How to Help Prevent Summer Regression
by KIRSTEN MYERS
Executive Director of Special Services
Rockford Public Schools
While summer vacation is a highlight for any child and family, it is also a time when students forget a good deal of what they learned the previous school year. As a result, the first several weeks of each new school year is spent on assessing where students are in relationship to where they should be coming into the next grade level. This can be challenging to both parents and teachers alike as many weeks are spent reviewing and recouping literacy and numeracy skills lost over the summer vacation.
Helping your child to retain what they learned last year doesn’t mean a summer vacation full of hours spent crying over worksheets, tutoring or taking classes. There are several ways, noted below, in which parents can help prevent their child from losing information that they learned during the previous grade. It is as simple as spending 20 to 30 minutes per day on a few mathematical equations coupled with time spent reading high interest books.
Tablets or Computers—An easy and motivating way to retain skills is to have your child play educational games on a tablet or computer. The Educational Freeware website, www.educational-freeware.com, provides users with reviews of the best free learning games, software and websites. Additionally, Kahn Academy, offers over 3,200 videos on everything from arithmetic to physics and offers hundreds of skills to practice. With Kahn Academy, students can review previous skills and prepare for the next school year while working at their own pace.
Free Worksheets—There are several numeracy and literacy websites online that offer free printable worksheets. You can find specific skill worksheets by typing your child’s grade followed by the term “free math/literacy worksheets” into your search bar, and you will have a plethora of worksheets to choose from. Simply print the worksheets and allocate a small amount of time each day to work on them.
Workbooks—One of the easiest ways to help a child retain the information they learned last year is to purchase a skills workbook at your local bookstore. Educational workbooks are easy to find as they are nearly always labeled by grade level.
The Library—Reading is critical for students as it is the gateway to all learning. To help your child retain their reading skills over the summer, visit your local library and choose books that are of high interest to your child. Additionally, most city libraries have a Summer Reading Program where children fill out forms to show how much they’ve read which may make them eligible to win small prizes from the library.
Parents, teachers and students can agree that when regression occurs, it makes moving forward in their academic subjects that much more challenging when the new school year starts. With a little family time and dedication, you can help your child retain the material they learned last year in preparation for the 2012/2013 school year.


Teachers have a new way to teach math: via art.
The nonprofit Riverside Art Museum’s rapidly growing Art-to-Go program – which brings the arts directly to children in the community – previously aided teachers with history and science lessons. This year, math was added to the mix. The in-school arts program satisfies Common Core requirements.
Since its inception as a pilot program for Riverside Unified School District fifth- and sixth-graders in the early 1990s, it has grown to offer 2,000 art lessons for third- through sixth-graders in all 31 schools in the district.
Other Inland school districts with Art-to-Go, which sends trained art instructors to classrooms with art materials, lesson plans and vocabulary charts, include Moreno Valley, Jurupa, Alvord, Val Verde, Lake Elsinore, Rialto and San Bernardino city.
Caryn Marsella, the museum’s art education director, calls the program a critical piece of education that has children looking forward to school and curbs behavioral issues.
“Kids are taught to the test, but in art they can express themselves however they want,” Marsella said. “Every art project is going to be different right down to size and color. When kids do art, they feel a sense of achievement, and they don’t always feel that way with standardized tests.”
The Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave., hosts 50,000 visitors annually.
Art-to-Go also works with the county to serve children on probation and in Juvenile Hall. Those children receive a 10-week program in which they learn drawing basics, colors, and ultimately work together on a project.
Marsella noted that it’s very rewarding to watch such children learn to work as a team to create murals and other projects, building positive friendships with peers. She noted that one boy sought and received permission to stay at Juvenile Hall two weeks past his release to finish an eight-week project.
“They learn to come together and to accept other people’s ideas and views and then work with them,” Marsella said. “They can take that experience with them anywhere in life.”
The museum, which recently received a grant from The Community Foundation, is perpetually looking for volunteers, including those who can get supplies ready for the classroom, Marsella said.
“There were 2,700 lessons last year with 36 students in each lesson,” Marsella said. “That’s a lot of pre-work, and there are only a few of us to do it.”
“It’s hard to understand the full impact of the Art-to-Go program until you see it firsthand,” Marcella said. “I am always willing to take people out. I think if people saw what is happening with the kids and the impact it makes, they would want to support it.”
Information: riversideartmuseum.org or 951-684-7111
The Community Foundation’s mission is to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.org


Bacteria Worksheet – Free Science for Kids Words Game Worksheet to Print
FREE Bacteria Worksheet – Download our fun educational FREE science for kids words game worksheet to print. This Bacteria worksheet to print has a fun word seek game along with a find the missing words game for children. Our Bacteria science words game is free to download and print as many times as you wish.This free science worksheet teaches fun facts all about Bacteria.
The science words game about Bacteria is a great way to gain your child’s interest and attention during science classes or homeschooling activities.
The Bacteria fun facts worksheet is great for kids in Junior school in Grades One to Five as well as younger kids in Kindergarten and kids in Pre-K.
Elementary school kids from 1st Grade to 5th Grade can enjoy our Bacteria worksheet as a reading comprehension tool. Your kids shall learn well and enhance their reading skills due to the fact your children will end up needing to read several times the fun facts about Bacteria to find what the missing words are. This exercise will not only improve children’s memories but also improve their reading skills.
Pre-K kids and Kindergarten kids who do not know to read and write can use our free science for kids worksheet as a listening comprehension fun activity.
Parents or Educators can read out loud to the kids the Bacteria fun facts and then ask the children to recall what the missing words were.
Your young kids will also enjoy playing the hidden words puzzle while learning to find and recognize letters and words.
Parents can use this free science words game worksheet to gain their kids interest in science and spend educational time educating kids about Bacteria.
Teachers can utilize this science for kids Bacteria worksheet to engage kids interest during science classes and make learning about Bacteria fun for kids.
Educators and Teachers can utilize our science words game for after school child enrichment programs or early learning activities.
Bacteria are microscopic organisms that can cause diseases. However, there are good and bad bacteria. Some bad Bacteria can cause diseases and even kill people. Some good Bacteria is helpful and important for our bodies.
Learn more fun facts about Bacteria by downloading the free Bacteria worksheet to print!
Free to Print Bacteria Worksheet for Kids
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Bacteria Worksheet - Free Science for Kids Words Game Worksheet to Print - ." Easy Science for Kids, Jul 2017. Web. 25 Jul 2017. < http://easyscienceforkids.com/bacteria-worksheet-free-science-for-kids-words-game-worksheet-to-print/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2017). Bacteria Worksheet - Free Science for Kids Words Game Worksheet to Print -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from http://easyscienceforkids.com/bacteria-worksheet-free-science-for-kids-words-game-worksheet-to-print/
Sponsored Links :


The Protective Role of Home Learning Activities in the Development of Head Start Children's School Readiness Skills: A Longitudinal Analysis of Learning Growth Rates from Preschool Through First Grade
See, Heather M.
Klein, Elisa L.
MetadataShow full item record
Children's early learning experiences in the home have a significant impact on their readiness for school and future academic success. However, children in poverty often lack a high-quality home learning environment, and consequently, are more likely than their economically advantaged peers to be at risk for failure in school. In this study, data were analyzed from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey of 1997 (FACES), a national longitudinal study of children and families participating in the federal Head Start program. A latent growth model estimated children's growth trajectories in vocabulary, numeracy, and writing skills from Head Start through first grade, and the influence of engagement in home learning activities on children's skills. On average, children demonstrated skills that scored significantly below national norms. By first grade, children caught up on basic numeracy skills; however, they persisted to demonstrate significantly weaker vocabulary skills and slightly weaker writing skills. Risk factors, such as low income-to-needs, low parent education, a non-English home language, and multiple children age five and under in the home, were associated with weaker skills. Children who entered Head Start with the weakest skills grew at a faster rate than children with stronger skills, thus demonstrating the greatest gains over time. Moreover, families engaged in various home learning activities with their children during Head Start. A factor analysis produced three activity factors: Academic Stimulation, Community Enrichment, and Family Entertainment. Academic Stimulation was associated with stronger vocabulary, numeracy, and writing skills, while Community Enrichment was not associated with child outcomes, and Family Entertainment was negatively associated with numeracy and writing skills. Engagement in activities varied by child and family characteristics. Families with low income-to-needs engaged in significantly fewer activities across all three factors. This study advances our knowledge of the significant influence of family income-to-needs on children's early learning experiences and their development of fundamental cognitive readiness skills. The results further substantiate the need for family intervention programs designed to improve the quality of low-income children's home learning environments. Additionally, the findings illustrate the utility of latent growth modeling in estimating children's school readiness trajectories.


The teaching of the Elementary Education Department is a reflection of the mission statement of the College of Education: to develop teachers who are effective, urban educators who are reflective, innovative and committed to diversity. We believe that this mission is based on important principles of learning that we try to demonstrate in our teaching with our students at WSU, and which they can then transform and enact in their own teaching. Some of these beliefs include the following:
- We believe that learning is sense making. For this reason we ask questions in our classes at WSU that encourage our students to share their problem solving strategies and offer reasoning for the hypotheses that they propose about different learning scenarios.
- We believe that learning is social. For this reason we encourage our WSU students to collaborate with their peers in various ways, such as assisting each other on technology projects, sharing their views on classroom readings, and working on some investigations together.
- We believe that learning is multimodal. For this reason we offer our WSU students opportunities to express their understanding of concepts and ideas through a variety of modalities, such as writing, dramatizing, speaking, drawing, constructing models, and incorporating music in their presentations.
- We believe that learning is making connections. For this reason we invite our WSU students to make personal connections to their work at the College by tying it to their background knowledge, interests and cultural values.
- We believe that learning is both a process and a product. For this reason we endeavor to cultivate important dispositions about learning in our WSU students, such as taking risks, persisting, inquiring, and valuing the contributions of others.
- We believe that learning is interdisciplinary. For this reason we develop learning experiences for our WSU students that allows them to use reading, writing, mathematics and the arts across subject fields.
- We believe that learning is central to a democratic society. For this reason we raise issues about equity and social justice, such as inviting our students to critique historical narratives, and analyzing who is privileged, marginalized and/or silenced in these accounts.
All of these beliefs demonstrate an asset model of learning. We believe that all students at WSU have important knowledge, dispositions and perspectives that are rich resources for their peers as well as the WSU faculty. In this sense we view our students as fellow learners who offer us as much as we offer them. It is a journey we travel together.


A besetting question of our culture is what makes a quality education, and how do we ensure that children receive one. The US continues to rank low on comparative statisics for competence in math, science, reading, etc. I'm no expert, and the solution to the education problem will likely be complex and multifaceted. However, as a person interested in the philosophy and psychology of education (and as an elementary education student) I've done some reading and thinking about what a thorough education looks like. Fundamentally, a good education should teach a student how to learn and think. If that skill is accomplished, then no subject will be too difficult. As I see it, as these thoughts develop, is that there are three ways of thinking, in three broad areas, with three applicable skills that together comprise the general goals of education. Additionally, mastering these skills should lead to lifelong students whose education does not end with college.
Three Ways of Thinking
Students need to learn to think mathematically, analyticially, and creatively.These three modes of thought are broadly applicable across subjects and I can't think of a subject which would not apply at least two of them.
Three Broad Areas
The three modes of thinking are applied in essentially what used to be called "The Three R's", reading, writing, and arithmetic. In a broader application of these three basic ideas, writing is expanding to communicating, so that it encompasses being able to express themselves clearly through many mediums: writing, speech, the web, etc. Arithmetic can be expanded to also encompass the sciences and their application in technology.
Three Basic Skills
Students must be able to employ these skills with diligence, collaboration, and curiousity. It the students learn to work with discipline, to work together, and are inspired with curiousity as they think mathematically, analytically, and creatively, applying their thinking skills to reading and discovering, writing and speaking, math and science, then they could certainly be said to have a thorough education.


just might be the most fun month there is as far as fall preschool themes go.
It’s early enough in the year that there are still plenty of outdoor activities
that can be done with preschoolers. It’s also early enough in the year
that you’re not suffering the stress of the upcoming winter holidays so
you can relax some and really enjoy creative lessons with your kid(s). But it’s
a busy month with a lot of fun kid-oriented activities (mostly centering on
Halloween) so there are plenty of different things that you can incorporate
into the day to keep things fun and interesting.
is the big October theme that you’ll probably spend a lot of
lessons focusing on. There are many fun things that you can do with this theme.
Art projects galore spring from Halloween. Witches’ hats and pirate swords
can be made from construction paper. Counting and coloring activities can be
done with pumpkins and goblins. Halloween songs are almost countless in number.
But there are also plenty of lesser-known things that you can teach kids using
this theme. For example, even though your kids are going to be eating lots of
candy during this time, you can teach them about the importance
of nutrition. This is where moderation comes in and kids can learn
that it’s okay to indulge sometimes but not to go overboard. Similarly,
haunted houses and scary Halloween themes can be used to teach kids about good
fear vs. bad fear. Think outside of the costume box when you’re
coming up with Halloween theme activities this October.
great October theme that’s related to Halloween is the celebration
of other cultures. Certain other cultures celebrate Halloween in
different ways from how we do in America. For example, Day of the Dead (or
Dia de los Muertos) is celebrated in Latin American cultures. Teaching kids
about the different ways of celebrating the same holiday is great for giving
them the basics of diversity and cultural awareness. Another great October
theme for teaching that same lesson is Columbus Day. Halloween
may be the big October holiday but this other October holiday is a good
one for lessons that relate to history geography and those issues of diversity
and cultural sensitivity. You can easily use these holidays to teach kids
about the Latin American culture as well as the Native American culture.
October may be a
great month for holiday themes but that’s not all that’s going on
in October. In most places, the weather is changing dramatically with leaves
turning colors and falling off of the trees. This makes October
a terrific month for lessons about the weather, nature and seasons.
This is good for science lessons and can be incorporated into art activities
as well. If it’s warm enough to get outside with the kids, you can have
them do observations about the changing weather. Fall animal themes
are also great in October. For example, squirrels may still be seen
out and about which is great for lessons about how animals store food and how
some hibernate in the winter. This even lends itself well to lessons about how
our own bodies change in the winter.
As you can see,
October is a fun month that allows for many different preschool themes. Like
all other months, these themes are great for art, reading, writing and singing
activities. However, they are also great for teaching social studies and science
lessons. See what October lessons you can find out there and
then expand on them with your own creativity to make October a fun and
educational month for the kids.
- "How to…."
- ADD / ADHD
- Alphabet / Letters
- Arts & Crafts
- Attending Preschool
- behavior issues
- birthday parties
- Child Communication
- Child Growth and Development
- Child Safety
- Children's Health
- Daily Schedule
- Everything Preschool Reviews
- Family Life
- HomeSchool Preschool
- kids fitness
- Kindergarten Readiness
- Music Education
- Potty Training
- Preschool Activities
- Preschool Curriculum
- Preschool Social Skills
- self confidence
- Separation Anxiety
- Social Studies
- Traveling with Kids


Welcome to our Spring Website pages. Well, we have grabbed our passports and headed off to the continent of Africa to kick start our 'Around the World' topic. We enjoyed reading some traditional tales and wrote our own versions of 'Why Frog and Snake Can't be Friends' and 'Why Flies Buzz'. We have explored alphabetical order using dictionaries and glossaries.
When we visited India we enjoyed using 'Become a World Explorer' to familiarise ourselves with its landmarks and animals. We used images from this exotic country to inform our pressprint tiles. Miss Cox was very impressed with our finished art work. One of our favourite activities was tasting poppadoms with mango chutney. Some of us were very brave and sampled lime pickle!! Good job we bring water bottles to school!
Mrs. Rothwell gave an extremely interesting talk about her travels in China. She brought an amazing array of artefacts. We all wondered how she got all the bits and bobs in her suitcase, it must have been colossal! Following the talk we made some informative leaflets about China. We made some excellent word choices and found pictures on the internet to illustrate our work.
Our Numeracy skills are really developing and we are becoming much quicker working out calculations in our heads. Some of us are using three digit numbers confidently. We have enjoyed exploring 2D and 3D shapes, finding right angles and spotting lines of symmetry. We are continuing to practise telling the time and solving time problems.
In science we thoroughly enjoyed making circuits and testing various materials to see if electricity would travel through them. We also inserted motors, buzzers and made spinners. In RE we enjoyed listening to stories which have meanings. In Year 2 we enjoy using the large climbing frame, some of us are getting really brave and can reach the top. The real 'monkeys' in the class can reach the top using the rope! On 'Space for Sport' we have been honing our hockey skills and developing our ability to work as a team. In SEAL we have been working on 'Going for Goals'. Some of us are very proud and have worked very hard to achieve them.
Junior Chef have visited and we all became 'Mini Chefs' for the afternoon. We cut, sliced, diced and assembled a terrific tropical fruit crunch...Watch out Jamie Oliver!!
We all enjoyed our relaxing half term holiday and were lucky with the weather too. 'Plop' the baby barn owl has introduced himself in our literacy topic and we think he is really cute. Will he ever get used to the dark? Our SEAL topic 'It's Good To Be Me' has started with some drama work. We had to think about our behaviour and not be impulsive like Daphne Dinosaur but be more thoughtful like Olive Owl.
In Design and Technology we made wonderful winding mechanisms. Miss Cox was impressed with the great variety of creative ideas.


As a music educator, I teach classes, workshops, and private lessons to a large number of students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. When I first started teaching my curriculums I was very excited about what I was teaching (and had developed), but as I progressed and trained other teachers in my methodology it became very clear that how it was taught was of equal importance.
There are a number of behavioral characteristics that can go against learning. There are also many that serve as antidotes to learning disruptions and inattention. Traits that are prerequisites to learning include: respect, not trying, sincerity, and responsiveness.
What I've found is that these behavioral attributes are aligned with learning itself and in their absence there is a lack of learning.
Classroom management and behavioral issues seem universal with young students. It is almost always the action or the speech that gets our concern, rather than why it was done or how it was said. One word or phrase can be said in an infinite number of ways. Therefore, it's important to understand the concept of tonality in language and teach how to use the correct tonality. Understanding and addressing the underlying tonality can fix what is being said or done.
An example of how we use this in our classes is teaching students to say something in their natural voice when they're speaking. The natural voice is strong, clear, and happy. It has none of the lower emotions that we hear in young students all too often. We also talk about values like sincerity, respect and attention and allow them to develop their own understanding of these (with guidance of course).
Some of the great definitions of attention I've heard include: connection, listening, not doing anything else, respect and tracking. We then practice this alone without any other agenda before implementing it into class material. This strengthens learning capacity tremendously.
Many of these techniques will be taught at a new Teacher Certification coming up in Denver May 27-29th. We'll go over the new theory of rhythm I've developed, biomechanics of various instruments, and new approaches to ear training.
There are still a few spots left, so sign up now. Use Sound15 as a discount code to receive 15% off the investment by April 12th, 2017.
Curtis Madigan, is a music education visionary and has created a revolutionary new music system. After graduating from Berklee College of Music and performing with many notable artists, he is sharing the knowledge he developed with aspiring musicians and professional musicians alike. Madigan leads workshops, masterclasses, and one-of-a-kind trainings in his innovative new approach to learning rhythm and music.
Back To Articles


The Best Kids Science Experiments to Try at Home (via Bloglovin.com )
Create different watercolor textures with these mediums. | 24 Kids’ Science Experiments That Adults Can Enjoy, Too
Looking for an easy way to teach continental drift and hands-on plate tectonics? You will love this simple and tasty earth science demonstration using cake!
Wormery Journalling with kids - introducing preschoolers to nature journalling whilst studying what happens under the Earth
cool soap experiments
Pop Rocks Science Exploring Viscosity. Explore sense of sound, non-newtonian fluids and liquids.
What a "sweet" way to teach your kids human biology! Edible Skin Layers Cake! Perfect for grade school and middle school!
Sweet vs Sour: try these berries that confuse your taste buds into thinking that sour food tastes sweet! Fun taste science for kids.
Is it a solid or a liquid? Edible sensory science play with gelatin and jello (gelatine and jelly). Yum and fun for toddlers, preschoolers and school kids!


Reflecting refers to the process of making sense of student assessment results in order to identify student needs. There are a variety of ways to make sense of student assessment information, but, regardless of the approach, one must have clear expectations for student performance and be able to identify the current needs of students. This section will provide some resources to start the reflection process.
Children’s learning is influenced a great deal by their families and their parents are their first teachers. This resource provides a process that teachers and parents can use to share information about students’ literacy learning.
Involving Parents in Student Achievement (118K)
Reflecting on assessment results provides teachers and administrators with important information that informs teaching and learning. This resource provides a process to help educators make sense of student assessment results.
Using Assessment Data to Improve Student Learning (107K)
The activity of alignment is integral to any school improvement process. The Pacific Communities with High-performance in Literacy Development (CHILD) Acts of Alignment is a process that educators can use when attempting to identify assessments that are aligned to their current curriculum framework. We have used this process to align the early literacy formative assessments with the curriculum frameworks of the entities listed below:
Pacific CHILD Acts of Alignment (128K)
American Samoa (102K)
The Pacific CHILD Data Management System is an Excel database that allows users to record students’ assessment information and then create charts that display students’ progress over time on each of the assessments. The accompanying guide provides step-by-step instructions to help you get started using the Pacific CHILD Data Management System. In order to use this resource, you will need to download all three of the following files:
Pacific CHILD Data Management System (713K)
Reading Performance Charts (Excel 943K)
Reading Performance Data (Excel 556K)


Neurodiversity is about how our brains process information and how we think, as we can be wired differently. This includes concentration, language, sound, images, light, texture, colour, touch, smell, taste, perception, sequencing and movement.
Auditory Processing - How they process information efficiently from what they hear and slow processing information.
Numeracy - Difficulties and understanding of simple numbers which includes, money, telling the time, time keeping and basic numeracy skills.
Working / Short-Term Memory - How they remember things for a short time, events, times, dates and have difficulty holding on to several pieces of information without referring to notes.
No matter how intelligent men and women are they can still feel misunderstood and vulnerable.


MUSCLE TONE IN BABIES
It is helpful to understand how the length of time a baby is carried in the womb prior to delivery may influence the level of tone in her muscles. The term “muscle tone” can be defined as the balanced level of tension in the muscles. By “balanced” we mean that the muscles are capable of a range of tension levels, from very contracted which brings the limbs close to the center of the body to very stretched which straightens the limbs out away from the body. A baby carried to full term usually has balanced muscle tone. This is evident in the newborn as she is lying on the floor. Observe that her limbs are bent and rather close to her torso until she learns how to move them on her own. One she begins to move them through learning the motor skill of kicking, her muscles go through the full range of motion from being flexed and close to her torso to being extended and stretched out. In babies born premature, muscles usually have lower muscle tone. This means that baby’s limbs are more stretched out, more relaxed in appearance. Sometimes the term “hypotonic” is used to describe the muscle tone in premature babies, usually those with very relaxed muscles. This means the relaxed range of muscle tone is very familiar and the contracted range is a bit difficult to achieve.
MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN PREMATURE BABIES
Motor skill development is more challenging for babies born with low muscle tone, because their muscles have to work harder to develop a fuller range of muscle tension. The baby carried to full term usually has the fuller range of tension already in their muscles. Premature babies benefit tremendously from a lot of motor skill games and activities. Their muscles need “extra practice” for their first year milestones.
SUPPORT FOR PREMATURE BABIES
Due to the relaxed quality of the premature baby’s muscles, it is easy for the heavy parts of her body to flop backward when you pick her up. It is very important to fully support her head and neck, as well as the limbs of her body. Keep a hand behind her head and neck when holding and moving her. Try to keep her arms and legs from dangling when you hold her by folding them in toward the midline a bit. Hold her so her spine is a bit rounded rather than straight. As she develops strength in her muscles she will be able to support her head and move her muscles through the full range of motor activity.
PROPRIOCEPTION AND PREMATURE BABIES
Parents can learn hands-on activities that guide baby to feel the range of motion in various movements, making it easier for baby to find the movements on her own. For example, a “preemie” may keep her arms fairly straight but through the use of your hands you can show her how to bend and straighten her arm. These activities improve baby’s proprioception. They are fun for baby, too. They guide her toward a clearer feeling of her body and an improved ability to bend and straighten her limbs. As she learns to feel and move her muscles, they gain strength improving the range of muscle tone. This is one of the most important developments during baby’s first year. The motor milestones teach her to use her muscles, support her own body, and to travel from one place to another.


Our new Flash Points topic, The Ethics of Art, will be launching soon and we’re inviting you to participate. Intrigued? Want to know more? Keep reading!
This theme will look at the relationship between ethics and contemporary art. Ethics are defined as “a system of moral principles” which constantly factor into the choices we make. This can include something as personal as the creation of art, or as public as a museum’s mission statement. These decisions can also become confused, especially when competing priorities are at work. With the ever-shrinking gap between commerce and culture, the prioritization of good business over public service creates an increasingly blurry set of ethical guidelines for the art world. A few of the questions we’ll be exploring will include:
- How does ethics factor into institutional practice?
- How do artists address ethical issues in their work?
- What kind of ethical decisions are made during the artistic process?
- Are ethics emphasized in art education today?
- Must art be ethical?
We are eager to hear from a range of perspectives, including those of you who work as artists, arts professionals, students, art educators, funders, organizers, and academics. Propose a Flash Points blog post related to the above topic and have a chance to be featured on this site. Email ideas and pitches to blog [at] art21 [dot] org. Deadline is January 31st.


Henry Frost was active in the musical community of York County, Upper Canada, between the years of 1835 and 1850. Henry Frost taught at a common school where he included music in the curriculum. It is believed that he was also responsible for musical activities in the local Anglican Church, (though the documentary history of the church was lost in a fire). Furthermore, according to established education patterns in upper Canada, he probably also served as a teacher in a singing school for adults. Henry Frost left a musical instruction manual, offering a complete course in the rudiments of music, which gives us insight into music education in early Canada.
Digital images of the 211 page music instruction manual. A collection organized into 12 volumes.
211 JPEG and TIFF images, as well as a PDF collocation.
Henry Frost left his collection to his replacement teacher Thomas Scott. Scott's decedents passed the documents to principal James T. Jenkins of Jarvis Institute (Toronto). The manual then became part of a textbook collection held by the Ontario College of Education, (established 1921 by the University of Toronto), which in 1972 became the Faculty of Education in the University of Toronto, which in turn, merged with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, (OISE). The manual then was micro filmed, and its current location is unknown. The filmed version was digitized, and the digitized images were donated to The Faculty of Music Library's Archives in 2011 by Cam Trowsdale.
• Haig, Alastair P. "Henry Frost, Pioneer (1816-1851)". The Canadian Music Journal, 2, no. 2, (1958).
• Trowsdale, George Campbell. "A History of Public School Music in Ontario." Ed.D., University of Toronto (Canada), 1962. (AAT NK21416).
• Mason, James. "Henry Frost: Pioneer Music Education in Upper Canada," CAML Review 34, no. 2 (2011). http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php./caml/index.


"Family literacy" involves the idea that members of a child's family are the child's first teachers and will continue to influence literacy development throughout childhood. Many schools are taking the initiative by offering family literacy programs to support students and their families.
Family Literacy: Developing a Program for Your Elementary School was written for parents and educators who are just beginning to explore the idea of family literacy or are ready to start a program. It's a research-based guide that's easy to understand and provides ideas that can be used in any elementary school. It's available on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats.
Developing a Program for Your Elementary School
by Todd R. Tystad
"This helpful guide draws upon current research to examine the reasons for implementing a family literacy program. It also presents programming ideas that can be used and adapted to fit the needs of different schools and their respective families. This guide can be used to make decisions, gather resources, and develop and implement a family literacy program in any elementary school."


I think growing an imagination is just as important as anything else we learn in life.
So when I was asked if we wanted to review s few new sets that Learning Resources came made available this year, how could I say no? Why? I know that is what Learning Resources do create toys & games that promoting hand-eye coordination while learning in a fun way such as these
Learning Resources is a leading manufacturer of innovative, hands-on educational materials for classrooms worldwide and learning toys. They are all about unleashing kids imaginations while helping children learn problem solving with practice real-life skills. These types of activities help kids grow up to be more creative thinkers.
Learning Resources mission is to provide high-quality and innovative products that provide fun and engaging learning opportunities for children as they explore, discover their world and develop their creative side. Their award-winning educational toys, learning toys, discovery toys, and teaching tools are designed by educators and have been beloved by teachers, parents and children for over 30 years.
This set includes 2 bar magnets, 2 magnetic bugs, 4 ring magnets, horseshoe magnet, magnetic post, 2 snap-on cars, tray with maze, string, and 10 double-sided Activity Cards.
Keep it simple with real STEM learning! In this set you will discover amazing engineering wonders through scientific exploration. This also comes with experiment cards to help engage kids with colorful, tools and hands-on activities. You will explore all 6 simple machines as you make amazing discoveries, design solutions for real-world problems, and conduct your own investigations. We like how this makes you look at the way you looks at things differently and change the way you think in a fun in way.
This set includes a lever board, wedge, pulley with rope and hook, cart with 4 removable wheels, Archimedes screw, 4 barrel weights, and 10 double-sided Activity Cards to build early engineering and problem solving skills. Comprehensive Activity Guide with reproducible materials is also included.
This is a great way to give the kids in your life more than a toy. Learning Resources toys are designed to foster the development of key skills for children of all ages. They have an extensive selection of learning toys & games that are great for promoting hand-eye coordination, early numeracy skills, letter recognition, critical thinking and imaginative play.
You can find out more on from these various platforms:


Gone are the days when multiple surveys, based on self-created bench marks, were used to map the learning achievements of school children. HRD ministry has recently finalised the new class-wise learning indicators that students from Class 1 to Class 8 are expected to achieve.
For the first time in India, the National Council of Educational Research & Training has finalized learning achievement indicators.
Achievement indicators have been finalised in eight subjects: English, Hindi, Urdu, Mathematics, EVS, Science, Social Sciences and Art Education.
Indicators in case of English, Urdu and Hindi have been finetuned further to include the milestone a child should achieve in writing, reading, listening and speaking.


We provide imaginative activities using open ended inspiring resources for problem solving and to stimulate the acquisition of language and numeracy skills. We have enough resources for everyone to join in. Our garden is an inspirational outdoor space which provides daily opportunities for the children to learn about the world around them, for example, investigating puddles or a pile of autumn leaves, creating habitat piles, using natural resources and growing fruit and vegetables.
All children in the nursery spend a considerable amount of time outside during the day, especially important when it might be dark as they arrive and as they leave.
Children learn best when they are engaged in a natural environment and their intellectual development is greater when they learn using natural resources as well. The challenge is to make the time to notice the subtle magic going on around us every day.


Steven Van Zandt Unveils New Music Education Curriculum
Steven Van Zandt is spearheading a new way to bring music back into the classroom. His Rock & Roll Foundation has teamed up with the Grammy Museum to create a new curriculum for middle and high school students that teaches kids about the roots of rock music as well as the ways it impacts and reflects society.
The E Street Band guitarist tells “Rolling Stone” that instead of telling kids to “take that iPod out of your ear and pay attention,” students are invited to share what they’re listening to and then “trace it back and talk about it.” He explains that “what that forms is an immediate common ground and immediate engagement.”
Van Zandt introduced “Rock & Roll: An American Story” at an event at New York University on Wednesday. NYU will also host a training program for teachers. Organizers will be launching “RRAAS” this fall.


, T. (2004). Theory, technology and the music curriculum. British Journal of 21:2, 215-221. doi: 10.1017/S0265051704005650
In this article, Cain argues that the practical changes in music education brought about by recent technological developments, require us to rethink some of the most fundamental theories of our discipline. Sampling, sequencing and music software have blurred the lines between composing, performing and listening.
ICT must be adapted intoin a meaningful way, with ICT used not as a novelty, but as a tool to improve students learning. Challenging our traditional notion of composing as purely creating (not involving performing or audience-listening), and allowing music to reflect and create new ideas is necessary to achieve this, rather than simply forcing new technology onto old frameworks.
Cain suggests that a major stumbling block to such new thinking is the lack of autonomy experienced by many classroom Crawford (2009) and personal experience, I would argue that it is the more immediate school environment that mostly contributes to the successful application of in the music classroom.. He uses the example of singing: many teachers say it is a vital part of music education, but are do not feel able to include it as a classroom activity. Cain attributes this unwillingness to government policies that discourage creativity, and a lack of confidence among teachers. However, based on my reading of


Born, 1800; died, 29th August 1847.
This was one of those artists who joined the
Scottish Academy in 1830. He was a native of Dundee, and received the
rudiments of his art education under Andrew Wilson, at the Trustees'
Academy. He began his art career by painting local landscape subjects
and sea-pieces, in which he evinced great talent, but soon took to the
more lucrative branch of portrait-painting. In 1830 he exhibited at the
Royal Academy in London a Shooting-Party, consisting of a group of
portraits. His success in this line enabled him to visit Italy five
years afterwards, where he spent three years. As a result he exhibited
at the Royal Academy a Camaldolese Monk showing the Relics of his
Convent; and Cimabue and Giotto, which was purchased by Sir Robert Peel
for 150 guineas. He remained in London till his death at Chelsea,
exhibiting numerous historical and genre subjects at the Academy and the
British Institution. Among his more important works are, Columbus at the
Door of the Convent of La Rabida, the Temptation of St Anthony, Baronial
Retainers, and Salvator Rosa's first Cartoon on the wall of the Certosa.
The Scottish National Gallery contains seven of his works, among which
his landscapes show perhaps more promise in that department of art than
he afterwards fulfilled as a painter of history. His pictures, although
highly finished, well drawn, and good in colour, are at times deficient
in strength. Wilkie held his earlier works in high esteem, and probably,
had he been spared to enjoy a longer life, might have fulfilled the
anticipations of that artist.
brothers also practised art with considerable success. David, who died
on the 29th March 1874, held a good position as a Scottish
landscape-painter; and George, a portrait-painter, who died in 1862.


Torrey Hall: Past
By Sarah L. Farley, graduate student, University of Vermont December 1999
The history of Torrey Hall is one that spans more than 130 years. In that time the building has served the University of Vermont as its first library, as a museum, and as a meeting place for classes. It has relinquished its location on the University Green and been left to rest on a more obscure site. And, it has survived several additions as well as a major renovation. Despite the fact that Torrey Hall is no longer in a position of prominence on the campus, its history is colorful and is worthy of investigation.
In a large part, Torrey Hall owes its existence to Joseph Torrey, who served the University as a professor and as its ninth president. In its early days, business and education at the University of Vermont were conducted in one main building. Consequently, it was here, too, that the University's literary holdings remained. However, in 1824 fire consumed this building and all but 125 of the books in the University's collection.1
After funds were allotted for the replacement of the books, Joseph Torrey, then a professor of philosophy, was tapped by the administrators to travel to Europe with the goal of purchasing much needed books for the University. Professor Torrey made his voyage in 1835 and returned to Vermont with 7000 volumes.2 In 1862 a new library was built and named in his honor.
Over time, the size, shape and location of Torrey Hall have evolved. Originally constructed with a wood frame and clad in brick, Torrey Hall stood two stories tall and covered an area of 2400 square feet.5 In 1873, the third story and Mansard roof were added and the building became home to the Park Gallery of Arts.
Torrey Hall remained the library until the completion of the Billings Library in 1885. Due to its importance as a library, as well as the University's second major liberal arts building, Torrey Hall originally occupied a prominent location on the University Green.3
However, the University continued to expand and in 1895 Torrey Hall was relocated in an effort to create space for the construction of Williams Hall.4 Today, the building rests nestled between Billings Center and Votey Hall.
Circa 1898, Burlington benefactor, Henry LeGrand Cannon funded the addition of a two-story wing to the east side of the building; just a year later he added a single-story west wing to house the art collection he bequeathed to the University.6
Following the construction of the Fleming Museum in 1931, the Engineering College assumed the use of Torrey Hall. In 1942 the building became a studio art center and was used for photography instruction, print making and art education classes until 1973.
After nearly a century of serving the University of Vermont, Torrey Hall underwent major renovations in 1974. The firm of Wiemann- Lamphere Architects, Burlington, designed the plans for the revisions.7 Originally, a small flight of stairs on the south façade provided the only entrance to the building and a single central staircase connected the three stories. In addition, a plan of the original structure (as illustrated by Wiemann and Lamphere and submitted with the renovation plans) shows that the building's rooms were very small and that the staircase consumed a considerable amount of space.
The work on Torrey Hall resulted in new heating, power and lighting systems, new floor plans for each story and significant exterior modifications. Following the renovations, an elevator provided access to all floors and the central staircase occupied considerably less space. In addition, asphalt shingles replaced the slate which previously covered the roofs, a fire escape was removed from the north façade, a chimney was removed from the north elevation of the east wing, the single flight of stairs on the south façade was enlarged and concealed behind a brick wall and the roof edge on the main block was extended.8
Following renovation, the Pringle Herbarium was moved into Torrey Hall where it remains today. Presently, the building is home to two classrooms as well as the Thompson Natural History Collection and the Churchill Library.
1 Jeffrey D. Marshall, Universitas Viridis Montis: an Exhibition of Documents and Artifacts Telling the Story of the University of Vermont 1791- 1991, University of Vermont Special Collections, Burlington, 1991, 28.
Torrey Hall circa 1970, published in Frank Smallwood, The University of Vermont Presidents: Two Centuries of Leadership, University of Vermont, Burlington, 1997.


Today I have asked Andy Fling with MakingMusicFun.net to share a recent post he wrote for his email subscribers. In this post he shares how using the game that many of us have grown up with, “Simon” and apply it to practicing. I have personally used this game (via the iPad) with my students but for ear training and memory purposes. It didn’t even dawn on me the other teaching application it has! Practicing! Enjoy this post by Andy Fling…
The Best Teaching Strategy You May be Missing Can be Taught with a Toy
Have you ever played with Simon – an electronic memory skill toy?
Turn Simon on and it plays a simple two color/sound pattern. You repeat the pattern by pressing the buttons that light up. Then Simon adds an additional color/sound to the pattern in each round which progressively increases the challenge. The fun of playing is seeing how long you can hang in there.
I’ve shared this game with a few of my students to help them understand how Simon teaches players, and how it can help them practice. One of my students made it through 25 rounds. Wow!
Here’s Simon’s strategy:
1) Simon begins with a goal that kids are successful with 99% of the time. This makes them happy and they keep playing.
2) Simon builds on their success with small steps.
So, how you apply that?
To help kids make the most of their practice time, here are a few ideas you can put into action.
1) Pick goals that they can acheive the very first time. Maybe it’s only two notes. Maybe it’s a measure.
2) Build on that success by adding another element. Maybe it’s more notes. Maybe it’s a crescendo.
Simon’s game always ends. It’s hard to remember everything. Kids will miss things when they’re practicing too. It’s hard to be perfect. We just have to teach them how to be successful a lot more often. Doing so will keep them “playing,” progressing faster, and maybe smiling a little more!
Here’s a link to play Simon online:
(Side note: You can also find many ‘Simon’ inspired apps in the app or google play store!)
Andy Fling, site owner/teacher, is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors Degree in Music Theory and Composition, and graduate studies in Music Theory and Composition and K-12 Music Education. In 1992 he began teaching music at a small Christian school, and an excitement for teaching kids and music education began. Offering instruction for general music, band and choir to thousands of elementary aged kids in Christian and Public Schools, his excitement for teaching music to kids is stronger than ever. He currently teaches to a studio full of private music students, offers weekly homeschool classes, and shares the fun though his website, MakingMusicFun.net.
Be sure to like Making Music Fun on Facebook! Thanks for sharing Andy!
Interested in being a guest blogger? Just let me know! Be sure to ‘Like’ Music Educator Resources on Facebook and follow Music Educator Resources on TpT to stay up to date on giveaways, discounts, reviews and other music resources! And don’t forget to join the exclusive email newsletter for monthly freebies and more!


The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 empowers children belonging to the backward section of the economy to free and compulsory education. The Right to Education Act was earlier termed as The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into function after Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s famous impassionate plea to the Imperial Legislative Council for introducing free and compulsory primary education throughout India. The Right to Education Act made compulsory all government and private sector schools across India to provide 25 percent reservation to children between the age group of 6 and 14 belonging to the weaker section of the country access to free and compulsory education. India became one of the 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child, when the act finally came into practice in April 2010.
A rough version of the draft was first prepared in the year 2005. It was met with a lot of criticism because of the large percentage of reservation made mandatory across all schools for the unprivileged children. However, the Central Advisory Board of Education, who were founders of the draft stood ground and justified the 25percent reservation as a definite requisite to become a democratic and egalitarian society.
Bill approved by the cabinet on 2 July, 2009
Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha on 20 July, 2009
Bill passed by the Lok Sabha on 4 August, 2009
Received Presidential approval and made into a law on 26 August, 2009
The law came to effect on 1 April, 2010, (except for the state of J&K), by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh
The Right to education Act is a fundamental right which allows every child between the age group of 6 to 14 to have access to free and fare education. It requires all private and government schools to reserve 25 percent of the seats for children belonging to weaker sections of the society. The act also separates the fraudulent schools and donations and concessions have been rolled back. The act also states that no child shall be expelled, held back or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a special training of school drop-outs to bring them up at par with students of the same age.
The Right to Education act stretches to 18 years of coverage for children with disabilities, and other provisions covered in the act range from infrastructure development, teacher-student ratio and faculty are mentioned in the act. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is an autonomous body set up to monitor the implementation of the act along with commissions set up by the States. The body in question was formed in the year 2007
Implementation & Funding
The Right to Education act has clearly laid down distinct responsibilities for the centre, state and local bodies for its implementation. However, a lot of states have been complaining about the lack of funds being received which is making it impossible to meet with the appropriate standard of education in the schools needed for universal education. Hence, the centre that is at the receiving end of the revenue will have to subsidize for the states.
A committee set up to study the fund requirement for the implementation of the act estimated an initial capital requirement of approximately Rs. 171000 crores or 1.71 trillion over 5 years, and in April 2010 the Indian government agreed to share the funding of the price at a ratio of 65 to 35 between the centre and the state and a ratio of 90 to 10 for the Northeastern states. Later the principal amount was then increased to Rs. 231000 crores and the centre agreed to raise its share to 68%. However there is much debate on this. Another important development in 2011 was to further stretch the act and implement it till the preschool age range, hence the age ceiling would rise from 14 years now to 16 years and would cover till class 10. . However this is under talks.
On completion of one year a report was released by the Human Resource Development ministry, which did not reflect happy numbers. The report admits that 8.1 million children in the age group of 4 to 16 remained out of school; there is a shortage of over 508000 teachers’ country wide. And there were several key legal commitments that were falling out of schedule. The Supreme Court of India also intervened to see the just implementation of the Right to Education Act in the Northeast States.
The Right to education act has met with a lot of criticism such as being called a draft that was hastily prepared, there was not much consultation made on the quality of education, on excluding children under the 6 year age range. Many of the schemes have been compared to that of the Sarva Sikhsha Abhivan and DPEP of the 90’s which was criticized for being ineffective and corrupted. The Right to Education Act also seems to have left out the orphans, since during the time of admission a lot of documents are required, like that of birth certificate, BPL certificates and the orphans deprived of such documents are not eligible to apply.


Why Reading Week?
Pratham’s “Lakhon mein Ek” campaign launched on October 21, 2015 received unprecedented and widespread support from citizens and communities, enabling it to go well beyond the original target of 1 lakh villages. By January 11, 2016, “Lakhon mein Ek” had reached more than 150,000 villages and communities. Close to 350,000 volunteers had joined the campaign and interacted with about 1 crore (10 million) children. The participation of such large numbers of people in this exercise shows that there is tremendous scope for community action towards improving children’s learning. Individuals and institutions across India are still joining in.
The participation of such large numbers of people in this exercise shows that there is tremendous scope for community action towards improving children’s learning. Now it is time for further action!
Reading week sample worksheet
What is the Reading Week?
From January 17th to January 25th 2016, “Lakhon mein Ek” will catalyze “Reading Week” in 25,000 villages and communities to demonstrate simple activities that can be done by children, parents and neighbours to build children’s foundational skills. Children will form their own groups and get one set of activity sheets that encourage reading and problem solving every day. Parents and other villagers will get involved.


Embracing all STEM strands
It is the Young Scientist Committee’s desire that teachers and school departments provide opportunities for students to work on STEM projects that embrace skills from each of the Working Scientifically, Working Technologically and Working Mathematically strands. By embracing these foundational skills of our current technological age, students will be better equipped to think critically and solve problems. To encourage student involvement in applying the different processes of Working Scientifically, Technologically and Mathematically, the STANSW Young Scientist Awards offers 41 sponsored prizes that award achievement in both specific skills and in general skills that encompass all three strands. We also have specific Category Awards that are sponsored by the Professional Teaching Association that is responsible for that area of STEM.
The Science Teachers’ Association of New South Wales is the professional body sponsoring the STANSW Scientific Investigation Awards, the major category awards in the Working Scientifically category. STANSW is offering 24 secondary prizes in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Science and Physics and they are offering 18 primary awards. Visit the STANSW Scientific Investigation Awards page to get specific details about these awards.
The Benefits of Working Scientifically?
Active engagement in the processes of Working Scientifically increases a student’s appreciation and understanding of Science.
“Through applying the processes of Working Scientifically, students use scientific inquiry to develop their understanding of science ideas and concepts, as well as the importance of scientific evidence. They demonstrate honesty, ethical principles and respect for differing viewpoints on scientific issues. By engaging in scientific inquiry, students develop a deeper appreciation of the unique nature and development of science as an evolving body of knowledge, of the provisional nature of scientific explanations and of the complex relationship between evidence and ideas. Providing opportunities for students to continue to strengthen these scientific capabilities, helps them further develop as scientifically literate citizens.” Year 7-10 Rationale excerpt from Science K–10 (incorporating Science and Technology K–6) Syllabus
The Processes of Working Scientifically
The Working Scientifically processes in the Science K–10 (incorporating Science and Technology K–6) Syllabus are:
- questioning and predicting
- planning investigations
- conducting investigations
- processing and analysing data and information
These processes are at the centre of learning and teaching in Science. It is the level of coverage of these processes that determines the quality of an open-ended investigation submitted into the Working Scientifically category. For further guidance, visit the Primary Scientific Investigation page or the Secondary Scientific Investigation page where these processes are broken down and explained further.


Various assessments and international studies have shown that learners in South African schools experience challenges and perform poorly with respect to literacy and numeracy. To become competitive in the global arena, there is an urgent need to raise the standards of education. Language is required for all learning, including numeracy and mathematics. Many young learners in South Africa struggle to develop adequate language skills because of an inherent pathology and/or barriers in their learning environment. Learners who do not develop adequate listening and language skills during their early years are most likely to experience difficulty in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in poor academic progress. By supporting learners to overcome their developmental delays as early as in the foundation phase, future learning problems may be prevented. To raise education standards, teachers need to heighten their attempts to facilitate literacy and numeracy in the foundation phase. Teachers currently have to adapt to a new national curriculum statement (NCS) that is based on an outcomes-based education (OBE) approach (Department of Education, 1997:16). Many teachers, especially those in black townships and other previously disadvantaged areas, find this difficult as they have not been sufficiently trained or are not adequately qualified. Educational changes have necessitated the need for high quality staff development and support. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) working within a collaborative approach in the education context can support the learners who need to acquire listening and language skills, as well as the teachers who have to facilitate these skills. This study developed a support programme for foundation phase teachers to facilitate listening and language for numeracy. The multifaceted programme consisted of training, mentoring, and practical components, which aimed at developing the participants’ competence (foundational, practical, and reflective competence). The programme integrated the principles of adult learning within an OBE approach while taking culture and diversity into consideration. The programme was evaluated within a Logic Model framework. The research made use of a concurrent, equal status triangulation design where triangulation was obtained by transforming QUAL data into QUAN data to be compared. In the QUAN strand, data were collected from 96 teacher participants (who were selected by using a convenience sampling method) by means of questionnaires, portfolio assignments, attendance registers, and financial statements. Qualitative data were collected from eight focus group discussions (using a nested design with 12 participants at a time) as well as a research diary, testimonials, and various correspondences. The findings indicated that all the participants have gained knowledge, skills, and confidence, but to varying degrees. Factors that affected the outcomes included aspects related to time, the choice of venue, age, prior support and qualifications, as well as motivation related to the context. Group learning was identified as a suitable strategy for teacher support in these contexts. Provided that specific factors are considered to increase effectiveness, the outcomes indicated that the programme could be used to support foundation phase teachers in these specific contexts.


Agniya L’vovna Barto (Getel Leybovna Volova) was born into the family of a doctor in Moscow on February, 4th, 1906. The girl got her elementary education with private tutors at home, and then entered a grammar school, and also attended a choreographic school. This is when she started writing poems also.
Agniya Barto had her first verses published in 1925. Most of her poems were intended for children. The poetess believed that her writings would help to bring up honest, highly cultured, and patriotic citizens. Her next published books of poetry were “Brothers” (1928), and “Boy other way round” (1934). They were followed with “Toys” two years later, and then “Bullfinch” in 1939.
When the Great Patriotic War started, the poetess shifted to poems on military themes. After the end of the war Agniya traveled, including Bulgaria, England, and Japan. After publication of other poetry books, namely “First-grader” and “Cheerful verses” Agniya Barto wrote several film scripts, among them the famous The Foundling (1939) (co-authored with Rina Zelyonaya), and Looking for a Man (1973). Among Barto’s other works there are books Looking for a Man” and “Notes of a Children's Poet”.


This focus area is designed to apply the principles of behavioral, cognitive, and biological neuroscience to core problems in education related to cognition, socialization, learning, and/or teaching. Students will explore the anatomical and functional neurological mechanisms that contribute to cognition, language, and literacy development, as well as the relationships between neural activation patterns and children’s performance on cognitive, linguistic, communicative, and literacy tasks. This focus area is also designed to help students understand the neurophysiological, neurobiological, and environmental contributions to sensory disorders, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and motor disorders in children. Students will learn how to combine behavioral experimentation methods with neuroimaging methods (Near Infrared Spectroscopy, EEG, eye-tracking, and pupilometry) to examine processes involved in accessing, manipulating, storing, retrieving, and classifying information and associated changes in activation patterns across micro- and macro-brain structures during information processing tasks. New advances in translational research and research on the principles of neuroplasticity will lead to greater understanding of the best ways to promote brain changes through language, literacy, and STEM education. Research on educational neuroscience should lead to innovative perspectives on the integration of basic research and educational practices and to the development of sound education policies.


Examples of remedial in a Sentence
Officials have pledged remedial action to repair damaged bridges.
Thirty percent of the new students need remedial classes in math.
He's taking a course in remedial reading.
Recent Examples of remedial from the Web
This remedial understanding of my sexuality fails to understand bisexuality's fluidity and complexity.
Lozier said the percentage of U46 graduates taking remedial courses in public colleges and universities is above the state average of 49 percent.
Aisha Alhassan, minister of women’s affairs and social development, said Tuesday that the women will attend months of remedial studies.
After graduating from Bulkeley in 1992, Turner went on to the University of Hartford for her bachelor's degree in elementary education and later earned her master's in remedial reading and language arts from Central Connecticut State University.
And the share of graduates who enroll in remedial classes at two-year colleges has declined, from 58 percent in 2008 to 50 percent in 2015.
Some already have their GEDs, while others are working towards their high school equivalency or taking some remedial classes.
The ruling leaves 2016’s remedial congressional map in place — for now, anyway.
After receiving intensive medical attention, the young women will be enrolled in a remedial program that will prepare them to go back to school.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'remedial'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of remedial
REMEDIAL Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of remedial for English Language Learners
: done to correct or improve something : done to make something better
: done to cure or treat someone
: involving students who need special help to improve in a particular subject
REMEDIAL Defined for Kids
Definition of remedial for Students
: intended to make something better He takes classes in remedial reading.
Legal Definition of remedial
1a : intended as or providing a remedy b : concerned with the correction, removal, or abatement of an evil, defect, or disease remedial treatment of an inmate to improve behavior a workers' compensation claimant who received remedial attention from a doctor a remedial statute correcting the previous law
2 : of, relating to, or being a law enacted for the purpose of providing a method of enforcing an already existing substantive right : procedural
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up remedial? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


With so many needs in today’s public education classroom, we cannot forget the needs of those who excel in the classroom, too. Gifted students face severe neglect in class due to the appearance of their competence and maturity. However, we quickly face losing the contributions of a major group of students as this neglect causes them to lose interest in their own education. As teachers, we must challenge ourselves to help gifted students reach their potential just as we attempt to do for all subgroups of students. A poll of 22 gifted students confirms these frustrations and needs of students. They often find themselves singled out due to the stigma of a gifted label by not only peers but also teachers and other school staff. This stigma results in intense pressure, social isolation, and extra work for gifted children. Creating a classroom climate and curriculum suitable for gifted students will help all students succeed in school.
Shilvock, Krista M.
"The Plight of the Gifted Student: A Call to Action,"
Empowering Research for Educators: Vol. 1
, Article 7.
Available at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/ere/vol1/iss1/7
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Gifted Education Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons


RUSHING TO READ - A MISTAKE THAT CAN IMPACT YOUR CHILD'S FUTURE
I encourage every professional early childhood educator reading this blog to explore the truth about these programs and communicate the science behind it to the families whose children you influence. Take a moment to share this blog with the parents of children you care about and community leaders supporting high quality early childhood. Our voices need to be stronger than the "hype". Here's just one example:
Myth #1: Your Baby Can Read: Individuals more interested in making money than addressing rigorous scientific research (i.e., the same results in several studies and with several different populations), can easily create a report and use the catch phrase "research-based". That's exactly what the clever fellow who created this program has done. Clicking on the header in this paragraph takes you to a Today: Money interview where the truth is revealed.
In the world of education and reading, I always caution professionals to look for at least three independent studies that prove the validity of a program before even considering it. Not only is this program ineffective in teaching babies who do not have the mental connections to read but it can be harmful in later reading development.
My book for parents, Anytime Reading Readiness, addresses this important issue of the "rush to read"; earlier is not always better. Many other voices are speaking out to help families and early childhood educators understand this phenomenon including Literacy Connections, Educationworld, and The Learning Disabilities Association of Washington.
As always, I welcome comments for those who read this post and dialogue about understanding language and literacy development in young children.


- The World Bank Group (WBG) is a founding member of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) established in 2002 as the Education for All Fast Track Initiative.
- The partnership was created to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3 (achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women) as well as the Education For All goals agreed in Dakar in 2000.
- The WBG supports the partnership in general, as a Board Member, host of the GPE Secretariat, trustee and supervising entity for the vast majority of GPE grants.
WBG and GPE Collaboration
- The WBG’s Education Strategy 2020 is well-aligned with GPE’s strategy, including the importance of investing in early childhood education with a focus on learning for all children by ensuring sound education systems are in place.
- Early reading and numeracy skills are a particular focus of GPE. The WBG has significantly increased its support to early childhood development in the past decade and is helping countries set up sustainable early grade reading assessment systems.
- The WBG works with GPE and other partners in addressing the needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged children, particularly girls, ethnolinguistic minorities, children with disabilities, and children in fragile and conflict-affected states.
WBG Education Financing for the Poorest Countries
- The WBG is the largest external financier of education in developing countries, from pre-primary and primary education all the way to higher education. Since the Millennium Development Goals were launched in 2000, the WBG has invested over US$35 billion in education.
- Over the past decade, the WBG has provided US$10 billion in International Development Association (IDA) financing for basic education in the poorest nations. This includes US$3.7 billion to GPE countries, of which one-third has been linked to GPE grants.
- Over the past three years, the WBG has provided record high support to basic education through IDA, our fund for the poorest, for a total of over US$4 billion, and remains firmly committed to accelerating our progress towards Learning for All.
WBG as Supervising Entity for GPE Grants
- The WBG plays a key role supervising activities funded by GPE grants. This includes signing grant agreements with developing country partners, transferring the funds and monitoring the government's implementation of education programs.
- Since 2004, the WBG has helped prepare and supervise 88 GPE grants in 43 countries for a total of US$3.1 billion. This represents about 80% of all GPE grants.
- At the end of 2013, the WBG supervised GPE projects in 36 countries totaling US$1.7 billion, in addition to US$554 million in IDA co-financing and US$812 million in parallel financing, including trust funds from other donors.
Innovation in Education
- The WBG has helped introduce a number of new and innovative education initiatives to GPE countries, including:
- Results-based programs where project disbursement is linked to specific indicators, such as improvement in basic literacy and numeracy in primary schools in Uganda, Senegal, Gambia, Cameroon, and Pakistan.
- Community-run school canteens to improve school attendance in Benin and Madagascar.
- Donkey carts to transport young students living more than 3 kilometers away from school in Gambia.
- Cash transfer programs for Koranic schools achieving proficiency in literacy and numeracy in Gambia and Senegal.
- Improving quality of learning and teaching through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Ethiopia and Gambia.
Working together, support from GPE and the WBG has improved education outcomes around the globe. Some results:
- Ethiopia: Increased the percentage of qualified teachers with diploma or degree from 4% to 30% (grades 1-4) and 53% to 91% (grades 5-8) between 2007-2012.
- Nepal: The net enrollment rate for basic education increased from 73% to 98.5% between 2008-2013. Similarly, the completion rate for basic education has reached 99.8%. Nepal has also achieved gender parity in net enrollment for basic and secondary education.
- Moldova: Increased access to quality early childhood education from 66% in 2004 to 77% in 2011, while the number of kindergartens increased from five-fold.
- Sierra Leone: In a post-conflict study, increased the number of primary schools by 38% and the number of junior secondary and secondary schools by almost 300% between 2002-2012.


What are the four main types of writing in the old testament?
Four Main Types of Writing Expository
The Standards call for students to develop skills in three main types of writing: narrative, informational/explanatory, and argument. The more kids read and write, the stronger their writing will become. Present writing to your child as something creative and fun. Write stories, plays or songs together. You can even create how-to guides for something you both enjoy doing.
Learning Power Academics - How-To: 4 Main Types of Writing Course
What are the different types of writing? When we are in school, we are always asked to write papers, researches, reports, and many others. This is basically done to ensure that we are going to be ready to be in the corporate world. You see, knowing how to speak doesn’t just make the cut. We have to learn how to properly and formally write these things. This is why we are taught the different types of writing. There are four main types of writing. These four types are narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository.
There are five main types of writing: expository, descriptive, narrative persuasive and creative. There are many other subtypes that fall under these titles but it's easiest to start here.By now, all of you should know that Common Core-ELA is not just for English teachers; all teachers need to integrate writing into their classrooms: especially the sciences! We’re in luck though, because in science we commonly use two main types of writing that align well with Common Core-ELA: informational and argumentative. So how do I make sure my students are actually using Common Core writing strategies? We target at the common areas of weakness in Hong Kong business writing. Our course contains a thorough description of all the main types of writing used in business. This clearly written, systematic advice, along with numerous task practice exercises, language exercises, and plentiful examples.
The lower levels of the Writing Strands series teach four types of foundational skills—basic, organizational, descriptive, and creative—which must be mastered before a student can learn the more advanced skills taught in the upper levels. The upper levels build on the foundational skills and teach students how to compose the four main types of writing: creative, research and report, argumentative, and explanatory. If students complete the Writing Strandsseries with competence, they will be prepared to write all types of papers assigned at a university level.There are five main types of writing assessment task used in the Law School. Essays, research essays, thesis essays, cases notes and court reports. Individual courses may have additional formats.


This week I am sharing a simple math game you can make and play with your preschoolers! I first learned about math grid games in the Sally Moomaw book More Than Counting. Math Grid Games with Stickers is an awesome way to teach preschoolers basic math skills including counting & one-to-one correspondence. It’s perfect to make for preschoolers because it can be customized to the interests of the child(ren) and it is a quick game that gets in a lot of learning in a short amount of time!
To make your own grid game you’ll need:
- Print two 9-Grids
- Colored cardstock
- scissors or paper-cutter
- small gems or other game board markers
To make the 9-grid board, I printed off two grid pages and trimmed them down to size. Then I attached it to some colored cardstock, added the stickers I chose and laminated them for added durability.
Caden is super into Transformers right now so I ordered some stickers and made a 9-grid game board. We used blue glass gems to represent the Transformers energon and roll the die to “help the Transformers get their power”. Caden loved this game and was very interested in playing and counting!
I also had some Cars stickers, so I made another 9-grid game set with those too! But instead of using glass gems, we used plastic nuts from Caden’s tools set. The idea behind this game is to “fix the wheels on all the cars”. Adding a story to math games gives preschoolers a sense of purpose and makes learning more interesting.
Another way to make math grid games is with felt, like I did for the Pumpkin Grid Math Game!
And now it’s time for the STEM Saturday Blog Hop & Linky!
Why Don’t Water and Oil Mix? | Colorful Bombs from The Science Kiddo
Water Sensory Science for Kids from Little Bins for Little Hands
© 2014 – 2017, Stir The Wonder. All rights reserved.


10 Toys And Household Items To Help Develop Fine Motor Skills
This is Part Two of a series of posts that will concentrate on the inherent benefits of play for children with special needs. In this post we focus on how toys and the experience of play help with physical development and the growth of fine motor skills. Part One of the series was related to gross motor skills and toys that could help with the development of Gross Motor Skills.
For the average person the concept of play is considered helpful in assisting a child to grow, learn, develop and thrive. What many don’t know is that play is extremely helpful when it comes to physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
The Importance Of Physical Development
With every age and stage children learn and master new motor skills. Fine motor skills involve small muscle planning within the hand and require eye coordination in order to manipulate objects. These skills are used every day to live and play. Fine motor skills provide children with the abilities they need to explore and interact with the world around them and develop the independence needed to perform daily activities.
Fine Motor Skill Development
Fine motor skills, as with gross motor skills, develop through practice. The best way to practice is through play- coloring a picture or playing with play dough for example. When the motions are repeated enough, muscle memory is created and the movements become automatic.
Fine motor movements are the actions performed with the small muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists. Eye-hand coordination is promoted when a child colors a picture or writes her name with a pencil. Repeating this activity will help a child refine her fine motor movements and become more precise.
With the assistance and supervision of a caregiver, a child can play with a plethora of household items in addition to or instead of toys to fine tune small muscle movements.
Three Household Play Ideas for Fine Motor Skill Development
Give your child Cheerios to pick up off of the kitchen table or highchair tray to eat or place into a bowl. For a little extra help, place the Cheerios on a cookie sheet or high chair tray that has raised edges.
Play with magnets on the refrigerator. Using tape, create a square on the refrigerator and have the child move the magnets inside the square.
3. Rip Scrap Paper
Let your child rip scrap paper into pieces and count how many pieces they created.
Seven Toy Ideas For Fine Motor Skill Development
It’s time to get cookin’! Fine motor skills are used as children grab, hold and place the individual food items on the grill and serve the food to their guests during imaginary play.
This product is going to get all 5 of the senses working! Children must use their breath control to make music. Playing the keyboard can improve fine motor skills and increase coordination, specifically eye-hand coordination.
Great for bath time fun! The size of the accessories makes them easy for little hands to hold with a whole hand grasp or more refined pincer grasp to hone in on fine motor skills.
Approx. Price: $25
This cloth box is a great tool for little hands to reach and also promotes small and large muscle movements. The box comes with 8 small objects, but adding in bigger and smaller objects with the help of a caregiver can challenge a child to use whole hand grasp or pincer grasp depending on the size of the object in the box.
Grasping and releasing is worked on while using eye-hand coordination when a child picks up and stacks a Wee Wedgit during play. Wee Wedgits are soft and can be manipulated to stack many ways for lots of fun!
Price: $14.99-59.99 (depending on # of pieces)
Pattern Smart is a fast-paced pattern-recognition game that develops familiarity with patterns and shapes naturally. Children use their eye-hand coordination to match the tiles to the pattern pictures. Isolated finger movements and pincer grasp can be promoted during play while moving tiles to create patterns.
A new twist to stick-on tattoos! Place self-adhesive stencils on your skin, then brush on glue dab on some glitter to create your sparkly tattoo. Peeling the stencils will assist with strengthening the small muscles in the hands and refine eye-hand coordination.
The Importance of Play
Children have opportunities for fine motor growth while brushing teeth, tying shoes, using a pencil or cutting with a child-friendly scissors. Each child develops his fine motor skills at different ages and stages, but promoting play can assist the child to grow, learn, develop and thrive while mastering the milestones of physical development.
“Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength” as stated in the American Academy of Pediatricians report, The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds.
Image Credit: ntr2


When making purchasing decisions about toys and games for autistic children, it is good to keep in mind some key behaviors of autistic children that might make certain toys suitable or unsuitable. These behaviors include
- Repetitive behavior, such as flapping her hands, making the same sounds repeatedly, rolling her head, or rocking her body
- Compulsively arranging things in specific ways
- Doing the same things over and over and not wanting to change these behaviors when prompted. This can take the form of ritualistic behavior.
- Behavior that is very narrow in scope or interest.
- Prone to outbursts that may be violent
The autistic child in your life won’t manifest all these behaviors but will often manifest one or more of them. I elaborate more about each one below:
Children with autism often repeat the same type of action over and over, such as flapping their arms or making certain sounds. Some of these behaviors, such as making an unnatural sound over and over, will be obvious to notice, but others may be less obvious if you don’t pay close attention. As the autistic child in your life grows older, he or she may start to recognize some of these repetitive behaviors as unacceptable or outside the norm, at which point they may be replaced with more “socially acceptable” behaviors. You might want to be wary of buying toys and games that encourage or help continue undesirable repetitive behaviors. At the very least, you should be aware about whether such repetitive behavior with the toy may cause harm to the child or his or her playmates.
Compulsively Arranging Things in Certain Ways
Autistic children may show behavior that resembles obsessive compulsive disorder in terms of washing their hands repeatedly or arranging or counting objects over and over again in a specific way. Such behavior in moderation may promote intellectual and motor skill development. However if the behavior is repeated to an unhealthy degree you might want to replace the toys (e.g., toy blocks) with other types of toys.
Doing the Same Things Over and Over
Children with autism often want to watch the same shows or play the same games over and over. As mentioned before, this type of behavior can be detrimental when taken to excess so you should keep a close eye on such behavior when deciding what type of toys or games to give them.
Behavior that is very narrow in scope or interest
Tied to some of the other characteristics mentioned before, the key is to encourage their interests but not to let them be consumed by them so they develop other important skills as well.
Prone to outbursts that may be violent
Some autistics may be prone to tantrums and violent outbursts. They key is to not let them have toys that might be easily used to hurt others, such as nerf guns or very hard objects.


Doctoral in Elementary Education
Introduction to Elementary Education
The field of Elementary Education focuses on the education and development of young children between the ages of five and ten. The initial years of schooling are the most critical for developing a child’s learning abilities and increased public awareness about this fact has led to a tremendous amount of growth in this field. Elementary education helps kick-start the learning and developmental process and enables children to develop the intellectual and social abilities that are vital for success in life. Elementary education is also vital in discovering learning difficulties, and treating them in a timely manner.
How do I get a Doctoral of Elementary Education?
In order to enroll in a doctoral degree of elementary education, you need to hold a Master’s degree in this field with a total of eighteen years of education under your belt. In some cases, your work experience may also be counted towards the admission requirements. Doctoral programs last between two to four years, and students can choose an online or on-campus setting for this duration. Students are required to select a ‘research topic’ and conduct a detailed study on it. The findings are then presented to selected supervisors and professors across the country in the form of a thesis. Once the thesis is approved, you can obtain your PhD in Elementary Education.
What are the career prospects like in elementary education?
A doctoral degree of elementary education offers excellent career prospects at public and private schools, special education centers, research organizations, international agencies and state or federal education bodies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified the Elementary Education field as one of the fastest growing in the country, at an average of 18% annually. Starting salaries for doctors of elementary education are close to $90,000 per year with no upper limit.


|Intelligence and Learning|
Who are the Best Teachers ?
The inevitable plot in the stories of great creators and great discoveries is the struggle of a smart person to transcend poor role models, bad teaching and sustained oppression to discover a novel and better way of thinking or of doing things. The majority of children, however, do not escape the limitations of their schools.
The best teachers take their students from the classroom into nature and into the community to have direct experiences of things as they actually are. You can plan a field trip in the classroom and return to assess the results, but the experience out there in the real world is all important. I advocate teachers with real life skills and experience who are generous, gregarious and good natured. People who want to share their knowledge and wisdom. They need a little training in pedagogical technique and class management.
Teacher training has critics. For example, in the US, the director of teacher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Katherine Merseth, stated that only about 100 of the nation’s 1,300 graduate teacher training programs were doing a competent job. The 2009 Obama administration shifted from using master’s degrees in education for pay raises, toward rewarding teachers based on children’s performance. The problem with performance measurement is the grades on exams are used, often exclusively. Grades on exams can be a stifling measure that does not evaluate the development of a whole person with social and adaptive skills and an ability to create new knowledge rather than repeating old ( and often obsolete) knowledge.
A professor of education, Martin Kozloff, wrote:" A master’s degree in most subfields in education, especially reading — or what they like to call “literacy” — early childhood education, teaching and elementary education adds little to student teachers’ knowledge or practical skills. Indeed, a master’s degree in most education subfields further stamps in the “progressive,” “child-centered,” “constructivist,” “developmentally appropriate,” postmodernist, pseudo-liberationist baloney that infects the undergraduate curriculum, and which leaves graduating education students unprepared to provide their own students with coherent, logically sequenced instruction…And if you ask graduating master’s students who have managed to escape indoctrination (because they are fortunately endowed with a wide streak of skepticism), they will tell you that they learned nothing new."
Teacher, Arnie Gundersen wrote:" I was voted as “Teacher of the Year” at the High School I teach at, and I have never taken an Education course. I have a Master’s degree in Engineering. After 20 years in industry, I became a Math and Physics teacher through the alternate route to certification here in Vermont. After teaching for 15 years, I concluded that an Education degree for teachers and especially for administrators is a detriment to the education of students, not an asset. How much better to bring real life experience to the classroom than the rote prescriptions taught in the Education classes. In my opinion, rather than spend summers pursuing a Masters of Education degree (and the salary increase that goes with it), teachers should be given comparable credits for spending the summer interning for an NGO or a business."
Another teacher, Norina Sfeir, with real life experience wrote:" After an Ivy League education and a 20+ year career in business. When I was applying for teaching jobs, I could barely get an interview. This means that almost all schools would rather have a student right out of college with a teaching major and no real world experience than someone who has 20+ years of working in the real world. The education courses I was required to take were set up to be non-rigorous. They did not begin to compare to the effort required of my undergraduate (Wellesley) or graduate degrees (Columbia). I am in my 4th year as a teacher. In the very first week of teaching, I proposed throwing out the traditional business program being taught and was given the privilege of creating an entirely new program. I essentially teach high school students the core courses of an Ivy League MBA. "