DFID Uganda is re-engaging in the education sector after several years. This is the final report on a process of identifying and appraising options for supporting improvements in early grade learning outcomes, conducted by a team of consultants under the direction of the DFID Uganda Education Adviser.
The strategic case for intervening to improve learning outcomes in the early grades of primary education is based on the need to improve foundational skills so that children can acquire higher-level skills that will make them more productive and allow them to gain personal and social benefits. Learning outcomes, as measured by basic literacy and numeracy, are low.
The context of this investment is analysed. Overall, the system is short of funds and dependent on external project funding for any developmental activity. DFID is keen to align its programme with existing quality improvement activities.
From a long list of options for DFID involvement, three options have been selected for appraisal together. The options have been assigned scores against a set of criteria. The option that emerged as the preferred option is: strengthening the effectiveness of education management systems. This would work at both central and district levels to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education management, especially the management of teachers.
For the preferred option a Theory of Change has been developed. Then an economic appraisal sets out the assumptions about the effectiveness and efficiency of the preferred option in terms of costs and benefits. It shows the total benefit from the DFID intervention costing £34 million, using conservative assumptions, as being a net present value (NPV) of £279 million, or a NPV benefit/cost ratio of 12.2 (using an economic discount rate of 10%). The cost–benefit ratio for the intervention indicates that the programme is very clearly value for money. In efficiency terms, a reduction of repetition by 20% as a result of the programme would generate efficiency benefits of £52 million, a figure well over the undiscounted programme cost.


Last night Professor Pamela Snow and I ran a Bendigo Early Language and Literacy Community of Practice conversation via Zoom. We discussed ten common reading instruction myths. You can view the recording and access readings and resources via Pam's blog.
As part of this conversation I mentioned the continuum of reading instruction and the continuum of phonics instruction models that I have created to use with school leaders and teachers, to better understand their approach to teaching reading more broadly, as well as teaching the specifics of word-level reading. I find it helpful to reflect on where we stand and why, and what that might mean for the students we are tasked with teaching.
These models relate particularly to two common myths that were discussed:
Analytic and synthetic phonics are equally good.
Balanced Literacy is a reasonable compromise between Whole Language and Structured Literacy.
These two (probably imperfect) models can help us to understand why Balanced Literacy and Analytic Phonics are often so hard to define and measure. They exist on a continuum, therefore they mean different things to different people .
Continuum of reading instruction
Continuum of phonics instruction
I am looking forward to writing a reading instruction myths blogpost for Shaun Killian's excellent website later this month.
Start a conversation today. Where do you stand?


National Curriculum proposals in various subjects are now out for consultation. While it is important that teachers, trade unions and subject associations respond to these, it’s also important to develop a more general critique of the underlying principles behind them.
The new National Curriculum represents a reactionary step back –part of a more general programme of reversing progressive reform in education. Gove’s curriculum does not allow teachers the freedom promised in the 2010 White Paper The Importance of Teaching. On the contrary, its themes and organising principles are not considered to be educationally sound by the majority of practitioners and do not provide children and young people with the skills they need to cope with the challenge, but also the problems of the 21st century In particular:
- claims that the proposals are based on educational practices in high performing countries are misguided, selective and based on inaccurate data
- arguments about the need to return to a more ‘knowledge based’ curriculum are being used to narrow learning and to introduce emphasise particular interpretations of culture, traditions and values in subjects like history and English, rather than encouraging the ‘cultural diversity and responsible citizenship’ emphasised in the Experts Report
- ‘core’ subjects will be oversubscribed while others left largely to schools to interpret –reducing their status in the eyes of students and their parents
- rather than a ‘broad curriculum’, Gove restores traditional curriculum hierarchies, including the primacy of ‘academic’ learning over the practical and vocational, ‘hard facts’ rather than enquiry and critical thinking while there is little room for developing skills that promote personal and emotional development or encourage collaboration and oral self-confidence
- creativity and enjoyment at school will be reduced further
- Gove’s curriculum will be driven by assessment systems designed to divide students and lower aspirations. Attempts to ration exam success being considered appropriate for an economy where employment opportunities for young people are at their worst ever and a society where social mobility has gone into reverse
There are clear inequities that can serve as the basis for an immediate campaign. For example, phonics and reading tests for young children in primary schools. Requirements that children concentrate on learning tables or particular types of mathematical calculations at the expense of other numeracy skills. The introduction of new GCSE and A-level examinations that fewer will pass. A narrow ‘Kings and Queens’ history curriculum and the obsession with particular literary texts rather than others. Teaching and learning will continue to be dictated by external assessment requirements rather than learning needs.
With Labour promising little in the way of alternatives, there is an urgent need to reclaim the debate about the aims and principles behind the curriculum from Michael Gove and the Coalition. Producing an alternative curriculum framework that is based on principles of social justice and equality and that encourages young people to become self –confident, reflective but also critical citizens, must be central to any new national campaign to defend and promote state education.
In this respect discussion about the curriculum must also be a discussion about what education is for and in the context of continued economic decline, the marginalisation of young people from employment and the likelihood that more will see education as something that has failed them; what we can expect it to achieve.


Sorting Color Game
An ideal early childhood learning toy for learning colours while having fun. Featuring plastic tubes and large solid wood pieces, children have a choice of 2 ways to play: - By following the colour of the tubes to place the counters - By following the order indicated on the cards One of the very clever features is the interchangeable tubes, which provide added difficulty to prevent the activity from becoming repetitive. Comes with 12 patterns, 16 counters and 4 tubes of different colours. This product develops: Hand-eye coordination, awareness of shapes and colours. Pieces painted using water-based paints. Wood : plywood (tray), beech wood (blocks).


We follow the 2014 National Curriculum. Like Lancashire Education Authority, we call age related expectations at the end of the school year "Year * Secure" (eg Y5 Secure) and the higher level is called "Year * Greater Depth" (eg Y5 Greater Depth). The steps at Christmas and Easter are "entering" and "developing" -or "entering +" and "developing +" for the highest achieving children. Children achieving below expectations for their age are assessed according to the steps below their chronological age.
We assess children in years1, 3,4 and 5 using nationally recommended tests and according to the child's "everyday" work. Children in Year 2 and 6 are assessed in a similar way through the year and, of course, complete national statutory SATS at the end of the year. Year 1 children complete the national statutory phonics check at the end of the year.
In addition to assessing English and Maths, we assess all other subjects according to how the child has performed in class throughout the year, at the end of year in order to check that all children are progressing well in all areas.
Children who fall behind, or show signs of not reaching their full potential, are given additional small group/ individual help in order to accelerate their progress.
Assessment in the Early Years
On entry to Reception class in September, all children are currently assessed using a Baseline assessment, which is administered on a computer on a 1:1 basis. The results of this assessment are sent off to Durham and are standardised against other children of the same age nationally. Children are scored on basic Literacy and Numeracy skills with an average score being 100. This test is also administered at the end of the Reception year to show progress made during the year.
Throughout the year, children are assessed regularly through observations, which are collated in an individual learning journey.We use 'Development Matters' to assess the month bandings at which a child is working and also comment on ways in which children learn - 'Characteristics of Effective Learning' .
At the end of the Reception Year, we use the 'Early Year's Foundation Stage Profile' (EYFSP) to record each child's achievement. Children are given a score for each of the 17 area's of learning 1=emerging, 2=expected and 3=exceeding.
Children who score '2's' in their EYFSP, are likely to reach expected standards at the end of Key Stage One.


The day when baby starts eating solids is an exciting milestone for both of you. More and more parents are skipping the baby food aisle at the grocery store in favor of making their own baby food at home. Making homemade baby food has many advantages. Its easy to get started.
by Patricia Hughes
The day when baby starts eating solids is an exciting milestone for both of you. More and more parents are skipping the baby food aisle at the grocery store in favor of making their own baby food at home. Making homemade food for your baby has many advantages. It’s easy to get started. All you need are fresh foods and something for grinding, like a small hand held grinder or food processor.
Advantages of Making Your Own Baby Food
Fresh Ingredients: By the time you open the jar, the carrots inside are months old. When you cook and prepare pureed carrots at home, the vegetable is fresh. The difference in freshness is reflected in the taste. Your baby will enjoy the same fresh taste in his vegetables as you do in yours.
Fewer Additives: When you make your own food at home, your baby will ingest fewer food additives. Commercial baby foods often contain salt, butter or sugar. In addition, some contain unnecessary fillers, such as starch. These are used to thicken the food and have no nutritional value.
No Pesticide Exposure: Unless you buy only organic, the baby food will most likely have traces of pesticides and herbicides. If you are concerned about pesticide exposure, making your own baby food is a great option. You can use organic fruits and vegetables to ensure that the food your baby eats doesn’t contain pesticides.
Saves Money: Making your own baby food will save you money compared to the cost of commercial baby foods. If you have more than you need, you can freeze the rest and have more for another day. This saves even more money. Homemade baby food can be frozen in ice cube trays for easy storage. This allows you to remove only what you need from the tray and keep the rest frozen. Look for ice cube trays with a cover or cover the tray with plastic wrap. They can be found on the internet.
It’s Good for the Environment: “Going Green” has become mainstream in our culture. If you are concerned about your footprint on the planet, making your own baby food is a perfect fit. Consider the number of jars that need to be produced and then recycled, over the months your baby will eat it. When you add the impact of manufacture and shipping the baby food to your local store, the effect is even greater.
Making Baby Food
Introduce one food at a time to be sure your baby doesn’t have an allergic reaction. Bananas and avocados are good choices for first foods. Other good choices for early foods include apples, pears, peas, carrots, squash and sweet potatoes. Vegetables will need to be cooked prior to putting them in the grinder. Hard fruits, such as apples, can be cooked as well to soften them.
Once you have introduced a few foods and the baby hasn’t had a reaction, you can start combining foods. The combination of flavors increases interest in solids for some babies and gets your baby used to a variety of flavors and textures. When you puree the food, make it thinner for younger babies and thicker as the baby grows. Foods can be thinned with water or breast milk.
Patricia Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four. Patricia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. She has written extensively on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding. In addition, she has written about home décor and travel.
No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2007 All Rights Reserved


It’s not hard to see how automation is changing the nature of work in the U.S. From bank tellers to checkout lines, machines have begun to take on responsibilities formerly handled by human hands. Even outside the service industry, many assembly lines are now staffed by robots, displacing the manufacturing workers who once comprised the backbone of the U.S. economy.
To be sure, the job market is currently undergoing a radical transformation, upending old industries and creating new opportunities for enterprising individuals. That’s why it’s vitally important that you stay ahead of the increasing trend towards automation when deciding on your educational path.
What is Automation Anyway?
Automation is any task-based process that furthers the production of goods and services without the direct involvement of humans. Though humans may still be required for maintenance or occasional troubleshooting, they are unnecessary for the routine operation of such automated processes.
Automation may have begun with large, clunky machines performing rote tasks like on an assembly line, it has now reached into the information technology space and is even capable of working collaboratively with employees at small businesses.
There are a number of jobs that will be strongly affected by automation in the coming decade; some usual suspects include cashiers, telephone operators, postal service mail sorters and crop farmworkers. Some jobs that will be affected may seem surprising, such as travel clerks, air traffic controllers and laboratory technologists. With the growth of machine learning algorithms and smarter artificial intelligence, even the medical and investment finance fields are being carried along the wave of automation.
The bottom line, though, is that most professions will be affected to some degree as a result of the continued advances in automation. Oxford University researchers have estimated that upwards of 47 percent of jobs in the U.S. could be automated in the next couple decades.
How a Business Degree Curbs the Trend
Only workers with a significant stock of what economists refer to as human capital will be able to weather the storm with ease. After all, a future where robots can replace the creative intelligence or interpersonal communication skills of humans is not yet in sight.
Such human attributes are key indicators of success in a business environment, and so it is necessary to cultivate networking and negotiation skills in order to stay relevant in the face of ongoing automation. Robots may be able to achieve a lot today and even more in the future, but leadership skills such as project management and workplace delegation requires interpersonal savvy beyond the scope of a computer script.
Pursuing a business degree is the surest way to develop the very human attributes that will be necessary even in the face of the impending future of automation and give you a leg up in the modern workplace. An online bachelor’s degree in business covers foundational knowledge in the fields of economics, marketing, and accounting so that you can be a well-rounded contributor in any business environment. Virginia Wesleyan University’s online program was designed to give you the foundational skills you need to adapt and thrive in a modern business world.
For those looking to stay ahead of the competition, our online MBA program provides flexible, hands-on lessons in principles of business, finance, marketing and more. At the end of the program, you will have advanced knowledge of leadership and communication skills vital to managerial success.


ERIC Number: ED424727
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1997
Un Marco Abierto: Un Manual de Matematicas y Ciencas Utilizando Inteligencias Multiples Disenado para Estudiantes Bilingues de Educacion General y Especial (An Open Framework: A Math and Science Manual Utilizing Multiple Intelligences Designed for Bilingual Students in General and Special Education).
New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Bilingual Education.
This manual incorporates a Multiple Intelligences perspective into its presentation of themes and lesson ideas for Spanish-English bilingual elementary school students in grades 4-8 and is designed for both gifted and special education uses. Each unit includes practice activities, semantic maps to illustrate and help organize ideas as well as curricular connections in mathematics and science, and ESL linguistic summaries which provide examples on how to develop ESL activities for English vocabulary. (CNP)
Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Cognitive Mapping, Elementary Education, English (Second Language), Gifted, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Instructional Materials, Lesson Plans, Mathematics Education, Multiple Intelligences, Science Education, Second Language Instruction, Semantics, Spanish, Special Education, Teaching Guides, Thematic Approach
Office of Instructional Publications Bookstore, Room 608, 131 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners; Teachers
Authoring Institution: New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Bilingual Education.


What is Non-Verbal Reasoning?
Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) is problem solving using pictures and diagrams. It tests a pupil's ability to analyse visual information and solve problems based on visual reasoning. Pupils are expected to have a solid knowledge of shape and measure, especially in topics such as rotation and symmetry. Although some of the skills required to succeed at NVR may be taught in the national curriculum, NVR is not taught in most schools.
NVR questions appear in diagrammatic and pictoral formats. Candidates will need to be able to understand and analyse this information mentally and without limitations of language skills. Often, pupils are asked to look at a sequence and find the odd one out. Other examples of typical NVR questions include:
- Working out what a shape would look like when folded
- Identifying the mirror image of a shape
- Figuring out the next shape in a sequence
- Finding identical shapes in a group of shapes
- Identifying what shapes look like when rotated
Non-Verbal Reasoning is used in 11+ exams because it allows examiners to judge pupils' visual acuity, speed of perception, and their ability to recognise and manipulate objects. The skills required for the Non-Verbal Reasoning exam are not as easy to acquire as simple literacy and numeracy skills as it goes beyond and bypasses language acquistition and mathematical ability. As with Verbal Reasoning, NVR is used in entrance exams to assess a candidates natural ability and potential, rather than their learned knowledge.
Through consistent practice, exposure and familiarisation, pupils can able to improve their skills in this area.
Get an idea of your child's Non-Verbal Reasoning ability by trying a free BOFA Non-Verbal Reasoning demo test with them:
How can I help my child improve their Non-Verbal Reasoning skills?
- Try plenty of practice questions so they become familiar with NVR question styles. Some schools will provide practice questions for home use, but there are also plenty of resources available from learning providers aimed to develop a pupils NVR ability.
- A good mathematical knowledge is helpful when answering NVR questions. Ensure your child is confident with their school learning.
- Play visual games like 'Spot the difference'.
- Develop their spacial awareness, especially of shapes, with jigsaws, lego and construction material. Make a note to talk to your child about how shapes interlock.
- Draw half a shape on a piece of paper and ask your child to draw the mirror image, using a mirror together to check.
- What is Verbal Reasoning?
- What is the difference between VR and NVR?
- Which subjects are tested in the 11+?


Job Description of a General Music Teacher
If you love working with children and are passionate and enthusiastic about music, becoming a general music teacher could be the right career choice for you. General music teachers play an important role in bringing the gift of music to their students. They may work with children in public and private schools, from pre-K until high school. As of 2010, the average salary for music teachers was between $43,580 and $48,690, according to the Career Development Office at the Berklee College of Music.
Education and Training
Music teachers are usually drawn to the profession because they are already accomplished musicians. To become a music teacher, you must play at least one instrument with a high level of proficiency, although you'll need to learn additional instruments, including piano, during your undergraduate studies. General music teachers need to have at least a bachelor's degree in music education, but many teachers also earn master's or doctoral degrees in music performance or music education. Some music teachers decide to apply for voluntary national certification with the Music Teachers National Association. To work in a public school, you will also need a state teaching license.
General music teachers teach children and adolescents the fundamental principles of music and musicianship skills, such as music theory and basic notation. To help children learn these principles, they may teach children how to sing or play easily-accessible instruments, such as drums, recorders or xylophones. They may teach music in their own classrooms or travel to different classrooms throughout the day. In addition to teaching, general music teachers must also often direct school musicals or ensembles for public performance, help develop educational programs and collaborate with other teachers. General music teachers also try to recognize musical talent in their students in order to encourage them to undertake further musical studies, such as joining a school orchestra or band.
In addition to musical instrument proficiency, a strong background in music theory and musicianship and basic piano skills, music teachers must also have the ability to work well with, and relate to, children of all ages. You must be able to convey your enthusiasm and excitement for music to your students to help instill them with a desire to learn. You should also continue your own musical development and participate in musical ensembles during your free time to help keep your musical skills fresh and sharp, suggests Chris Foley, pianist and teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
While sharing the gift of music can be rewarding and fulfilling, teaching music isn't just about music. You'll need to have effective classroom management skills and know how to assess and grade your students' progress. You may need to participate in extracurricular activities or work after hours to assist students who need extra help. Sometimes, you may have to deal with children who have behavioral disorders or developmental or learning disabilities. This requires patience, dedication and a positive attitude, in addition to knowing effective strategies for integrating these students into your classroom.
- Berklee College of Music Career Development Center: Salary Ranges for U.S. Music Positions
- Music Teachers National Association: MTNA Professional Certification Overview
- Artists House Music: The Responsibilities of a Music Teacher to His or Her Students
- Music Teachers Helper: Skill Upgrades for Music Teachers
- National Association for Music Education: Teaching Students with Behavior Problems
Ashley Miller is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, certified Reiki practitioner, yoga enthusiast and aromatherapist. She has also worked as an employee assistance program counselor and a substance-abuse professional. Miller holds a Master of Social Work and has extensive training in mental health diagnosis, as well as child and adolescent psychotherapy. She also has a bachelor's degree in music.


In this article I am going to talk about two of the most important elements to successful practice of a musical instrument. If you can embrace and incorporate these two elements into your daily practice you will progress faster and with less effort compared to most music students.
The 10,000 Hour Rule is Untested
K. Anders Ericsson ran a study back in the 1990’s that concluded the best musicians simply do more ‘deliberate practise’. In other words, they practiced with intention citing that the average accomplished violinist had done between 4600 hours to over 10,000 hours of deliberate practice claiming a direct correlation between skill mastery and hours practiced. This was considered the end of the story until recently. A review of Ericsson’s claims noted that the amount of deliberate practice does not solely account for the differences in performance. What’s more, Ericsson’s claims were not tested. It was a theory based on highly accomplished musicians and ignored all those musicians who had done equal amounts of practice with very different results. For more details check this article entitled ‘Practice Alone Does Not Make Perfect, Studies Find‘
Right To Wrong Ratio
It appears that the way you practice is a big deal when it comes to practicing a musical instrument. To be specific, the ratio of right to wrong when learning a skill or song was found to be a significant differentiator between the average professional musician and those who were considered the best. This may seem like a simple idea but in reality most music students rush when learning and therefore have a high ratio of wrong to right execution. It is therefore critical to practice at a slow enough speed to play correctly. Think of it like a tennis match. Each time you do it right you get closer to winning the game. Each time you get it wrong you get pushed back and have to work harder to win. If you play a perfect game you win every point and expel less energy.
Repetition with Variations
So now lets go to the next step and thats understanding how to practice beyond just getting it right. A study conducted at Johns Hopkins discovered there was a trick to reducing the time required to acquire a new skill. If you make small variations oppose to straight repetition you can learn faster. They claim that reconsolidation is at work. This is where existing memories are called up and modified with new knowledge. Learning a musical instrument is all about fine motor skill development which is done via repetition. Add small variations and you turbo charge the fine motor skill development. Most musicians tend to repeat without variation. Variations help to keep our minds alert and in a learning state. For instance, let us say you are learning a new chord on guitar. The typical approach is to place your first finger on the note followed by the second finger etc. Many guitar students never think to vary this order. Instead of starting with the first finger, start with the second finger and so on. There are literally an infinite number of ways to vary almost any exercise.
When practicing guitar, aim for 100% accuracy by playing slowly. At the same time incorporate variations. This might even sound contradictory but note the chord example above. Its all about approaching the same skill from different angles.


Music education is an important aspect of providing children with a well-rounded education. When allowed to work in harmony with other subjects and areas of study, music helps children grow in self-esteem, build essential skills and prepare for bright futures.
The school has a well-equipped music room to enhance the skills and foster all-around development of students.
The dance room is the place students where students to explore and learn movements while enjoying the various dance forms.
Education in the art of dance engages the artistic processes of creating, performing, and critical analysis.
An essential component of a well-rounded education, theatre teaches critical 21st-century life skills — collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.
Sharpen Young Minds
To help students yield to their inner brilliance and to set them out to shape their strengths, St. Xavier’s High School provides a fully functional framework designed as a robotics lab to represent a perfect simulation for children to give shape to their creative distinction and aim it further for greater heights.
Pottery is one of the most creative activities we can let the child experience. The look on their little faces when they are busy squishing, pinching, rolling, pulling, and generally shaping the clay to their will is beautiful and exciting. It gives them the freedom to express their creativity and the ability to change something with their own hands.
A designated pottery room in the school provides space for children to experiment and create using their imagination and creativity.


Rosa Lee Carter
Rosa Lee Carter was born in Bluemont, Virginia. She earned her BA in elementary education from Storer College in West Virginia. She began her long teaching career in Loudoun at Powell's Grove in 1927. She then taught at Grant School in Middleburg, Virginia in the 1930's. Her first impression of teaching school was not a pleasant one. She noted that the disparities between black and white schools were to be a great challenge. She taught in adverse conditions, such as cold overcrowded classrooms, no water, leaky roofs and a lack of funds for books and necessities.
To create an atmosphere in her classroom that would be “helpful to living and learning,” Rosa Carter asked parents to donate furniture and books for a library corner. A bookcase and chairs were made from orange crates. They were painted by the children. A small table was donated by a parent and the books were given by members of the Community League (PTA). The children enjoyed reading in the library corner.
For many years, the two-room Grant School had overcrowded conditions. Rosa worked with the Community League to convince the School Board to rent the basement of Shiloh Baptist Church. The students in grades one and two were housed in the church basement until Benjamin Banneker School was built in 1948. Miss Carter taught at Banneker until she retired in 1978, after working tirelessly for 47 years. She then served an additional twenty years as a volunteer first grade teaching assistant at Middleburg Elementary.
Miss Carter was also active in her church and her community. She is still remembered by all as a kind, and gentle woman who through her courage, perseverance and her relentless pursuit of excellence, made a difference for so many young people in Loudoun County.


UN General Assembly Resolution calling upon all states to instruct their Ministers of Education and all education administrators to ensure that every secondary education student before matriculation should receive either electronically or physically a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and where resources permit classes dedicated to the study of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Social development requires relevant education, which is politically and morally enshrined in two important places in legally significant commitments that all nations have endorsed – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In this regard, SDG #1 calls for ending poverty. SDG #4 explicitly calls for equitable and quality education for all. SDG #10 calls for the reduction of inequality. Education is obviously critically important for these goals as well. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHDR) is explicit in Article 26, which states in relevant part:
1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at
least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
The UDHR is a magnificent expression of universal values and the inherent dignity of the every person. These rights require and weave a social fabric where each thread reinforces all the others. In other words, human rights take place in community, and if one wants their rights honored they must know the importance of protecting those same rights in others. That is why the Preamble states that “every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance…”
It is through cooperation and the rule of law that we will be able to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. This will be invigorated if education stimulates a greater appreciation of the UN system and especially the values embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 289 - Scientists contribute more to society
- Last Updated: Saturday, 03 September 2016 16:32
- Written by IELTS Mentor
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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Scientists contribute more to society, so science students should get more support.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Science is the backbone of technological developments that has helped in human dominance in the world. It is true that the government and authorities have not provided any extra incentives or scholarship to the science students. In my opinion, the government should provide extra benefits to science students.
To commence with, scientists and researchers are the people who dedicated their life for the society. Firstly, they are the people who work hard to discover new technologies, medicines and the like by neglecting their family life. As everyone knows a scientist’s life is full of stress and tension, most of the intelligent youngsters have a reluctant mind to become a scientist or researcher.
Furthermore, scientists are the boons to humanity. In this modern world, most of the essential problems can be solved with a mouse click ranging from e-banking to telemedicine. Moreover, Computers, televisions and mobile phones have made human life easier, faster and efficient.
On the contrary, there are thousands of students who do not have the basic facility and money to complete their elementary education which is quite necessary for the development of the country and individual. There is an army of people asserts that 100% literacy rate should be the primary goal of a country and illiterate need to get more support. In this regards, providing extra facilities to the science students only might seem a discriminating idea.
To recapitulate, scientists’ contribution towards society and to the world is invaluable so the science students deserve more favourable support from the government, these supports can attract more students towards this field.
[ Written by - Tony Jose ]


This is a guest post by Lesley Boatright, who will be contributing a series of posts over the next few months. If you like what you see here, check back frequently for more posts from here and click here to read her blog, Practice Makes Perfect.
Today I want to talk about using paired texts to introduce and learn about a science topic, the water cycle. Not only is this an engaging way to draw the children into learning science, it nicely integrates language arts and specifically Common Core Standard RL.1.5: "Explain the major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types."
I chose to use these paired texts from the Story World Real World series that deal with water and the water cycle. The first text, the fiction text, is The Crow and the Rain Barrel, and the informational text is The Water Cycle.
I started out by displaying both texts and discussing the covers, leading the children to identify the fiction text and the informational text by the design of the cover. The lesson plan I used is available to download at the bottom of this page.
After working through all the points on the lesson plan, I gave the children a cover comparison printable to complete (this worksheet is also included in the download at the bottom of the page).
The goal of the worksheet is for the children to show that they understood how, just by looking at the cover, they could tell the genre of the text, either fictional or nonfiction/informational text. I was very pleased with the finished results.
The next day, I read the fictional text to the children, and we worked together to pull information about water that we learned from it. We weren't able to find much, just that all living things need water to live, and water comes to the Earth in the form of rain. Next week, we will read the informational text during science class, and pull out more information about the water cycle. I have projects and interactive notebook components to do with the children to reinforce what we learn. At the end of the two weeks, the children will have learned, through language arts, hands on science experiments, videos, and song, all about the water cycle, as well as sneaking in a language arts lesson about the differences between fictional and informational texts! That's a win-win!
Please feel free to download my introductory lesson and cover comparison printable to try out in your classroom. I highly recommend the Story World Real World texts, since they are specifically paired to support a topic, but you can also use any paired fictional text/informational text on the topic that you can find.
Lesley Boatright, is an Early Childhood/Elementary Education teacher from Southwestern Pennsylvania. After graduating college, she moved to South Florida, where she taught kindergarten in the Palm Beach County School District for 8 years. After having children, she decided (with her husband) that Florida was too far away from the rest of the family, and she moved back to her hometown, where she took a few years off to spend time with her son. She has been teaching in the parochial school system for 18 years now, first at kindergarten, and currently in a first grade classroom. Lesley has also taught 2nd and 3rd grade Spanish and 4th grade social studies. Visit Lesley at her Facebook page, blog, Pinterest, and on Teachers Pay Teachers to get great teaching ideas.
For more information about the Story World Real World series shown in this post, click here to visit our website, or click the image on the left below to download a series information sheet with key features. To download the lesson plan and worksheet, click the image to the right.


A new approach to piano tuition:
Do you ever feel that some students just need a bit more time?
A bit more practice before moving on?
A different way of learning how to play the piano?
More support with learning to read music?
In Tune With You is a series of 5 interactive books, leading to Grade 2.
It offers a systematic approach that is accessible for all learners, including those with learning differences.
Some people who love music, and would really like to learn to play an instrument, are put off by having to learn to read music. However, the cognitive, social and emotional advantages of learning are well-documented, and so we might well want to encourage them to persevere despite experiencing difficulties with the notation. Yvette Price recognises that some learners need a little longer to grasp musical concepts, and some will benefit from a different approach to formal music education.
- Systematic, step-by-step instruction
- Moving at the student’s pace
- Time and freedom to explore the instrument
- Games and physical activities to learn the theory
- Guidance for teachers working with neurodiverse learners
- Videos to allow recap of lessons at home


The Monster Under Your Bed is Just a Story In Your Head
by Lisa Wimberger
Loving this new book by Lisa Wimberger, founder of the Neurosculpting Institute, (www.neurosculptinginstitute.com). It’s perfect for introducing kids to neuroliteracy, the study of brain science and how it can be applied to create an empowering, self-regulated, and emotionally balanced life.
Embedded Brain Science Techniques To Store New Information With Ease
This book, while being an entertaining, fun story, is embedded with Neurosulpting® practices which help children to consciously create their stories and choose thoughts with awareness of the effects of those thoughts.
In the story, the brain’s Hippocampus is personified as a librarian, the Amydala is known as “Miss Amy” and the main character, peanut learns that she can choose to practice different thoughts, different stories other than the “monster under her bed story,” which she has practiced so long.
Teach Emotional Awareness
This book can also be used to teach kids to identify and recognize when they are feeling the bodily sensations associated with fear. In the story, these sensations are likened to wearing a coat too tight (difficulty breathing), putting on a tight hat (headache), and wearing a very tight necklace (difficulty swallowing).
It’s a story of empowerment! Children can learn how they have a choice in what they think and what they practice thinking over and over again and how this is related to how they feel. Just like the main character figures out: choosing a memory of a hug from mom can counteract that monster story any day!
The book comes with a guide for parents and educators that includes a list of easy practices to help kids navigate the effects of complex emotions as well as some information about nutrition for stress regulation.
As a Neurosculpting® coach myself, I am a firm believer and know firsthand that the Neurosculpting process is super powerful for both kids and adults alike. It provides a quick and extremely effective way for all of us to re-write the stories in our mind in a way that sticks, providing long-term shifts and allows us to be at choice for the way we feel and navigate the ups and downs of life. For more info on this process, please visit http://www.neurosculptinginstitute.com
Ideas for Use
This book would be a great addition to any educator’s library for use in small groups or as a read aloud in school. Also, to all the school psychologists or counselors out there, this would be a great discussion for small group emotional skills group instruction. Also, it is a fantastic bedtime story, especially if your child has been working through fears before bed.
To get a copy of this book, click the link below:
Filed under Bedtime Relaxation Activities, Educator Resources, Emotional Regulation, Family Relaxation, Positive Self-Talk, Relaxation Practice, relaxation techniques, relaxation tools, Resources, Stress Management, stress management for kids, stress reduction for kids, Uncategorized
Tags: brain science for kids, changing our thoughts, educator resources, emotional regulation, empowerment for kids, feelings recognition, helping kids change their thinking, kids' empowerment, neuroliteracy, neuroliteracy for children, neuroscience for children, neurosculpting, positive thinking, relaxation resources, social skills instruction, stories for small group, stress management, stress management for kids, stress reduction for kids, teaching kids about the brain, thinking and feeling


These four organizations are bringing music education to thousands of disadvantaged kids in Toronto
In Toronto, up to 46% of children living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods are surviving below the poverty line. In fact, Statistics Canada shows that Toronto continues to have the highest child poverty rate amongst large cities in Canada, with 25% of all children living in poverty. Living in poverty leaves children at risk for reduced academic and social success, long-term under- and unemployment and future dependence on social services as adults.
Breaking the cycle of generational poverty must be addressed on multiple fronts and requires programs that are complementary to the public education system. When these programs also stimulate self-confidence and independence, create a sense of safety and community, encourage learning engagement, collaboration and critical thinking, and bring a sense of creativity and joy through the arts, then they are setting these same children on a course towards a flourishing life.
The size of the population-in-need and the magnitude of the challenges they face requires numerous organizations and approaches to be successful. Fortunately, Toronto is home to many organizations that are addressing the need to reduce poverty on numerous fronts.
Four organizations are facing these challenges by bringing music education to thousands of disadvantaged children and youth in the Greater Toronto Area.
Regent Park School of Music
Regent Park School of Music (RPSM) is a community music school. Their goal is to help kids thrive through music by giving them a music education, and ensuring that affordability isn’t an obstacle.
In 2019 the school plans to give 1,000 young people aged 3-18 a highly subsidized quality music education in high-priority neighbourhoods in Toronto.
RPSM students have access to 80 dedicated music teachers and an array of musical options and instruments. Students learn everything from singing, classical piano and violin to turntablism and electronic music and perform all over the city.
Sistema Toronto understands the impact that access to music education can have on a child’s development.
The after-school music program is primarily a social development program, which offers ensemble-based music education to children in vulnerable communities in Toronto.
At Sistema, students are provided with 10 hours of free weekly after-school music education in a number of areas, including strings, percussion, choir, music & movement, as well as developing life skills such as problem-solving, empathy, and self-advocacy. By the time students graduate from the program at the end of the eighth grade, they have received over 350 hours of music education and social development programming, as well as daily healthy snacks.
The program builds off the model set by the Venezuelan El Sistema, which was founded by Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu. In the past 8 years, Sistema Toronto has served 275 children across three of Toronto’s high-priority neighbourhoods.
“Teach children the beauty of music and music will teach them the beauty of life.”
– Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu, Founder of El Sistema
Students are exposed to culturally diverse music that they are unlikely to encounter in their home lives, and Sistema prides itself on its multicultural programming. In 2018, students learned French, Japanese, Inuktitut, Cherokee, Zulu, Cuban, Spanish, Brazilian, Maori, and Trinidadian music.
Sistema builds stronger communities by putting young people on the path to future success through the empowerment of music education.
Dixon Hall Music School
Dixon Hall Music School has been providing music lessons to thousands of children in the Regent Park, Moss Park and St. Lawrence neighbourhoods since 1978. The school provides a cultural lifeline to families from all walks of life.
Music school staff help students find ways to increase their self-esteem and confidence by providing them with the resources and inspiration to expand their worlds and realize their true potential.
The Hammer Band
World-renowned Canadian violinist Moshe Hammer founded The Hammer Band in 2007. His vision: to prevent violence – from school bullying to gangs – by bringing music education to low-income communities. Hammer’s approach focuses on helping children to develop self-esteem, empathy and tolerance.
Providing children the opportunity to thrive
Each of these four organizations is aware of the other and many of them coordinate to ensure minimal overlap in programming and populations reached. Individually and collectively they are making meaningful and sustainable impacts on the quality of life in the communities they serve.


What is music therapy — or what it is not!
Music therapy is not music teaching, although planned goals in music therapy can at times induce the acquisition of musical skills – (these are not desired outcomes but rather a positive by-product). The following fictitious vignette illustrates a scenario similar to that which is oftentimes encountered in music therapy and seeks to illustrate the difference between music teaching and music therapy.
I am lending a supportive rhythm and chordal background to my client’s non-verbal vocalisations. Tim is ‘singing’ the seemingly non-sensical words of a song he is creating, and I am trying to match his pitch with my guitar chords. I am also trying to sense the level of intensity and pace of his song, so that I can musically re-enforce and support the emotion he is expressing. I echo his vocalizations back to him at opportune moments, and repeat some of the structures he has created, in order to solidify a kind of chorus. Tim is looking increasingly excitedly at me, especially when I echo his ‘chorus’ – he is intensely and enthusiastically engaged, making solid eye contact with me. Tim is clearly enjoying in the moment.
If the above was an example of music education, the assessment of what just happened could go along the lines of: ‘Tim is not staying within his pitch and his melody is moving randomly all over the place – it needs more structure and coherence. He is unable to maintain a solid pace and rhythm, and is not following the strumming of the guitar totally. Tim is not establishing and securing the themes of his song, and appears exited and somewhat distracted by his phrases being repeated by the music teacher. He needs to develop more structure to his singing and become more coherent in tempo and pitch, so that he can create meaningful music – Must try harder’.
In music therapy assessment what is happening here is: In his own free improvisational style Tim is communicating and expressing of himself, albeit non-verbally. The music is inspiring and encouraging Tim to verbalize and express vocally and melodiously something of his world and of himself. He is communicating and connecting with another person via the music making. He is making eye contact with someone other than his parents, and he is demonstrating clear enthusiasm, safety and enjoyment partaking in the musical activity. Tim is being creative, not in the usual aesthetically pleasing sense, but he is creating his own song which has meaning for him. Tim is clearly feeling supported and heard. His family reports that he is always less anxious and much calmer after his music therapy session, making it much easier to care for him.
Tim is on the Autism Spectrum. He does not speak and has serious impairments in his ability to communicate with and understand others, and as a result his social functioning is severely affected. He feels safe with very few people, and does not make eye contact with anyone except for his immediate family. Due to the isolation of his closed world he often experiences frustration. Musical interaction, such as this improvisational collaboration, is a process whereby he can express of himself to others in a non-verbal, yet efficacious and meaningful way.
In music education, the desired goals are musical, whereas in music therapy the goals are non-musical – in this illustration the goals being: Psychosocial well-being, socialisation and anxiety reduction.
Music therapy is provided by highly trained and qualified practitioners, who use clinical and evidence-based music interventions. Music therapist’s professional practice is overseen by a governing body — in Australia ‘The Australian Music Therapy Association – AMTA’.


Welcome to the first part of my series on the 5 Stages of Literacy Development. Today we’re exploring emergent readers and spellers, which is stage 1.
Terms such as prealphabetic or pre-readers also applies to emergent readers and spellers. These are children who are typically Pre-K through Kindergarten, although it may certainly include younger and older readers/spellers, too. Almost everything these children do is unconventional because they are just beginning to explore reading and writing.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Stage 1: All About Emergent Readers & Spellers
Below are some emergent reading and spelling behaviors you might notice of a child in this stage of literacy learning. Please note that these “checklists” aren’t meant to restrict you or your child/student. They are merely a tool to help us become more observant in regards to what our kids know or don’t know yet. And we can use this information to guide our teaching.
Many of these characteristics were collected from Words Their Way, a spelling program rooted in the developmental needs of kids.
You can also download this printable list HERE.
Emergent Reading Behaviors
At the Beginning:
- “pretend read” stories
- can sing their ABC’s, but usually cannot single out particular letters
- may recognize the first letter of their name
- recognize environmental print, such as the name of their favorite cereal or those famous golden “M” arches
In the Middle:
- may be able to “read” some words that are important to them, such as their name, but may think that other words beginning with the first letter of their name are also their name
- knows some of their letters, possibly even some sounds
- have some books favorite books memorized and can “read” them
- environmental print becomes more important (STOP sign, etc.)
- are curious about words and may ask, “What’s that word?”
Towards the End:
- may be able to track the print as you read simple books
- understands more “book language” such as author, title, etc.
- knows most letter names and most consonant sounds
- uppercase letters are easier to identify than lower case letters
- adds a few more words to their sight vocabulary (important words to them)
- can read their name and realize that other words also start with the same letter as their name
- some children may be able to “play games” with word sounds–recognizing and producing rhyming words and counting syllables are the most common sound games
Teaching Letters & Reading to Emergent Readers
If you have a child or student in this stage, here are two resources from my blog that may help.
Printable ABC Packs for learning letters and sounds.
Emergent Spelling Behaviors
- “spell” haphazardly with marks (such as scribbles) all over the paper
- drawing and writing are indistinguishable
- symbols that resemble letters or numbers may be used
- real letters and numbers may be used, but the speller does not understand that letters represent sounds in words, so house may be spelled A1XT
- prefer writing uppercase letters over lowercase letters
- begin to write from left to right
- drawing and writing begin to become distinguishable
- do not put space in between words
- begin to match letters to sounds in words, so a word such as ball may be spelled with just the letter B, or G for alligator
- still may prefer writing with uppercase letters over lowercase letters
- may confuse letters that sound and/or look the same such as b, d, p, and q
- spacing in between words becomes a little more regular, but can still be random at times
Teaching Writing to Emergent Spellers
If you have a child or students in this stage, this writing series is a great resource. Preschool & Kindergarten Writing Lessons – a 10-part series on teaching writing with the young child.
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On the participants to the pilot-training/learning activities:
- professionals in adults’ education – 120 adult learners (20 taking part to C1 and 100 in local ToT for testing O1, all of them being then active involved in the whole project):
- increased level of knowledge in the topic (autobiographical method, digital storytelling and other
- increased competence in foreign languages – most visible for the 20 participants in C1 but also at the level of the other 100, as they will work together in an international project for almost two years
- increased self-confidence, self-esteem, empathy and communication with vulnerable groups – as a result of practicing autobiographical method on themselves
- increased level of digital competence – by helping producing their own digital stories and after help adult learners in producing theirs, also by using on-line resource centre (particularly uploading training materials, participating in discussions on the forum section and social media)
- more active participation in society – as they will become active factors in low skilled/qualified adult learners’ social inclusion and able to support, then the social inclusion of other vulnerable groups, by using autobiographical method
- an increased level of motivation, interest and responsibility both for their professional qualification (and Long Life Learning in general) and self development; also improved learning to learn, social and civic competencies, cultural awareness and expression – all of them as a result of practicing autobiographical method on themselves (as detailed at C1 description)
- increased opportunities for professional development – by increasing expertise in using autobiography – a method becoming more and more popular and used in adults’ education and supporting social inclusion of different vulnerable groups
- increased motivation and satisfaction in their daily work
- low-skilled/qualified adults – 100 migrants and 100 ethnic minorities
- an increased self-esteem, sense of belonging and confidence in their own possibilities – as this is one of the main effects of “autobiographical reconstruction” that will lead to reconstruction of their trust in public institution and diminish the risks of unsocial behaviour and, on the other hand, an increased availability to enrol in a form of lifelong education and/or VET – a decreased level of “minority stress”
- improved key competences as:
- communication (verbal and written) – telling and writing their own memories participants will gain rich experiences with words, sounds, intonation and rhythm whilst constructing meaning through the use of language that will contribute to their oracy and literacy development, also to memory development, observation skills, vocabulary development, sequencing, problem solving, engagement in language play and making predictions.
- imagination, creativity and learning to learn – telling and listen memories will encourage adults to use and develop their imagination, that will contribute to self-confidence and personal motivation. It also empowers adults to consider new and inventive ideas, developing crucial skills in problem solving and in considering options and consequences
- cultural awareness and expression – by autobiography we discover who we are as people, as families, and as subcultures within the larger society – that is more important for minorities who live in a permanent duality them/others. Sharing these life experiences – especially for migrants/minorities, provides them with a sense of history, a sense of community, a sense of generations, a sense of heritage.
- social skills – close engagement with others’ stories will help participants with the development of empathy and emotional literacy, by hearing another’s difficulty as described in his/her life story, the listeners will empathize and see the results of the protagonist’s actions. The process enhances self-reflection and self-expression, besides providing potential role models
On the participating staff
- a deeper insight into various modern methods used in adult education – an increased experience in social inclusion for vulnerable groups
- an increased experience in working in a intercultural environment -more knowledge and improved skills as follows of experiences exchanged with colleagues from partner countries.
On the partner organizations
- innovative approaches to addressing their target groups, by providing more attractive adults’ education programs, in line with individuals’ needs&expectations;
- greater effectiveness of activities for the benefit of local communities; – new practices to cater for the needs of disadvantaged groups and to deal with social, linguistic and cultural diversity; – increased capacity and professionalism to work at EU/international level


All the Essentials: Foundational Training for Your Kitten
Kittens are, first and foremost, endlessly cute and have a boundless energy and curiosity every cat owner adores. But when it comes to some of the problems like accidents around the home and scratches all over the furniture, your adorable cherub may resemble a mini-monster. This is why cats, like dogs, need the foundational skills to give them instruction for life.
If you are the proud owner of a furry, you may wonder how to begin the essential training for your kitten. You’re in luck because the team at Animal Medical Hospital and 24 Hour Urgent Care is here to explain the ABCs of kitten training.
Socialization is a must for all pets because it gives them the comfort and confidence to deal with any situation. By handling your kitten often and introducing them (safely) to other people and experiences, they will grow in developing a sense of security. Through this process, you can allow kids to gently handle the kitten, supervising them at all times. If the other animals of the home are vaccinated and well behaved, introduce them, too (also supervised).
Litter Box Training for Your Kitten
Teaching your pet where to relieve themself can be challenging but necessary. Most kittens will gravitate towards the litter box when they are acclimated to it at an early age.
To begin, choose a shallow, open box that is easy for your kitten to get into. Place the box in a quiet, private area of the home on the first floor. Fill the litter box to about 2-3 inches. Preferably, all of your kitty’s supplies, from water, bed, food, etc., are in the same area.
Each time your kitten eats or drinks, place them in the litter box. Supervise them while you work or relax and promptly put them in the box when they start to sniff or look around.
Teaching Basic Commands
When you think about commands, most people look to dogs for this need. But did you know that cats can learn a variety of commands, too? After all, you probably have already taught your kitten to respond to their name. It’s the same principle of repetition and positive rewards.
Using treats as an incentive, you can train your cat to respond to a variety of commands by giving them a treat and verbal praise each time they do it. There are a lot of useful commands you can train your cat to learn and respond to, including:
- Gentle (for cats who love to roughhouse)
- Find it (when playing fetch)
- In the box (when you need them to get in the carrier)
Carrier training your cat can be a great way to avoid freak-outs when you get them ready for their vet visit.
To do this, you will need to give your cat incentive to get in, by feeding them inside the carrier and lining the inside with a comfy blanket, toys, and catnip. Your young kitten will learn to associate the carrier with special time, so as to give them a sense of security when they need to go somewhere.
It’s All About Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement training is the foundation for any successful behavior modification. Rather than punishment or scolding, which only serves to encourage negative behavior, this form of training rewards what you want to see in your kitty companion.
We suggest reading as much as you can about positive reinforcement training for cats as well as socialization techniques. For any questions about training for your kitten, please contact us. We look forward to meeting your sweetie at their kitten wellness examination.


“Summer Reading Together” by Learning Ally Supports Teachers’ Efforts to Prevent Summer Reading Slide with Human-Read Audiobooks
Learning Ally has kicked off its “Summer Reading Together,” a program designed to motivate struggling readers to read for twenty minutes a day using human-read audiobooks.
Each year, thousands of students experience summer reading slide, especially those with print and learning disabilities. Reading skill setbacks not only affect student performance in the coming school session, but many teachers have to reteach skills, and over time, these setbacks can have a lasting impact on students’ academic future.
Exposure to human-read audiobooks can significantly enhance a struggling reader’s ability to read more fluently and to make deeper contextual meaning to content. As students become engaged in the reading process, they are apt to read more and enjoy the experience, while building foundational skills in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Learning Ally, a leading ed-tech nonprofit organization, delivers a comprehensive audiobook learning solution for struggling readers, and students with learning differences, like dyslexia. Students who qualify typically read below grade level, but have the aptitude to be high-level achievers. Teachers rely on Learning Ally to provide a quality reading accommodation and access to grade-level K-12 textbooks, novels, and literature.
Terrie Noland, Learning Ally’s Director of National Educator Engagement says, “Summer reading slide disproportionately effects the children who need to read the most. Our rewards-based program is “ready-to-implement” for teachers. It has popular book choices that students will love, and human narration in our audiobooks transforms each story into a true adventure!”
Summer Reading Together includes:
– A four-part scaffolding ‘take-home’ lesson.
– Detailed parent letter describing the program.
– Instructions to use Learning Ally’s mobile app.
– Grade-appropriate summer reading list to engage all readers.
– Tracking card to record reading activity for self-motivation.
Twenty top prizes award students for their efforts and a social media component enters them in a random drawing to win a Chromebook.
This year, over 20,000 student members participated in Learning Ally’s reading engagement programs, including its signature national reading competition – The Great Reading Games.
The nonprofit also recognizes exemplary administrators, teachers and students nominated by their peers with financial scholarships annually.
Learning Ally’s Summer Reading Program begins June 1 and ends August 31, 2018.
Contact Learning Ally at 800-221-1098 and schedule a demo at www.learningally.org/educators.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit ed-tech organization delivering a comprehensive learning solution for struggling readers in elementary, middle and high schools. Our proven solution includes an extensive library of human-read audiobooks that students want and need to read at home and at school, along with a suite of teacher-focused resources that ensure student success. This reading experience helps accelerate learning, enables a new level of access to knowledge and powerfully increases confidence and self-belief.
Learning Ally successfully partners with more than 13,000 U.S. schools, districts and leading state education systems across the country to empower over 300,000 students with improved comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and critical thinking skills. For over 70 years, the organization has helped to transform the lives of struggling readers by bridging the gap between their reading capability and their academic potential to become confident, lifelong learners who thrive in school and beyond.


What are the implications of teaching phonics via a systematic direct intense program that mandates all children to experience the same scripted lesson at the same time?
This book addresses the question through an in-depth play-by-play description of a phonics lesson as it occurred in a real classroom, followed by chapters that look at it from different angles by "zooming in" on one facet to analyze it closely:
*Reading. What is reading? What definition of reading is presented (implicitly) in the phonics lesson? What do competing definitions from the reading research literature say about how important phonics rules are and how they are used by readers and teachers of reading?
*Teacher knowledge. What is the role and the place of teacher knowledge as it relates to the lesson? What are the skills a teacher has and needs to use in a lesson that is completely scripted ?
*The children. What are their roles and positions during the lesson? What are they learning?
*Curriculum. Where does the phonics curriculum come from? Curriculum in general? Who does it serve and how? What is its purpose?
* Culture. What is the role of culture in the lesson? How do cultural differences and culturally relevant pedagogy relate to the scripted phonics lesson?
*Politics and ideology. Why and how is everything that happens in schools political? How are scripted lessons and resistance to them, forms of political action?
*Teacher professionalism. How can teachers act in order to maintain academic freedom expressed as professional decision making in classrooms?
The author of this book is not neutral. He presents the difficulties a teacher encounters in implementing mandated systematic, direct, intense phonics instruction and children who are confused and frustrated by it. But at the same time he constantly presents hope in the form of smart teachers, curious children, and possibilities for taking action that can lead to change. His direct, accessible writing style stimulates thought and discussion.
Table of Contents
Contents: Y.M. Goodman, Foreword. Preface. Why Another Book on Phonics? Phonics Lessons. What Is Reading? Phonics Programs, Teacher Knowledge, and Teacher Identity. A Closer Look at the Children. Phonics Programs and Curriculum. Phonics, Reading, and Culture. Phonics, Reading, and Politics. Teachers, Activism, and Hope. Appendix: Maybe Rules Are Not the Way to Teach Phonics.
"The text is easy to understand and asks questions of the reader, drawing them into the book. An appendix includes phonics rules. Written for reading teachers, this singularly focused book is recommended for academic libraries supporting reading programs, elementary teacher education students, practitioners, and activists.
"Phonics Exposed is simultaneously (1) a gorgeously thick ethnographic description of one mandated scripted phonics lesson; (2) a lucid, graceful spelling-out of how the minute-to-minute unfolding of one lesson, as actually lived by a teacher and students, illustrates a range of theoretical arguments about reading, identities, race, culture, curriculum, and politics; and (3) a useful handbook for education activists. Rick Meyer has written an amazing look-you-in-the eye kind of book--deceptively simple because it is so rhetorically friendly; full of humor and hope despite the current politico-educational crisis it addresses. I was hooked (on Phonics Exposed, not on ph--) right from the start."
Arizona State University
"Richard Meyer's Phonics Exposed....makes it abundantly clear that reading is political. He demonstrates how the impositions of mandates and laws about the teaching of reading deprofessionalizes the art and science of teaching reading and at the same time disenfranchises children from becoming critical and lifelong readers....Phonics Exposed is not only an exposé of the phonics debacle but just as importantly a call to action...."
—Yetta M. Goodman
University of Arizona, From the Foreword
"Mandated programs are everywhere....This book has the potential of forcing administrators and politicians to think about what they are doing when they mandate programs....It will be an eye opener to many people and has the potential of having a major impact."
Indiana University-Purdue University


Integrated Reading and Writing courses (IRW 97 and IRW 98) are designed for students with reading and writing needs as evidenced by their high school records or test results. The goal of IRW 97 is to help students establish efficient reading and writing habits, to acquire strategies to improve vocabulary and note taking, and to develop critical thinking strategies. IRW 98 will help students strengthen critical thinking skills, apply reading comprehension strategies, and improve reading and writing skills as they apply them to college-level texts.
Students placed in IRW 97 are required to pass both IRW 97 and IRW 98 prior to taking EN 101 unless exempted, based on course performance and/or post-test results.
IRW 97 students must receive a grade of C or better to be passed into IRW 98. IRW 98 students must receive a grade of C or better to before advancing to EN 101.
Students who receive a C- or lower grade for either course must retake that course.


by Brittany Kafka
Every movement, every skill, every sound, sight, and taste are new to babies. In the first couple of years, it is truly incredible all the things that infants learn to do, from rolling to sitting to walking! Given the vast amount of development that occurs, it’s really no wonder some children might have trouble learning some of these motor skills.
Physiotherapy can help a baby overcome difficulties in motor skill development, such as rolling or crawling, by providing appropriate exercises to increase strength, adapting play positions and strategies to facilitate development. Not only that, but your pediatric physiotherapist will be sure to provide you with education on child development so you know exactly what to expect along the way
Why do babies need physiotherapy?
Babies can need physiotherapy for a variety of reasons. The top three reasons babies need physiotherapy are torticollis, congenital disorders, and delays in gross motor milestones.
Torticollis occurs when one of the baby’s neck muscles becomes shortened and tight. This can occur from positioning or birth complications and can be noticed by the baby having a head tilt, a preference to look one way, and/or preferring to feed on one side. Addressing torticollis is important because it can lead to motor delays later in development.
Congenital disorders, such as down syndrome or cerebral palsy, can delay motor development and create challenges in playtime. These conditions predispose infants to differences in timelines and ability for development, which a physiotherapist can help you better understand.
Motor Milestone Delays
Delays in gross motor milestones such as rolling, crawling, sitting, or walking are very common and often result from a lack of strength. Every baby will develop on their own timeline; however, plateaus with the development of new skills is an indicator your baby may benefit from physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy can help address any muscle tightness, strengthen the appropriate muscles, and provide adaptations and exercises to the play environment that help facilitate appropriate development in all of these conditions.
Signs that your baby might need physio:
- A plateau in their motor development
- Delays in motor milestones
- Difficulty with tummy time
- Flattening of the back or side of the head
- Head tilt to one side and/or preference in looking one way
- Low tone (feeling floppy)
- Congenital diagnoses such as cerebral palsy or down syndrome
- Birth injuries such as clubfoot or a brachial plexus injury
- Preference to use one side for motor skills
How does a physio session with my infant look?
In an initial assessment with you and your infant, you will be asked questions to help build a complete and comprehensive picture of you and your infant. You will be asked about the birth and pregnancy, any complications, the infant’s current skills and timelines they were achieved in, their sleeping, feeding, and communication skills, tummy time, your goals, and more.
Your infant will be observed in all age-appropriate positions (lying on their back, tummy, side, and sitting/standing if appropriate). The therapist will engage in play with your infant to see how they move and play as well as any limitations that may exist. Based on their findings, the therapist will create a treatment plan for you and your infant including frequency and timing of visits, and skills to be worked on. The therapist will provide you with education for at-home modifications and how to structure play therapeutically, as well as any specific exercises or stretches required.
Throughout treatment, your infant’s progress will be assessed through observation and information from you. We will modify and progress skills and play as appropriate to build strength and continue to facilitate development. Treatment will include age-appropriate therapeutic play and hands-on strategies as required.
What can physio do for babies?
Physiotherapy can help your infant build the strength, practice, and support they require to help them continue to develop their motor skills. Physiotherapy can also provide you with education on development and how best to support this at home.
Motor skills are vital in navigating our world, and it is important we support these skills and growth early!
Physiotherapist - BSc Hons (Kin), MSc PT
If you have an infant or child who could benefit from a physiotherapy assessment, book an appointment with our in-house pediatric Registered Physiotherapist, Brittany Kafka, at Synergy East, today! She facilitates a safe, engaging, and welcoming environment to make physiotherapy fun for your kid!
You can call us to book a consultation at (416) 551-8715, or simply book online.


For Parents Only
Information for parents/guardians about their child's music education
The 2nd Chair Blues…How to Position yourself for First Chair
by: Alissa Gittens
Becoming first chair in your school’s band is a coveted honor for many student musicians. However, there is more that must be accomplished than just passing a playing test. Here are a few steps to position you for first chair.
1) Practice, practice, practice.
2) Befriend the first chair flutists and learn what they know. Chances are the first chair belongs to an upper classmate who will soon be graduating. There is a reason why they became first chair so you want to absorb all of the skills and talents that they have to increase your ability and chances.
3) Share what you know with the other flutists. One of the main responsibilities of the first chair musician is to help strengthen the entire section.
4) Be ready. You should be the first in your section to arrive to rehearsals and the last to the leave. The band director should always be able to rely on you to help teach the music to your section and/or to carry out any tasks necessary for the section to perform at a higher level.
5) Be a leader. Learn how to run sectionals. Running a sectional requires more than just rehearsing music. You must selecta time that meets everyone’s schedule, ensure that everyone has the music, and learn to manage different personalities and skill sets.
6) Know the music. Not only should you be proficient at your part, but if needed you should be able to play all the parts in your section.
Everyone wants the recognition of being the strongest musician in their section. However not everyone is prepared for the responsibility that comes with the title. Get yourself ready and position yourself to be first chair.


Welcome to Creativity at the Core, Module 23- Media Arts for Elementary Classrooms, Grades TK-6 brought to you by the Los Angeles County Oﬃce of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning (CDOL). This module brings together high-quality arts integration professional learning to support Media Arts across the state. The Media Arts for Elementary Classrooms Module provides foundational skills and instruction in various Media Arts contents. Technology Enhanced Arts Learning (TEAL) is featured in the module providing a blended model of online and virtual professional development. Outstanding industry partners provided foundational skills and instruction along with TEAL experts.
Since the adoption of the California Arts Standards for Public Schools and the California Arts Framework for Public Schools, there is a need for a practical introduction to Media Arts at the elementary level. Students are learning from home on devices and are consuming, creating, and sharing media online. Educators are eager to develop media skills to support student content that is both current and standards aligned. Media Arts is a natural ﬁt to the modern elementary classroom where students can express their voice and ideas in creative ways.
The Presentation Chart will give you an entire overview of the module (available under Downloads).
Tutorial: Click here to download the Module 23 Media Arts for Elementary Classrooms Tutorial.
Planning your professional learning (Content Outlines)
The following outlines can be used to break down your professional learning. These are all available under Downloads.
- Why Media Arts & California Arts Standards Overview (Center for Distance and Online Learning)
- Photography Integration: Dear Self (Las Fotos Project)
- Audio Recording: Cultivating Creativity for a Holistic and Artistic Education (Soundtrap for Education by Spotify)
- Video Production: Integrating Video Making Into Your Elementary Classroom with Public Media (PBS Learning Media)
- Digital Storytelling: Media Arts Skills from Writing Through Video (DIYdoc)
Handouts & Resources
Use the following handouts and resources to help with professional learning.
- 1A: Media Arts Lifelong Goals and Philosophical Foundations
- 1B: California Arts Standards
- 1C: California Arts Standards
- 1D: Media Arts Standards
- 1E: Artistic Processes and Anchor Standards
- 1F: CA Arts Standards Media Arts Anchor Standard 10
- 1G: CA Arts Standards Philosophical Foundations & Lifelong Goals
- 1H: TEAL Online Course Registration Instructions
- 1I: TEAL Media Arts Playlist for Creativity at the Core Module 23
- 2A: Las Fotos Project Lesson Plan: Dear Self
- 2B: Critique Guide: Dear Self
- 2C: Visual Thinking Strategies (LACMA)
- 3A: Soundtrap Media Arts Resources
- 4A: PBS Suggested Tools & Platforms
- 5A: Digital Storytelling-Shoot My Film (DIY Doc)
- 5B: Shoot My Film-Filmmaker Tip Sheet
In the Research document you will find web, book, and periodical resources.
California Arts Standards for Public Schools
Learn more about the Standards in the handouts under Downloads.
Learn more about the Standards in the handouts under downloads.
- Jeannine Flores, Arts and STEAM Coordinator, Los Angeles County Office of Education
9300 Imperial Highway, Downey CA 90242
Other Education and Arts Contributors
- Peggy Burt, Consultant, Mindful Strategies
- Alyssa Garcia, Director Education and Programs, Las Fotos Project
- Almetria Vaba, Director for Education Partnerships and Distribution at KQED
- Rik Panganiban, Online Learning Manager for KQED Teach
- Suzie Hicks, Early Learning Content Specialist, PBS SoCal
- Jostin Grimes, Education Specialist, Soundtrap by Spotify
- Ed Greene, PhD, Consultant, EdGreene Strategies
- John Carlin, Creator, DIYdoc
Tags: Arts Integration, Media Arts, Media Arts Standards, Movie making for elementary students


At Tutshill C of E Primary School, we cover all aspects of the National Curriculum ensuring that children participate in a range of creative, engaging and challenging musical experiences from EYFS to Key Stage 2. This is delivered through our seven core Christian values and supported by our learning behaviours which help to develop the skills to become resilient, evaluative, reflective, curious learners with the ability to take risks, develop a love of learning and believe in their own potential. We want our pupils to meaningfully explore musical styles and traditions within our teaching adding to their cultural capital, by not only studying the great composers and musicians but also learning about and listening to an extensive range of music from around the world and from different cultures! Pupils will also: sing, play tuned & untuned instruments; listen to recorded and live music; compose and improvise using the interrelated dimensions of music. At KS2, the children learn to understand music history, and use and understand staff and other notations.
At Tutshill, Music is taught as a discrete subject using the scheme ‘Music Express’ but also across the curriculum. At EYFS, Key Stage 1 and 2, pupils receive a minimum of one-hour curriculum music teaching a week; sometimes taking the form of short sessions spread across the week. In Year 4, children participate in a whole-class instrumental programme (WCET) lasting one term, supported by teachers from the local Music Education Hub. During lessons taught by the class teacher, an ABCDE approach (Metacognition) is taken, as with other subjects across the curriculum. In this way, we teach the children to activate their learning, ‘buy into’ the idea being taught, coach each other and be coached by the teacher, practise the skill and later evaluate pupils’ own learning. A weekly singing assembly at our local church allows the children opportunities to develop their singing skills and gain an understanding of how ensembles work. Performances, such as Christmas plays, nativities and end of year shows, demonstrate that music is important to the life of the school. Extra-curricular activities, such as choir and peripatetic music lessons, also provide children with experience of making music.
The impact of teaching Music will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of Music. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through performances, extra-curricular activities and opportunities suggested in lessons/overviews for wider learning. Participation in Music lessons develops wellbeing, promotes listening and develops concentration. We want to ensure that music is loved by teachers and pupils across school, encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of musical ability, now and in the future.


The sustainable development goals agreed by world leaders include a commitment to ensure that all young people have access to good quality primary and lower secondary education by 2030. The goals include a pledge that no one will be left behind. Reaching these goals will require improved educational quality for the most disadvantaged children from the earliest years. Worldwide, 250 million children do not have even basic numeracy and literacy skills. In rural parts of India and Pakistan, only one in five children aged 10 and 11, who should have spent five years in school, have achieved minimum learning standards. It is clear that education systems require urgent reform. To date, governments, schools and teachers have tended to focus on the more advantaged, able children. For systems to close educational inequalities, they must focus on the needs of more disadvantaged children. Here are five steps to achieve this.
Address disadvantage from early childhood
Hardship associated with poverty affects learning even before children start primary school, and those who encounter difficulties early on face an uphill struggle to catch up. Early childhood education helps to redress this: attending at least one year of pre-school has an average benefit for learning that is equivalent to at least one formal year of schooling in Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Germany. In Argentina, the impact is twice as large for poorer students. To benefit fully from education, children must also start school at the right age (in two-thirds of countries, six years old is the common starting age for primary education). A report on access to education found that in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where the official entry age is commonly six or seven years old, the poorest children are especially likely to start school over age; and over-age children are found to be less likely to learn than other children in their class grade.
Ensure teaching is at the right pace for the weakest learners
One reason why so many children spend time in school without progressing is overly ambitious and inflexible curricula. Education interventions aimed at basic literacy and numeracy skills for children who have fallen behind curricular expectations show that they can improve rapidly with the right support. In an intervention in India, community teachers spent half of each school day working on basic skills with the lowest achieving children in grades three and four (ages eight to 10); a year later, these children achieved better learning outcomes than 54% of children who did not receive this support.
Provide disadvantaged children with the best teachers
In many countries, inadequate training of teachers is holding back children’s learning. In Mali and Niger, training for teachers led to major improvements in early-grade reading: while no students could initially read at least 21 letters, 49% could after four months’ teaching, compared to just 2% after a year of instruction by teachers who did not receive the training. In addition, the best teachers are often not reaching schools where they are most needed. Vietnam is one country that has addressed this: teachers of more disadvantaged children are actually absent less often, provide feedback more regularly, and are slightly more likely to have received “excellent teacher” status.
Provide learning resources to help children progress at an appropriate pace
Learning materials will only be effective if they are accessible to children in the classroom, are pitched at the right level and in the right language, and teachers are trained to use them. A computer-based tool in India that tailored learning materials according to children’s current learning levels increased test scores in mathematics for the average child, to exceed 69% of children in the comparison group.
Empower parents and communities to hold schools and policymakers to account
To implement measures aimed at raising learning outcomes and overcoming inequalities, households and communities need to be able to hold policymakers and school leaders to account. In Indonesia, interventions aimed at increasing school committees’ authority and introducing elections of committee members lifted the average child’s learning in the Indonesian language. Special measures can be potentially powerful, but care must be taken to empower the disadvantaged within communities. In Mali, for example, increasing the power of local governance empowered some groups, but further isolated nomadic groups.
Governments must put in place ambitious reforms aimed at targeting the learning of the most disadvantaged. Only if they implement concrete steps will we have any chance of achieving real progress towards leaving no one behind by 2030.
By Pauline Rose and Ben Alcott in the Research for Equitable Access and Learning Centre at the University of Cambridge, based on their newly-released paper for the UK Department for International Development on ‘How Education Systems can become Equitable by 2030’.
Originally posted on the Guardian International Development page on 22 September 2015.
Twitter: Pauline Rose – @PaulineMRose


Promoting Fine Motor Skill Development This Summer
By Grace Golojuch, MS, OTR/L
Due to a virtual learning environment over the past school year, students generally engaged in less writing and more use of technology to work on academic skills. As we look forward to more group activities, family gatherings, and summer fun; we are here to remind you that this summer is the perfect time to work on fine motor skill development in preparation for the return to in-person school.
Due to less use of the small muscles in the hands, students may have experienced a decrease in endurance for longer writing tasks. In addition, fine motor accuracy may not be as strong as it once was which can impact legibility for handwriting. Don’t fret! We are here to provide you with ideas for how to work on fine motor skills in a FUN way this summer!
Ways to Build Hand Strength this Summer: Tactile Play
Play-doh: roll into a work to form letters or numbers; make small balls using fingers
Sand play- at the beach or indoors using kinetic sand!
Make slime- involve the child in opening containers, scooping, pouring, and mixing
Water beads- work on using a pincer grasp to pick up or using a spoon to scoop into a container
Water play- incorporate scooping, squeezing water out of the bottle
Paper folding or origami- find step by step videos online
Cutting and gluing activities- add crumping tissue paper for extra hand strength work!
Color by number- use crayons or colored pencils and a preferred theme for the most success
Play games that involve tongs (or add tongs or clothespins to move the pieces in your favorite games!)
Use a spray bottle for cleaning activities
Wipe down tables or windows with towel
Help with meal preparation- mixing, scooping, ripping lettuce, kneading dough, etc
Even when doing fun activities this summer, you can be intentional about promoting fine motor skill development by incorporating some of the activities above and your own! If your child is currently working on writing in school, you can also find creative ways to add writing into your daily summer routines. Have your child write in a daily journal, help with writing a schedule for the day, or make a grocery list.


This article explores the relationship between ideas about the role and purpose of music introduced in the major publications of Charles Darwin, and the fields of child development, music education and pedagogy. It also considers the significant influence on Darwin's work of his own biography and family life. In the global village of 21st-century cyber-culture, music is in danger of increasing commodification, whereby powerful commercial forces shape the assumption that music is a product to be consumed, rather than a process in which to participate. Speculation about the role of music in the evolution of culture (Bannan, 2003; Merker, 2000; Mithen, 2005; Morley, 2002; Wallin, 1991) supports the view that the capacity for music was expressed early in the genetic inheritance that gave rise to the species Homo; and that its universality within each individual in every culture is a consequence of its usefulness in behavior and inter-generational transmission that exploit its potential. Given the manner in which modern human societies conduct themselves, a robust evolutionary account of the role of music has significant implications for the way we educate our young, both informally in the home and in the more formal setting of school. This relationship between Darwin's published theories and the role of musical play in the upbringing of children was evident in his and his wife Emma's approach to parenting in the family home at Down House where he wrote his major works. © The Author(s) 2013.