Learning Care Group
When my niece was six years old, she spent a week with me. Her favorite game was to write random letters in a line, push them in front of me, and ask, “What does this say, Aunt Shelle?” I would string the sounds together into a nonsense word that would send her into fits of laughter. For Kylee, this was an indication of an important developmental step: she was a writer. She understood that the symbols she was writing on paper had meaning and could be interpreted and read by another person.
A lot of learning and development comes together to help young children reach this stage in their literacy development. Writing calls for physical control and coordination as well as a foundational understanding of the interconnection of speech and writing. Both of these develop as children interact with writing tools and have opportunities to explore writing.
Before children can write anything, they must be able to grasp a writing tool and hold it firmly while controlling its movement. When you watch toddlers first use crayons or markers, you might notice them making large loops or scribbles by moving their whole arms. As preschoolers, those toddlers will develop more fine muscle control and these movements become more controlled and intentional.
Children strengthen their fine muscles when they squeeze playdough and join in fingerplays. They learn to control and coordinate their movements as they paint at an easel and pour water from one cup into another. All of these seemingly innocent childhood pastimes help your child develop the physical skills needed for writing.
In a previous post about reading, I discussed the importance of symbolism, which is the idea that one object can stand for another. This understanding is an important factor in both reading and writing. As children develop this understanding, they move from the idea that the spoken word “ball” stands for that round object we can play with to the idea that a picture they draw of a ball can also stand for the object in question. Finally, they arrive at the realization that the letters “b-a-l-l” also represent this idea. When your child draws pictures to tell stories or communicate ideas, it is an important precursor to the understanding needed for writing.
As they mature in their understanding, young children begin to differentiate between drawing and writing. When they first start to write, it often looks like a squiggly line along the page. With support, practice, and exposure to print, these early attempts evolve into individual squiggles that look more letter-like. As children learn about the letters, they begin to mix in actual letters with the squiggles. Finally, children begin to write in only letters, although the letters might not be the correct ones or may be backwards. Giving children opportunities to experiment with writing and letting them see writing in action helps them move through these stages.
As for my niece, five years later, Kylee continues to be a writer, although now she combines that basic understanding with the ability to connect the symbols she writes with the sounds they represent. She writes answers on tests, papers to show understanding, texts to touch base with friends, and online postings to connect with others near and far (including me). She has reached the goal that we would like for most children: to use writing as a means of communicating her thoughts, opinions, and ideas to a world eager to read them.
In my next posting, we will look at what families can do to support young children in becoming strong readers and writers.


The superpower of OTT platforms
Same Language Subtitling on all Indian language content is an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to reading literacy and language learning
On August 8, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the ‘State of Elementary Education in Rural India’ report which shows that schoolchildren spend most of their screen time playing games, watching movies or listening to songs. Accessing study materials and online tutorials featured way down the order. Chart 1 shows the findings from the survey. Of the 49.3% of parents whose children used gadgets, 76.7% said that their children mainly used mobile phones to play video games, over 56% said that their children used phones to watch movies, 35% said they used phones to access online materials, and only 19% said they used phones to attend online tutorials.
Instead of seeing this trend as a cause for concern, it can be viewed as a promising opportunity where education meets entertainment. Traditional media consumption has increasingly transitioned to OTT platforms, which have the ability to make meaningful contributions to reading literacy and language learning.
Captions were invented in the U.S. in the early 1970s to make television accessible to people with various degrees of hearing impairments. Viewers without hearing disabilities also came to appreciate the value of captions and same language subtitling (SLS) as it helped them follow the dialogues better. Caption and SLS are now available in around 40-50 countries. But a major benefit of SLS — improving mass reading literacy — has not been leveraged by any country yet.
The PlanetRead survey estimates that of the billion “literate” people in the country, 600 million are weak readers. The survey, conducted in four Hindi-speaking States, measured literacy using two methods — the census method which relies on self-reporting and another which required people to read a Grade 2-level text.
An Ormax OTT audience report showed that India’s OTT base in 2022 was 424 million people, with a nearly 80% penetration in metros. Future OTT growth will predominantly come from rural areas where the preference tilts toward Indian language content.
SLS on all Indian language content is, therefore, a massive opportunity. Universalisation of SLS may act as an automatic reading practice in the viewer’s language. The Billion Readers initiative of the PlanetRead organisation is scaling SLS on TV and streaming platforms to achieve that. Moreover, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, all OTT platforms are required to offer SLS with their content. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting framed the Accessibility Standards, 2019 mandating SLS on half the content on TV by 2025.
PlanetRead conducted a survey of 2,673 movies/shows produced in 2022-23 that are on India’s top five OTT platforms – Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5, and Sony Liv. Almost all English language content on OTTs is available with English subtitles. In contrast, SLS is missing from most Indian language content (Chart 2).
Netflix leads SLS implementation in Indian languages with one-third of the content having SLS (Chart 3). Amazon Prime is a distant second (10.1%), while the other big OTT platforms have barely made a start.
SLS penetration is higher on content produced by the platforms themselves. Of the original Indian language content produced by Netflix and Amazon Prime, SLS is on 92.3% and 81.8% of content, respectively (Chart 4). However, Hotstar, Sony Liv, and Zee5 are yet to implement SLS in their original Indian language content. This suggests that if content producers were to include SLS and caption files, OTT platforms may include these features.


The state should distinguish between the preparation of high-incidence elementary and secondary special education teachers. This goal was consistent between 2017 and 2020.
Unfortunately, in addition to grade-specific options (K-6, 5-8, and 6-12), Kansas offers a K-12
special education certification. The state also offers early childhood special education licenses (birth-K and birth-grade 3) and an elementary education unified license that allows teachers to teach early childhood or elementary students with and without disabilities.
Regulations and Standards for Kansas Educators 2018-2019 https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/TLA/Licensure/Licensure%20Documents/CertHandbook18-19fulltext%2009042018.pdf?ver=2018-09-04-144958-147
End licensure practices that fail to distinguish between the skills and knowledge needed to teach elementary grades and secondary
The broad K-12 umbrella is deeply problematic for the overwhelming majority of high-incidence special education students, who are expected to learn grade-level content. Kansas should eliminate its K-12 license and rely on its elementary and secondary special education licenses thereby ensuring that special education teachers to have the appropriate license for the grade level of students with whom they are working.
Kansas recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.
4C: Special Education Licensure Requirements
Generic K-12 special education licenses are inappropriate for teachers of high-incidence special education students.
Too many states make no distinction between elementary and secondary special education teachers, certifying all such teachers under a generic K-12 special education license. While this broad umbrella may be appropriate for teachers of low-incidence special education students, such as those with severe cognitive disabilities, it is deeply problematic for high-incidence special education students, who are expected to learn grade-level content. And because the overwhelming majority of special education students are in the high-incidence category, the result is a fundamentally broken system.
It is virtually impossible and certainly impractical for states to ensure that a K-12 teacher knows all the subject matter he or she is expected to teach. Further, the issue is just as valid in terms of pedagogical knowledge. Teacher preparation and licensure for special education teachers must distinguish between elementary and secondary levels, as they do for general education. The current model does little to protect some of our most vulnerable students.


Our guest today is Dr. Hank Schlinger. He’s a professor at California State University in Los Angeles. Hank got into the field through working with kids with autism through his undergraduate program. He practiced ABA techniques, which were then known as behavioral modification, and the results he witnessed in the children he worked with made a lasting impact on him. Today, Hank is a successful author of several books, including “How to Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children”, which puts ABA in practical terms for readers. There’s a misconception amongst teachers and parents that bad behavior needs to be punished out of a child. It takes much more than a book or a workshop to change this perception and much more involved training is needed. It might be more helpful for agencies to shift their focus on parents and family members instead of teachers.
Parental coaching is so important, and some ABA practitioners might be averse for any number of reasons. Using a book like Dr. Schlinger’s helps provide a road map for those in the field who may struggle with helping parents understand the importance of working with behavioral techniques. We don’t place enough of an emphasis on self-esteem and how poor self-esteem can reinforce bad behavior. Whether you’re new in the field or you’re a seasoned veteran, being grounded in experimental analysis greatly helps you come up with solutions for a variety of situations. Thinking critically and problem-solving is a foundational skill and we need to do better as a field in these areas, especially when it comes to training.
- Why parental involvement and practice is so important in creating lasting behavioral changes.
- Why parent coaching should be a focus in ABA and what to do when practitioners are averse.
- How fostering positive self-esteem in children helps reinforce good behavior.
- Why critical thinking and problem-solving are foundational skills as a practitioner.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Introduction to Scientific Psychology
A Behavior Analytic View of Child Development
How To Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children
also available at: Vroman’s Bookstore
BF Skinner and the Revolutionary Science of Behavior


The study is part of the OECD Education Working Papers and provides a deep dive on the state of computational thinking in early childhood education. Computer programming and associated Computational Thinking (CT) skills are essential to thriving in today’s academic and professional world.
There has been a growing focus globally on fostering CT skills as well as on introducing computer programming concepts and languages beginning as early as kindergarten and pre-primary school. Tools, curriculum, and frameworks to promote CT in the early years must be designed and implemented in ways that engage children who cannot yet read and write, who learn through play, and who have a short attention span and limited working memory but also strong natural curiosity. This review summarises empirical and theoretical literature on the state of the field of CT as it relates to early learning and development, a time when young children are being introduced to foundational skills, such as literacy and numeracy, which can carefully be complemented by an exploration of CT.
The working paper begins with providing key definitions of terms related to CT and background on the field of CT. It goes on to discuss how CT found its place in learning standards and frameworks for early levels of education, as well as research on CT in early learning and development. Next, the review highlights various tools, technologies, and media that have been developed in the past decade for supporting CT in young children, including unplugged and screen-free interfaces. Finally, the review discusses the implementation of CT programmes in OECD countries and breaks down important issues of equity and access in CT education.
The structure of the working paper is divided as follows:
- Defining Computational thinking, Computer science, and programming
- Computational thinking frameworks and learning standards
- Computational thinking and early learning and development
- Tools for early CT learning
- Effective and scalable CT education
- Equity and access
- Concluding remarks and key takeaways for policymakers


Music in Prisons Paper
Music in Prisons: A Preliminary Report (Griffiths University)
Dr Alexis Kallio from Griffiths University has permitted us to share a paper they wrote with Alexandra Gorton on the impacts music programs can have on individuals. Below is an extract from the papers introduction:
Education systems, healthcare services,
workplaces, religious leaders, community groups and others
have harnessed the power of music to inspire and enact
change: empowering individuals and working together
towards the ideals of equity and justice in a variety of settings.
These transformative potentials have seen music education in
criminal and youth justice systems since the mid-19th
Century. However, more recently as justice systems around
the world seek to promote human-rights centred and
strengths-based approaches, music-making programs are
emerging as powerful tools to support the wellbeing and
rehabilitation of incarcerated adults and young people.
This preliminary report outlines the importance of music for
individuals and communities in criminal and youth justice
settings and presents some innovative programs that have
been implemented around the world.


Everything in the universe has rhythm.
Explore the importance and impact of the arts in education...
Dance as Literacy
A look at how dance can be used as a literacy enhancement/engagement tool.
Sole Creations Dance Company of Las Cruces, New Mexico presents Literacy Through Movement. Familiar children stories and fables re-told through dance and narration. Performed for Pre-K through 5th grade children in local elementary schools.
Dr. Maxine Greene
Blue Guitars: Arts and Aesthetics in Learning
"Why the Arts?" Art Education Advertisement
From London to Martha's Vineyard: Dance in Education
Hillary Clinton on Dance Education


This measure assesses how the teacher talks to children throughout the day during activities, including diaper change, feeding, mealtime, outdoor play, and group events. While teachers are likely to have brief periods of low verbal engagement (momentary distraction, allowing children time to explore or talk among themselves), teachers are generally expected to speak with children across various activities and daily routines. This measure also notes whether the teacher’s communication goes beyond basic communication, including stimulation that supports learning and child engagement. For example, during snack time, the teacher can sit with the children and talk to them about the nutrients in their snacks versus standing on one side to monitor the children.Category: Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions Subcategory: Language Facilitation and Support
In this section you will find videos, images, and/or documents that can be used to better understand this measure. These examples can also be used in conversations between mentors, directors, and/or teachers to discuss how the program's current practices compare to these examples.
The video exemplar highlights moments throughout the day classroom teachers can communicate with children. Routines such as hand-washing, center time, and small groups provide teachers with opportunities to have meaningful and rich conversations.Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age
This learning module from the WGBH Educational Foundation highlights toddler and preschool classroom teachers’ opportunities to create meaningful conversations with children. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for teachers to consider how to consistently communicate with children throughout the day.Age(s): Toddler, Preschool
The learning module video is an example to teachers on how to use rich language when communicating with children throughout the day. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for toddler and preschool teachers to consider how to use complex vocabulary and expand sentence structures when speaking with children.Age(s): Toddler, Preschool
This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how infant and toddler teachers can have meaningful conversations by imitating and then responding to children’s signals. Teachers can respond to children’s nonverbal and verbal signals to facilitate language across various contexts.Age(s): Infant, Toddler
This video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows the importance of communicating with infants throughout the day. From this video, infant teachers can see how to provide infants with language stimulation during the day’s routines and activities.Age(s): Infant
These resources include tips, strategies, activities, or specific tools related to this measure that programs can put into practice.
In this activity, the caregiver will engage an infant in a “conversation” during a routine daily activity. Caregivers can talk to babies and imitate sounds during diaper changes, mealtimes, and tummy time.Age(s): Infant
In this activity, children identify and draw items they find on a nature walk. The teacher can support each group of children by having conversations with them about what they find, what they notice, and what they’re drawing. The teacher can also describe how children help each other.Age(s): Preschool
Toddlers practice taking turns in conversation with a teacher during a meal or snack. Caregivers can label what children are eating and use rich vocabulary to describe the food to build children’s language.Age(s): Toddler
This publication from PennState Extension explains how mealtime–breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner–can support children’s early language and literacy development. This resource gives a list of “conversation starter” questions and food recipes with instructions to support teachers in having meaningful conversations at the table.Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age


Hi my name is Rae. I'm studying elementary education, hoping to teach first graders one day! I go to school full time, work full time, and am also a mommy (my most important role) :)
Thu, May 02, 2013 4:22 PM in Sinking bubbles
Along with the NSTA resource, honestly googling "how to make science fun" will give you such great insight. You will find articles upon articles on how to be successful in providing a fun learning enviroment for students.
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Thu, May 02, 2013 4:10 PM in Periodic table dance: Phoenix conference
This is an awesome video. These would make for an entertaining classroom discussion on the periodic table.
Thu, May 02, 2013 4:07 PM in Science Websites
Thank you for the websites in order to learn how to create lesson plans!
View all posts by Raeann
Thu, May 02, 2013 4:50 PM A good read
I think this article was a good informative article. It provided a great example of how to teach students about endangered animals and how to possible go about creating a group or a club that can try to "save" these animals. Make learning fun!
Take a Voyage of Discovery
Thu, May 02, 2013 4:47 PM Very brief
This article was very short. The title itself does not display a lot of information about the article. The article does have nice visual imagery. It offers book recommendations on evolution for further reading which was a plus.
Tue, Apr 30, 2013 2:11 AM Great Scipack
I enjoyed this Scipack! It had a great presentation of information. It was not an overload of facts and it was very clear in its presentation. After taking a biology class last semester, I felt as though it brushed up on facts I had already known (such as periodic table).
View all reviews by Raeann
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I can describe the formation and purpose of Women's History Month.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Introduce your students to trailblazing women like Amelia Earhart, Dorothea Lange, and Mary Bethune. This lesson teaches students how Women’s History Month was formed and showcases a number of women who have greatly impacted the world.
Students will be able to explain how Women’s History Month was created and acknowledge the contributions of great women in our history.
Students begin with a discussion about the women in their lives who have made an impact in some way. Then, they learn about where and when Women’s History Month came to be, starting in California as a week-long event, and eventually spreading to the office of President Jimmy Carter.
Students read an excerpt from President Carter’s speech to the nation and analyze its meaning. Then, they learn about the National Women’s History Project and how they eventually succeeded in having Congress declare March Women’s History Month. To check understanding, students drag events and place them in the correct chronological order. Next, students learn about women who have made a significant contribution to the world including Mary Cassatt, Dorothea Lange, Mary McLeod Bethune, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, and Michelle Obama. Students engage in a discussion about stereotypes that exist for both males and females.
Check student understanding with ten multiple-choice and true/false questions.
Students recap how each of the women discussed impacted the world and drag to match the woman with facts about her.
Save time building lessons
Manage the classroom more efficiently
Increase student engagement
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


The academic program of the Primary School builds on strong literacy and numeracy skills, embracing the philosophy and teaching methods of the International Baccalaureate Organisation's Primary Years Programme (PYP).
The PYP is a proven, effective way for children to learn as it excites them about, and involves them in, their education and caters to individual learning styles.
Through positive and motivating learning experiences, the PYP consolidates and builds on the skills that students have developed during their early childhood education.
Students also attend specialist classes in Art, Music, Japanese, Physical Education, and Digital Technology skills (Library Resource Centre) and have access to a fully-equipped gymnasium, music studios and theatre, visual arts centre, and spacious playgrounds and playing fields.
The incorporation of information technology into our Primary School, with the establishment of a 1:1 MacBook Program from Year 4, enhances our students’ learning experiences and helps them to develop sound research and analytical skills.
All classes have interactive whiteboards and access to a wireless network for use with laptops and Apple desktop computers. Our Primary also has shared areas between classrooms for use of laptop pods or small groups.
Students participate in co-curricular clubs after school, taking on activities such as guitar and vocal ensembles, fitness, craft, drama, debating and speech writing.


In our small, rural Montessori school, we have developed an outstanding strings program, now under the leadership of master instructor Katherine Okesson.
We believe that the enjoyment, respect and knowledge of music and the development of the skills necessary to create and perform music enhance learning, enrich quality of life and nourish the human spirit. Therefore, our mission is to provide a foundation, at an early age, for lifelong engagement with music.
Our music program is different than most. It is not an introduction to music — it is an in-depth, multi-year study of musical strings performance, beginning with Suzuki instruction for our youngest musicians. We believe that by giving children the experience of working over time to develop a challenging skill, they learn lessons about the value of perseverance and hard work that will serve them well throughout their lives.
“Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart.” – Shinichi Suzuki
The value of a music-centered education is well established and hardly needs defending, but you can learn more about it here: Facts about Music Education
Watch this video to hear our students and alumni talk about our strings program.
Why did we choose to focus on strings for music education? Here are a few reasons:
- Strings are the only family of instruments that come in sizes. Playing any instrument requires physicality, and stringed instruments can be adapted without placing any physical burden on a growing child.
- There is a wealth of available strings performance repertoire that includes a variety of skill levels and a broad variety of ensemble combinations. Almost every conceivable opportunity for string players to assemble and play is available.
- Opportunities to produce a variety of expressive sounds and emotions on stringed instruments exceed that of other instrumental families.
- The music skills acquired through string playing contribute greatly toward students’ overall development. No family of instruments is more demanding for mastering pitch discrimination and auditory perception at the same time students are coordinating large and fine motor skills with the independent movement of limbs.
- Teamwork is of utmost importance. Few disciplines require so much dependency on the accuracy of individual participants to produce a joyful, satisfying result.
Every student in grades 1 to 3 participates in the program. In grades 4 to 8, participation is by choice. A majority of our students in these upper grades stay in the program and join one of our two orchestras. All of our strings students are given one of the school’s own instruments to use for the year — to take home and practice with, to take care of, and to play during concert performances. These young musicians have small-group lessons twice per week during the school day, with orchestra practices before and after school.
When they move on to high school our musicians can continue to grow in the Sedona Red Rock High School Orchestra.


1rst Panhellenic Conference
South Aegean Perfectural Bureau of Education
“Highlighting bridges of communication between teaching and art in the contemporary School”, 2016
The artistic dimension of conjectural-pedagogic process
By means of a retrospection in the recent history, it is clear that in the middle years of 20th century, interest gets mainly focused on the creation process of a work of art – rather than the work of art itself.
In the 1970s the sociological art appears, attempting to critically look into the relationship between art and society with the use of sociology methods. The artist pursues to change the individuals’ conscience (Paris College of Art – an establishment of higher education – Groups, Movements, Contemporary Art Trends after 1945-1991)
Around 1990 the concept of relational aesthetic is that art is a form of social exchange. An artist “first of all produces relations among people by means of the aesthetic objects”.
Art does not belong only to the sphere of aesthetics and theory. It gradually transforms into an educational action with multiple results. The conjectural-pedagogic process meets art, respectively, when some objective values in the form of culture goods are codified into a subjective practice for students. Everyteachingis a potentialworkofart.
Connecting the above thoughts, this very proposal attempts to associate the (visual) art education with art and artistic creation. We are going to mention some conjectural-pedagogic examples applied in Gerakas Art School, concerning visual expression works, group-work, experiental and exploratory action – which present a work of art as an object aiming at personal development as well as environmental activation. We are going to mention also some works that highlight new priorities like research, action, participation: spectators become part of the work of art – that moreover acquires a global dimension with the use of. Communication Technologies (ICT). In that way, we develop a lively conceivable school-society line, connecting theory with practice, aiming at relating learning happenings with society, and offering thus a dynamic scope for sustainable development.


Many of these competencies will begin to emerge in the Pre-Kindergarten year and continue to develop in Kindergarten. We will work on these, using our emergent approach, through playful and meaningful activities, small group times, projects, transitions, and outdoor time. Remember: Development is not a race!
Language and Literacy view
- Enjoy being read to and follow a story in words and pictures
- Can retell basic elements of a simple story
- Pretend read to classmates
- Invent and tell own story
Preparation for Reading view
- Recognize, and write the letters in their own name
- Recognize some letter / sound correspondences
- Recognize some familiar words in the classroom
- Recognize and experiment with rhyming words in songs and poems
- Recognize phonemes and syllables through language games and songs
- Count to ten
- Use one to one correspondence to determine if small quantities are the same or different.
- Use an invented unit of measurement to measure
- Recognize shapes and patterns
- Sort by more than one criteria (ie color and shape)
- Order objects by size
- Understand spatial words such as, under, over, above, below
- Understand ordinal concepts such as before and after
- Participate in creation of graphs and charts
- Disposition to be curious
- Can observe and describe objects and phenomena in their immediate experience
- Can make predictions based on experience
- Can engage in experiments to test predictions
- Can generate questions they would like to answer.
- Begin to develop concept of cause and effect.
- Use paint, markers, collage materials, dough, clay, etc to create
- Use drawing and modeling to represent objects or ideas
- Appreciate the importance of works of art – their own and those of others
- Participate in performance as a participant and as member of the audience
Music Education view
- Respond rhythmically to music through creative movement and instrumental expression
- Can march or step to a steady beat
- Sing along with others
- Play simple instruments that do not require fine motor skills
- Develop attentive listening habits
Physical Development view
- We know that children’s physical and motor development influences, and is influenced by, all other aspects of development: cognitive, language, social and emotional.
Fine Motor Skills view
- Show increasing eye-hand coordination, strength and control
- Manipulate two small objects at the same time (e.g., stringing beads)
- Use tools with growing precision (e.g. scissors, hammer, hole punch, pencil)
- Zip zippers
- Fasten buttons
Gross Motor Skills view
- Show greater balance and control
- Able to speed up and slow down
- Able to run and stop quickly
- Can jump, skip and dance
- Able to avoid obstacles
- Can climb stairs without holding onto railing
- Can pedal a tricycle
- Kick a ball
Pre-K Daily Schedule view
- Children experience several special periods during their day (and evening), no matter what
- Circle Time, the children come together in a small group to hear what is planned for the day, sing songs, create music or dance.
- Small Group Time, when teachers invite a small group of children to work together on a project or teacher-planned activity in the morning and afternoon. (See Emergent Curriculum and Project)
- Work Time, when the various learning centers around the classroom are available to the children to work alone or in small groups. Teachers station themselves around the room to help children find the materials they need to accomplish their goals, to help them negotiate with other children during play and to surprise the children with ideas they may not have considered. The learning centers include the library, dramatic play, art and construction, computer, blocks, manipulatives and puzzles, science and natural history, language and music.
- Outside Play several times during the day for really active play.


ABCTE Study Guide
Need help finding your test? Contact us using the yellow chat button in the bottom-right.
Learn how to pass your ABCTE exam using one of our easy step-by-step ABCTE study guides, without weeks and months of endless studying. Each ABCTE study guide contains all of the information you need to be successful on your exam, including ABCTE practice test questions that are as close as possible to the actual questions on the official ABCTE test.
Take the next step in getting your teacher certification as you prepare for the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) program.
Our ABCTE study guides are found below with the official extended name of the exam or product in alphabetical order.
ABCTE Biology Test
ABCTE Elementary Education/Multiple Subject Test
ABCTE English Language Arts Test
ABCTE General Science Test
ABCTE Mathematics Test
ABCTE Professional Teaching Knowledge Test
ABCTE Special Education Test
ABCTE United States History Test
ABCTE World History Test


Recover, discover, or create a connection between the things that you do (playing / singing / conducting) and your body. Avoid an injury caused by the constant practice of a musical instrument. Allow yourself to experience playing without pain or discomfort. Find freedom through Body Mapping.
When we practice, sometimes we feel pain or discomfort in our wrists, or in the arms or hands, or maybe some tension in our bodies. We might feel better by doing some stretches or going to a massage, but sometimes we will end up at the doctor’s office. Then, the period of uncertainty begins. The time it takes to be diagnosed, find the right treatment for our injury, and to be able to play again without pain can vary.
One of the common problems that musicians face is the disconnection from their bodies, which creates pain and injuries. Usually, music education does not consider the importance of the relationship between the body and the instruments that musicians play. Music is not understood as a physical discipline, such as dance or sports. The body is a medium for expression and where the technique of an instrument resides, and so we need our body as an ally. Your body sends signals, for example when it needs a break or when there is a movement that is causing pain. Do you pay attention to these signals? Or do you ignore them?
Sometimes, besides the physical frustration, we do not perceive the support of teachers and colleagues. Our pain and/or limitation becomes a secret as we try to hide it from others, thinking that we are not seriously injured and we will recover soon.
Certainly the way we act in response to pain or injury will shape the path that our musical careers will take.


These Literacy Milestone Charts walk you through the 6 components of literacy for children birth-age 5. The charts are designed around the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development, as well as other research in the field of education. The charts clearly define each literacy component and give milestones and suggested activities for each age range. They are a perfect resource for teachers and parents looking for a better understanding of literacy development and needing ideas for how to engage children in each of these areas!
There is a milestone chart for ages birth-5 years in each of the following areas:
Concepts of Print
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What exactly are the most important parts of producing a good saxophone sound? Scott Turpen, Professor of Saxophone at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY says that “when trying to improve a student’s tone it all begins with mouthpiece pitch.” Teaching this starts with building the proper embouchure, forming an “ewww” shape to the lips where the bottom lip is slightly rolled over the teeth and the top teeth rest on the mouthpiece. In regard to bottom lip position Turpen “wants to see just a little bit of the pink of the lip.“ As a visual aid to the formation of the facial muscles Turpen describes the mouthpiece within the embouchure as the hub of a wagon wheel. “The muscles in the facial mask form the spokes and they are all gently pushing in toward the center of that wheel.”
Once the embouchure is in place he has the student blow the mouthpiece without the neck attached. If the muscles of the face are set correctly then the mouthpiece alone should sound a C for the soprano saxophone, A for alto, G for tenor, and D for baritone. Once the pitch is stable without the instrument he monitors intonation with the instrument as well, pointing out that “if a student is unable to produce the lowest or highest notes they may not be producing the correct mouthpiece pitch. If they can maintain that mouthpiece pitch throughout the range then many intonation problems will be solved.”
Turpen teaches that “once the basic tone is achieved having some sense of the oral cavity is also important. The tongue should generally be low and slightly to the back of the mouth. The tongue is not going to stay locked in place all throughout the instrument’s range. As you go lower in the saxophone range the tongue goes lower, whereas when you go higher the tongue will need to arch slightly. An “OH” shaped position for lower notes versus an “EE” position for the higher ones.” To help develop this concept he recommends that the student “play broken scales in the form of long tones ascending then returning to low Bflat and overtones. Low tones are often more challenging on the saxophone and developing oral cavity flexibility allows a student to play all notes with a good tone and in tune.”
Turpen continues by saying that, “once their mouthpiece pitch is established I will have students play scales on the mouthpiece by changing their tongue position. Once the correct mouthpiece pitch is established the facial mask does not move, and any change in pitch can be accomplished by moving their tongue from OH to EE.”
“Obviously, proper air support is also critical to producing a good tone. I use a large and warm air stream that is supported with the abdominal muscles.” On the topic of gear, “look for a mouthpiece and reed combination that takes air easily and blows freely.” In this regard, Turpen closes by pointing out that when all of the other parts of this equation are in place, “even a quality student mouthpiece can produce a good solid tone.”
This article originally was printed in the Brass Woodwinds Workshop section of the October 2015 issue of Teaching Music. It is reposted here by the original author with permission from NAfME. And reprint or use requests should be forwarded to the National Association for Music Education.


Blending is one of two critical phonological awareness skills. Alongside segmenting, blending is an essential reading skill since it often predicts reading success with children. It is undoubtedly one of the readings and writing foundations. After all, to read and decode words, a child must first be able to determine the sounds (phonemes) and blend them together to make a word. Then, if they want to spell it out, kids must break the word down into its sounds end recognize letters associated with the sounds.
Basically, blending is the process of combining sounds together to make a word. For example, the term “map” is made of three sounds – /m/-/a/-/p/. So, this word is made of three sounds or phonemes.
For kids to learn to read and spell, it is paramount to understand how sounds make up words, following pairing with letters matching the sounds in speech.
How to Teach Your Kids to Blend Phonemes
No child is the same, so some need more practice, modeling, and guidance than others. However, practice makes perfect. So, let’s see how you can make sure your child is on the right track.
When teaching them to blend, it’s wise to start with sounds, then ask them to blend them together into a word. It’s best to start with simple words with two or three sounds. As shown with the word “map” example, three phonemes blended make the word “cat” in speech. So, when practicing with your kids, make sure to take a pause for a bit in between sounds so that they get how these individual sounds create a word.
Examples of Blending Bhonemes Practice
In their article Phonological Awareness: Instructional and Assessment Guidelines, Reading Rocket explained very nicely how important it is to practice blending to identify a word made of a few component sounds.
Try the ‘Guess the word’ game
For this exercise, it would be perfect if you had picture cards of objects that your kids could recognize. Such would be, for example, cup, book, plane, snake, sun, bell, clock.
Take a few picture cards and show them to children. Then, say that you are going to say a word using “Snail Talk.” Meaning, saying words slooowlyyyy. Engage kids to look at the cards and try and guess the word you are saying.
If you’re playing with a group of children, make sure everyone is engaged and try out at least a couple of words.
Patience is Key
Once you start teaching your kids to blend sounds (phonemes), make sure to start with simple two to three sound words. When you notice they are confident in their ability to blend words with three sounds, work their way up to four.
Give children as much time as they need since some of them might need a little bit extra practice. Eventually, everyone will benefit from exercise and have a stronger foundation for literacy development.
To really set the knowledge in stone, alongside picture cards, it’s wise to implement Legos, blocks, or game pieces that represent individual phonemes.
Thanks again for your time. I hope you are enjoying learning some of the basics of phonics and language. Please let me know your thoughts!


Our two Pre-Primary classrooms are designed for preschool children aged 15 months to three years. Potty training is not required.
Parents may choose between two weekly schedules, three-day and five-day. We offer three daily options: half-day release at 11:30am, full-day release at 2:30pm, and extended day release at 6:00pm.
We provide clean, safe spaces where nurturing caretakers support the development of children’s independence by encouraging their natural curiosity and high energy levels. Learning activities are focused on the major developmental areas of this age group.
- language development
- motor skills
- making choices
- interacting with other children
- counting, sorting, and classifying
Children in this age range learn about the world around them primarily through direct sensory experience. Montessori sensorial materials are designed to refine the five senses.
- They isolate an individual quality. For example, all of the items in an assortment of geometric shapes are the same color, to focus attention on their visual and tactile differences.
- They control for error. For example, a child will not be able to fit all of the cylinders into a cylinder block if one is out of place.
- They prepare children for future learning. For example, most activities involve 10 objects, as a form of indirect preparation for learning the decimal system.
Students are free to move between lessons and work at their own individual pace. They move to different areas for art activities, music and movement time, and outdoor play so they can experience a variety of environments.
In addition to social and academic learning, children are taught to work together to care for the classroom. They sweep the floor, help set the table for snack time, and clean up after themselves.
Please click here for an overview of the Pre-Primary Curriculum.
Please click here for a list of frequently asked questions about our Pre-Primary program.
The Montessori approach helps children to develop an early love of learning that will prepare them for future academic and career success. If you are considering a Montessori preschool or elementary education for your child, we invite you to schedule a tour of Montessori Kids Academy. Visit our classrooms and see the difference that Montessori education can make.


Reading and spelling support for any student
The Collective offers tutoring in:
Foundations in Sound & Barton Reading and Spelling
*Foundations in Sound is a pre-reading program that is designed to improve sound discrimination, memory of sounds and sequencing of sounds. It benefits some learners to work their way through Foundations in Sound prior to beginning the the Barton program. It uses seeing, hearing, and touching to make discoveries and build sound skills. A solid foundation in sounds is necessary for reading success!
*Barton is a specialized reading and spelling phonics program designed to support the dyslexic learner, based on Orton-Gillingham. No formal diagnosis of dyslexia is necessary but often times dyslexia is suspected due to difficulty sounding out words despite experiencing phonics instruction. Your child may have poor spelling skills, or reading that is slow and inaccurate. For a more complete list, see below.
For Ages 6 & up!
45 minute session, 2x a week for optimal progress.
Offering online sessions through Zoom.
Requires student to have access to a computer, a good internet connection, and a quiet space to work. Chromebooks and ipads do not work with the program.
Pricing starting at $50 per session, payments made monthly.
We accept charter school funds from Cottonwood, Sequoia Grove, Visions, Horizon, & Twin Ridges.
A few signs of Dyslexia:
In Elementary School • dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read) • letter or number reversals continuing past the end of first grade • extreme difficulty learning cursive • slow, choppy, inaccurate reading: - guesses based on shape or context - skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of) - ignores suffixes - can’t sound out unknown words • terrible spelling • often can’t remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they’re, and there) • difficulty telling time with a clock with hands • trouble with math - memorizing multiplication tables - memorizing a sequence of steps - directionality
Reprinted with prior permission from Susan Barton
When I began teaching, I learned from the best mentors around. They taught me to leave my ego behind, allow the child to lead, and to center the curriculum around the child. They taught me to value questions over answers. They taught me that learning is relational and collaborative. Most importantly, they taught me that not everyone learns in the same way. We are individuals, and learning is on an individual schedule. This is definitely true of reading.
I've always been curious about reading. I was an early reader myself. I came from a home of voracious readers. It was just what we did, along with eating and breathing. Because I was an early reader, that mostly taught herself, I missed out on being taught the reasons why words are formed the way they are. It all seemed random to me, and yet I could easily make sense of it. Only as an adult would I come to understand it wasn't random at all.
Learning to teach an Orton Gillingham program has been like learning that old friends have a whole side to them that I never knew. Which is the long vowel again? Why is knowing how to properly divide a word into syllables important? I mean seriously...why do we even care? So we can clap in rhythm with word???
NO, it's because knowing how to divide the word will unlock the secret of pronunciation and spelling. It's like magic.
I am fascinated and obsessed. My family tires of hearing me talk about "Kiss the Cat" and "Catch Lunch", and so I need students who I can try to rub some of this literacy excitement onto.
When the pandemic hit and we all moved to online classes I wasn't sure how I was going to bring who I am as a teacher to the laptop. I believe in hands-on learning and that building a relationship with my students is fundamental to their learning experience. How on earth is that possible through a computer screen?
I've been surprised. It's better than I would have guessed. Having the right software and tools is necessary for teaching Barton successfully online, but having the knowledge of how to BE with students, asses their needs, understand their off days, care about their lives outside of reading, and knowing how to bring all my experiences of being with kids to the computer screen has been ESSENTIAL. I could not do online teaching successfully without my experiences working collaboratively with students before Covid 19.
I remain grateful to the mentors I had, Bev and Mary Jo.
And I remain as curious as ever.


Today, children of all ages experience rigorous career preparation as part of their education. School systems strive to implement mandated standards to help students excel in standardized testing and gain necessary skills for future job opportunities.
In this worthwhile pursuit, many creative school programs such as art and music are deemed unnecessary and cut from the curriculum.
What many schools do not realize, however, is that programs such as music education can have major positive impacts on growth and development.
In fact, these six benefits of music education not only show how music can benefit children now, but how it goes hand-in-hand with their preparation for future endeavors.
Enhanced language capabilities
Would you like your child to have larger vocabulary and enhanced reading comprehension skills? Studies show consistent music education improves both areas. How does it work?
Emerging evidence suggests the area of the brain controlling both musical ability and language comprehension are more related than previously thought. Music education requires students to recognize and repeat pitch, tone or enunciation of words.
Especially in young children, music directly benefits the ability to learn words, speak them correctly, and process the many new sounds they hear from others.
Music education involves a high level of memorization. Students must be able to read music by sight, play the proper notes on their instrument or recall lyrics. This process benefits the overall memory center of the brain.
In one study, musicians outperformed non-musicians in auditory, visual, and memory tests.
Music is also easily stored in our memory. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? You can use music to help children remember things. Examples include using common tunes to memorize facts, playing meditative music during study time, and using music resources when presenting materials.
Strengthened hand-eye coordination
Playing a musical instrument has long been known to enhance dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
When playing an instrument, a musician must be able to create the correct notes through the proper hand motions, whether it be hitting keys, closing valves or using another apparatus to produce sound. In addition, the musician is also required to read the sheet music and follow the conductor.
This opportunity to grow motor skills is especially significant in younger children. Even a basic introduction to an instrument, such as a hitting a triangle or learning a song on a recorder, can be beneficial.
Powerful study habits
As children grow and are exposed to more rigorous courses of study, time spent reviewing and retaining is essential to success. More and more time in the classroom is spent on introducing new subjects and ideas, requiring students to work at home to ensure they have grasped onto the necessary information.
When children are exposed to proper music education, they learn powerful study habits. Mastering their specific musical craft takes a concerted effort, consistent practice and patience. These disciplined habits translate into other areas of study.
Music is often thought of as a way to foster individual expression. While it definitely is that, music can also teach teamwork. No place is this more evident or powerful than in schools.
Students work together to create a cohesive, technically correct performance. Together, they form a community of like-minded individuals who can help each other reach goals. Many students find a sense of belonging in school music programs.
Mental processing & problem-solving heightened
In the end, one of the most useful benefits of music education is the increased ability to process situations and find solutions mentally. Those with musical training have been found to have higher levels of grey matter volume in their brains, which are directly tied to auditory processing and comprehension.
Surprisingly, one of the areas of life this is most important for is forming relationships. Musicians learn to listen to others, sense emotion,and react with greater depth and understanding.
Music education for kids
Music education is an important aspect of providing children with a well-rounded education. When allowed to work in harmony with other subjects and areas of study, music helps children grow in self-esteem, build essential skills and prepare for bright futures.
Jenny Silverstone is the writer at Studyclerk and the primary author of Mom Loves Best, a research-driven parenting blog that covers important topics such as education, child safety and healthy childhood development milestones.


Jacquie, an Indian potter, was one of the first to roll large, slender pots with the help of Otellie. These pots are simple yet beautiful, with clay surfaces that are scraped and sanded in their natural state without any glazing or burnishing. Jacquie loves subtle changes in color and thus uses many varieties of clays in combination or mixed. He also likes to add other textures such as leather, woven reeds, wicker, wood or stones to the pristine form of baked clay. One of the favorite additives for clay is mica, a mineral flake that shines in the sun and adds a sparkle to ceramic pots.
Southwest potters have been using clay impregnated with mica since 200 A. D., and its source is in Taos, New Mexico. It is important to pay attention to the contrasts between the clean, unpolluted form and the quiet disturbance of an added material. Jacquie is one of the most innovative American Indian potters working today. He loves the changes in nature such as the wind, light, earth, colors when it rains, sky and color of the soil.
He also loves how it feels to pick up clay. Otellie Loloma, a Hopi woman who is respected as one of the best teachers in the history of native art education and Hopi pottery, became Jacquie's mentor and friend. He had clay in his backyard along the Missouri River and was continuously creating unusual clay objects. In 1975, Jacquie arrived in Santa Fe to enroll in the Institute of American Indian Art with a particular interest in the museum's program. He also learned about working with lamps, a method of heating and shaping glass with a torch, either in a basic beadmaking class or in an introductory session to borosilicate glass.


“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”
Here at Boddington C E Primary Academy, we believe that all children should progress through the school to become confident, articulate and inquisitive mathematicians, to the best of their ability.
Why we teach the Maths curriculum
By following a mastery-based curriculum, we aim for the children to develop positive attitudes to Mathematics as an interesting, enjoyable and challenging subject. we seek to enable children to develop knowledge of mathematical facts, acquire numeracy skills, conceptual structures and general strategies. Children will be taught to be mathematicians by using their knowledge and understanding to apply and solve problems.
How Do We Teach the Maths Curriculum?
Having mixed-age classes, means our teaching must be flexible in its approach, depending on factors which include the cohort numbers, individual children’s needs and the area of maths that is being taught. Children are taught the knowledge and skills for their year group, as required by the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Mathematics. Whenever possible, children are taught in their year groups. Concepts are taught using real life situations to give context and meaning to the children’s learning. The use of manipulatives in lessons, irrespective of a children’s ability or age is fundamental to being confident moving from the concrete, to the pictorial then abstract. The use of stem sentences, general rules and answering problems in full sentences allow children to express their ideas with mathematical precision and clarity. These sentence structures often express key conceptual ideas or generalities and provide a framework to embed conceptual knowledge and build understanding. Discussion plays a key part within lessons as pupils are given time to put into words their thinking to develop their reasoning.
In Reception, Y2, Y4 and Y6, we carry out government statutory tests.
KS1 SATs at the end of year 2
Year4 Multiplication Tables Check
KS2 Sats at the end of year 6
What Does Maths Look Like at Boddington Primary Academy?
Maths at Boddington


The children in the baby room have been learning a little about autumn. They investigated different textured leaves and they also made leaf biscuits and hedgehog cakes.
Baking is a great activity to develop early numeracy skills.
Part of our Autumn topic was learning about harvest time. We were very fortunate to have been asked back to watch the process of baling. The children were eager to ask questions and learn about what they were seeing. When we returned to nursery, the children recreated the scene they had witnessed on the machair and even used hay that they had picked up along the way to make it look more realistic! Thank you to Duncan John and his team for explaining the process and for entertaining the children so well - a good day was had by all.
On our blog you can read about all the things we get up to in the nursery.


Help students improve foundational reading skills at every level with Guided Reading for first and second grades.
The Guided Reading: Synthesize resource book for first and second grades features 36 readers—six sets of two each for below-, on-, and above-level student readers. Filled with photos and charts, this nonfiction resource features informational text about caves, soccer, Hawaii, and more.
Ready to Go Guided Reading: Synthesize is an effective guided reading resource for first and second grades. This reading comprehension resource book includes:
- discussion guides
- prompts to encourage students to work with the text and text features
- leveled readers with high-interest topics
- graphic organizers and an observation sheet
The readers are separated into below-, on-, and above-level reading skills. This reading comprehension resource contains callout boxes to direct students to apply guided reading strategies to the texts, such as scanning for meaning or word work. Each reader concludes with a writing prompt so students can show what they learned.
The Ready to Go: Guided Reading series for first to sixth grades includes everything you need for guided reading organization. Each 80-page book is essentially a guided reading set, containing 36 total readers, six discussion guides, and three reproducible pages. Each grade span includes 8 books, focusing on the following reading comprehension strategies:
- Determine Importance
Each nonfiction reader contains short nonfiction texts, vocabulary banks, photographs, charts, and maps.


Dr. Penka Marcheva, Assoc. Prof.
ВТУ „Св. св. Кирил и Методий“ – Педагогически колеж – Плевен
Absract. The purpose of the publication is to present the results of a survey conducted among students of pedagogical disciplines in various universities in Bulgaria, regarding their attitudes to teaching music pedagogy in an electronic environment. The idea is to establish not only the quantitative participation of future pedagogues in the process of music pedagogical education in a digital environment, but also to study their satisfaction with the use of different types of resources. It is essential to analyze the level of accessibility to different types of means of communication with teachers, to compare the degree of intensity of the music education process, conducted face-to-face and remotely in an electronic environment.
Keywords: students – teacher; music pedagogical disciplines; electronic environment; electronic education


What skills should a design engineer have?
What skills should a design engineer have?
As a design engineer, you’ll need to have:subject specific technical knowledge and expertise.commercial awareness of your specialist area of engineering.an eye for detail and a methodical work process.IT and CAD knowledge.analytical and numeracy skills.creative problem solving ability.the ability to work in a team.
What is a design engineer job description?
Design engineers study, research and develop ideas for new products and the systems used to make them. They also modify existing products or processes to increase efficiency or improve performance. researching whether the design will work and be cost-effective.
Where can a design engineer work?
Design Engineers are experts in engineering and design, using a blend of skills to create designs that are both visually pleasing and functionally sound. They are employed by organisations in the Manufacturing, Consumer Goods and Automotive industries or may work for a design consultancy.
What is process engineer job description?
Process Engineer responsibilities include: Developing, configuring and optimizing industrial processes from inception through to start up and certification. Assessing processes, taking measurements and interpreting data. Designing, running, testing and upgrading systems and processes.
What is product engineer job description?
A product engineer is a mechanical engineering professional who designs products and coordinates the manufacturing process for those products. Product engineers can work in almost any industry as long as manufacturing is involved. They typically work at manufacturing plants to monitor the creation of a product.
What are the key skills for production engineer?
Key skills for manufacturing engineerscommercial awareness.the ability to work well under pressure.problem-solving skills.teamworking skills.relevant technical knowledge.good leadership skills.IT skills.communication skills.
What is the role of NPD engineer?
New Product Development Engineer Responsibilities and Duties Develop and review design prototypes, perform test and finalize product design to facilitate mass production. Design new concepts for development of new products and maintain technical compatibility to develop concepts into real products.
What is a product design engineer?
Product Design Engineers are responsible for the process of creating and developing new products. They research and develop ideas and processes for new products, improve the performance and design of existing products and overseeing production and packaging of final products.
What skills do product designers need?
Skillsa high degree of technical knowledge balanced with creative ability and a hands-on approach.visual and spatial awareness.commercial awareness.computer literacy including three-dimensional conceptual ability and CAD.knowledge of industrial processes, techniques and standards.
Is Design Engineering a good career?
Regardless, design engineering is a lucrative, creative, hands-on career with a strong job outlook. It’s a great choice if it checks these boxes for you.
What is product designer role?
Product Designer responsibilities include defining product specifications, creating digital or print drawings and designing fully-functional products. To be successful in this role, you should have an eye for color and shape and be able to translate requirements into practical product features.
What exactly is product design?
Product design consists in imagining and creating objects meant for mass production. The definition encompasses the physical aspects as well as the functionalities products should possess.
What is the role of visual designer?
A visual designer designs for a variety of platforms, which may include Internet and intranet sites, games, movies, kiosks and wearables. In short, they create the concepts, artwork and layouts for digital projects based on creative briefs and client meetings.
What are designing skills?
The 15 Skills You Need to Be a Successful DesignerUX design. User experience (UX) design is all about how to control (or at least influence) the way users experience your designs. UI design. Information architecture. Responsive design. Common design patterns. Graphic design basics. Typography. Color theory.
What is a good design?
Good design makes a product useful “It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.”


Musical interactions between children should be viewed as sonorous interactions. Finding, accompanying, and inspiring them in day-to-day nurseries is at the forefront of educational support in nursery music education. It’s not about teaching or instilling “music” in the kids.
The musical activity of the youngest
Find out what’s going on in the world of music right now
The teacher’s understanding of what makes “music” must be linked to the youngest students’ musical experiences. Using the term “musical activity” instead of “music” is the simplest way to achieve this. Because the word “music” conjures up images of subjective judgments. You can also listen to music while doing certain activities, such as painting, but you will need high-quality material to paint with first; for more information, see Best of Trim – The best in trim painting. In order to be perceived or recognized as “music,” sounding events must be pleasing, harmonious, rhythmically structured, and beneficial.
Recognize musical expression movement
Because of the above-mentioned expanded concept of music, we can assume that everyone is musically active from birth. There is no need to “musicalize” a child. Pedagogues in day nurseries develop their personal interest in the musically active child rather than imparting or teaching “music” to the child. They see musical activity as a form of expression that every child (and educator) is given from birth. This is something that comes from “within,” that does not need to be learned, and that cannot be taught. This movement of musical expression, which is unique to each of us, unfolds in a highly individual manner when it is perceived and answered by others. For this, children need mindful people who listen, who give their soundtracks attentively and interestedly space, who are inspired by the noises, sounds, rhythms, and tones of the youngest, and who in turn inspire the children with their own musical expression. Musical experience is based, so to speak, on a decision to perceive and exploit the musical dimension of a moment. Everyday events, such as raindrops pattering on the window, a bunch of keys falling, grains of sand falling on leaves, or the scratching of fingers on a drum, can be perceived as a musical phenomenon, or all of this remains a more or less pleasant background noise for this moment.
Give space to the beginner’s mind
Children perceive things and events in their environment through their senses. Triggered by the sensually perceptible phenomena, their impulses for action arise. For example, a “cup” is specifically that one cup standing on the table. It is this round, green, hollow thing inside and empties at the moment. In order to be perceived as such and to develop curiosity and impulses to act, the child does not need a verbally communicable concept of “cup”, “round”, “green”, “empty/full”, “hand/mouth”, etc. The collected sensory impressions from this cup allow the child many actions in the special situation. It can push it, grab it, tip it over. It can make it rattle on the table, put a chestnut in it, hit it with a spoon. The interest that has arisen through the momentary perception guides his actions. His action is still little guided by experience and ideas or patterns of action derived from it. In this way, bringing the cup to the mouth can immediately pass into the generation of noise with it, before it is held out to the teacher: “wants to drink”. To be able to follow spontaneous impulses without too many pre-shaping experiences is the privilege of the beginner’s mind of the youngest. This also applies to musical activity. From the beginner’s mind, every object can be used to generate noise and sound in a variety of ways. And every musical instrument can do more than sound.


Below is an example outline of how to put together Essay 2/Vetting Sources.
Arts in Education
Focus – Art classes, 9-12, K-8. Are they important? Should we keep them or eliminate them?
Scholarly Sources on Topic (examine at least 4 articles, then choose the 2 you want to use)
– National Endowment for the Arts
- Department of Education, University of Iowa
- Art Education (journal)
- Art, Culture, and Pedagogy (journal)
- Engaging Learners Through Artmaking (college-level textbook used to teach Education majors)
- Educators (Teachers, Professors)
Choose 2 Scholarly Sources as MAIN sources for your paper
RE: 2 Scholarly Sources Themselves
- Vet sources – are they really experts? Are they credible? Any bias? Tell your reader why or why not. Give specific examples and support those examples with evidence.
- Additional sources that verify (or challenge) 2 main sources’ credibility.
- These sources can be either scholarly or non-scholarly, but whichever sources you use, the MUST all be CREDIBLE (reliable, trustworthy, unbiased). RE: Topic Scholarly Sources Discuss
- Tell reader what 2 Scholarly sources you are vetting say on topic.
- Tell reader what other sources say on topic.
- Share your thoughts on all the info previously stated. Can the scholarly sources be trusted? Are either of them biased in any way (give specific examples)? Are either of them not trustworthy in any other way (give specific examples)? Support your thoughts using the other credible sources you find.


Relationships, teams and organizations share the same recipe for effectiveness. Whether a twosome or a group, partnerships are defined by shared values, a common goal, a sense of connection, accountability, courage to grow and resilience during periods of adversity. To thrive, the team must be willing to travel through four stages where each of these elements get tested.
In the Investment Stage, teams are refueling following a transition. This is labor-intensive, so frustration is a common emotion. The team wants to forge ahead but the new direction needs to be built or rebuilt. This stage is marked by role confusion and conflict until ground rules are set. The team is re-energized. In the music education teacher-student relationship, this is when the lesson seems too difficult and the practice regimen needs to be recalibrated.
In the Trust Stage, teams rise and fall together. When someone falters, the whole team suffers. The symptoms of struggle include a breakdown of psychological safety, tolerance of disrespect, and lack of accountability. When any teammate thrives, everyone benefits and connections grow. In the music education teacher-student relationship, this is when a bad week of practice stymies progress and a good week of practice propels growth.
In the Innovation Stage, teams are ready to explore, experiment and create. Fear is normal. While everyone agrees on the destination, there may be many paths to get there. A diversity-friendly and risk-tolerant workplace is a rich garden for innovation. The team moves from tension to resolution. In the music education teacher-student relationship, this is when discovery energizes the learning.
In the Distancing Stage, teams are focused on coping. Teammates take a step back to gain perspective. Whether positive or negative, managing change consumes energy. It’s normal to feel depleted physically and emotionally when going through a transition. Getting some space enables healing. In the music education teacher-student relationship, this is when the partnership takes stock in what has been achieved and refuels for the next round of commitment.
In a team of two, these stages are easy to define. Each teammate owns responsibility for moving the relationship forward through good times and inevitable periods of struggle. In larger groups, multiple partnerships create complex team dynamics where it becomes difficult to know which stage and which teammate is impacting the culture positively or negatively.
When that happens, make a simple assessment:
- In what stage are we navigating?
- Why are we in this stage?
- What actions will move us forward?


- Full Report
- Supplemental Resources
Engineering touches every aspect of human life, from providing access to clean drinking water to 5G telecommunications and vaccine development. Yet few young people ever encounter the subject in school or graduate with the foundational skills and knowledge to pursue engineering studies and careers. Now more than ever, we must inspire and prepare our students to grow into the informed designers and innovators the world needs to solve the tough challenges facing us today and in the future. In short, engineering learning is essential for every child in every school, town, city, and county in the country. Many of us within the P-12 education community recognize that there is something special about engineering learning. When given the opportunity to engineer, students of a variety of ages and backgrounds are motivated and eager to tackle difficult problems. They work together. They communicate. They are critical and creative and resourceful. We’ve seen it with our own eyes, experienced it as teachers and professional development coordinators, and advocated for it at parent/teacher nights, school board meetings, and legislative briefings. We know that engineering should be taught in parallel with science and math to ensure an equitable, authentic, relevant, and exciting STEM education experience. However, there have been minimal efforts at the state and local level toward adopting engineering as a distinct component of every child’s schooling.
The Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning is a step toward changing that status quo and democratizing engineering learning across all grade levels, preschool through high school. The framework was developed with teachers, school administrators, and researchers working in concert with leaders of the Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education (AE3) research collaborative and the American Society of Engineering Education. It provides practical guidance by identifying common P-12 engineering learning goals that all students should reach to become engineering literate. The document will add structure and coherence to the P-12 engineering community by serving as a foundation for the development of any and all engineering programs in schools, informing state and national standards-setting efforts, and providing researchers with a common starting point to better investigate and understand P-12 engineering learning.
The framework is envisioned as both a practical guide and critical first step in a national movement to make engineering a part of every child’s educational experience. Whether you are a state education policy leader, district administrator, teacher, researcher, industry partner, or educational company, we invite you to join us in our mission.
- Scroll to page V, to see clickable "Table of contents" for section navigation.
- Click the "Toggle sidebar" icon located at the top left of the pdf report to see the report page thumbnails.
Here are some additional support resources:
- Engineering Performance Matrices website "https://www.p12engineering.org/epm"
More resources will be added regularly.


In the world of early literacy development, reading with your children matters more than reading to your children. It makes sense. When parents read with children, adults and children both become active participants—rather than passive participants—in the reading process. Try some of these early literacy tips the next time you read together!
5 tips for engaging toddlers and preschoolers in reading
- Read with an expressive tone. Children’s books provide ample opportunities for parents (and children!) to try out silly voices, make funny noises, or read LOUDLY or quietly.
- Ask questions. What is going to happen next? Why won’t he try green eggs and ham? Do you like to try something new?
- Make connections between the story and real life situations. Did you just read a book about a farm? On your next visit to the grocery store, point out the different fruits and vegetables mentioned in the story.
- Read throughout the day. Of course, as creators of an early literacy curriculum, we recommended marking the end of the nighttime routine with a snuggle and a quiet reading time together. However, reading together can happen throughout the day.
- Read it again…and again. Children learn through repetition. Reading a favorite book over (and over!) again supports a child’s early literacy development. In repeated readings, children recognize new details and begin to make more connections between the words spoken and the printed page.
“One of the things that I really hope for, and have found, is that these things spill over into other areas,” explained Bradford Wiles an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in early childhood development at Kansas State University. “So you start out reading, asking open-ended questions, offering instruction and explaining when all of a sudden you aren’t reading at all and they start to recognize those things they have seen in the books. And that’s really powerful.”
We couldn’t agree more!
A musical twist to early literacy development
At Kindermusik, we use musical learning to support early literacy development and engage the whole family in the process. Children participating in our early literacy curriculum, ABC Music & Me, for just 30 minutes a week experience a 32 percent
literacy gain. In class, children participate in music and movement activities that emphasize steady beat, rhythm and pitch, practice active listening skills, and build social-emotional skills. Plus, each month families receive access to the music from class, the storybook, and other ideas on continuing the learning outside the classroom.
For more information about bringing our early literacy curriculum to your school, preschool, or daycare, email us at email@example.com


Sindh, Pakistan’s second largest province, has made recent economic progress, but its education indicators are still low, with about 4 million children ages 5 to 12 not in school.
Reading, Thinking, Learning: Using Read-Alouds for Comprehensive Literacy Instruction .
Technical Brief | October 31, 2017
To encourage a culture of reading in classrooms, the USAID Pakistan Sindh Reading Program used the “reading is thinking” approach, which embeds elements of critical thinking into weekly read-alouds.
Comprehensive reading programs equip students with the ability to learn to read, while also providing opportunities for authentic learning to take place through methods such as interactive read-alouds. With interactive read-alouds, teachers can highlight new themes and structure opportunities for learning. By watching teachers and listening to them, young children acquire foundational skills related to the concepts of print, nuances of language, and the value of reading. In Pakistan, the Sindh Reading Program (SRP) used interactive read-alouds in its comprehensive approach to improve reading-instruction quality. SRP provided contextually relevant interventions to improve instructional practices and to increase student access to quality Sindhi-language learning and reading materials.


3 - 6 years
The Four Seasons primary program is for children ages 3 to 6 years. Our highly qualified teachers offer a play-based approach to learning inspired by Tools of the Mind and Reggio-Emilia. These two child-centered models of early childhood learning promote the foundational skills that result in emergent language and executive function skills. Activities and materials are multi-level which challenge and support each child at their own level and learning style.
The youngest children in this group are continuing to learn about themselves and the world around them through the manipulation of their senses. Opportunities to express themselves and focus through the use of sensory materials are critical as they prepare for more intentional learning.
As the children grow they develop a more mature level of play that is foundational to their social-emotional intelligence and self-regulation. Community based play and long term projects support their ability to focus, remember on purpose, plan one’s actions, reflect on one’s thinking, and cooperate and act with empathy toward peers.


International Literacy Day
Message from the Director General
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free”, wrote Frederick Douglass in the nineteenth century, an emancipated black American slave, champion of the abolitionist cause and author of several books. This call for emancipation through reading, and more generally by mastering basic skills – literacy and numeracy – has universal scope.
Literacy is the first step towards freedom, towards liberation from social and economic constraints. It is the prerequisite for development, both individual and collective. It reduces poverty and inequality, creates wealth, and helps to eradicate problems of nutrition and public health.
Since the times of Frederick Douglass, and particularly in recent decades, considerable progress has been made in all regions of the world, and millions of men and women have been lifted from ignorance and dependency through a broad-based movement of literacy and the democratization of access to education. However, the prospect of a world in which every individual has fundamental knowledge remains an ideal.
Today, worldwide, more than 260 million children and adolescents are not enrolled in school; six out of ten children and adolescents – around 617 million – do not acquire the minimum skills in literacy and numeracy; 750 million young people and adults still cannot read and write – and among them, two-thirds are women. These seriously debilitating shortcomings lead to a de facto exclusion from society and perpetuate a spiral of social inequalities and gender inequalities.
A new challenge is now being added to this: a world in flux, where the pace of technological innovation is continuously accelerating. In order to find a place in society, get a job, and respond to social, economic and environmental challenges, traditional literacy and numeracy skills are no longer enough; new skills, including in information and communication technology, are becoming increasingly necessary.
Preparing young people and adults for jobs, the majority of which have not yet been invented, is a challenge. Accessing lifelong learning, taking advantage of pathways between different forms of training, and benefiting from greater opportunities for mobility has thus become indispensable.
The theme of this year's International Day, "Literacy and Skills Development", focuses on this evolving approach to education. UNESCO is actively engaged in the redefinition of literacy policies and encourages innovative educational practices. It also supports various forms of public and private sector cooperation, since only a comprehensive understanding of the education cause can enable an appropriate response to the needs of a world that seems to be reinventing itself every day.
On this International Day, I call on all stakeholders in the world of education, and beyond, because it is a cause that concerns us all, to mobilize so that the ideal of a fully literate global society becomes more of a reality.
Audrey Azoulay, Director General
Message on the occasion of the International Literacy Day


We work to ensure all children get the support and care they need before they start school, and that they are able to read and write.
We also work to ensure that schools are places where all children are safe and happy. A child’s early years are crucial for building the foundations for a life of learning.
We work with communities to create safe and stimulating preschool environments, to keep children well-fed and healthy, and to take teaching materials into homes so the whole family can support a child’s education.
We work with national and local governments to improve access to education and develop programmes where children can improve their literacy and numeracy skills at an early age.
SHORT SUMMARY OF INTERVENTION
One of the strategic plans of Tusome Foundation is to intervene by financially supporting orphaned or children who are needy and vulnerable to acquire quality education. We aspire to Reach under-served and hard to reach communities using innovative and flexible approaches to deliver education. ·Develop alternative learning programmes for excluded communities combining basic education with practical skills and vocational training. ·Work with Rural poor to overcome the social and financial obstacles that prevent them from accessing education. Support the realization of government policy such as providing all children with early childhood education or supporting drop-outs to return to school. ·Address challenges in formal education especially increasing the number in transition from primary to secondary school and later to tertiary level.There are several cases of orphaned or children who are needy and need support to acquire quality education and your partnership with us in this noble course will go a long way to ensure that these persons realize their full potential.
Further the foundation Board of directors will Create social and community awareness on impacts of drugs, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. ·Nurture talents through sports and other social activities for all age groups..We will also involve members of the society to participate in environment conservation to ensure adorable and habitable enviroment


The visual arts program is central to the elementary and middle school experience at St. Anne’s. Every student’s artwork is displayed and serves to announce and honor the importance of the arts in our school and in our lives.
All students, not just the gifted and talented, are involved in rigorous study of the visual arts as part of their general education at St. Anne’s. All students attend weekly art class in every grade, all year.
The art program at St. Anne’s follows a unique curriculum designed by our art teachers based on the Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE) method of teaching and learning. This approach emphasizes higher order critical thinking skills and includes art history, aesthetics and criticism as well as art production. By exploring art through the study of master artists throughout history, our students develop more than an appreciation for art’s beauty and its importance to the human experience.
Our young artists also learn how to analyze, synthesize, explain, justify, criticize and make aesthetic judgments – skills which will serve them well in all academic settings and in life. Primary school students create their art based on children books and the illustration techniques in the books such as the illustrator Eric Carle. All students attend weekly art class all year and are engaged in rigorous study of the visual arts as part of their general education at St. Anne’s.


In their recent book, Brain Words: How the Science of Reading Informs Teaching, Richard Gentry and Gene Ouellete explain the latest research and theory on lexical representation and its relation to rapid and accurate word reading, a necessary skill to mastering literacy.
In this episode, Dr. Gentry briefly explains brain words and how parents can understand their connection to their children’s reading development.
Read the Transcript
Richard: Essentially, brain words are neural representations of spelling in the brain's reading architecture. We found brain words in the word form area right in the left hemisphere and there are scientists who refer to them as lexical representations and what we've learned is that spelling is at the very core of the reading brain.
Here's how brain words are developed. Initially, in this word form area, there are no brain words and what we've learned through cognitive psychology and neuroscience is that while everyone is born with spoken language circuitry, no one is born with reading circuitry. Reading has to be taught and so brain words are taught generally for kids in kindergarten and first grade and my research ha been in five phases of beginning literacy development, spelling which connects with Linnea Ehri’s work in word reading. They're the same five phases that were developed in two different lines of research and when children come to us as non-readers in kindergarten, there are no brain words but by the end of first grade, we now can see in the word form area of the brain the lexical evidence of the neural connections and the way brain words work is that the brain word or neural representation or when lexical representation maps onto the print on the page and then it's registered into what I call a dictionary in the brain.
So brain words are really a dictionary in the brain and it allows for automatic connection with the person's, the reader's spoken vocabulary and that leads to reading comprehension.
I think teachers really need to embrace the notion of brain words and the important of spelling and share that with parents. However, parents already know that spelling is important. Many parents worry that their children aren't learning to spell, that they no longer have research-based spelling books, for example. I think it's even harder to bring the academic community into the realization that spelling is at the very core of the reading brain because parents already know that.
If your fourth grader can't spell, you know about that as a parent and they begin to ask questions, "Well, what are they doing in spelling in school?", and of course, we're all over the map in terms of what we do with spelling. So, parents are some of our best cheerleaders.
Speaking of parents, let's think about the early phases. What we found is that there are five early phases of spelling and we see it in children's invented spelling which is what Gene's research was all about. Scaffolding the invented spelling and we can show parents the progression in kindergarten, generally in kindergarten and first grade through the five phases and it's right there in front of them to see how kids are growing in literacy and by the end of first grade, parents recognize that kids have 300 or 400 words in that word form area of the brain that they recognize automatically and when they invent a spelling, they do it in logical chunks of phonics patterns and so it's very evidence to parents that what's happening in school is working. Their kids are becoming readers. And interestingly, parents understand that reading and spelling are two sides of the same coin.
If kids are writing in school from the very first of kindergarten and they are inventing spelling and going through developmental phases, by the end of first grade, they are able to read easy chapter books. What we call level I chapter books. Something like Little Bear by Minarik, pictures by Maurice Sendak and they're no longer picture queues but the children have enough brain words to be able to read text like "mother bear", "Oh, dear." "Mother bear is not here and today is my birthday. I think my friends will come but I do not have a birthday cake. Oh, what will I do? I will make birthday soup. All my friends like soup."
So when parents see kids moving into that phase four and they're seeing their kids express meaning in writing and the other side of the coin, they're doing the decoding and reading independently with fluency, then it's kind of a joyful way to monitor progress and show parents exactly where their child is on this pathway to literacy.


Physical Best Activity Guide: Elementary Level, Third Edition, presents fun activities that help students gain the knowledge, skills, appreciation, and confidence they need to lead active, healthy lives, regardless of physical and mental abilities or disabilities. It includes instructions on adapting 78 activities for kids of all skill levels and a CD-ROM with numerous reproducibles.
This comprehensive health-related fitness education program is back and better than ever!
Developed by top-level physical educators, this third edition will help students gain the knowledge, skills, appreciation, and confidence they need to lead active, healthy lives, regardless of physical and mental abilities or disabilities.
Physical Best Activity Guide: Elementary Level has been used with much success across the United States, and for good reason: The text contains 78 easy-to-use activities ranging from noncompetitive to competitive and less demanding to more demanding. It also includes activities that allow for maximum time on task. All the instructional activities address the national physical education standards, dance standards, or health standards.
This new edition retains the best activities from previous editions and offers new ones from outstanding teachers throughout the United States. You will learn how to adapt the activities for all children, regardless of skill level or ability. Students will also learn skills to help them set realistic goals, manage their activity levels, and remain healthy throughout their lives.
This text offers the following features:
A new chapter, “Combined-Component Training,” combines aerobic fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility into single activities.
A CD-ROM contains a wealth of reproducibles, including charts, posters, signs, station cards, handouts, and worksheets, many of which can be adapted to meet your needs.
A section of Internet resources helps you develop your own special events.
Physical Best Activity Guide: Elementary Level, developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, can stand alone or be used in conjunction with Physical Education for Lifelong Fitness: The Physical Best Teacher’s Guide, Third Edition, and Physical Best: Middle and High School Level. It can also be used with Fitnessgram®/Activitygram®, an activity assessment and computerized reporting system, and Fitness for Life: Elementary School, a comprehensive program promoting lifetime health-related fitness.
Part I: Introduction Chapter 1. Teaching Elementary Health-Related Fitness
National Standards for Physical Education
National Health Education Standards
National Standards for Dance Education
Integrating Physical Best Into the Elementary Physical Education Curriculum
Physical Best Activity Template
Chapter 2. Introduction to Health-Related Fitness Concepts
Health-Related Fitness Versus Skill-Related Fitness
Inclusion in Physical Education
Principles of Training
Key Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents
The Activity Session
Part II: Activities Chapter 3. Aerobic Fitness
Defining Aerobic Fitness
Teaching Guidelines for Aerobic Fitness
Training Methods for Aerobic Fitness
Safety and Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic Fitness Newsletter
Chapter 4. Muscular Strength and Endurance
Defining Muscular Strength and Endurance
Teaching Guidelines for Muscular Strength and Endurance
Training Methods for Muscular Strength and Endurance
Motor Skill Development Through Muscular Strength and Endurance Activities
Muscular Strength and Endurance Newsletter
Chapter 5. Flexibility
Teaching Guidelines for Flexibility
Training Methods for Flexibility
Motor Skill Development Through Flexibility Activities
Chapter 6. Body Composition
Defining Body Composition
Relating Body Composition to the Other Health-Related Components
Teaching Guidelines for Body Composition
Body Composition Resources on CD-ROM
Chapter 7. Combined-Component Training
Teaching Guidelines for Combining Health-Related Fitness Activities
Chapter 8. Special Events
About Physical Best
CD-ROM User Instructions
Reference for elementary school physical education teachers. Supplemental text for physical education college methods courses as well as Physical Best workshops and certification programs.
SHAPE America — Society of Health and Physical Educators (formerly AAHPERD) — is the largest organization of physical educators in the country, with close to 20,000 members. SHAPE America created the first-ever K-12 physical education national standards; developed the Let’s Move in School public awareness campaign to increase physical activity before, during, and after school; and originated the Shape of the Nation Report, which reviews the status of physical education across the United States. Among its many partners, SHAPE America works with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the American Heart Association, The Cooper Institute, First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.