On October 23rd, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute hosted an event, entitled “Common Core & Curriculum Controversies,” it featured a series of discussions regarding Common Core math myths, Common Core aligned texts, and Common Core implementation. During one session Dr. Tim Shanahan, Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois Chicago, noted that most teachers (roughly two-thirds) place students according to reading levels and not grade levels. Furthermore, he elaborated that students’ rankings are often decreased by one or two levels.
Far too often, students are assigned to reading levels that are below their current grade levels and are rarely given the opportunity to catch up with other students who are consistently progressing within the areas of literacy and reading comprehension. Due to this phenomenon, countless students are not offered opportunities to interact with challenging materials and concepts that they may be capable of learning and understanding, because most of them are promoted throughout the years without gaining the necessary basic literacy and reading comprehension skills (for examples, look at the New York City Department of Education, the Saint Louis Public Schools, or a new law in Florida). Ultimately, this practice brings about issues within the spheres of workforce development and education which lead to further problems pertaining to employment.
Students who graduate high school lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills are likely to encounter difficulties when entering the workforce– in fact, many individuals with low literacy skills are more prone to drop out of school prior to graduation. Concerning unemployment, studies show that approximately 27 million American are unable to complete forms necessary for employment, such as job applications. In addition, people with literacy-related deficiencies are more likely to have limited job options and lose their jobs.
Many workforce development and education organizations, while directly assisting individuals with low literacy skills in obtaining employment, are tasked with the responsibility of helping individuals to improve their literacy and reading comprehension skills as a means of helping them to effectively and efficiently join the workforce. Due to funding structures and reporting requirements that emphasize impossibly quick gains, organizations with the goal of catching individuals with low literacy skills up to sufficient literacy levels are finding that their objective is hampered from the start.
In many cases, even when individuals with low literacy skills do obtain jobs, they are often categorized by employers as individuals of lower qualification and skill levels, therefore often earning lower wages. This is partly a result of the fact that individuals with a limited number of qualifications and skills are often hired to perform low-paying jobs that don’t revolve around complexity and skillfulness. Furthermore, in the long run, people with low literacy skills are 16.5 times more prone to rely on welfare and other forms of income support. They are also more likely take on jobs that lack social benefits, to experience more barriers when attempting to exercise socio-economic mobility, and to be victims of poverty. In fact, 43% of adults who live in poverty are of low literacy.
Many of the potential issues that individuals face, in regards to employment, could have been avoided in the early stages of their adolescence. It is no secret that one’s life is often decided for them by their educational placement in elementary, middle, and high school. In order to prevent the future generation from experiencing these reoccurring dilemmas, it is pivotal that parents, teachers, policymakers, and other organizations work together to ensure that every student is able to reach their full potential and showcase their abilities before they are assessed and placed incorrectly.


This Day in Music History
Music Education @ DataDragon.com
Music Education Forums
Maintain Your Forum Information
Bernadette Peters - Broadway's Best
(take a break for a puzzle!)
PMessage: Post Reply (with quote)
Identify yourself and then enter your reply.
You are posting in reply to the thread entitled
'guitar help (keys)'
- or -
Post anonymously (no login required)
#beginquote# It's quite simple. No sharps or flats is the key of C. For the sharps, the key is one half step avove the sharp. Example: 1 # which is the F# is the key of G. 2#'s F# and C# is the key of D. It is very important to know the progression of sharps and flats. That is where the memorization part comes into play. For the flats, it is a bi different. One flat the Bflat is the key of F. This one you have to memorize. Two flats, the B flat and the E flat is the key of B flat. Take the previous flat , and that is the key, the previous flat being the B flat. Again, you must know the proper progression of flats to know the key. I am a fragment of my imagination #endquote#
Site Design/Implementation copyright (©) 1999-2003 by
with any news updates or pictures you may have.


To recognize the hard work they do educating the nation's children, many businesses and organizations offer freebies for elementary teachers.
Finding Freebies for Elementary Teachers
There are a variety of freebies for elementary teachers, ranging from tools to help you keep your classroom in order to resources for planning lessons on topics such as nutrition and financial responsibility.
- Timesavers for Teachers: This fabulous Web site provides an extensive selection of printable freebies for elementary teachers, including classroom forms, report card comment sheets, lists for substitute teachers, and student award certificates.
- Clorox Classrooms: Clorox is offering teachers a free "Clean Up the Classroom" kit that includes samples of disinfectant products.
- Print a Poster: You can decorate your classroom with free printable motivational posters from this helpful Web site.
- Basket Biz: Visit this site to print out free bookmarks for your students to use in your classroom.
- Computers for Learning: Teachers can request free computers for their classroom from this government program. However, awards are made based on demonstrated need.
- Edutopia: Join Edutopia for tips, tools, and information on what's happening in the education field.
- Center for Digital Education: Numerous tips and articles on using technology in the classroom to help with everything from lesson plans to clasroom management.
- Yes! Magazine: Teachers interested in issues relating to sustainability can request a free one-year subscription to this publication.
- Reading A-Z: Download free story books and worksheets for use with your students.
- A+ Math: Create your own math flashcards for your students.
- School Express: The School Express Web site has thousands of free printable worksheets for reading and math lessons.
- K-6 Elementary Education Lesson Plans: Elementary teachers will love this wonderful directory of free lesson plans. Ideas are neatly organized by grade level and subject.
- Scholastic Lesson Plans: Search the directory of Scholastic.com lesson plans for students in grades 1-6.
- A-Z Teacher Stuff: The A-Z Teacher Stuff Web site provides a large listing of lesson plans for all subject areas and grade levels.
- Lessons Plan Page: This site boasts over 3,500 free lesson plans. You can either browse through the site's new additions or search for ideas for your classroom by subject or season.
Resources for Topic-Specific Lessons
- Dole SuperKids: Resources for teaching children about the importance of healthy eating are available from this educational Web site.
- FEMA Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum: Educators can order free posters, videos, and books for use in teaching children about the importance of preparing for emergency situations.
- American Kennel Club: The AKC provides activity sheets, coloring pages and other resources teachers can download to teach children about responsible pet ownership.
Additional Freebie Resources
Although they are general free stuff Web sites, the following resources may also have promotions and special offers that are of interest to those in search of freebies for elementary teachers:


The Glendale Unified school board recently approved spending $750,000 in state funds to purchase 1,300
Chromebooks and other technological accessories to fill a computer gap before state standardized testing begins in the spring.
As the state continues to roll out the new Common Core State Standards, officials with local school districts say they must secure more technology in order to have students take the new computerized exams.
The new standards encourage critical thinking from students as they analyze non-literary texts and in-depth math problem-solving skills.
In Glendale, educators estimated the school district needed 1,300 more computer devices than they have.
The Chromebooks were sampled with two other computers earlier this year, and ultimately won out in a survey that looked at their usability and was taken by about 115 students and teachers at Crescenta Valley High School, Wilson Middle School and Glenoaks Elementary.
On a scale of one to five, with five as the highest score, the
averaged a score of 4.1 in the survey.
The Google Nexus earned a score of 3.2, while the Samsung Tab II received a 2.8.
Both of those tablet devices operate with an Android system, while the Chromebook laptop runs on a Chrome system.
According to a district report, students said the Chromebook was more often easier to use than the other two devices.
The $750,000 that will be used to purchase the technical equipment was given to Glendale Unified by the state to implement the new Common Core State Standards.
The district will also purchase 62 computer carts, where the devices will be stored, along with 1,300 headphones and 300 computer mouses.
With the approval of Assembly Bill 484 earlier this year, California schools were authorized to shift from the former state standardized testing system, known as STAR, to new computerized exams that better reflect the new curriculum.
Beginning in April, students in the third through eighth grades as well as juniors will be tested in either English or math on the new exam.
The test’s software will respond to a student’s correct answer with a more challenging question. A student’s wrong answer will result in an easier question, helping to determine an individual’s ability.
Some educators have said the new system is an improvement upon the pencil-and-paper, multiple-choice test for its ability to let teachers know each student’s strengths and weaknesses more precisely.


A Home Away From Home
As Kindergarten is often the first step away from home, the soft and warming colours combine with the child-friendly architecture to provide a homely atmosphere where young children can flourish. Each of the four groups has its own specialist teacher, a cloakroom, cooking area and entrance to a large communal garden with swings, a sandpit, lawn and climbing trees to explore.
Water-colour painting, modelling, hand-crafts and baking awaken creativity, while the imagery of fairy tales, poetry, plays and songs encourages the child’s language skills and feelings. Circle games and outdoor play increase physical strength, agility and grace while seasonal festivals develop a meaningful connection with nature.
Learning to Be Part of a Community
Since young children learn by imitation, our Kindergarten teachers lead by example. Pupils discover the importance of watering the plants, tending the garden or feeding leftovers to the birds simply by observing and joining in. Each child has a daily job such as sweeping, washing the plates or taking peelings to the compost heap. The tasks repeated daily serve to integrate the individual child into their community.
Each group includes a mix of ages from around 3-6 years which means our older pupils help the younger ones, allowing them to gain a real sense of their growing capabilities. Snack time is enjoyed together round a large table which helps the group to learn social skills such as appropriate communication, how to negotiate and, where necessary, how to compromise.
The older children help to prepare the food and set the table which supports the development of numeracy skills as they weigh the ingredients, sort and match and practice simple counting in a real rather than abstract context.
Kindergarten education is comprehensive and stimulating. This encourages our youngest children to be at ease with themselves and to be eager, creative and responsive when they begin their formal education in Class 1.


Comets, Meteors and Asteroids
Comets, meteors and asteroids have several things in common. First, they’re believed to be remnants of the materials that created the Sun and the planets. Basically, they’re leftovers. Comets, meteors and asteroids are too small to be planets. Some are only a few feet in size, while others are a mile or more long.
Fun Facts about Comets, Meteors and Asteroids for Kids
- Comets are mostly made of ice. They are very old. As comets travel close to the Sun, some of the ice melts off and becomes a gas. This melting process causes bits of dust and debris to trail behind the comet. This tail can be seen in the night sky as a bright, quickly-moving light.
- Comets orbit at the very edge of the galaxy, past Pluto.
- Asteroids are mostly made of rock. Asteroids are found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Sometimes asteroids collide or crash into one another. When this happens, thousands of little pieces chip off the asteroids. These little pieces are called meteors. The meteors travel through space and occasionally become caught by a planet’s gravitational pull. Meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day. Most of them burn up, but if they land on Earth, they are called meteorites.
- Most meteorites are small, but larger ones have landed on cars or houses, causing damage.
Comet, Meteor and Asteroid Vocabulary
- Comet: a large body in space made of rock, ice and frozen gas
- Meteor: small pieces of rock or minerals that have broken off a larger asteroid
- Asteroid: a large body in space made of rock and minerals
- Collide: run into or crash into
- Galaxy: also known as the solar system; a system of planets, stars and moons orbiting around a Sun
Learn More All About Comets, Meteors and Asteroids
Have a look at this meteor video:
A video differentiating meteors, meteoroids and meteorites.
Comet, Meteor and Asteroid Q&A
Question: Could an asteroid hit the earth?
Answer: Asteroids usually stay in the Asteroid Belt, but they’re sometimes knocked off course. An asteroid could hit the Earth, although it’s unlikely. Scientists believe an asteroid might have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Astronomers are constantly studying the skies, looking for asteroids that might crash into Earth.
Useful Websites :
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Comets, Meteors and Asteroids info? Take the FREE & fun all about Comets, Meteors and Asteroids quiz and download FREE Comets, Meteors and Asteroids worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Comets, Meteors and Asteroid Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2018. Web. 24 May 2018. < http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-comets-meteors-and-asteroids/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2018). Comets, Meteors and Asteroid Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-comets-meteors-and-asteroids/
Sponsored Links :


An essay on the importance of education - instead of worrying about research paper writing find the needed help here quick and trustworthy writings from industry best. High schools must provide young people with adequate sex education because ignorance can be harmful the largest gulf of understanding still remains. Get free sample of essay on the importance of education, learn about writing an essay on the importance of education. Free essay: this is why i refuse to believe that a high school education means nothing had it not been for me completing high school i would not have been. Free importance of education papers, essays, and research papers.
Importance of education essay for class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 find paragraph, long and short essay on importance of education for your kids, children and. Elementary education refers to the first phase of compulsory education that children obtain during the few years of starting schooling this education has specific. Exemplification essay why an education is important education is the most important aspect in people’s lives education is becoming even more important.
Following is a custom written plagiarism free essay example on importance of education don't hesitate to use this great sample to your advantage. That the key to a successful future is receiving post-secondary education many teenagers find themselves wondering, “what is the importance of school.
The m - learning to read literary and historical narratives humans interpret their education of essays about the importance contentions, today apart from technical. Importance of education essay in easy and natural language the essay highlights the importance of education for children, students, society and for the country the. School education lays the foundation stone in building the personality of a person the growth and future of our country highly depends upon the quality of the.
From early age our parents were telling us about learning and kept highlighting the importance of the education for our future life why is education so important. Importance of education essay writing service, custom importance of education papers, term papers, free importance of education samples, research papers, help.


Geckos – The Cool Looking Little Lizards
Geckos can be as small as 1 inch or as large as 1 foot long. Their tails are fat. Geckos store food in their tails. If you grab a gecko by the tail, the tail will come off so the gecko can escape.
Fun Facts about Geckos for Kids
- There are over 1,000 kinds of geckos divided into two species. One species has eyes that can’t blink. The other type has eyelids and can blink just like you.
- Scientists can tell by a gecko’s pupils if it is diurnal or nocturnal. Diurnal geckos, which are awake during the day, have round pupils. Nocturnal geckos have vertical pupils, like a cat’s.
- Geckos have millions of tiny, bristly hairs on their feet. These hairs let them to stick to surfaces like a wall or ceiling. They’re a little like Velcro.
- Geckos have excellent eyesight.
- Geckos are insectivores. That means they eat bugs! They love worms, mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers.
- If you shine a flashlight in a gecko’s ear, the light will come out the other ear. Cool, don’t you think?
- Geckos make chirping sounds to communicate.
- Regulate: control
- Diurnal: awake during the day
- Nocturnal: awake at night
- Vertical: goes up and down
- Bristly: rough
Learn More All About Geckos
Watch this awesome investigative video about the gecko’s sticky feet:
A video explaining why geckos have sticky feet.
Question: Do geckos lay eggs?
Answer: Geckos usually lay two sticky eggs. The eggs are soft at first, but become sticky. Sometimes geckos eat their own eggs.
Question: Do geckos make good pets?
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Gecko Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2018. Web. 21 May 2018. < http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-geckos/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2018). Gecko Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-geckos/
Sponsored Links :


Five skills for holistic development
Because children’s growth and development are beautifully complex and cannot easily be broken down into neat divisions, we choose to highlight foundational skills that allow children to become creative, engaged lifelong learners. These skills build on children’s natural affinity for exploring their surroundings, creating and expressing ideas.
Understand, manage and express emotions by building self-awareness and handling impulses, as well as staying motivated and confident in the face of difficulties.
Concentration, problem solving and flexible thinking by learning to tackle complex tasks and building effective strategies to identify solutions.
Being physically active, understanding movement and space through practicing sensory-motor skills, developing spatial understanding and nurturing an active and healthy body.
Collaborate, communicate and understand other people’s perspectives through sharing ideas, negotiating rules and building empathy.
Coming up with ideas, expressing them and transforming them into reality by creating associations, symbolising and representing ideas and providing meaningful experiences for others.
Knowing how to read, write and do maths is still important for children to take part in the world. But it is vital to apply a holistic approach to children’s learning and development, recognising a broader set of skills that underpin learning for life.
What we mean by: Learning through play
In this leaflet, we share our view of play as an important vehicle for children’s learning and about how playful experiences support children in developing the skills to serve them, their communities and society through a lifetime.


Main Article Content
Dear IEJEE Reader,
This special issue of International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education (IEJEE) presents information and examples of practices that are from the intersection of School Psychology, School Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education. As we move forward in understanding how interdisciplinary/team approaches can benefit our students, we have also begun to realize that much more work is needed in this area to help reduce barriers that impede collegiality between professionals in these fields. Our students with special needs today present us with ever changing challenges, and new cross-sectional tools, ideas, and strategies that include the best from these disciplines are absolutely pivotal to addressing these needs. Developing professional competencies for working with children with exceptional (special) needs must be a pressing goal for educational systems around the globe. We must also work to update the idea of what constitutes a child with ‘special needs’ and perhaps reframe this term to ‘children with exceptionalities’. This lens reminds us that children come to us with a very broad array of gifts, talents, and needs – therefore exceptionalities might be a better ‘umbrella’ or inclusive term from which to springboard new efforts in multidisciplinary research and development. The collection of articles in this special edition address the aforementioned issues as well as the need for more in-service training that addresses our students’ increased mental health requirements and the robust evidence-based practices that should be embedded within our school systems. Additionally, another contribution to this journal reminds us of the importance of focusing on our students’ strengths when conducting psychological counseling and assessment.


The importance of school education lies in the fact that the children of today will become adult citizens of tomorrow. The growth and future of our country highly depends upon the quality of the present school education system.
To strengthen the Indian Education System, an educational policy was adopted by the Indian Parliament in 1968. Education was made an important and integral part of the national development efforts. Our Government assumed full responsibility for the proper education of the children and adults. Hence, right to primary education or elementary education is now a fundamental right in India. Quality Education is the right of each and every student.
Primary education helps in the development of analytical skills, character and overall personality in a child. Secondary education is the fulcrum or central point of a nation's education system. With regard to the pattern of secondary education experiments have been going on since Independence. The 10+2+3 system of education which was recommended by Kothari Commission of 1966, followed by the recommendations of the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1968 and subsequently in 1986, attempts are being made to adopt a common structure of schooling across the country. The general pattern adopted at the national level, commonly known as the 10+2+3 pattern is now being implemented in almost all the States and Union Territories of India. The Higher Secondary functions at three levels: the State-level, the CBSE and the ICSE.
CSC Academy has provided the platform for school education by facilitating the filling the admission and examination form of NIOS.


The Sparta School district believes that the Sparta school system produces students who will exemplify mastery in mathematical practices. It is the responsibility of administrators, teachers, students, and parents to create learning opportunities to persevere in modeling mathematics precisely and strategically with reasoning, tools, and algebraic structure. Through this collaboration, students will develop into independent, competent, mathematical thinkers who are college and career ready.
Sparta’s Mathematics Program Beliefs:
- Technology can enhance the learning process and prepare students to be 21st century learners.
- Student-centered learning activities will enable students to develop ownership for their education.
- A coherent K-12 curriculum will allow for authentic real-world learning opportunities.
- Our assessments will require students to demonstrate in-depth understanding rather than recalling simple facts and algorithms.
- Students will be confident in participating in higher level discussions that will assess and advance the understanding of concepts.
- The use of various resources, tools, and technology will engage students to solve mathematically rich, real-world problems that meet the needs of a diverse population of learners.
- Collaborative and hands-on learning activities will promote creative and critical thinking skills for all students.
Supervisor of Mathematics Grades PreK-12
Ms. Arbolino began her career in education in 2006. Since then she has had the opportunity to work both inside and outside of the classroom, developing math programs and professional development opportunities for colleagues. Ms. Arbolino is committed to being involved in all facets of curriculum development, standardized testing, and auditing our wide variety of programs and events. Ms. Arbolino received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education with a Mathematics Specialization in grades 5-8 from Kutztown University. In addition, she received a Master's Degree from Centenary College in Instructional Leadership.


Consistent Attendance and Hard Work Count!
Every Minute of Instruction is valuable!
A Typical Day at Avalon
Before School Tutoring
Every student has access to Before School Tutoring. This program is offered from 7:00 am to 8:00 am Monday through Thursday. This program is designed to help students close the achievement gaps and provide a solid footing for future grades. Students spend 30 minutes on math and 30 minutes on reading through our interactive web based curriculum called SuccessMaker. This program meets the students at their level and either remediates or accelerates the learning to ensure that every student is showing growth.
As students arrive on campus to start the day they are greeted with a warm handshake from one of our amazing instructional staff. We want every student to know we are glad to have them at our school and that we are excited to see what they will accomplish that day.
Breakfast-Every student is provided the opportunity to eat breakfast at the school, at no cost to our families. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and after morning recess all students return to their classrooms to partake in Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC).
Avalon Elementary School stresses the importance of reading starting from Kindergarten and continuing on through 8th grade. Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade spend 90 minutes per day learning how to read, while students in 3rd through 8th spend their time reading to learn, while developing analytical skills needed for the future. This is accomplished by using Scott Foreman Reading Street Curriculum.
Avalon Elementary School is devoted to the students’ mastery of essential math practices and the development of critical thinking skills that will carry them through college and into their future careers. Understanding math is vital to all students and the school dedicates more them 60 minutes per day to the learning of mathematics.
We run our lunch program unlike most schools. At Avalon Elementary School, we play first then eat. Every grade level is provided 20 minutes of recess, followed by 20 minutes of lunch. Lunch is a time to refuel and relax before the afternoon lessons begin.
Avalon Elementary School students participate in Physical Education activities two days a week for 30 minutes, under the instruction of our dedicated PE staff. During this time, students have the opportunity to move, compete, and develop team building skills.
Avalon Elementary School wants every student to have an appreciation for the study of music. Classes are held twice a week for 30 minutes and include instruction on recorder, keyboard, guitar and general music education. As a school, we value allowing the students to be creative and develop a passion for the arts.
Subject Area Classes
As a back to basics elementary school, teachers also focus on a range of lessons in social studies and science, working to incorporate these topics into every lesson.
After School Enrichment Program
Avalon Elementary School offers an after school enrichment program that runs from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with an emphasis on extended learning. Courses include: Student Government, Creative Writing, Minute To Win It, Book Club, and many more.
Avalon Elementary School teachers and staff are present at dismissal encouraging and reinforcing positive behavior in the hallways while the students move to the buses and out to parent pick up. Our school has a highly structured dismissal procedure that allows for smooth transition from the classroom to home. Office doors are locked at 3:00 pm daily for the security of all students. Students are called to the buses at 3:20 pm, one bus at a time, to allow for orderly hallways and supervision.
Once all buses have been dismissed, students who wish to walk and those being picked up by a loved one are called at approximately 3:30 p.m. Parents picking up students are required to have a school issued placard with appropriate information about the student. In order to keep our student’s safe, they are not released to the parent pick up area until the students name is called by our staff working the pick-up line.
We are all working toward the future and want our students to excel beyond the stars.


The Word Menders Series, created by Liz Kriston, M.S., CCC-SLP, is designed to target specific phonological processes while fostering language and literacy development. These versatile books can be used in therapy or sent home to reinforce the targeted articulatory process or as a literacy-building activity.
Each book is written around a set of minimal pairs that highlight a specific phonological process so children are provided with numerous opportunities to hear and practice the contrasts in a natural context. Flashcards are included with each book that reinforce the contrasts (and store in a handy pocket in inside the back cover).
Word Menders stories are proving to be extremely popular with our fellow SLPs AND with parents.
We are developing new stories as quickly as we can!


Why Should We Care About Music Education?
So many times in this business we hear the phrase, “but if he’s not practicing, what’s the point?” While we understand the frustration of this reality here at Studio Nine, we also understand that any amount of music education is extremely valuable at any age. Benefits of playing an instrument can range from increased mental abilities, physical strengths and even in social intelligence. Here are just a few of those benefits to consider when looking at you or your child’s music education best price levitra.
- Music education is proven to develop areas of the brain most commonly associated with language and reasoning. Children who study music are known to have larger vocabularies, are more able to comprehend complex language and are more advanced in their reading skills.
- Learning an instrument aids a person’s ability to focus, making it a great resource for students with learning disabilities. It will help students not only in their music lessons, but also in school work and social situations.
- Research has shown that music education has a similar effect on the brain as physical activity has on the body. Not only does it strengthen our most important muscle, the brain, it also increases our mental flexibility and problem solving skills.
- Music education increases our awareness of our bodies, forcing us to focus on our posture and stances. This helps to improve posture and carriage of our bodies increasing our all-around health.
- Youth who study music have been proven to work better in teams, perform better in standardized testing, math and English, gain more enjoyment from school and pursue further education.
- Music students tend to have higher self-confidence, a stronger ability to express themselves and their ideas and a higher memory capacity.
- Music is a joy that can be picked up at any point in one’s life and bring satisfaction to anyone.
Contact Studio Nine School of Music for more information on how we can help you or your
child find passion and success through music.


Later in the day, we went over sorts. They did "no way Jose and that's a fact, Jack!" first. In this sort, they separated statements about fifth grade into true and false statements.
They also learned the procedures for gallery walks, where they critique the reasoning of others without touching the other team's sort. It's a great opportunity for them to also practice using the accountable talk stems that we brainstormed together.
I color coded the stems to help my visual learners.
They also did an editing and revising sort which I used as a formative assessment. They're still a little fuzzy on the differences between the two, so that's a teachable moment for me in the next few weeks. We didn't provide any instruction on their writing task this week because we wanted to use it as an informal benchmark. This week they wrote a letter to their future selves, which they'll get back the last week of school.
They were pretty good with the first two sorts, but then I gave them a syllable sort.
They were completely stumped. Some groups used their responding cups to ask for help, one group tried to bribe me (both with food and a dollar), some made piles of what they thought they knew and what was confusing, some started sounding out the syllables, and others were on the right track. They asked for help, but I let them struggle. Struggle is a good thing. When we came back together, I had a lot of grumpy students. I told them that this activity helped me to see where I need to start phonics instruction (with what is a syllable), and showed me that they knew to ask for help, were comfortable asking for help, and could work together. No groups quit during their struggle time (which was five minutes, I'm not that mean).
They wanted to know the answers. I said no, they don't get to know that yet. We'll start instruction next week, but I'm not just giving you the answers without the practice.
This was very irritating to many of my students, especially the higher ones. I told them they won't always get the answers right away. They won't know everything right away. Learning is a process and it takes time. They aren't used to not getting the answers right away and I told them this will be an adjustment. They'll have to work through things. They'll struggle. In the end, it will make them stronger thinkers.
I think some of them get it, but it doesn't mean they like it.
Best part of day 3? This happened:
Oh yes, it happens in real life.


ERIC Number: ED288377
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986-Dec
Reference Count: N/A
A Sociolinguistic Perspective of Language Proficiency of Limited English Proficient Students.
Rodriguez-Brown, Flora V.
A study investigated the relationship between relative language proficiency and the types of questions produced by bilingual children in different settings and situations, taking into account the whole language repertoire in both languages and in different settings. The subjects were six third-graders in a self-contained maintenance bilingual education program in a midwestern city. Video- and audio-taped data collected in the classroom, at home, and in the park were analyzed. The data show that the children produced the same question repertoire previously found in English monolingual children and adults. Children asked more questions in the language in which they were more proficient. Certain question types appeared only in children who were proficient in a language, while other question types were characteristic of the speech of limited-proficiency children. The use of question types was found to vary across classroom activities. Further study of use of different speech acts, in relation to relative proficiency and within a sociolinguistic framework, will enhance the design of holistic models for describing bilingual children's language behavior across settings and situations. (Author/MSE)
Descriptors: Adults, Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingualism, Comparative Analysis, Elementary Education, English (Second Language), Grade 3, Language Proficiency, Language Usage, Limited English Speaking, Monolingualism, Questioning Techniques, Sociolinguistics, Spanish Speaking, Speech Acts, Urban Areas
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Note: For a related paper, see FL 017 016.


In June 2000, 7 households in 10 owned a PC while 4 in 10 had access to the Internet.
The number of households owning a PC increased from 4 million in January 1998 to 4.7 million in June 2000. In January 1998 over 1 million households were connected to the Internet. By June 2000 this had increased to nearly 2.8 million.
There is a correlation between education level and PC ownership: the higher the education level the more frequent the PC plus Internet ownership. Of the college or university educated people, 8 in 10 had a PC at home in 1999, almost half connected to the Internet. Less than half of the people with elementary education only own a PC; and a mere 1 in 8 is connected to the Internet.
PC-ownership and Internet access by education level
The cost of using the Internet in the Netherlands – for small businesses and households dialling in – is almost 50 dollars a month according to OECD figures. This is the average amount for 1995-2000 including the subscription and telephone cost for 20 hours of Internet access per month.
In the Netherlands, Internet access in cheaper than in most other countries of the European Union. However, Internet use in the Netherlands is about 30% more expensive than in the USA and Canada.
Cost of Internet access compared to the Netherlands, average 1995-2000


However, I had a couple of interactions with parents that left me feeling, well, frustrated. A little boy walked up to my stand, looked around at the information packets and candy (believe me, he was way more interested in the candy), and then his mother came running up behind him. "No, no!" she said. "Dancing is only for girls." While I tried to bite my tongue, I just couldn't. I told her no, that dancing is for both boys and girls. I then asked her "how do you think ballerinas get lifted or partnered?" She didn't respond, but I think that's probably because she had expected me to back her up and tell her son that dancing isn't intended for little boys.
I've noticed that this is becoming a growing phenomenon - boys don't want to take dance lessons because adults are telling them that it's effeminate and "just for girls." Well, it's not. And no - not all male dancers identify as being gay. And no - dancing does not "make" you gay. These are all statements that I have heard throughout my dance career. What most people don't realize is that dancing benefits girls AND boys in a number of ways, and is immensely helpful for boys who play sports. Here is a list of benefits of dance for both genders:
- gross motor skill development
- muscle development
- strength and endurance
It is also important for people to note that a number of professional male athletes take dance lessons. Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon has been quoted as saying that "ballet is harder than anything else [he does]." He goes on to say that ballet has helped to strengthen his knees, ankles, and feet and has helped him to avoid injury. Other professional athletes have begun taking ballet as well, including pros in baseball and basketball. Also, a number of professional sports teams have begun including ballet, yoga, and pilates in their workout regimen.
If your son or a boy you know is interested in taking dance lessons but you are afraid of what other people might say, please take a moment to Google ballet and NFL players. It is our job as adults to change this stereotype and let boys know that dance is not just for girls.


Ever since Learning Prep School opened its doors in 1970, staff have been involved in, not only helping students learn academic skills, but also recognizing the importance of positive social skills and the significance they hold for each student’s social development. Early on, students were taught “social skills”, also known as social pragmatics. Students were taught behaviors and skills which helped them initiate and maintain conversations and friendships, and behaviors that helped them learn. However, in 2012 Learning Prep began an initiative which has changed the way we think about social skills as well as the way we go about supporting our student’s social and emotional development.
The new initiative is based on the ground breaking work of Michelle Garcia Winner, a speech and language pathologist who has dedicated much of her life to working with clients of all ages who struggle socially. Through her research of social development and theory, as well as her own struggles helping her clients understand the increasing complexities of the ever-changing social world, she developed a curriculum and vocabulary which addresses the roots of social challenges. Michelle’s new approach to supporting people with social communication challenges is called Social Thinking©. Social Thinking is the thinking/understanding/knowledge that lies behind our social behaviors. It is why we do what we do – socially. However, Social Thinking (aka. Social Cognition) does not only positively impact our student’s “social skills”, but also their emotion and physical regulation, academic, and job-related skills.
Students at Learning Prep School are now benefiting from this curriculum. In 2012 an extensive training program began in which LPS Counselors, Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Transition Staff (including Job Coaches), were trained in the core theory and constructs of Social Thinking. They then learned strategies and activities to teach these constructs to students. Phase II of training has focused on providing academic and elective instructors the same foundational knowledge and the strategies for supporting their students. Throughout the program, staff have a common understanding of the foundational skills and knowledge which create successful social communication, and the strategies and language which help to foster the development of these skills. Staff use a wide variety of strategies and approaches to meet the individual needs of our students as well as the overarching core values that meet the needs of all students.
Social Thinking is just one of many approaches which we use. Other strategies include:


Language and Literacy Acquisition
The UACM program, with support from US DOE OELA’s grant, “Quality Instruction for English Learners,” provides future and current educators with development on guiding young children’s language and literacy development within the classroom setting. All literacy courses meet on-site at partner institutions (elementary schools and summer camp) with culturally and linguistically diverse children to allow opportunities to practice literacy methods learned during class. Within the time devoted to class, university students learn about a method, try it out (with guidance and support), and have the opportunity to debrief immediately afterwards with the same course instructor who presented the initial methods content. Outside of class, they are reading about the method, watching video of experienced teachers engaging in the practice, creating their own lesson plans, and engaging in classroom-based action research projects.
UACM language and literacy experiences address questions such as:
- What does effective literacy instruction look like in classrooms where cultural and linguistic diversity are treated as strengths?
- How can teachers use oral language to facilitate student development of reading and writing print language?
Working from the understanding that it is the teacher that makes the biggest difference within educational contexts, language and literacy focused teacher preparation prioritizes activities that cultivate thoughtful professionals.
Partner School Inquiry Groups
Grade-level teacher groups at our partner school designed professional learning projects to address an instructional goal and inquiry question: Bridging literacy… more »


The curriculum at The Batt School is designed to enthuse, challenge and encourage our children to develop both their knowledge and skills in every area of Primary school learning. We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that has the individual child at the heart of everything we do.
We believe that our curriculum enables pupils to foster a love of learning, develop life-long skills and engage in first-hand experiences that challenge, stimulate and promote their thinking. The central aims of our curriculum are to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve; to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. Through a well-planned and organised curriculum, effectively taught by qualified, enthusiastic and committed teachers, pupils are helped to:
- Develop the essential literacy and numeracy skills they need to learn;
- Develop the attitudes, understanding and skills to become successful, independent learners;
- Work toward achieving their potential;
- Develop lively enquiring minds
- Develop personal values, qualities and attitudes and be respectful other people and their views and opinions;
- Foster their creativity;
- Develop appreciation and concern for the environment;
- Work co-operatively with others;
- Gain a joy and commitment to learning that will last a lifetime.
Our curriculum is designed to reflect our aims and to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and other government guidance. Please see the 2014 National Curriculum on the government’s Department for Education website via the link to the left.
In line with statutory requirements, the children are formally assessed at the end of Key Stage One (Year Two) and at the end of Key Stage Two (Year Six SATs). The results of these assessments are published by the government and are available in the Information section of this website. In addition to these end of key stage tests, the children are assessed at three points during the year – Autumn, Spring and Summer, as well as ongoing formative assessments, which enables the staff to monitor progress effectively and set appropriate individual targets.


So You Think You Know Barbershop?Posted on
This regular series is intended for music educators and others interested in knowing more about this unique vocal style. Most importantly, our goal is to provide support for musicians and constructive solutions for singers.
So you think you know barbershop?
Admit it: the go-to image in your mind of barbershop music is four guys in striped vests and boater hats. From the Dapper Dans serenading Disney World park attendees to Jimmy Fallon’s Ragtime Gals juxtaposing off-color pop songs with the squeaky-clean image of the barbershop quartet, the notion of the barbershop singers certainly is iconic. But barbershop is so much more than that!
African American Roots, Jazz Flavorings
Barbershop is an American form of a cappella singing that has African American roots and jazz flavorings. It includes turn-of-the-century Americana melodies, the Tin Pan Alley oeuvre, and jazz standards. But barbershop singers have always sung the music of their day, so it shouldn’t surprise you to hear tunes like Maroon 5’s “Sugar” or Estelle’s “American Boy” covered in this fun, accessible style.
Rewarding Art Form
Barbershop is a rewarding genre of music that is accessible for beginning students, but can also provide a enjoyable challenge for accomplished singers, notwithstanding the combination of voice parts in your vocal groups. Barbershop singing emphasizes proper vocal technique; in fact, there is no barbershop-specific singing technique. Good singing is good singing, and barbershop asks for that.
Barbershop can help you build strong musicians. It teaches ear training, sight singing, harmonization, and ensemble skills like balance and tuning. Try teaching a tag during your classroom warm-ups. A tag is the term used in jazz and barbershop that means the coda of a song; it typically is just a few measures and has a flourish of chord changes. This opportunity allows one to focus on vowel unification and intervallic relationships found in just intonation.
For a challenge, give an accessible song like Auld Lang Syne or Love Me Tender (Aura Lee) to a foursome and let them teach themselves. These free charts also work great as Solo and Ensemble pieces (check your local state requirements). One important emphasis that barbershop teaches is the art of heartfelt performance, as this quartet demonstrates.
There are many opportunities for your students to become involved. Check out the many resources for youth outreach available: quartet contests, chorus festivals, camps, educational resources, scholarships, and more!
Barbershop Singing Is For All
Listen to men sing in a quartet or in a chorus; experience women singing excellent barbershop in a quartet or in a chorus. Barbershop singing is also for mixed quartets and choruses. If you haven’t taken a look at barbershop recently, take a look it now!
For questions about how to effectively use barbershop in your music classrooms, contact Steve Scott, Music Education Specialist for the Barbershop Harmony Society: firstname.lastname@example.org.
Picture 1: Dapper Dans of Main Street, USA and Ragtime Gals.
Picture 2: New Zealand’s Musical Island Boys, BHS 2014 international quartet champion
Picture 3: youth from the NextGen Chorus under the direction of Dr. Chris Peterson
Picture 4: The Ladies, SAI 2016 Rising Star Champions and Pratt Street Power BHS 2016 international youth quartet champion.


Recently President Obama presented the distinguished Presidential Medal of Freedom to several deserving recipients, and although posthumous Shirley Chisholm’s name was rightfully one of those to top the list. She was an unflinching champion of minority education and employment opportunities for all. Shirley Chisholm didn’t get into or stay in politics for the back door wheeling and dealing, the kickbacks or wealth. She strived to uplift herself and the African American community while proclaiming “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”
Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, Shirley Chisholm began her professional career as a teacher. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946, and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Columbia University.
Before there was a Barack Obama, who would become the United States first African American President there was Shirley Chisholm. In 1968, she made history by becoming the first African American to earn election to Congress, where she worked on the Education and Labor Committee and helped form the Congressional Black Caucus. A few years later she would set a precedent making history again by becoming the first black woman of a major party to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Chisholm also authored two books: “Unbought & Unbossed” (1970) and “The Good Fight” (1973).
Not one to shy away from the truth or harsh reality Shirley Chisholm was well aware of the challenges that awaited her regarding her being a woman as well being black in the political arena. One of her most well know quotes was “Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal… in the end anti-black, anti-female and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing: anti-humanism.” She was a dignitary, an African American woman who happened to be a politician, not a politician who just happened to be an African-American woman. She fought for her place in society and on the behalf of others like her.


Tigers Run Fast, I Read Fast!
Students review what it means to be a fluent reader. With a partner, they practice reading and rereading the same material. They mark the time and record their improvement on a chart. They also count how many words they read in the time given.
5 Views 9 Downloads
- Activities & Projects
- Graphics & Images
- Lab Resources
- Learning Games
- Lesson Plans
- Primary Sources
- Printables & Templates
- Professional Documents
- Study Guides
- Writing Prompts
- AP Test Preps
- Lesson Planet Articles
- Interactive Whiteboards
- All Resource Types
- Show All
See similar resources:
Preparing for Guided Reading
Take your guided reading lesson plans to the next level with a collection of printables, templates, and reference tools equipped to support the reading needs of your readers. Included is a detailed information page, grouping sheet,...
K - 5th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
“I Can” Common Core! Kindergarten Language
With a positive attitude kids can do just about anything, including master the Common Core. Reading foundational skills and language development is the focus of this great "I can" checklist made especially for learners in kindergarten....
K English Language Arts CCSS: Designed
Folk and Fairy Tale Readers: The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
Support the growth of your emergent readers with this printable version of the classic fable "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse." Including supporting illustrations and simple dialogue, this story is perfect for developing the fluency...
Pre-K - 3rd English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Camping Literacy Pack
Increase camping vocabulary just in time for summer with a camping themed literacy pack. Use word cards and sentence cards to enhance fluency, build vocabulary, and strengthen writing skills. The activities are perfect for centers,...
1st - 3rd English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Reading Practice: Boris the Brainiest Baby
Boris is the smartest baby around! Beginning readers can use this short story excerpt to practice reading comprehension and fiction elements. They read the story and then discuss what they think he will do next. Scholars create an...
K - 2nd English Language Arts CCSS: Designed
Read and Stop! See How Fast You Go!
Repeated reading is an excellent technique you can use to increase oral reading speed and fluency. Students listen to the teacher model fluent oral reading, then work with a partner and read orally. They complete an individual assessment...
1st - 2nd English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable


When students don’t have technology access at home, they miss out on a lot of benefits — a crucial one being tech-savvy parents who can support their digital learning journey.
Schools can send kids home with technology, but where can they turn for help with their online homework? Who will iron out their technology glitches at home? Who will help them safely navigate the digital world outside of school hours?
Since parents in high-poverty areas often have even less experience with technology than their children, they’re unable to model its effective use in their daily lives. This limits their ability to do everything from monitoring their children’s school performance online to improving their employment situation.
“We get a lot of parents asking for computer classes for themselves,” says Nadia Hillman, executive director of elementary education for the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). “Computer skills for parents were top on the list of things they know they need if they want to be able to help their kids. But many don’t have the resources to buy a computer, or they don’t have easy online access at home.”
So how do you build parent technology capacity in a district with 56,000 students, where nine in 10 live in poverty and 60 percent are English learners? As the largest district in Orange County, Calif., SAUSD needed to find a way to meet the overwhelming demand for adult technology training.
“We want parents to have the capacity to not only support their students, but to really have their own technological ability to engage with the world,” Hillman says. “Knowing our parents are our partners in all this, we need them to have a firm understanding of how technology can improve their lives.”
The answer turned out to be simple: Instead of training parents to use computers, the district is teaching them to become technology leaders, giving them the skills they need to go forth and train others. Through its Digital Citizenship Academy, the district has supplied more than 150 parents from 43 schools with curriculum and resources for leading digital citizenship classes of their own.
“Now we have these parents in our community who are leaders in own neighborhood schools.” Hillman says. “We’ve got cohorts of neighbors and friends and family members who want to build their capacity to help their neighbors get email, or know what it means when their nephew or niece is talking about digital assessments.”
Parents teaching parents
Elevating early adopters into leadership roles isn’t a new strategy. Many tech integration initiatives rely heavily on teacher-leaders who are on the ground sharing ideas and building proficiency among their peers. These folks often have greater reach than school or district administrators.
It’s true for parents too. In fact, in districts with a large population of English learners, parents who lack technology skills may be reluctant to seek help from educators. Fellow parents, however, can seem far more approachable.
“We’re very dense, with people living together in closely knit communities. Many parents are connected to their neighborhood school but may not be willing to come to the district office for training,” Hillman says. “We want to open up this global world for parents within their local school. That’s where the Digital Citizenship Academy really works, because we have parents who can help each other.”
More than just digital citizenship
Curriculum for the Digital Citizenship Academy is threefold.
First, it helps parents build fundamental technology skills using the same tools their kids are using at school. They learn how to perform basic functions like set up an email account or search the web. Second, it teaches them online safety and digital citizenship practices they can model for their kids.
“By using technology as part of the instructional program, it becomes more than just making sure kids aren’t cruising the internet on questionable websites,” Hillman says. “It’s more about how they can use technology in productive ways in their own adult lives.”
Finally, the academy trains participants to lead their own training sessions for other parents within their school community. Schools are even equipped to provide technology and logistical support for parent-led computer classes, ensuring parents have everything they need to keep paying it forward.
“We know that technology is the key to all of us who are working individuals. Every kind of job requires some interface with technology,” she says. “Students will need to be flexible and nimble. That’s our goal. We need parents to see that as their goal too.”


Fall is the season for pumpkins, leaves, and acorns. This fall, bring some fall into your science classroom when you make this stretchy and glittery fall slime recipe! Kids will love playing with this slime so much, they won’t realize they are learning all about chemical bonds.
Fall Slime Science Experiment
Follow these steps to make glittery fall slime. The brown and gold colors mix beautifully to make a rich brown slime that mimics the look of fall leaves and acorns. Hold this slime up to the light to reveal just how pretty of a color brown can be!
You’ll need just a few ingredients:
- Gold glitter
- Elmer’s clear glue
- Liquid laundry starch
We like to use a slime ratio that is one part glue, one part starch, and 3/4 of a part water.
Mix the glitter, food coloring, water, and glue with a fork.
Add the starch and stir.
In some cases, the slime won’t set right away. If this happens, let it rest a few minutes then come back and stretch it. Keep stretching and folding until the slime is no longer cloudy and it is no longer sticky.
Isn’t science amazing?
Ask your kids why they think the chemicals react in this way. Have they seen other materials combine like this to make a slimy texture? How is this process similar and different from cooking and other simple chemical experiments?
Fall Slime Science Explained
Slime is a wonderful sensory play material, but it also has strong connections to science. Slime forms when the molecules in the starch bond with the molecules in the glue, creating stretchy, flexible, polymer bonds that are no longer sticky and tons of fun to play with. When making slime, kids can learn about the types of bonds and the importance of following directions precisely during any science activity. Ask your kids to try a variety of ingredients to see if they can replicate slime-like bonding with any other ingredients. You might just discover a new recipe for amazing slime!
More fun science for kids:


Linking core subjects; science and mathematics RA113 / E03
Collecting, analysing and presenting data in science requires and provides opportunity for the use and development of mathematical skills.
Throughout this course, you will identify how to maximise your pupils opportunities to develop their numeracy skills and improve attainment in science by planning lessons in which children effectively handle data.
You will be able to:
- plan science activities that develop mathematical skills
- identify the progression of mathematical and science skills
- use science activities to effectively assess mathematical skills
|Linking core subjects; science and mathematics||08 December 2017 13:00-16:00|
|State-funded school or college||£75.00 +VAT|
|Fee-paying school or college (independent)||£150.00 +VAT|
Interested In this course?
Sign up to receive our emails to hear about the latest CPD available


Current research stresses the importance of parent involvement in their children 's academic development. Parents reading and writing with their young children is shown to prepare them for the benefits of for ma I education. Studies completed on parent participation in early literacy activities have tended to look at mothers ' role. Few researchers have investigated the contributions fathers have made. The results of a study completed on father-child early literacy practices are presented. Fathers reported engaging in reading and writing activities with their children for three reasons: To prepare their children for school, to bond with their children, and to assist their children in language skill development. Recommendations are provided on how to encourage fathers to participate in early literacy practices
"Chipping Away at the Monolith: Dispelling the Myth of Father Noninvolvement in Children's Early Literacy Development,"
Journal of Family Strengths: Vol. 3
, Article 7.
Available at: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol3/iss2/7


M and Dad are back from the mountains. First they have to mix the dirt they dug up from the mountains with store-bought organic soil to create the optimal soil mixture. M helps Dad cut open the package of store-bought soil with her Muji scissors.
M scoops in soil from the bag, while Dad dumps in dirt from the mountain.
M crawls into the bucket to help mix the dirt and soil.
Dad dumps the soil mixture into the trough. M helps to smooth it out.
We’ve been collecting vegetable scraps for two days. They add it to the soil as worm food. It’s raining and M looks pooped in this picture, but trust me, in real life, she’s still going!
Dad adds the worms to the soil. Apparently, these red wrigglers help produce the best planting soil. We think we might even start a worm farm! Dad covers up the worms and food with another layer of soil. The worms need one week to do their magic before we start planting.
The next day, we add more worms. Even B can’t resist getting involved – once you get past the ‘ewww’ factor, they are really fun. Even I’m hooked!
If you’re looking for a reason to plant with your children, consider these benefits:
- Sensorial exploration (wet, cold soil and wriggly worms)
- Gross motor skill development (treading wet mountainous soil while carrying a pail and shovel)
- Fine motor skill development (cutting, scooping, mixing, spreading vegetable scraps, picking up small worms)
- Appreciation for nature/cycle of life (composting, preparing the soil, planting)
- Language development (‘gardening trough,’ ‘composting,’ ‘prepping the garden bed,’ ‘red wrigglers,’ ‘starter plants,’ ‘clay soil’ vs ‘sandy soil’ – even I had to learn these!)
But my favorite part of this whole process is watching how much effort M puts into it. She uses her whole body to dig, transfer, mix and pat. There’s nothing better than watching young children use maximum effort to engage in tasks they’re interested in. And after a few hours of work like this, M (who usually hates napping) is out like a light-bulb at nap time and stays asleep for THREE straight hours!
More gardening posts to come!


Geometry stands for:
geo which means earth and metria which means measure.
A major contributor to the field of geometry was Euclid - 325 BC
who is typically known as the Father of Geometry and is famous for his works called The Elements. As one progresses through the grades, Euclidian geometry (Plane Geometry) is a big part of what is studied. However, non-Eucledian geometry will become a focus in the later grades and college math.
Simply put, geometry is the study of the size, shape and position of 2 dimensional shapes and 3 dimensional figures. However, geometry is used daily by almost everyone. In geometry, one explores spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Geometry is found everywhere: in art, architecture, engineering, robotics, land surveys, astronomy, sculptures, space, nature, sports, machines, cars and much more.
When taking geometry, spatial reasoning and problem solving skills will be developed. Geometry is linked to many other topics in math, specifically measurement and is used daily by architects, engineers, architects, physicists and land surveyors just to name a few. In the early years of geometry the focus tends to be on shapes and solids, then moves to properties and relationships of shapes and solids and as abstract thinking progresses, geometry becomes much more about analysis and reasoning.
Geometry is in every part of the curriculum K-12 and through to college and university. Since most educational jurisdictions use a spiraling curriculum, the concepts are re-visited throughout the grades advancing in level of difficulty. Typically in the early years, learners identify shapes and solids, use problem solving skills, deductive reasoning, understand transformations, symmetry and use spatial reasoning. Throughout high school there is a focus on analyzing properties of two and three dimensional shapes, reasoning about geometric relationships and using the coordinate system. Studying geometry provides many foundational skills and helps to build the thinking skills of logic, deductive reasoning, analytical reasoning and problem solving to name just a few.
Some of the tools often used in geometry include: Compass, protractors, squares, graphing calculators, Geometer's Sketchpad, rulers etc.
The grade by grade goals section (scroll down) will give more specific details of the geometry concepts expected in grades Pre-K to 12.
Bu sayfa hakkında yorum ekle:


Developing fine motor skills in 3-year-olds
Explore suggestions to encourage and refine fine motor skill development in 3-year-olds.
At age 3, children are developing fine motor control: they’re more able to move their fingers independently, using them in more complex tasks such as holding writing utensils like an adult, cutting with scissors and making more complex and precise drawings. They have also developed more spatial awareness, allowing them to be more intentional in play. For example, they may be able to stack numerous blocks, unbutton buttons, thread beads and eat with a fork. Using their special awareness along with more developed fine motor skills enables them to complete tasks they weren’t able to a few months ago.
Michigan State University Extension suggests the following activities for children to take part in to develop fine motor skills:
- Dressing and undressing dolls
- Playing with blocks
- Threading beads
- Sand play
- Using different size containers for water play
- Tearing paper for collages
- Manipulating zippers and snaps
For parents who are having difficulty getting their children to engage in activities that are helpful in skill building, try putting away some of the toys laying that don’t encourage skill development, only giving your child access to the toys that promote skills your child may need to work on. Children also tend to play longer if parents are active with their children during their play sessions.
You can check out the American Academy of Pediatrics website for more ideas or see these articles on theMSU Extension website:
- MSU Extension educator Elizabeth Gutierrez suggests that parents and children engage in the four types of play to help them refine motor skills, physical skills, learn to problem-solve and regulate emotions in her article “Playing with Children Encourages a Variety of Skills.”
- MSU Extension educator Kittie Butcher explains that every area of development – physical, cognitive, communication and social/emotional – can be enhanced when children engage in pretend play or make believe in her article “Childhood Pretend Play Builds Critical Skills for Late Years.”


Korea has been had national curriculum. As the view about curriculum has been changed, teachers'
authority about curriculum has been enhanced and expanded since the 6th Revised National
Curriculum. Teachers have the duty and right not only to reconstruct curriculum in order to meet
students' needs and situations but also to interpret curriculum with critical view and to reflect it to
practice. However, all of these must be based on understanding about the curriculum. It is
necessary to know the meaning of curriculum terms to understand curriculum. Therefore, I
researched teachers' understanding about curriculum terms in 2009 Revised National Art
Curriculum. It is found that teachers have difficulties to understand the meaning of terms which
are used often in art education(sensitivity, systematic idea, perception) and important terms to
understand the art curriculum(communication, elements and principle of art, art criticism, art history,
perception). And, teachers answered that curriculum terms related with the concepts that have been
added recently in the art curriculum(visual culture, synethesia) and curriculum terms used to
describe ideal human images(multiple value, character building) are difficult to understand too.


Click on the image to the left to visit one of NASA's websites for young students to explore space. Each planet is listed. Click on the name of the planet you would like to learn more about to visit a webpage with lots of facts and links to photos.
KidsAstronomy.com Visit this website to find facts about each planet, learn about our Solar System, and play interactive astronomy games.
NASA: A Kid-Friendly Solar System Learn facts about each planet in our Solar System with this easy to navigate website. Click on the image to the left to navigate to this page on NASA's website. The page will open in a separate tab in your internet browser. The portion of the site with facts about each planet will be in a pop-up window on your screen.
Science for Kids By clicking on the image to the left, the link will open within a new tab of your browser. This is a direct link to the Planets Facts page on the Science for Kids website. Find the planet you are researching, click on the link, and read to learn about the planet.
The Solar System Click on the image to the left to open this webpage in a tab within your web browser. Here you can research each planet by clicking on the each planet.
The Eight Planets- Just for Kids Learn about each planet in our Solar System with this interactive website. Click on the image to the left and the link will open within another tab of your internet browser.
Crazy4Computers.net / Site Created by Amy Spalt / All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2017 Please DO NOT contact me to add your content to my website. This site is maintained for educational purposes for my K-5 students.


Russian History - Policy of Alexander I
The epoch of Alexander I was distinguished by a number of liberal reforms, which weakened the serfdom traditions. Russia’s elementary education became free. Under Alexander I Dagestan and North Azerbaijan joined Russia.
Russia waged a lot of wars. The wars with Turkey (1806 – 1812) and Sweden (1808 – 1809) were victorious resulting in annexation of Finland (1809) and Bessarabia (1812). By 1812 the war with France, which dreamed about world’s dominance, became inevitable. At the head of his multi-thousand army Napoleon headed for Moscow on June 12, 1812. The Russian army was under the command of Mikhail Kutuzov. The crucial battle took place near the village of Borodino. Although the losses borne by Russian army were not as significant as French’s, Kutuzov issued the order to abandon Moscow without resistance. Having stayed in Moscow for less than a month, Napoleon realized that he had been entrapped. Napoleon left for France. In October 1813 near Leipzig Napoleon’s army was defeated. In March 1814 Russian troops headed by Alexander I entered Paris. The war was over. By the order of Vienna Congress significant part of Poland along with Warsaw was annexed to Russia.


A complete list of career opportunities related to music would be impossible to
compile. Below are some obvious and not-so-obvious jobs that music majors have
taken (and, in some situations, created) in their chosen field.
Music Teaching in Elementary and Secondary Schools
-- Clearly, the largest number of full-time music teaching positions exists in
public and private schools.
In preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools, and day-care centers, the music
teacher provides guidance for activities such as singing, listening, playing instruments,
moving and dancing, composing, and experimenting with music patterns.
Teachers, supervisors, or directors of music in middle, junior high, and senior
high schools provide direction for choral and instrumental organizations, small
ensembles, and musical theater productions.
Music Teaching in Post-Secondary Schools
-- Music teachers at institutions of higher education usually are expected to
specialize in one or two areas, such as music theory, music history and literature,
music education, musicology, performance, electronic music, composition, conducting,
or music therapy.
In many cases, college faculties are recruited from people who have had successful
professional careers as performers or as music teachers. A college music educator,
however, usually must have earned at least a master's degree in music.
-- With increased awareness of the rights of children and adults with disabilities,
the importance of trained music therapists has increased. These highly- skilled
individuals combine music, teaching, and therapy to help persons with disabilities
improve their physical and mental health. Emotional stability and insight are essential
for competent therapists.
-- To many young people, music performance as a career means giving concerts.
The glamour of becoming a concert artist attracts many people, but opportunities
for a career in music performance are very limited, and great perseverance and
stamina are required for success. In addition to solo performance careers, there
are performance opportunities in chamber music, folk, rock, and pop music, as well
as free-lance concert and studio opportunities. Performance careers differ widely
and depend a great deal upon the instrument played and the performance medium.
-- A career as a church music director or organist combines music performance
and teaching. Most musicians for religious institutions are employed part-time,
although large congregations may employ a full-time music director or minister
of music. In addition to being competent performers, church or temple musicians
must understand music composition, transposition, and arranging, and must be familiar
with the theology and liturgy of worship.
Composer and Conductor
-- Very few composers make a living from composing, but the nonmonetary rewards
for writing classical or popular music are great. Some composers earn a living
arranging music for school performance groups or writing music for radio or television
advertising. Successful composers receive commissions to write for specific occasions,
ensembles, soloists, or institutions.
-- The music industry is broad in scope and encompasses retail, wholesale, manufacturing,
importing, exporting, publishing, recording, repair and rebuilding, tuning, and
other businesses. Persons who are successful in the music industry have education
and training in both music and business.
-- The television and radio industries encompass a wide range of careers, including
composition, scoring, production, editing, clearing copyrights, and licensing.
Career opportunities are available at television and radio stations, production
houses, postproduction facilities, and a host of related organizations involved
in producing and distributing programming for television and radio.
-- Colleges and public libraries offer opportunities for trained music specialists
with knowledge of library and research techniques. Music librarians are involved
in research and reference, indexing, cataloging, selecting materials for purchase,
and community relations. Skills in handling computerized information are increasingly
-- In addition to the careers in music mentioned above, some opportunities exist
for musicologists, music business attorneys, architectural acoustic consultants,
and arts administrators. In the publishing industry, most large newspapers and
magazines and many smaller periodicals hire a music reporter or critic who combines
knowledge and enjoyment of music with a writing or editing career. Other careers
include music historian, biographer, and lyricist.
For more information, visit:
or contact the
LaGrange College Career Center
at (706) 880-8177.


Encouraging a civic literacy: A pedagogy of self -reflection, agency, and action
Students enter college composition courses with preconceived ideas about literacy. Literacy myths restrict the ways that students engage in writing activities and limit their development and perceptions of themselves as writers. To overcome these barriers, writers should become active participants in the construction of their literacy development. ^ A composition pedagogy should encourage writers to redefine their literacy as continuously changing and as a fluid concept—a literacy of possibilities. Composition researchers and pedagogues should find ways to re-conceptualize literacy as fluid changing from context to context—or, as Deborah Brandt (1998) suggests, literacy in flux. Jay Robinson (1998) calls for a pedagogy that encourages civic literacy among students: developing agency, engaging in conversations, and drawing on Freire's “praxis,” taking actions that produce change based on critical self-reflection. ^ This study contends that a pedagogy of civic literacy encourages writers to critically reflect on their literacy practices in different genres and contexts. Literacy narratives provide opportunities for writers to engage in necessary critical self-reflection. ^ This qualitative teacher-research study examines the literacy narratives of fifteen writers in a first-year composition course. Student-written narratives were analyzed to determine ways in which continuous self-reflective writing encouraged civic literacy. Discourse analysis of students' narratives was conducted. Descriptions of the category development process and coding system are provided. Three criteria are indicated that suggest awareness of civic literacy in students' narratives in this study. ^ Literacy narratives are valuable genres for writers to reflect on their literacy development. Reflective writing helps students to (1) identify roles and responsibilities as writers; (2) define literacy as continuous rhetorical choices and as a fluid process; and (3) become active participants in their literacy development. As active participants, students are encouraged to engage in civic literacy, to enact change through writing, and to contribute to a broader critical dialogue on literacy issues. A composition pedagogy that asks writers to be self-reflective, re-define their “literacies,” and use writing to enact changes in communities encourages a civic literacy. Conclusions suggest that literacy narratives offer pedagogical benefits and benefits to writers. Further composition research is needed to explore connections between self-reflective discourse and civic literacy. ^
Language, Rhetoric and Composition
Susan L DeRosa,
"Encouraging a civic literacy: A pedagogy of self -reflection, agency, and action"
Dissertations and Master's Theses (Campus Access).


Mathematics classes are set by ability and prior attainment and taught by enthusiastic maths teachers. Mathematics is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. Our high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Key Stage 3: Years 7-9
KS3 pupils study Number, Geometry, Statistics and Algebra throughout years 7 to 9 at varying levels of depth and difficulty depending on their year group and ability. They also have dedicated time in lessons devoted to improving their numeracy skills. This prepares them well for National Testing, GCSE examinations during years 10 and 11 and of course life in the real world.
We aim to ensure that all pupils:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Pupils sit both a Procedural and Reasoning examination during years 7, 8 and 9 around Easter time, these tests are set by the Government. Pupils are full prepared by their classroom teachers for these tests and are given plenty of practise materials so pupils can carry out independent study outside of the classroom.
Our More Able and Talented Mathematicians are given extra opportunities to extend their subject knowledge and develop deeper thinking skills. One of the opportunities we provide is an exclusive invitation to participate in the elite United Kingdom Mathematics Trust junior and intermediate challenge papers. The examinations are designed to test and challenge pupil’s problem solving skills and certificates are awarded at Bronze, Silver and Gold, at a National level.
Pupils of all abilities are invited and encouraged to attend Maths revision sessions after school where they can get help with homework, study for upcoming tests or simply get help with something they didn’t fully understand in class.
Key Stage 4: Years 10 and 11
The programme of study for Key Stage 4 pupils is designed to extend and deepen skills introduced during Key Stage 3.
GCSE Mathematics will build on and progress from the levels of mathematics expected at the end of KS3 through the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Mathematics. Whilst GCSE Numeracy will assess the mathematics that learners will need in their everyday lives, in the world of work and in other general curriculum areas. GCSE Mathematics will extend to aspects of mathematics needed for progression to scientific, technical or further mathematical study.
This specification will encourage learners to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study. It will help learners to develop confidence in, and a positive attitude towards, mathematics and to recognise the importance and relevance of mathematics to their everyday lives and to society.
Pupils undertake the two GCSE qualifications during the summer term of year 10. Both the Numeracy and Mathematics GCSE’s constitute of two papers: Unit 1 – Non calculator and Unit 2 – Calculator allowed. Both GCSE’s are graded independently of one another. Each unit makes up 50% of the final grade.
The GCSE awarding body WJEC offers 3 tiers of examination level. Pupils will be entered for the examination tier that their teacher is confident that they can succeed in. The three tiers of entry for these qualifications are as follows:
- Higher tier – grades A*-C
- Intermediate tier – grades E-B
- Foundation tier – grades D-G
Pupils have the opportunity to re sit both their Numeracy and Mathematics GCSE’s during November and June of year 11 should they need to in order to reach/exceed their expected grade.
Pupils are expected to be focused and work extremely hard in their Maths lessons in order to reach their full potential. They are also encouraged to study outside of the classroom and are provided with both physical and online resources to help them with their independent revision.
Maths revision sessions are also held Tuesday – Friday every week after school in the lead up to the examinations. Pupils will work through topics they are struggling with and revise using past paper examinations in order to prepare. This is the perfect opportunity for pupils to receive extra help and they are encouraged to take full advantage of this opportunity.


Bloom is a generative music application for iOS. Created by one of popular music’s most influential and innovative figures Brain Eno and cutting-edge musician and software designer Peter Chilvers. The software plays a low drone and when touching the screen, it produces different tones, which play in a loop. You can download it from an app store on tablets.
Music technology specialist and practitioner David Ashworth has provided a free resource for music teachers which demonstrates how Bloom works – covering the essential functionality of the app. It goes on to consider how teachers might use this resource with their students, by suggesting a range of activities.
The activities are not intended to be prescriptive: they can be used flexibly. These can be adapted or modified so that many will be appropriate for students from upper KS2 – KS4 and in some SEND situations.
This helpful resource is being made freely available to all classroom music teachers across Lancashire.
To access your free download, get in touch with David Ashworth via the Contact Me page on this website www.davidashworth.org.uk Leave your name and school to receive a free download code.
David Ashworth has been helping teachers and their students use music technology effectively for over 20 years. He writes articles, blogs, gives conference and INSET presentations and makes highly regarded, best selling resources for many of the top organisations in music education. Recent clients include BBC, Music Sales, Scholastic, Rhinegold Publications and Friday Afternoons. He was the editor of the pioneering Teaching Music website, bringing music teachers together to share and collaborate in an online space


Learning a second language can sometimes pose difficulties, especially for students who have had limited or interrupted schooling in their first language. As a result, they can sometimes find themselves falling behind their peers which can affect their self-confidence and self-esteem. To support English as a Second Language (ESL) students at CBS, we offer both in-school and after-school ESL support.
In-School ESL Support:
Working with the classroom teacher, our qualified ESL teachers focus on providing small-group instruction in the core elements of phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and writing. While much of the instruction takes place within the classroom, there may be short periods of time when students are withdrawn to provide more intensive instruction and support.
Our after-school intervention program offers additional support for students, as identified by teachers and/or parents. This support is intended to build on the foundational skills introduced in the classroom setting. Students continue to develop Language and Math skills in this program, led by the homeroom teacher with an effort to bridge gaps and improve the performance of students and be able to raise them to the appropriate levels of achievement.
||Sunday: 02:45 - 03:15 pm|
|Monday: 02:45 - 03:15 pm|
|Math||Tuesday: 02:45 - 03:15pm|
The program begins on 1st October and runs for the whole year. Students will be grouped into 2 groups of 6-7 numbers each and will be given after school intervention support for 6 weeks continuously as per the schedule for subjects.


The shocking truth about Australia’s efforts to ‘close the gap’
by Peter Goss
The “gap” between Indigenous and other Australian school students in reading, writing and numeracy skills is even bigger than official figures show.
On the eve of the 10th annual “Closing the Gap” report to Federal Parliament, new research by the Grattan Institute shows that for some groups of Indigenous students, the difference is more a gulf than a gap.
It reveals that Year 9 Indigenous students in very remote parts of Australia are five years behind in numeracy, six years behind in reading, and seven-to-eight years behind in writing.
In other words, the average Year 9 Indigenous student in a very remote area scores about the same in NAPLAN reading as the average Year 3 non-Indigenous student in the city, and worse in writing.
In this submission to the Closing the Gap Refresh Initiative, Grattan’s School Education Program Director Peter Goss says the numbers are shocking, and warns that Australia won’t make the necessary policy changes unless we are willing to take a clear-eyed look at the real scale of the challenge.
The research, using a robust metric developed by Grattan Institute, shows the gap grows as students move through school.
At a national level, Year 9 Indigenous students are on average 3.0 years behind their non-Indigenous peers in numeracy, 3.4 years behind in reading, and 4.2 years behind in writing.
Those gaps have grown since the students were in Year 3, when Indigenous students ranged from being on average 1.2 years behind in numeracy to nearly two years behind in reading and writing.
In other words, Indigenous students make on average about two years less learning progress from Year 3 to Year 9 – a substantial progress gap.
This is true even in the cities and regions, where most Indigenous students live.
Dr Goss makes three recommendations designed to help close the gap, including ensuring that teachers in remote secondary schools have the training and support to teach basic reading, writing, and numeracy.
“These suggestions are far from sufficient. But they are part of the conversation we have to have,” he says.


African american literature is a composite of many different life stories and experiences african americans have had to endure throughout a lifetime from african. Renee stout born 1958 is a contemporary craftsman known for array fine arts managing her particular history and african-american heritage born in kansas, brought. African american racial images and stereotypes cultural do not necessarily reflect the views of uk essays african american stereotypes of the past. African american essays being african american has never been easy white america has always been stereotypical of black people, although blacks have. African american history essay writing service, custom african american history papers, term papers, free african american history samples, research papers, help.
African american education 5 pages 1323 words november 2014 saved essays save your essays here so you can locate them quickly. African american culture essay - sociology buy best quality custom written african american culture essay. Free african american culture papers, essays, and research papers.
African american essay, buy custom african american essay paper cheap, african american essay paper sample, african american essay sample service online. Npr coverage of best african american essays: 2009 by debra j dickerson and gerald early news, author interviews, critics' picks and more.
How were african- americans really treated in the 1920s and how did they feel about their treatment african- americans were mistreated and. In j african american essays v vygotsky and the recognition of their performance in the long term memory is the process of music education for example, kuhn, shaw. Free college essay african american history african american history i introduction african american history or black american history, a.
African american essays: over 180,000 african american essays, african american term papers, african american research paper, book reports 184 990 essays, term and. African american women irrespective of their race, religion & women were not seen as women in the society in the beginning of this century the woman, often. Best african american essays: 2009 [debra j dickerson, gerald early] on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers. The three main key sources of influence on the development of african american religion were the influences from the african past, borrowings from the patterns of.
African american culture the african american culture is one of the more diverse cultures out there many of these people practice different beliefs. Free african american papers, essays, and research papers.