Emojis . . . avatars . . . icons . . . Our world is becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. Yet our classrooms still heavily focus on traditional oral and written instruction.
In this webinar, Dr. Susan Daniels, author of Visual Learning and Teaching
, explores creative and practical strategies that enable educators to work with the foundational skills of visual learning in the classroom. Attendees build a “visual toolbox” for use in visual learning and teaching. Based on the visual triad model, Dr. Daniels:
Looks at how we can use the images we see, imagine, and depict while teaching and learning visually
Examines research based on dual-coding theory, which illustrates how students learn best and have greater retention when working both visually and verbally
Explores instructional strategies that are part of a “visual toolbox” teachers can use in K–8 classrooms


Foster a passion about the natural and social world
Become creative thinkers and problem-solvers
Develop a moral sense
Show respect and responsibility
Develop communication skills
Develop group effectiveness skills
Understand time management
Utilize technology safely and effectively
Our elementary education program is self-paced and cooperative. It balances the child’s developing imagination and power of abstraction with concrete, hands-on work. The children work together on individual and small group interests. They research, plan, complete and then present projects to others.
We support the elementary students’ natural interest in society with research projects and group readings. This structure facilitates both independent study and group work.
We also provide additional enrichment classes in art, music, physical education, technology, and foreign languages. Technology tools being utilized on a daily/weekly basis includes iPads, Computer lab (Typing, Word Processing, Mouse Skills, and more!), Lego Simple Machines. In the upcoming school year, we plan to add Lego WEDO Robotics.
The schedule is designed with large blocks of uninterrupted time to facilitate the interdisciplinary connections of knowledge. The elementary classroom reflects the child’s work to order their world with reason. We foster an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the classroom, which lets the children’s natural creativity flourish. Beyond the classroom, we regularly have visits to the library and computer lab and schedule several field trips each year.
The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.


Our early literacy program is for families of learners birth to four. We are dedicated to building the brains of our littlest learners. We are also dedicated to coaching families with learning and play strategies. Families are a child's first and most important teacher. During playgroups families can learn strategies to teach vocabulary through play, how to lengthen sentences, and why talking is so important to your child literacy development.
Did you know...
80% of a the brain is developed between 0-3; 90% is developed by 5.
The achievement gap can start in the todder years. There is a 32 million word gap between professional families and families that live check to check. We can combat these 32 million words by talking, reading, and using new vocabulary during play.
For information or a consultation contact Rachelle "The Book Ninja" Elliott at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Check out our article in the Beloit Daily news: LINK


Art in Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a year for exploring the fundamentals of art and reinforcing the joy of creating. They are introduced to a variety of art tools and media.
- Understand the elements of art and principles of design to build foundational skills.
- Build the kinesthetic skills toward introductory cutting, pasting, folding, and accurately tearing paper for the correct placement of objects.
- Practice basic painting skills.
- Experience basic clay skills including forming clay into shapes, modeling, and ceramic painting.
- Understand color families.
- Understand the fundamentals of tints and shades.
- Practice basic drawing skills.
- Understand art genres of landscape, still life, portrait, and non-objective.


Energy is a great subject in science. It covers so many things and I have many other aspects that I hope to share with you soon but one thing that explains energy so well is a simple rubber band; it can demonstrate elasticity, kinetic energy and potential energy and it great to use in some really cool experiments. Here are just a few short facts on the topic.
What is Elasticity?
Elasticity is the ability of an object to return to its original size and shape after it has been stretched or squeezed.
When we pull an elastic object we are applying a force on it called a stress. If we apply too much stress to an object it will eventually reach a limit called its elastic limit.
When an object is pulled beyond its elastic limit is cannot return to its original shape.
All objects will eventually lose their elasticity due to wear and tear, friction and stress.
Potential and Kinetic Energy
Potential energy is energy stored within something. Kinetic energy is energy in motion.
If we take the example of stretching a rubber band…
When we use force to stretch an elastic object, such as an elastic band we are filling it with potential energy. When we let go of the rubber band and it springs back to its original shape, the energy released is Kinetic Energy.
Did you know… kangaroos and other animals use the combination of potential and kinetic energy to save energy while jumping and springing?
Rubber is a material that has very good elasticity. It is a polymer, made up of a long chain of repeating molecules, that can be easily stretched and bent.
Rubber exists in both a natural and synthetic form; the natural form is latex from the sap of rubber trees.
A bit of history
The ancient Aztec and Mayan civilisations are thought to have been the first to discover and use this natural rubber. They used it to make balls for sport and rubber shoes, although the quality of this rubber was sensitive to heat and cold.
Columbus is credited with bringing rubber to Europe.
In 1839 Charles Goodyear discovered that he could stabilise rubber by mixing it with sulphur at high pressure; he called this process vulcanisation.
When Goodyear died in 1860 he was completely impoverished due to constant legal costs regarding his rubber patents.
Did you know… the largest rubber band ball ever made weighed 4,097kg and was made using 700,000 rubber bands?
An experiment to try
Want to try an experiment that combines rubber, elasticity and kinetic and potential energy? Why not make a catapult? Or use elasticity to launch a paper plane. You’ll find out how, and a lot more of the science behind these experiments in this post!
A new venture
This article originally appeared in Science Spin magazine. Although the magazine is no longer in print I am delighted to be sharing some science facts and experiments in a new venture… you’ll find my new SCIENCE FOR KIDS page in each edition of Easy Parenting Magazine. I share one of our favourite experiments in the April/May edition, currently in shops. Take a look…


Handbook of Family Literacy
by Barbara H. Wasik
The Handbook of Family Literacy, 2e, provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of family literacy of any available book. It documents the need for literacy education for children and parents, describes early literacy and math development within the home, analyses interventions in home and center settings, and examines the issues faced by fathers and women with low literacy skills. Cultural issues are examined especially those for Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, and migrant populations. Noted experts throughout the United States, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa analyze the commonalities and differences of family literacy across cultures and families. Key features include the following.Comprehensive Ð Provides updated information on the relation between early childhood literacy development, parenting education, and intervention services. Research Focus Ð Provides an extensive review of experimental studies, including national reviews and meta-analyses on family literacy. Practice Focus Ð Provides a comprehensive treatment of family literacy interventions necessary for program developers, policy makers, and researchers. Diversity Focus Ð Provides detailed information on cultural and diversity issues for guiding interventions, policy, and research.International Focus Ð Provides an international perspective on family literacy services that informs program developers, researchers, and policy makers across countries. Evaluation Focus Ð Provides detailed guidelines for ensuring program quality and fidelity and a valuable new evaluation perspective based on implementation science. This book is essential reading for anyone Ð researchers, program developers, students, practitioners, and policy makers Ð who needs to be knowledgeable about intervention issues, family needs, program developments, and research outcomes in family literacy.
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What’s the best way to support the language and early literacy development of very young children? There’s a well-established and growing base of evidence for the power of adult-child conversations with words.
A new, interactive learning tool from Read On Arizona — Smart Talk — is now available to help reinforce this message with parents and caregivers and model simple ways to make loving, back-and-forth conversation with babies and toddlers part of their everyday routines. Incorporating video and interactive elements, the Smart Talk learning tool is intended for families with children birth to age 3 as well as early childhood professionals who work with them.
A Spanish-language version is coming soon. Other Smart Talk materials and videos are currently available in both English and Spanish.
Read On Arizona
First Things First is a founding partner of Read On Arizona, our state’s early literacy initiative. Launched in 2013, it’s a unique collaboration of the key agencies, philanthropic partners and community stakeholders working on early literacy in Arizona. Partners in Read On Arizona take a collective impact approach to improving language and literacy outcomes for Arizona’s children from birth to age 8, with strategic focus on school readiness and third-grade reading proficiency.
“Family engagement is a key to improving early literacy in Arizona,” said Terri Clark, Arizona Literacy Director who leads Read On Arizona. “The Smart Talk interactive learning tool is another way we’re supporting families with young children with information and resources to help their child develop the foundational language skills they need to become a thriving reader.”
The Smart Talk interactive learning tool is the result of a partnership with Arizona State University’s Center for Child Well-Being. The goal was to develop a short, online instruction module that is interactive, focused on the learning experience, and accessible to all, regardless of educational level, cultural background or learning style.
“Language and early literacy development starts from birth,” said Dr. Judy Krysik, director of the ASU Center for Child Well-Being. “We’re proud to partner with Read On Arizona and First Things First in developing this online learning module for parents and caregivers and contribute to the success of all Arizona children. Smart Talk is simple to do, it’s fun, and it’s free.”
What is Smart Talk?
More than the quantity of words a child hears, it’s quality talk that matters most. Even before children can use words themselves, engaging babies and toddlers in back-and-forth, responsive interactions helps them develop vocabulary and language skills that are strong predictors of later reading and school success. And more than just supporting early literacy development, engaging young children in loving conversation supports their social-emotional development, too.
Smart Talk highlights five simple ways to have responsive conversations with babies and toddlers:
Talk about what you are doing — changing diapers, feeding, getting dressed — and where you are or what you see.
Ask open-ended questions — who, what, where, when, why — even if your child can’t respond with words.
Listen and respond to your child. Emphasize the back and forth in everyday activities by reacting to what your child does or says, even if that means imitating babble.
Reading books and telling stories are simple ways to introduce new and unusual words and build vocabulary.
Repeat words and short, simple sentences over and over. Echo what your child says and shows interest in.


“Students need an authentic audience.” You’ve heard this statement before. Given the vast array of opportunities, you would think that this is easy. But any number of bells are ringing in your head and you recognize it’s not that simple. Consider questions like “who will be the target audience – parents, peers, people across the country or around the world? What are the goals that you are trying to address? Are there questions of security that need to be considered? How are you going to ensure that you can manage it?
There is great educational value in using online platforms in school – wider authentic audiences, engagement and personalization, and a chance to practice digital citizenship are among them. More importantly, the literacy development is within a coordinated, adult supervised environment (another plus). A student reflected on the difference, “when I hand in work to a teacher, it’s ok work; when I share with the world, it’s great work”. Interesting to hear the viewpoint. Students get it – they’re used to ‘mashups’ and sharing and openness. They’ve figured out that writing for audience forces them to clarify thinking (you know it’s easier to win an argument in your head, not so simple with people). They’re not afraid to write and rewrite because the web allows for quick edits. They’ve also figured out that they can think in public to use the feedback to change the way they think or build on their thinking. It sounds very much like learning doesn’t it? Perhaps this poster by Krissie Venosdale says it all.
Our sd41 blogs were developed for the expressed purposes of all of the above. They offer opportunity for students and teachers and administrators to be in collaborative environments sharing their ideas and deepening conversation. They can easily bring people together from different places, different walks of life. They engage almost all of the senses (ok…I haven’t figured a way to offer the sense of smell yet). The availability of multi-way dialogue gives you many ways to approach the ‘teachable moment’. Some of our teachers have used it for extending literature circles, current events debates, extending story writing (gathering comments and revising plot), creating positive digital footprint, changing school processes, communicating with scientists and engineers, inviting parents to the community of learning. The list goes on and on and only serves to remind us that teachers are creative in their endeavours to invite the world into their classrooms.
How are you providing an authentic audience for your students or staff? Would love to hear your journey or questions.


Elementary Program (grades 3-6)
As students move through our elementary program, there is a growing emphasis on developing their executive functioning skills of organization and time management. Students begin to blossom into confident, independent learners, advocating for themselves and taking responsibility for their choices. Elementary students participate in Pathway’s 1:1 laptop program and learn to integrate technology in a variety of ways. A focus on character development and social skills remains a constant in our program. Students attend monthly Chapel and monthly one-to-one mentoring with a staff member.
Language arts classes have an instructional assistant during instruction, allowing teachers to address learning needs in small groups or individually.
Math classes are smaller and students are grouped based on their instructional level. This ensures that foundational skills are acquired and those proficient in these skills can move on to higher levels of learning. These small groups allow for more individualized attention and targeted instruction and intervention.
History, Bible, social skills, and technology are taught by the classroom teacher, differentiating assignments as needed and allowing technology to be integrated throughout all content areas. Social skills classes use research-based curriculum and include many opportunities for role-playing.
Science is taught by a specialized teacher 2 days a week and focuses on hands-on learning. All students in grades 3-8 attend Outdoor Science Camp.
Art and Music/Drama instruction is provided to all students by a specialized teacher one day each week.
Physical Education is taught by a specialized teacher four days each week with a focus on coordination, balance, and skills.


Education for the disabled- a topic which still requires our attention towards it. With development in the form of globalization and industrialization taking place all around the world, do we think often about this group of children who have a tough time in getting education due to their physical condition?
In the post-independence period, India has witnessed phenomenal changes in the area of education; but the same does not hold for education for the disabled. It does not means that nothing has been done for the benefit of this group, but it takes a lot of work to execute those plans. Factors like lack of qualified teachers and sheltered environment adds to this. To overcome all these problems, the government introduced the integrated education for disabled children (IEDC) in 1974.
Children with disabilities constitute one of the largest groups that are still outside the fold of the general education system. The 93rd amendment of the constitution of India has made education in the 6-14 years age group mandatory for all children to be brought under the fold of education. This includes children with disability. Under the existing IEDC Scheme it has not been possible to cover all disabled children primarily because implementation has been based on receipt of viable proposals from the implementing agencies.
No conscious effort has been made to target all disabled children. As Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) supports inclusion of children with special needs at the early childhood education and elementary education level, it is desirable to introduce a scheme for the disabled children at secondary stage. The scheme for IEDSS (Inclusive Education of the Disabled at the secondary stage) is therefore envisaged to enable all children and young persons with disabilities to have access to secondary education and to improve theirÂ enrollment, retention and achievement in the general education system. Under the scheme every school is proposed to be made disabled-friendly. There are many schemes and programmes launched by the government regarding education for the disabled. For instance programmes like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan also has a provision of Rs. 1200 to be spent on children with disabilities identified with the district.
Leaving aside these legal rights and schemes, although inclusive education is introduced in India, let us face the reality now. Merely launching such schemes and programmes are not enough for the development of these deprived children. In reality, what we see in today’s society is in stark contrast to these programmes and acts. Most of the schools and colleges still do not have the best facilities to incorporate these children in their classes.
As they have different needs and these needs require special attention, it becomes all the more important for the schools to pay attention in fulfilling them, which they fail to do. For instance, having a blind student in a class of normal children is a different challenge altogether. But these schools must adapt themselves to serve themselves for the best of the disabled children who should be able to enjoy the fundamental right to education and equality. They should be able to give all the facilities which the children with special needs require. Even where we have laws, we do not have clear implementation. According to one study, Indians spend Rs 72,000 crore per annum in caring for their disabled family members.
The government bears only a fraction of this cost! The most fearful part is that by the time these laws are implemented to the fullest, it might be too late for these excluded people who are struggling in every field; be it education or employment. We should pay special focus on the fact that there are 70 million disabled in India, out of which only a shocking 2% are educated! Shocking indeed, isn’t it? Let us think about it!


With the revival of interest in integrative learning approaches in some parts of the world, initiatives in integrating music learning with other art forms or non-arts disciplines are gaining increased attention in Hong Kong schools, whether primary or secondary. The initiatives may be that of the schools (top down), that of the teachers (bottom up), or that of other arts/non-arts organizations (outside-in). Terminology including integrated arts learning, arts education, arts across the curriculum, and cross curriculum arts education may be used to denote these initiatives and all may incorporate elements of music learning. How much value this has to music learning is of interests to music educators. This paper reports on the case studies involving two primary schools which hold different principles in education. In the two school cases, classes which were designed with integrative learning incorporating music, other art form and / or non art subjects were observed to see how arts education across the curriculum has been implemented by music teachers. A questionnaire was administered to all students after they have participated in these classes to retrieve collective quantitative data to see the impact of integrative learning on students. Teachers involved were interviewed to reveal their perspectives regarding pedagogy and values they hold in these initiatives. Copyright © 2007 Australian Association for Research in Music Education.
|Title of host publication||Proceedings of the 29th Australian Association for Research in Music Education Annual Conference: Music Education Research, Values and Initiatives|
|Place of Publication||Melbourne|
|Publisher||Australian Association for Research in Music Education|
|Publication status||Published - 2007|


Elementary students in the Abilene Independent School District are taught by elementary music specialists, many of whom are trained in the Kodály methodology. This approach to music education includes a sequential organization of concepts and skills to be developed through hearing, singing, deriving, writing, reading and creating music. The Kodály method of music education, further explained below, is used in schools around the world.
Students in AISD elementary music classes build a repertoire of songs, rhymes, singing games and dances from a variety of cultures. Goals of the music curriculum include understanding musical concepts and achieving mastery of musical skills. Students perform, analyze and listen to great art music. They create, improvise and compose original compositions.
In addition to classroom instruction, several enrichment opportunities are provided. Third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students in AISD experience music outside the classroom by attending performances of the Abilene Philharmonic. Fourth-grade students attend the Abilene Ballet Theatre performance of The Nutcracker each November. AISD is also a strong supporter of the Young Audiences program, sponsoring professional performances for all grade levels in each of the elementary schools.
The Kodály approach to music education is based on the educational philosophy of the Hungarian composer and music educator, Zoltán Kodály. The sequencing of concepts is structured to follow child-developmental patterns, beginning with the simplest two- and three-note tunes and simple rhythms of early childhood and adding to them only as the child’s readiness is demonstrated. Musical skills develop during singing and in the performance of singing games connected with movement.
The principle objectives of the Kodály approach are:
- To develop the innate musicality of each and every child
- To lead children to become musically literate in the fullest sense of the term
- To make children independent music makers
- To develop a love and appreciation for folk songs and music of the master composers
“Teach music and singing at school in such a way that it is not a torture, but a joy for the pupil; instill a thirst for finer music in him, a thirst which will last for a lifetime…Often a single experience will open the young soul to music for a whole lifetime. This experience cannot be left to chance; it is the duty of the school to provide it.” (Zoltán Kodály)


Information for Parents
WHAT is Aistear? Aistear is a curriculum framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland. It gives information to help plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences so that all children can grow and develop as competent and confident learners.
HOW does Aistear work? The Aistear framework is based on 12 broad principles – many of which are similar to the aims and objectives of the primary school curriculum.
Teachers will deliver the curriculum in an integrated / thematic way. Teachers will prioritise play in the classroom and school environment.
Below is a summary of the information given to parents on the ncca website –
WHY play? Play is often described as children’s ‘work’. Playing helps your child to
- Build relationships – by playing with others, sharing and taking turns; solving problems and negotiating etc.
- Be creative – when he/she has to create an outfit from old clothes, build a house out of junk material etc.
- Read and write – when he/she reads or retells a story
- Learn about numbers – when he/she pays for things in a pretend shop etc
- Think – when a plan has to be made, for example – deciding what materials to use to build a den.
- Use language – to explain the rules of the game, playing a role in pretend play etc.
- Use small and large muscles – when he/she builds with Lego, cuts with scissors, draws or writes etc.
- HOW can you help? You can help your child in a number of ways
- Give your child time to play every day
- Provide things for your child to play with – old boxes, clothes and household items are often more fun than bought toys and equipment.
- Join in the play.
- Make space for play
- When chatting, ask what your child was playing with that day. Show that you value play – whether it’s at home or in school.
- Let your child’s teacher know about the games, activities, books that your child enjoys


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Published byTrinity Klein
Modified over 6 years ago
The 7 Habits of Good Readers
Monitoring for Meaning Wait Im confused… Did I understand what I just read?
Questioning We dont necessarily find the right answer right away.
Determining Importance Is this information important?
Making Inferences The author doesnt say __________, but I know __________ because _______.
Creating Mental Images These words create a picture in my mind.
Activating Schema Making connections –Text-to-Self How the text relates to us –Text-to-Text How the text relates to another text –Text-to-World How the text relates to the world we live in
Synthesizing Juggle all of the habits –Link this information with that information in order to see the whole picture
________________________________ (Title of Story) _____________________________ (Author of Story) _______________________ (Names) __________ (Class Period)
Short Answer Response Practice Examples.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
I read it, but I don’t get it! Mary Wendland M. Ed, Reading.
Thinking and Choices in the Art Studio Art Educators have unique opportunities to enhance student thinking and problem solving.
The Magnificent Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies Richard Staton
7 Chapter 14 Narrative Reading. Comprehension 3 Elements of Comprehension: The Reader.
Reading Comprehension STRATEGIES Developed by Ivan Seneviratne.
Thinking About How You Read
READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
Interactive Read Alouds Modeling Comprehension Strategies.
Mrs. Maxwell. What does it mean to be proficient? Definition: Having or showing knowledge, skill and aptitude; well advanced or competent. (dictionary.com)
Seven Keys to Comprehension How to help kids READ and GET IT! Monroe County Schools August 2011.
LITERACY SUCCESS 11 Part B A PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNITIATIVE It is recommended that you view the Literacy Success 10 PowerPoint before viewing.
ACE STRATEGY Use this strategy when you answer any open-ended questions that go along with a text that you have read.
Literacy Strategies There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” ― Frank SerafiniFrank.
7 HABITS OF EFFECTIVE READERS RWWS | Mr. Smith. Journal: Reading What do you do when you read? Do you do anything special to think about what you’ve.
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An inquiry into the impact that early years education has on children’s life chances has been set up by the parliamentary education committee.
The inquiry will look at the effect early years education and social policy has on children later in life, and will examine current government policy in those areas.
As well as focusing on early years educational settings, it will look at the prevention and early intervention support available to families, the importance of communication skills and language development and consider health services and welfare services.
Launching the inquiry, Robert Halfon, the chair of the education committee, said high quality early years education can “have a major impact in helping even the most disadvantaged children to compete with their better-off peers”, but warned of a “postcode lottery” that means some children do not have the opportunity to benefit properly from schools and health support services.
“As a committee we are determined that our inquiry will recommend practical proposals to ensure that all children have the chance to reach and climb the ladder of opportunity and succeed in their lives ahead,” he added.
The launch of the inquiry comes days after the Department for Education announced £13.5 million funding for two schemes aiming to help boost early language and literacy development for disadvantaged children.
The committee is inviting written evidence until June 1.


Are you leaving school this year?
There are usually two types of school leavers:
- “I can’t wait to leave school!”
- “Why do we have to leave school?”
Whether you love it or hate it (or just think that you do) there comes a time when everyone has to leave their school. What’s interesting, is how this time has changed over the years in England to make our school leaving age what it is today.
The infographic below illustrates how the school leaving age has changed, since the first compulsory school leaving age up to today.
School leaving age infographic:
Your choices when leaving school in 2018
Today, students must continue education or training until the age of 18. However, students have a choice of whether to stay in full-time education or to choose a more vocational route, such as an apprenticeship.
If you’re a student due to leave school this year and are considering what to do next – be it university, training, going into employment or several other options, our guide on options for college leavers in 2018 may help.
- 1880 – The Elementary Education Act made it compulsory for children to attend school between the ages of 5 and 10.
- 1893 – The act became the ‘Elementary Education (School Attendance) Act 1893 and brought with it an increase in school leaving age to 11.
- 1899 – The compulsory school leaving age was raised to 12.
- 1918 – The mandatory age for children to be in full-time education was raised to14.
- 1944 – The compulsory school leaving age was raised again, to 15.
- 1972 – 1972’s Education Act raised the school leaving age to 16. This was also the year that the Education (Work Experience) Act was created, allowing students to use their final year for work experience.
- 2013 – The school leaving age was raised to 17 in 2013.
- 2015 – Most recently, the compulsory school leaving age was raised to 18 in 2015.
- Today – students have to stay in education until age 18, but this is not limited to staying at school. After the age of 16, students can choose different education paths such as to go to college or to start a workplace apprenticeship.


About Reading Difficulties
Areas of reading difficulty
Written language is a code. The words we say are represented by letters on a page. Failure to learn to read is usually a result of processing difficulties relating to:
hearing and remembering sounds in words
(phonemic awareness and verbal short term memory)
seeing and remembering letters
quickly recalling the sound that goes with letters in words
(rapid automatic naming)
If a child has these processing difficulties you may have noticed they:
- can't remember all the alphabet
- can't write many letters
- can't remember sight words
- have difficulty learning to write his/her name
- often mispronounce words, especially longer words
- had difficulty learning rhymes and songs
- is showing behavioural changes - either withdrawing or acting out
As children begin to develop their reading skills, they build awareness of what words look like (orthographic representation), and what sounds they are made up of (phonological representation). A child who has poor sound and letter awareness will have problems developing reading and spelling accuracy.
Executive functions may also be affected in children with reading difficulties. Executive functions refer to the ability to maintain attention as well as the higher level mental processes that manage and ‘supervise’ the cognitive components of reading and spelling. Children with poor executive functions (e.g. ADHD) will have trouble staying 'tuned in' to the finer details of learning to read an alphabetic code creating gaps in their learning.
In contrast, children with weak rapid automatic naming (RAN) may have no difficulties with memory or attention but struggle to retrieve the sounds and words they learn. Children with RAN difficulties have poor reading fluency. From a parent's perspective signs of poor RAN include:
- erratic memory – good one day, bad the next
- recalls the wrong name for letter sounds and words they already know
- slow and effortful recall – it’s on the ‘tip of the tongue’
- reluctance and frustration with learning to read
Weak phonological working memory impacts on a child's ability to process and 'hang on' to all the individual sounds within words. Weak phonological working memory makes it very difficult for a child to segment and blend words accurately.
The number and severity of processing difficulties differs for every child. Some children may have one area of weakness, others may have multiple. If a child's processing deficits affect both accuracy and fluency (referred to as a 'double deficit'), then literacy development will be severely impacted.
Levels of reading difficulty
Many students who find reading difficult have average or above average intelligence.
Depending on the area of difficulty, they may be diagnosed as having one of the following learning disabilities:
- Dysgraphia - difficulty with writing, due to poor letter processing;
- Dyslexia - difficulty with reading and writing, due to poor letter and speech sound processing;
- Specific language impairment - difficulty with processing the letters, speech sounds, and grammatical elements of a given language.
A diagnosis of dyslexia or dysgraphia should be based on the following criteria:
- Your child’s performance in reading, writing, and/or mathematics is lower than expected, based on their intelligence.
- Your child has not been diagnosed with any other developmental or neurological disorders that can cause learning problems (e.g. intellectual impairment, deafness, etc.).
- Your child has not responded appropriately after a period of systematic reading and writing instruction.
These learning difficulties may all result in reading problems. However, they are each the result of different underlying difficulties.
Diagnosis of ongoing reading and writing problems relies on thorough assessment to ensure the correct intervention approach.


At the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin Preschool, children learn in a rich environment designed to foster your child’s independence, curiosity, growth in self-confidence and provide for social and emotional growth. Each week our curriculum involves themed studies with focused learning objectives, along with time to explore, imagine and free-play. Our teachers offer a variety of structured and unstructured activities in both small and large groups to engage each child’s individual learning style. In addition, our program encourages creativity and exploration in the areas of dramatic play, science, math, literacy, music and art. Your child will learn to share, create, explore and interact with children of similar ages.
REGISTRATION IS ONGOING UNTIL CLASSES FILL
Preschool Explorers - Age: 2-3
The class will be held in 12 week sessions rather than a full year program. It will be semi-structured with crafts, story-time and free play. Focus will be on children gaining social skills, emotional growth, and self-help skills. Children must be 2 yrs. old by the first day of class. A parent may be required to attend the first 2 classes with child, or longer, if instructor requests. Younger siblings not allowed.
Pre Wee Folks - Age: 2.5-3.5
This class is for young children who are ready to attend Preschool without a parent/caregiver, but misses the September 1st birth date deadline. Social interaction, emotional growth, fine motor skill development and self-help skills are emphasized through play-based activities. Children must be working on toilet training (pull-ups are allowed), or a parent/caregiver must be available for bathroom assistance (within 15 minutes).
Wee Folks - Age: 3-4
Children will gain social skills and learn colors, shape, number and letter recognition. They will develop and improve small & large motor skills. Students will build cognitive skills by learning through play with themed learning centers, circle time, literacy activities, and large motor skill activities. Children must be age 3 by September 1st and fully toilet trained.
Wee Folks with Spanish Enrichment - Age: 3-4
In addition to the Wee Folks curriculum will be an introduction to the Spanish Language to native English and native Spanish students through the use of games, music, and stories. It will also build a foundation for Spanish vocabulary.
Pre-Kindergarten - Age: 4-5
Kindergarten readiness skills will be the focus of the curriculum. Children will explore math concepts, beginning writing skills, number and letter recognition, and phonics. The program will include weekly themed learning centers, arts & crafts, circle time, stories, singing, dramatic role playing and large/small motor activities. Students will also build independence and social skills. Children must be age 4 by September 1st and fully toilet trained.
Pre-Kindergarten w/ Spanish Enrichment - Age: 4-5
In addition to the Pre-Kindergarten curriculum will be an introduction to the Spanish Language to native English and native Spanish students through the use of games, music, and stories. It will also build a foundation for Spanish vocabulary.
Come Visit Us!
We would love to have you tour our preschool programs. Contact Kerry Reynolds at email@example.com, or 847-531-7010 to schedule your tour today!


From King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Birmingham
Tolerance is an important quality we need as humans, to appreciate people for who they are and accept them no matter what. Even though it can be difficult sometimes, we should express tolerance to those around us, even if they have not always been the best they can be. After all, difference makes the world more and more beautiful and it is important to accept difference to know who we are and to make everyone feel special. Valuing difference is the key to promoting tolerance because if we were all the same, the world would be so very boring.
Everyone’s voice is different, everyone’s feelings are different. We have different ways of living, different friends and difference makes us and the world diverse and beautiful. But it is wort remembering that we all need the same things every day. We need food, water, shelter and lots of love in our lives. That is what makes us the same. So despite everyone being different, that is what makes us the same. Hence, acceptance and tolerance for all that is different from us or all that we think is right holds the key to promoting tolerance.
There are many ways to show tolerance and release our anger, instead of pelting out insults. For example, sports such as kickboxing, rugby or any others are a good way to release anger or any tension in our bodies, as they involve a lot of energy consumption and help us aim towards a goal in the game. On the other hand, calming activities are also useful. Gardening and horticulture can also be a great way to connect with nature and sooth our minds. Likewise, the arts can help focus energy into creating something good. Painting, writing, drama, photography, music and dance are great stress busters and can promote tolerance by encouraging young people to get involved in productive activities, instead of pursuing the wrong through hatred, crime and drugs.
I believe that the arts and sports should be made more accessible, especially young people as it provides opportunities for leisure while also learning new skills they may never have known exposed to before. It also opens up many job opportunities for young people for a content and productive future. For instance, music or dance lessons would help one focus on reading music or learning new choreography, thereby creating a sense of rhythm. Rhythm also involves maths so this would probably positively affect their numeracy skills. If a young person took up photography or painting it would increase their attention to detail and improve the way their eyes work. Pursuing drama or writing, would help develop linguistic skills to help express their thoughts and feelings in words more eloquently, thus aiding them to communicate with an audience.
Tolerance needs to be inculcated like a habit. After all, “"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi.


The Classroom Chamber Concerts were designed the space of a classroom itself or for intervention in a small auditorium. The programs are structured for each of the four groups of chamber music that, within the most conventional chamber ensembles, which best portray the respective sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion), as well as a jazz ensemble and a vocal quartet that emerged later to respond to the need for aesthetic and timbre opening to this model.
The Toddlers Suite, by Jorge Salgueiro, is a work commissioned for Foco Musical’s music education program. Writing from children’s traditional music themes, for Sting Quintet, it consists of six movements. At each time, the solo instrument is presented and demonstrations of the techniques featured in this piece are made. The quintet is “disassembled” in dialogue with the animator, so that the different functions of each instrument in each of the pieces can be learned: First Violin, Second Violin, Viola, Cello and Doublebass.
Imaginarium, op. 115 by Jorge Salgueiro, is also a work commissioned for Foco Musical’s educational project. Written from traditional motifs from different parts of the globe for Wind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon), it consists of five movements. At each movement, the world region to which our “imaginary” refers is presented and demonstrations of the highlighted techniques in this musical piece are made.
With similar criteria to those used in the construction of the repertoire of the other Didactic Orchestra Ensembles, this program for Brass Quintet (two Trumpets, French Horn, Trombone and Tuba) bets on the recognition of the so-called Soundtracks from the animation classics with this Animated Suite, ending up with one of the most successful music pieces of the seventh art.
A Percussion Ensemble is a small music group that is dedicated to the repertoire exclusively written for percussion instruments. They are called percussion instruments because, for the most part, to produce sound they have to be percuted, that is, striked. These can be percuted with the hand, drum sticks or pedals, however, there are many percussion instruments that produce sound when shaken, shaved, pinched or rubbed. The repertoire adopted for the Percussion Ensemble of the Didactic Orchestra of Foco Musical consists of the Children’s Miniatures that Jorge Salgueiro wrote from the children’s traditional Portuguese repertoire. With this quartet, we get to know some of the most used percussion instruments by symphonic orchestras (such as bass drum, timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel…).
The purpose of this Classroom Concert program is to meet some characteristic elements of jazz music, namely, rhythmic, stylistic, harmonics and improvisation. The selection of musical pieces fell on classic themes of the jazz and blues repertoire, some readapted with titles and texts more desirable for the audience target of the Didactic Orchestra, others with (re)harmonizations and arrangements of themes extracted from the traditional children’s repertoire put in jazz style. This Classroom Concert also foresees, in dialogue with an animator, an audience participation. The formation of this “combo” consists of a classic quintet of this genre: saxophone, electric guitar, electric piano, doublebass and drum set.
The Vocal Quartet seeks to materialize and consolidate knowledge concerning to vocal classification, singing techniques and sound production through the voice, opening the way for the discovery of new sounds and new windows on the freedom of creation and interpretation. Always in a perspective of participated music listening in which the score includes, not only a part for the audience to be prepared in the classroom context or in the moment prior to the concert, as well as interaction games in repetition and/or response to materialize in time real. This ensemble is also structured based on the interests of the classroom, essentially promoting the deepening of knowledge, distinction and respective classification of the vocal registers that make up this ensemble (soprano, contralto, tenor and bass) and the most common techniques in vocal interpretation.


News from 309!
November 13, 2017
What's Happening This Week?
Writing- short and long "u" pattern; informational/research writing
Math- problem-solving with addition and subtraction; sneak peek at multiplication!
Science- intro to Solar System
Social Studies- the US Constitution; Bill of Rights; branches of government.
Dates to note
November 15 ~ Math CBA (9 weeks) test on Place Value
November 15 ~ Thanksgiving luncheon; 1:10. Our class will be in the Auditorium!
November 20-24 ~ Thanksgiving Holiday!
Our classroom could use:
- square sticky notes (reading informational text requires lots of note-taking, and the small sticky notes just don't cut it sometimes!)
- Clorox wipes
This site has some excellent games for students to practice numeracy skills and automaticity to help with math facts!
Highlights from last week!
Last week we took our first nine week's test (CBA) in Science. The class did so well for the first one! They really showed what they know about science tools and safety, as well as matter!
As we are nearly finished with the Global Read Aloud, the class designed postcards to send to other classes around the country - and world - to send out! There were some very creative designs that included Roz in front of our iconic Alamo, or Roz slam-dunking as a San Antonio Spur! Creativity is not lacking with this group! We are eagerly awaiting postcards from around the country, as well!
On Friday we were able to Skype with Mrs. Pokorny's class in Wisconsin. Imagine their surprise when they saw us all bundled up for 60 degrees - only to find out it was 5 degrees there! They go out for recess in almost any temperature! Our class had a great opportunity to discuss the parts of the book we read so far, as well as ask some "just for fun" questions to the third graders there!
The Texas Library Association just announced the Bluebonnet list for 2018-19! Get a head start on this list!
Finished postcards ready to send across the United States...and beyond!
Getting postcards ready!
HEIGHTS 5th Grade Carnival
We had an opportunity to visit the 5th Grade Heights carnival and try out some of the creative games they made.


During the Zhou Dynasty (1046 – 256 BC), students were required to master the six arts (liù yì – 六艺 – in Chinese), which included rituals(礼), music(乐), archery(射), charioteering(御), writing(书) and mathematics(数). The six arts emphasized comprehensive development in all subject area, and attempted to educate students to be well-rounded, which parallels the Western concept of the Renaissance man. Men who excelled in these six arts were thought to have reached the state of perfection.
Ritual is an extraordinarily important cornerstone in Chinese culture. Without rituals, the 5,000-year-old country would never exist. In ancient China, there were officers in charge of rituals for every aspect of life, like marriage, funerals, and sacrifice. Chinese people started to live with a sense of ritual thousands of years ago and nothing can remove it from Chinese culture.
Music was not just a melody or a pastime for entertainment in ancient China. It was a symbol of great manners and a well-educated person. To learn music, one should have high aesthetic standards. Confucius himself studied from three different people to learn courtesy, music and how to play music. A famous saying of Confucius on music education is: “To educate somebody, you should start from poems, emphasize ceremonies and finish with music.” In other words, one cannot expect to become educated without learning music.
Music was also an indispensable part of Chinese culture. People play music in every ritual to express feelings and emotions. Also, there was a special position for a music officer in the court.
Archery was not only a way to protect the kingdom or to kill enemies, but was also a good sport. China measured its force of strength as much as literature. A real gentleman should not only be well-educated but also should be strong and demonstrate great archery skills. A good archer was highly admired in ancient China not only among the nobility but also among ordinary people. The ancient emperors took archery classes as a required course and it was a tradition to hold a big hunting ceremony every year.
The chariot had an important place in war, in hunting and in the parades that expressed the power of the nobles in ancient times. To become a charioteer is also an excellent form of training that requires the combined use of intellect and physical strength.
Writing usually included handwriting, reading, drawing and composition. There have been so many great calligraphers throughout the history of China and Chinese greatly valued handwriting. There’s a saying that your handwriting reflects your alter ego. Especially in ancient China, it was necessary for an emperor to write beautifully. There were many emperors in China who were not only calligraphers, but also poets.
Having the ability to compose poems is the skill of an educated person. Chinese ancient poetry is a precious heritage for every Chinese and to the whole world.
In ancient times, mathematics was a useful method to make predictions. Ancient Chinese used mathematics to develop astronomy, to predict the weather and applied knowledge to real life. The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art was the earliest Chinese math book. The ancient Chinese also developed the abacus to benefit daily living and this invention is one of China’s material cultural heritages.


Here’s an easy Halloween craft! All you need is construction paper and washable paint.
Meet our spooky spider – we painted the palm and four fingers and printed palm on top of palm for this arachnid. This is a great opportunity to have your preschooler figure out how many fingers must be painted to come up with eight legs for your spider. Have them come up with a theory and test it out until you get an eight legged friend.
For the ghost, again just paint four fingers and palm. Black hole punches for the eyes and we cut on oval out for the mouth.
And the best part is the ghost that isn’t perfect… is the best one – a lesson for a Type-A whose name we will not mention. 🙂
TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:
- Creative play
- Fine motor skill development
- Connection to the holidays


In this video, Sonali Nag, Associate Professor of Education and the Developing Child at Oxford University, discusses her recent review of literacy assessments, Assessment of literacy and foundational learning in developing countries.
This review examines the quality and range of tools used to measure literacy and foundational learning in developing countries. It covers the assessment of language and literacy skills in children from age 3 to 14 (or preschool to Grade 8). It also includes assessment tools from studies published between 1990 and 2014, rated as ‘Moderate’ or ‘High’ in methodological quality.
There are 2 main reasons to assess children’s learning and underlying skills:
- Assessment can monitor educational quality. Communicating test results about what children can do (or cannot do) can improve decision making at every level of the education system. This improves educational quality and thereby lifts children’s attainment.
- Assessment can inform teaching practice. Teachers who assess well and use test information well, teach better. Towards this aim, the synthesis collates measures that potentially could be part of a teacher’s toolkit.
The reason for assessing literacy skills is to ensure that “children can come to a point where they can read with comprehension and write and express for others to understand.”
Not all assessments are suitable for supporting the decisions that are often made on the basis of the data they produce. Therefore care should be taken to ensure that tests captures students’ level of learning and are sensitive to small differences in attainment. Tests should also be fair: “A good test is one that is considerate to the child’s learning history, child’s cultural background, child’s linguistic assets… A good test tries to not be influenced so much by contextual factors so that you get the child’s level of learning”.
Sonali’s key messages are that funders and researchers should focus on comprehension and understanding through all stages of literacy development and in all areas of test development, analysis. Protocols should be followed to ensure that assessments are appropriate to the local context. Finally she urges transparent and thorough reporting on the cycle of instrument development and the properties of the test (validity, reliability, potential sources of bias, mitigation against bias, etc.)
Sonali Nag previously recorded a video for HEART Talks on Literacy, Foundation Learning and Assessment in Developing Countries, which is available to view here.


A QUIET LITTLE revolution is going on in the reading world.
The teaching of reading is moving out of the classroom and into the living room. Parents no longer give their children up in blind trust to the neighborhood school for reading instruction. They get started at home when the kids are in diapers.
When children fall behind in school, parents are learning an inescapable truth: They cannot wait for the educators to do something. Reading begins at home, and so does reading remediation.
Two excellent new books offer all the advice a parent needs. Both are written in plain English. Both concentrate on the early years of a child's literacy development. Both suggest numerous learning activities based on a vast body of research. Home-schoolers will find these books invaluable. To tell the truth, teachers also could stand a read-through.
"Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success" (National Academy Press, 192 pages, $14.95 softcover) is based on the work of a committee that studied reading problems in the United States last year and issued one of those thick tomes that few people read.
The committee's work is condensed into a short book addressed primarily to parents. What kinds of language and literacy experiences should they look for in preschool and child care settings, in reading instruction in the early grades?
What activities, based on reliable research, can parents do with kids? Here are what amounts to lesson plans for parents designed to begin as early as the first few weeks of their children's lives.
Numerous illustrations and sidebars are included, including a description of the Baltimore-based Success For All school reform program.
"Starting Out Right" also includes a list of 100 great picture books compiled by the New York Public Library, a guide to computer software, a list of useful Internet Web sites, a checklist of reading accomplishments that are typically achieved by young children, and a glossary for those of us who might not know that "receptive language capacity" is the ability to understand.
The other new book is "Straight Talk About Reading" by Louisa C. Moats, a Harvard-trained, highly regarded expert in reading, and Susan L. Hall, one of many parents who became active after discovering reading difficulties in her children. (She is president of the Illinois branch of the International Dyslexia Association.)
"Straight Talk" (NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 362 pages, $12.95 softcover) is more polemical than "Starting Out Right," though it also is packed with instructional suggestions. It contains a thorough discussion of the whole language-phonics reading wars and a comparison of the two techniques.
Hall recalls poignantly how she discovered her eldest son's reading difficulties while he was in the first grade. Parents assume, she writes, "that the teacher will be an expert in teaching reading. Their assumption is that the teacher is trained and works for a school district where there are curriculum guidelines. However, none of those factors helped assure that my son learned to read from what his first-grade teacher taught in class."
When The Sun published the first series in the Reading By 9 project 13 months ago, we were flooded with similar statements. We also heard from many parents who had been told by educators not to worry about reading problems, that a child struggling with reading was undergoing "developmental lag."
Beware of that diagnosis, say Hall and Moats. Although some children develop slowly and will benefit from extra time, "research strongly suggests that most cases of reading failure do not spontaneously get better, and children generally do not catch up once they fall behind."
Hall and Moats list ways to determine if a teacher is using effective teaching practices. They present "benchmark lists" to see whether a child is on track in reading. They provide a list of warning signs of difficulty, and lists of recommended books scaled by difficulty.
Need a reading tutor? Hall and Moats tell you what to look for and suggest 12 questions to ask.
Both books advise parents not to worry about "invented spelling" -- writing words the way they sound, but incorrectly, such as "iz" for "is" -- especially among young children learning to write. However, Hall and Moats say parents should worry if children spell words incorrectly for too long.
"The time to expect correct spelling is when the child begins weekly spelling lists," they write.
Pub Date: 1/17/99


Polity Quiz for RRB NTPC, RRB JE, SSC CGL
Q1. The constitutional amendment through which the four regional languages namely Bodo, Dogri, Maithali and Santhali were included in the constitution is?
Q2. In which year did the first amendment of Indian Constitution take place?
Q3. Under which of the following amendment, education was made a fundamental right?
(a) 83rd amendment in 2003
(b) 83rd amendment in 2002
(c) 86rd amendment in 2002
(d) 87rd amendment in 2003
Q4. Article 60 of the Indian Constitution refers to?
(a) Election of the President of India
(b) Oath of the President
(c) Impeachment of the President
(d) Vice President of India
Q5. Which amendment to the Indian Constitution added the words Secular and Socialist in the Preamble?
Q6. Article 324-329 of the Indian Constitution deals with which of the following?
(c) Cast System
(d) Panchayat system
Q7. By which Amendment was ‘Fundamental Duties’ added to the Constitution?
Q8. Right to Privacy comes under?
(a) Article 19
(b) Article 20
(c) Article 21
(d) Article 18
Q9. Which of the following constitutional Amendment Act, deals with Elementary Education as a Fundamental Right?
(a) 84th Amendment Act
(b) 85th Amendment Act
(c) 86th Amendment Act
(d) 87th Amendment Act
Q10. The National Green Tribunal deals with cases relating to?
(a) Issues relating to protection and conservation of historical monuments.
(b) Civil cases.
(c) Criminal offences.
(d) Environmental protection and conservation of forests.
Q11. Indian constitution can be amended according to the procedure laid down in the following Article?
(a) Article 368
(b) Article 345
(c) Article 351
(d) Article 333
Q12. Which of the following Article of Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Equality before Law?
(a) Article – 13(2)
(b) Article – 14
(c) Article – 15(4)
(d) Article – 17
Q13. The word “Secular” was added to the Preamble of the constitution of India by which Constitutional Amendment?
(a) 41st Constitutional Amendment
(b) 42nd Constitutional Amendment
(c) 43rd Constitutional Amendment
(d) 44th Constitutional Amendment
Q14. Which Constitutional Amendment Act deals with the disqualification of MPs and MLAs?
(a) 42nd Amendment Act
(b) 52nd Amendment Act
(c) 62nd Amendment Act
(d) 32nd Amendment Act
Q15. Which of the following schedules contains special provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
(a) First schedule
(b) Second schedule
(c) Third schedule
(d) Sixth schedule


From Pre- historic times, Visual Art has been a fundamental form of language to educate and communicate now deeply imprinted in human nature. Without it our ancestors would have been unable to share and interpret stories of past journeys and new discoveries, cultures unable to bridge gaps to bring together societies, countries and continents.
Visual Art is all around us;
Today the digital world relies on visually literate employees to develop dynamic designs for webpages, digital games and animation.
Visual artists continue to create art using traditional studio disciplines such as: Drawing, Sculpture, Ceramics, Printmaking, Painting, Textiles, Installation, Graphic Design, Animation and Craft.
Visual Art education prepares students with life skills to: OBSERVE, ENVISION, EXPRESS, REFLECT, ENGAGE and PERSIST, STRETCH, EXPLORE, and PROBLEM SOLVE by developing art to UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND US. Students often subconsciously apply their practical and theoretical understanding of visual art across all learning areas.
Albany Senior High School provides students with the fundamental skills required to design, create and interpret works of art.
Visual Arts courses are run as semester units. Students will learn how to generate ideas in an Inquiry process and convert them into resolved artworks referencing a variety of styles, media, techniques and processes. Exploring studio disciplines such as painting, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media – students will create original artworks inspired by historical and contemporary artists. All students have the opportunity to exhibit their work in an annual school exhibition as well as participate in community events and competitions.
Year 8 students begin with a general introductory course immersed with the opportunity to explore a number of studio disciplines. Investigating the artwork of both historical and contemporary artists practice as sources of inspiration and analysis is an important process in appreciating the societal, cultural, and historical context in which the artwork was created.
Years 9 and 10 students select optional courses which offer exploration in specific disciplines and skill building techniques such as drawing, visual art, sculpture and ceramics. In Year 10 students are prepared for the option of selecting a General or ATAR Visual Art courses by developing sophisticated skills in all aspects of each optional course on offer.
Students with strong practical and written skills are encouraged to pursue both General and ATAR Visual Arts pathways offered in senior school. Please refer to both Lower School and Senior School handbooks for more information regarding course content.
2020 Senior School Drawing Excursion
2020 Year 9 and 10 Corndarup Art Extension Project


You might think Albert Einstein’s theories have little to do with your life, but his discoveries made everything from television to garage door openers to DVD players possible. Einstein was one of the most brilliant scientists of all time. He was named “Person of the Century” in 1999 by TIME Magazine.
But Albert Einstein had personal struggles too. When his grandmother first saw him, she called him “thick,” which means, “not very smart.” Einstein didn’t talk until he was four years old and he liked to repeat words and sentences over and over until he was about seven. Some researchers think he had a form of autism. Albert Einstein didn’t learn to read until he was nine. Although he loved learning, he didn’t like school. Even as an adult, Einstein was disorganized. He often forgot appointments and his lectures were hard to follow. He was the classic “absent-minded professor.”
Fun Facts about Albert Einstein for Kids
- Albert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. He was the oldest child and he had one younger sister.
- Einstein first became interested in science when his father gave him a compass.
- Even though Einstein didn’t like school, he loved reading and learning on his own.
- He loved classical music and played the piano and violin.
- Einstein wrote his first scientific paper when he was sixteen.
- He hated war and worked for peace throughout his life. He was a pacifist. He supported the Civil Rights movement in America.
- Einstein became famous after he published his theory of relativity in 1915. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921.
Albert Einstein Vocabulary
- Theory: idea backed by research
- Brilliant: exceptionally bright
- Autism: a neurological disorder that causes social, communication and organizational challenges
- Pacifist: one who supports compromise and collaboration over war
Learn More All About Albert Einstein – Person of the Century
Get to know more about Einstein in this video:
A video about 5 facts you might not know about Einstein.
Albert Einstein Q&A
Question: Did Albert Einstein invent the atomic bomb?
Answer: Albert Einstein did not invent the atomic bomb and was actually barred from helping the US government develop atomic weapons. He opposed war and violence. He wrote a letter to President Roosevelt warning him that the Germans were developing atomic weapons.
Question: What did Albert Einstein do when he wasn’t discovering theories?
Answer: Albert Einstein moved to the United States when the Na-zis took power in Germany. He spent many years as a mathematics professor at Princeton University.
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Albert Einstein info? Take the FREE & fun all about Albert Einstein quiz and download FREE all about Albert Einstein worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.


St. Catherine’s K-4 program has been designed for the 4-year-old who will go to Kindergarten the following year.
We explore the alphabet, numbers, science, social studies, art, music, movement and religion in a structured, loving environment. These areas are emphasized through hands-on, educational centers.
Our Language Arts curriculum uses a phonics-based program called “Lippincott.” A letter of the week is also included in our curriculum. We also use a hands-on learning curriculum called “Handwriting Without Tears”. This is enhanced with other outside materials from Scholastic’s thematic, story-based “AlphaTales.”
The Math program used is a hands on program called “Mathematics Your Way.” This popular Math program is designed to give the children strong, basic skills, such as sets, patterning, sequencing, graphing, etc., that give them a firm foundation for their future math growth.
Science is explored with weekly themes and hands on activities. Science is enhanced further with monthly classes from “Science
Excitement”. All of this is accomplished with a fun, yet constructive “hands on” method.
The spiritual needs of the K-4’s expands upon the Catholic faith by reciting grace before meals, attending bible class, and mastering the Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, and The Lord’s Prayer. Monthly religious themes are used that include Saints, The Ten Commandments, and Bible stories from the Old and New Testament. In addition, there is a monthly highlighted Acts of Mercy.
Gross motor skill development is accomplished through detailed instruction during movement class as well as during playground and classroom group activities.
The K-4’s emotional and social development program will help build the child from the inside out and encourage the emotional and social growth needed for new larger group settings.
Finally, the K-4’s curriculum is designed to encourage logical and critical thinking skills through music, art, science, and programs in math, phonics, and social studies.
The class will also work on listening and social skills as well. The goal for the “K-4 Kids” is Kindergarten readiness!!


The Scoop on Current Events!
Fall is a perfect time to take a look at how you might present and work with current events as part of your classroom program throughout the school year or during upcoming key events such as elections. Learning about the local community and building upon that to explore regional, national, and international news and information ensures that we prepare our students to become better global citizens.
The “news” in its various formats provides not only a way of learning about world happenings, but also an authentic means to practice reading comprehension strategies and work with standards in language arts and social studies.
Fewer and fewer of us continue to read a daily, print version of a newspaper, but the sheer number of online news sources can be daunting to sift through. And how can we provide our K-6 learners “the news” in safe ways, free from sensationalism and inappropriate content? TeachersFirst is here to help! This month we’ll give you some kid-friendly resources to use and some suggestions and tools for how to implement current events in ways that are meaningful and safe for your students.
Making it Real • Digging Deeper • Kid-friendly News


We know how important it is to have the right resources to teach a classroom with students who vary inability. And we want you to know that Learning A-Z is committed to creating quality resources for teachers. Resources that can:
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Since launching the first website in 1998, we have added six more websites. We are now used in 250,000 classrooms, 18,000 schools and in nearly half the school districts across the US and Canada. And we are used in more than 155 countries worldwide. Learning A-Z suits of seven award-winning websites provide a wealth of leveled resources for reading, writing and science that help teachers differentiate their instruction. All of resources are available twenty four seven (24/7). Some materials can be printed and handed out to students. Others are digital versions that students can interact with online or teachers can project onto interactive whiteboards for whole group for small group instruction. Our printable books spend 27 levels of difficulty and cover a wide range of genres. Books are accompanied by a host of teacher resources including lesson plans, activity sheets, discussion cards, quizzes, readers’s theater scripts, assessments, and correlations to state standards and much more.
Unlike traditional textbooks which are updated every four to six years, the web allows us to dynamically update content within hours of planet being downgraded or president winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to timely updates, we add brand new books on current topics along with other resources to the website every four to six weeks. And perhaps best of all the websites are extremely affordable. For what teachers would pay for two to three typical leveled reader six-packs, they can get twenty four seven access to any one of the websites for an entire classroom all year long.
Now, think about that! A wide selection of books for pennies per book plus a vast collection of other resources are all available at just to click of a mouse. During these challenging economic times, teachers need more than great resources. They also need a partner to listen and respond to their unique needs.
That is we are all about working with teachers to make a difference in the lives of every unique student. We invite you to visit learninga-z.com today and while you are there, try out the free samples or better yet set up a free trial. Come see for yourself a week and help teachers make a difference.
Learning A-Z has developed year by year. It proves by the awards that Learning A-Z achieved for its products. Some of the awards are:
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- Educational Apps for Raz Plus in 2017 from Bett Award Finalist


How I Used Science4Us in my Second Grade Classroom
I have been teaching for 10 years. I have taught middle school reading, second, third and fourth grades. I earned my BS in Elementary Education with a concentration in Science from Edinboro University. Currently I am teaching at Jupiter Farms Community Elementary. Previously, I taught for five years at Pine Jog Elementary, Florida’s first LEED-certified school. As the years have gone by, I have witnessed changes in the way children learn and want to be taught right before my eyes. The children are now digital natives; they enjoy using the computer to learn.
Last year, I had the opportunity to become a pilot classroom for Science4Us. My students loved each step. We would do whole group lessons in my classroom on the projector, then they would explore and finish each section individually in the computer lab. Labs were easy for students to do in groups. Students even logged in at home hungry for more.
Science4Us encouraged me to teach science the way it should be taught. Using hands-on experiences, whether seat-based or computer-based. I looked forward to teaching using the Science4Us lessons because they were not overly simplified as some textbooks lessons can be. They even included an Explain for teachers in case they were not familiar with the content. I cringe when I hear of teachers who have taught a concept incorrectly. Having the Explain helps all of us. Thanks to Science4Us, my technology usage increased, especially in terms of computer lab usage.
My second graders LOVED Science4Us. They really enjoyed the interactive Notebook, and being able to go back and see how their ideas changed as they learned more. Excitement rang out when they realized they could access their accounts at home or at the public library.
This curriculum is GREAT because it includes real vocabulary and hands-on labs that involve classroom materials, and it encompasses math, reading, and writing. I love the cheers, the interactive Notebook, and the Investigates. I like the Take A Note the best because it really encourages students to put their thinking caps on.
The feature that allows me to access the student records is definitely my favorite because I can easily track student mastery and encourage them to try again through assigned tasks if mastery was not met.
Science4Us is a program that meets the needs of our digital natives. It allows them to do experiments, practice reading skills and produce math in relation to science.
– Leaha, Second Grade Teacher


What is Outdoor Learning?
Muddy Puddle Club offers different types of outdoor learning including curriculum based learning outside, environmental learning, horticulture, outdoor play and many more.
Curriculum based outddor learning
Muddy Puddle Club believes that all outdoor learning is valuable and has been proven many times to enhance children's understanding of the given topic or subject. By taking the learning outside you can provide opportunities for deeper understanding and real world experiences. We offer training in Outdoor Learning, both accredited and CPD for schools and nurseries. We can also come to your setting and deliver example sessions and longer term programmes.
It is becoming increasingly evident that we need to focus on environmental learning to help protect our world for future generations. Muddy Puddle Club passionately believes that by giving children an emotional connection with nature they will protect it in the future. We offer regular talks and events with other companies on the environment as well as work with schools and nurseries to enhance their environmental learning.
By taking play outdoors we are able to foster opportunities for creativity, social interactions, connections with nature, early environmental education and exploration. It differs to Forest School as the opportunities are often adult led or set up to support specific areas of development or the EYFS. Outdoor play is proven to enhance fine and gross motor skill development, increase attention and improve mental health,


Drake Music launches paper on musical inclusion5:22, 12th February 2020
Drake Music has released a new paper that focuses on musical inclusion.
What is inclusion? Making music is the key! is a new paper released by Drake Music, a national charity working in the areas of music, disability and technology. The paper looks at how music can be more inclusive, outlining four key areas of focus: ‘belonging’, ‘understanding’, ‘participating’ and ‘achieving’. ‘Belonging’ asks that participants feel welcome and are able to be themselves; ‘understanding’ considers how everyone can be taken seriously and have their opinions heard; ‘participating’ focuses on being given choices and having fun; and ‘achieving’ prioritises personal growth, confidence and self-esteem.
The paper was written by the disabled musician and activist John Kelly, who commented: ‘Inclusion is a hot topic in music education and the arts, but do we really understand what we mean by it? Are we all on the same page when it comes to what inclusion actually is? And is our understanding informed by lived experience? With this paper we don’t want to defend or define inclusion. We want to call for radical and bold action to end the justification of excluding practice.’
To download the paper (available in pdf, EasyRead and audio formats), visit www.drakemusic.org/what-is-inclusion-making-music-is-the-key


Aesthetic Studies in Education and Literature
In the ancient Greek education there was a focus on art education such as musical education and drama education. This primary art education is the rudiment of aesthetic education. It aims at leading students to be self-regulated and be able to get rid of all faults. Plato believes that students would get the habit to love the beautiful thing and integrate it with their mind unknowingly and prevent the influence from the evil, the debauchery, the contemptibility, and the obscenity. Plato thinks that the best education is music education, for music is to look for the beauty and the good in heart and the person with good music education is smart to find out which the ugly is and which the beautiful is. Aristotle also takes note of music’s special status in aesthetic education. When he expounds music’s social function, he talks about that music has the functions on education, spiritualization and spiritual enjoyment.
“Aesthetic education,” is an intentional undertaking designed to nurture appreciative, reflective, cultural, participatory engagements with the arts by enabling learners to notice what is there to be noticed and to lend works of arts their lives in such a way that they can achieve them as meaningful (Greene, 1991, p.6)
Aesthetic education has three aspects. First is the cultivating of the aesthetic faculties which involve the cultivating of sentience, imagination and understanding. Second is the cultivating of aesthetic taste which is the cultivating of the interest and feeling. Third is the cultivating of the aesthetic ideal which is the cultivating of the spirit, personality and life philosophy (Xuxiao, 2016).
When it comes to literature, aestheticism is an intellectual and art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than social-political themes.
I would love to invite all colleagues to submit a chapter in relation with either educational areas or literary works by October 30,2016. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
NOTES ON THE PROCESS
Each chapter/subheading should have:
1. APA style (5th edition)
2. Itemized information (introduction) on what is to be covered in that specific chapter.
3. Textboxes in which interesting ideas, discussion questions, questions, illustrations, caricatures to make reading fluid and meaningful.
4. Study questions /discussion questions following the whole chapter.
5. Short information, facts, questions placed in boxes in the chapter. Try to make it a user friendly book.
6. Document setup: The full physical page size including all margins will have:
Header: 25mm, Top of main body: 25mm
7. The Order of the Parts of the Chapter
1. Times New Roman 12, one and a half space, justified. (APA)
2. No indentation, each paragraph separated with a blank line.
3. Tables, illustrations, caricatures are not left between paragraphs but starting on a new page when necessary.
4. Photos and illustrations must be copyrighted and are both to be pasted on the
5. The author’s bio (no more than 50 words) following the chapter.
6. The chapter must be proofread before submission.
7. Each chapter should be between no less than 15 and no more than 25 pages


- Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847) was born in Hamburg (Germany) and died in Leipzig (Germany). Mendelssohn’s family was prominent; his father was a banker and his mother was an amateur musician. Mendelssohn’s music education began with his sister Fanny, who taught him how to play the piano, and studied music and composition as a child.
- Mendelssohn composed his first piece at age 11, and at age 12, he was considered a fellow musician, no longer a student, by his theory teacher Carl Zelter, who recognized his tremendous abilities as an artist. Thus, Zelter introduced Mendelssohn to Goethe, the poet, in Weimar. Mendelssohn returned to visit Goethe twice after that, with his sister Fanny, and dedicated his Piano Quartet in B minor to Goethe.
- At age 16, Mendelssohn and his family moved to Berlin; Mendelssohn attended the University of Berlin in 1827. At age 20, Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion, with 400 singers– this was the first performance of the piece since Bach’s death, and renewed interest in his works.
- Afterwards, Mendelssohn embarked on a series of travels throughout Europe, from 1829 – 1833. Mendelssohn particularly enjoyed Italy, with its rich lifestyle and culture; his symphony subtitled ‘Italian’ was inspired by his trip to Italy.
- From 1833 – 1835, Mendelssohn took up a conducting post at Dusseldorf, and lived in Leipzig from 26 until his death. He conducted the Gewandhaus Orchestra, playing pieces by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and more. In 1843, Mendelssohn founded and directed the Leipzig Conservatory
- Mendelssohn composed incidental music during this period, for example A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was occasionally employed by the king as the choirmaster and conductor.
- Mendelssohn married Cécile Jeanrenaud at age 36. Not many details are known about Mendelssohn’s married life, but he seems to have had a happy marriage.
- Mendelssohn died at age 38 after suffering a series of strokes.
- Overtures: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Hebrides Overture, “Fingal’s Cave”
- Oratorios: “Elijah”, “St. Paul”
- Orchestral Works: “Italian”, “Scottish”, “Reformation”
- Piano Works: Songs without Words, op. 1 and 2, Rondo Capriccioso
- Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, The Wedding March
- Concertos: Piano and violin concertos
- Chamber Music: Piano Quartet in B minor, Piano Trio in D minor, Octet for Strings
Inspiration & Contributions
- Mendelssohn was influenced by Bach’s fugal complexity, as he revived Bach’s works more than one century after the composer’s death.
- Haydn’s development of form.
- Mozart’s flair for drama.
- Beethoven’s attention to instrumentation and detail.
- Mendelssohn enjoyed the stand-alone concert overture, which Liszt later developed into the symphonic tone poem.
- Because Mendelssohn believed that music should be interpreted by the listener, his works do not have descriptive titles and are non-programmatic, e.g. Songs Without Words.
- Delicate, elf-like melodies or long, lyrical melodies which follow Classical views of balance and proportion.
- Mostly used Classical forms with nnovations, for example omitting the break between movements in Violin Concerto in E minor.
- Often used non-programmatic titles to allow the listener to interpret his music.
- Rhythms are usually less complicated than those used by other composers such as Brahms and Chopin.
- Rarely used chromaticism– harmony was Classical in style.
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Youth Orchestras of Namibia (YONA) is inspired by the El Sistema movement (a system which has been activating social change through music since 1975, originating in Venezuela and now a worldwide movement).
Youth Orchestras of Namibia (YONA) is a movement with the vision to transform the lives of youth through music. YONA’s mission is to provide an intensive music program that develops a sense of belonging, teaches the importance of teamwork and a strong work ethic, and promotes self-confidence and good citizenship. The overarching principle is to advance children first and music second.Read More
In classes, where all children are welcome, they learn so much more then just to strike the right note.
Since its founding in 1975, Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs, called “El Sistema” has used music education as a vehicle for social change.
It cultivates an ‘affluence of spirit’ which today brings hope, joy and positive social impact to 400,000 children and their families and communities throughout the country. Its founding principles include a team-based approach to collective, cooperative education characterized by trust, discipline, empathy, commitment, structure, and support for self-esteem.
This unprecedented success has inspired hundreds of similar programs which serve an estimated one million children in at least sixty countries around the world.
Childen aged 8 to 12 of the Los Chorros núcleo in Northern Caracas perform Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9
Venezuela is a country of over 31 million people, with a population density of 33.75/km2. It is the most urbanised country in South America, and there is a large gap between rich and poor people.
Namibia, which has only 2.1 million people, has a population density of only 2.54/km2. Namibia also struggles with poverty, crime and domestic violence, and there is also here is a huge gap between rich and poor. It should therefore follow that Namibia could benefit tremendously by a movement like El Sistema.Read More
Passionate teachers like Gretel Coetzee give their best to carry their students away
G. R. Coetzee
S. N. Saayman


Like ponds and lakes, the ocean regions are separated into separate zones: intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic. Plant species adapted to the very moist and humid conditions are called hydrophytes. What is a Biome? The intertidal zone is most commonly know as the tidal zone. The marine biome is by far the largest.
5 Ways That Climate Change Affects The Ocean, From Sea Rise To Altering Currents. Keep Trash Out Of The Ocean.
Global Action for Trash Free Seas. LOCATION: The marine biome is the biggest biome in the world! It covers about 70% of the earth. It includes five main oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic,.
The pelagic zone is generally cold though it is hard to give a general temperature range since, just like ponds and lakes, there is thermal stratification with a constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currents.
Coral Reefs Coral reefs are usually found in shallow, warm waters. EPA - Marine Ecosystems. What best describes you? Your answer is required.
Biomes of the World Aquatic
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|The ocean is more salty in tropical areas because the Sun evaporates more of the water there leaving more salt in the ocean.
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Video: Specific marine biomes facts The Ocean Biome
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Video: Specific marine biomes facts Marine Biome
There are two major aquatic or water biomes, the marine biome and the freshwater biome. The marine biome is primarily made up of the saltwater oceans. Facts About the Marine Biome. Over 90% of the life on. Some believe that the ocean biome is in fact the oldest of all biomes.
Majority of the animals and plants that reside in the ocean biome exist in areas of the ocean.
The ocean biome is divided into vertical zones the sunlit zone, the twilight zone and the midnight zone based on how much sunlight they receive. Instead, they have fur more dense than any other mammal, with up to one million hairs per square inch. Majority of the animals and plants that reside in the ocean biome exist in areas of the ocean that are rarely visited by people.
What Are Interesting Facts About the Marine Biome Sciencing
There are also different types of freshwater and saltwater habitats. The mixing of fresh and salt water creates a unique salt concentration that is found nowhere else in the world. One type of marine algae is kelp. Marine Biomes.
The Aquatic Biome
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|With knowledge and understandingyou will be able to help save our threatened oceans.
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Although water temperatures can vary widely, aquatic areas tend to be more humid and the air temperature on the cooler side. Here temperature decreases as depth increases toward the abyssal zone, since light cannot penetrate through the deeper water. Upgrade to Premium to add all these features to your account!
Learn facts about the ocean biome as well as the plants and sea creatures that live in made up of plants and animals that can survive in a certain environment.
Ocean Biome Facts
A common belief is that the ocean biome was the first one to exist. a debated fact, you can't help but recognize the importance of the ocean biome. within the ocean biome, it has been classified as its own specific biome.
Coral reefs are home to some of the largest diversity of marine species anywhere on the planet.
The videos on Study. Oceans Ocean biomes are the largest of all the biomes. Dive and Discover. Like this lesson Share. Kelp is also used by humans for many products, including toothpaste and ice cream.
Science for Kids Marine or Ocean Biome
The pelagic zone includes those waters further from the land, basically the open ocean.
Specific marine biomes facts
|The ocean is made of saltwater.
Cold water is moving in from the poles while warm water is moving in from the tropics. Some say that the ocean contains the richest diversity of species even though it contains fewer species than there are on land. The top layer is called the euphotic zone and it is the area of the ocean where light can penetrate.
The temperature of this zone changes frequently due to the constant mixing of cold and warm ocean currents. Kelp is important because it provides shelter and food for a lot of sea creatures.


PK/TK Resources for Visual & Performing Arts
These resources are wonderful ways to give your child a break daily!
- Choose a game from New York Philharmonic Game Zone
- Make a rhythm wand to twirl while you are listening to your favorite music.
- Make musical instruments with simple materials from your home: cardboard, rice, etc.
- National Association for Music Education
- Music and Songs has multilingual options
- Make instruments
- Try making Homemade clay (Spanish option)
- 10 Creative Clay Craft Ideas for Kids.
- Try following this art lesson for drawing a Rainbow lollipop.
- Go Noodle
- Do the Freeze Dance
- Check out: Ms Mitchell’s Dance Channel Be sure to try the “Brain Dance” you find there!
- Indoor Recess
- Act out your favorite part of one of the stories you read or listened to today with someone who’s home with you.
- Select and activity from Drama Kids to play together.


“Being able to effectively evaluate a child’s rate of progress is essential for teachers, so they can identify where more support is required,” says Ms Parata.
“There has been a gap in our understanding of progress and achievement in years 9 and 10. The Learning Progression Frameworks (LPF) that I’m launching today fills that gap, supporting teachers’ understanding of how their students are progressing in those two years.”
The LPF acts as a guide, providing examples of student work to illustrate the significant steps that students need to take as they develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Interactive modules are also provided to take teachers through how to use the LPF to support teaching and learning.
“When we trialled the LPF teachers and leaders who used it said it raised their expectations for literacy teaching and learning in years 9-10.
“That shows this tool will have a real impact, strengthening literacy and numeracy teaching and learning across the curriculum,” says Ms Parata.
The LPF is now available to all primary and secondary schools as an online resource. The frameworks build on those already developed for the Progress and Consistency Tool which covers curriculum levels 1 to 4. The new resources mean curriculum levels 1-5 are now covered.
As part of the LPF an app has also been developed. The app contains the Reading Writing and Maths illustrations for years 1-8 and years 9-10 will be added in term 4.
“I’m delighted the app is already proving popular, having been downloaded more than a thousand times since it was piloted earlier in the year,” says Ms Parata.
“Every child is entitled to build their literacy and numeracy skills so they can engage in the rich learning opportunities at school and kura.
“The LPF is yet a further tool with which teachers can support them on their education journey.”
Notes to Editors
For more information, and to watch a video about why the Learning Progression Frameworks have been developed and how they work, please visithttps://lpf.education.govt.nz/
The Learning Progressions app can be downloaded from iTunes or Google Play:


Catholic Arts Education originates with the recognition that each of us has the capacity for thinking and living artistically. It is based on the belief that God has endowed each of us with talents and gifts which God expects us to develop and use to the best of our ability. Through our artistic endeavors we become active participants in continuing God’s creation in ourselves and in our society.
Arts Education is an essential part of the school curriculum. It allows the child to express him/herself aesthetically, balancing the intellectual side of the brain with the artistic side of the brain. As a universal language, music and art can be interpreted and understood to some extent by all children.
Through art and music education, teachers and students can come to identify their talents and gifts, and respond to the beauty of God’s world. They can learn to appreciate the creative talents of artists in many places, cultures, and time periods.