Written by Sophie Rossitto // Photo provided by the Black Student Association
The Black Student Association (BSA) organized a visit to Little Rock Central High School Saturday, Feb. 18, allowing participants to explore the history of integration during the Civil Rights Era and the impact of these events on opportunities for Black students today.
Junior BSA public relations officer Ashanti Poindexter said the visit to Central High School is a yearly trip open to all students.
“I think it’s really cool that we get to go see something that’s pretty close by but has a lot of historical significance still today,” Poindexter said.
In 1957, a group of Black teenagers, dubbed the “Little Rock Nine” by the media, began attending classes at the all-White school during one of the first key tests to the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, according to the National Park Service (NPS) website. President Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the students from the threat of White mob violence as the teenagers entered the school Sept. 25.
Poindexter said during the BSA trip, students spent the morning touring both the school and the exhibits at the nearby visitor center, then they stopped for lunch before going back to campus.
Junior Ta’Mya Jones said her grandparents were alive during the 1950s, which made the story of the Central High School integration feel closer to home as she reflected on it. When the Little Rock Nine began attending the school, they received verbal insults, physical attacks, threats and hate mail from classmates, according to the NPS website.
“Just to imagine that you’re just trying to go to school and get equal education, and people are throwing acid in your face and hitting you with tennis rackets,” Jones said. “I can’t imagine, like that could’ve been my grandparents.”
Senior Princess Welch attended the trip and said she had also visited the site when she was in high school. Welch said she felt honored to stand on the steps of the building where the Little Rock Nine had fought for the rights of Black students like her.
However, she said visiting the museum was emotionally heavy and gave her a sense of the struggles and discrimination the Little Rock Nine endured in order to get an education.
“They weren’t fighting the law,” Welch said. “They were fighting hate.”
Poindexter said she hoped those who went on the tour were able to look at the events at Central High School from their own perspectives and have a better understanding of why the quality of education for Black students is much better now.
Jones, who is majoring in elementary education, said she is grateful for the Little Rock Nine’s courage. She said if they had not made the decision to go to Central High School, she might not have the opportunity to attend Harding today and teach students from different backgrounds in the future.
“It just makes me think that their bravery really made a difference for me, and I’m here because of what they did and the many people that they inspired,” Jones said.


Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) was a Hungarian teacher, composer, and philosopher who believed that music could be taught using the folk repertoire of a culture. He traveled with Belá Bartok around Hungary in the early 1900s to collect folk songs. After his travels, Kodály gathered other teachers to help him develop his philosophy of music education based on universal music literacy.
Singing is “the essence” of the concept. The voice is a universal instrument, free and accessible to all. Kodály said, “If we ourselves sing often, this provides a deep experience of happiness in music. Through our own musical activities, we learn to know the pulsation, rhythm, and shape of melody. The enjoyment given encourages the study of instruments and the listening to other pieces as well.”
Experiencing music cannot begin too early. Children first connect musically through the voices of their parents. Once, when Kodály was asked when music education should begin, he replied, “Nine months before the birth of the mother.”
Traditional folk music provides the best and most natural material for becoming a literate musician. The traditional folk music of the language spoken at home provides the source for basic elements of music literacy. After the understanding of our own traditional music, we can study other culture’s music and connect all styles to composed music.
Music literacy is like language literacy. Kodály once said, “we should read music in the same way that an educated adult will read a book: in silence, but imagining the sound.” He believed that musical literacy is the right of every human being.
Using a sequential approach. Kodály-inspired teachers develop a sequential curriculum based on the culture and age of the student. We teach easier melodic and rhythmic concepts first to build their musical knowledge. We emphasis the experience of music before introducing notation and terminology.
Quality music is the best material for teaching. Kodály believed that only the best music should be used. He said, “Let us take our children seriously! Everything else follows from this.. only the best is good enough for children.”
For more information about Kodály and his philosophy, visit Holy Names University’s American Folk Song Collection.
Note: Thank you to TRIKE and NCAKE for much of the information on this page.


“How’s it going?” I asked Susan, a second-grade teacher participating in the federally funded research project being conducted by the University of Virginia. Susan had completed the first session of the CARE for Teachers mindfulness-based teacher professional development program, and I had called her for a phone coaching session to see how she was doing as she practiced bringing a more mindful approach to her teaching.
“Wow!” she said, “I was amazed this week. Instead of raising my voice, I tried taking a deep breath and calming myself down. I can’t believe how well this worked. The kids actually began to calm down too.” For the past eight years since we developed CARE, we’ve heard similar stories of teachers successfully applying skills they learned in CARE to their interactions with their students.
With budget cuts and the increasing demands of high-stake testing, teachers’ stress is at an all time high. When you add growing numbers of students with emotion and behavior problems, you can see why teachers are having a rough time. A mindfulness-based approach may be exactly what we need to help us manage the emotional stress and to be better teachers. Research has shown that increased levels of mindfulness are associated with improvements in psychological functioning across many domains. Mindfulness enhances self-regulatory processes that buffer against psychological distress and promote general well being and compassion for self and others. Teaching is an extremely emotionally demanding profession, and mindfulness-based interventions can promote resilience and reduce the emotional exhaustion that precedes burnout. This may promote enjoyment of teaching that may help us maintain our commitment to the profession and our care and compassion for our students.
The CARE NYC federally funded study involving 224 teachers work in 38 schools in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan is showing that CARE not only improves teachers’ well being, but also improves teaching. Teachers reported that CARE improved their awareness and acceptance of emotional states while teaching. This helped reduce work stress and helped them respond, rather than react to challenging student behavior improving classroom climate. Many reported improvements in the relationships with their students, parents, and co-workers.
Several past participants from the CARE for Teachers Retreat have called it “summer camp for teachers” because of how much fun it was. Teachers learn and practice a variety of mindfulness-based and compassion practices and learn how to apply them to their teaching through a variety of activities including reflection, discussion and role plays. Teachers learn important information about their emotions and the role they play in teaching and learning. There is plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Garrison Institute and to socialize with others.
Patricia (Tish) Jennings led the team that developed the CARE program and is leading the CARE NYC study. She is an associate professor Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia where she teaches a mindfulness-based approach to classroom management in the elementary education program. She has over 22 years of experience as a classroom teacher and is the author of Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, part of the Norton Series on the Social Neuroscience of Education.
Mindfulness for Teachers Amazon page


According to the UNICEF India Annual Status of Education Report, 2015, “Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous state of India, has made impressive gains in primary education in the last half decade.”
Uttar Pradesh now claims a 57% literacy rate and 34,000,000 school going children, which is 93% of the total children in the state. The Samajwadi Party focuses on making the world more educated and has initiated multiple schemes to educate one and all. From strongly following up on Sarv
Shikhsha Abhiyan and budgeting Rs. 15,397 crore for it to running various educational schemes for minorities and people with disabilities, upgrading elementary education, offering post matric scholarships for OBC students and more, the Samajwadi Party has proved that it will relentlessly continue working towards the realisation of its goals.
ome special educational schemes are run by the Samajwadi Party for girls, like the ‘Kanya Vidhyadhan’ and ‘Hamari Beti, Uska Kal’ which entails aid of Rs. 30,000 for the education of girls studying up to the 10th standard.
In the Uttar Pradesh State Budget 2016-17, almost Rs. 30,000 crore have been ear marked for educational institutions, schemes, and vocational training for students. More than 20 new centres have been decided upon in the year 2016-17, to provide higher education to students.


Music Training Helps Learning & Memory
Bless your kids with music educaton
Posted July 31, 2010
Music training is good for the brain. Nina Kraus, a prominent brain researcher at Northwestern University, says that "music training leads to changes throughout the auditory system that prime musicians for listening challenges beyond music processing." The research in her laboratory and that from other labs suggests music training does for brain what exercise does for body fitness. She says "music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness."
Musicians are commonly studied models for neural plasticity, which refers to the ability of learning experiences to change the brain chemically and physically. Musicians have more brain grey matter volume in areas that are important for playing an instrument and in the auditory cortex, which processes all kinds of sound. Of course, the effects of music training are most robust for processing of music. But benefit transfers to speech, language, emotion, and general auditory processing.
In general, auditory learning requires formation of efficient sound-to-meaning relation-ships, which in turn require attending to sensory details (fine-grained properties of sound such as pitch, timing and timbre), but also thinking skills related to integrating sensory input and operating on it in working memory.
Music training confers ability to assess the relevance and predictability of information-bearing elements in an auditory signal. So, even in non-musical contexts, such as listen-ing to a speech, lecture, or sound track in a movie for example, musicians should learn and remember more of the content than non-musicians. Musicians also have an advan-tage when it comes to learning the sounds of a new language.
Music training imposes a high working-memory load. That can be a good thing, in that it helps you expand your working memory capacity, and thus reduces the impairing effects on memory of working memory overload. Increasing working memory capacity also improves the ability to think, as manifest in IQ scores. Since musicians usually have greater working memory capacity, it doesn't mean they are smarter than anybody else. But it probably does mean they are smarter than they would be if they were not musicians.
Music training also helps improve certain memory capabilities outside of music. For example, musicians show improvements in auditory verbal memory and auditory attention, but not in visual memory or visual attention. This brings up the matter of learning styles: auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learning. Most people are visual learners, but to the best possible learners they need to develop all three styles. Music training should help their auditory learning style, especially under conditions where the sounds to be learned are embedded in conflicting sound stimuli, such as noisy rooms or learning a new language.
All fine and good, but how does this apply to the masses who are not musicians? Would listening to a lot of music help the brain? I doubt it, for listening does not make rigorous task demands on the brain. Would music training for non-musicians help the brain? Maybe, especially if the training occurred at a young age when the brain is ma-turing.
One study of children showed that fifteen months of intense music training induced structural changes in the primary auditory and primary motor areas. These structural changes were associated with improved auditory and motor skills, respectively. Other studies show children who are musically trained, compared with non-trained children, have a better vocabulary in their native language and a greater reading ability. Pre-sumably, they would be better at learning other languages.
When and how much music training should be provided to children? Formal studies suggest that greatest benefit occurs if training begins before age 7. The benefits also cor-relate with the amount of music practice. However, much remains to be learned about effects of age and duration and nature of the music training.
Nina argues for more and better music education in the early grades of schools. She be-lieves music training may benefit academic achievement by improving learning skills and listening ability, especially in challenging listening environments, which are all too common in classrooms which are usually very noisy, despite research proving that classroom noise impairs learning. Noise not only creates problems of discerning salient sounds embedded in the over-all noise, but also creates a major distraction that impairs focused attention, information registration and memory consolidation.
I have summarized earlier research showing IQ in children improves when they are taught to have larger working memory capacity. Since working memory is apparently increased by music training, and music training also apparently enhances auditory learning, it seems like a no-brainer to suggest that more music training needs to occur in elementary school.
Kraus, N. and Chandrasekaran, B. 2010. Music training for the development of auditory skills. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience. 11: 500-505.


Isn’t it funny how a wrinkled, pink organ that weighs only about 1.3 gms (approximately 2% of your body weight) is the deciding factor in almost every activity you perform?
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Guiding most of your behaviour, this complex organ is the nexus of all learning, meaning we spend a lot of time trying to shape this organ to perform optimally.
Beginning at inception itself, the brain is given high priority, and is nourished with a constant diet of ‘brainfood’, educational stimulation, and an enriching environment.
Then begins formal education, specially designed to mould young minds into the future. You, the educators, give everything you have to sculpt accomplished and fully functioning adult minds from the current juvenile brains you have been entrusted with.
Unfortunately, you cannot know which tactic is working, and which one is failing dreadfully. You cannot possibly measure the effect your teaching has on an impressionable young learner.
Square Panda is very aware that educators all over face the same issue, and so, conducted our own research (see our core team here) and referenced data from experts in the same field. We created a curriculum that is based on those findings, and came up with a learning system that focuses on training an early learner in language acquisition using the most optimal learning styles possible.
To help you understand the research that went into creating the Square Panda phonics learning platform, we compiled all our findings on neuroscience and the early learner:
To read about the early learner’s reading brain, view our previous post.
1) The human brain has no natural correspondence between the spoken language and print concepts (writing). New functional connections need to be formed between the visual and the language systems. (Dehaene, & Cohen, 2007)
2) Kids benefit the most from a systematic instruction that will help them:
- Become aware of the sound structure of syllables (phonology)
- Isolate the units (phonemes) within syllables
- Identify which letters go with which phonemes
- Blend letter sounds together into words
- Use multisensory cues during learning
3) The above benefits multiply when children are taught these skills at an early age.
4) Studies have shown that specialised brain regions integrate each letter with its respective speech sound; these regions are especially active when this letter and its sound are presented in a multisensory fashion. (Van Atteveldt et al., 2004; Blau et al., 2009; Blau et al., 2010)
5) The research team led by Stanford University neuroscience researcher (who partners with Square Panda), Dr. Bruce McCandliss, said that the rapid brain response to newly learnt words were influenced by the way they were learnt. Words that were learnt through letter-sound instruction showed neural activity in the left side of the brain, the part of the brain that encompasses the visual and language regions.
6) Systematic phonics instruction is much more effective in grades PreK-1 than in later grades and leads to higher achievement in reading, spelling, word recognition, and comprehension. (National Reading Panel, 2000)
7) For students struggling with language acquisition, multisensory cues may provide complementary information that helps them overcome learning difficulties. (Montessori, 1967; Birsh, 1999; Reid, 2013)
8) Instruction that covers key components of reading, like phonemic awareness and phonics, in English, has a clear benefit for students who do not speak English at home, aka, non-English speaking students. (NICHD, 2000)
9) The instructions and teaching for non-English speaking students should include work with phonemes and phoneme combinations that do not exist in their native language or home language. (National Literacy Panel, 2006)
We believe in teaching the early learner’s brain, which is why our curriculum is largely based on the neuroscience research mentioned above.
Watch our VP of Curriculum and Research, Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, talk about early childhood literacy and how we use neuroscience research in our learning system, here.
I hope our article helped every educator out there understand their student’s brain a little better. Visit our website www.squarepanda.in for more information on our neuroscience research into early childhood literacy and the reading brain.
Give us your views on the usage of neuroscience in early education. Start a dialogue in the comment section below.
– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India


Mar 29, 2023
GEOL 107 Exploring Earth Science (5 credits)
Distribution Area Fulfilled Natural Sciences with Lab; General Transfer Elective
An introductory Earth Science course that covers essential topics in geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. The focus is on the system connections and interrelationships between the four Earth Science disciplines. Special emphasis will be placed on examples from the Pacific Northwest. Appropriate for non-science and science majors, and elementary education majors. May require field trip or project. Lab included.
1.Describe and explain the earth’s place in space.
2.Apply and convert measurements in the metric system.
3.Identify and classify basic minerals and rocks from selected samples.
4.Apply the scientific method to the theory of plate tectonics.
5.Relate volcanoes, earthquakes and other geologic features to plate tectonics.
6.Explain how the earth has changed through geologic history and the evidence that supports these changes.
7.Describe the global ocean including its geologic setting, circulation, and coastal features and processes.
8.Interpret different types of maps and apply the latitude and longitude system of location.
9.Observe and measure weather elements, and summarize and analyze the data collected.
10.Demonstrate how seasonal changes, weather systems, local influences, cloud types, and barometric pressure may be used to forecast weather.
11.Explain how weather is affected by atmospheric circulation patterns, seasons, weather patterns, and local climate controls.
12.Communicate an awareness of human and personal impact on earth systems.
13.Seek, find, evaluate, and use data and information, obtained via library use and information technology, in learning Earth Science.
14.Combine aspects of experience, reason, and information to make conclusions and judgments (e.g. relating the theory of plate tectonics to the distribution of volcanic and earthquake activity).
Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)


A new PBS KIDS series, “Work it Out Wombats!,” will premiere Monday on KEET-TV, the local public television station.
This animated series is designed for kids ages 3 to 6 and stars a playful trio of marsupial siblings — Malik, Zadie and Zeke — who live with their grandmother, Super, in a treehouse apartment complex.
“Work it Out Wombats!” will introduce computational thinking concepts that will help young viewers solve meaningful problems, learn flexible thinking and how to express themselves — all while using the practices and processes at the core of computer science.
“The Wombats are all about exploring the world around them and, much like preschoolers, their curiosity and love of adventure know no bounds,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, PBS KIDS. “Computational thinking is a way of approaching problems in strategic ways, helping young children respond and adapt to the world around them. We’re excited for viewers to explore these foundational skills and mindsets while having fun with their new marsupial friends.”
“Work it Out Wombats!” takes place in the Treeborhood — a massive treehouse complete with secret passageways, gondolas and rope swings. The residents of the Treeborhood — wombats, snakes, moose, kangaroos, iguanas, fish, tarsiers and eagles — bring varied skills and abilities, assorted ways of thinking, and different family structures and traditions to this diverse and vibrant community of neighbors, a place where even the adults join in the play.
In producing “Work it Out Wombats!,” GBH Kids, the award-winning public media producer, and Pipeline Studios, a leading global entertainment company, have been deliberate in taking an inclusive and authentic approach to telling stories.
“Work it Out Wombats!” games will launch in tandem with the series on pbskids.org and the free PBS KIDS Games App. To extend the learning at home, parent and caregiver resources, including tips and hands-on activities, will be available on PBS KIDS for Parents. For educators, PBS LearningMedia will offer classroom-ready materials, including videos, games, teaching tips and printable activities.
The series is part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education.


Metacognition & Problem Solving
April 8, 2019
Successful learners use metacognition to facilitate their problem solving. This is one of the key findings of the National Academy of Sciences’ synthesis of decades of research on the science of learning explained in How People Learn: Mind, Brain, Experience and School
Below we explain metacognition and provide the vocabulary to teach it. In part two of this series we will focus on strategy selection. If you’d like to try our full metacognition approach, please contact us here.
Start with Cognition
Cognition is how you learn. Depending on the topic, the context, personal experiences and genetics, each of us relies on different proportions of cognitive skills to understand and remember what we read, see or hear.
We begin learning the moment we are born and we never stop. And while neuroscientists have proven that our learning capabilities can and do change over time based on experiences and effort (see Figure 1), it’s not easy.
By the age of 10, it requires significant practice and effort to change the brain. And neuroscientists don’t yet have the prescription of how (though they are working on it). But that’s where metacognition comes in. If you can teach students to become more aware of their cognition, you can teach them how to learn in any situation.
Cognition versus Metacognition
Metacognition is the conscious awareness of how you learn. When students recognize how they learn, what feels natural, what requires effort and why, you can teach them how to choose effective strategies. Students will need to learn to adapt their strategy choice for the specific topic, situation and their individual strengths and needs. Given learner variability, each student will need to develop their personal set of go-to strategies.
Embrace Learner Variability
In order for students to use metacognition, they must be taught the concept and its language explicitly. Below are the names and short definitions of ten core skills of cognition. Our definitions highlight where the skill has the greatest academic impact.
In part two of this blog series we will talk about how to choose learning strategies based on self-awareness. You’ll need to teach students to choose strategies based on the topic and whether or not the student is strong or has difficulty with the cognitive skill that is typically core to the learning situation. Teaching metacognition is not simple, but it is the key to lifelong learning. So it’s definitely worth it.
- Verbal reasoning is the ability to understand language-based information. Biggest impact: all subjects when reading, writing or speaking. Greatest predictor of overall academic achievement. Learn more about verbal reasoning.
- Abstract reasoning is the ability to understand non-language-based information, including numbers, shapes and patterns. Biggest impact: math and science, particularly in higher grades. Learn more about abstract reasoning.
- Spatial perception is the ability to visualize how objects relate in space. Biggest impact: specific areas of math and science like geometry and physics; hands-on activities; fine and performing arts. Learn more about spatial skills.
- Attention is the ability to sustain focus, even for tasks that you might not find interesting. Biggest impact: All subjects, particularly those a student finds least interesting. Learn more about attention.
- Working memory is the ability to mentally juggle multiple bits of information in short-term memory. Biggest impact: Multi-step problem solving in math and science, reading fluency, and following directions. Learn more about working memory.
- Flexible thinking is openness to taking feedback and adapting to solve novel problems. Biggest impact: Math and science in middle and high school and behavior. Learn more about flexible thinking.
- Verbal memory is the ability to remember and recall language-based information. Biggest impact: All subjects, particularly in earlier grades when foundational skills are most important. Learn more about verbal memory.
- Visual memory refers to how efficiently you remember and recall objects, pictures, patterns, formulas and other visual information. Biggest impact: Math facts, math and science more generally, and visual arts. Learn more about visual memory.
- Visual motor speed is how efficiently your eyes and hands work together. Biggest impact: Handwriting, keyboarding, note taking, and hands-on activities. Learn more about visual motor speed.
- Processing speed is how efficiently you process and respond to new information. Processing has several sub-categories, including auditory, verbal, and visual. There are also quick thinking processing tasks and slower processing tasks. Biggest impact: Class participation, standardized tests, reading efficiency and homework efficiency. Learn more about processing speed.
Look for Part II of this blog series next month.


In art class in Dubai, students learn about a variety of topics. They analyze the different lines, colors, and elements in a work of art and research the artist’s intentions with the work. Students are also encouraged to develop original ideas. Art classes can help students improve their physical and psychological well-being.
Art classes promote physical and psychological well-being:
A growing body of research demonstrates the positive effects of art classes on physical and psychological well-being. Investing in the arts is important for individuals but can also benefit society. For example, a study by the General social survey found that participation in art classes increased social tolerance and civic engagement. Furthermore, a person’s overall well-being increases when they engage in art-related activities outside the classroom.
This research will investigate the connection between the arts and the brain. Through biofeedback, researchers have studied the impact of creative arts on neural circuits and neuroendocrine markers. They have also shown that making art can decrease cortisol levels and induce positive mental states. These findings are part of a new field of research called neurasthenics, which is focused on the biological and cognitive basis of aesthetic experiences.
They help students develop original ideas:
Students can apply the techniques they learn in art classes in various ways. Students can use their creativity to create art that they like. Art classes can also help them develop a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset celebrate their mistakes and learn from them. Students should have the opportunity to take risks and try new things.
They promote self-expression:
Art classes are an important part of the school, and the right art education will help kids express themselves. These days, more people are choosing the arts to express themselves. Not only do these classes help kids express themselves, but they can also help them find a sense of community.
Children are naturally creative and have the instinct to express themselves through art. Before they could speak, cave painters instinctively carved marks on cave walls. This creativity was a way for children to communicate themselves without words. Their finger painting and art projects are more likely to be self-expression exercises.


Session for School Leaders
Cultivating a Culturally Sustaining Mindset in School Leaders
Developing a culturally sustaining mindset begins with knowledge of historical practices, critical analysis of policies, and ongoing self-reflection. In this inquiry-based session, participants will develop a framework for Culturally Responsive School Leadership which can lead to a culturally sustaining mindset. Through exposure, participants will explore the concepts, meanings, and history of education in America and dissect practices within schools that disrupt education attainment for students and especially students of color. Participants will explore media and their own experiences to increase awareness and willingness to adopt a mindset designed to identify inequity and marginalization, then mobilize resources to accelerate student learning.
Professional Learning for Teachers
Can I have a Checklist, please? Unpacking Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy to Transform Practice
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy has evolved since the release of the book “Dreamkeepers” by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings. Many teachers in the K-12 space desire a checklist of strategies to implement with students, but this session will immerse teachers in the history, pedagogy, and critical thought to engender the mind-shift needed to transform their daily practices, which will increase engagement, motivation, and accelerate student academic growth.
Ditching the Deficit Discourse: Designing a Student-Centered Classroom/School Climate
Historically marginalized students are subjected to systemic, structural, and institutional inequities that disrupt their academic attainment. In addition, deficit ideologies produce actions, words, and experiences that are harmful to the development of students’ academic identities. This interactive session will engage participants in viewing students’ through an asset-based lens to transform their language, instruction, and assessments which translate to improved student outcomes.
Ready Set, Cultivate. Motivate. Sustain! Elevating Student Engagement in a Literacy Classroom
Grounded in multiple student motivational theories and cognitive science, this interactive session will utilize neuroscience and research to build their literacy lineages, inspire learners, and sustain their motivation for learning. Participants will learn the importance of levering literacy data to establish student-centered goals, explore how students’ funds of knowledge can increase student intrinsic motivation, and cultivate students’ literacy development in culturally sustaining ways.


The Northgate School District provides a challenging academic program that prepares students to value learning, think critically and creatively and embrace diverse viewpoints. With a focus on developing the whole child, the district provides experiences that encourage the development of empathy, integrity and resilience to prepare all students to meet with success.
Challenging Academics: We believe academic success for all students begins by developing foundational skills in reading and mathematics. Through a systematic approach, we meet each student's individual learning needs, and build environments that raise the bar for all students to think critically and take ownership of their learning.
Northgate Way: We take pride in our schools and our community. We our proud to provide a high quality education in a nurturing environment, and we value the support of our community. We reflect the Northgate school culture by positively communicating and engaging in relationships that reflect our core mission and values.
Empower Students and Staff: We value the diverse perspectives of our students and encourage them to confidently use their voice. We value the expertise of our staff and seek their input into our educational programming.
Value Diversity: We view our diversity as an asset. We recognize that everyone brings unique, individual strengths to the school community. We develop opportunities for all stakeholders to see connections between themselves, the curriculum, and the district.
Whole-Child Focus: We support the development of the physical, mental and unique talents of our student population through extra curricular opportunities (PBIS, the Chill Project, arts, athletics, clubs). We prioritize the full scope of a child’s developmental needs and advance educational equity. Our whole child approach understands that students' education and life outcomes are dependent upon their access to deeper learning opportunities in and out of school, as well as their school environment and relationships
Emphasis on Relationships: We build healthy, strong relationships and care for each other. We strive to know each other’s story and perspective. We treat others with courtesy, respect, and dignity. We view every interaction as an investment in improving relationships. We celebrate each other’s successes.
Welcoming Environment: We strive to make everyone feel welcomed and valued in our schools. This starts with the first greeting on the phone or in the office. We listen and ask questions to seek clarity when a colleague, parent, or student expresses a need. We take ownership and accept responsibility for making sure needs are met.
Community Allies: We value community partnerships and recognize that it takes a village to enact the mission of the District and collectively “We” (parents/ guardians, faculty, staff and the broader community) can help students realize their potential and become good citizens.


Mar 26, 2023
Mar 26, 2023
by Kamna Raj
|Children who are encouraged to express through art, their thoughts, feelings and imaginations are broadened and enriched. Art promotes creativity and ability to think. Art is an integral part of early childhood education. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of children in preschool programs engage in art-related activities during each school day.||
According to Enid and Laura Zimmerman, three views of art teaching have influenced art education for young children over the past fifty years. First view, a child's artwork is a reflection of natural inner processes of development. A second view, based upon a cognitive developmental approach, focuses on children's construction of general knowledge about the world. The third view, art education promotes self-development so that children can understand themselves in relation to the society in which they live.
Gardner (1980) suggests that children's natural art abilities unfold if adults provide equipment, materials and encouragement. There should be no direct intervention from adults, so children's natural abilities could unfold (Schaffer-Simmern 1947). For toddlers and preschoolers freely exploring colors, textures, characteristics of materials and expressing feelings, perceptions and ideas seem good goals. The process is more important than the product.
Once the child completes his/her artwork, instead of a word of praise, have a dialogue with the child. You will learn more about the artwork and the child's thoughts. Write brief notes and attach it to the artwork (of course with the child's permission). Always date the artwork. A child's artwork helps an adult track a child's development. Be an advocate of your child's artwork!
More by : Kamna Raj


© 2014 GIA.
Item #: G-8739 Status: Available
Series: Music Learning Theory (MLT)
How do we truly know when a young child’s vocalizations make the transition from babble to musical structure? What role can music educators play? What does it mean to sequence instruction at this early level? What is the difference between musical content and musical context? These questions and more form the foundation of a remarkable series of letters by two leaders of the music education world between 1979 and 1981. Donald Pond is retired music director of the Pillsbury Foundation School for Advancement of Music Education in Santa Barbara, California, and Edwin E. Gordon was a professor at the State University of New York–Buffalo and Temple University in Philadelphia. Together, through 45 letters built on friendship and trust, these two remarkable leaders challenge one another and in the process deepen our understanding of musicality, aptitude, creativity, and improvisation. Edwin E. Gordon is known throughout the world as a preeminent researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education.
Number of Pages: 110


Compulsory Language Lessons Planned for UK Primary Schools
Children will receive compulsory lessons in foreign languages from the age of seven under a new government blueprint for the primary school curriculum to be published later this week.
Ministers have suggested a range of languages that should be taught, including Mandarin, Latin and Greek as well as French, German and Spanish.
The plans, to be unveiled by the Education Secretary Michael Gove, coincide with a report from Britain’s bosses published today which warns that the UK has “the worst language proficiency in Europe”.
The report, based on a survey of more than 500 companies by the CBI and Pearson, says one in four employers rate Mandarin as an essential skill for today’s youngsters – placing it fourth behind German (50 per cent), French (49 per cent) and Spanish (37 per cent).
The recommendation is one of several in the most radical shake-up to primary education – to be introduced in September 2014 – since the birth of the national curriculum 25 years ago.
The emphasis will be on a traditional approach – with children being encouraged to recite poetry by the age of five from memory and teachers told what words they should be able to spell at each age in primary school.
At the end of their first year in primary school, they should be able to spell words like drip, kiss and leg as well as more compound words like playground and bedroom. The list gradually grows until by the end of primary schooling – at the age of 11 – the Government has drawn up a list of 236 words they should be able to spell, including accommodate, embarrass and vocabulary.
Critics will claim the new curriculum heralds a return to the 1950s and a “Gradgrind” approach to teaching. However, ministers argue this style of approach is widely used in other countries.
Michael Rosen, the children’s author and poet, warned in a blog yesterday that it looked like a “great diktat” approach to teaching by Mr Gove. He said it resembled “an itch to instruct and dictate to teachers and children because it will do them good”.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “Reciting poetry and learning foreign languages are great for young children.”
But he said most primaries already did both.
The Government believes compulsory language lessons should help halt the slide in take-up of the subject at GCSE – which began with a vengeance when the previous Labour government made the subject voluntary from the age of 14.
Ministers have also been convinced by research that children are most likely to take in another language when they are young. They believe languages like Mandarin are essential if the UK is to compete on the global business stage – while Latin and Greek can act as a springboard to future learning.
Taken from The Independent: 11.06.12


Numbers have shown that students who study music tend to do better on the SAT than students who do not. According to several research studies, music students, on average, scored about 31 points higher than average in reading, 23 points higher than average in math, and another 31 points higher than average in writing.
Many are wondering if studying music really made students smarter, or if it simply spoke to the type of students who end up learning music. Kenneth Elpus at the University of Maryland argues for the latter, stating that students who study music tend to be those “who are already more likely to outperform others on educational measures”, according to his report in the Journal of Research in Music Education.
In his study, Elpus uses data from 13,530 American high school sophomores from 2002. The data from this group, who graduated in 2004, showed about 36 percent of these students as having earned a minimum of one-course credit in music.
Elpus focused on controlling a variety of factors from demography to previous academic successes to isolate the music as the defining distinction. He states his numbers show no real differences between music students and regular students when taking standardised math tests and college entrance exams. Many argued that there is a huge difference between students who take one course of music versus those who take courses for years. Elpus conceded that there may not have been any separation between ‘real’ music students and those required to take a course for graduation, but rebutted by showing the data from students who took music courses throughout their four years at high school, stating, “even those students with sustained music enrolment did not outscore their non-music peers”.
Even with this data, there is no refute as to the positive effects learning music has on the brains of younger children, but it does make things a little more difficult for arts-education supporters who are already forced into the position of justifying the need for such curriculum in the case of high school students. These findings are a call for supporters to stop making claims that music students are somehow more intelligent than regular students.
Elpus finishes by saying it might be more useful to view higher test scores as a testament to the students that are “already more likely to perform well academically” and their attraction to music as simply “an important artistic outlet with positive developmental benefits” for these teenagers.


Today, ACARA has released the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions – an important new tool to assist teachers in implementing the Australian Curriculum: English and the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics.
ACARA CEO, Robert Randall, said the learning progressions would support teachers in locating where individual students are in terms of their literacy and numeracy development, and would help them understand the typical sequence of learning for literacy and numeracy.
“Students acquire literacy and numeracy skills at different rates,” Mr Randall said. “For example, a student may enter their Foundation year knowing how to write his or her own name, while another student may be making pencil marks on a page.”
“Perhaps there’s another student in that same class already creating short pieces of writing. It is up to their school and teacher(s) to teach the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics to each of them, including the range of students in between.”
The progressions will also help teachers to see the next stage of literacy development for each student, no matter what stage of development they are at.
“The learning progressions are not tied to year levels, as they recognise that students typically follow the same sequence or path of learning, albeit at different rates,” Mr Randall said.
“The progressions will also allow teachers to identify those students who have not yet reached the age-equivalent curriculum expectations of the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics, as well as those who have exceeded them, so they can adjust their teaching to ensure all students make progress.”
One of the benefits of the learning progressions is that they allow teachers to identify growth in student literacy and numeracy.
“The student making pencil marks and the student writing his or her own name at the beginning of the year – they may both be able to produce short pieces of writing by the middle of the year,” Mr Randall explained. “The teacher can see that both these students have shown growth, but at different rates, along the same path of learning.”
ACARA and the NSW Department of Education developed the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions for use by teachers in the classroom as part of the National STEM School Education Strategy. The progressions were created in consultation with literacy and numeracy experts, using evidence-based research into literacy and numeracy development.
From March to May 2017, a group of volunteer teachers from schools across the country trialled the learning progressions on a test website. Eighty schools trialled the literacy progressions, while a further 80 schools trialled the numeracy progressions, totalling around 600 teachers from each state and territory and all school sectors. Based on trial feedback, the learning progressions were modified and released for consultation in July and August, and a final version was presented to the Education Council for endorsement in December 2017.
The National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions are available in the Resources section of the Australian Curriculum website.


Landmarks Around the World Preschool Building
Invite preschoolers to recreate famous world landmarks in the block center! This pack is fantastic to keep up all year long.
The block center provides many learning opportunities for preschoolers. In this center they are learning essential math skills, using their imagination, scientific reasoning, teamwork, motor skill development and more!
This Landmarks Around the World encourages children to create new and interesting structures; promoting problem-solving and an interest in the world they live in.
Take a Closer Look...
Make Your Own Balloon Pinata
Make Your Own Pinata with Preschoolers
Make your own pinata with your preschoolers with this easy to follow tutorial.
Perfect for your Around the World Theme or any celebration.
Make Your Own Maracas
Make Your Own Maracas Preschool Activity
Get musical with your preschoolers with this fun make and play maracas craft!
This craft is perfect to pair with your Around the World theme!
Keep reading for easy to follow step-by-step directions.
Around the World Preschool Activities
Preschoolers don’t often realize there is a great big world beyond their own homes and schools but immersing your preschoolers in cultures with an Around the World unit is an excellent way to help them learn. Bring new cultures and countries into your preschool classrooms with this list of activities your preschoolers will love!
Canada Day Preschool Activities
Canada Day Activity Pack
Add some preschool learning fun to your Canada Day celebration!
This Canada Day preschool activity pack has 14 printable activities to create hands-on engaging activities to keep your little ones busy during the countdown to Canada Day.
Chinese New Year Activity Pack
Chinese New Year Preschool Activities
Gong Hei Fat Choy! Are you ready to celebrate Chinese New Year?
Celebrating Chinese New Year is a fun way to talk about other cultures and customs. Learning about other cultures helps children develop an understanding that there are many different people in the world and many ways to celebrate important life events.
What can I help you find?
Become a Member


Research has shown that early childhood physical education is important and improves more than just physical wellness. It also stimulates mental and emotional development in children. Many times, physical education in schools is neglected and children are usually confined to classroom settings. Little Gems believe in full development of a child – not only do mental and moral qualities count, but physical capacity is also equally important. We want our children to be healthy and fit individuals.
As such, Little Gems provides an all-rounded physical education to develop our children’s physical aspect, ranging from simple stretching, balancing and flexibility to more rigorous exercises like trampoline jumping, rock climbing, running and trekking. Enrichment programmes such as swimming and cycling are also offered in semesterly basis.
During the preschool years, young children are developing a sense of initiative and creativity. They are exploring the ability to create and communicate using a variety of media. Digital technologies provide one more outlet for them to demonstrate their creativity and learning.
Little Gems aims to incorporate our children’s learning with appropriate interactive media that is designed to give children another form of learning experience. For instance, they learn computer literacy such as typing and developing slides; they learn to create videos and e-story books etc.
AlphaKids Prep Programme
AlphaKids, targeting the K2s, helps equip the children for formal schooling as well. They will acquire enhanced literacy and numeracy skills, as well as problem-solving, critical thinking and social skills to help them in their transition to Primary One the following year.


We offer reading testing and specialized reading tutoring in person and via Whizzimo which is an interactive online platform.
Special reading tutoring is a different approach to helping children with persistent reading difficulty learn to read and read well. Children with dyslexia or challenging reading difficulties learn best with reading curriculum that is different in two important ways: how and what children are taught. First, the children must be taught how to read using an approach that is a specialized multisensory approach as children with dyslexia or chronic reading difficulty learn best when all their learning channels are activated. This means your child must hear, see, say, touch, and manipulate the information they are learning. They are learning via a nationally known, specialized one-to-one reading program that most public schools don’t offer.
Second, what your child learns must be different from the way general education teachers teach reading. Your child must be taught in a manner that is systematic, explicit, direct, and content controlled. There are several reading programs available that are highly effective for helping children with reading challenges. The key is to know which reading program is best for your child.
If your child is in early elementary school, these are the critical years for helping him or her with the foundational skills needed for success in middle and high school. In other words, don’t wait and start special reading instruction now or valuable time will pass. We’ve been helping parents long enough to know you can spend some money now or wait and spend a lot of money later to help your child.
The longer you wait, the harder it is to overcome a reading challenge. When you wait to start until your child is older, in addition to the special reading tutoring, you’ll also be trying to change your child’s negative attitude toward reading and possibly even low self-esteem.
Children who require special reading tutoring and receive it at an early age have a more positive attitude toward reading when they are older.


Your body is more amazing than any machine on earth. Your brain works like a complex computer, telling all the other systems in your body what to do. Your circulatory system includes your heart and blood. It delivers nutrients to your organs and keeps things clean. Your skin protects your body and keeps you from drying out. Bones give your body structure and strength. Muscles move your body. Your lungs take oxygen from the air for your body.
Fun Facts about the Body for Kids
- You have more than 600 muscles and 200 bones in your body.
- Your body needs food, water and air. Food gives your body energy. Water keeps your body moist. Air delivers oxygen to your body.
- Your brain sends tiny electrical impulses to your nerves. Your nerves tell your body when and how to move.
- Your brain has millions of nerves that connect to one another.
- You grow more during the first two years of life than during the rest of your life.
- Complex: detailed
- Nutrients: materials that feed your body
- Oxygen: a colorless and odorless gas found in the air
- Energy: power
- Impulse: message
Learn More All About Your Body
Check out this fun video all about your body:
A video song about the human body parts.
Question: Does my heart beat all day long?
Answer: Your heart must beat continuously to send blood and oxygen to your body. It beats more than 100,000 times each day.
Question: Why do I feel pain?
Answer: When you are hurt, the brain sends a message through your nerves in the form of pain. Pain lets you know that there’s a problem you need take care of. It’s sort of like the “check engine” light on your mom’s car.
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Your Body info? Take the FREE & fun Your Body quiz and download FREE Your Body worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.


Primary Subject Area
Music; Education, Music; Education, General; Education, Art; Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Music Education, Music Curriculum, Public School, Music Studies
Art Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Music | Music Education
Crayton, Melanye, "The Study of Music: A Valuable Part of School Education" (2006). Senior Honors Theses. 396.
Music has been a part of human experience since the existence of man. It has been studied throughout the ages by philosophers and students, laymen and courtesans. When America was settled, it became a part of a student's education, eventually becoming part of the curriculum of public schools. In the twentieth century, the study of music experienced a decline in the public educational systems.
The study of music is beneficial for all students. It provides students with an opportunity to excel in school work, the benefit of learning in a constructive and positive atmosphere, and the opportunity to learn about different subjects and different cultures of the world. The study of music is an important part of every student's life and should, therefore, be included in the American school system as a required academic subject in order that each student may be provided with an opportunity to develop creatively, mentally, and socially.


The Sound of DR
Simple text and repetition of the letter blend 'dr' help readers learn how to use this sound. Also included are a word list for review, a note to parents and educators, and an introduction to the authors.
|Interest Level||Preschool - Grade 2|
|Reading Level||Grade 1|
|Genre||Beginning Readers, Nonfiction|
|Publisher||The Child's World, Inc.|
|Number of Pages||24|
|Dimensions||8 x 8|
|Guided Reading Level||C|
|ATOS Reading Level||1.1|
|ATOS Interest Level||LG|
|Accelerated Reader® Quiz||61756|
|Accelerated Reader® Points||0.5|
|Features||Author/Illustrator biography, Educational front/back matter, and Glossary of key words|
- Beginning of text
- Word List
- Note to Parents and Educators
- About the Author
Author: Cynthia Amoroso
Cynthia Amoroso holds undergraduate degrees in English and elementary education, and graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction as well as educational administration. Cynthia's past roles include teacher, assistant principal, district reading coordinator, director of curriculum and instruction, and curriculum consultant. She has extensive experience in reading, literacy, curriculum development, professional development, and continuous improvement processes. Cynthia enjoys reading, writing, gardening, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Author: Bob Noyed
Bob Noyed started his career as a newspaper reporter and freelance writer. Since then, he has worked in school communications and public relations at the state and national levels. He continues to write for both children and adult audiences. Bob lives with his wife in Woodbury, Minnesota.


At the initiative of the United Nations, January 24 is annually celebrated as the International Day of Education. It was established on December 3, 2018 by a resolution of the General Assembly, which was supported by 58 Member States.
The document emphasizes that education plays a key role in the formation of a viable society and contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
The right to education is enshrined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It calls for free primary education. In turn, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, contains a provision on the obligation of states to make higher education accessible to all.
However, today every fifth child in the world is deprived of the opportunity to learn. According to UNESCO, 262 million minors are out of school and 617 million children and adolescents lack basic reading and numeracy skills.
At the same time, it is the provision of inclusive, equitable and high-quality education that is the key to overcoming poverty and social inequality in the world. International Day of Education helps to draw attention to this issue.


Home > Cambridge Curriculum
At Carncot School, we have always prided ourselves on taking a holistic approach to nurture our students’ curiosity to learn and to build an understanding of social responsibility that sets them up for a lifetime of success and opportunity. The Cambridge International curriculum holds a similar ethos and with a structured curriculum, individualised and inclusive support, and an equitable approach to assessments, it encourages confidence, responsibility, innovation, and engagement.
The Cambridge curriculum is internationally based, however, there is a high degree of flexibility built into it, allowing educators to adjust it for local relevancy. We utilise the Cambridge curriculum as an overlay to the New Zealand curriculum to provide our students with the benefits of the Cambridge structure within the context of our local communities here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Although the Cambridge curriculum is known for its structured approach, it places a great deal of emphasis on individualised and inclusive teaching. There is room for modifications and support in all aspects of the curriculum and support is available for students who may face specific challenges. Students are encouraged to explore what interests them, while also ensuring they develop the skills and knowledge necessary for future success.
The Cambridge approach to assessment is based on accurately measuring a student’s potential and progress to make informed decisions about their educational needs. Cambridge checkpoints and assessments allow for flexibility and support in their administration to accommodate all students. By accurately measuring a student’s current knowledge and abilities, we can more effectively support their ongoing learning in a way that is best suited to them.
The Cambridge curriculum prepares students to succeed in life, as well as in school. With a focus on developing critical thinking skills and a lasting passion for learning, students are better prepared for the next step in their education.Our Carncot holistic ethos, with a focus on individual excellence and developing good character within a caring and respectful learning environment, remains our foundational value, complemented by the structure of the Cambridge curriculum. We wholeheartedly believe this approach encapsulates the best option to prepare our students to be confident, curious, socially responsible adults with a lifetime of success and opportunity.
For the 2022 year, we have chosen to implement the Cambridge curriculum in a stepped manner throughout our junior, middle, and senior schools. In Year 1 to 3 levels, we will retain our primary focus upon the structured and explicit teaching and learning of foundational literacy and numeracy skills. From Year 4, we will implement the Cambridge curriculum as an overlay on the New Zealand curriculum in English, Mathematics, Science and Art. And Year 7 & 8 levels will see Global Perspectives added to the Cambridge subjects we include.
Learn more about the benefits of a Cambridge International curriculum at www.cambridgeinternational.org.
And follow this link for information about Cambridge International curriculum, specifically in New Zealand


Physical Activities to Help Improve your Child’s Cognitive Ability
We typically think of running, jumping, and skipping as activities that should be confined to the school gym or playground. But did you know that they might be the key to your kids’ success in social studies or science class? Numerous studies have shown a link between physical activity and improved cognitive ability – both in the long term and immediately after exercising.
Early humans spent almost every waking hour in motion. According to John Medina in his book, “Brain Rules,” our ancestors walked and ran up to 12 miles a day, all while teaching themselves how to start fires and figure out which plants were edible. Our brains simply adapted to learn better during exercise.
A study conducted by the University of British Columbia also showed that regular aerobic exercise results in a larger hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls verbal memory and learning. Scientists have many theories on exactly why exercise improves learning, but most agree that it only takes moderate activity a few times a week to see the benefits, and that any movement is better than none.
Exercise doesn’t just cause a long-term improvement in learning – it can also have an immediate impact on academic performance. Several studies have shown that moderate exercise can improve student’s scores on tests taken directly after the activity. It’s thought that physical activity boosts kids’ moods and attentiveness, which leads to better performance in school.
Kids are naturally more active in the summer. Without hours spent in the classroom, kids have more time to run around and play with their friends. Why not take advantage of the brain-boosting power of exercise to combine active play with learning? Here are some fun ways to couple exercise with learning.
All you need for this classic recess game is a piece of chalk, a rock, and some pavement. Draw out a court, toss the rock onto a square, and hop away! Jumping challenges both balance and aerobic ability, and young children can get a brain boost by reciting the numbers as they hop in each square. Skipping the square that the rock landed in and counting backwards on the return trip will help to develop your young one’s number sense.
Teach your kids the jump rope rhymes you chanted on the playground when you were their age. These rhymes can be a fun introduction to poetry, and many of them include counting exercises that can help develop numeracy skills. These can be made more difficult for older children by requiring them to count by twos or threes. They’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re exercising!
Go for a Walk
Going for a walk around your neighborhood can offer numerous learning opportunities. Ask your kids to read the numbers on each house as you pass. For young children, recognizing numbers out of order can be quite challenging! You can also squeeze some learning into your stroll by encouraging your kids to read street signs or count the number of houses on your block.
Count how many times you can throw the ball without dropping it. Count by twos or only using odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7…) for a challenge.
Complete Kumon Worksheets
After a morning spent playing outdoors, your kids will be more attentive and ready to study! Take advantage of the benefits that exercise provides and schedule time each day for your kids to complete their Kumon Worksheets after they’ve spent time playing and being active.
It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to see an improvement in the classroom. Your kids can benefit just from playing with their friends at the playground. We still have a lot to learn about the brain, but the connection between activity and learning is clear. Read more about the impact of learning on the brain.


Have you ever seen a guide dog in training? These dogs usually wear a special harness or coat and they go through a long training process before they are adopted. Once they know the ropes, they can help people in many ways. Some guide dogs are trained to help people who are blind. They help their owner get dressed and keep their owner safe in traffic or even at home.
Other service dogs help people with physical disabilities. Some service dogs help children who are very sick. These dogs can even help children with learning disabilities or autism.
Fun Facts about Guide and Service Dogs for Kids
- Service dogs spend a year or more in training before they are given to a family.
- Service dogs must learn to ignore other people and focus on his companion, even when someone else offers him food or calls to him.
- If you see a service dog, ask before petting him.
- It costs around $20,000 to train a puppy to be a guide dog.
- Service dogs have to take a test before they can go to work.
Guide and Service Dog Vocabulary
- Harness: Restraint or collar
- Blind: Unable to see
- Disability: A physical or emotional challenge
- Companion: Friend or owner
- Autism: A brain disorder that affects a child’s ability to talk and make friends, among other things
Learn More All About Guide and Service Dogs
Watch this cool video about Ricochet, the surfing service dog:
A news clip about a service dog that surfs as fund raising activities.
Guide and Service Dog Q&A
Question: What kinds of dogs can be service or guide dogs?
Answer: Certain breeds, such as Labradors, are known for making good service dogs because they are obedient and easy to train. But, all dogs must pass certain tests before they can be adopted for service.
Question: How do people pay for service dogs?
Answer: Training a service dog costs a lot of money. People who love service dogs can do fundraising activities to help pay for this training. Maybe you could help raise money for service dogs.
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Guide and Service Dogs info? Take the FREE & fun all about Guide and Service Dogs quiz and download FREE Guide and Service Dogs worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.


Much has been written, (and unfortunately fallen on deaf ears) about the benefits of music in people’s lives, and especially in the cognitive and emotional development of children. Often, this research has been used by music education advocates to garner or boost support for local music education programs, which seem to always be threatened by … Continue reading What Music Means to Students and Why That’s Important
How Does Music Work?
We have all encountered teachers who began some music course or other by asking "What Is Music?" Leonard Bernstein, paraphrasing this often posed question, I suppose, asked "What Does Music Mean?" Many answers have been proposed to the former question, and Bernstein's answer to the latter, after an interesting lecture, was that music doesn't mean … Continue reading How Does Music Work?
What Does Music Mean?
One of the more perplexing questions of the ages concerning music is the question, what does music mean? Philosophers from Aristotle to Bernstein have tried to answer this question, but none have done so in a way that once and for all settles the matter. Bernstein devoted much of his lecturing life to tackling the … Continue reading What Does Music Mean?
Why Arts Education is More Important Than Ever
Have you ever stopped to consider the difference between sending or receiving a handwritten letter and an e-mail or text? I hadn't until the other day, when I joined a discussion on whether cursive should be taught in schools, or just allowed to be forgotten and fall into obsolescence. Some argued that the latter had … Continue reading Why Arts Education is More Important Than Ever
Responding To Music: Subjective or Objective?
The National Core Arts Standards include three anchor standards for responding that lay out the ways a person can respond to music. When our students respond to music in our classrooms or on their own in other settings, they are probably doing so in one of the ways described in these anchor standards. They are … Continue reading Responding To Music: Subjective or Objective?
Teaching Musical Phrases
From a perceptual perspective, phrase may be the most important musical element that a music educator teaches. While pitch and rhythm are perhaps the most foundational, and while there can be no phrases without pitch and rhythm, people perceive and understand music aurally in groups of sounds, not from individual notes. Even in instances where … Continue reading Teaching Musical Phrases
Perceiving Expression in Music
The authors of the National Core Arts Standards placed a high premium on expressive intent. It is included in Creating; plan and make, and present, Performing; interpret, Responding; interpret, and in the overriding artistic process on connecting. As I have written elsewhere, expressive intent is problematic in that the listener rarely knows for sure what … Continue reading Perceiving Expression in Music
Are We Misleading Students In How We Teach Them To Appreciate Music?
Music appreciation as I experienced it as a student was largely a matter of learning how a musical work was put together, and then listening for landmarks along the way. First theme, second theme, development section, modulation to the dominant, recapitulation back to the tonic, and so on. It usually takes a great deal of … Continue reading Are We Misleading Students In How We Teach Them To Appreciate Music?
What Does Music Mean–Revisiting Bernstein’s Lecture
In 1958, Leonard Bernstein gave a Young Peoples Concert entitled “What Does Music Mean?” In it, he said that music doesn’t mean anything in the ways language does, but instead means what it is. Today, I will take up the matter of musical meaning, restricting myself to developing Bernstein’s points, and avoiding deeper aesthetic and … Continue reading What Does Music Mean–Revisiting Bernstein’s Lecture
You must be logged in to post a comment.


Music at Ashfield Valley
The Value of Music within our Curriculum
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high- quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
National Curriculum for Music, September 2013
At Ashfield Valley we believe that developing a love for music is crucial and we do this, by inspiring curiosity and providing children with the essential skills and knowledge to build upon and prepare them for the next stage, this in turn:
- Inspires children to develop a life-long love of music.
- Increases their self-confidence, creativity, and imagination and provides opportunities for self-expression and a sense of personal achievement.
- Allows children to develop and explore their talents in all aspects of music including composition, singing, appreciation and
- To experience different genres of music and a wide cultural knowledge of composers
- Allows all children equal access to music through a wide variety of tuned/untuned percussion and pitched instruments showing an awareness of correct usage.


It is the responsibility of all students and their parents/guardians to be familiar with the expectations of students and to familiarize themselves with the process of logging in to Google Classroom via the Yukon Education Digital Services Rapid Identity Portal.
Please come to F.H. Collins Secondary School (front doors, foyer/atrium) to pick up the worksheets and reference materials you will need to complete the work for this course.
What will be working on over the four weeks of Summer School?
There are four units of work students will need to complete in order to upgrade and earn their Workplace Math 10 credit.
Unit 1 - Numeracy
1.1 Number strategies 1.2 Greatest Common Factors and Lowest Common Denominators 1.3 Order of Operations 1.4 Integers 1.5 Intro to Fractions 1.6 Multiplying Fractions 1.7 Dividing Fractions 1.8 Mixed Numbers (improper fractions) 1.9 Adding and Subtracting Fractions 1.10 Order of Operations with Fractions
Unit 2 - Measurements
2.1 Units of Measurement 2.2 Metric Conversions 2.3 Other Conversions 2.4 Applications (Using measurements)
Unit 3 - Geometry
3.1 Perimeter 3.2 Area 3.3 Nets 3.4 Surface Area 3.5 Volume
Unit 8 - Finances
** we are not doing units 4,5,6,7 for Summer School in part because we are focusing on foundational skills
8.1 History of Finance 8.2 Saving Money 8.3 Percentage Discounts 8.4 Percentage Increases 8.5 Comparing Prices 8.6 Banking 8.7 Simple Interest 8.8 Working & Income 8.9 Income Deductions
Daily Work Process
Attend Zoom session with Ms Carrey to review learning/concepts
Log in to Google Classroom to watch/read learning materials for the unit/sub-unit
Do the work on the worksheets (hard copy) as assigned (NOTE: you will not have to do all of the questions, but you can do more for practice if you like.) SHOW ALL YOUR WORK!!
Return the worksheets to Ms. Carrey by UNIT (by arrangement)


My kids LOVE to write. When I say love, I mean love. The usual “come to the carpet for Writing Workshop” is usually met with groans, not because it’s time for writing, but because my kids just want to write. They know it’s time for a mini-lesson, and they just want to write. Narrative writing, informational writing, opinion writing… they love it all!
I don’t tell you this to brag or to pat myself on the back. I am blessed to have kids who love to write. And I still have students who struggle and need extra supports to write. But they LOVE to spend time jotting down new notes and stories in their journals. I want to share my successes with you so that you can be successful too!
Here are some simple tips to get them writing and LOVING to write!
TIP #1: Allow students to bring in their own notebooks. I love to write, and I love to pick out a fun new journal that I love when I run out of room in my journal. Because I get to pick a journal that brings joy for me, I am able to write more (and better) because I love my journal. For students who don’t (or can’t) bring their own notebook or journal, I buy some cheap composition notebooks and then give the students time to craft. A little construction paper, glue, and buttons come together to make
TIP #2: Let them pick their own topics. In my class, we call this our Passion Topic(s). Informational text can be tough, and I am well aware that eventually, students will have to learn to write about things they don’t have a choice on. However, to help build foundational skills in my 4th grade classroom, having choice in a topic is critical to getting my students loving my writing block. I do set parameters (for example, we write historical informational texts, and I let them choose anything that has some connection to Ohio). Even a choice between three different topics is still a choice!
TIP #3: Write in color. I was guilty of saying that my students had to write using
With just a few minor tweaks, you can easily turn writing workshop – especially your informational text unit – into something amazing!
Check out these other great ideas to spark a love of learning in your upper elementary students!
Spark a Love of Learning with Games | The Owl Teacher
Spark a Love of Social Studies | Tried and True Teaching Tools
3 Ways to Inspire a Love of Fractions | Mix and Math
Just-Right Reading: I Love Myself! | Reading by Heart
5 Ways to Ignite a Love of Math Problem Solving | Think Grow Giggle
Absent Work that Students and Teachers Love | Elementary Inquiry
Loving to Write Informational Texts | Mikey D Teach
Valuing Student Voice to Create a Love of Learning | Wild Child?s Mossy Oak Musings
Developing Grit: Learning to Love a Challenge | Kerry Tracy
How to Inspire a Love of Geometry | Love Learning
Leave a Reply


Technology is entwined in almost part of our daily lives. It affects how we communicate, play, socialize, and learn. Now, technology is taking a part in classrooms. Smartboards, iPads, and Chromebooks are replacing chalkboards, notepads, and textbooks. With the strong digital future that lies ahead of us, it is only natural that schools are embracing the role technology can play in improving the learning experience.
Here are some reasons why technology in elementary education is important.
1. It expands the possibilities for teachers
Technology expands the realm of possibilities for how teachers teach. A PBS LearningMedia study found that three-quarters of teachers they interviewed found many benefits of educational technology. Benefits were that technology enables teachers to reinforce and expand the content, it motivates students to learn, and technology allows them to respond to a variety of learning styles. Further, 7 out of 10 teachers surveyed said technology allows them to “do much more than ever before” for their students.
2. Technology makes education more flexible
Matt Wallaert, a behavioral scientist at Bing, says, “We don’t all have to study the same thing anymore. One kid can be interested in butterflies and take a journey down that path, while another can be learning about rockets, and both are learning practical skills of physics.” Everyone learns differently. Hence, with a classroom full of children with different learning abilities, technology allows us to implement differentiated instruction.
3. Technology makes learning exciting
Technology occupies an important space in students’ lives. When not in the classroom, almost everything students do is connected to technology. A study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, found students prefer learning with technology. Overall, they feel that it makes learning more interesting and fun. Additionally, this study found that technology helped improve students’ retention rates.
4. Technology prepares students for the future
Finally, technology in elementary education is important because it helps prepare students for the digital future. It teaches 21st-century skills are necessary to be successful in today’s world. Now, a majority of jobs have a digital component that will only grow and get more complex as time goes on. Therefore, technology prepares students for their future. Further, it sets them up to be successful in our increasingly digital economy.
To those who are still unsure about using technology in elementary education, Dylan Arena, Ph.D., co-founder and chief learning scientist at Kidaptive says, “Technology by itself will almost never change education.” Further, Arena says, “The only way to change educational practices is to change the beliefs and values of teachers, administrators, parents, and other educational stakeholders– and that’s a cultural issue, not a technological one… It’s about processes and people rather than bits and bytes.”
In conclusion, there are several benefits of technology in elementary education. The use of technology at Roig enhances our multi-sensory approach to education by providing innovative, interactive approaches to learning.


African Girls Can Code: Closing the gender gap in ICT
AU/CIEFFA& UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI)
Learning and resources on gender in education
The skills young people develop in school provide an essential foundation that can either be reinforced or deteriorate depending on the strength of the foundation and opportunities after leaving school. This brief, Skill Retention After School Leaving describes findings from an analysis of a longitudinal dataset of Malawian adolescents aged 14–17 attending school when first interviewed in 2007. The survey investigates whether literacy and numeracy skills at school-leaving (among those who dropped out before completing secondary school) were retained several years after.


The government had commenced the process of formulating a New Education Policy through the consultation process for an inclusive, participatory, and holistic approach; which took expert opinions, field experiences, empirical research, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned from best practices into consideration.
As stakeholders, it is important that we deep dive to understand what short-term and long-term implications it would have on the ecosystem. Let us begin from the start.
So what really is NEP?
NEP is a comprehensive framework for primary to higher education as well as vocational training in both rural and urban India. This is an all-inclusive policy that aims to guide the development of education in the country.
To put in simple terms, this policy is to provide all Indians with better quality of education contributing an equitable and vibrant knowledge base to the society in such a way that it develops a deep sense of respect towards the fundamental rights, duties, and Constitutional values.
By including all layers of the country, the policy aims to intensify the concept of ‘One-India’ building a strong bond and connection within the country.
What does the new NEP 2020 aim at?
It envisions an education system that contributes to an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all. It also intends to instill skills, values, and outlook that supports responsible commitment to human rights and well-being, thereby enabling our students to grow into a truly global citizen.
Why was a new policy required?
A new policy generally comes along every few decades; the first came in 1968, the second in 1986 and the third released this year on 29 July 2020. The new education policy replaces the 1986 policy which was there for the last 34 years. Safe to assume that the older policy had in fact become archaic and needed fundamental changes to reflect the fast-evolving 21st-century world.
The Key Takeaways of the NEP 2020 are – New pedagogical and curricular structure of school education (5+3+3+4), Target to dismantle UGC and AICTE, Introduction of a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate program with multiple exit options, laying emphasis on “easier” Board exams, a reduction in the syllabus to retain “core essentials” and thrust on “experiential learning and critical thinking”, and last but not the least – targeting to phase out all institutions offering single streams and that all universities and colleges so as to become multidisciplinary by 2040.
After a day NEP was announced, Ramesh Pokhriyal (Minister of Education) said, ” We have placed more emphasis on arithmetic, çonsidering the opinion of scientists that 85% of brain development of kids takes place in the age of 3 to 6 years,” adding “We have also decided to do away with 10+ 2 system and introduce 360-degree holistic evaluation. Our goal is to connect 100% children with the education system till 12th, as the new education policy aims at fulfilling the vision of a new India”.
He also stressed the point that the NEP will strengthen basic education along with developing children’s mental faculties to prepare them for global competition.
- Continuous tracking of learning outcomes of each child
- Assessment to focus on core concepts, higher-order, and foundational skills
- AI-based software to help track the progress of the students to enable them to make optimal career choices.
- The holistic progress card will actively involve parents in their children’s education and development.
- 360-degree multidimensional report


LOWER PRIMARY CLASSES
AGE 6 - 8 YEARS - CLASS SIZE 15-20
The learners from pre-school year 2 join lower primary in grade 1 at about 6 years of age and spend 3 years in this part of Early Years Education before exiting to upper primary at the end of grade 3.
- Kiswahili Language Activities
- English Language Activities
- Mathematical Activities
- Environmental Activities
- Hygiene and Nutrition Activities
- Religious Education Activities
- Movement and Creative Activities
Lower Primary Curriculum
Literacy is the ability to read, write and use language proficiently. According to UNESCO, literacy is a basic human right. Literacy as a subject address the ability of the learner to make meaning of letters and sounds thus making sense of written codes.
At this foundational level, literacy aims at equipping the learner with basic skills in reading and writing to aid in all other Subjects. It assists the learner to communicate with others as well as promote learning to learn.
Kiswahili is the national language and one of the two official languages of communication in the country. Learners should be exposed to the language at the earliest possible time in their schooling.
English is one of the official languages of communication in Kenya. It is also the second highest spoken language globally. Learners are taught the foundational skills of reading and writing the English language at this stage.
Numeracy is a foundational skill that prepares the learner for number work and mathematics in higher levels of schooling. Numeracy activities involve identification and value placement of mathematical numerals as well as basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication.
This is an integrated subject comprising science, social and agriculture activities. The learner is equipped with basic knowledge and skills for the exploration of the immediate environment as well as learning and enjoyment. This lays a foundation for sustainable development concepts that will be learned at a higher level of learning.
Hygiene and nutrition activities equip learners with the basic knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote a healthy lifestyle. The learner is given the ability to take care of their own well-being as well as that of others.
The learner is engaged in practical activities that promote healthy eating and hygiene practices that contribute to healthier lifestyles. Other topics covered include regular monitoring of growth, oral and dental health, immunization and de-worming.
This subject encompasses art, craft and physical education. The learner is equipped with basic knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to express themselves in creative and healthy ways. This is anchored in Dewey’s social constructivism theory which posits that learning should be experiential, participatory and arise from the learner’s interests.
The activity-based approach advocated in this subject aims at giving the learner an opportunity to think for themselves and articulate their thoughts through creativity and collaboration. This helps the learner to think for themselves and develop critical reflection skills.


Modern pedagogy in elementary academic preparation for counting numbers may be incomplete, in fact, insofar as, for example, if a prospective customer approaches a loan officer with the claim of a “number” of properties offered for collateral to secure principal funds, yet one of the following three results arise in terms of this “number” as emerges during the loan application process, i.e., one, zero or infinity, does the chance of securing such a loan decrease in respective order, and/or does the probability of being investigated for violation of, say, USC 18 Section 1344 (bank fraud) proportionately increase, not to mention prompting an examination for sanity of the prospective loan customer?
Abstract as a cursory brief:
Preliminary Note: As the essential property of one generates the elemental number line by initially being added first to zero, and then, next, to itself, to create more than itself in the first plurality, i.e., "number," per se, unity subtends the very idea of the sequence commonly regarded as the number line, and this as its prime function remains unique. No other such singular identity exists in characteristic form. As such, any so extrapolated subsequential plurality becomes a unique iteration of one to such degree as its count extends.
On a practical note, the issue of number seems salient to the recent (1931) effort of Kurt Gödel in solving David Hilbert’s second problem of proving the completeness of arithmetic as a self-consistent system. However, Gödel having reached the diametrically opposed conclusion in his landmark proof of the incompleteness of arithmetic has demonstrated, instead, that to be not self-validated. Many extrapolations in widely ranging degrees of conventional legitimacy have resulted, one of which, for example, has been that no system can be self-validating. So, to begin the following demonstration of what may be missing from arithmetic, namely a count operation, formally defined by an identity element per se, no claim is made that this is a self-validating demonstration.
Ancient Greeks regarded two as the first “number” as logically consistent with the idea of plurality, thus, one, regarded as unity, was not a number, by reason of rational semantic as philosophically sound syntax. (As subsequent Roman numerals carried no symbolic representation of zero more than their Greek predecessors had, could any “hypothetical zero” have been symbolized as H?) Indeed, if zero and one are in fact not functional number pluralities as capable of supporting any base number system, then the argument fails that zero and infinity are not reciprocals because their product may be any algebraic extrapolation as any finite quantity, or number, x divided by infinity or zero, to equal zero or infinity, respectively.*
If one, zero and infinity are really only the identity elements of multiplication, addition and count, as multiplication is fast addition, addition is fast count and count is fast “infinition” by “conveniently” glossing and/or skipping over as past all irrationals between rational numbers as such all whole number ratios between whole numbers, in order to “count” whole numbers, as introduced without any real formality in elementary education, so, could counting all finite numbers be as “convenient” as imply all whole numbers between one and infinity, then what chance may be infintion is fast multiplication?
Identity elements, 1, 0 and א:
x=x×1, x=x+0 and x=x·|·א
x|·|x=א, x-x=0, x÷x=1
(Here, ·|· represents that infinition facilitates count as an arithmetic operation,
|·|represents that “refinition” function facilitates count inverse operation,
and “cardinal Aleph” [which is tantamount to “infinity”] is represented as א.)
Could Gödel count how incomplete arithmetic was, among other things?
*As no two exists in binary base-two, no eight in octal base-eight, no A in base A (9+1=10) and no G in base-G hexadecimal, in base-infinity, no infinity exists, and every number is less than ten, ergo, as a single digit.


- 1 Who are the past governors of Texas?
- 2 Who was Texas governor before Bush?
- 3 Which Texas governor was impeached and why?
- 4 Who was the first woman governor of Texas?
- 5 Is the Texas governor disabled?
- 6 How many terms can a Texas governor serve?
- 7 How do you become governor of Texas?
- 8 Can you impeach a governor in Texas?
- 9 Who is Jim Ferguson?
- 10 What state had the first female governor?
- 11 What year was the first female governor?
- 12 Has Missouri had a female governor?
Who are the past governors of Texas?
- J. Pinckney Henderson. February 19, 1846-December 21, 1847.
- George T. Wood.
- Peter Hansbrough Bell. December 21, 1849-November 23, 1853.
- J. W. Henderson. November 23, 1853-December 21, 1853.
- Elisha M. Pease.
- Hardin R. Runnels.
- Sam Houston. December 21, 1859-March 16, 1861.
- Edward Clark. March 16, 1861-November 7, 1861.
Who was Texas governor before Bush?
Austin, Texas, U.S. Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician and 45th Governor of Texas (1991–95).
Which Texas governor was impeached and why?
James Edward Ferguson Jr.
(August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944), known as Pa Ferguson, was an American Democratic politician and the 26th Governor of Texas, in office from 1915 to 1917. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office.
Who was the first woman governor of Texas?
Miriam Amanda Wallace “Ma” Ferguson (June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas, from 1925 to 1927 and 1933 to 1935.
Is the Texas governor disabled?
On July 14, 1984, at age 26, Abbott was paralyzed below the waist when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging following a storm. He had two steel rods implanted in his spine, underwent extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston and has used a wheelchair ever since.
How many terms can a Texas governor serve?
The state’s first constitution in 1845 established the office of governor, to serve for two years, but no more than four years out of every six (essentially a limit of no more than two consecutive terms).
How do you become governor of Texas?
The governor must be at least 30 years old and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately before the election. The governor makes policy recommendations that lawmakers in both the state House and Senate chambers may sponsor and introduce as bills.
Can you impeach a governor in Texas?
The power of impeachment shall be vested in the House of Representatives. Impeachment of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Comptroller and the Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and District Court shall be tried by the Senate.
Who is Jim Ferguson?
James Edwin Ferguson (born December 23, 1948) is an American guitarist, composer, journalist, and educator. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Ferguson began his early music education playing the trombone at age 7, and then after eight years of study, switched to the guitar at age 15.
What state had the first female governor?
Governorship of Wyoming
Nellie Ross refused to campaign but easily won the race on November 4, 1924. On January 5, 1925, she became the first female governor in the history of the United States.
What year was the first female governor?
The first woman to assume office as governor pursuant to a special election was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming (widow of late Governor William B. Ross, served January 1923 to October 1924), who was elected on November 4, 1924, and sworn in on January 5, 1925.
Has Missouri had a female governor?
As of 2018–19, Missouri has never had a female governor.