Introduction to Music
Music study at Churchlands Senior High School provides the opportunity to be part of a student group with similar interests and talents. Students belong to large and small orchestral, band, choral, vocal and instrumental groups, and receive a KodÃ¡ly based music education of the highest standard available in the state.
Two streams of students
- The Gifted & Talented (G&T) Music Program stream consists of students who were successful in the selection process for a G&T Music Program place. These students receive individual instrumental tuition and are involved in performing ensembles and the classroom music program.
- The General Music (GM) Program stream is for students who either did not wish to apply for G&T Music Program or their application was unsuccessful. They must have been learning in the SIM program in their primary school and live within the catchment for Churchlands Senior High School. These students are still required to undergo an audition and interview before placement.
Ensemble performance is an integral part of the Churchlands music experience, and the performing ensembles include choirs, concert bands, orchestras, chamber groups, guitar ensembles and jazz bands. To enter any level of the music program students must complete tests and auditions. Those who win a place in the program undertake an intensive well-rounded course that is both practical and theoretical.
In the classroom the course is designed to enhance the skills and knowledge that students acquire as a part of their instrumental studies. Furthermore, students hone their aural, theoretical and analysis skills in the context of music literacy, composition and improvisation. The introduction of concepts is done in a carefully sequenced and systematic format so that the students are continually building on prior knowledge. Musicianship is a practically based course, in which the students learn songs, games and dances which are embedded with the theoretical and analytical material that is required for teaching and learning purposes at each stage. The music making within the course relies heavily on singing as this is the most accessible and equitable âinstrumentâ we have available to us on a daily basis. The use of the KodÃ¡ly based solfa system, hand signs and rhythm syllables are at the core of the curriculum.
Involvement in the program necessitates a sizeable time commitment, but the program is structured so that it is possible for students to maintain balanced lives at home and at school. Apart from music classes and instrumental lessons in school time, students will typically be involved in a weekly choir rehearsal and one or two weekly instrumental ensemble rehearsals. These may be before or after school, or on Saturday morning.
Working hard as part of a disciplined team, the students perform music in a wide range of styles, make rewarding friendships, travel, and contribute to the community. The program has a reputation, in Western Australia and beyond, for excellence in performance and music studies.
The standard of behaviour of students studying music at this school is high and must remain so. Misbehaviour can result in removal from the Music Program.
Students must have a strong work ethic to enter the music program. Our G&T guidelines require students to maintain satisfactory progress in all subject areas. Should a student experience difficulty with any part of the program, the following course of action may be taken. The parent/guardian will be advised that the student is experiencing difficulty with a particular part of the program. If the student fails a component of the course after progress has been monitored, a notice of probation will be forwarded to the parent/guardian. If the student does not demonstrate improvement in the period stipulated, the student will be offered a position in the general music program, if a G&T student, or removed from the program, if a General Music student.
A number of compulsory performance commitments occur throughout the school year and the dates for these are provided in advance. Students must remain at the concert venue for the duration of each performance unless a parent/guardian has provided a signed note to the contrary or is able to collect them in person. Students should be picked up no later than 20 minutes after the conclusion of rehearsals and concerts. The School is not obliged to provide supervision of students beyond this time.


News reports this month lauded improvements in reading achievement but there has been very little improvement in the eleven years since 2002 as you can see in this graph from the NAEP website: http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2013/#/gains-percentiles
To access reading scores in place of mathematics scores, click on the bar just under the caption, âAre higher and lower performing students making gains?â
Here is their explanation of the terms, basic, proficient, and advanced:
Several years ago in the Introduction to Sound Bytes Reading, I wrote:
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 34 % of fourth graders in the USA read at only a basic level and another 34% read below a basic level. In eighth grade, 43 % read at a basic level and 27% read below a basic level. Our goal should be for all students to become proficient readers, yet 68% of fourth graders and 70% of eighth graders cannot read at a proficient level.
Recently the following statement about the 2013 Nationâs Report Card was made by the president of The Center for Education Reform, Kara Kerwin:
Itâs a disgrace and truly incomprehensible that after decades of mediocrity, we celebrate today the fact that only 34 percent of our nationâs 8th graders can read at grade level and only 34 percent are proficient in math.
Other news sources made these statements:
While overall performance remains poor, this yearâs report card does show improvement. Nationally, math scores were higher in 2013 than they have been since 1990 for both grades and for all student demographic groups. Whatâs more, the percentage of students who scored âadvancedâ on the tests was higher in 2013 than in any year since 1990.
The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress from the U.S. Department of Education shows that many high school seniors are graduating unable to read at grade level, and one in four cannot read at even the most basic level. Just 38 percent of 12th graders were proficient in reading.
In an EdWeek.com article, âNAEP Results Show Math Gains, But 4th Grade Reading Still Flat,â Erik Robelen wrote:
The nationâs 4th and 8th graders have inched up in mathematics, new test data show, but the results are more mixed in reading, with 4th grade scores flat compared with two years ago. Overall, achieving proficiency in reading and math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as âthe nationâs report card,â remains an elusive goal for the majority of American students. Only about one-third reached that level or higher in reading.
The 2013 Nationâs Report Card can be seen here:
Have we really improved reading achievement? Not much. But we could improve a lot more if we followed the guidelines outlined in the April 2000 âReport of the National Reading Panel.â They outlined what a good reading program should include: Phonemic Awareness instruction, Systematic Phonics Instruction, Vocabulary Instruction, Guided Oral Reading, Independent Reading, Fluency Instruction, and Comprehension Instruction.
The components of a good reading program should not be taught in isolation. Children who are learning to read should be learning the sounds of the letters, decode words using those same letter-sounds, and read a story using the words they just learned. Make sure students know the meanings of new words before reading a story. If students can decode well, fluency will not be difficult. Check comprehension by asking questions about the story. Letâs follow good practice and improve reading instruction!


Connecting and Comparing to the 1994 National Standards
These images show how the 1994 standards fit into the 2014 standards:
Connection to 1994 Standards
2017 WMEA Standards Commitee
Comparison of 1994 and 2014 National Standards
Adapted from materials shared by Denese Odegaard at the 2016 WMEA Conference
Music National Standards Comparison: 1994 versus 2014
Shuler, Scott C. Music National Standards Comparison: 1994 versus 2014., 2014. Print.
After closely examining the new music standards, you will notice that the new standards look at the act of teaching and learning through a new lens. However, upon further examination, you will quickly discover many facets of the 1994 standards embedded within the current standards. While the 1994 standards focused on what students should know and be able to do, the new standards embody key concepts and processes in well-defined subject areas. The way we look at teaching and learning music moves beyond simply learning skills and knowledge. Todayâs standards now focus on music literacy through understanding music and developing musical independence.
The authors of the National Core Arts Standards, specifically the writing team representing NAfME, took the 1994 standards and kept the integrity of those standards by reformatting them into the new National Core Arts Standards. In order to connect the 1994 standards to the current standards, consider this analogy: In todayâs world, technology has continuous upgrades. With those updates or upgrades, there are new views and new elements of functionality, yet the operation or integrity of the technology remains the same. Bringing the analogy back to music education, we know the integrity of making music remains the same, but the focus on teaching and learning of music literacy through understanding music and developing musical independence is the new upgrade. Some of the authors have stated that the standards can be viewed as Music Standards 2.0.
As stated, the focus of the standards has shifted from students learning skills and knowledge to having students develop music literacy through the understanding of music and developing musical independence. The overarching structure has shifted from content standards to artistic processes. The artistic processes capsulize the content standards. The new standards go a step farther and add process components, enduring understandings and essential questions which will greatly assist and drive curriculum development. The achievement standards in the 1994 standards are now infused within the process components. In addition, there is a shift from approximately 25-34 performance standards per level to 13-19 performance standards per level.


Facebook is making it easy to talk about the Philadelphia International Music Festival this year! Just in time for camp, clickable hashtags will be a reality:http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/facebook-adds-clickable-hashtags-newsfeed-posts/story?id=19383505#.UbpIFYzD_4g.
Get practicing: #PIMF2013!
Children are born with an uncountable number of brain cells that then form to make connections with each other during the few few years of life. With time, the connections that are used regularly become much stronger than those that are used more infrequently. Children who grow up listening to music develop strong music-related connections, this is why calm lullaby will calm a child when a song with a faster and louder beat can cause the child to become upset.
Studies have shown that listening to classical music can improve oneâs spatial reasoning for a short period of time. Learning to play an instrument may have an even longer effect on certain thinking skills. Researchers and scientists think the complexity of classical music is what stimulates the brain to solve spatial problems more quickly.
What Can You Do As A Parent?
Diane Bales, Ph.D. has put together a the following list for parents to help your child grow with music in their hearts.
- Play music for your baby. Babies should be exposed to many different musical selections of various styles. As a parent, if you play an instrument, practice when your baby is nearby. Remember to keep the volume low, babies have sensitive hearing.
- Sing to your baby. Hearing your voice helps your baby begin to learn language even if you are not a talented singer. Babies love the patterns and rhythms of songs. And even young babies can recognize specific melodies once theyâve heard them.
- Sing with your child. Setting words to music actually helps the brain learn them more quickly and retain them longer. Thatâs why we remember the lyrics of songs we sang as children, even if we havenât heard them in years.
- Start music lessons early. Donât wait! Young childrenâs developing brains are equipped to learn music. Most four- and five-year-olds enjoy making music and can learn the basics of some instruments. Starting lessons early helps children build a lifelong love of music.
- Encourage your childâs school to teach music. Singing helps stimulate the brain. Over time, music education as a part of school can help build skills such as coordination and creativity. And learning music helps your child become a well-rounded person.


By Zubeida Mustafa
HASAN is a special child. He is autistic. Music inspires him and had it not been for his love of classical music which he shares with his grandfather, his mind would have continued to be caged. ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) prevents Hasan from connecting normally with the world around him because his communication skills have been impaired.
The magical effect of music on children has now been scientifically documented. Preschool teachers testify that sound â including language, poetry and music â positively helps a childâs mental and emotional development.
Dr Maria Montessori, who developed her method for early childhood learning from her research on children with disabilities, confirmed that young minds absorb a sense of order, sequencing, meter and rhythm from their environment which they internalise. She believed that each child developed from within at her own pace. For that it was essential to allow children autonomy in making choices and placing them in a mixed age environment.
Children with autism can benefit a great deal from music therapy.
Their innate capacity to repeat sounds and actions over and over again is a part of their learning process especially when something interests them. It helps them create a sense of order in their inner self and builds concentration. It occurred to me that this repetitive practice that comes so naturally to children is what musicians also need. They term it riyaaz.
And when children happen to have a disability of some kind, especially autism, music is found to be the best therapy for them. Hence it was a brilliant idea when Hasanâs grandfather, S.M. Shahid, a music aficionado, introduced the child to classical music. Having gone to great lengths to learn and practise at the feet of his ustad, the late Wilayat Ali Khan, Shahid understood the magic of the Muse.
Initially, he let Hasan absorb music naturally â so to say, the Montessori way. The environment was flooded with surs and taals with Hasan virtually living in it. The impact of this move on Hasan was dramatic. Music became his form of expression and communication with the people with whom he shared this love.
According to Hasanâs grandfather, our classical music captures the most subtle and sublime of sentiments. In Song in his Soul: Hasan my Music Soulmate S.M. Shahid elegantly records the story of Hasanâs struggle to cope with his disability and the positive role music has played in it.
On a typical day â and most days have to be typical because autistic children are greatly disturbed if their routine is changed â Hasanâs mornings begin with music and the evening closes the same way. What is remarkable about this extraordinary boy is that he recognises the various notes and can identify the work of various masters. Now he is learning to sing.
One can well ask, if music helps so much why donât we use it as a therapy especially for individuals with autism who benefit most from it? Hasan is lucky to have a grandfather who dotes on him and caters to his need for music. But the fact is that both â music as well as people with mental disability â have been stigmatised in our society. We do not cherish either.
Gen Ziaul Haqâs Islamisation policy debarred music from public life. Now when music has made a comeback there are few practitioners left to promote the art. The tragedy of the mentally ill is that they are consigned to the fringes of society. With this mindset the concept of classical music as therapy for autistic children in a collective school environment finds few takers. It is considered outlandish to suggest that musicâs healing properties can help people with autism lead a fulfilling a life.
The general stigma attached to mental illness is reflected in public attitudes. When the book on Hasan was launched recently, professionals concerned with the education and training of special children were conspicuous by their absence at the ceremony. The book has not caught much public attention either.
As for those specialising in music, classical music is fast losing ground. Napa and music conferences notwithstanding, the decline in this genre has been phenomenal.
Societies that care have a different approach. There is the internationally renowned Orchestra of St Johnâs in England founded by its conductor John Lubbock. It performs for schools for autistic children as a social service. Lubbockâs son has autism and he knows how Mozart and Brahms can enchant such children. That is the need of the hour â reach out to autistic children by playing classical music through their schools. And we never know how many music savants would be born.
Hasan could be a model for specialists in early childhood education and teachers of special children. His grandfather says, âIn the case of Hasan I am following the age-old tradition of guru-shishya parampara [tutelage from master to pupil] that is, teaching one student at a time with the student constantly emulating the teacher.â


A Good Start = a Bright Future!
SOUTH AFRICAâS READING CRISIS IS A LEARNING DISASTER!
Last month we discussed how babbling to babies boosts their brains. We learned that language is one of the most important foundations for brain development and babies start to learn language from birth by hearing the language of the important people in their lives who love, care, interact and play with them. The more parents talk to their children from birth, the faster those childrenâs language skills grow and the better their intelligence develops. Brain development is cumulative and the more children know and understand, the faster they learn and understand even more! We also know that childrenâs vocabulary and understanding of language underpins their ability to learn to read, write and do maths.
South Africa performs really badly in international literacy tests, coming last out of 50 countries. The 2016 test results show that 78% of South Africaâs Grade 4 children cannot read for meaning in any language. This has a devastating impact on their ability to learn and do well in school and in life. Children first learn to read and then read to learn. We also know that South Africa has a really poor culture of reading. Only 14% of us are active readers and only 5% of parents read to their children. And while books are expensive â itâs not all about money. South Africans spend twice as much on chocolate each year than they do on books!
We need to make story-telling and reading books to our children (from birth) one of the most important things we do. Parents and families have an incredibly important role to play in laying the foundations for language, literacy and brain development. As Africans we have a rich cultural heritage of story-telling that we need to pass on to our children. And we all have imaginations and can make up stories. Young children love to hear stories about themselves; about you and your life when you were young; about the people and animals around them. Make story-telling part of your family life. Stories can be told by anyone, any time, any place and often. They are a wonderful way to entertain children as you travel in a bus, taxi or car, or as you wait in a queue at the clinic or shop.
It is also important to introduce your young child to print and books. Initially this might be through recognising road signs like âStopâ and shop names in the neighbourhood. Most important â introduce your little one to his or her written name. We know that books are really important to support children to become literate. Books are expensive, but when parents understand how important books are in helping children learn, there are things they can do. Even parents who struggle with literacy can make picture books out of paper or cardboard with cut out pictures from magazines or packaging. And then there are libraries in almost all towns â and they are free. You just need to join. Then thereâs Nalâibali, the national reading for enjoyment campaign. You will find Nalâibali on the radio, in newspaper supplements, on the internet â www.nalibali.org and on your phone â www.nalibali.mobi
Start today! Set your child up for success! Read aloud to your child from the very earliest years until well after he or she can read. Read anywhere and often, at least EVERY DAY.
LOVE, PLAY TALK
Learn more about what you can do to change your childâs future by listening weekly to LOVE, PLAY TALK, the radio programme on Valley FM aired EVERY Tuesday from 10 to 10.30am and brought to you by Ilifa Labantwana and RCL FOODS.
Get more information from the Valley FM website www.valleyfm.co.za or the Ilifa Labantwana website www.ilifalabantwana.co.za . Do listen every week and give your little one the best start in life!
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
BLOCK PIECE ON ECD DEVELOPMENTS IN WORCESTER
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR EARLY LEARNING
RCL FOODS, Barrows and Innovation Edge have partnered to print quality early learning resources for Worcester ECD centres, SmartStart playgroups and home visiting programmes. These materials help children to learn the foundational skills for literacy, maths, science and technology through play.
Play is the way children learn! The teacherâs role is to create an exciting, active play environment that provides many varied learning opportunities for the little ones. Then she facilitates and extends their learning through interesting discussions and open-ended questions that stimulate young children to think.
The early childhood teachers and playgroup facilitators attend monthly Wordworks âEvery Word Countsâ workshops facilitated by FCW and sponsored by RCL FOODS.


- MULTIFUNCTIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: This kids xylophone can be played in variety of ways. The kids can fetch balls as pounding sends the balls tinkling over or they can pull out the keyboard and xylophone and play a solo
- FINE MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: Promotes dexterity, hand eye coordination, manipulation, arm movement, cause and effect
- ESTABLISH MUSICALITY: This pounding toys for toddlers encourages musical development and exploration, audio recognition and play
- CHILD SAFE: Durable and child safe, contains water-based paint and has non-toxic finishes
- AWARD WINNING: The winner of the 2018 Cribsie Award of favorite first musical toy suitable for ages 12 months to 3 years
Hape's Pound and Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone is a multifunctional musical delight and sound experience for toddlers.
Toddlers ages 12 months to 3 years can explore different notes and sounds by letting the balls fall on the keys or slide out the xylophone to create their own unique sound with a wooden mallet.
This musical instrument allows for different sounds and melodies making it the ideal introduction to the exciting world of music for your child.
Develop Your Child's Motor Skills
This wooden toy not only gives toddlers an early music education, but develops important motor skills as well.
It develops hand-eye coordination, promotes dexterity, and manipulation.
It also introduces problem-solving skills of logic, matching, spatial relationships, critical thinking and understanding of cause and effect.
Pound and Tap Bench Material and Finishes
Hape's musical toy has well-polished surfaces, round edges and sturdy materials to ensure the toy is safe for your child and able to withstand years of pounding and tapping.
This musical delight is finished with non-toxic water paint decorated with bright rainbow colours and shapes for your child to enjoy.
Award Winning Product
- Silver Medal for Mother Baby Awards 2017, India
- Silver Medal for Best Activity/Developmental Product of National Parenting Product Awards 2015, UK
- Gold Award in Eco category of Independent Toy 2015, UK
- Golden Rocking Horse 2011, Germany
- Winner of the 2018 Cribsie Award for favorite first musical toy


Extra-muralâ refers broadly to those learning/development activities that take place in the time and space beyond the classroom-based, school timetable. Most typically this is in the afternoons after formal class but can also comprise early mornings (e.g. morning swimming, choir and public speaking) as well as breaks, nights, weekends, and holidays. âExtra-muralâ literally means âbeyond the wallsâ. Extra-murals are therefore significantly more than traditionally associated âsports and clubsâ.
Extra-murals are key to a balanced curriculum, healthy lifestyles, an enhanced school experience, and promote personal, social, and community development. They include a wide range of activities and provide safe and healthy spaces, improve academic achievement, and trigger positive change in young lives.
Good sportsmanship provides guidelines that can be generalized to classroom and lifelong achievement. Participation in challenging sports activities teaches children to love classroom challenge. It also teaches children to function in a competitive society.
Our society is competitive, and we should teach our children to function in competition and how to both win and lose. Children must learn that winning and losing are both temporary, and that they can't give up or quit. Learning to become a team player is also important.
The world of sports mirrors how one can play the game of school and life. Good athletes stay in the game and play their best even when they are losing. They know they will win some and lose some. They discipline themselves. They practice with grueling regularity the necessary skills for their sport. Education, life accomplishments and creative contributions involve similar perseverance and self-discipline.
Over 60 children participate in the athletics team and the team is currently in the B league. The children participate in long distance events (400m and 800m), 80m sprints and relays. Children from grade 1-7 are encouraged to attend.
Head of Sport: Mrs Venter
Cricket takes place in terms one and four. We have teams from u9 through to the Commonwealth team. We have fielding practice as well as specialised net practice. We form part of the âKFC mini cricketâ league hosted by Rosebank; this allows our grade 1s and 2s to develop a love for the sport.
Head of Sport: Mr Sibanda and Mrs Bosch (Mini Cricket)
We have about 35 children who participate in cross country. We form part of the Northern Cluster District. Many of the children ran very pleasing times this year. The children run long distances, which takes a lot of motivation and determination.
Head of Sport: Miss Conidaris
We have 6 teams, a boys and a girls team for u9, u11 and opens. We form part of the D9 hockey group. Pre-season training starts in the second term to prepare everyone for matches in term three. In the last year, the interest in hockey has grown tremendously. We have over 90 children who participate currently.
Head of Sport: Miss Delport
Mini tennis occurs throughout the whole year. We encourage all of our Grade 1 and 2 boys and girls to participate in this. During mini tennis they learn basic ball skills and begin to learn foundational skills for the game of tennis.
Head of Sport: Mrs Mela
We offer rugby to the children from u9 onwards. Over 50 boys participate in rugby and we take part in the Johannesburg Primary Schools Rugby Association. We have pre-season training in the second term to prepare for the actual season in third term. Our fixtures fall on a Saturday at various venues.
Teacher in charge: Mr Dalle Ave
Boys and girls alike are encouraged to take part in soccer. The season takes place during the second term. We are able to field two teams per age group from u9 right through to u14s. We have junior soccer which also takes place in the second term which allows for our u7 and u8 children to gain exposure to soccer and develop skills needed later on. We have u11 and open girlsâ teams which compete in their own league.
Head of Sport: Mr Sibanda
We are currently in the B league for swimming. Our children continue to do very well. We won every gala in the first term. We have over 60 children who participate in the swimming team.
Head of Sport: Mrs Peeperkorn
We have recently introduced water polo to our list of extra mural activities. It is available for Grade 6 and 7 boys. We introduced this sport for those children who love water sports and it allows them to gain skills and knowledge which will equip them for high school. We have about 25 boys who attend practices, which take place in terms 1 and 4. At this stage, we do not play any matches.
Teacher in charge: Miss Rogers


Kids personalized CDs have become popular source of entertainment and education for children. At the same time they are the stimulating agent to generate genuine interest for music in the kids. But, toddlers are naturally fickle-minded and tend to fluctuate with their interest as they come in contact with different situations around them.
Hence, getting proper platform for the children to learn music is not enough, they need constant inspiration and support to develop a long lasting interest for music. Some of the most effective ways of nurturing kidsâ interest in songs are discussed.
Strategically Developed Pre-School Curriculum
The pre-schoolers are more inclined toward any activity that gives them a comfortable environment. Hence, it is crucial that the curriculum for the pre-school children should be developed in a way that can support their innate creativity. The songs and rhymes in the syllabus should be selected carefully so that they can provoke interest of the kids in music. Personalized kids music is a better option because they are customized by skilled composer to hold the attention of children in songs.
Teaching Music in Groups
Children enjoy company of their peers and they learn quicker and better when they are surrounded by other children during their music lessons. The pre-schools should encourage the children to develop friendship with others and get along with them to share their unspoken pleasure of learning music together. Children should be taught through kids personalized CDs, which are specially customized and developed to stimulate childrenâs natural interest in learning and playing music.
Music Education in a Playful Environment
The activity that kids enjoy most during their pre-school days is playing together. Hence, the games are the bet way how one can generate childrenâs interest in any specific activity. Even when it comes to music, if the lessons are taught in a playful and cheerful environment, they become more enjoyable for the kids and they develop interest in learning it. Thatâs why the schools could select personalized kids music that the children would sing along with doing actions related to the songs.
Learning Music Through an Interesting Medium
Often, it has been found that kids lose interest in music lessons due to reasons that they canât explain. But experts are of the view that kidsâ interest for learning music is influenced by the way they learn it. Therefore, the learning process is what the children enjoy. These days, kids personalized CDs are available in the market. The CDs can help the pre-school children easily know and learn different genres of songs. They can work better for generating interest of toddlers in their tender age.
A Musical Environment at Home is Crucial
All the training on music apart, it is the surrounding of the kids that makes a lot of difference to their taste of music. Often, parents leave the responsibility of their childrenâs music education on the teachers. But they shouldnât forget that a perfect environment at home is essential to encourage their childrenâs interest in music. To a large extent, it is up to you to give your child the best platform to nurture his/her talent in music.
Apart from developing interest in learning and playing music, itâs important to encourage your child to be creative in music. Once, they feel the joy of music they will develop interest in it. However, when it comes to pre-school children a strategic learning process is crucial to provoke music interest of the kids.


By Deirdre Walsh, Speech and Language Pathologist, Perkins School for the Blind
Adaptive equipment allows students with multiple disabilities to participate in literacy activities, both reading and writing. These companies provide a variety of adaptive aids, including hardware, software, communication devices, and resources for educators and parents. More importantly, they have knowledgeable staff who can give you some ideas or suggestions on how to best utilize their products. This is a short list to get you started.
Caveat: Buy products that are appropriate for your child's abilities, both physical and cognitive. Assistive and adaptive technology can enhance your child's learning, but don't start at a level where your child cannot be successful. If your student is using a switch, look for products that are accessible by a switch. Not all the products available are appropriate for students with visual impairments, if you are unsure, ask for a demo.
AbleNet: This company provides multiple communication aids which can be easily incorporated into literacy activities. You can record a repetitive line of the story, you can record "Time to turn the page", or you can record sound effects that go along with the story. Anything works. This is where you can find the BIGmack switch.
Adapted Stories A great resource. Patti DeBaum is a speech and language pathologist who creates early literacy stories for students with special needs.
Don Johnston: This company provides adaptive electronic equipment to access the computer, and other electronic devices to aid communication and independence.
Duxbury Systems: This company provides software that translates written text into Braille.
Edmark Reading Program: Teaches beginning reading and language development to nonreaders and those who have been unsuccessful using other programs. Remember to look for voice output if you are searching for appropriate software for your child with visual impairments. You can purchase software to make some of their early education products accessible using the Intellikeys alternate keyboard! (Edmark access pac)
Hatch : This is an amalgamation of educational resources and products available for students with a variety of special needs. Companies highlighted in the catalog include; Edmark, Broderbund, Intellitools, Laureate, Don Johnston, The Learning Company, Soft Touch and many more. They also offer products to enhance early childhood learning.
Laureate : This software company provides exceptional software for children with developmental disabilities, language learning difficulties, and reading difficulties.
Intellitools : This company provides both hardware to access the computer and educational software. Their program Intellipics allows students with multiple disabilities to write their own stories using a microphone. All of their products, including a talking word processor, Intellitalk and Intellitalk II, work together. They also have a section where you can download other people's work, so you may not have to re-invent the wheel.
*The above picture contains a Power PC Macintosh G3, with an Intellikeys keyboard, a Don Johnston switch interface and an AbleNet Jelly bean switch. The software is teacher generated using the program Intellipics, by Intellitools.
The materials in this section appeared on the e-advisor site, which was originally hosted by Boston Children's Hospital. This material has now been moved to the website of Perkins School for the Blind.


Education is the main goal of the OCESS. It is the OCESS's mission to educate its members, its fellow students, and the community at large about space and space science. Spacesim is also an environment in which leadership, research, software development, carpentry, and electronics skills can be learned.
Since the OCESS is an educational organization, its major goal is to teach members and non-members alike about space sciences. However, much of the learning experience that OCESS members receive is actually not related to space. Just by participating in work sessions, members have an opportunity to learn the theories about and actually undertake various tasks. Electronics and woodworking are examples of things that Spacesim members pick up just by going to the work sessions. Leadership opportunities within the strict administration hierarchy of Spacesim are also offered to students who wouldn't otherwise have such opportunities.
Since Spacesim is a space-oriented organization, its members also have the opportunity to learn a lot about space sciences. The Mission, which occurs once every year and lasts five days, is a chance for OCESS members to learn about space travel and life in space. Aside from the mission, OCESS members have an opportunity to learn about astronomy by helping out in either the EEP or Planetarium programs.
Elementary Education Program
- Main article: Elementary Education Program
The OCESS Elementary Education Program has been a major component of Spacesim since the early 1990's. The program, colloquially known as EEPs, involves either inviting school groups, daycares, or recreational centers to the spacesim facilities at 440 Albert or has Spacesim members travel to them to deliver an exciting program of science demonstrations with a space theme.
There are programs for all age groups, and the demonstrations have often been successfully combined with Planetarium presentations. The program has previously been offered bilingually, but this service is dependent on the language skills of the current members of Spacesim. Half-day and full-day installments are available.
Although no EEPs have been advertised recently, members of the OCESS are working to redevelop them. For more information on this, see Samuel's Proposal to Rejuvenate EEPs and Samuel's Mandate to Rejuvenate EEPs.
- Main article: Planetarium
The Planetarium program makes use of Spacesim's inflatable Starlab planetarium, the second largest in the city after the National Museum of Science and Technology's, to teach students about stars, constellations, and light pollution among other topics.
Classes of up to 30 students at a time can comfortably sit inside the planetarium, and there are presentations of varying length to accommodate the interests and/or attention spans of various age groups.
- Main article: Galileo Challenge
Within Lisgar, Spacesim used to offer the Galileo Challenge to all Lisgar students. It was a general knowledge science-themed multiple-choice competition aimed at grades 9 and 10. This program was discontinued due to lack of interest from students at Lisgar.
- Main article: Mini Mission
Similar to Training Missions for Spacesim's own members, mini missions were short missions, emphasising a few key aspects of life in space. The astronauts and mission controllers for these missions would be younger students, usually from grades 7 and 8. This program was discontinued due to difficulties encountered with OCDSB Health and Safety Regulations.
Spacesim Summer Camp
- Main article: Summer Camp
In addition to these programs, Spacesim formerly offered a Summer Camp. This summer camp was aimed at educating children about space sciences over the summer. Children participating in the Summer Camp had access to our Planetarium and EEP; as well as our space simulation software and facilities. At the end of the week they were able to participate in their own simulated Mission. This program was discontinued due to difficulties encountered with OCDSB Health and Safety Regulations.


Is it possible to do mathematics WITHOUT background knowledge?... Is it humanly possible to do mathematics on own without research or is the information content too much to discover identities, or methods of proofs on one's own?... But, how to get started then? How to discover mathematics on my own?
Math research without background knowledge
In my (not so well-formed) opinion, mathematical research ability consists of:
- Direction. Initiative to ask new questions, and good questions, charting one's own direction
- Technique. Foundational skills in commonly-used techniques (e.g. Mathematical Rigor, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, any other routine skill - even Programming)
- Problem-solving Skill. The ability to recognize which tools can be applied to attack a problem, view a problem from different angles, as well as persevere through difficult problems.
- Past experience in math research
Of the three criteria above, only (2) directly depends on background knowledge. I argue that some research can be done using only skills (1) and (3). However, they are not completely independent of background knowledge, which places a limit to how much can be done. (4) is an issue of honing all (1)-(3) to muscle memory, so I won't discuss that.
(1): Asking good questions depends to some extent on a wide background - if you know a lot of what already has been done, you can form an "instinct" as to what approach would most likely work. Ramanujan â a first-rate mathematical genius â had a crazy amount of instinct. Of course, besides instinct, it would help to avoid dead ends that others have pointed out. The interconnectivity of Mathematics also frequently allows insights from one field to apply fruitfully in another - such as the application of Elliptic Curves to Fermat's Last Theorem.
(3): Seeing how others attack problems allows one to learn crucial proof techniques, such as Diagonalization in Set Theory or Problem Reduction in Computational Complexity. In addition, there is a limit to how much problem-solving experience one can have if one does not have many tools (2) to begin with, and one can't view a problem from many angles if one doesn't have many angles (2) to begin with.
So, my conclusion for "Can research be done without background knowledge?" is:
It is possible to do some research in a certain field provided that one is somewhat familiar with the techniques of that field, and one is also armed with some skill in (1) and (3). However, the scope of the research will be severely limited without a wide background knowledge, especially with regards to the literature review in that field. It will be especially difficult to do anything outside that field.
How do I start?
If I may draw out an example from my own limited experience, I began playing with ideas shortly after I was exposed to matrices; I loved it so much that I simply tried to represent everything as matrices and find analogues for matrix operations (now i know this is "finding homomorphisms").
When I learned complex numbers, I represented them as scaled rotation matrices, and that representation proved rather fruitful (a previous blog post has full details). Eventually I moved on to a homomorphism from complex matrices to real matrices, at which point I realized I had reinvented a wheel.
Play around with ideas, derive interesting things and train (1) and (3), but never stop learning new skills and background knowledge! That way, the moment your (2) shapes up, your (1) and (3) are fully ready to gun down problems with the new ammunition. Meanwhile, you can supplement (2) with Stack Exchange.
What is easy and interesting has usually been done before.
Happy research, and I hope this helps!


Symbols help us to communicate and can be found everywhere, from signs and billboards, to walls and waiting rooms. Everyone who uses these visual supports benefits from them. Symbols support faster understanding, more complete cognition, and decoding of text for individuals of all ages and abilities.
Visual supports are important for knowledge transfer and learning. In fact, the use of symbols since early history was discussed in the article, What History and Research Say About Symbols.
n2yâs mission to assist all learners is ongoing and continues with the launch of SymbolStix SQUARESâ¢, a new set of language, learning and communication manipulative cards designed for anyone who needs tactile image support for cognition and learning.
Visual Supports in Action
Visual supports are everywhere, which helps make learning accessible to everyone. Not only does SymbolStix PRIMEÂ® embrace this concept, it advances the capacity to teach and learn with communication support cards that are durable, portable and, above all, engaging.
SymbolStix SQUARES can be used at school in classrooms, for special subjects or on the go. At home, SymbolStix SQUARES can support school-based instruction as well as promote general communication and understanding. In outside therapy or aftercare, SymbolStix SQUARES can go where the learner goes.
What was once a passive learning strategy, now goes a step forward and is presented as a structured, active learning resource complete with mobile, hands-on access to education. It is reinforcement that suits your needs when and where you need it, including:
- Classroom to home
- Individual therapy sessions
- Daily practice for aphasia or dementia
Get Squared Away With Effective Teaching Resources
Enhancing communication, language and learning take place in all environments every day! Visual supports aid in the development and retention of foundational skills and personal independence.
SymbolStix SQUARES provide users with portable, durable, recognizable visual supports that introduce vocabulary, encourage conversation and enrich dialogue. With more options available now than ever before, efforts look promising for individuals with disabilities.
At the end of the day, one small effort is sometimes all it takes!
Get your set of SymbolStix SQUARES to help stimulate and reinforce learning.Buy Now


Art Teacher Jobs
Instilling a passion for art in their students, art teachers are able to combine their creativity and talent for art with the opportunity to enrich the lives of students. Art teachers should be familiar with a wide variety of art mediums in order to create a wealth of learning experiences for the students.
To be certified to teach art in the public school system, a bachelorâs degree in art education is needed. Those who already have a bachelorâs degree in art and wish to teach art can complete a masterâs degree in education to become highly qualified. Coursework for aspiring art teachers will involve basic education theory and methodology along with art methods and art history.
The average art teacher earns a salary of US$41,815 according to data from PayScale.com as of 2017. An artâs teacher salary will vary depending upon the type of school, location, and years of experience.
As schools face budget constraints and the pressure to perform well on core-content standardized tests, art programs are often cut from schoolsâ curriculum. When schools face budget cuts, the art program is usually one of the first programs to be eliminated. Often parents, who know first hand the benefits the arts provide for their children, will protest the proposed cuts. Art teachers commonly feel anxious when it comes to job security.
The teaching methods used by an art teacher vary according to the age level of the students. Young elementary students will be engaged in creative play and exploration through their art classes while high school students will learn the nuances of specific art methods along with the corresponding art history.
Lesson plans for art teachers should be adaptable to the wide range of artistic ability within any given classroom. At the upper level of k-12 education art is typically an elective class, but for many younger students it is a requirement. The teacher must create lessons that make art accessible and enjoyable for all students while also instructing students in a variety of methods and materials. A general appreciation for art should also be included in the lessons.
Increasingly, states are providing content standards for art teachers that dictate the skills that should be taught at each given grade level. Teachers need to create hands-on lessons that correlate with the standards. Additionally, the teacher must decide how to fairly assess art projects. Grading art tends to be a subjective experience so the teacher needs to set specific requirements for the projects that ensure a fair grading system.
Technology and digital media are increasingly being incorporated into the arts programs. Art teachers should have a solid understanding of technology and be able to develop lessons that include creative applications of technology such as electronic portfolios and digital photo editing.
Art teachers are often encouraged to take an interdisciplinary approach with their teaching, especially at the elementary and middle school level. The art teacher may collaborate with core subject teachers to connect art projects to other classroom learning experiences. For example, an art project could connect to the geometry lessons in math or focus on Chinese customs and culture for a social studies connection.
Classroom management is a common concern for art teachers. Due to the nature of students working with messy materials in a project-based format there is the possibility of off-task disruptive behavior. Art teachers must be able to provide individual help to students while simultaneously keeping an eye on the entire class of students.
Art teachers must manage the many supplies associated with art projects.
They must keep inventory of given supplies and create a yearly budget. Creating a safe classroom environment is an important job responsibility.
Besides the regular instruction duties, art teachers may be responsible for organizing and holding an annual art show to showcase their studentsâ accomplishments. Additionally, they may be expected to work with extracurricular activities like an art club.
In art class, there is no down time where the teacher sits back as the students take a test or read silently. With such hands-on methods, the art teacher is constantly demonstrating techniques or assisting students individually. The art teacher forms a strong sense of rapport with his students and is rewarded by the pride they take in their creative efforts.
For more information about teaching art please visit the following resource.
National Art Education Association


Those building blocks for the kids are actually elementary learning tools. They have been utilized for a lot of years and also now. There are so many toys and computer games out there but children tend to actually develop unbreakable bonds with those blocks. The adults may not use the building bricks but the children do. With the use of such children toys, then they will be able to make those structures and also, they can learn how to be creative using such items which is really a great thing to play with. Also, those building bricks are even great for the babies of all ages. Because they may hold the objects on their hands, babies are able to learn picking as well as grasping skills.
Such play may slowly improve the strength of their fingers. Aside from such, these tiny playthings may easily improve the brain performance of the children particularly those with autism. Such children would repeat a similar action over and over. When they would play a block set, then they will slowly learn to make various structures. If the child would use such dolls in the groups, they have a lot more fun instead of playing alone â building toy set.
One may say that those building blocks for the kids also encourage such interaction among the children. If a kid is selfish would get an easy opportunity to learn how to share the toys with other people. When it comes to social development, such toys are really wonderful. Such building blocks would really encourage learning and also the educational toys. Often, the dolls are meant for introducing such early childhood learning and education with alphabets on them. Read more about educational toys for 6 year old boys.
Also, they are clearly colored in luring the kids and to promote such learning process. Since the blocksâ appearances are beautiful, then the children are able to make various games through them. For example, they can make a game of sorting out according to shapes and colors. They will then next as their mother or father or the nanny regarding the names of different colors. Prior to knowing it, they already know how to sing those letters by their names.
What all such means is that the parents need to seriously realize and see the effectiveness of those blocks in the early learning as well as development of the child. Such education al styles would enhance the intellectuals of the child. There are a lot of types that you will be able to find in the marketplace.
To get additional info, visit â https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_toy


Exploros is an open-educational resource (OER) that provides comprehensive products that support instruction in the social studies and English language arts/reading (ELAR) core content areas. Exploros is available at no cost. Content is available online and facilitates instruction in teacher-led, technology-based learning environments, such as 1:1 programs and flipped classrooms. This review is of ELAR resources for grades 4-8.
At each grade level, Exploros organizes content in seven units that address: (1) foundational skills, (2) literary genres, (3) non-fiction texts, (4) authorâs craft, (5) personal narrative, (6) the writing process, and (7) inquiry and research. Each unit is made up of a set of âexperiencesâ or lessons that are organized using the 5E model (i.e., engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate). A âsceneâ or a set of online page(s) is provided for each âEâ in the model. Scenes are activities related to the E of the 5E model. For example, the first scene in each lesson/experience is an engagement activity that clarifies the lessonâs learning objectives. [Read moreâ¦]
At each grade level, Exploros includes a unit titled âThe Writing Processâ that provides explicit instruction in the writing process, including punctuation, drafting, editing, and revising. Students evaluate their writing using a rubric. The final lesson in the unit is titled âWriting for Assessments.â Students learn to write in response to assessment prompts using the âPASTâ strategy (i.e., Purpose, Audience, Subject, Type of Writing) and related graphic organizers.
Exploros drives student engagement and transitions classrooms to student-centered learning. Teachers can focus on guiding instruction, and personalizing the classroom learning experience.
Students collaborate as a class, work in small groups, and individually, developing graphic organizers, writing essays, investigating primary sources, creating drawings, tables, word clouds, and much more.
*Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Exploros.


This week, the first activity that kiddos did at KiddoStem Lab was to make playdough. They had fun having their hands dirty while mixing the dough. After the dough is done, they used their imagination to create shapes and objects. Playdough play has many benefits for kiddos such as:
- Fine Motor Skill Development
- Calming and soothing activity
- Good for creativity and imagination
- Develops hand-eye co-ordination
- Good for Social skills
- Literacy and Numeracy development
The second activity was about electricity. Kiddos learned about how electricity transfer from one material to another and what type of materials that can carry electric static. They tried couple objects such as Balloon, Plastic Ruler, Wood Ruler, and paper. This activity is to help kiddos get a better understanding about electric static.


Burroughs was born Victoria Margaret Taylor in St. Rose, Louisiana, and by the time she was five years old the family had moved to Chicago. There she attended Englewood High School along with Gwendolyn Brooks, who in 1985-1986 served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (now United States Poet Laureate). As classmates, the two joined the NAACP Youth Council. She earned teacherâs certificates from Chicago Teachers College in 1937. She helped found the South Side Community Arts Center in 1939 to serve as a social center, gallery, and studio to showcase African American artists. In 1946, Taylor-Burroughs earned a Bachelorâs of Art in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she also earned her Masterâs of Art in art education in 1948. Taylor-Burroughs married the artist Bernard Goss (1913â1966) in 1939, and they divorced in 1947. In 1949 she married Charles Gordon Burroughs, and they had been married for forty-five years at the time he died in 1994.
Taylor-Burroughs taught at DuSable High School from 1946 to 1969, and from 1969 to 1979 was a professor of humanities at Kennedy-King College, a community college in Chicago. She also taught African American Art and Culture at Elmhurst College in 1968. She was named Chicago Park District Commissioner by Harold Washington in 1985, a position she held until 2010.
She died on November 21, 2010.
Margaret and her husband Charles co-founded what is now called the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago in 1961. The institution was originally known as the Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art and made its debut in the living room of their house at 3806 S. Michigan Avenue in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicagoâs south side, and Taylor-Burroughs served as its executive director for the first ten years of its existence. She was proud of the institutionâs grass-roots beginnings: âweâre the only one that grew out of the indigenous Black community. We werenât started by anybody downtown; we were started by ordinary folks.â Burroughs served as Executive Director until 1984 and was then named Director Emeritus, remaining active in the museumâs operations and fundraising efforts.
The museum moved to its current location at 740 E. 56th Place in Washington Park in 1973, and today is the oldest museum of black culture in the United States. Both the current museum building, and the Burroughsâ S. Michigan Avenue home are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Children in the Preschool program range in age from two years nine months through five years old. Our program utilizes mixed age groupings in a multifaceted, exploratory curriculum where childhood is embraced and celebrated! The preschool is led by a team of experienced teachers who utilize their vast knowledge of child development and early childhood educational standards to design curriculum that supports each child's social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and pre-math and literacy development.
The group size is up to 16 children with two teachers. The preschool classroom features a variety of play areas and centers. In the centers, children are encouraged to make choices and discover more about themselves and their world, with teacher stimulation and guidance. The play areas are set up to promote artistic, scientific, sensory, verbal, written, and mathematical skill-building. The space invites dramatic play, sensory play, science exploration, as well as writing tables, art areas, and a book area.
A typical day includes free play, meeting time, stories, group activities and projects, all of which take place in a multi-arts curriculum. Nature exploration, sand and water play, lots of outdoor time are an essential part of the childrenâs day. Morning and afternoon snack is provided by the school. Children bring lunch and eat together in the classroom.


Making maracas is a fun activity, and one that preschoolers always love. Not only are they easy to make and fun to play with, but they also help children to develop their fine motor skills and increase sensory awareness. Maracas are also great fun to use in circle time or during music play.
Read Shake The Maracas! by Billy Davis, and Music Time: Maraca by Sonia Canals to introduce maracas to the children. You may
want to purchase a maraca to pass around the children, and ask them what it feels like and what noise it makes. You could sing this musical instrument song, while shaking the maraca:
When we play our instruments softly
They make a beautiful sound.
Make a beautiful sound.
You could also tell the children about Mexico, and play some Mexican music involving maracas. Maracas fit well into a Mexican themeâor any theme involving music and noise.
Maracas can be made using a variety of household objects. For best results, collect a few different items, and compare the sounds with the children.
You will need:
- Small drink bottles, such as Sunny-D or water, with a screw-on cap
- Paints/Tissue Paper
- Watered-down glue
Decorate the bottles. Children could paint Mexican-style patterns in bright colored paints or any other design they wish. Another idea is to cover the bottle with glue, and stick on squares of tissue paper. Repeat for two more layers, and paint a final coat of watered- down glue to give a glossy finish.
When the bottles are dry, allow the children to add a type of filling. It works better if children use one filling only and does not mix different types of fillings. Screw on the bottle top tightly. You may wish to superglue the top.
Maracas are available to buy from a variety of shops, such as your local music store or from Amazon.
Consider buying maracas made of different material, and allowing the children to hear the different noises from each type. Wooden maracas have a much deeper, more traditional sound than plastic maracas.
Maracas For Development
Maracas can help children to develop in a number of ways. The process of holding and shaking the maracas improves fine motor skills, and being able to make their own music is a great way to encourage creativity. Shaking maracas to a song or tune encourages children to listen to rhythm, and anticipate how the song will change. It can also help to improve memory.
Start a maraca parade. Line the children up and set a rhythm. Then have them walk around the classroom or playground, shaking the maracas to the rhythm. This helps to develop coordination, and the ability to multitask.
Split the class into halves, and let one group play maraca music (to a rhythm you set) while the other half dances to the music, using dress-up clothes or waving lightweight cloths and scarves. Allow them to dance however they wish. This burns energy and increases a childâs natural love for music and dancing. Allow the children to feel the music and find the rhythm, and then have them switch places.
The process of making maracas aids development too, allowing children to express their individuality and creativity on their very own musical instrument. They will also learn that patience is rewarded, by taking the time to follow the project to the end, and having their very own maraca to enjoy and take home. The process of putting items inside the bottle and shaking it is also very good for fine motor skill development and eye/hand coordination.


Create successful practice, explore a composer's historical lifestyle, learn about modern composers, experience local performances - Musical Notes will enhance your music education and capture your imagination. Be Inspired!
When it comes to the week before the recital, most of the hard work should be completed. You're pieces are learned, and we're simply working to perfect the details and have fun as we tell as story with your music.
So, how are you supposed to practice this week?
Pretend that you're playing for the recital.
Warm up a little bit, and then walk away from the piano. You can sit down and pretend that you're sitting in the audience waiting your turn!
Walk up to the piano with your music (or without, if you're playing from memory), and sit down as you will at the recital.
Make sure you take some time to adjust the piano bench. You need to be comfortable to play well! And then take a minute to look at your music and think about the first few measures of your music.
Finally, begin to play! Remember, this performance is supposed to be just like playing for the recital. So, if you make a mistake, don't get flustered, keep going!
After you've finished your first piece, take your hands off the keyboard and put them in your lap. Turn to your second piece, and once again, take a minute to think through the first couple measures of your music.
Play your second piece! Once you've finished, place your hands in your lap. Then stand and face the audience.
Imagine the applause as you take a bow!
Have a Practice Recital for your Family
Gather your family for a practice recital! It's even a great idea to wear the clothes you will wear for the recital (especially your shoes if you'll be using the damper pedal).
When it comes to performance, the first ten seconds are the hardest and the most important.
"The most important part of any act is the first ten seconds and the last ten seconds...what happens in between isn't that important." - Singer and Dancer, George M. Cohan
So, what do you plan to do with those important ten seconds?
Grab the Audience's Attention as you walk up to the piano. Did you know that your attitude as you walk up to the piano is very important - for you as well as for the audience? Be confident! Be excited! And show that to everyone in the way that you walk up to the keyboard. Anticipate that you'll have fun and enjoy sharing your music!
Start with a bang! Well, not literally, but your first couple measures will set the tone for the rest of the piece. Even if you're not feeling confident, playing that beginning with strength and expression will calm your nerves. Once again, anticipate enjoying the beautiful sounds you'll create!
Anticipate the fun! Remember that we chose these pieces because you really, really liked them. What was it that attracted you to that piece? Was it the sound of all the notes blending together as you use the damper pedal or did you like the sound of those deep, low notes that finish the piece? I know for some, you enjoyed playing with both hands at the same time! And for my older students, it's so much fun to see how creative you can be with all the different styles of music that we've studied!
As you prepare to play at the recital, think about why you chose that piece in the first place. Why you enjoyed playing it so much during our lessons and your practice time! Make those first ten seconds exciting and the fun will continue throughout the rest of your performance!
Renowned musician and educator, Rebecca Penneys, is currently offering master classes and private piano lessons on the USF campus to a chosen few of the world's most skilled piano students.
Many master classes, as well as student performances, are open to the public. This includes a 2 Piano 8 Hand concert which is scheduled to be held in Barness Recital Hall on the USF campus this Saturday, August 3rd at 2pm.
For more information, visit the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival site by clicking here.
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, âShrek the Musicalâ brings the hilarious story of everyone's favorite ogre to dazzling new life on the stage starring the talented students of the Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute.
I did not see an age limit, so I'm assuming that all ages are welcome! For showtimes, tickets and additional information, visit Ruth Eckert Hall's website by clicking here.
Jessica's Piano Studio
Teacher at Jessica's Piano Studio to many talented students! Here's some helpful tips and interesting information to create a wonderfully educational musical experience!


Constant learning can wear out the brain for children and adults alike. That is why extracurricular activities in schools are encouraged for kids so that they do not feel the pressure of an excessive workload. Here are some of the reasons why playing also works in the growth of the child.
Games in the Classroom
An interactive session of games in the classroom works wonders as it enables children to break out of the monotony. It also gives the shy child an opportunity to add something concrete. For instance, a word ending game gets children ready to learn something new. It also adds to the fun when there are winners along the way. In fact, the child who does not score high marks in class may surprise everyone and become the winner!
Abacus as a Sum of the Play Time
The concept of learning how to add and subtract in early childhood learning is easy when there is an intelligent visual stimulus. Abaci, a formula of calculations enables the brainpower of the average child to peak considerably as the apparatus is appealing and definitely provides recall and recognition along the way. Ergo, when you include this in an informal setting, children will get past their math difficulties and let go of their inhibitions.
Sport is a Necessity
Participating in games outside the classroom must be made a necessary feature as this empowers a holistic approach to the overall scheme of learning. While the child plays games like hockey, football, basketball, cricket, gymnastics, or just using the swing, he learns how to work in a team and the concept of sharing. By passing the ball and learning how to dribble or generally balance the beam, he enters a constructive learning curve.
Language and the Learning Experience
One cannot dispute the fact that learning a new language pretty much makes you open to a myriad opportunities. From the perspective of a child who is taught to communicate in a language that he is familiar with, makes the process of learning relatively easier. By inculcating a love for Mandarin, children used to study in a language other than Mandarin are open to interesting challenges and attending enrichment classes for kids . It enables them to learn while playing with kids their own age and imbibing the various cultural norms as well.
Visit http://www.chengzhu.edu.sg/mandarin-centre/ OR Apply now for more details on the methodology used by this fine preschool. If you are keen on an overall growth for your child, a balance of play and study works phenomenally well.


As I have mentioned previously composition is at the heart of my philosophy when it comes to music education. It is also what starts to make your music classes exciting and moves them beyond the some times mundane experience of teaching skills or singing songs.
With the grade 5 and 6 students this term we are focusing on a number of compositional styles.
1. Composing with Melodic Instruments
3. Chance compositions
4. Composing soundtracks
5. Composoing with Text
5. Composing Machine Compsitions
These are all styles that are very accessible to children and there are lots of great examples on you tube of composers using these ideas as the basis for their own music. Composers like John Cage and the concepts he introduced always fascinate children.
The first four weeks were spent on Composing With Melody and to do this we used our diatonic instruments. Initially to children almost everything sounds good when composing with diatonic instruments so it gets things rolling quickly and gives you a chance to help them refine their ideas.
I always get them to write four parts into this composition. A bass line a melody line a chordal accompanyment and a percussion part and initially explain the roles of each of those parts. I then get them to add a B section which we decide to be something different to the A section and something short. A chance to provide a point of difference in the music. At the end of each week I film the children and one quick viewing at the start of the next week is all that is required for them to remember where they were up to. Depending on your philosophy regarding notation you could get them to notate but I find that childrens ears are generally pretty good and notation merely slows the composition process at this stage.
In the following weeks I will blog about how I go about teaching the other musical styles and upload some video.
But here is a video of a couple of completed Melodic Pieces


This book presents an evidence-based framework for understanding the literacy needs of adolescents. The premise is that educators and other critical stakeholders need to understand evidence-based principles in order to develop effective curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners. Recommendations are provided for middle and secondary education, professional development, teacher education research and policy.
At the center of the book are Eight Guiding Principles developed by the authors through a process that included an extensive review of research and policy literature in literacy and related fields, a comparison of National Standards documents, and visits to the classrooms of 28 middle and high school teachers across the United States. The Principles are broad enough to encompass a variety of contexts and student needs, yet specific enough to offer real support to those involved in program development or policy decisions. They provide an overarching structure that districts and teachers can use to develop site-specific curriculum that is both research-based and designed to meet the needs of the learners for whom they are responsible.
Important Text Features: Organized to help readers understand empirically supported principles of practice that can be used to address literacy concerns in today's schools, each chapter that addresses one of the eight Principles follows a similar format:
* The Principle is presented along with a brief explanation of the research base and a sample of national standards that support it.
* One or more case examples spanning a wide variety of disciplines, grade levels, and local conditions - provide an in-depth look at the Principle in action.
* A well-known adolescent literacy expert offers a response to each case example, giving readers an informed view of the importance of the Principle, how it is enacted in the cases, and examples of other work related to the Principle. Discussion questions are provided that can be used for individual reflection or group discussion.
Principled Practices for Adolescent Literacy is intended as a text for pre-service and in-service upper-elementary, middle and high school literacy methods courses and graduate courses related to adolescent literacy, and as a resource for school district personnel, policymakers and parents.
Table of Contents
Contents: R.T. Vacca, Foreword. Preface. Why Principled Practices? Research on Youth's Literacy Development: An Overview. Principle 1: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Participate in Active Learning Environments That Offer Clear and Facilitative Literacy Instruction. Principle 2: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Participate in Respectful Environments Characterized by High Expectations, Trust, and Care. Principle 3: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Engage With Print and Nonprint Texts for a Variety of Purposes. Principle 4: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Generate and Express Rich Understandings of Ideas and Concepts. Principle 5: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Demonstrate Enthusiasm for Reading and Learning. Principle 6: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Assess Their Own Literacy and Learning Competencies and Direct Their Future Growth. Principle 7: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Connect Reading With Their Life and Their Learning Inside and Outside of School. Principle 8: Adolescents Need Opportunities to Develop Critical Perspectives Toward What They Read, View, and Hear. Supporting Principled Practices. Appendix: Additional Resources.


This volume includes chapters by a number of leading researchers in the area of reading and spelling development. They review what is currently known about both normal and impaired development of decoding, comprehension, and spelling skills. They also consider recent work on the remediation of reading and spelling difficulties in children and discuss effective remedial strategies.
Table of Contents
Contents: Part I:The Development of Decoding Skills. A.M. Liberman, Why Is Speech So Much Easier Than Reading? P.B. Gough, S. Wren, The Decomposition of Decoding. W.E. Tunmer, J.W. Chapman, Language Prediction Skill, Phonological Recoding Ability, and Beginning Reading. U. Goswami, Rime-Based Coding in Early Reading Development in English: Orthographic Analogies and Rime Neighborhoods. L.C. Ehri, Word Reading by Sight and by Analogy in Beginning Readers. V. Muter, Phonological Awareness: Its Nature and Its Influence Over Early Literacy Development. J. Morais, P. Mousty, R. Kolinsky, Why and How Phoneme Awareness Helps Learning to Read. R.W. Barron, Proto-Literate Knowledge: Antecedents and Influences on Phonological Awareness and Literacy. Part II:Developmental Impairments of Decoding Skills. M. Bruck, Outcomes of Adults With Childhood Histories of Dyslexia. M. Snowling, N. Goulandris, N. Defty, Development and Variation in Developmental Dyslexia. R.H. Felton, The Development of Reading Skills in Poor Readers: Educational Implications. J.L. Metsala, G.D.A. Brown, Normal and Dyslexic Reading Development: The Role of Formal Models. J. Alegria, The Origin and Functions of Phonological Representations in Deaf People. R.S. Johnston, The Role of Letter Learning in Developing Phonemic Awareness Skills in Preschool Children: Implications for Explanations of Reading Disorders. N.K. Goulandris, A. McIntyre, M. Snowling, Fixed Reference Eye and Reading Disability: Is There a Connection? Part III:Reading Comprehension. R.M. Joshi, K.A. Williams, J.R. Wood, Predicting Reading Comprehension From Listening Comprehension: Is This the Answer to the IQ Debate? K. Cain, J. Oakhill, Comprehension Skill and Inference-Making Ability: Issues of Causality. J. Oakhill, K. Cain, N. Yuill, Individual Differences in Children's Comprehension Skill: Toward an Integrated Model. Part IV:Spelling. R. Treiman, Beginning to Spell in English. C. Lennox, L.S. Siegel, Phonological and Orthographic Processes in Good and Poor Spellers. P.G. Aaron, S. Wilczynski, V. Keetay, The Anatomy of Word-Specific Memory. C.K. Leong, Strategies Used by 9- to 12-Year-Old Children in Written Spelling. K. Nation, C. Hulme, The Role of Analogy in Early Spelling Development. Part V:The Remediation of Reading Problems. C. Juel, What Kind of One-on-One Tutoring Helps a Poor Reader? B.W. Wise, R.K. Olson, Studies of Computer-Aided Remediation for Reading Disabilities.


Well-Ordered Language Level 2B: The Curious Childâs Guide to Grammar
The previous level, Well-Ordered Language Level 1, helped students to master the eight parts of speech, along with object pronouns, prepositional and adverbial phrases, compound subjects, compound verbs, and compound objects. Any student who mastered these concepts should be prepared for Well-Ordered Language Level 2. In Book 2B, students will review and strengthen skills learned in Level 1 and Book 2A and be introduced to several new concepts. Student using this text will also learn to diagram sentences, visualizing the grammatical relationships within sentences.
Well-Ordered Language Level 2B (WOL 2B) will introduce students to:
- Sentence diagramming (visualizing grammatical relationships within sentences)
- Four kinds of sentences (declarative, interrogatory, imperative, exclamatory) and principal elements
- Prepositional phrases
- Compound elements
- Subject pronouns
- Object pronouns
- Possessive pronouns
- Interrogative pronouns
- Compound sentences
- Relative pronouns and relative clauses
Note: There will be a total of four levels, each containing a Book A and Book B, and we will be releasing one level (two books) each year.
This is a consumable item. For more information on this productâs copyright, please refer to our General FAQ section here.
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- Creative Madness Mama
âAnother reason I stopped by your booth was to see the new grammar curriculumâitâs enchanting! (I never thought I would use âgrammar curriculumâ and âenchantingâ in the same sentence!!!) Just like the new Writing & Rhetoric program. Thank you for consistently producing materials that overflow with goodness, truth, and beauty!â âJulie E, homeschool mom
For placement recommendations and other questions, please see our FAQ page.
To learn more about why we chose the title Well-Ordered Language, read co-author Daniel Couplandâs blog post here.
Adapting Well-Ordered Language for Homeschool (blog post)
Author and educator Tammy Peters earned her BA in elementary education and a minor in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1982, and her MA in reading from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee in 1987. During her teaching career, she taught at elementary, undergraduate, and graduate levels and also worked as a district reading specialist. She recently retired from her position as a third-grade teacher at Mars Hill Academy, a classical Christian school in Cincinnati, where she had taught, written grammar curriculum, and mentored the elementary staff since 2000.
Daniel B. Coupland, PhD
Dr. Daniel B. Coupland is a professor and chairman of the Education Department and dean of the faculty at Hillsdale College. He earned a BA in Spanish from Liberty University, an MA in linguistics from Oakland University, and a PhD in education from Michigan State University. He began his career in education as a high school teacher. At Hillsdale College, he teaches courses on English grammar and classic childrenâs literature. In 2013, Dr. Coupland was named Hillsdale Collegeâs âProfessor of the Year.â In 2016, he was a resident scholar at the C.S. Lewis Study Centre (The Kilns) in Oxford, UK. In 2017, Dr. Coupland received the Emily Daugherty Award for Teaching Excellence. His research focuses on classic childrenâs literature and English grammar instruction. Dr. Coupland served for six years on the board of directors for the Society for Classical Learning and is the former editor of the Societyâs Journal. He also served as the associate editor for Arts and Liberty: A Journal on Liberal Arts and Liberal Education.
Grade Level: Grades 4-5
Use: Consumable product
Course Length: Semester


Rocketship Education is a network of charter schools that offers a K-5 education. Most of their students come from low-income families and they are usually learning English as a second language. Despite these challenges, the students score very well on tests and are on the path to attending college. The first charter school was established in 2006 in San Jose, California. They now operate schools in California, Milwaukee, Nashville, and the nationâs capital.
Rocketship Education was profiled by one of NPRâs bloggers, Anya Kamenetz. While the profile was rough around the edges it did manage to raise a few important questions in regards to how schools are modeled and how to engage in new ways of teaching and learning. One thing about schools is that they are deeply personal to students, their parents, and the educators. Nobody wants to settle for âgood enoughâ. Educators hold a lot of responsibility to teach children and just about every one of them takes this role very seriously.
Many schools nowadays are trying to find a balance between how classrooms are managed and what role technology plays in them. Rocketship Education finds itself in this same boat and struggles at coming up with the right answers. In regards to classroom management, they take an approach where bathroom breaks are scheduled and there are periodic âsilent timesâ during the day. Every classroom has rules or else things would quickly devolve into total chaos.
Like most charter schools Rocketship Education has high expectations of their students. They want children to focus on achievement during the school day. The goal is to not make the classroom too militant when it comes to managing them while at the same time establishing order so that students can learn. Even the last US Secretary of Education said that classroom management was a topic he struggled with while working as a teacher.
The use of technology is another hard issue to resolve in classrooms. Students need to become comfortable with it but it shouldnât take over the classroom. At Rocketship Education they use a blend of students learning on their computers while also partaking in traditional teaching with the teacher at the front of the class.


Transitional Kindergarten (TK) has the potential to âeven the playing fieldâ for children who have unequal access to experiences that assist in developing foundational skills needed for meaningful learning. Meaningful learning is evident in quality curriculum. Children who are able to demonstrate their understanding of concepts by communicating, representing, problem solving, and applying concepts in their daily lives have the capacity to meet educational goals at every grade level. To access and develop these skills, children must have early learning opportunities which foster growth in these areas prior to entering kindergarten.
Foundational Skills Needed for Meaningful Learning:
Communicatingâ How do children verbalize what they know, want, and understand? How do they let parents, teachers, and peers know what they know, want, and understand? Are they able to listen to, and understand others? Are they able to follow directions and communicate a sequence of events?
Build a foundation for communication skills by encouraging children to:
Practice listening and following directions through developmentally and age appropriate activities.
Find different ways of communicating their thoughts and needs as children carry out their daily routines.
Discover the value of the spoken word through play opportunities and intentional instructional activities.
Listen to how others express and present ideas.
Communicate amongst themselves and with teachers.
Representing â How do children demonstrate to parents, teachers, and peers what they know? What strategies do they choose to represent their understanding? Do they draw pictures, build models, use body movements and gestures, or represent understanding in numbers or words?
Build a foundation for representation by encouraging children to:
âShow what they know.â
Engage in composing and decomposing physical objects. For example, during block activities, children assemble and disassemble structures. They discover that small units can be placed together to create larger units and larger units can be broken into smaller portions.
Formulate a basic understanding that concepts can be represented by models, by pictures, and by abstract markings
Problem Solving â How do children recognize when a problem exists? How do they react in situations that require intentional thought? What strategies do they use to approach problems? How do children use what they know to solve problems? Do they seek out information through books, technology, and other learning tools?
Build a foundation for problem-solving skills by encouraging children to:
Engage in informal problem solving with puzzles, games and open-ended questions.
Scribble, write, measure, and draw as solutions to problems come to fruition.
Investigate topics of interest and select appropriate tools to assist them in their investigations.
Think critically, collaborate effectively and compromise willingly when faced with social situations in the classroom or out on the playground.
Applying Concepts â How do children use what they know in their everyday lives? How do they make connections between concepts learned at school and skills needed for success in everyday life? How do they build on what they know through problem solving and reasoning?
Build a foundation for concept application by encouraging children to:
Make meaning of what they learn and carry it with them back to their homes.
Integrate their home experiences into the activities taking place in the classroom.
Quality is Key in Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum
When teachers intentionally expose TK children to learning opportunities that promote the development of these skills, children are equipped for future educational success. Providing young children with an additional transitional year to acquire foundational skills through a quality TK curriculum gives them an opportunity to be as successful as their older peers. Additionally, for parents who lack time, resources, knowledge, or skills to provide engaging home experiences for children, a year of quality TK may provide experiences that may otherwise be delayed until entry to the formal kindergarten year.
Yes, a transitional year of kindergarten can be a driving force in the quest for early educational successes for children; however, quality is the key. If young children do not have access to TK programs of high quality, this extra year will only reinforce the educational gap so often associated with young and disadvantaged children.
Cindy Olivas, Ed.D., is an Associate Professor of Education and Interim Program Chair of the Undergraduate Child Development Program at University of La Verne. Her research interests include parentsâ self-efficacy perceptions toward childrenâs homework tasks. She can be contacted at email@example.com.
MIND Research Institute has worked with early childhood education professionals, brain researchers and mathematicians to develop ST Math: Transitional Kindergarten, a comprehensive math curriculum that meets the developmental and learning needs of the youngest students.
About the Author
MIND Research Institute welcomes guest blogs that highlight best practices in math education, blended learning and innovative learning strategies that inspire students at all ages.


The Mwandi Project is a major e-learning and community development project in rural Zambia.
Zambia, located in Central Southern Africa, remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The impressive economic growth for which the region is now known has little effect outside main urban areas, with 78% of the rural population living below the official poverty line, on under $1 a day. Life expectancy hovers at around 40 years, and there are high levels of malnutrition in rural areas, where climate can be irregular and most of the population survives by subsistence farming.
For things to change, some key structural changes are required, chief amongst which is improved access to modern education. The Mwandi Project equips six primary schools in the Mwandi area with e-learning tablets and associated equipment, including solar charging systems where necessary. The tablets contain the entire Zambian primary school curriculum, in English and 8 different Zambian languages, to create a unique blended-learning system. Lesson plans for teachers guide them towards modern interactive enquiry-based learning, and away from conventional rote methods. For students there are thousands of matching fun multi-media animated lessons.
Teacher training is provided to all the teachers in the schools. A support teacher is provided who ensures that the new style of teaching is continued in all schools; supporting all the teachers as they adopt the new methodologies.
The project locates a Service Centre near each of the five more remote schools, providing security and charging facilities for the tablets when not in use at the schools, plus internet, printing, technical support and a range of other services to help the community. This enables the rural communities to access better information and markets, thereby helping them to break out of the poverty trap.
The combination of e-learning with a Service Centre that offers essential services and internet connectivity is potentially transformational in a rural area.
Local communities around each school are able to use the tablets for adult literacy and numeracy; financial literacy; computer use, including email; access to learning about farming and the ability to begin to trade via the system; plus learning about improved health care.
The Mwandi Project began in May 2015 and has already seen success in improving student attendance and the professional development of teachers.
The project is funded by Peter Cundill Foundation and implemented in partnership with Connect Africa. Established in 2012, The Peter Cundill Foundation honours the legacy of renowned Canadian investment fund manager and philanthropist, F. Peter Cundill, FCA, CFA, 1938-2011. The Foundation has an emphasis on promoting the health, education and well-being of young people.
Mwandi Primary School is benefitting from the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers and school management to the implementation of the program, leading the way in conducting lesson monitoring.
Lipumpu Primary School is doing well in its implementation of iSchool.
Continuous Professional Development sessions for teachers are successfully being planned and conducted.
The three teachers at Aibelilwe Community School are very keen on using iSchool. Due to the growing number of pupils as a result, the community helped make desks to accommodate the learners.
Notable at Sikuzu Community School are the efforts being made by the teachers to use all the resources available to improve the reading abilities of their learners by using the reading schemes on the iSchool tablets.
Situlu Primary School is doing extremely well with project implementation. Both teachers and learners are actively involved, and school management has taken a lead in ensuring the program runs smoothly.
Alibuzwi Community School has two community school teachers against six grades of grade 1 to grade 6. Using iSchool the teachers are now able to support two different grades under one class.
To find out more about the Mwandi Project, please visit www.mwandiproject.org.


The Aboriginal Education program (AEP) has been developed with a cultural awareness of the peoples and landscapes of our regional and remote Aboriginal communities.
The AEP workshops are designed as hands-on incursions where students are introduced to science concepts with a strong focus on numeracy and literacy. The workshops are interactive, flexible, encourage understanding through doing and are themed around the Science Understanding sub-strands of the Australian Curriculum.
DIY Science kits
The AEP DIY kits are designed for the primary school curriculum, but the activities within the kits are greatly flexible and have been used successfully with many high school students across WA.
The kits are a fully self-contained classroom science resource that provide teachers with all the equipment and information needed to run engaging and relevant hands-on science lessons. The activities have been designed using the Science Understanding and Science Inquiry sub-strands of the Australian Curriculum incorporating numeracy and literacy.
There are four kits available covering biological sciences, physical sciences, earth & space sciences and chemical sciences.
Prices and hiring
Hire: $160 per term including freight for regional and remote schools.
Duration: One school term (8-10 weeks)
For more information on the program, DIY kits and touring schedule please contact the AEP Coordinator on 9215 0741 or email email@example.com.


This study is an exploration of several lessons on sound taught to third grade students using one of the Next Generation Science Standards (3-5-ETS1) and arts integration. A counterbalanced, pretest- posttest- distal posttest design experiment was conducted to compare student knowledge and attitudes between the control and experimental conditions. Control activities included learning about either stringed or percussion instruments (whichever not addressed in the experimental condition) through online searches for information and writing a factual paragraph; experimental activities included creating a percussion or stringed instrument using classroom art materials purchased with an imaginary budget. One group experienced the experimental condition focusing on stringed instruments while the experimental condition for the other group focused on percussion. Results indicated no significant differences on the posttest, distal posttest, or gain scores. Scoring of lesson products (control condition paragraphs compared to experimental condition student-made instruments) indicated a significant difference favoring the experimental condition with a medium effect size. Student attitudes at the time of the distal posttest indicated a significant difference in enjoyment favoring the experimental condition with a medium effect size; there was no significant difference in student attitudes of perceived learning. Although learning occurred in both conditions, students reported the more rewarding experience involved creating the sound making instruments.
Borsay, K. D., & Foss, P. (2016). Third graders explore sound concepts through online research compared to making musical instruments. Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions, 1(1), 46-61. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.uni.edu/journal-stem-arts/vol1/iss1/5
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