This April, Scholars Portal is highlighting International Children’s Book Day, which is observed annually on noted fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (April 2). This yearly event, sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People, an international non-profit, promotes a love of reading, recognizes the role of books in the development and education of children, and calls attention to children’s literature. To celebrate Children’s Book Day, we’ve gathered material on children’s literature and literacy practices from our books, journals, and <odesi> platforms.
- Windows and words: A look at Canadian children’s literature in English
- The making of the Alice books: Lewis Carroll’s uses of earlier children’s literature
- Language and control in children’s literature
- Children’s literature: A reader’s history, from Aesop to Harry Potter
- Critical multicultural analysis of children’s literature: Mirrors, windows, and doors
- Home words: Discourses of children’s literature in Canada
- Reading into racism: Bias in children’s literature and learning materials
- The role of translators in children’s literature: Invisible storytellers
- Relentless progress: The reconfiguration of children’s literature, fairy tales, and storytelling
- Freud in Oz: At the intersections of psychoanalysis and children’s literature
- From nursery rhymes to nationhood: Children’s literature and the construction of Canadian identity
- Unsettling narratives: Postcolonial readings of children’s literature
- Book ownership and young children’s learning
- Celebrating and revitalizing language: Indigenous bilingual children’s books
- The role of child interests and collaborative parent-child interactions in fostering numeracy and literacy development in Canadian homes
- Children’s book illustrations: Visual language of picture books – open access
- Do children read the children’s literature adults recommend? A comparison of adults’ and children’s annual “best” lists in the United States 1975-2005
- The role of out-of-school factors in the literacy problem
- The wonderful world of children’s books? Negotiating diversity through children’s literature
- Humans (really) are animals: Picture-book reading influences 5-year-old urban children’s construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals – open access
- Conceptualisations of literacy and literacy practices for children with severe learning difficulties
- Surviving the storm: Trauma and recovery in children’s books about natural disasters
This survey provides a detailed statistical picture of the habits of Canadians with respect to buying and reading books for pleasure. Coverage of reading habits includes genre type, frequency of reading, books bought, proportion of Canadian authors among books bought, and library use. The respondents were also asked about non-reading activities such as television watching and use of Internet to provide a comparison to reading.
The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies is a multi-cycle international programme of assessment, focused on adults’ literacy, numeracy, and information communication technology skills and competencies. It aims to collection information from residents of several countries, including Canada, and seeks to provide information regarding change in distribution of skills over the years, the extent of the skill being measured, and information about individuals with low levels of competency.
This survey is part of a long-term study monitoring the development and well-being of Canadian children as they grow from infancy to adulthood, with data collected at two-year intervals. It includes variables related to the children’s activities, literacy, education, and reading tests, among many others.


Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Australia Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this FREE online interactive quiz on Australia. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun quiz about Australia again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about Australia.
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About the Australia Quiz & FREE Online Quizzes
Our fun Geography quizzes are a free quiz resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Australia Geography quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about Australia while enjoying this FREE interactive science quiz for kids.
If your kid is enjoying home-schooling, or is enrolled in some extra-curricular program, then this is a fun yet educational activity, with reading comprehension benefits for grade one to grade five kids.
Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who gets best results, doing this fun Geography quiz game on Australia.
As a reading comprehension training for your kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension faster and better, or you can simply limit the number of times they can read about the quiz topic, before they do the actual earth science kids quiz.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing this and our other fun online quizzes, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the Australia quiz question and answers.
You will select the Australia quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the quiz score.
Your child can try many times doing the Australia quiz, till gets the perfect score faster, as children learn to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
Enjoyed doing this free online quiz about Australia? Check out all our other fun General Quizzes and other fun facts on earth science. Visit our Easy Geography for Kids all about Australia page. Get lengthy info here.


West End Primary School Curriculum
At West End Primary School we offer a curriculum which is broad, balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points. The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the new National Curriculum 2014 and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school. The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education.
Some pupils are still working on the Early Learning Goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum as they enter Year 1. During the Autumn Term the majority of children progress on to the National Curriculum. Throughout this period and beyond all children are still developing their phonic knowledge through the Read, Write Inc. Phonics Programme and developing their fluency in reading through the guided reading and home reading scheme.
The National Curriculum is delivered using our own in-house developed scheme of work. This scheme adopts a variety of approaches to the delivery of lessons, some through a topic format others through discrete subjects. Whilst the scheme is considered a starting point towards the development of the curriculum teachers and staff are mindful of global, national and local events ensuring the children have a breadth of knowledge. In addition to this some classes cover content that is specific to our school due to the local importance (particularly those that cover locality and local history)
National requirements are mapped out as a whole school and individual year groups plan the curriculum for their pupils accordingly. Through Personal, Social and Health Education and Religious Education the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are covered.
The more able are challenged further in their learning and children who find aspects of their learning more difficult are appropriately supported so that they too are enabled to experience success.
The English curriculum is supported through frameworks developed by consultants and coordinators within the Local Authority. In all year groups, there are small group interventions in order to support pupils in gaining the key skills to become successful readers and writers.
Our Maths curriculum is delivered through a highly structured Maths Mastery program called Maths No Problem. This scheme develops the children's mathematical skills and understanding through lessons that are clearly sequenced to promote mastery of maths.
All subject leaders are given training and opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school.
Memorable experiences, whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning. Quality teaching is expected in all lessons and the school is well provisioned in terms of learning materials, books and technology.
The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils. The school grounds have been developed so they can enrich different curriculum areas, particularly science.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school assemblies, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Pupils learning is shared with parents using the school’s Earwig platform.
Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning. In addition to this our school is committed to sharing and celebrating our British Values through assemblies, PSHE lessons, the work of the school council and house captains.


This kit features science experiments for kids that are good, clean fun! Get into the world of geology by making three amber soaps with images of prehistoric insects trapped inside. Amber is prehistoric plant resin from ancient forests. As it drips, it can trap leaves, seeds, fur and other ancient biological artifacts. Learn about amber and the prehistoric treasures it has the power to preserve! It’s a brilliant kit for science kids with curious minds.
• Kids make their own prehistoric amber soaps
• It’s a hands-on lesson in geology and science for kids
• Develop a love for history and a passion for discovery
• Includes supplies and a full-color instruction manual
*Returns can only be made for Store Credit, and can be returned to our shop, or by mail within 14 days of purchase.
*Bird in the Nest is not responsible for return shipping.


Teachers' and parents' perceptions of play activities in Pre-Schools in Choma District, Zambia
Kaumba, Angala Samwangala
MetadataShow full item record
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of early childhood teachers and parents of children in early childhood institutions on the use of play activities to enhance children’s learning of literacy and numeracy skills. This study was guided by the following questions;1. What perceptions do teachers and parents of children in early childhood education have on how play activities enhance literacy and numeracy skills?2. How is play used in expressive activities to stimulate children’s interest in learning? literacy and numeracy skills? 3. What factors enable early childhood teachers to teach children play activities well? A descriptive survey research design US in this study. Five preschools were randomly selected for this study and a random sampling procedure was used to select twenty five teachers from the preschools and 100 parents with children in these schools were also randomly selected for the study. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and a semi-structured interview. The research findings established that early childhood teachers perceived the use of play activities like, drawing; tracing, coloring, songs, rhymes and computer games as stimulating children’s interest in literacy and numeracy skills. Parents of children in early childhood institutions also perceived helping their children in play activities to be something that assisted their children in learning literacy and numeracy skills.The study also established that teachers and parents used play activities like drawing, tracing to teach children literacy skills like reading and writing. Songs were also use to teach children words, numbers while puzzle activities were used to teach children simple mathematic concepts in addition and subtraction. Parents also used play activities to help children in their home work. Factors like; the teachers’ gender, educational attainment and teaching experience, enabled them to teach play activities better. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education incorporates more play activities in the early childhood curriculum and that early childhood teachers were to be trained on how to teach children literacy and numeracy skills using play activities.
- Education


The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts some of the most complex education surveys in the world, and we work hard to make these surveys as effective and efficient as possible. One way we make sure our surveys are successful is by conducting multiple tests before we fully launch a national data collection.
Even prior to a field test, NCES develops survey materials and procedures using much smaller-scale cognitive laboratory testing and focus-group processes. These initial development procedures help ensure that materials are clear and procedures are understood before we conduct field testing with larger and more representative groups of respondents. Then, we launch the field tests to test data-collection operations and survey processes and procedures. Field tests are small-scale surveys that include a range of respondents and are designed to test the survey questionnaires and survey administration procedures in a real-world situation prior to the launch of a major study. The field test results allow us to make any necessary adjustments before starting the national data collection. Field tests also allow us to test specific survey items and ensure that they are valid and reliable. Without a field test, we could risk spending the public’s time and money on large data-collection efforts that do not produce the intended information.
NCES is about to begin the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2022–23 (ECLS-K:2023) with a field test early this year. The ECLS-K:2023 will focus on children’s early school experiences, beginning with preschool and continuing through fifth grade. From the spring of 2022 through the spring of 2028, we will collect national study data from children and their parents, teachers, and school administrators to answer questions about children’s early learning and development, transition into kindergarten and beyond, and experiences in the elementary grades.
Although the ECLS-K:2023 will be similar in many ways to prior ECLS kindergarten studies, we are adding a round of data collection prior to the children’s kindergarten year—the national spring 2022 preschool round. For this preschool survey, we’ll send an invitation to participate to a sample of residential addresses within selected areas of the United States. Potential participants will first be asked to fill out a brief screener questionnaire. If they report that an ECLS-eligible child is in the household, they will be asked additional important questions about early childhood topics, such as their child’s literacy, language, math, and social skills; activities done with the child in the home (e.g., singing songs, playing games, reading); and characteristics of any early care and education (i.e., child care) arrangements for the child.
Because the ECLS-K:2023 preschool data need to be comprehensive and reliable so that they can inform public discussions and policies related to early elementary education, it’s crucial that we test our procedures and questions for this new preschool round by conducting a field test in early 2020.
If you receive a letter about participating in the 2020 ECLS field test, you’re being selected to represent thousands of households like yours and provide NCES with the data we need to make decisions about how to best conduct the ECLS-K:2023. The participation of all the selected households who receive our mailings, even those without children, is essential for a successful field test and, ultimately, a successful ECLS-K:2023.
If you are selected for the ECLS field test and have any questions about participating, please visit the participant information page.
For more information on the ECLS-K:2023 or its 2020 field test, please email the ECLS study team.
For information about other ECLS program studies, please visit https://nces.ed.gov/ecls/.
By Jill Carlivati McCarroll


has been launched in Alaska.
Readers can also explore videos and sound effects, access additional information from touch zones and drop down captions, record themselves reading the story, practice letter and word recognition, and participate in the included teacher extension activities. “A classroom might be comprised of students with 3 – 5 different levels of reading,” Dr. Whicker said.
What’s Up with Whales? represents a new category of digital books that can greatly simplify the work of teachers to meet individual student needs by providing the same content for different levels of readers in their classrooms.” English and Spanish are the initial focus, reflecting the rapid growth in Hispanic speaking households in the USA, and the urgent need to bring bilingual readers to grade level in English. “We’re also ready to work with districts, schools, and organizations who want to substitute their own indigenous languages in the book to help students connect with the right level of reading challenge in their own language,” said Dr. Whicker.
The book’s technology has been developed by New Zealand based media production company Kiwa Digital Ltd, in collaboration with Alaska based Newtek Education Systems Ltd, and the Association of Alaska School Boards. “Technology is transforming the way teaching and learning is experienced,” said Steven Renata Global Business Development Director for Kiwa Digital. “With the launch of this new technology, educators have an exciting new tool available to support literacy development, especially for second language readers and mixed ability groups.”
What’s Up With Whales? is available on the Apple App Store at an introductory price of $4.99 (regularly $9.99), with additional education discount pricing available to schools through the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP). Visit https://itunes.apple.com/app/whats-up-withwhales/id1012655689?ls=1&mt=8
Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB)
AASB represents Alaska’s 53 school districts and assists school boards in providing quality public education focused on student achievement. Since 2005, the Consortium for Digital Learning (CDL), an initiative of AASB, has helped launch over a hundred 1-to-1 laptop and tablet projects in 28 school districts across Alaska. CDL provides services to support digital teaching and learning in today’s connected schools.
Shelley Gill’s natural history and adventure books have sold more than a million copies worldwide. Her first book, Kiana's Iditarod, was about her own experience as one of the first women to finish the 1,100 mile dog sled race to Nome. She works as a whale researcher in Prince William Sound and lives in Homer, Alaska, a small fishing town on the tip of the Kenai Peninsula.
KIWA is the world’s leading production house for experiential digital books. We partner with publishers and other content owners, using our patented technology to bring content to life in revolutionary new digital formats that deepen engagement and understanding. KIWA has recently appointed Alaska based Newtek Education Systems Ltd to introduce its products and services to Alaska and other US states.


Information in this blog post has been taken from the official Kodaly Academy website. To find out more about the Kodaly Approach, please visit www.kodaly.org.uk
Kodály training develops musicianship through singing. The student engages in the most direct of musical responses without the technical demands of an instrument. This practical approach combined with a clear progression from the simple to the complex facilitates the development of excellent musicianship skills such as sight singing and keen pitch discrimination, as well as high levels of musical literacy. Kodály training is suitable for all ages and stages and can be applied to all kinds of music from classical to world music and jazz.
“Music belongs to everybody”
The educational work of Zoltán Kodály was driven by his overriding belief that “music belongs to everybody”; that active participation in music-making develops a person on all levels and that best approach is through the instrument accessible to all – the human voice.
His ideas evolved into a philosophy of music education based on the way that children learn most naturally: through singing games, fun and play. Through his vitality and research, and the work of his colleagues and students, a sequential and progressive approach to teaching music was implemented in schools throughout Hungary based on an integration of the best practices observed throughout Europe.
Kodály believed that music education should begin as early as possible, that highly trained teachers were essential, especially in the early years, and that the rhymes and songs used should be of the best quality starting with familiar children’s songs and simple mother-tongue folk songs.
The 21st century sees Kodály’s principles at the heart of music education in many countries throughout the world, adapted whilst remaining true to the core tenets of the concept. It is a complete and comprehensive approach that covers every requirement of the music curriculum – and so much more!
“A well-trained ear, a well-trained mind, a well trained heart and well-trained fingers”http://kodaly.org.uk/about-us/kodaly-approach/
This video comes from the channel L – tiz on YouTube and gives us an insight into how Kodaly can be used to teach music to a group.


Sarah Baxter, Lower School Math Specialist
The “Fun” in Fundamentals: Multisensory Math Strategies
Dyscalculia is a math learning disability that makes number-related concepts and calculations challenging for some. Although it is sometimes referred to as “number dyslexia,” there isn’t nearly as much research or curriculum support for dyscalculia as there is for its language-based cousin. But by applying similar tried-and-true multisensory learning strategies, we are able to support our students and advance their comprehension–and their confidence.
In the words of Marilyn Zecher, a leader in multisensory math instruction, it’s an approach that is “appropriate for all, essential for some.” And here at McLean School, we couldn’t agree more. As with everything we teach, we believe it’s vital to recognize that people learn in lots of ways and everyone’s brain is a little different. When we come to a subject using a variety of pathways and modalities, using all of the senses, we engage the brain more thoroughly, which does wonders for learning and memory. So whether a child has math anxiety or a diagnosis of dyscalculia, they are able to feel and be successful with the subject.
So what does this look like in action? With students I work with at the kindergarten to grade 4 level, it might mean asking them to form different colored balls of Playdough for a lesson in addition, or cutting them in half or fourths to understand fractions. Our students are getting visual input, fine motor, touch, and something called proprioception, or the awareness of one’s body in space–a fully integrated experience that makes the math more meaningful.
The beauty of multisensory math education is that it’s not only fun in the moment, but research tells us that positive associations with a subject improve learning overall. And McLean teachers are all about positive associations! No math teacher I know came to this work because of a love of algorithms alone. My Masters in Elementary Education and Creative Arts in Learning, plays a major role in how I approach math instruction. Many people know that music and math are closely linked; I also have a student who says he “hates” math but loves to draw, so I have him illustrate the math problems as a way of integrating his interests and engaging the brain–and he tells me math is a lot more likeable now.
Getting to know our students and developing positive relationships with them is a big part of our Abilities Model®–McLean’s not-so-secret sauce that helps kids tap into their strengths as a way of getting at challenges. This, plus the benefit of small classes and curricular flexibility, adds up to a math experience that can be as enjoyable as it is educational.


Date of Conferral
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
In a Southern state at a rural high school, leadership staff implemented phonics-based strategies with 9th grade English teachers to improve students' Lexile reading scores. The absence of formative data related to program implementation left stakeholders without a clear understanding of the influence of the phonics-based strategies. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to obtain formative information from teachers to discern the perceived influence of the phonics-based strategies on reading. Dual coding theory was used to examine teachers' perceptions of the influence of phonics-based strategies on students' motivation, fluency, and self-efficacy. Data were collected using interviews with 9 purposefully selected English teachers who taught Grade 9 students and had at least 1 year of experience using the phonics-based strategies. Data were coded in NVivo and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated that phonics-based strategies were perceived to benefit students' extrinsic motivation and fluency; conversely, teachers perceived the strategies had a limited effect on students' intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. Implementation of recommendations presented in a white paper based on these findings could result in positive social change by strengthening students' reading and promoting their academic success.
Ramos, Alani, "Teacher Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Secondary Phonics Instruction on Student Reading" (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 7065.


Hobbies Playing Music The Musical Upbeat An Unaccented Beat in a Measure Share PINTEREST Email Print Photo courtesy of the Schulich School of Music Playing Music Playing Piano Tutorials Piano Chords Buying Advice Music Education Playing Guitar Home Recording By Brandy Kraemer Updated December 09, 2017 While upbeat might mean happy and optimistic when talking about a person, when referring to an upbeat in music, it means an unaccented beat that comes before an accented beat that typically comes as the last beat in a measure. The upbeat essentially prepares the ears of listeners for the first beat in the next measure or the next accented beat in the rhythm. The upbeat is, therefore, weaker than and foreshadows the downbeat; when counting "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3," the 3 should be the weakest beat and can be considered a pick-up note, which is a synonym for anacrusis. When trying to explain meter and rhythmic divisions or time signatures, an instructor will often demonstrate the downbeat by conducting the class through a specific time count and moving his or her hand upward before the start of the next count, making the last number in the count the upbeat. Time, Tempo, and the Upbeat Understanding music truly starts with understanding rhythm and timing, and when it comes to conducting music and leading musicians through songs, conductors and sheet music alike use time signatures, tempos, and rhythmic divisions to dictate the speed at which a song progresses from note to note. While some songs are off-beat or have irrational rhythms, most follow strict structures to keep instruments playing in a way that's pleasant for an audience to hear, interpret, and feel. In individual measures, these tempos are kept in up and downbeats, but on the scale of an entire song, (BPM) beats per minute determine the song's overall tempo. Rhythms can change mid-song, though, as expressed by time signatures at the beginning of the measure, so it's important to distinguish BPM from the song's rhythm. Rhythm, which is controlled by the up and down beats allow musicians to know how quickly to play musical tuplets or individual notes in time with the overall song. Difference Between Upbeat and Downbeat The first beat of a measure is called the downbeat, and while it often appears as the first beat in a rhythm, that's not always the case. Still, a conductor signifies the downbeat by flicking his hand downward (as opposed to the upward flick of the upbeat). When looking at the count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4," the upbeats would be all the numbers while the downbeats would be every occurrence of "and" (an unstated "and" appears between 4 and 1 when repeating the count). By looking at this example, you can see that the upbeat would, therefore, be the beat that appears at the end of a measure to prepare for the downbeat of the first beat of the next measure. Being able to tell the difference between the up and downbeat helps musicians determine if their timing and pace are right or wrong. By looking at where the next note is supposed to appear in the time signature indicated on the sheet music, musicians can gauge whether or not they are off-beat with the timing of the music.


The Montessori Materials
The Montessori method promotes hands-on learning. “Doing” helps children internalize concepts and ideas. Maria Montessori defined the hand as “the organ of intelligence” and she invented a series of useful objects to aid learning. The following is a sample list of learning materials used in a the various areas of a Montessori classroom:
Sensorial: Long Red Rods—Ten solid rods made of red wood, that are constant in height and width (2.5cm) while graduated in length from 10cm to 1 meter, demonstrate the concept of length differences. Other manipulatives focus on sorting geometrical shapes, comparing weights, learning colours, etc.
Mathematics: Spindle Boxes—Two wooden boxes divided into five compartments each, with the numerals 0-9 printed above each compartment. The child uses wooden spindles to practice counting and to develop quantitative concepts. Hands on math activities progress to arithmetic operations, fractions, etc.
Language: Sandpaper Letters—The tactile alphabet is used to develop a neuromuscular impression of the letter shapes and to promote letter-sound association. This is a multisensory approach where visual and directional memory (shape of letters and direction of writing) is reinforced by the tactile and kinaesthetic experiences. Language activities also include manipulatives that promote writing and understanding punctuation and sentence structure.
Botany and Geography: Map, Plants and Animal Puzzles—Small wooden puzzles help child conceptualize the whole vs. parts while also promoting observation of nature, and understanding of topographical concepts.
Practical Life: Dressing Frames—Hardwood frames holding cotton material are used for practicing various fasteners and to develop eye hand coordination, concentration and independence.
Young children, and particularly children between the ages of three and six years, are naturally capable of absorbing a great deal of information and acquiring many skills primarily through the senses. As they progress in their exploration of classroom materials, children learn about their environment, identify its characteristics, conceptualize categories and gradually develop abstract thinking skills. Children gradually organize the world around them into ordered categories thus creating a springboard for further exploration and discoveries. Children explore qualities such as shape, size, density, weight, sounds, taste and smell in order to grasp concepts involving measurements, comparison of similarities and differences, gradation and equivalence.
The teacher introduces and demonstrates how to use Montessori materials. Then materials are ready for individual use and children are autonomous to explore and to monitor their own progress and mistakes.
A good example for the application of Montessori materials is in the development of mathematical concepts. Numbers are everywhere and math is essential for everyday life. Moreover, independent mathematical thinking is closely linked to problem solving skills in general as well as attention and organizational skills, coordination and general independence. A sensory-based approach to the development of mathematical thinking is highly effective in promoting enthusiastic learning of math. Children are able to observe and explore how numbers increase, decrease, change and relate to each other using multisensory manipulations. They are not hurried or pressured to produce “results” during their exploration. Montessori materials help children build a solid foundation for grasping abstract concepts and the learning process is engaging and enjoyable.
Children are free to choose materials and activities based on their genuine needs in any particular moment. There is no pressure to move on to the next thing. Children are free to repeat tasks and, in fact, repetition is encouraged as a way to strengthen and refine foundational skills. As children freely choose and practice with materials and activities, teachers can observe students’ preferences in and patterns of learning.


REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING ON INQUIRY BASED LEARNING
Armstrong, C. L. (1986). Stages of inquiry in producing art: Model, rationale and application to a teacher questioning strategy. Studies in Art Education, 28(1), 37-48.
Barrett, E., & Bolt, B. (2007). Practice as research: Approaches to creative arts enquiry. IB Tauris & Co Ltd.
Busch, K. (2009). Artistic research and the poetics of knowledge. Art & Research: A Journal of Ideas, Contexts and Methods, 2(2), 1-7.
Crawford, M. (2017). Inquiry Based Art Research and the Development of Artistic Autonomy in the High School Setting.
Eisner, E. W. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. Yale University Press.
Erickson, M., & Ramson Hales, L. (2018). Increasing art understanding and inspiration through scaffolded inquiry. Studies in Art Education, 59(2), 106-125.
Heid, K. (2008). Creativity and Imagination: Toots for Teaching Artistic Inquiry. Art Education, 61(4), 40-46.
Jeffers, C. S., & Parth, P. (1996). Relating controversial contemporary art and school art: A problem-position. Studies in Art Education, 38(1), 21-33.
Learning, A. Learning and Teaching Resources Branch (2004) Focus on inquiry: a teacher’s guide to implementing inquiry-based learning. Alberta, Edmonton: Ministry of Education http://www. learning. gov. ab. ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/focusoninquiry. pdf.
Marshal, J., & D’Adamo, K. (2011). Art practice as research in the classroom: A new paradigm in art education. Art Education, 64(5), 12-18.
Pentassuglia, M. (2017). “The Art (ist) is present”: Arts-based research perspective in educational research. Cogent Education, 4(1), 1301011.
Siegesmund, R. (1998). Why do we teach art today? Conceptions of art education and their justification. Studies in art education, 39(3), 197-214.
Shields. S., Fendler, R., & Henn, D. (2020). A Vision of Civically Engaged Art Education: Teens as Arts-Based Researchers. Studies in Art Education, 61(2), 123-141.
Sullivan, G. (1993). Art-based art education: Learning that is meaningful, authentic, critical and pluralist. Studies in Art Education, 35(1), 5-21.
Sullivan, G. (1996). Critical interpretive inquiry: A qualitative study of five contemporary artists' ways of seeing. Studies in Art Education, 37(4), 210-225.
Sullivan, G. (2006). Research acts in art practice. Studies in art Education, 48(1), 19-35.
Sullivan, G. (Ed.). (2010). Art practice as research: Inquiry in visual arts. Sage.
Walker, M. A. (2014). From theory to practice: Concept-based inquiry in a high school art classroom. Studies in art Education, 55(4), 287-299.


Kindergarten-Cross the Finish Line
1st Grade-Animal Adaptations
2nd Grade-States of Matter Collage
In this unit, students investigated different kinds of materials by their observable properties. To introduce this unit, students learned how to create a basic document in Pages including changing the font and size. Using Creative Commons, students found and classified images by dragging them to the Pages Document.
3rd Grade-Introduction to Flight
4th Grade-Rocks & Fossils Interactives
5th Grade-Human Robots
Welcome to the STEAM Studio Blog for Jamestown Upper & Lower Elementary Schools in Hudsonville, MI. Here you will find the latest projects and concepts we've been working on in class.
comes to Hudsonville with 17 years of teaching information and technology skills to elementary students. After earning a BA in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2000, she drew a circle on the map and chose Southwest Michigan.


Curriculum & Resources
All curriculum is purchased by Ignite Entrepreneurship Academy for your use. Unused portions (textbooks etc) are returned to Ignite.
The following curriculum links have been organized according to grade levels. Choose the level of curriculum that meets your child’s needs for each subject area. There are links to placement tests where applicable.
Your Educational Specialist will be able to help guide you in your curriculum selection.
Whole Year Curriculum
Reasoning Level A
The Mathematical Reasoning series uses a spiral approach, introducing a concept then revisiting it a number of times at intervals. Parents who want something open-and-go will like this. Students who like variety should love this series since there are seldom two pages that look similar. Pages always have at least one illustration and are so colorful that there is little white space on a page. Although manipulatives are not required, a link to a virtual manipulative website is provided in case additional concrete level reinforcement is needed. A wide variety of exercises and activities are utilized to keep your child both interested and motivated.
Singapore Early Bird
Singapore Math’s Primary Mathematics Standards Edition series helps children visualize math through concrete, pictorial, and abstract methods. The spiral approach encourages mastery through the modeling method, which helps students to visualize problems as they work on specific skills.
Math-U-See is more parent intensive and combines hands-on methodology with incremental instruction and continual review in this manipulative-based program. It excels in its hands-on presentation of math concepts that enables students to understand how math works. It is one of the rare multi-sensory math programs that continues to use manipulatives up through Algebra 1. This, Primer, is an entry level and is designed to provide a broad overview and introduction to various math topics which will be mastered in later levels. This course lends itself to children who are beginning to recognize numbers but have not mastered counting to ten verbally or are unable to recognize the numbers 0 to 10.
Math K helps you teach the foundational skills that children require, including oral counting; recognizing and sequencing numbers; acting out addition and subtraction stories; counting with one-to-one correspondence; identifying and counting pennies, nickels, and dimes; sorting; telling time to the hour; and using a calendar. No workbooks at this level.
Developed by expert authors, based on research principles and learning trajectories as well as experience with how teachers use materials, IM K–5 Math is rigorous, problem-based, and fully aligned to the standards, with coherence across grade bands.
MANGO Math kits provide hands-on, game-based math for primary grades. These kits help improve math curriculum and engagement.


THE MOST FAMOUS AMERICAN BORN COMPOSERS
William Henry Fry, born in 1815, has been considered by many, to be the father of American opera. His most famous opera, Leonora, debuted in 1845. In Europe at this time, the Romantic period was developing lead by figures such as Wagner, Schumann and Chopin. Fry’s opera Leonora the first opera by an American composer to be performed in the US. Over the years there have been many American composers following in his footsteps and as diverse as Americans are, they each have possessed their own unique style.
Probably the most important opera composer of the 20th century was Virgil Thomson. He composed four operas and the two most popular were collaborations with author Gertrude Stein. He was influential in the creation of what is known as “American Sound” and was awarded Yale University’s Sanford Medal and the National Medal of Arts.
Born near the beginning of the 20th century, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein were probably better known for their popular music but all three of these men also composed operas. Porgy and Bess, composed by Gershwin, is one of the most successful operas of the 20th century. Copland wrote two operas, The Second Hurricane and The Tender Land which are perfect for young voices. Bernstein was a master at blending Broadway and Opera, most notably in his Broadway Operetta, Candide.
In contrast, Douglas Moore, 1893-1969, was a rare American composer, in that he was most famous for his operas, not his popular music. Although he composed ten operas, his most well-known is The Ballad of Baby Doe. He was a significant figure in both the advancement of American music and music education.
Gion Carlo Menotti was born in Italy in 1911, but came to the U.S. in 1928 and became one of the most popular names in American opera, composing over twenty of them in his lifetime. In 1934 he was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor and in 1991 was named “Musician of the Year” by Musical America.
Philip Glass, who is considered to be the pioneer of minimalistic opera, and Jake Heggie, who is an extremely talented pianist and piano composer are both celebrated contemporary opera composers. Glass has composed over twenty operas beginning in the 1970’s with his latest in 2007, while Heggie is an up-and-coming composer who got started in the year 2000 and continues to be successful with his latest opus being the recent premier of Moby Dick.


nature & environment education
Welcome to the Nature and Environmental Education (NME) department.
What we do
We inform school children about the importance of nature and our environment and the protection, conservation and sustainable development of the island. We do so by providing programs in the field, in the classroom, providing educational materials for schools and make information accessible for the youth. We also have a goal to educate the people who live on or visit our beautiful Curacao.
We also produce media programs, nature documentaries and we provide workshops and courses.
Need more information or have questions? please contact us at facebook carmabieducation or firstname.lastname@example.org
School Education Programs
All schools on Curacao can join the educational programs for Elementary Education (Funderend Onderwijs) and Secondary Education (Voortgezet Onderwijs).
For Elementary Education we offer a Terrestrial Education Program (in our National Parks), a Marine Education Program (at the location Piscadera) and at the school location our microscopy-lessons 'Microworld'.
For Secondary Education we offer the program 'environmental challenges'.
Enjoy and learn from the informative videos, information sheets and worksheets made by Carmabi or partner organisations. For in the classroom or at home.
Interested in our local birds, coral reef, our local beautiful nature, environmental challenges or scientific research? Take a look at our materials. We are also very proud of our new 'Nos Medio Ambiente' and 'Coral Heroes' school programs, so take a quick look and see what is possible in the classroom
An educational Birthday
Party for Elementary School children, want to do an interesting group
activity (fakansiplan) or want a guided tour in our Marine Education
Contact us for the possibilities.


Sitting on the hallway floor with reading assessment materials on my lap and first-grader Erick on my right, I lean down a bit to better hear his reading of the text. My pencil moves across the page to mark his reading of the assessment passage on the running record form I would later assess to determine his reading level for this quarter. Erick is one of the more advanced readers in our class, reading at a midyear second grade level by early spring of first grade.
In response to my question on how the character in the story responds to challenges, he thumbs through the pages looking for text evidence to support his claim that the character had responded with jealousy. After a few moments, Erick excitedly recites the character’s quote and flashes me his huge smile. I return the smile and he dives right back into the text to answer my next question.
Glancing at my phone, I notice we had been in the hallway for 16 minutes already, and we needed to head back inside for snack time, but Erick isn’t quite finished yet.
I loved the one-on-one time with students to assess their reading progress, but it was quite time-consuming. And I was lucky enough to have a co-teacher with whom to split this responsibility! Between my co-teacher and me, assessing our entire class’s reading progress took about two weeks. We assessed during reading group rotations, during preps, while one of us was lead teaching a content area, or at any other free moments we had.
But unfortunately, reading assessment often came at the expense of literary instructional time. Even if you have a co-teacher or helpful administrators who pitch in, instruction must pause, in some fashion, to complete reading assessments.
With time already a scarce resource for educators, it’s a constant balance between obtaining a comprehensive picture of students’ reading (which takes time) and the need to maintain the flow of instruction so as not to fall behind. Sometimes, the need to move quickly prevents us from getting a complete picture of all our readers, not because we think knowing our readers’ rate, accuracy, prosody, and comprehension lacks value—we know all those measures are crucial—but because time is not on our side. It’s clear that we need a new – and smarter – approach to oral reading fluency assessment that enables us to assess efficiently, without losing the focus on comprehension.
NWEA understood this tension and created a new reading assessment, MAP Reading Fluency, in response. MAP Reading Fluency enables teachers to assess all of their readers at once, in about 20 minutes, using speech-scoring technology and a computer adaptive design. In addition to fluency, the test measures foundational skills and reading comprehension across multiple passages to provide teachers with actionable data and a recording of students’ reading—and gives teachers the gift of time.
While I am no longer in the classroom teaching, I know this product would have increased testing efficiency and the depth of data I needed to better meet my students’ needs. Hearing a recording of herself reading would have helped another student of ours, Heaven, meet her goal of “reading the way she talked,” which was our student-friendly way to describe increasing fluency. Also, having parents listen to a recording of their child reading would have been a powerful tool to play to help bridge the gap between the classroom and home.
There isn’t anything more critical in a child’s education than learning to read in those first couple of years of schooling. Yet traditional oral reading assessment is based on a time-consuming, 30-year-old method, which frustrates teachers and disrupts learning time. It is time for a better approach – one that is fun and engages kids, adapts to the needs of every child, and gives teachers back valuable instructional time, so that they can spend less time screening and more time teaching.


Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. In South Dakota, students are required to attend school until they reach the age of 18. Public (free) education is typically from kindergarten to grade 12 and is thus referred to as K-12.
Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old). Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of children are educated in this manner.
Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten
Preschool encompasses non-compulsory classroom-based early-childhood education prior to the age of five to six. Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is the preschool year immediately studied before the year of Kindergarten, which is typically studied at age five to six.
Typically, the curriculum in public elementary education is determined by individual school districts. The school district selects curriculum guides and textbooks that reflect a state's learning standards and benchmarks for a given grade level. Learning Standards are the goals by which states and school districts must meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) as mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
In general, a student learns basic arithmetic and sometimes rudimentary algebra in mathematics, English proficiency (such as basic grammar, spelling, and vocabulary), and fundamentals of other subjects. Learning standards are identified for all areas of a curriculum by individual States, including those for mathematics, social studies, science, physical development, the fine arts, and reading. While the concept of State Learning standards has been around for some time, No Child Left Behind has mandated that standards exist at the State level.
Secondary education is often divided into two phases, middle or junior high school and high school. Students are usually given more independence, moving to different classrooms for different subjects, and being allowed to choose some of their class subjects (electives).
Middle School / Junior High
"Middle school" or "junior high" in our community includes sixth, seventh and eighth grade.
High school runs from 9th through 12th grades. Students in these grades are commonly referred to as freshmen (grade 9), sophomores (grade 10), juniors (grade 11) and seniors (grade 12). Generally, at the high school level, students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject. Students are required to take a certain mandatory subjects, but may choose additional subjects ("electives") to fill out their required hours of learning. High school grades normally are included in a student's official transcript, e.g. for college admission.
Each state sets minimum requirements for how many years of various mandatory subjects are required; these requirements vary widely, but generally include 2–4 years of each of: Science, Mathematics, English, Social sciences, Physical education; some years of a foreign language and some form of art education are often also required, as is a health curriculum in which students learn about anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, drug awareness, and birth control. In many cases, however, options are provided for students to "test out" of this requirement or complete independent study to meet it.
Many high schools provide Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. These are special forms of honors classes where the curriculum is more challenging and lessons more aggressively paced than standard courses. AP or IB courses are usually taken during the 11th or 12th grade of high school, but may be taken as early as 9th grade. Some international schools offer international school leaving qualifications, to be studied for and awarded instead of or alongside of the high school diploma, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate.


Goodies For Guitar Level 3
- Paperback: 36 pages
- Publisher: Musicaliti Publishers (10 April 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 190793572X
- ISBN-13: 978-1907935725
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 0.2 x 27.9 cm
Goodies for Guitar (Yellow Level) is the perfect guitar book for beginners!
Using specialist music education techniques, this book introduces basic music theory in a gentle and accessible way, allowing new musicians to begin their musical journey, or remind experienced players on how music works.
This book can be used in groups, dividing half the group into melody and the other into chords, as TAB, notation and chords are all provided (along with You Tube recordings!).
Using 20 folk songs, this book allows you to play today!


As a part-time MA study student at the Faculty of Education to become an ICT teacher in the compulsory course „ICT Education 04“ we got to know about principles of the concept DIY as a teaching approach (emphasizing digital literacy development; inter-disciplinary relations; teamwork; autonomy learning; problem learning/IBL; relation to curriculum and application of outschool activities of children into schools). We were called up to think about how to apply this idea in ICT education with the aim to design and to create an animated story on a topic which could be interesting for pupils and in which they could apply their out school activies.
In this task I could rely on my longtime teaching practice with a subject „ICT“ for basic school. I decided to involve in this activity my pupils to see if it is possible to work in such way in school teaching practice.
I decided to concentrate on how to design and create the animated story using free or easily available SW and technology which would be invented by my pupils. I tried to collaborate also with another teachers. The support of a Drama Education teacher was very helpful and important. Our result would have been much more better if there had been support also in Art education.
All what we did was a completely new experiment I had no experiences with such type of task. I could see that not only pupils involved in the story development but also unconcerned pupils were interested what we were doing.
I proposed to do this activity with older pupils who are nore interested in creativity of animated films.
Czech version you can see here.
Author: Milan Žemlička


FIVE FOLD EDUCATION
Over the 75 years, the Vidyapith has developed into a national center for women’s education. To achieve the objective of synthesis of spiritual value and scientific achievements of the East and the West, it has evolved a five –fold educational Program- Panchamukhi Siksha comprising the following aspects.
Physical Under physical education program various activities like parade, martial art, shooting, riding, flying, girl guiding, bulbul, swimming, yoga and various modern and traditional sports like kabbadi, kho-kho, hockey, basketball, handball, badminton, long-jump, high-jump, Judo, Karate etc. are some of the sports facilities given to the students.
Practical Under practical education sanganary paintings and dyeing, batique, bandhej, tailioring, embroidery, cooking, craft, paper-mache etc. are included. Under domestic education students are encouraged to perform cleaning and washing and collective shramadan.
Aesthetic After music and painting up to calss 5 a student can choose either music (Vocal or Instrumental) or painting. Dance education namely Kathak, Manipuri, Rajasthani are an integral part of art education. We have a full-fledged orchestra of classical instrumental music.
Moral The aim of moral education is to develop the personality of the student. Respect for all the religions by means of collective prayers and weekly talk by guest speakers based on moral stories are regular features. The unique feature of imparting moral education is through morning and evening prayers held by relay system, which includes Ramayan path, recitation of mantras from Vedas, slokas from Gita, preaching from Quran and Guru Grantha saheb along with Bhajans as we strongly believe in Sarva Dharma Samanaya.
Intellectual Other than languages and mathematics, natural and social sciences are taught right from the beginning. Knowledge of world history also occupies a key position in the teaching of history. Educational tour, festivals and fairs, one act plays related to different subjects use of charts models, multimedia presentation and educational games are some of the ways of imparting knowledge to students. Our system of imparting knowledge is not exam oriented but focused on the development of overall personality of a child.


Odd numbers – Meanwhile odd numbers are the opposite of even numbers. Odd numbers are numbers that cannot be divided evenly into groups of two. To determine if a number is an odd number, we look at the numbers in the ones place and if they end in – 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9, they are odd numbers.
Prime numbers – This is where it begins to get a little tricky. A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that cannot be made by multiplying other whole numbers. In other words, its factors are one and the number itself. Further, a prime number can be divided without a remainder only by itself and by 1.
Composite numbers – A composite number is a positive integer (whole, not fractional number) that can be formed by multiplying two smaller positive integers.
Playing this game allows 4th graders to begin distinguishing between these numbers. Distinguishing between the numbers further reinforces core numeracy skills.Read Less


Dads as Reading Role Models
June 17, 2015
When you listen to children at play, you may often hear “My dad’s the strongest!” or “I’ll tell my dad and you’ll be sorry!” Fathers have great influence when it comes to their children’s upbringing. Just think about their role when it comes to teaching their children about sports, rules and social interaction. In several areas, fathers teach their little ones to take some risks, to show initiative. Through their comments and encouragements, fathers contribute to the development of their children’s independence. There’s no doubt that a father’s influence is felt in all spheres of family life... even when it comes to literacy development!
By observing my husband, I discovered his influence on my children regarding literacy. I realized that my husband gives off "reading vibes" in our household; vibes that strengthen the emotional bond between our children and books. Through his attitude and behavior, he inspires and encourages our children to read... and he does it so naturally! The following are some of the actions that have encouraged our kids to read.
Playing with books
Researchers agree that “it is the act of reading to our children during their early years that has the greatest influence.” When our children were babies, my husband used to rock them at night; he’d take this moment to take a plastic, board or cloth book and read to them. He would play peek-a-boo, hiding his face behind the book. I still remember the laughter of my children who, surprised, would see daddy pop back out, a book always in his hands! Some evenings, books were replaced by dad’s imaginative and marvellous stories. A moment which often ended with the plea: “Again daddy, again!”
Teach by example
By sitting at the table reading the weekly flyers, the newspaper, a magazine or a great novel, a father imparts that reading is important and appreciated. Some actions speak much louder than words.
Talk about current events
Most men tend to like knowing about what’s going on in the word. They read the newspaper and web articles to stay informed and sometimes discuss current events with their children. They may not realize it, but they are teaching their children that a responsible citizen stays informed about current events. My children are now in grade school and we discuss some news stories. Slowly but surely, their father is educating them on the ways of the world. He encourages them to stay informed, to read about what’s happening in the world and to consider different points of view offered by the media.
Mix it up!
Everyone has their own tastes and preferences! Dads can make a trip to their local library or bookstore with their little ones and chose different types of books to stimulate an interest for various subjects. This is the perfect opportunity to expose your child to reading diversity.
Take an interest
A father who asks: “What are you reading these days?” sends the message that reading is interesting! I still remember a spring break when my son chose a few books from the library and had left them on the coffee table. My husband sat on the couch, picked up some of the books and said: “When you finish that book, I’d like to read it too.” If you could have seen the look on my son’s face, his eyes lit up! His father was interested in reading HIS book. All week our son talked about his book to tell his father how he was going to love this or that part. This small comment carried great weight and conveyed an important message: I am interested in you and your choice of reading material.
A dad gives off a lot of vibes in a household, though small daily actions he can strengthen his children’s emotional relationship to books and reading. I’d like to conclude by telling you a story about a young boy named Jonathan, who is now grown up. Jonathan lived with his mom but didn’t see much of his dad, not since he was a baby. His uncle was the one to step in as a male role model, and on every occasion, he would offer Jonathan books. They would also have discussions about these to nurture Jonathan’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Years later during a conference, Jonathan confessed to me that this uncle had given him the greatest gift of all: the love of reading. How about you? Are you this person to a child?
Here are few useful links to learn more about the benefits of father reading time:
Julie Provencher, Mother, Teacher and Lecturer


Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2018!
8th Grade Choir Dates
May 30 is the last upper grades Mass of the 8th grade school year
and then June 1, evening graduation … Congratulations Class of 2018!!!!!
Classroom Music for Grades K through 6th
Overall, the children’s elementary music classroom experiences are influenced by the music education methodologies known as Orff-Schukwerk, Kodaly and comprehensive musicianship. In that respect, all of the students’ learning, creating and performing via their joyful music-making and discoveries is experiential by nature:
- “Elemental music is never just music. It is bound up with movement, dance and speech, and so it is a form of music in which one must participate, in which one is involved not as a listener but as a co-performer.” – Carl Orff
Classroom Music for Grades 7th and 8th
The 7th and 8th Grade in-class musical endeavors involve small group, whole class and solo projects or creations. These incorporate choral chanting, some singing, use of percussion instruments, and writing. Also in the mix are bits of drama improvisation; non-traditional, basic composing; (One must not read music to do this) and sometimes illustration — whether auditory or visual. We sometimes use YouTube music, authentic samples, as springboards for inspiration. These endeavors culminate in brief in-class performances and presentations.
- “Every course in music, including performance courses, should provide instruction in creating, performing, listening to, and analyzing music, in addition to focusing on its specific subject matter.”
The above quote is from the source below.
Classroom Grading Rubric: For 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade, a rubric of classroom expectations is provided to the students during class time. We discuss how portions or all of the rubric directly apply to the objective of successfully participating in and completing classroom projects, performances, and presentations. The rubric also applies to preparing for larger performances such as the Christmas concert, the musical, and the Fine Arts Night.
From 8th Grade Teachers and Specials Teachers, including music:
“Dear 8th Grade Parents and Students,
With all of the exciting 8th grade trips approaching, we would like to make you aware of our trimester 3 policy for 8th graders. In order to participate in privileges such as Chicago on Foot, Six Flags, and the picnic, the 8th graders must comply with the following expectations:
Students with any outstanding missing work in trimester three will not be permitted to attend the school picnic. Instead, they will stay behind with a teacher to make up the necessary assignments.
Students with three after school detentions in trimester three may not participate in Six Flags and Chicago on Foot.”


Your child is going to learn a range of multiplication maths skills in primary school and at some stage will probably need extra support at home with a tricky concept or a piece of homework.
In this section of the website you can browse all our multiplication worksheets, from how mutiplication is taught in school, the grid method, the column method and multiplication arrays to long multiplication, incomplete multiplications, inverse operations – multiplication and division – and multiplying decimals.
You can also find out about a fantastic eBook – Teach your child multiplication.
Teach your child multiplication is an eBook and home-teaching kit (£4.99) which will help you understand exactly what multiplication skills your child is expected to have mastered in each year of the primary school curriculum.
Primary school teacher and parent Matt Revill has compiled information, tips and activities to ensure that you have the right information at your fingertips so you can quickly make sure your child has fully grasped and achieved each and every skill for their correct year group and using the same methods that they are taught (rather than confusing them with the one you were taught at school!).
You'll be able to print off highly targeted and child-friendly fun worksheets to help them master each of the essential skills as they progress through school – in fun, five-minute sessions.
Can you explain multiplication to your child? Our parents' guide to multiplication offers a quick review of what you need to know, including partitioning numbers, column multiplication and grid methods.
Help your child grasp formal methods for multiplication with TheSchoolRun's Mastering Long Multiplication Step-by-Step action pack. Primary school teacher and parent Alice Hart has compiled explanations, examples, tips and practice questions to boost your child's confidence (and yours!) and ensure that they are never worried about multiplying larger numbers in the classroom or at home.


Celebrating the Patron saints days have been central to our British values cultural experiences and the story of St. George and the Dragon offered plenty of opportunity for literacy development through the telling of the story and drama workshops.
During our Easter weekend the children were able to experience an Easter egg hunt, an Easter assembly, and plenty of chocolate based cooking. Over the following weekend the Easter theme was followed up by developing the topic of spring.
The students follow a themed weekend programme and in March they explored the world of the dinosaurs and enjoyed plenty of indoor leisure activities as well as developing some of their literacy skills. Sensory foods formed part of the weekend and the Dinosaur green jelly was quite a hit.
Some of the year 11 students completed work experience around the school premises.
Pancake races and obstacles courses were the order of the day on Shrove Tuesday as the children and staff joined the English tradition of racing while tossing pancakes.
A weekend full of things we love, cake making and craft activities with a lot of hearts, pink icing and love.
A weekend of Scottish crafts, food and music to celebrate our British culture.
Plenty of sensory play exploring moon rocks during the space weekend. The children created a space ‘Wow’ board and sent a picture to Tim Peake in space, and we were all delighted when he twitted us back direct from outer space. (See our twitter site for more information)
Creative arts subjects are important in our PLLUSS curriculum and with drama, music and art available the students are able to explore a wide range of creative arts.
Taking on the restaurant experience at our local ‘friendly’ pub the Spruce Goose, the students dressed in their Christmas jumpers and enjoyed the festive fayre.


Kindergarten-Push & Pull Online
Learning to log in to the computers can be a tedious process, but once the students have it down, logging in will be a snap. We spent most of our time working toward this important goal, but once in, students had the opportunity to explore push & pull through online games.
1st Grade-What if You had Animal Hair?
To continue our unit about animal adaptations, we explored the book What If You Had Animal Hair? by Sandra Markle as a class. Learning to log in to the computers is important for first graders too. We spent time practicing, but once logged in, students used Acorn (an app on our laptops) to take a selfie, then use the drawing tools to add animal hair.
2nd Grade-Mad Hatter (cont.)
3rd Grade-Rosie Revere
4th Grade-Crayons Rock (cont.)
Igneous-crayons-rocks were exposed after we peeled back the aluminum foil to see how our rocks formed after being subjected to their hot water "lava" exposure. The students continued working on their presentations in Educreations on the iPads.
5th Grade-Getting Loopy
Welcome to the STEAM Studio Blog for Jamestown Upper & Lower Elementary Schools in Hudsonville, MI. Here you will find the latest projects and concepts we've been working on in class.
comes to Hudsonville with 17 years of teaching information and technology skills to elementary students. After earning a BA in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2000, she drew a circle on the map and chose Southwest Michigan.


ERIC Number: ED204272
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1981-Apr
What's Fair in Youth Sports--Equating Children for Competition.
Youth sport programs must offer children the opportunity to participate successfully and without injury, and the optimum development of each child should be the ultimate aim of all sport programs. A classification system can achieve these goals by accurate testing and placement of participants. Classification is needed because children do not grow and mature on identical schedules, and age and grade level alone provide insufficient information about a student's readiness for competitive sports. The composite factors on which to base any classification system include: a thorough medical examination, age, height, weight, interests of child and parents, biological maturation, physical fitness, motor skill development, and psychological profile. If the program is very large, groups may be developed within a narrow homogeneous range. The system should also allow for coeducational participation, provided the classification allows all participants a relatively equal chance for success. (JD)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Youth Sports Forum (2nd, East Lansing, MI, April 26-28, 1981).


ERIC Number: ED203381
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1981
Films and Filmstrips for Language Arts: An Annotated Bibliography.
May, Jill P.
Intended for use with children ages three through twelve, this bibliography cites films and filmstrips covering children's literature and a variety of other instructional subjects. Following an introduction that discusses the selection criteria used for the bibliography and how to use the book, the annotation portion lists the citations in alphabetical order by title. Citations include format, running time, and most appropriate grade level. A list of distributors and producers follows the annotations. Author and title indexes to children's literature and a subject index to the films and filmstrips conclude the bibliography. (HTH)
Descriptors: Annotated Bibliographies, Audiovisual Aids, Childrens Literature, Elementary Education, Filmstrips, Instructional Films, Instructional Materials, Language Arts
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801 (Stock No. 17260, $5.00 member, $5.75 non-member).
Publication Type: Reference Materials - Bibliographies; Books
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL.


Well, we had our first big teachers workshop for Ecobugs last week, and it went down really well.
The teachers were very enthusiastic about the project and thought that it would link really well a lot of objectives that they were working on in the classroom. I've got a lot more detailed notes from the session but for now I thought I would just highlight the big reflections.
The 2 big stand out points from the day for me were:
- that teachers are really creative when it comes to tying activities (like playing the game) to diverse curriculum objectives
- rather than worry too much about having students learn directly through the game play of Ecobugs, what we should be focussing on avenues for teachers to extend the learning from the game into other areas.
So while the teachers all agreed that the science behind the game has to be realistic and have a reasonable level of fidelity, what they were more interested in how they could use the game as a stimulus for learning in other areas of the curriculum. For example, taking the data from the children's bug hunt and using that to teach creating bar charts / pie charts etc in a maths, or the students writing a story about the bugs they caught to support literacy development. Using the game as a stimulus was seen by the teachers to offer the children more 'authentic' material to work with.
Also we thought that perhaps that individual teacher's might play the game once or twice a year to introduce or support learning about a science related topic and that would be it. But the teachers were saying that they'd be equally interested in using the game as an ongoing resource and playing several times over a year. This would give the students to opportunity to compare the results of the games over the year, compare their class results with those from other classes, and crucially use it accross different subject area, including maths and even Physical Education (as part of orienteering).
This has really tightened our focus on how we are offering teachers the opportunity to get raw information out of the game when the dust has settled from the game play. For example stats about how the bugs were caught, or the science relating to the different types of bugs we have created. We're currently finalising the wireframes for the web site and this is featuring as a core part of this process.
This workshop has also made me reflect on the digital games for learning genre as a whole. Frequently I see 'serious games' striving really hard to have a high level of fidelity, and trying to teach students everything through the game play. This is expensive and makes the game complex. But really what these teachers were saying is that they don't want the students to learn everything through the game. The game was seen as a tool to support teaching, and teachers were more interested in the adaptability of the game and how it could be used to support different lessons, rather than the specificity of the learning to a particular subject area. Does this mean that educational games devoted to teaching particular areas are doomed to failure? ;)
Lastly the workshop reminded me of one of the reasons why I enjoyed teaching in primaries more than secondary, and that's freedom. The primary curriculum in England is much less tied down than the curriculum for older students. This means that the teachers can use more creativity in their planning, but also have more freedom to work in a way that is flexible for students. So if they want to take half a day off timetable to pursue a cross curricular educational activity they can. As always, this makes way more sense to me than expecting students to respond to sitting in a room for 50 minutes to learn a specific thing about English every Tuesday morning at 9am.


In 1972, she became the first Black candidate for a major party's nomination for president, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Just four years earlier, she'd become the first Black woman elected to Congress.
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Her determination raised the bar for what Black and female politicians could accomplish in American politics, and she was famously quoted as saying, "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."
"You've got to give her credit for Kamala Harris," Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said. "Kamala Harris says this too. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Shirley Chisholm, that stood up and led the way and said, 'You can do this.'"
Maloney, also of New York, got to work with Chisholm and says she often stops by the her portrait on display on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol just to check in.
From Brooklyn to Capitol Hill, Chisholm's story began in 1924 when she was born Shirley Anita St. Hill.
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She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946 and earned her Master's degree in elementary education from Columbia University.
Chisholm was the director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center and an educational consultant for New York City's Bureau of Child Welfare, and she was a founding member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Women's Caucus.
"We are lucky to have her," Maloney said. "She's an inspiration and a trailblazer, and a New Yorker, and a great feminist, and it's Women's History Month."
Chisholm retired from Congress in 1983 to teach. She died in Florida in 2005 at the age of 80.
"I want to be remembered as a woman who fought for change in the 20th century," she once said.
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Study after study has shown the positive effects of music education on cognitive development. The study, practice, and discipline of making music gives the brain a workout—it develops and expands neural pathways, forming stronger and more complex communication networks. Music education can build listening and auditory processing skills; promote memory and recall; and strengthen executive function, the set of cognitive abilities that controls planning, organizing, goal formation, and more.
In Kindermusik classes, children are introduced to new concepts and topics that help them gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. They learn song lyrics and dance routines that test their memory and recall skills, practice focusing on and listening attentively to original stories and unique animal sounds, and learn about cause and effect through instrument and prop play. Our activities encourage problem solving, symbolic thinking, reasoning, and more—all in a musically engaging and developmentally appropriate way.


This handbook from the Asia Society may be a familiar resource to many parents of Mandarin learners. But considering it’s the start of a new school year with a fresh batch of students and parents, I wanted to draw attention to it again.
It’s a must-read primer on the best models for Mandarin immersion. It helped me understand what’s expected of our children – and, in turn, what to expect from our schools. Four years into Mandarin immersion with my oldest son, I’m still on a steep learning curve. But this handbook is a nice place to start.
Here’s a teaser:
“Over the last four decades, immersion programs in many languages have seen slow but steady growth in U.S. schools. Most immersion programs offered European languages, with a small number in other languages. Much of what is known about immersion’s effectiveness has been gleaned from these programs. Their experiences provide useful guidance about options for program models, teaching strategies, literacy development, and time allocation for both the immersion language and English. While we know a great deal about what works in immersion and why, we are still discovering the aspects of this kind of education that can be appropriately applied to Chinese instruction.
Prior to 2000, in the U.S. there were fewer than ten public or private elementary school immersion programs in either Standard Chinese or Cantonese. They led the way for the approximately seventy new programs now operating, most of which are still in their infancy. The pioneer programs have addressed the same issues that now face their newer counterparts, exploring solutions to common questions such as the following:
- Which type of program model is most suited to Chinese immersion: Most or all of the school day taught in Mandarin, a fifty-fifty division between Chinese and English, or some other distribution of time?
- What are the qualifications for teaching in Chinese immersion? Where can we find highly qualified teachers? What does high-quality Chinese immersion instruction look like?
- What curricula and instructional materials are already available for Chinese immersion?
- How might we approach literacy development in Chinese?
The teachers and administrators from the long-standing Chinese immersion programs generously shared their expertise and resources with one another as well as with the newly emerging programs around the country. They answer numerous inquiries made by email or phone, they cheerfully host visitors, and they network with one another and collaborate on important projects.”


“Revealing Her Story: Documenting African American Women Intellectuals” is a two-year project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to arrange and describe the personal papers of nine African American women writers, artists and musicians. Collections included in the project are the Pearl Cleage papers; additions to the Delilah Jackson papers; the Samella S. Lewis papers; the Almena Lomax papers; the May Miller papers; the Undine Smith Moore papers; the Geneva Southall papers; the Mildred Thompson papers; and the Sarah E. Wright papers. To read the press release announcing the project, click here.
Mildred Jean Thompson–African American painter, sculptor, printmaker, musician, and photographer–was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1936. Her art education began at Howard University in the 1950s, where she worked with James A. Porter. After studying for a few years at Howard and at other art programs, Thompson was eager for an opportunity to train in Europe. She optimistically applied for a Fulbright Scholarship, but when her application was turned down she resolved to do whatever was necessary to go to Europe on her own. She earned enough money at a summer teaching job to cover her travel costs, and in September of 1958 she boarded a ship to Germany alongside the students who had received Fulbright Scholarships. Thompson arrived in Hamburg, knowing no one and with no place to stay, and enrolled at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg.
After studying for three years in Germany and Italy, Thompson returned to New York, ready to work independently and eager to reenter the American art scene. She sold some prints to the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum, a testament to her talent, but Thompson nevertheless became frustrated by her encounters with various galleries and museums. She soon came to the realization that many people in the New York art scene of the early 1960s were not ready to accept a female African American artist. One art dealer suggested that Thompson look for a job designing Christmas cards because it would be impossible for her to have a show in New York. Another gallery owner told Thompson that he liked her work, but that “it would be better if [she] had a white friend to take [her] work around, someone to pass as Mildred Thompson.” After a few years Thompson became disillusioned and returned to Germany, settling in Düren.
While her years in Germany were productive and comfortable, Thompson was “constantly aware of being in exile–self-imposed or otherwise.” After ten years a sense of malaise set in, and Thompson’s friends urged her to come back to the United States. In 1974 she moved to Tampa, Florida, to accept a position as artist-in-residence. Two years after having ended her exile, Thompson observed that, “I sometimes feel that my relationship with this country is like that of an old lover–‘on again, off again’… never ever being able to completely break with, hoping with each renewal that perhaps, this time, ‘we are going to make it–this time it will work.'”
The Mildred Thompson papers are processed and open to researchers.
Reference: All quotations are from Thompson, “Mildred Thompson, Sculptor: Experiences of a Black Artist in Europe and the United States,” Black Art International, 1977, Mildred Thompson papers, Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.


CBSE Class 10 Art Syllabus 2019 2020. Download the latest syllabus for 2019 2020 released by CBSE to do your studies as per the latest guidelines issued by CBSE NCERT. The syllabus, weightage of chapters, blue print of question papers and the design of question papers is issued every year for the benefit of students. Access and download syllabus for all subjects here.
ART EDUCATION (CODE No. 502)
Art education constitutes an important area of curricular activity for the development of the wholesome personality of the learners. Art is a process of fulilment running through every aspect of life and it goes on in a creative, productive and joyful manner. Art education helps to explore various means of communication (verbal and nonverbal). It encourages to develop creative expression and sharpens senses through keen observation of the environment. It helps to discover preferences through exposition to variety of material and identify the personal form and style of expression. It develops awareness of various art forms in and around the environment and locality and develops skills in the use of various tools, instruments and other art materials in the process of experimentation and exploration. In the process of discovering space, organization, colours, forms, lines, texture, movement, sound, etc., learners develop a sense of organization and design which inculcates in them a sense of order with regard to their personal appearance, home, school and community. It also develops aesthetic sensibilities and respect for social values and cultural heritage.
The idea of creative art involves all the elements of commonly known art forms visual, performing and language arts, namely music, dance, drama, drawing and painting, modelling and sculpture, or construction work, pottery and ceramic work, poetry and creative writing and other connected craft forms.
The objectives of art education are to :
• help learners to consolidate past experiences and knowledge;
• introduce learners to different media and techniques and their use for creative and productive expression for common use;
• provide opportunities for development of awareness about folk arts, local speciic arts and other cultural components leading to an appreciation of national heritage;
• assist learners to use artistic and aesthetic sensibility in day-to-day life situation;
• enable learners to achieve a balanced growth as a social being in tune with our culture through project work.
• get acquainted with the life and work of the local artists/artistes;
• use resourcefully locally available material to make different products (objects) with the help of the community;
• reine the sense of appreciation of the beauty of nature through the basic elements of art forms.
Approach to Art Activities
At the secondary stage, art education is closer to the local folk art and craft and folk theatre. Art is not only to always blindly copy the old masters or copying the teacher’s work in a rigid manner but to help learners express themselves in creative and imaginative ways. Creative arts cannot be a substitute of Work Education under
Please click the link below to download CBSE Class 10 Art Syllabus 2019 2020.
Click for more Other Subjects Study Material ›


‘Listen Today to Hear Tomorrow’: ISEA launches hearing protection campaign
Arlington, VA — The International Safety Equipment Association has launched an initiative highlighting the importance of preventing hearing loss in the workplace – where, according to NIOSH, 22 million people are exposed to hazardous noise each year.
The Listen Today to Hear Tomorrow campaign is designed to raise awareness of work-related noise-induced hearing loss. Through the campaign’s website, workers can request free earplugs and download mobile apps that calculate noise levels.
NIOSH’s recommended exposure limit for noise is a time-weighted average of 85 decibels over an 8-hour period – and permissible exposure time is cut in half for every 3 dB above 85 dBA.
Workers in industries such as carpentry, agriculture, groundskeeping and music education routinely experience noise levels hovering around 85 dB, a May 1 ISEA press release states, citing NIOSH analysis. ISEA provides examples of common noise exposures whose decibel levels can be hazardous over time:
- Leaf blowers (90 dBA)
- Belt sanders (93)
- Warehouse forklifts (96)
- Jackhammers (105)
- Ambulances (120)
“Employers and workers really need to take this seriously,” ISEA President Charles Johnson said in the release. “Permanent hearing loss is irreversible. It’s personally and economically devastating. Fortunately, it’s usually preventable with proper hearing protection. Hearing is too important to take for granted.”


These are difficult times, no doubt. Each day presents more worries and new challenges, but as we navigate the new and uncharted territories of remote working and learning, one thing has become abundantly clear—we’re getting there, and we’re getting there together.
Finding ways to keep kids engaged and learning away from the screen has been a challenge for teachers and parents alike. This is why now, more than ever, creative activities are so important—not only for effective learning, but also for emotional stability in these uncertain times. There is no bad time to be creative, and there is no bad time to set your worries aside to make something fun and amazing. After all, creativity is all about exploring, inventing, and finding new ways to bridge the gap between what we know and what we see. So, if you’re looking for a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing, we’ve pulled together a collection of ideas, resources, and helpful tips to help you get started …
No materials? … No problem.
Are you looking for projects to do at home that require no art materials at all? Here’s a great video tutorial on the Found Objects Color Wheel from teacher Sarah Krajewski of Cambridge Elementary School in Cambridge, WI.
Want to try something fun with social media? Try recreating your favorite work of art! The Nasco Education Art team took up the challenge, and we’d LOVE to see yours too! Tag us in your posts or post your creations on our Nasco Art Education Facebook or Instagram pages. We’ll select a winner to receive a fun surprise! And, don’t forget to use at least one of the following hashtags: #recreateart, #challenge, #artchallenge, #artrecreation, #getcreative
Projects using minimal materials
Looking for lessons you can accomplish using minimal materials? Give these a try …
Looking for more?
Follow us on Facebook where Nasco Art Education’s Customer Engagement Manager, Kris Bakke, shares tutorials and LOTS more fun, creative and original ideas!
For FREE lesson plans, ideas and more, explore NascoEdcuate.com and get started with a FREE account today!
Quick and easy kits
We know it’s difficult to reach your students right now, and we also know some students might not have easy access to basic art materials. That’s why we’ve put together affordable, pre-packaged kits designed for individual creative learners. These kits can be easily distributed through meal delivery programs or other distribution programs currently in place, so let’s keep the creativity flowing—for everyone!
Elementary Basic Art Kit 1
This affordable kit, filled with Elementary Art basics, is a great take-home creativity starter for distance learning, summer school, or after school programs.
Elementary Basic Art Kit 2
Same components as Nasco’s Basic Elementary Art Supplies Kit, plus a watercolor set. Cost-effective art supplies for distance learning at home, summer school, or after-school programs.
Secondary Basic Art Supply Kit 1
Economical take-home art kit for middle and high school students works perfectly for learning at home, summer learning programs or project work that has to be finished at home or outside of school hours.
Secondary Basic Art Supply Kit 2
Budget-friendly, take-home art kit for middle and high school students works perfectly for distance learning or summer learning programs. Also great for project work that has to be finished outside of school hours.


ERIC Number: ED377640
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1988-Dec
Using Curriculum-Based Measurement To Select Instructional Strategies. Research & Resources on Special Education, Abstract 21.
Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA.; ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, Reston, VA. ERIC/OSEP Special Project.
This research abstract is based on the study, "Educational Teaching: An Approach to Improving Student Achievement, Changing Teaching Beliefs, and Identifying Effective Practices" by Stanley L. Deno. The abstract describes a 2-year study of the effects of combining curriculum-based measurement with the use of alternative teaching strategies, to determine which reforms in the student's educational program produce the best performance outcomes. Six resource specialists were selected as teacher trainers for 28 experienced, volunteer special education resource teachers working with elementary students with mild disabilities. The study found that, following the experience of experimental teaching, teachers generated more alternative interventions in response to a specific case and reduced their estimates of the proportion of students for whom a given intervention would be effective. Results indicated that the combined effects of training and experience in experimental teaching provided teachers with a greater overall knowledge of teaching interventions, changed their beliefs about individualized instruction, and allowed them to select more effective interventions for their students. (JDD)
Descriptors: Curriculum Based Assessment, Educational Strategies, Elementary Education, Inservice Teacher Education, Instructional Development, Instructional Effectiveness, Intervention, Mild Disabilities, Outcomes of Treatment, Teacher Effectiveness, Teaching Methods
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, 1920 Association Dr., Dept. K31148, Reston, VA 22091-1589 (Order No. E721, $1 prepaid).
Publication Type: ERIC Publications
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (ED), Washington, DC. Div. of Innovation and Development.
Authoring Institution: Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA.; ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, Reston, VA. ERIC/OSEP Special Project.
Note: For a related document, see ED 311 618.