also a chance for getting to know if all the rumors are true about the teacher you've been assigned to for the year. Find out who your new teacher is by following school procedures to register for a class (or classes). Schools usually make choices regarding registration over the summer before the school year begins, so that is the best time to ask about who your teacher will be.
Register for the school year during the preceding school year. Registration for fall typically occurs in March-April of the preceding school year. Make sure you have registered for your class or classes and passed any exams to proceed to the next level. Your registration will be processed over the summer and you'll be assigned to a teacher (or teachers) so that is the time to begin seeking out your new teacher (or teachers).
Find your new schedule or the class list with your name on it. Some schools have class schedules ready for students up to two weeks before class starts. For elementary students, class lists are often posted on the windows of the school up to a month before school starts. If you are a secondary education student, go to the counseling office in the weeks before school starts and ask for your class schedule. If they don't have it quite ready yet, ask them to give you an idea of who your teachers might be. Elementary education students can visit the front office for class assignments.
Ask any teachers you know whether they know who their students are. Sometimes, teachers have access to class lists before the public. Ask your favorite teachers who their students are and whether you are one of them if you want to know ahead of time. Keep in mind that sometimes it is a nice surprise to walk in on the first day and see that you are going to be with your favorite teacher all year long.
Things You Will Need
- Registration information
- Class schedule (if in secondary education)
- Identifying information (name, date of birth, address, school ID number)
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ERIC Number: ED428321
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1999
Reference Count: N/A
Scaffolding Emergent Literacy: A Child-Centered Approach for Preschool through Grade 5.
Soderman, Anne K.; Gregory, Kara M.; O'Neill, Louise T.
This user-friendly book offers a sensitive approach to helping children become more strategic in their building of literacy skills and concepts. Underscored by child development theory, developmentally appropriate practices, and research, the book offers an array of literacy activities to support children's emergent to fluent literacy from the preprimary years through the fifth grade. Each strategy is paired with a classroom demonstration, and samples of children's work are included. Numerous classroom-based, child-centered measurement tools are offered, as well as a useful description of the most common standardized tests being used for diagnostic purposes. Portfolio implementation and student-led celebrations are also highlighted. Chapters in the book are: (1) Developing Literacy in the Young Child: Antecedents, Transactions, and Outcomes; (2) Literacy Links and Processes; (3) Organizing for Literacy; (4) Emerging Literacy: A Nurturing Classroom Context; (5) Early Literacy: A Supportive Classroom Context; (6) Moving toward Fluency: Developing Greater Self-Efficacy in Literacy; (7) Documenting Skills and Competencies; and (8) Portfolios and Student-Led Conferencing: Celebrating the Stages of Development. Contains approximately 350 references; an appendix presents an alphabetical listing of the first thousand words for children's reading. (RS)
Descriptors: Class Activities, Classroom Environment, Elementary Education, Emergent Literacy, Portfolios (Background Materials), Preschool Education, Reading Skills, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Student Centered Curriculum, Student Evaluation
Allyn and Bacon, 160 Gould St, Needham Heights, MA 02494; Web site: http://www.abacon.com ($24.70).
Publication Type: Books; Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A


The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools begins ... "Education in the arts is essential for all students". Garden Grove Unified School District is committed to the belief that arts education is for all students. Children in TK through 12 participate in a comprehensive curriculum designed to develop an awareness and appreciation of the arts.
The VAPA Curriculum includes courses in vocal music, instrumental music, visual arts, dance and theatre arts/drama.
Our Visual and Performing Arts staff consists of:
- 26 Elementary Vocal Music Teachers
- 17 Intermediate & High School Vocal Music Teachers
- 25 Elementary through High School Instrumental Music Teachers
- 10 Intermediate School Visual Art Teachers
- 25 High School Visual Art Teachers
- 16 Intermediate & High School Theatre Arts/Drama Teachers
- 3 High School Dance Teachers
Visual and Performing Arts
Teacher on Special Assignment
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/vapaggusd
An art education, more than any other kind, develops self-discipline, broadens one's perspective, and helps the student to understand his or her world. It is the kind of education that can enrich a lifetime.Kenneth M. Hanlon


Music Education at the University of South Florida is a visionary laboratory for the preparation of the subsequent generation of music educators and scholars, and serves as a dynamic web-site for progressive and foundational teaching/studying and investigation in music education, within the context of modern life. Early childhood and kindergarten applications typically incorporate a great deal music in the classrooms, but initially by way of fifth grade classes are often shorted in their music classes. I agree with his assessment that the connection of music with emotion makes it possible for music to complement and expand the appreciation of all other types of art. A second reason to teach music in the schools is simply because of its value as a pervasive force in society. This bodily connection humanity has to music has resulted in music becoming made in every culture.
I do not think that music can be mandated for all youngsters in the specific education system. Each and every school could give the core music applications and a choice of specialized music courses. Teachers should also strive for far more collaboration with music pros outdoors of academia. The music repertoire need to center on western civilization with occasional study of globe music. The Center for Music Education Research provides assistance for all of our programs.
Music therapy exists in component for the reason that society has recognized the connection amongst music and the body and mind. In my knowledge, music need to at the very least be offered to qualifying students in particular education. Unique roles may possibly also be explored so that any interested special education student can participate, even if it is as an office assistant or on the sidelines in the pitâ for the marching band. Aside from unique education, music time in elementary schools really should be enhanced.


Since young peopleâs lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies, media artsâsuch as documentary and other technologically supported art formsâhelp young people develop an understanding of the world and how they fit into it. Media arts education programs for youth in community settings enable young people to develop a sense of self-advocacy and identity, as a way to respond to how social, economic, cultural, and political structures are affecting their lives (Horst, Herr-Stephenson, & Robinson, 2009; Hull & Nelson, 2010; Metzger, 2010; Taylor & Carpenter, 2007).
Though considerable, research on youthsâ media arts practice has predominantly focused on young people from middle-class families, marginalized youthâdefined in this study as young people facing serious difficulties whose participation in society is inhibited by various barriersâhave been underrepresented in research. While scholarly evidence, including findings from our recently completed SSHRC study, indicate that community media arts programs attract marginalized youth who often do not have access to mainstream educational experiences (Herr-Stephenson, Rhoten, Perkel & Sims, 2011; Ito et al., 2009; Levy & Weber, 2011b; Lin, Grauer, & Castro, 2011), there is not enough research that examines what marginalized youth within urban communities are doing through media arts and what curriculum innovations are offering.
The purpose of our research is to investigate marginalized urban youthsâ media arts practice in community digital-mediated arts programs and how it impacts their engagement around identity, culture and wellbeing. This study takes place in community media arts learning sites located in culturally dynamic and geographically diverse urban environments of Vancouver, British Columbia and MontrÃ©al, QuÃ©bec. It will examine the impact of media arts practice on marginalized urban youth through a program of field observation, interviews, visual documentation, and analysis of youth learning processes and artistic productions, using ethnography and image-based research methods.
Research questions guiding this study include:
1. How do young peopleâs creative practice and digital production influence their conceptualization, negotiation and participation around issues of identity, culture and wellbeing?
2. What roles do artists/teachers play in community-based sites in engaging with marginalized youth to foster youth participation and community engagement?
3. How does the impact of media arts learning on marginalized young people suggest new curricula, pedagogies and policies that will help improve urban art education?


Lower School students benefit from individualized instruction, tailored to their needs, in a nurturing environment. Our team of highly qualified educators brings the curriculum to life, deepening each child's love of learning and encouraging growth in mind, body and spirit.
- Language Arts
- Social Studies
- World Language
- Music / Creative Movement
- Physical Education
The language arts program aims to produce a student who is confident, proficient, a life-long reader, writer, speaker and listener. Teachers use a balanced approach to literacy, including guided reading, book clubs, independent reading, whole-class literature experiences and direct instruction of literacy skills. The writing workshop emphasizes the writing process, stresses writing for a variety of purposes and encourages creativity. Students are provided with many opportunities to serve as both presenter and audience throughout all areas of the curriculum.
A school-wide math block encourages students to use a variety of approaches to investigate concepts and learn from one another. At the beginning of each unit of study, students are placed in flexible, cross-age groups based on an assessment in the specific content area. The development of number sense and the study of relationships and patterns are emphasized. Students' math fluency is encouraged through the use of technology and by participating in engaging and effective activities. A variety of methods are provided in the groups' investigations, ultimately fostering students' competence and confidence in their ability to do mathematics.
Students experience science as a method of obtaining information through inquiry and investigation. Science classes include exploration of scientific concepts through hands-on experiments, vocabulary study and field trips. Students observe, investigate, analyze, hypothesize, research and problem-solve to reach conclusions about the nature of our world.
Students learn about themselves, their community, their state and their country. In their study of history, geography and culture, students learn to respect others and to see themselves as part of the global community. Through social studies, students develop critical reading and thinking skills; learn to read for information; gather and evaluate information; analyze sources; prepare results; compare and contrast past and current events; and develop map-reading skills.
Computers are a tool for learning and presenting material. Students are educated on internet safety and the appropriate use of technology. Students learn age-appropriate technology skills through projects for all curricular areas. Faculty incorporate the use of 1:1 mobile technology, including tablets and Chromebooks, meaning that each student has an individual computer available for use during the school day. Students practice problem-solving in an online collaborative environment through the use of Web 2.0 applications.
In addition, keyboarding skills, research via Internet access, and use of spreadsheet, word processing and presentation applications are objectives in the technology curriculum.
Culture and conversation are the focus of world language classes in the Lower School. Students learn vocabulary, sentence structure, listening comprehension and correct pronunciation, and have the opportunity to participate in language labs. Students are placed in cross-age groups based on an assessment in their language of choice. Each group meets three times per week for 30 minutes to provide frequent, developmentally-appropriate exploration of the language and culture.
Personal faith development, Bible history, the Catholic liturgy, building a faith community, and service to others are the foundations of the religion curriculum. Students learn about other religions as compared to the Catholic faith. Sacramental preparation is central in Grade 2 (Solemn Eucharist) and Grade 4 (Reconciliation).
The Orff Schulwerk philosophy of music education builds on a childâs basic instincts to play, sing, chant and move. Students sing, play Orff instruments, improvise, compose, perform and listen. Students are instructed in the basics of music literacy. Each child finds a place making music with others in the classroom, chapel and concerts.
The music education curriculum is complemented with exploration of creative movement, often with groups of students taking turns providing the music or the movement in the classroom and/or for a performance. The movement curriculum addresses studentsâ ability to move in personal and general space with safety and confidence. Simple forms of locomotion, rhythmic concepts, following verbal directions and the use of imagination to create something new from something familiar, are goals of movement classes.
The goals of the physical education program include developing a sound body and mind through physical fitness and activity. While students improve their health by developing cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility, they also cultivate self-esteem, good sportsmanship, leadership skills, interpersonal relationships and responsible behavior. Basic loco-motor skills are also developed, and a variety of team and individual sports are introduced.
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As one whose passion is blended between literacy and technology, I seek out the best EdTech resources to share with educators to support literacy in their classrooms. Most of my teaching and learning experience involves both Google and Apple options, but recent investigation and application allow me to say, without a doubt, in the area of Assistive Technology to support struggling readers in the classroom, Microsoft Learning Tools wins, hands down, and offers students a comprehensive option.
Adolescents who struggle with reading face multiple challenges throughout the school day. They are constantly confronted with a text they cannot read in almost every discipline, motivation and peer acceptance play a major role in identity and self-esteem, diagnostic tools to pinpoint exact deficits are difficult to locate, and many of their teachers have had little to no training in foundational skills of reading. While many adolescent readers may have difficulty in comprehension and vocabulary, a rising number of older students are diagnosed with Dyslexia and experience decoding issues.
Dyslexia is not a visual issue; kids donât see letters and words backward or in reverse. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading; which impacts learning, not intelligence. Itâs mainly a problem in reading accurately and fluently. Decoding issues are a sign of dyslexia and direct instruction beginning with letter-sound correlation is often needed, but there are immediate things all teachers can do to help students, even if they have no understanding of how to teach phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency. This support can come in the form of Assistive Technology. âIn a broad sense, assistive technology (AT) is any device, piece of equipment or system that helps a person with a disability work around his challenges so he can learn, communicate or simply function better.â (Understood.org)
As previously stated, I believe that Microsoft Learning Tools provides students who struggle with reading, including those with dyslexia, a comprehensive set of free tools to support their daily literacy needs. If the goal of AT is to provide students tools for independence, I recommend all teachers become familiar with the top 5 ways I see these tools helping students:
- Text to Speech â Text to Speech provides both the visual and audio needed to support fluent readers. By seeing the words and hearing it read aloud, students are not only able to access text that may have been too difficult to read independently but are reinforcing vocabulary and fluency.
- Display Controls â Display Controls allow students to customize their reading experience by font, size, color, and language. But, Microsoft Learning Tools takes it a step further, allowing students options with spacing, syllables, and parts of speech. There is also an option to mask part of the screen minimizing distractions and focusing on the line read. (Slideshow below highlights options available)
- Annotation Tools â Many struggling readers often use all of their cognitive energy decoding text and canât remember what they had just read. Annotation tools allow students to take notes as they read. simply by switching browsers, students can use Microsoft Edge to annotate and save images directly from web pages into their OneNote Notebook. While there are many annotation tools out there, this one was so simple, streamlined and provided many annotation options! Plusâ¦
- Optical Character Recognition â Microsoft also allows students to the option to capture text from pictures and pdf when shared to OneNote. So not only can students annotate digital text, they can save their notes, share them, and then extract the text in the image to customize with text to speech or display controls.
- Dictionary â Finally, Microsoft Learning Tools allows students to learn unfamiliar words with the built-in dictionary. Not only does the dictionary define the word, but it also provides a picture and an audio clip to hear the word.
All students should have the tools and resources needed to access content in the classroom. Microsoft Learning Tools allows students to not only access information but provides customization, annotation tools, OCR, and a visual and audio dictionary for FREE. The beauty of these Learning Tools is the ease and compatibility they have to work together. Supporting struggling readers in multiple areas not only supports their literacy development but provide options for future learning that they do in and out of school.


South African National Language Education policy (South Africa, DoE 2002) enshrines multilingualism (ML) as one of its major goals. The implementation of such a policy is a slow process, however, particularly in the educational domain, where parents, teachers and students favour the dominant, ex-colonial language (English) for both historic and instrumental reasons (Dalvit & de Klerk 2005). However, results of the National Benchmarking Test (NBMT Report 2009) conducted at selected South African universities show that most non-English speaking students in higher education have underdeveloped language and numeracy skills for study at this level, one of the main barriers to access being that of language (Council on Higher Education 2007: 2). Efforts have thus intensified in South African institutions to introduce the home languages of learners into the educational domain, either as learning support alongside the main medium of instruction or as alternative languages of instruction, working towards the development of a bilingual education model. This report documents developments in research in the promotion and use of the African languages in education in South Africa in recent years, particularly since the publication of the previous report (Wildsmith-Cromarty 2009), which discussed various initiatives in the teaching, development and use of the African languages in South African education during the period 2005â2008. This report considers further developments in the use of the African languages for academic purposes in the following areas: the learning and teaching of these languages as additional languages and for professional purposes in selected disciplines for specialist programmes, and their intellectualization, which includes their use as languages of instruction, in the translation of materials and other learning resources, and development of terminology.


How People Learn to Be Jazz Musicians. Case Studies from Bristol
Drawing on first-person accounts, the study traces the historical development of jazz music and musicians in Bristol. In the post-war years, players began to develop significant stylistic aspects in the jazz lexicon. Drawing on media sources and interaction in performance, players garnered a host of performing skills whilst suffering dwindling audiences and declining venues. Reforms in English music education in the 1980s offered formal opportunities to study jazz in the cityâs schools, drawing minimal attention from institutions. Practical learning and playing opportunities offered by the Local Authority music service sustained a modest membership over the years. Post millennium, local schools, with one or two exceptions, showed little interest in jazz education. Nevertheless, maintaining its traditional stance, Bristolâs jazz community continues to exhort top quality jazz performances including compositions that match national and international standards.
picture: âJazz Factory at the Albert Innâ (circa 1986) by Rachel Hemming Bray. Back cover photograph: Clifton Suspension Bridge by John Tidball. The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of Liz Wilkins and Amelia Kate Berry with the early stages of the cover design. isbn 978-3-0343-0962-2 (print) isbn 978-3-0353-0462-6 (eBook)
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Early Literacy Skills
Early Literacy & Language
Language and literacy development begins at birth and provides the foundation for a childâs success in school. It encompasses the skills related to listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Early literacy skills are defined as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that come before, and lead up, to conventional reading and writing.
Did you know that your child begins using early reading skills to read from the time they are born? You may not know it, but when you talk, sing, read and play with your child, you are building important skills and teaching them to love books. The more stories you can read and tell your child, the better!
We have a list of seven great books listed on the âPre-K Essential Literatureâ Bookmark below to help you get started. You can find these books at the Nashville Public Library or buy them from your local bookstore.
No matter what book you read to your child, here are a few things to remember:
Choose books that you and your child enjoy! If you start a book and decide itâs not for you, itâs OK to put it down and try a different one. Ask your local librarian or bookseller for books they recommend.
- Read with expression. Make sound effects, do different voices for charactersâwhatever makes it fun for you and your child!
- Make it interactive! Are there words or phrases that get repeated? Have your child join in.
- Read the pictures. Did you know you can read a book without ever reading the words? Look at the pictures and have your child tell you the story they see. You can help them out by asking questions like, âWhatâs happening here?â âWhat do you see?â or âWhat do you think will happen next?â
- Talk about the book. The story doesnât have to end on the last page! Talk about what you read. What did you like? What didnât you like? Can you connect what you read to your life?
There are many ways for you to support your childâs early literacy and language development. Below are tools and activities to support your childâs early literacy development.
Pre-K Essential Literature
The Alignment Nashville Pre-K Committee created this bookmark featuring a list of essential literature for your Pre-K age child, as well as tips for reading with your child!
Nashville Public Library has these books ready for you and your child to read together. Please visit your local branch today to enjoy these titles!
Essential Literature Activity Sheets
These activity sheets provide additional learning opportunities for each of the âPre-K Essential Literatureâ books! We have included a version for parents and families to use at home AND a version for teachers to use in schools!
CLICK on any of the links below to download and print!


Sat 2013 July 27 @ 2:15pm â Building Firm Foundations for Music Literacy by Janna Olson.
Edwin Gordon is a music education researcher who began what is known as the Music Learning Theory (MLT). MLT help students gain audiation. It uses a brain friendly learning sequence.
Ms. Olson shared how MLT has changed her life. MLT helps give students an excellent music education, not just skills in piano playing.
(1) The process is more important than the performance. Audiation is the focus.
(2) Student motivation (immediate, not long term) and musical independence are the primary focuses.
(3) Everyone has musical aptitude. Aptitude is about potential. When you think about the things required to be a good pianist, they are largely non-musical. Concentration, focus, ability to memorize, grit, work ethic, discipline, etc.
Music aptitude is often hidden. Remember, there is no such thing as zero aptitude. When it comes to speech or reading, we bring them to a specialist to help the student learn. Similarly, audiation can be nurtured in everyone.
Music aptitude is highest at birth. The early childhood years are crucial.
Ms. Olson asked us to sing âAre You Sleeping?â in our heads and then repeat it is minor, and then again to triple meter. This is audiating.
Audition is the foundation for music literacy. Audition is about hearing music with understanding â not just copying. Audition helps music become the studentâs own property. Best of all, audition can be taught!
We learn music similar to languages. In early life, we listen and hear the language. We slowly begin to speak, and then later learn to read and write.
First, music learning should involve listen, echoing, thinking, speaking, reading, and writing,
Music is actually made up of a surprisingly small number of different patterns. Notes are like letters â they only take on meaning when they are in context in patterns.
How can we apply this in the piano lesson?
Everything is a matter of proper sequence. So, we must begin with listening. We can begin with context. C-D-E is very different in C major than in D Dorian.
Another example is with rhythm. There are layers: pulse, meter, and rhythm. Macrobeats, microbeats, and the melodic rhythm.
The context of tonality is the resting tone, aka the tonic center. Tonality can be major or minor or other. Dr. Gordon uses solfege â moveable do with a la-based minor.
Students are taught to identify these elements of context as they are listening to music. This builds the foundation and then students can focus on content next.
Ms. Olson then demonstrated how she could teach a simple piece by Gurlitt using these MLT ideas. She would begin by preparing students with the rhythm first so that by the time the student plays the piece on the piano, they are already comfortable with the rhythm at the final tempo.
Audition can be developed through moving, chanting rhythms, singing, and playing. Things should be aurally based. Improvising and creating is important.
Ms. Olson stated that it was very challenging to for her 10 years ago to begin incorporating the ideas of Dr. Gordon in teaching, but she has seen such an increase in the music comprehensive in their students and increased motivation which results in increased skill and progress. Thanks to the work of Marilyn Lowe, incorporating MLT ideas in the piano lesson is becoming easier. (Check out Marilynâs method, Music Moves For Piano.)
Edwin Gordon quote: ââ¦the artistic culture of a society is not necessarily determined by the number of virtuosos in their midst but rather by the percentage of the population who participate in the making of musicâ¦â


Soviet artist Georgy Vereisky
Soviet artist Georgy Vereisky (1886 â 1962) â Peopleâs Artist of the RSFSR (1962), winner of the Stalin Prize of second degree (1946), Full member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1949). Georgy Semyonovich Vereisky created a series of lithographs â portraits of prominent Soviet contemporaries â artists, writers, and politicians. Among the most famous portraits â poet Anna Akhmatova (1929), ballerina GS Ulanova (1950), sculptor Konenkov (1954). Georgy Vereisky â master of graphic portrait and landscape (lithograph, etching, drawing). The artist of the Leningrad school of landscape painting, he has also created landscape and genre paintings.
Soviet artist Georgy Vereisky has not received a formal artistic education. He studied at the Faculty of Kharkov and St. Petersburg State Universities. Participating in the first Russian revolution (1905), the events of the year, was even some time in detention and was forced into exile (1905-1907). He got original art education in a private school of Schrader in Kharkov. After moving to St. Petersburg (1911), he studied at the New Art Studio, where there was a high level of teaching. In 1913-1916 he studied in St. Petersburg at workshops of Mikhail Dobuzhinsky, Boris Kustodiev, A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, E.E. Lansere.
With his high professional and general culture (for twelve years he has been a curator of prints at the Hermitage, and has written a number of scientific articles), Vereisky was able to naturally and effectively continue the classical tradition in the domestic art of XX century. Since 1915 â member of the association âWorld of Artâ.
During WWI in 1916 â 1918, Georgy Vereisky was mobilized and was in military service, where every spare minute used for front-line drawings. âFighting Pencilâ He participated in the work of the association. In 1920 he made a series of portrait sketches of Lenin at the III Congress of International. In 1918 â 1930 he worked in the department of prints in Hermitage, taught at the Higher Institute of photography and photographic equipment, and at the Central School of Technical Drawing (TSUTR); and in 1921-1923 in VHUTEMAS. From 1933 he worked in the experimental lithographic workshop LOSH.
Soviet artist Georgy Vereisky died December 18, 1962. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Theological cemetery. His son â Soviet graphic Orest Vereisky.


Although we are Chinese by ethnicity, both my husband and I are native English speakers who are more comfortable speaking English in everyday situations. In our hectic schedules, how do we teach our child to appreciate the Chinese culture here and speak mandarin fluently when she grows up?
Being able to speak fluent mandarin has proven to have become more practical in recent times. Chinaâs influence is growing over the world and the region. Moreover, itâs part of the Singapore Chinese cultural identity which exists and has thrived within the rich racial and cultural diversity in our sunny metropolis.
However, according to findings by the Straits Times, English has become the main language spoken at home in Singapore. While effectively bilingual households exist, the number of families speaking mostly English has superseded that of those who speak mandarin. Raising a bilingual child while speaking only one language may seem to be a challenge, but it is not impossible. All it takes is some encouragement from home and positive influence externally.
Starting young gives them the advantage they need
Research has also shown that children who are immersed in a second language from an early age are more likely to do well in language and literacy development.
From a tender age, give your young tot exposure through interactions with Chinese speakers, watching Chinese cartoons and educational shows, or placing them in a bilingual environment. For parents who are not comfortable that their own level of Mandarin to kick start their childâs learning journey, consider placing him/ her in Chinese playgroup, nursery or kindergarten. MindChamps Chinese PreSchool provides a platform, with most of the core and enrichment programmes at MindChamps Chinese PreSchool being effectively bilingual for all levels, starting from playgroup to kindergarten 2.
Be immersed in Chinese culture from a young age
Pick up a calligraphy brush! Learn the intricacies of Chinese tea appreciation. Or check out a riveting Chinese opera in Chinatown.
âChinese folk art forms are rich and colourful, and they follow the characteristics of children's physical and mental development, life experience and operational ability to choose from some interesting folk art types,â says MindChamps Chinese PreSchool Curriculum Trainer, Chen Ying.
This immersion in Chinese could be the missing link between communication and cultural appreciation in Mandarin. Itâs through the initial contact, participation and experience, that children can cultivate a love for Chinese, and also be exposed to different language mediums. These are beliefs that are at the center of MindChampsâ curriculum, which includes a Chinese Culture Appreciation programme.
Mummy and Daddy can do it too!
Children take after their parents. And as our totsâ key influencers at home, we play a key part in how they spend their time at home. Outside of school, parents can ensure that the Mandarin learning journey continues by emphasising comprehensiveness, and integrating activities in different areas, such as reading and writing.
âAt MindChamps, children come from school every week with a Chinese book for parents and their children to read together. This helps develop children to listen to the ability to enhance the child's ability to understand the ability to exercise language, while enjoying the fun of reading Chinese books,â says Chen Ying.
She also recommends taking children on field trips, while conducting the bulk of the dialogue in Mandarin. For example, most displays at the Singapore Zoological Gardens are in Mandarin. This helps children get stimulated and forming word associations - through English, moving live animals, and Mandarin.
Be Consistent and Persevere
Keeping a preschoolerâs consistent interest and inclination for the Chinese language requires plenty of perseverance and patience on their parentsâ parts. When the going gets tough, always be mindful that you are playing an important part in laying the foundation for your childâs future for this beautiful language that is Chinese!
Article written by MindChamps Chinese PreSchool Curriculum Team


A Mathematical Gem
Iâm always on the hunt for a great book with endless opportunities for developing early numeracy skills. Splash, by Ann Jonas is one of those gems! The bold illustrations are inviting and the different animals jumping in and out of the pond, beg to be counted!
A Brief Summary
The book is told from the perspective of a little girl who describes the shenanigans going on in her backyard pond. Sheâs there to feed her fish, but while doing so, finds all of her animal friends jumping and falling in and out of her pond. Dogs, cats, frogs, fish, and turtles, all make an appearance. The text describes the animals coming and going, and at the bottom of each page, the reader is asked, âHow many are in my pond?â. The illustrations are wonderfully vibrant and easy for young children to count and analyze.
Counting is the most obvious application, as the reader is asked to count at the bottom of each page. What child wouldnât want to figure out how many animals are in the pond now?! This book lends itself well for a week long focus. Begin with the counting activity, itâs a great way to get familiar with the story!
When I look at the pages of this story, I immediately think, âSome animals in the pond. Some animals out of the pond. How many animals all together?â. For me, each spread is a wonderful opportunity for discovering addition number stories. You might approach these number stories as a group or have children discuss them in pairs. Theyâre also wonderful for recording equations, if your children are at that stage.
Open Ended Addition Stories
By now, youâve counted and recorded/discussed addition number stories based on the illustrations. Now what? Hereâs where Iâd go next: âI saw 10 animals. Some were in the pond. Some were out of the pond. What could I have seen?â This allows children to create their own number stories based on the animals from the book. Ask children to create illustrations which reflect the number stories theyâve come up with. One child might draw a cat and a dog out of the pond and five turtles and three fish in the pond (2+8=10 or 1+1+5+3=10), whereas another student might draw three turtles out of the pond and six fish and a dog in the pond (3+7=10 or 3+6+1=10). These open ended addition stories allow for much more freedom and creativity!
Open Ended Multiplication (Or Larger Addition)
If you want to take it a step further, think about legs on animals. For example: I saw 24 legs. Some were in the water. Some were out of the water. What could I have seen? In this case children will have to count and calculate carefully. Perhaps a dog and a cat out of the water (1Ã4) + (1Ã4), and four turtles in the water (4Ã4). The final equation: 8+16=24. Although this is not usually appropriate for younger children, I have had a handful of kindergarteners each year who love this type of challenge! Again, asking children to add illustrations to their multiplication/addition number stories is always a good idea!
Whenever children are solving or creating mathematical problems, always ask them to show their thinking in three ways: pictures, numbers, and words (Younger children might label their work with beginning sounds or have an adult scribe for them.) In addition, ask your child to keep their work neat and organized. This is important, so that they can easily understand their own thinking and share their work with friends.


This module helps you to prepare and deliver professional presentations of different types. The reading activity looks at the latest trends in presenting yourself to potential employers. Practise reading comprehension strategies and skills and take a note of any words and expressions you are unfamiliar with. Also take a note of the advice presented in this listening, as you will find it useful when presenting yourself in application documents and job interview, or when delivering a presentation on a work-related topic. Two listening comprehension activities present examples of these two contexts. As you practise your listening comprehension skills, take a note of any words and expressions you are unfamiliar with. The grammar component of this module reviews the English tense system. Understanding how the different tenses interrelate will help you use them with more contextual precision and accuracy. Finally, you will review and practise words and expressions conveying a professional tone.


Posted: Saturday, January 9, 2016 5:41 am | Updated: 5:41 am, Sat Jan 9, 2016.
LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer
This article by Lauran Neergaard and the accompanying photo appeared in the Post-Bulletin at www.postbulletin.com on January 9, 2016.
WASHINGTON â Celebrate your childâs scribbles. A novel experiment shows that even before learning their ABCs, youngsters start to recognize that a written word symbolizes language in a way a drawing doesnât â a developmental step on the path to reading.
Researchers used a puppet, line drawings and simple vocabulary to find that children as young as 3 are beginning to grasp that nuanced concept.
âChildren at this very early age really know a lot more than we had previously thought,â said developmental psychologist Rebecca Treiman of Washington University at St. Louis, who co-authored the study.
Wednesdayâs report, being published in the journal Child Development, suggests an additional way to consider reading readiness, beyond the emphasis on phonetics or being able to point out an âAâ in the alphabet chart.
Appreciating that writing is âsomething that stands for something else, it actually is a vehicle for language â thatâs pretty powerful stuff,â said Temple University psychology professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a specialist in literacy development who wasnât involved in the new work.
As for totsâ own scribbling, what they call a family portrait may look like a bunch of grapes but âthose squiggles, that ability to use lines to represent something bigger, to represent something deeper than what is on that page, is the great open door into the world of symbolic thought,â Hirsh-Pasek said.
The idea: At some point, children learn that a squiggle on a page represents something, and then that the squiggle we call text has a more specific meaning than what we call a drawing. âDog,â for example, should be read the same way each time, while a canine drawing might appropriately be labeled a dog, or a puppy, or even their pet Rover.
Treiman and colleagues tested 114 preschoolers, 3- to 5-year-olds who hadnât received any formal instruction in reading or writing. Some youngsters were shown words such as dog, cat or doll, sometimes in cursive to rule out guessing if kids recognized a letter. Other children were shown simple drawings of those objects. Researchers would say what the word or drawing portrayed. Then theyâd bring out a puppet and ask the child if they thought the puppet knew what the words or drawings were.
If the puppet indicated the word âdollâ was âbabyâ or âdogâ was âpuppy,â many children said the puppet was mistaken. But they more often accepted synonyms for the drawings, showing they were starting to make a distinction between text and drawing, Treiman said.
One question is whether children who undergo that developmental step at a later age â say, 5 or 6 instead of 3 or 4 â might lag on pre-literacy skills. Thatâs not clear, cautioned Brett Miller, an early learning specialist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which helped fund the research.
Scientists have long known that reading to very young children helps form the foundation for them to later learn to read, by introducing vocabulary, rhyming, and different speech sounds.
But itâs important to include other activities that bring in writing, too, Treiman said. Look closely at a totâs scribbles. A child might say, âIâm writing my name,â and eventually the crayon scribble can become smaller and closer to the line than the larger scrawl that the tot proclaims is a picture of a flower or mom, she said.
Previous studies have shown itâs helpful to run a finger under the text when reading to a youngster, because otherwise kids pay more attention to the pictures, Miller said. If the words arenât pointed out, âthey get less exposure to looking at text, and less opportunity to learn that sort of relationship â that text is meaningful and text relates to sound,â he said.
Make sure children see you that you write for a purpose, maybe by having them tell you a story and watch you write it out, adds Hirsh-Pasek. âThatâs much richer than just learning what a B or a P is.â


The phonics debate co-hosted by the Centre for Independent Studies and the Australian College of Educators was supposed to be about the best way to teach phonics. It is a given that numerous other factors contribute to reading success, including childrenâs language experiences in early childhood. But phonics instruction is still a point of contention â so much so, that 480 people turned up to the debate and another 1000 watched online from all over the world.
The thousands of scientific studies on reading development are incredibly complex, yet remarkably consistent. They show the primary neurological pathway for beginning readers is between the visual (print) and phonological (sound) areas of the brain. The semantic (meaning) part of the brain is engaged when children know what the word they are reading sounds like. Over time, skilled readers can make the leap straight from print to meaning but the distinction between novice and skilled reading has important implications for teaching reading.
My team at the debate included Distinguished Professor Anne Castles and champion primary school teacher Troy Verey. Professor Castles is among the worldâs best reading researchers. What she doesnât know about reading development is probably not worth knowing, so we possibly had an unfair advantage. We concisely outlined the scientific evidence of reading development and explained which teaching methods best reflected the evidence. Our case was that ensuring all children learn to read relies on teachers having high levels of knowledge and expertise, and not accepting that some children will not learn. Good teaching is crucial.
Instead of providing evidence and arguments to counter ours, the opposing team â Professor Robyn Ewing and Dr Kathy Rushton from Sydney University and Mark Diamond, principal of Lansvale Public School â took the debate in a different direction.
Having resurrected and waved around the fallacious straw man argument we thought we had buried at the beginning of the debate â that we believed phonics alone is enough for reading â the opposing team argued that learning to read has very little to do with the way children are taught at school. The message seemed to be: children will learn to read if their mothers talk and read to them from birth, and if they have access to books. (The corollary being that if children canât read, they have bad mothers?). At school, teaching reading is about ârich conversationsâ and ârelationshipsâ.
The strange dichotomy is that the latter perspective is perceived as being the teacher-friendly view, while the perspective that recognises that evidence-informed expert teaching is critical and should be valorised, is disparaged as being âroboticâ and anti-teacher.
There was applause from the audience when Dr Rushton admitted she has not engaged with the scientific research on reading instruction; she relies on what she learned in her teaching degree some years ago, and what she has seen in the classroom. While ever this is considered acceptable, let alone laudable, teaching will struggle to be seen as a profession.
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So Many of you LOVED our Phonemic Awareness Sound Segmenting /Blending Manipulative Freebie that we thought you would love to have some activity Mats that followed the same three color concept. Use these with your students to give them both a visual and a manipulative modality to learn sound positions.
Green Circle = Beginning Sound
Yellow Circle = Middle(Medial) Sound
Red Circle = Ending Sound
We want to make sure that we focused on and had isolated skill practice with the CCSS for Reading Foundational Skills : Sounds Segmentation that we are required to teach and have the students master. Each of these sound segmenting/blending mats can be used in small group These Activity Mats are aligned with the Common Core State Standards:
CCSS RF.K.2d-isolate and pronounce the initial, medial, and final sounds. (phonemes) in three-phoneme words (consonant-vowel-consonant or cvc words) .
We did include mats that had CVCs ending with l, r, and x. We felt, why not let them try! We made these word mats to make Independent instruction, as literacy centers, RtI remedial help or as a worksheet for homework practice. Speech teachers at our school have given us their stamp of approval!
How ever you decide to use these mats in your classroom, we hope that you find them a useful tool in your Teaching Tool Box. If you have any questions, please contact us at:
These Activity Mats are a wonderful follow up activity to our Phonemic Awareness Sound Segmenting/blending Pocket Chart Center also.
or http:teachers pay teachers.com/Store/Made-For-K


How many times do you explain what an interval is in a year? How often do you introduce and review chords and their inversions? Wouldnât it be nice to offer a resource for your students that suits your curriculum that can be viewed repeatedly and accessed any time? Ideally, this approachâcalled a flipped classroomâleads to less lesson time spent introducing a concept and more time reinforcing it.
A flipped classroom is defined as
âa pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.â
With todayâs tech tools, you can produce your own material or borrow resources from others for your flipped classroom approachâ¦.
An app called Book Creator makes it easy for teachers to design customized âlecturesâ for students to watch at home or during off-bench time at lessons. The app provides a user-friendly platform for creating interactive e-books that feature text, narration, graphics and videos. Itâs available for the iPad as well as Android and Windows tablets.
I REALLY enjoy using this app because of its versatility and easy-to-use interface.
With Book Creator, Iâve created two interactive resources that I assign students during Off Bench Time. Off Bench Time, formerly known as âMusic Tech Timeâ or âlab timeâ in my studio, is a 15-30 minute session added to a private lesson.
Two students arrive together and while one works with me at the piano for 30 minutes, the other completes assignments on the computer, iPad, worksheets, theory books, or listening to repertoire. Virtually anything I can dream up that Iâd like my students to complete that may not get done at home is fair game. Then the two students switch.
Understanding Intervals was my first âgoâ at creating an interactive e-book. In the book, I explain intervals by comparing them to shoes as all intervals are measured by size and quality. Itâs ideal for early readers, too, as all text is written as well as read aloud. The e-book is free when you sign up at my blog here.
My second e-book called The Full Scoop on Chords is for sale in the iBooks store and offers instruction on triads, chord symbols, inversions with the help of ice cream. Thanks to Bradley Sowash, it thoroughly covers 7th chords as well. Find it here.
Iâve also had my students create their own books within Book Creator. Thatâs another blogâboy, was that fun for them!
Dr. Kathy Rabago created a âflipped classroomâ online music theory course, covering levels 1-5. As of this post, there are five levels (grades 1-5), and five instructional videos per level. The curriculum follows the Texas MTA music theory curriculum. Right now there are no written worksheets to download although they may be coming in the future. The courses do correspond with the music theory books that also follow the same curriculum called Just the Facts and Theory Time.
Rabago uses the courses by assigning one video every 2-4 weeks for students to watch at home. She then continues to assign music theory homework from their theory book to complete. When they complete the video music theory course and their music theory book, Rabago gives them a practice test to see if they retained the concepts.
To learn more about the courses, follow this link.
An app called Waay from Ten Kettles passed the stringent test of teens in my studio. Itâs written for those who want to be songwriters but my piano students enjoy it, too. The app offers instructional videos, drills to reinforce what was discussed and tools to track progress. It is a bargain at $3.99 with more in-app purchase options.
Hereâs an interview I held with Alex Andrews the developer of Waay.
If you want to try out the idea of a flipped classroom with your students but arenât ready to make an investment in materials, take a look at the MusicTheoryGuy YouTube channel. Heâs got a strong accent yet a smooth delivery and a vast selection of videos that are perfect for a flipped classroom.
And one more!
I just learned about The Shed. This new music education resource is incredibly organized which makes it easy to navigate to the topic you are looking for. Instruction is offered through videos and PDFs. This is all available for FREE!
Additional resources that offer online instruction and/or theory drills and worksheets
8notesTheory Lessons: http://www.8notes.com/theory/
Piano Safari http://pianosafari.com/videos/


"A multifaceted, multimodal learning experience for children"
Winning Reading Boost is Sue Dicksonâs most recent program done in partnership with the University of Florida. It designed for students in 2nd grade and up who have not attained literacy success in school.
It is an intervention for struggling readers that builds fluency and reading independence through a unique 36-step learn to-read curriculum built on carefully sequenced, systematic, and explicit phonics instruction that uses interactive sing along phonics songs and games that make learning to read fun and meaningful.
Winning Reading Boost combines the best teaching practices supported by research on language acquisition and reading to ensure individual student success through its use of a multisensory, multimodal approach that requires total participation from learners.
The program incorporates, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and oral language development through its instructional lessons. Students gain confidence as they are able to be successful when applying their new skills in context with both fiction and non-fiction texts.


Computing is delivered across all key stages at Elms and allows our pupils to develop a range of skills and acquire knowledge about Computer Science and ICT.
Computing lessons at Elms are innovative, practical and engaging. Our curriculum has been tailored to equip our students with foundational skills, knowledge and understanding of Computing they will need for the rest of their lives.
The Computing Department is well resourced and we offer a wide range of activities including using desktop publishing software, learning about basic programming and understanding the hardware in a computer.
Computing is taught from year 1 to year 11. All pupils start their Functional Skills journey in year 9.
The Computing Department aims to:
- Develop pupilsâ understanding of the impact technology has in the world they live in.
- Improve pupils âskills using a variety of software, to create meaningful outcomes.
- Create confidence in using a wide range of technology.
- Cultivate pupilsâ interest of Computing in the world they live in and understand how the skills that they acquire could be utilised in many sectors of industry.
At Elms we believe it is important to keep up to date with technological changes that go on in the world. Our aim is to give students the skills they need to thrive in the modern world.


THREE ESSENTIAL PROCESSES FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
In a perfect world, all children would come with an instruction book explaining exactly what they need every day to develop optimal learning, performing and communication skills and abilities. Well, allow this to be the first in a series of articles to serve as your instruction book for your children.
As human beings, we share the same basic anatomy and physiology. Our varying genetics, environmental factors, personalities and upbringing are just a few myriad aspects that contribute to why and how we do the things we do, as well as our individual physical, mental and emotional strength and resilience.
When it comes to the things we do, three parts of the body direct every action. They are the brain, nervous system and the muscles. These three parts of the body, collectively called the motor system, are responsible for directing our behavior, as well as our learning, performing and communication skills.
Just like a finely tuned car, when the bodyâs motor system is running efficiently and effectively then learning, performing and communicating become more fun, skillful and desirable. In order to acquire optimal skills, all children need to develop a foundation of strength, balance, endurance, character, confidence and coordination.
Research indicates that children need three processes in order to build this foundation. They need stimulation of the whole brain and body to make neurological connections from the brain to the body through the nervous system and develop efficient circulation of blood, energy and nutrients throughout the entire body and mind
A consistent and balanced flow of these three processes during the early childhood years builds a foundation of strength, balance, endurance, character, confidence and coordination from which a child can increase their potential for developing optimal learning, performing and communicating skills and abilities.
Stand and Sit to Keep Kids Fit
One of the first and most effective movement patterns that will help you begin the stimulation process for 2-5 year olds is to direct them to sit and stand a variety of ways. This is the one action that turns infants into toddlers. Consistent practice of these exercises will build a foundation of core muscle strength, balance and coordination from the hips to the shoulders which will be essential for acquiring exceptional physical skills and abilities.
These activities are also extremely effective for helping children redirect negative behavior. Instead of putting children in âtime out,â I have them find a personal space and do these activities to help them calm down and learn to regulate their energies and actions in a more positive manner.
1. Sit and stand several times.
2. Sit and stand with hands on head
3. Stand and shake one foot then the other
4. Stand on one foot then the other for several seconds
5. Stand on toes then heels several times
6. Stand and kneel
7. Stand and squat
Hereâs a variety of activities you can encourage your children to do while they are sitting on the floor.
1. Straight and Bend - straighten legs and bend them at the knees several times
2. Apart and Together â with legs straight, move them apart and together several times
3. Put it all together and make them - Straight â Bend â Apart - Together
4. Make one leg straight and one bent, then switch back and forth
5. Bend both legs and move them from side to side
6. Keep both legs straight and move them from side to side
7. Move them in circles from front to side to back to side to front
In my next article I will discuss how music, movement and speech are the three most effective disciplines for helping children receive sufficient amounts of stimulation to make connections and develop efficient circulation. Until then practice these sitting and standing exercises with your children as often as possible. The next time they seem restless and bored, or need to refocus and redirect their behavior, have them do these activities to receive the stimulation that will keep them moving and improving through life!
Â© Scott Liebler 2017
Scott Liebler has been researching, teaching and developing early childhood development programs for the last 30 years. He is the creator of Funsical â www.funsical.com - a curriculum of music, movement and language activities that appeal to childrenâs natural desire move and have fun while developing essential skills. He is the author of Safegard Classes On Line - Music, Movement and Language early childhood courses and How to Take a Chill Pill stress management class. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for Front Range Community College in Denver, CO, a seminar presenter for the Bureau of Education and Research (BER) and currently administers the Move to Improve program for early childhood communities. For information on Funsical audio CDâs, curriculum materials and training programs please visit www.funsical.com or call 303-902-4985


The thing I love about early childhood is how the curriculum is interwoven throughout play experiences. Intentional teaching coupled with thoughtful planning of the environmental set up, provides children many opportunities to develop their numeracy and literacy knowledge in a holistic manner, and can also include language, physical, and social skills.
It still surprises me when I hear comments about how children get into ârealâ learning once they start school. As an early childhood teacher I know and support that children learn through play, it is through play that children explore and make discoveries about their world.
âPlay is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.â Fred Rogers
While children are engaged in play there are many opportunities and experiences that help to form connections that are made between new ideas and existing knowledge while gaining an understanding of mathematical concepts, including number sense, measurement, spatial awareness (geometry), sequencing, classifying and sorting, counting, and recognising patterns (algebra).
âMathematics is a natural activity for children; they demonstrate a great capacity for learning mathematics long before they enter school.â Dr Jean Shaw
Early childhood are crucial years for children to gain an understanding and develop their thinking around the concepts of more or less, biggest or smallest, longest or shortest, near or far, heavy or light and wide or narrow.
âExploring mathematics can help kindergarten children satisfy and deepen their natural curiosity about sizes, shapes, numbers and relationships they encounter in the world.â Dr Jean Shaw
At kindergarten we are thoughtful with our environmental set up that invites children through their natural curiosity, to be active participants and learners by engaging in meaningful experiences.
âChildrenâs understanding of mathematical relationships develop gradually over time, and by describing and working with patterns in the world around them, children are starting to use ideas that are foundational to algebraic thinking.â Dr Jean Shaw
These experiences can include water play (volume and measurement), imaginary play selling pizzas, how many would you like? (shapes and number sense), cooking (measurement), sorting and classifying items such as stones, shells or dinosaurs, whÄnau time singing number songs or a real favourite of counting how many children are in attendance at kindergarten.
âPlay gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.â Fred Rogers
Instead of promoting a culture of worksheets, I believe as an early childhood teacher that I can offer children opportunities to learn through my thoughtful planning and intentional practice which provides play experiences that can incorporate numeracy and literacy skills. It is these foundational skills that children will carry with them as lifelong learners.
âPlay is our brainâs favourite way of learning.â Diane Ackerman
MÄ te wÄSusie


The library motivates readers byâ¦
- Connecting individual students to âjust the rightâ book or other reading material
- Providing opportunities for learners to see themselves reflected in what they read
- Meeting a wide range of interests
- Honouring studentsâ choices in what they read
The library supports readers by providingâ¦
- Equitable access to a rich and diverse collection
- A trusting environment that respects the privacy of individuals as they explore diverse ideas
- An atmosphere that fosters intellectual freedom and a culture of curiosity
The goals of the elementary library program are to foster:
- Engagement in reading and literacy development
- A culture of inquiry and critical thinking skills for research
- Personal, social and cultural growth
- Information literacy, and learning through technology
When students are encouraged to pursue their own interests and passions and are free to choose from a rich collection within an inviting environment, they are motivated to read and their reading and depth of understanding improve.
The Learning Commons can nurture good reading habits among students.


Well-Ordered Language Level 3B Program
A one-semester course for grades 5 or 6 and up
This curriculum is designed for teachers and students to actively engage with each other and with the grammatical concepts in each lesson, using language skillsâreading, writing, speaking, and listeningâalong with physical movement, songs, and chants. Through Well-Ordered Languageâs unique, creative, and orderly method of analyzing the grammatical functions of the parts of speech, students will find the mastery of grammar achievable, meaningful, and delightful.
Full program includes:
- Well-Ordered Language Level 3B (consumable student edition) Students will not merely be able to identify the parts of a sentence, but also understand how words behave in a sentence. As students see the components of language (the parts of speech) unfold before them throughout the Well-Ordered Language series, they will be able to apply their knowledge, gathering and arranging words to express their thoughts clearly and accurately. Well-Ordered Language Level 3B (WOL 3B) will introduce students to:
- Sentence diagramming
- Adverbial elements: adverbs, interrogative adverbs, adverbial prepositional phrases, and adverbial noun phrases
- Adverbial clauses
- Reflexive pronouns
- Verbals: participles, gerunds, and infinitives
- Types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex
- Well-Ordered Language Level 3B Teacherâs Edition The teacherâs edition includes the entire student text and also features:
- Pedagogical guidance and tips
- Extensive explanation of and guidance in Well-Ordered Languageâs unique analytic approach to grammar
- Explanation of and guidance in diagramming sentences
- Suggested activities and games for review
- Answers for all student exercises
- Suggested schedules for teaching Well-Ordered Language Level 3B
Watch Dr. Christopher Perrin analyze and then diagram a sentence from Well-Ordered Language Level 3B!
- Cathy Duffy Reviews
- The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- Lextin Eclectic
- Creative Madness Mama
âAnother reason I stopped by your booth was to see the new grammar curriculumâitâs enchanting! (I never thought I would use âgrammar curriculumâ and âenchantingâ in the same sentence!!!) Just like the new Writing & Rhetoric program. Thank you for consistently producing materials that overflow with goodness, truth, and beauty!â âJulie E., homeschool mom
For placement recommendations and other questions, please see our FAQ page.
To learn more about why we chose the title Well-Ordered Language, read co-author Daniel Couplandâs blog post here.
Adapting Well-Ordered Language for Homeschool (blog post)
Author and educator Tammy Peters earned her BA in elementary education and a minor in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1982, and her MA in reading from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee in 1987. During her teaching career, she taught at elementary, undergraduate, and graduate levels and also worked as a district reading specialist. She recently retired from her position as a third-grade teacher at Mars Hill Academy, a classical Christian school in Cincinnati, where she had taught, written grammar curriculum, and mentored the elementary staff since 2000.
Daniel B. Coupland, PhD
Dr. Daniel B. Coupland is a professor and chairman of the Education Department and dean of the faculty at Hillsdale College. He earned a BA in Spanish from Liberty University, an MA in linguistics from Oakland University, and a PhD in education from Michigan State University. He began his career in education as a high school teacher. At Hillsdale College, he teaches courses on English grammar and classic childrenâs literature. In 2013, Dr. Coupland was named Hillsdale Collegeâs âProfessor of the Year.â In 2016, he was a resident scholar at the C.S. Lewis Study Centre (The Kilns) in Oxford, UK. In 2017, Dr. Coupland received the Emily Daugherty Award for Teaching Excellence. His research focuses on classic childrenâs literature and English grammar instruction. Dr. Coupland served for six years on the board of directors for the Society for Classical Learning and is the former editor of the Societyâs Journal. He also served as the associate editor for Arts and Liberty: A Journal on Liberal Arts and Liberal Education.
Grade Level: Grades 5-6
Course Length: Semester
- Well-Ordered Language Level 3B (Student Edition)
- Well-Ordered Language Level 3B Teacherâs Edition


International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Barry Farrimond MBE
World disability day provides us all with an opportunity to promote the rights of disabled people across the globe; it reminds us of the incredible contributions that disabled people make to each and every area of our societies; and it also prompts us to consider the change thatâs still required to enable everyone to meet their potential.
For example, thanks to the work of some fabulous organisations over the years, there are now more disabled people composing, playing and enjoying music than ever before. But although itâs often said that music is the universal language, a great many disabled people continue to be left out of the conversation.
The National Open Youth Orchestra is the worldâs first disabled-led national youth orchestra. We have a very simple mission, to ensure that orchestras are accessible to young disabled people. In 2013, we launched what we believe to be the UK's first three special school orchestras through our âOpen Orchestrasâ programme.
Since that time, in partnership with Bristol Music Trust, Sage Gateshead, Mac Birmingham and a range of Music Education Hubs, weâve established 25 Open Orchestras that stretch all the way from Truro to Tyneside. Through working together weâve helped more than 250 of the most marginalised young people experience the joy of playing in an orchestra for the first time.
Many of the young musicians we work with find accessing a conventional musical instrument to be extremely challenging. The vast majority of musical instruments have been designed to be played with two hands and ten very dexterous fingers. If you canât use your hands or fingers, all too often you are prevented from having your say in the âuniversal languageâ.
Bradley Warwick is a young musician who, until recently, was a member of an Open Orchestra at a school in Stroud. Bradley has cerebral palsy that affects all of his limbs. This makes playing a conventional instrument all but impossible for him.
Since 2012, weâve been developing a new, accessible musical instrument called the Clarion - an instrument that can be played with any part of the body, including the eyes. Bradley was given access to the Clarion through Open Orchestras, and with the aid of his Eyegaze computer and quite a lot of hard graft, he learnt to play the Clarion to an incredibly high standard using his eyes.
Bradley was desperate for opportunities to progress in music, but unfortunately, those opportunities are very few and far between for young disabled people. So, in September 2015, we launched the UK's only disabled-led, regional youth orchestra - the South-West Open Youth Orchestra.
Bradley joined 15 other young musicians to became a founding member of this ground-breaking ensemble. Heâs now had the opportunity to perform at Bristol Cathedral, Colston Hall, and live on a Radio 3 broadcast for BBC Music Day. Earlier this year, with Bradleyâs help, the South-West Open Youth Orchestra won a much-coveted award from the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Without the South-West Open Youth Orchestra, Bradley would not have had the opportunity to share his talent with the world. And there are young people like him across the country who continue to be denied that opportunity. This World Disability Day we are highlighting the fact that no one should be excluded from making music in an orchestra if they want to!
The National Open Youth Orchestra provides an accessible musical progression route, supporting the development of some of the UKâs most talented young disabled people. In the last few weeks weâve announced a new partnership with the Barbican Centre, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Bristol Music Trust and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to bring this programme into the lives of many more young musicians.
From January weâll be looking for more musicians to join the National Open Youth Orchestra for the next part of its journey in London and the South East.
The National Open Youth Orchestra is about empowering young disabled musicians so they can radically redefine the idea of âThe Orchestraâ â inspiring new musical instruments and creating new musical forms for the 21st century. If you are aged between 11 and 25, have an unquenchable passion for music, but currently experience barriers to playing in a youth ensemble, get in touch at www.noyo.org.uk.
Barry Farrimond MBE
This blog was first published on 3 December 2017.


In this study, an alternative curriculum has been suggested to increase the violin performance of the students which has violin training in the context of professional music education. It aimed to more succesfull in interpretting and to internalize the music and learning the pieces with all details by this curriculum. Documant analysis from qualitative research technics was used in the study. Musical memorization technics were examined in literature, taked an integrity all of them and planned, systematic and effective curriculum. This method was offered as a program that increasing 4 weeks. The methods and technics in this curriculum that was prepared based on memorization method, for a suggestion to the traditional violin curriculum, this program is a loadstar to educators who wants to use this curriculum. Addings and subtractions can be done when using the curriculum with considering the studentsâ readiness and target behavior of education.
Key Words: Violin Education, Music, Musical memorization, Violin Curriculum.


This article first appeared in the OCTAE Connection newsletter March 26, 2015. You can access that issue here.
OCTAE commissioned Dr. Stephen Reder, professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at Portland State University, to create five research briefs using that universityâs Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning (LSAL) data to examine the long-term impacts of adult basic skills (ABS) program participation on a range of outcome measures. The study was part of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute for Literacy. All entities interested in or serving adult learners are encouraged to review each of the briefs in their entirety for a comprehensive discussion of the findings, as well as data graphics, and references. Links to each of them can be found in the summaries below. PDFs for the series may be accessed on LINCS.
Background: National as well as international studies, including the Survey of Adult Skills, demonstrate the need and economic value of ABS. Yet, there is little rigorous research demonstrating that participation in basic skills programs directly impacts the skill levels, educational attainment, or social and economic well-being of adults with low levels of education.
Most research on adult literacy development has only examined the short-term changes occurring as students pass through single ABS programs. Most studies use short follow-up intervals and include only program participantsâmaking it difficult to see the long-term patterns of both program participation and persistence, and the ability to assess the long-term impact of ABS program participation. ABS program evaluation and accountability studies have shown small gains for program participants in test scores and other outcomes, but they rarely include comparison groups of nonparticipants and, studies that do include such controls have not found statistically significant ABS program impact. In short, more research is needed that compares adult literacy development among program participants and nonparticipants across multiple contexts and over significant periods of time. This will provide life-wide and lifelong perspectives on adult literacy development and a better assessment of program impacts on a range of outcome measures.
The LSAL is one study that does address these long-term impacts. Between 1998 and 2007, LSAL randomly sampled and tracked nearly 1,000 high school dropoutsâ participation in ABS programs. The study assessed their literacy skills and skill uses over time, along with changes in their social, educational, and economic status, to provide a more comprehensive representation of adult literacy development.


We all know that play dough is fun and popular with young children, but apart from making a mess what is it really good for? Here are the fabulous benefits of allowing kids to play with play dough and the many learning opportunities that happen along the way!
|Poking in objects and pulling them out of play dough strengthens hand muscles and co-ordination|
As part of simple, tactile play it can be squashed, squeezed, rolled, flattened, chopped, cut, scored, raked, punctured, poked and shredded! Each one of these different actions aids fine motor development in a different way, not to mention hand-eye co ordination and general concentration. And as soon as you add another element to it, the list of benefits and creative play possibilities continues to grow!
Having a wide range of additional extras to use while playing extends the investigation and play possibilities endlessly. Poking in sticks provides a challenge and a new physical skill. Squeezing through a garlic press leads to wonder and amazement at seeing it change shape, as well as using a gross motor movement to accomplish it. Sticking in spaghetti requires a delicate hand and can lead to threading and stacking pasta shapes or beads over the top.
Providing boxes and containers with various shaped compartments can lead to cooking play, sorting, matching, ordering and counting, all naturally and without pressure to learn.
By providing objects from nature with a wide range of textures, colours and shapes, children can have multi-sensory experiences and engage with the world around them in a whole new way.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but all of these elements can be used to create plenty of exciting, open-ended play times:
rolling pins, plastic knives, scissors, pizza cutters
cupcake cases in different sizes
coloured and natural feathers
pine cones, sticks, bark, leaves
muffin tins, egg cartons, chocolate boxes,
small cups and shot glasses
alphabet, number and shape cookie cutters
wooden letters and numbers
fabric, netting and ribbons
match sticks and lolly sticks
As soon as you introduce open ended play items to add to the mix, play dough becomes the perfect medium for numerous types of imaginative play and can represent so many things in a childâs eyes.
It can be chocolates and sweets in a sweet shop, cakes and bread in a bakery, grass and mud in a garden centre, sand or ice cream in a beach scene, soil, pebbles, ice or snow at the zoo/ jungle/ farm/ ocean and so on! The list is as endless as a childâs imagination!
scents and colours
Calming and soothing:
As any adult who has played with dough can tell you, the effects of all that squeezing and pummelling are great for stress relief and can feel extremely therapeutic! Little children can struggle to express their emotions and using dough while talking and singing can really help that process.
How about adding some essential oils to create the ultimate aromatherapy experience for little ones too!
Maths and Literacy development:
The actual act of making the play dough together with your child can lead to lots of questioning and prediction skills. Here we have some solid materials (flour, salt etc) to which we are going to add some liquids (oil, water.) What do you think will happen? What can we make? The child gets to explore and observe the changing state of materials in a hands-on way, and be filled with wonder as the bowl of unrelated ingredients comes together to form a sticky then smooth and squishy ball of dough! We often take these things for granted, but in the eyes and hands of a child thatâs quite some transformation!
Following a recipe and instructions, counting out cups, stirring and mixing and just being able to spend time on a collaborative project with an adult are all meaningful and important experiences too!
What an incredible substance play dough is! Letâs all start using it as part of our daily play and learning times with the young children in our care!
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George Armfield Smith (better known as George Armfield) was born, and lived most of his life in London. George Armfield is probably the most prolific dog painter of the nineteenth century. He painted dogs almost exclusively and produced innumerable charming scenes of terriers surrounding rabbit holes, spaniels putting up mallard, ratting terriers, and groups of sporting dogs in interiors. A small beribboned spaniel curled up on top of a large barrel is often featured. A few early subjects also include "The Dying Stag," "The Wolf and the Lamb," and several fox paintings with dead pheasants or badgers.
George Armfield was born in Wales in the early years of the nineteenth century, although the precise date has not been established. He was the son of an artist, and apparently had a brother, William, who also followed in their father's footsteps, and was sent to Rome to pursue his art education.
Armfield was apprenticed to a fishing tackle maker, but left before the end of his apprenticeship to devote himself to art. He quickly became a successful painter, and from the age of 16 his works were much in demand. He kept a horse from this time, and married when he was 17 or 18. He had no children from this first marriage, but his second wife bore him a daughter, and when he married for the third time, a further 12 children were born.
Initially, George Armfield signed and exhibited his work as G A Smith, changing this when he exhibited the first of his paintings at the British Institution in 1839. Armfield entered two pictures entitled "Study of a Dog's Head" and "Terrier Chasing a Rabbit." The following year his work began to appear regularly in issues of Sporting Magazine. In 1840 Armfield began to exhibit at the Royal Academy. His work was also shown at Suffolk Street. He continued to exhibit regularly over the next twenty years.
Although the majority of his pictures are portraits of dogs, Armfield also painted horses, foxes, otters, deer and rabbits. He was renowned for his love of animals. He kept a small menagerie at his house, and was said to paint his subjects from life, thus accounting for the accuracy and special charm of his subjects. He was a keen sportsman and regularly went shooting, racing and hunting. In addition, Armfield was known to patronize the less reputable dens of dogfights and cockfights. It is recorded that he once spent three months at the Earl of Fitzwilliamâs stables painting the horses and hounds in the kennels.
Armfield earned substantial amounts of money for his painting, but spent it easily, gambling and giving it away to those in need. He was a hard worker, and produced a large number of canvases. Sadly, he began to go blind later in life and was unsuccessfully operated on for this ailment. Acutely depressed by his loss of sight, Armfield attempted suicide. When he recovered, he continued to paint, often aided by a powerful eyeglass, working up close on small canvases. He was reduced to such poverty that the Royal Academy awarded him a pension of Â£20 per annum. He died in 1893 before drawing the first installment.


Course Code: 4cl
Examine the difference between literacy and literature, learn how literacy is connected to adolescent development, and discover how to accommodate a diverse group of learners in a classroom. Then explore the history and goals of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Understand the three aspects of text complexity as described in the CCSS. You will see how to use text complexity analysis in your specific content area. Then, examine the reading anchor standards and see how they're articulated for different grade levels.
Explore the writing standards and see how the CCSS articulates them for different grade levels. You will learn some practical writing strategies that are ideally suited for the content area classroom. Then, explore CCSS for speaking and listening. You will take a close look at some speaking and listening activities that are ideally suited for the content area classroom.
Discover how argumentation is related to literacy and learn ways to reinforce and encourage the value of debate in your content area classroom. Then, examine the CCSS goals for language development, and you'll learn how to help students achieve these goals in your own classroom.
Discover how content learning, classroom technology, and literacy development complement each other and can occur simultaneously. Then, learn how to repurpose existing lesson activities as learning center activities, and discover how this helps integrate literacy development and content learning.
Learn how content literacy affects formative assessments and summative assessments. Finally, make a plan to use the best of what's new, keep the best of what you've already got, and enjoy being a great 21st century teacher. You will examine tools you can use to integrate the CCSS with your existing lesson plans and your school's curriculum.
Dr. Katie McKnight is an author, educator, and consultant. She received her B.A. from George Washington University, her M.Ed. from Northeastern Illinois University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Today, she serves as a professor at National Louis University and an onsite professional development consultant for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Dr. McKnight regularly publishes in professional journals and is the author of many books including The Elementary Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers, and The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers, Grades 5-12 (recipient of the 2013 Teachers' Choice Award).
There are no prerequisites to take this course.
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits.
Once a course session starts, two lessons will be released each week for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
The interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes two weeks after each lesson is released, so youâre encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks plus 10 days (24 days total) to complete the final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.


Have you ever found that the simple things in life can turn out to be the most fun, memorable and meaningful? At Khan Academy Kids, weâre delighted that our partnership with Super Simple Songs will help spark many magical moments in early childhood as families discover the colorful characters and festive videos inside our new mobile app for kids. Download it for FREE on the iTunes, Google Play (beta) and Amazon (beta) app stores.
Weâve taken care to build interactive learning experiences using Super Simpleâs comprehensive catalog of childrenâs educational videos. Open Khan Academy Kids to see how our curriculum covering reading, literacy, language, math and logic is woven into this bright collection of musical childrenâs content.
Getting started is as simple as downloading Khan Academy Kids to start your personal learning journey. Are you ready to sing, dance and learn with your kids? Letâs take a look!
Learn to count, add and subtract with 5 Little Ducks
Kids will love tapping the cute little baby ducks from Super Simple Songs. Kodi the bear, our Khan Academy Kids guide character, asks children to count the baby ducks so kids can experience hands on learning by tapping each baby duck. As children see and hear their counting progress, learning concepts grow alongside Kodiâs helpful hints and positive reinforcement.
Learn reading foundational skills and rhyming with 5 Speckled Frogs
When five frogs sitting on a log jump into a cool pool, our learning path overflows with rhyming activities! Practice reading foundational skills as Kodi invites children to place a frog on a log and match the rhyming words cool and pool.
Itâs time to get our bodies moving. Letâs go to the Zoo and stomp like an elephant!
Have you ever stomped like an elephant, slithered like a snake, or waddled like a penguin? Join Kodi as she encourages kids to put down their device and get moving like all of the fun animals in the zoo.
Practice sharing and identifying your childâs emotions with the Hello Song
Build social-emotional development by learning how to greet others and ask how they are feeling with the Hello Song. As the song plays, Kodi helps children identify their feelings, inviting them to tap on the image that matches how they feel and tell a story with the characters.
Sing along to Baby Shark
Tap the purple book in the top left corner of the Home screen to access the Khan Academy Kids Library. From the Videos tab inside the Library, browse the featured videos from Super Simple Songs including Apples and Bananas, Baby Shark, If Youâre Happy and You Know It, Muffin Man and Old MacDonald. Do you have a favorite? We sure do!
Looking for more? Press play on the Home screen of Khan Academy Kids to find enriching and innovative educational content that you and your child can co-play together. Let the joyful learning begin!
We canât wait to hear what you think. Reach out at email@example.com with any questions, or share your experiences online using #khankids. Enjoy!