The Reggio Emilia model was developed to provide a unique approach to early childhood learning and education. First originating in Reggio Emilia, Italy, this way of teaching has been adopted throughout schools all over the United States. Typically applied to preschools and early childhood settings, the basic principles of Reggio Emilia can be implemented in the home as well. If you are interested in learning more about this approach to early childhood education, the fundamental principles are as follows:
- Children can construct their learning. Children are driven primarily by their interests and utilizing these, we can help them understand and know even more in a way that is catered specifically to each individual.
- Children learn their place in the world through interactions. The Reggio Emilia model focuses heavily on social collaboration, encouraging children to work in groups and develop knowledge through communicating with others.
- A childâs environment is also their teacher. A child learns just as much from the environment they are in as they do from their parents and teachers. Providing a creative, nurturing environment for a child to play and learn will only increase the amount of knowledge they take in.
- The adult is their guide. The Reggio Emilia approach is very much child-led, and it is up to the adults in their lives to help guide them towards a path of learning and creativity.
- Document your childâs thoughts. Children are inspired to make their ideas visible in many different ways, from taking photographs to writing to painting. The Reggio model puts great focus on documenting these thought progressions as your child learns.
- Children have many languages. Children utilize many different ways to communicate their thoughts and feelings and to express themselves. The Reggio Emilia approach focuses on encouraging children to explore all of these various aspects and learn how to communicate not only through speech but art and play as well.


The New York State Education Department (NYSED)âs Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework says âCulturally responsive education is about teaching the students in front of you. To do this requires that one work to get to know their students and develop meaningful relationships.â NYSEDâs framework offers this clear guidance. Those of us who do the work of teaching or supporting foundational skills for reading know that a set of instructional materials that offers explicit and systematic instruction and practice is a critical support for this work. With these two important ideas in mind, we set off to learn from and with teachers about the ways in which an orientation to culturally responsive-sustaining education intersects with instructional materials in the early reading classroom.
How better to learn about this intersection than directly from practicing teachers? To do this work, we partnered with colleagues at Teaching Lab to create space for a teacher community of practice. We focused on the Core Knowledge Language Arts skills curriculum, and recruited four teachers to join us in the following goals:
Consider: Explore the relationship and intersectionality of foundational skills and culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE), including how materials like Core Knowledge Language Arts support or detract.
Learn: Build a shared understanding of CRSE and its importance within instruction and the classroom.
Act: Bring the ideas and content we explore into your respective classrooms and consider how they can be sustained over time.
Share: Document and share your work with our community of practice.
To begin this work, we sat down with each of our teachers (Bianca Baquerizo, Danielle Goins, Tassia Rosa, and Kareba Williams) to learn about their classroom, their school settings, and the way in which they approached foundational reading and culturally responsive pedagogy. We found that while there was not one shared definition at work across these four different classrooms, the teachers had an orientation towards building a strong class community, listening to and adapting for their students, and monitoring student academic progress. We also found they faced some common challenges, including a concern about students who needed more time and support falling behind due to the pacing of instruction.
We convened our community of progress to learn from one another. We used NYSEDâs framework to build a shared understanding of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education. The teachers reflected on how their instructional materials both supported and hindered these goals. It was clear that while, at times, bolder moves were needed to adapt instruction, often small tweaks or adjustments at the student and lesson level could allow teachers to make use of the supports the materials offered while making meaningful adaptations. To make these kinds of adaptations concrete, we made use of the concept âAdd, Adjust, or Substituteâ to name the teacher moves that could support two key areas of the classroomâpursuit of a Welcoming and Affirming Environment, and Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment. Here are some examples of the work done with these goals in mind.
Teaching the foundational skills for reading to our youngest learners is rewarding, challenging, and incredibly important work. Letâs ensure that teachers have instructional materials that support them, and the agency and support they need to plan, execute, and adapt to make these lessons rich and relevant for the unique needs of the children in their classrooms.


What does my child learn in preschool?
Language and literacy development helps your child understand and communicate through listening, talking, reading, and writing. Our program will help your child develop communication skills to learn new concepts. Zoo Phonics is used to help teach letter names and letter sounds. Handwriting Without Tears is a developmentally appropriate program we use to introduce writing.
Our preschool programs utilize a variety of manipulatives, games, problem solving, and more, to practice and learn skills necessary for math proficiency in kindergarten. Teachers encourage math learning by
- Providing materialsâblocks, buttons, acornsâto count, sort, compare, and make patterns
- Talking about math and pointing out numbers
- Asking children to explain what they noticed or how they solved a problem
- Encouraging children to measure and compare objects and shapes
- Providing tools for children to record data
âFine motorâ refers to the movements we make with the small muscles of the hands. Children start to use their hands right at birth to explore their own bodies and the world around them. Their fine motor skills develop as their whole body starts to move and become more stable. These skills help develop independence (zipping, tying, buttoning) and also develop writing skills. Our preschoolers have many opportunities to develop their fine motor skills as our teachers provide activities such as manipulating tweezers, tearing paper, playing with play dough, drawing, writing, cutting, and more.
Social Development helps your child understand how to interact and get along with others. Our teachers help model this by teaching children how to problem solve and make positive choices . By playing and learning together, children build their social skills, language skills, and self-control. We provide children the tools to learn to resolve conflicts that may come up during play.
Emotional Development lets your child understand his feelings and the feelings of others. Teachers help children recognize and manage their own feelings and behavior. They also teach children to show concern for others. To build self-esteem, teachers encourage children to try new things and keep working at hard tasks.
Physical development is the way your child moves their arms and legs (large motor skills) and fingers and hands (small motor skills). Teachers help children learn these skills by offering different physical activities and equipment. Children run, jump, climb, throw, and catch. Using their hands, they explore materials like paints, playdough, puzzles, sand, and writing utensils of varying sorts. By using their bodies actively both indoors and outdoors, children build healthy bones and muscles.
Cognitive development happens as children learn to think more complexly, make decisions, and solve problems. As young children explore, ask questions, and create, they improve their thinking skills. Reflecting on and using information lets your child understand the world around them. A positive approach to learning is also an important part of developing their thinking skills. We encourage children to participate in group times, retell stories, and attend and engage in activities.


What is causing this decline? There are many contributing factors. As a music educator, I am a firsthand witness to one of these factors, so it is the one I will write about. Music in our schools is under attack. I happen to teach in NY state, so the facts I am discussing pertain to NY State schools (but I'm sure other states have similar situations).
The actual NY State mandates for music education are very limited. The elementary school music mandate could be fulfilled by the classroom teacher conducting a musical activity in class. Most schools go above and beyond the mandate because having a good music program makes the district more desirable. However, the constant threat of program cuts places and enormous burden on music teachers and administrators to validate their programs.
This minimal mandate by the state makes it difficult to win a validity argument based in the internal value of the subject. The state has already place a low value on the subject of music based on the low mandate of required teaching. Music education professionals often use the link between music and other subjects in an attempt to add validity. They will point out the math skills, reading skills, historical facts, and study skills that are covered in music. In their minds, Pulling from the weight of these other subject adds validity to the subject of music.
However, this mindset detracts for the inherent value of music as a subject of its own. Teachers are forced to include cross-curriculum planning in every lesson. This leaves less time for focusing on the artistic and performance aspects of music. Common core and APPR have only expounded on this dilemma. Along with the additional material, band and orchestra teachers are being given less time for their pull-out lessons. Teachers are forced to employ any means necessary to pull-off a good concert.
This scenario results in us raising a generation that has a different outlook on music. None of these students get to experience music as a form of art and expression while in school. As they mature and enter the workforce the definition of music is reshaped. Those who follow other career paths are the new spectators of music. The criteria that drive them to purchase singles, albums and concert tickets are different from past spectators. They do not look for deep forms of artistic expression, because they were never taught how to appreciate the artistic value of music. This shift affects the sales data, and ultimately the type of music that producers aim to sell.
In addition, those in the future generation who go on to create and perform music have a limited education and outlook compared to the musicians of the past. Many see music as an extra-curricular activity that can easily be pursued with minimal effort. Only the upper percentile with high levels of natural talent and inner drive go on to create music with artistic value. They are booked for the few elite performance venues available. Venues of lower artistic value are swamped by low level performers who are willing to play for little or no money. The rest of the musicians who fall in the middle are left with no opportunities.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many reasons why music as a form of art and expression is declining in value. However, I think the decline of music education in our schools is definitely a contributing factor. We may be teaching the next Beethoven, Mozart, Beetle or Elvis. The course of that individuals future may very well be shaped by the music education that he/she and his/her future audience receives. If we could get rid of all the political nonsense and come back to teaching music for music's sake, imagine the impact that would result.


GEOCAP is a bilateral program between Indonesia and the Netherlands that has been running since 2013 as a public-private partnership involving universities, knowledge institutes and companies from both countries. The prime objective of GEOCAP was to contribute to the development and uptake of geothermal resources in Indonesia particularly in the new to be developed areas outside of Java. For this purpose an elaborate and advanced state-of-the-art training and research program has been developed focusing on issues related to exploration, production, governance, legislation and environmental issues involving the full chain from exploration through project development to exploitation. This focused not only on energy generation but also on direct use applications of geothermal resources. Within the 8 targeted training work packages, training materials were developed and subsequently train-the-trainer workshops were given to empower the next generation of geothermal tutors with state-of-the-art education materials. These were used to assist universities, technical and vocational education and training centres to develop their curricula in geothermal. Research has been focused on real-world problem solving in the context of uptake of geothermal resources in Indonesia. This Handbook is a preliminary version of an education package that will be provided in fall of 2018 for geothermal training institutes to be used to develop and enhance their curricula.
This results of the project is presented in this handbook based on their themes. There are seven themes included in this book
The bigger picture of all this effort is combating climate change in response to agreements made in Paris in COP21. Our climate is changing, global temperatures are rising, more frequent and severe hydro-meteorological disasters occur as a result of atmospheric CO2 emissions in large related to fossil fuel burning. Energy transition to renewables is one way to mitigate this and reverse the trend. Besides hydro, solar and wind energy, geothermal energy generated from the natural heat of the earth is an potential source of renewable energy. This is largely confined to areas with high heat flows which are typically areas in geologically active zones such as the subduction zone of Indonesia is.
Indonesia is in the worldâs top ten of geothermal energy producers and in the top ten of countries in terms of geothermal resources. Only a fraction of the resource is currently being exploited but the government has a strong policy in place to boost that development. This training Handbook could serve as a catalyser for curriculum development in geothermal, it also may serve as a resource providing a state of the art overview of our collective Indonesian-Netherlands knowledge on geothermal development, it may serve as a means of informing policy makers on the doâs and donâtsâ of geothermal exploration and it may serve as a means to promote geothermal energy development to the broader public.


Spelling made F-U-N!
Words provides on-screen clues to mystery words. Students use letter tiles to spell their answers. Designed to feel like a challenging game, Words is a powerful tool to differentiate instruction. Head over to myOsmo and download any of the puzzle albums built by our community. Also, customizing Words to get students interact with class material in an exciting and engaging way.
Develops the foundational skills surrounding letter recognition and decoding. As they gain proficiency and confidence, students are required to spell progressively challenging words.
Connects images to words and supports the creation of customizable albums of words and images.
26 blue letter tiles
26 red letter tiles
Learn More with
digital Expansion Bundle
Level up student's math and literacy skills over 6 digital expansion games. Designed to be compatible with the Words & Numbers Tiles!Explore
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It is always good to read that researchers have found ways in which music benefits brain development, spatial reasoning, language acquisition, and other areas of learning. Such studies have often been sited by music education advocates in defense of maintaining or even expanding music programs in schools. Work has also been done on integrating common core standards into music instruction by fashioning language arts and math objectives into music objectives, making it possible to claim that music teachers are supporting common core. While neither brain research nor utilizing common core in music instruction should be ignored, one area that has not been given much attention but which music educators are perhaps pre-eminent experts is practice.
The very nature of performing arts education demands practice and rehearsal to achieve excellence in performing specific musical works. From the outset, repertoire is selected, and students rehearse in full ensembles, practice in small group lessons, and practice individually outside the classroom setting. Students proceed through each type of rehearsal or practice with clear goals in mind, which may be to improve a specific aspect of performance, such as tone, rhythmic precision, or expressivity, and with specific strategies to achieve those goals, such as to keep the pulse steady throughout, or to infuse the sound with more air to improve tone. Such strategies are measurable and well suited for learning and improvement.
The strength in all of this is that there is ample opportunity, indeed requirement, for practice, and that is directed at things that are clearly stated, easily observable, measureable, and a manageable portion of the overall process of performing music. This last point is key. One of the values of practice is that component skills of a process can be isolated and worked on in a way that they cannot in a performance. When musicians perform, they bring technique, tone, interpretation, and contextual knowledge to bear on the performance, but they do not have the opportunity to improve on these individually. Every student in every discipline needs to practice every skill and process in order to learn every thing that might be taught in school, or for that matter anywhere else. The key is to have students practice the right thing the right way. The two things that matter are what is practiced and how it is practiced.
This is the great lesson teachers in other subjects can learn from music teachers. They can first learn to ask the question, âwhat skills go into a student being able to do what Iâm asking him or her to do? How can I design practice activities so that one or more of these skills is easily observable and measureable? Once a student has succeeded in doing what Iâve asked him or her to do, do I give the student opportunities to continue to practice so that he or she becomes better at the things he or she is already good at?â To this last point, it is important to remember that if we stop practicing once we âget it,â then we never develop past a novice level of proficiency, and discourage attaining excellence. It is better to do a few things excellently than to do many things adequately. Music teachers know how to isolate skills, practice areas of weakness, and practice beyond initial proficiency and on to excellence.
There are not many things in life that can be stated so emphatically as the necessity of practice. The fact is we are constantly practicing things, whether we mean to or not. Every time we do anything, we are practicing it and all of the skills that go into doing it. That is both the power and the danger in practicing. If we are not intentional and focused about what we are practicing, then It is just as likely that we are practicing the wrong thing as the right thing. A person who misuses a word in a sentence fifty times has practiced using that word, but only learned through practice to use it wrongly. Those who practice two or more digit addition but forget to carry to the next column have practiced addition, but only learned through practice to add incorrectly. Without practice carrying to the next column or using the word correctly, a person will continue to improve at making those errors, and will not improve in writing or adding, no matter how long they practice. The way music educators teach students to practice needs to come out of the practice rooms and rehearsal halls and into the academic classrooms. Music teachers for their part need to be sure attention is paid to designing practice that is focused and measureable, and to use feedback obtained from assessments to drive student improvement.


Prader Willi Syndrome
What is Prader Willi Syndrome?
Prader Willi is a genetic condition characterized by unexpressed or deleted genes. Specifically, the seven abnormal gene expression in chromosome 15 result in problems with physical development. Prader Will also affects cognitive development, appetite, and general behavior.
In fact, an overwhelming appetite is one of the most distinguishing signs of Prader Willi Syndrome. Unfortunately, the never-ending hunger can lead to severe obesity in young children. It affects children of all genders, causing them to eat more than average for their age and size.
Growth Hormone for Prader Willi
HGH is a critical hormone for regulating homeostasis in development throughout the body. It helps muscle, bone, and organs grow normally, and maintaining adequate levels of human growth hormone can counteract some of the symptoms of Prader Willi.
Symptoms from age 0 to 12 months old:
Newborns with Prader WIlli are typically much lighter than others. They also suffer from incredibly weak muscles that makes it hard to suckle, leading to malnutrition and even greater weight loss. Their features include almond-shaped eyes, a small mouth with thin upper lip, narrow temples, and underdeveloped genitalia. They might have signs of depigmentation in the eyes and skin, and/or develop crossed or non-uniform eyes. Finally, they may respond less to stimulation, look exhausted, and exhibit a weak cry.
Symptoms from 1 Year Old to Young Adulthood:
Hypogonadism and hyperphagia tend to emerge around age two. Hyperphagia is the abnormal appetite linked to obesity, while hypogonadism come from little hormonal production in the sex organs. Females might never experience menstruation, and testes might not descend in males.
Other symptoms include:
- Stunted growth
- Weak muscles
- Small physical features
- Learning disabilities
- Delayed motor skill development
- OCD, personality disorders, depression, and other behavioral disorders
- Sleep issues
- Low skin and hair
- A high pain threshold
Prader Willi Syndrome comes from a genetic abnormality in chromosome 15 that affects the hypothalamus. An abnormally functioning hypothalamus leads to severe hunger and thirst and damaged growth and sexual development.
Genetic testing known as methylation is the standard form of diagnosis. Contact a doctor to get your child tested for Prader Willi Syndrome.
Although thereâs no known cure, human growth hormone therapy can help manage the symptoms. HGH reduces body fat and facilitates normal growth. Other approaches include nutritional therapy or supplementation, which can also take place alongside HGH therapy.
FDA Approved Usage
HGH (Human Growth Hormone) or Somatropin has been approved to treat this condition.
For more information visit the FDA official site here.


MBIS Preschoolers celebrated âOutdoor Classroom dayâ on the12th of October, 2017 with the rest of the world. We were immensely proud to be a part of this global campaign which was observed in India for the first time this year.
This was a powerful sensory experience of learning and creating lasting memories for learners, both children and adults alike. The experiences not only helped the children connect with nature and build a greater awareness of the environment but provided opportunities to think independently and creatively. The many different activities planned for the day challenged ideas and views, indulged our senses and helped us discover new ideas. The open spaces that we shared with others made us think about being mindful of how we interact with resources, people and other living beings and how to make responsible choices.
One of the stations was making âan invisibility potionâ, inspired by a book by Lauren Child, âSlightly Invisibleâ. The children were challenged to make their own version of an invisibility potion with materials from nature: water, flowers, leaves, spices, ground cinnamon, turmeric, and of course the magic ingredient, âglitterâ in various colours. The potion station was visited by many and it was magical to observe their ideas evolve as they began experimenting with different ingredients. The potions that were created were as unique as the individuals themselves; from the shape and size of the bottles they chose, to the colours and smells that were added, as well as the stories behind their creations. By the end of the day, we had a collection of potions not only for making someone invisible but for many other purposes. âAlien potionâ was one among many that captured a lot of attention. Imagine, the adventures that one can have as an alien, by merely taking a sip of the potion!
Cooking offers children a variety of learning experiences and lifetime skills. The Barbecue Station was organised for the children to have a hands on experience and the joys of outdoor cooking while promoting healthy food choices. It was popular with the children and our special visitors. The children were engaged in helping to start the fire and keep the fire going. Each item in the barbecue stand had a price to be paid in sticks, leaves and stones. The children read the pictorial menu and went looking for the number of leaves, stones and sticks that they would need to pay for their item. They had the opportunity to grill whatever they had paid for- corn, pineapple or marshmallows. It was an endeavor that children were enthusiastic to undertake.
We also witnessed a large group of nature enthusiasts who went around hunting for bugs in the garden. They looked very professional carrying clipboards and checklists, binoculars, magnifying glasses and a camera as they searched for bugs in the garden. Some decided to work in pairs, others in small groups and a few individually, but each one of them worked responsibly. They found many butterflies, spiders, ants, birds and even earthworms. It was an experience that has helped develop literacy and numeracy skills in our children besides making them aware of many creatures that we share our spaces with.
The Mud Cafe was another station explored by many creating recipes with natural materials. Kneading mud with our hands, pouring water to get the required consistency of a pie or soup, adding flower petals to decorate and flavour dishes and choosing and using tools for measuring, pouring and moulding are excellent for developing mathematical concepts, vocabulary and motor skills. The children enjoyed making a muddy mess but worked equally enthusiastically as they washed and cleaned pots, pans and other tools after play.
The whole experience was reinforced the next day during a special assembly. Everyone received a certificate of participation from Ms. Helen, of which the children were very proud. We plan to continue and extend these experiences, empower our learners and hopefully inspire others too to explore and enjoy the essence of outdoor play and learning.


By Jâna Jefferson
There was an eruption of culture last Monday night as the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with the Rider community, which enjoyed a night of dance performances by Culture Explosion.
Culture Explosion is a Latin American dance troupe that performs at various venues all over the world. The group also teaches prospective professional dancers.
Juan Calderon, the creator of the group, produced an easy and effective syllabus to teach various styles of dance so that everyone interested was able to participate. Rider students were fortunate enough to watch specialists perform flamenco, bachata, capoeira and salsa, and there was a dance lesson at the end in which the audience was encouraged to participate.
In addition to the dance troupe showing off its unique moves, Calderon provided extensive histories on the different styles of dance, creating an entertaining and educational atmosphere.
âI like to see different things, and he gave a really good background on the dances,â sophomore elementary education major Amber Richter said.
According to Calderon, flamenco dancing has taken on many different forms since its inception in Spain in the 1700s. The dance implements many intricate hand movements and fast spins. The dancer who performed the flamenco did so with a fan and a very lavish outfit. During the routine she exhibited tremendous skill when she used castanets, which are small, shell-like percussion instruments that make clicking noises.
The next dance exhibition was the bachata. Since this form was originally known as the âmusic of sorrows,â the songs used sounded extremely emotional. Calderon assured the audience that many popular songs have a bachata version, including singles by Bruno Mars, Adele and Usher.
âBachata is very versatile,â Calderon said. âItâs a fusion of styles such as bolero, flamenco, even hip-hop.â
The movements of the bachata dance are very slow and sensual at first, but as the rhythm and the beat pick up, so do the leg and foot movements. Yesenia Adame, a five-time veteran of Dancing With The Stars, performed the bachata as well as the salsa. According to Calderon, she has been on the television show more than any other dancer who performs these styles.
The troupe also introduced the audience to a lesser-known style called capoeira. It is a combination of martial arts, acrobatics and dance. This style originated on slave plantations in Brazil as a kind of slave uprising. Calderon called the dance âa legal form of fighting.â Break dancers and hip-hop artists use moves from capoeira, such as freezes, flips and handstands. Males typically perform this dance, but Culture Explosion switched it up by including a very strong female dancer.
âI really liked watching that style,â Richter said. âThere wasnât much actual dancing, but the dancer really showed her strength.â
The salsa, much like the bachata, takes on various forms depending on the place where itâs performed. Slightly different styles are present in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, New York, Miami and Los Angeles for example. This particular salsa dance performance had lifts, slides, drops, kicks and fast, sharp movements.
âThe word âsalsaâ is Spanish for âsauce,â and thatâs exactly what this dance is like,â Calderon said. âThere are different flavors that come together to make a concoction that everyone can enjoy.â
By the end of the performance, Culture Explosion seemed to have successfully entertained the audience while broadening its knowledge about different types of dance to help commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Printed in the 11/30/12 edition


HARLINGEN, RGV- Public Broadcasting Service has released in-depth information outlining how significant its programming can be for developing and enriching the nationâs youth.
Responding to a request for information from the Guardian that verifies its role among its youngest viewers, PBS transmitted numerous reports that show a marked improvement in math, literacy, numeracy and phonics skills.
The Guardian has posted links to those reports.
The role PBS plays in helping with a childâs education has come into sharp focus in the Rio Grande Valley due to the fact that the local PBS station, KMBT-TV, could be sold and âover the airâ PBS programming could be lost. This would impact low-income families the most. It is estimated that one in five viewers of PBS in the Valley watches âover the air,â rather than via cable or satellite.
Translating the data from some of PBSâ most popular programs, children who watched the PBS KIDS preschool series SUPER WHY! scored 46 percent higher on standardized tests than those who did not watch the show.
After viewing episodes of Sesame Street, children increased their ability to articulate scientific concepts by 100 percent.
A recent study found that children who watched episodes of the PBS KIDS series Curious George scored better on a test of the science and math concepts covered than children who did not watch the episodes. The study also found that Curious George enabled parents to become more comfortable helping their children learn science and math.
The majority of parents whose children watched the episodes (86 percent) or read the TV tie-in books (84 percent) reported that Curious George helped them feel more confident that they could help their children learn about science and math.
View the entire report here: www.pbs.org/parents/curiousgeorge/program/research.html)
âThis is the way of the future: harnessing every single resource, both local and national, and every single platform, to serve the American people with quality content,â said PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger at PBS annual meeting in 2013. âFor so many families across the country, we are a window to the world, a path to the future, and a trusted part of their community.â
Recent research studies:
A recent study found that the use of PBS KIDS content in the classroom improves early math skills in preschool children. Key findings of the 2013 study entitled âPreschool Teachers Can Use a PBS KIDS Transmedia Curriculum Supplement to Support Young Childrenâs Mathematics Learning: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trialâ found that
Â· Children who used the PBS KIDS math supplement, which incorporated videos, digital games, interactive whiteboards, laptop computers, teacher support, and hands-on math materials, improved significantly in their understanding of the targeted early mathematics skills compared to the control group.
Â· Children who used the same technology without the integrated math materials did not experience the same learning gains compared to the control.
Â· Teachers who used the math supplement reported significant changes in their confidence and comfort with early mathematics concepts and teaching with technology.
A copy of the study can be found here: http://cct.edc.org/sites/cct.edc.org/files/ms-resources/TransmediaMathStudy_0.pdf)
A study conducted by Education Development Center, Inc. and SRI International demonstrated âmeasurable improvementâ in a preschool childâs literacy skill development when participating in a media-rich PBS KIDS literacy curriculum combined with professional development.
The research evaluated content and interactive games from PBS KIDS series in 80 preschool classrooms with 398 children from low-income families. The curriculum combined teacher training with six different activities, integrating media from PBS KIDS series.
Children who participated in the literacy curriculum outscored children in the comparison curriculum on all five measures of early literacy used in the study. Four of the five differences were significant, including:
â¢ naming letters;
â¢ knowing the sound of letters;
â¢ knowing concepts of story and print; and
â¢ recognizing letters in a childâs own name.
A copy of the study can be found here: http://rtl.cct.edc.org/pdf/RTLEvalReport.pdf)
A study of the Electric Company Summer Program showed kids grew significantly in their knowledge of math vocabulary (41 percent), numeracy skills (20 percent), and phonics skills (17 percent).
A copy of the study can be found here:
The above story was written by Rio Grande Guardian reporter Joey Gomez.


Would you like to better understand dyslexia and how it affects studentsâ reading ability?
There are many reasons why students have difficulty with reading and writing skills. For 10 â 15% of students the cause is dyslexia, a neurobiological learning disability that is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling. This professional development provides the background knowledge about dyslexia that educators need in order to understand why students with dyslexia have difficulty with reading and how to support them in the classroom. Click here to download a printable flyer.
This offering totals approximately 6 hours of professional learning time. Topics include:
- What is dyslexia? one type of specific learning disability, dyslexia defined and myths, signs of dyslexia
- The Reading Brain how the brain learns to read, dyslexia and the brain
- Dyslexia and the Five Components of Reading dyslexia and The Simple View of reading, effects of dyslexia on decoding/vocabulary/comprehension, emotional and motivational consequences, accommodations and modifications
- Screening for Dyslexia screening early, screening vs formal diagnosis, suggested screening battery
- Effective Instruction for Students with Dyslexia early intervention, overview of structured literacy instruction, teaching principles including gradual release, explicit and systematic instruction, differentiation, and scaffolding
- Structured Literacy Instruction â Sounds phonemic awareness, basic routines for blending/segmenting, advanced instruction for phoneme manipulation
- Structured Literacy Instruction â Sound-Symbol Correspondences the alphabetic principle, explicit phonics instruction, teaching letter-sound correspondences, phonics scope and sequence, blending and segmenting activities
- Structured Literacy Instruction â Syllable Types six syllable types, syllable division
- Structured Literacy Instruction â Morphemes prefixes/suffixes/roots, combining syllabication with structural analysis to read multisyllable words
There are multiple formats for participating in this professional development, listed below.
Option 1: Live Training
Participate in live training delivered by Keys to Literacy trainers using a virtual-live format (using Zoom meeting software) or onsite at your school district. We will develop a customized professional development plan to meet your scheduling needs.
Option 2: Online Course
A companion Understanding Dyslexia online course is available that takes approximately 6 hours to complete. It covers the same content as live training. It is an asynchronous course, which means users can log on and off multiple times to complete the course assignments at their own pace. Individual educators can register to take the course, or schools can register groups. Contact us to learn more, or register for the course at our Teachable online school.
Option 3: Facilitated-Online Course
This facilitated online option is for educators who would like to complete the online course and also participate in live, debrief sessions facilitated by a Keys to Literacy trainer. These sessions provide a collaborative opportunity to debrief activities completed during the online course, share ideas for connecting course content to classroom instruction, and have the facilitator answer questions and clarify online course content. In addition to the time spent taking the 6 hour asynchronous course, there are two, one-hour facilitated meetings that are scheduled following a flexible schedule that meets the needs of your school district. Click here for a flyer about the facilitated-online option. Contact us to learn more.
Contact Keys to Literacy to learn how to provide this professional development to educators in your school or organization.
State Specific Approved Versions of the Course
Arizona DOE Approved Version for Dyslexia Designee Training
A customized version of Understanding Dyslexia has been approved to meet the requirements for Understanding and Recognizing Dyslexia (URD) dyslexia designee training. Click here for more details, or contact us.
Oregon DOE Approved Version for Dyslexia Training
A customized version of Understanding Dyslexia has been approved to meet the requirements for Understanding and Recognizing Dyslexia (URD) dyslexia training. Click here for details, or contact us.
Who should participate?
K-5 teachers of any subject, educators who provide support to older, struggling readers, literacy specialists and coaches, and administrators.


Developing a Diversity Lens â Why it Matters
This two-part series will focus on providers building an understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work in the PreK-12 educational settings. Topics covered will allow participants: to assess their own diversity lens; understanding the impact of inequitable, non-diverse and anti-inclusionary practices; and learn of strategies to respond to these practices when encountered.
Part One: The Context of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Perspective Matters
Distance Learning Description: In Part I, participants will examine personal beliefs, assumptions, and behaviors, and reflect on how they influence behaviors in the professional space. Topics to be covered include bias, microaggressions and others.
Part Two: Building a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Space: The Responsibility of Responding: In Part II, through reading, role playing, and reflecting, participants will begin to amass the necessary tools, resources, and understandings towards building awareness, sensitivity, and advocacy both, personally and professionally.
AN Trainer: Cynthia Townsend is the Founder and Director of Ideas, Knowledge & Strategies (IKS) LLC. Cynthiaâs Diversity, Equity and Inclusion background includes topics related to cultural competence in the hiring process and building understanding and responding to microaggressions across â isms. Cynthia holds a BA in Elementary Education; MA in Educational Leadership, Northeastern Illinois University and Ph.D. in Reading, Languages and Literacy from Concordia University in Chicago.
Intended Audience: Emergent and Seasoned Leaders
Cost - FREE
IAN Trainer - Cynthia Townsend is the Founder and Director of Ideas, Knowledge & Strategies (IKS) LLC
IAN Parent Facilitator -


Leaving Certificate Business
Leaving Certificate Business creates an awareness of the importance of business activity and develops a positive and ethical attitude towards enterprise. The learning experiences in business develop studentsâ critical thinking, creative and organisational skills while enhancing literacy and numeracy skills using real-life examples. Business provides students with a learning foundation for a wide range of careers in business, marketing, law, enterprise and management.
7 Units covering : Consumer and Industrial relations conflicts and remedies, Management Skills and Activities, HRM, Insurance and Tax, Finance, Starting a business and expansion, Marketing, Types of Business organisations, Business in the domestic environment, Global Business
Final exam consists of 3 sections :
Section 1: 8 short questions
Section 2 : Applied Business Question (taken from known different units each year)
Section 3 : 4 questions
Who would this subject suit at Leaving Certificate?
The subject is suited to students who are willing to work hard, revise material covered regularly and it caters for all abilities.
Not necessary to write long essays - answers are presented in bullet points in general.
The course content is factual and requires a lot of learning, containing only a few mathematical elements.
Ideally, students would have an interest in business and current affairs and would have an up to date knowledge of the economic environment around them.
There is no need for students to have taken Junior Cycle Business Studies in order to choose Business for their Leaving Cert but it would be a help.
Type of Homework/Projects/Assignments
100% based on final exam.
Homework/assignments/learning is a combination of questions from material studied, case study analysis and comprehension, analysis of relevant current newspaper articles and videos in order to supplement learning and provide examples, exam questions, group work, individual research and enterprise activities e.g. school bank, competitions, quizzes.
Business course supplemented by the use of ICT. The following websites have proven very useful in our exploration of the Leaving Cert Business course:


8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students learn to add decimal numbers with 1 or 2 decimal places. They also learn to determine which numbers to use from a story problem.
Discuss with students that it is important to be able to add decimal numbers with 1 or 2 decimal places because you can then calculate how much something costs for example.
Students practice by setting decimal numbers on the number line. Do this by drawing a line from the decimal number to where it belongs on the number line.
Using the number line, explain how you add decimal numbers with one decimal place together. Show that you leave the first addend (56.2) whole and you split the second addend (31.7) into two parts, 31 and 0.7. Using the number line, add 31 to the first addend. Then add 0.7 on the number line. Next show an alternative method of adding the decimal numbers together. You split the first and second addend into the number before the decimal point, and the number after the decimal point. That means that, with 56.2 + 31.7 you get the addition problems 56+31 and 0.2+0.7. Calculate the answer to both of these problem and then add the two totals together to find your total. Use the next exercise to check that students understand adding decimal numbers with one decimal place. Next tell students how to add decimal numbers with two decimal places. Show the addition problem 42.83 + 27.55. Explain how to solve this problem using both methods used for solving with one decimal place. Check that students understand how to add with two decimal places by doing a few problems together. Make sure to tell students to use the method they like best when solving for the totals.
Next comes an exercise in story form. Using the problem with cola bottles, show which steps they should take to solve a story problem. Have them first determine what kind of math problem it is, then determine which numbers are important to the math problem, then to say or write the problem, and finally to solve the problem. Give another story problem and ask students to solve it using the steps given.
Check that students understand adding decimal numbers with 1 or 2 decimal places by asking the following questions:
- Which methods can you use to solve an addition problem with one or two decimal places?
- Which method do you like best? Why?
- How do you solve a story problem?
- Which steps do you take to solve a story problem?
Students start with an addition problem with a decimal number with one decimal place, then they are given an addition problem with two decimal places, and then they are given a story problem to solve.
Check that students are able to say which method they use to solve adding a decimal number with 1 or 2 decimal places. Also have students explain which steps to take to solve a story problem. Check that students have understood by doing a few problems together. Emphasize that students should use the method they feel most comfortable with. Finally they see a number line with a figure at zero. Have the class come up with a number for the figure to jump to. Repeat this again. Then add those two jumps together.
Example: You first select the frog and jump 0.4. You next select the duck and jump 24.5. As a class you solve 0.4+24.5= 24.9
Students who have difficulty adding decimal numbers with 1 or 2 decimals can practice with putting decimal numbers on the number line. Give the students a decimal number with 1 decimal point and then ask them to add 0.1 each time and draw that on the number line. Also be sure to practice the jump from 0.9 to 1. Once they are comfortable setting decimal numbers with 1 decimal place they can move to decimal numbers with 2 decimal places.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzyâs Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


Students at SHSG are encouraged to develop an appreciation of art and design. They will acquire skills which can be refined and improved upon throughout their time at the school. They will become confident and adventurous artists who can work in a number of different styles, using a variety of techniques and materials to achieve outcomes exceeding those set out by the national curriculum. Through having ideas, exploring concepts, designing, creating and making, the students are guided to work purposefully in a positive environment to produce an original portfolio of art. They will challenge their existing expectations of themselves in order to develop individual strengths. Through taking up opportunities to study for extra qualifications and the Arts Award, students regularly become involved with societies and establishments beyond the school community, and by immersing themselves in cultural experiences studentsâ learning is immersive and of the highest quality. Art education at this school allows for the student artists to fully reach their potential and, most importantly, to develop a love of the subject which will stay with them long after they leave SHSG.
What does it feel like to be a student in the Art Department?
Studying art at Southend High School for Girls is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience; you will develop a deep understanding of the subject in context as well as an individual set of skills and techniques which suits your interests and abilities. This is achieved through dedication, passion and high quality teaching within the department. You will be challenged to explore and experiment with a wide range of art practices and will be encouraged to broaden your horizons both within school and outside of it. Workshops and outreach classes are organised to provide stimulation and new experiences as are residential and gallery trips which also provide inspiration for new and varied projects.
Throughout Key Stage 3 the six elements of art are embedded to create a confidence in the subject. This includes a broad and diverse introduction to the critical and contextual studies which will enhance your interest learning and skillset. A comprehensive foundation of the use of subject specific language is introduced from Year 7 and is an ongoing and important part of our curriculum.
When choosing to continue studying art in KS4 and KS5, you can be assured of your individual passion and creativity being further supported throughout your journey of realisation of intentions. Thorough advice is given with regard to foundation courses, degree courses and future career choices in the creative sector.
Opportunities throughout all key stages include competitions, public displays and exhibitions and the possibility of being submitted for both Arts Awards and extra curricular critical and contextual GCSE and A Level qualifications.
As a student of our subject you will valued supported and guided with one to one tutorials. Your teachers real passion for the art will be evident throughout your time at this school and it is hoped you will develop a life time passion for art.


When I first started homeschooling, I thought that I needed every single resource for every single grade level Iâd ever conceivably teach. Nine years and four children later, I know better.
I was so intent on being âpreparedâ to give my kids the best education I could that I overwhelmed myself by buying ALL the curriculum I could. Most of it ended up in the hallway closet, buried for years. Just opening the closet door sent me into panic mode.
Now Iâm homeschooling as a minimalist, which means using the least amount of resources possible to give my kids a good education. And thanks to the Internet, it really is possible to teach your children at home *well* without turning your house into Harvard.
Hereâs a look at the minimalist fourth grade homeschool curriculum weâre using this year to teach my rising fourth-grader!
Image c/o: seregam / depositphotos
Our Minimalist Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum
This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.
Before you look at the resources below, keep in mind that this is a truly minimalist homeschool curriculum plan. So there are a grand total of eight, count âem, EIGHT items listed.
Of course, weâll be watching educational videos and reading tons of books together this year, but the items listed below make up our core curriculum. And, since my son has ADHD, these are good resources that allow us to take frequent brain breaks and time off as needed.
All-in-One Program: Our comprehensive homeschool program this year is IXL. Itâs an online program that includes practice exercises in ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science for kids K-12. I love it because I can see all the skills for his grade level at a glance and then proceed in the order that works best for us.
To supplement his IXL lessons, weâll be using the following individual subject resources:
ELA: For more specialized lessons in English Language Arts, weâll be adding selected videos from Khan Academy Grammar. Weâll be using the workbook 180 Days of Language for Fourth Grade, which includes practice in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, and the writing process, as the supplement to our grammar videos.
Science: Mystery Science will be our supplemental science program. You can sign up for a free account and get access to some of the units to see how they work. This is an extremely well-crafted science program for elementary students. There are hands-on experiments, lesson plans, and activities that correspond to earth science, biology, space, and more.
Math: I am a huge supporter of online math programs. Theyâre typically short, interactive, and clear. But I also value traditional math education, so weâre using EnVision Math Grade 4 as our math textbook. Rather than focusing on covering the entire book this year, however, Iâll be assigning exercises that correspond to the lessons he covers in IXL. For math warm-up activities each day, weâre using Smartick Math to get some quick practice in the morning.
Social Studies: I really want him to learn more about the countries of the world this year. IXL covers the geographic aspect of these places, but to get a look at the culture and people of other countries, weâll be using the beautiful book Children Just Like Me to see how children all over the world live.
Health: For health, weâll be reading the book Eye Wonder: Human Body by DK Publishing and discussing the importance of nutrition for our body systems.
Art: We got to review the program Sparketh earlier this year and weâll be using that for our year-long art program. The videos are easy to follow and the projects are actually interesting, even to a very active eight-year-old boy!
And thatâs what weâre using for our minimalist fourth grade homeschool curriculum this year! What are you using for fourth grade? Share your picks in the comments!
For more homeschool planning ideas, check out these posts!
And get a look at lots of curriculum resources on my Homeschool Curriculum Choices board on Pinterest!
This post is part of the Back to Homeschool linkup from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read more curriculum choices from our fellow bloggers!


Our new noon hour Lego Club in the Library Learning Commons has attracted a huge following of students and could use some Lego donations to build up our collection!
Toys in the Library?
âPromoting play contributes to early literacy development by increasing attention span, memory, creativity, and language and vocabulary skills. It also lays the foundation for logical mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solvingâthings theyâll carry with them throughout their school years, says âPlay = Learning,â a recent study by Dorothy Singer, a senior research scientist at Yale Universityâs Department of Psychology and Child Study Center.â By Abbe Klebanoff on July 1, 2009 School Library Journal
If you would like more information or wish to donate to the Lego Club please contact Carol Webb in the Turner Valley School Library learning commons.


Resources for the teaching of Art and Social Justice
Through art, ideas, emotions and, in general, a vision of the world around us can be expressed. Likewise, it allows us to transmit the values, ideas and traditions inherent to a culture. As John Ruskin, British writer, art critic, sociologist, artist and social reformer said, âArt is the expression of society.â
As we well know, history is not only written in books or manuscripts, but we can also appreciate it embodied in the various artistic representations produced by humankind since the beginning of time. In addition, art has played an important role in the dissemination of the ideas that gave rise to the various social changes throughout history.
In this sense, the teaching of art is essential and necessary to develop studentsâ critical and reflective thinking about the current reality and the changes that are needed to live in a more just and inclusive society.
However, according to Ãngeles Saura, member of the Chair, âthe possibilities of exercising artistic education for social justice have yet to be developed. Education for Social Justice is education for a society in which rights and duties involve everyone. Art Education for Social Justice places art as a means through which these objectives are achieved â.
Consequently, Art Education teachers have the responsibility and commitment to continue training critical citizens and aware of the urgent need to work for social rights.
Therefore, from the UNESCO Chair in Education for Social Justice we have compiled some resources that can be used in the classroom for the teaching of art and social justice. They can be accessed through our website.
We also encourage you to share your resources and recommendations. To do this, you can send us an email to email@example.com.


Birds of the Amazon taught Villa-Lobos music
Villa-Lobos on a 500 Brazilian cruzados banknote
Primarily self-taught, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887â1959) spent his early years absorbing the styles of Brazilian popular music as a guitarist in street bands.
He left home at age 18 due to his mother opposing his musical choice and wanted him to become a doctor. Instead, he turned to a life of a musical vagabond, playing cello and guitar to support himself while travelling throughout the states of EspÃrito Santo, Bahia, and Pernambuco, absorbing Brazilian folk music and composing his own pieces.
Villa-Lobos said that his first harmony teacher was a map of Brazil, and his life in music has been a reflection of the expansive, explosive cultural, geographical, and musical diversity of his country.
"I learned music from a bird in the jungles of Brazil, not from academies."
His works are constantly criticized, with the common point that Villa-Lobos simply wrote too much music, that he lacked a critical filter which would allow him to hone his craft, and instead gave full rein to his natural musical effulgence.
For example, renowned guitarist John Williams talked about the Guitar Concerto written by Villa-Lobos towards the end of his career:
"...just isn't a very good piece, technically or musically, with its underdeveloped ideas, its sense of being written in a hurry, and its lack of a real relationship between the soloist and the orchestra."
But such critical carping rather misses the point of a musician who, arguably more than any other composer of the 20th century, summed up an entire country in his music.
After becoming the most famous and most avant-garde composer at home, Villa-Lobos happily entered Brazil's national music education project to shape the country's musical identity in its compositions.
Listen to Villa-Lobos' Prelude No. 5 performed by Julian Bream. The piece has subtitle Homenagem Ã  vida social (Homage to Social Life):


Basics of Recording and Creating Music with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)
This page provides resources that the Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education at Arizona State University curates or creates to get started with basics of recording and creating music with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). What is a DAW?
A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an application that allows you to create and record music. You can record and manipulate acoustic and electric sounds and instruments by using digital audio aspects of a DAW. You can also record and manipulate MIDI information.
Why would I want to use a DAW?
A DAW provides people with an immediate way to record and create music. Free and inexpensive DAWs, some of which are web-based allow learners to explore endless possibilities with sound and music. The music literacies that people use with DAWs are not specific to or reliant on staff notation.
What are some DAWs I might want to use?
There are numerous DAWs available and people have their own preferences. It is not possible to include resources on every existing DAW so we will share some resources for DAWs that are more common in music learning and teaching settings as well as those that are low cost or have characteristics that make them well-suited for music learning.
You can start making choices by exploring some of the following DAWs
What do I need to use a DAW?
You can pretty much use any computer and in many cases a mobile device.
To use web-based DAWs you will need to create an account.
Other DAWs will require you to download the application.
If you want to record audio with decent quality, you will also need some type of microphone (and in some cases an audio interface). If you want the experience of playing instruments to create music with MIDI you will need some type of MIDI controller.
Getting Started Making Music with DAWS on the iPad
The following three videos are the result of a collaboration with Pharrell Williamsâ creative collective i am OTHER and the ASU Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education as part of our work on the Save The Music Foundation J Dilla Music Tech Grant. The videos were made possible with the support of AT&T.
Tutorial Videos Script Team: Richard Maxwell, Samuel PeÃ±a, Joe Ramalho, T R U V O N N E, and Tom Wilson with Steve Holley as Project Coordinator and Evan Tobias as Project Lead.
Getting Sound In
This video outlines the basics of getting sound into Garageband and Soundtrap on an iPad.
This Video Includes Information On:
0:19 â Getting Started Making Beats
0:48 â Check out the loops
1:23 â Adding instrument tracks
2:16 â Connecting a MIDI controller
2:30 â Try recording a bass line
3:09 â Want to add a vocal to your song? Try Connecting a Microphone!
3:53 â Recording Your Vocal
4:11 â Donât like how you sounded? Thatâs okay! You can cut, copy, paste and edit everything that you recorded.
4:39 â You can record other instruments and most digital audio workstations give you pre-made track templates for pretty much anything you want to record.
4:54 â Express yourself, experiment, and explore. Most importantly, have fun!
Making Recordings Sound Better
This video demonstrates some basic techniques you can use to make recordings sound better by mixing the different elements through adjusting the volume, changing the balance by panning, and finally, polishing the tracks by adding equalizer, reverb, and other effects.
This video includes information on:
0:17 â Accessing the control panel
0:41 â Volume
1:12 â Panning
1:43 â Reverb
2:22 â Equalizer
2:57 â Other effects
3:44 â Good ideas matter
4:00 â Enjoy what you create!
Making Beats Sound Better
This video demonstrates some approaches to creating a vibe, organizing and developing your music, and making beats sound better.


EDUCATION IN LUKAVAC IN THE PERIOD 1945-1953Journal: Historijski pogledi//Historical Views (Vol.I, No. 1)
Publication Date: 2018-10-30
Authors : SEMIR HADÅ½IMUSIÄ;
Page : 218-241
Keywords : Lukavac; Poljice; SmoluÄa; education; elementary schools; working schools;
To present opportunities in Lukavac education in the period 1945-1953. means talking about primary education, first of all about four-year, and later also eight-year elementary schools, for the reconstruction of school facilities, education and training of personnel for the needs of the economy, links between education and culture, and other similar issues. In Lukavac old schools are being rebuilt and new schools are being raised. The inclusion of pupils in elementary education in this period was considerably higher than before. In addition to regular classes, schools participate in organized work on the literacy of the population through analytical courses. The school becomes the center of both educational and cultural life. The cultural function of the school is particularly prominent in rural areas, where educational workers were the main bearers of the cultural life of the village.
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Last modified: 2021-01-27 21:31:14


What are Lifelong Learning Skills and Why Do They Matter?
College and career readiness and success requires that students are prepared to engage productively with academic and workplace demands. This means that students are both able to accomplish various academic and career tasks, and are able to develop their abilities and adapt in response to various challenges. To do this, students must:
- Become proficient in the academic and career skills required of them; and
- Master the foundational skills that support continuous progress in learning and working.
At a time when rigorous content standards and evaluations of teacher and student performance are on the rise, it is especially pertinent and critical to ensure that teachers and education leaders attend to the foundation for learning and working. Education researchers have identified the components of that foundation as a collection of skills commonly referred to as Lifelong Learning Skills. These skills are also known as 21st Century Skills, Hard-to-Measure Skills, Employability Skills, and Skills for Deeper Learning.
Lifelong Learning Skills (LLS) are a group of cognitive, personal, and interpersonal skills that enable students to both acquire and act on knowledge. These skills can be integrated throughout the curriculum and/or supported through low-cost interventions. LLS are discretely identifiable and measureable, and assessments are being developed to evaluate them. These skills are increasingly being validated as predictors of academic achievement and postsecondary and career performance. Ensuring that LLS are prioritized in college and career readiness initiatives can powerfully impact the success of those same initiatives.
Incorporating Lifelong Learning Skills into Policy
In order to inform policymakers and state education agencies about the importance of Lifelong Learning Skills, the College and Career Readiness and Success (CCRS) Center released a new policy brief on April 23, 2015 titled, Lifelong Learning Skills for College and Career Readiness: Considerations for Education Policy. In it, policymakers and education leaders will find:
- Key takeaways from the research on Lifelong Learning Skills (LLS)
- Policy considerations related to Lifelong Learning Skills
- Guidance for how to use the annotated bibliography
- A sample review of LLS assessments
The brief is designed to help states and districts develop and support a rationale for integrating LLS into their college and career readiness (CCR) strategy. Key information from LLS research is presented in an easy-to-use chart and organized by LLS cluster. The policy recommendations are also presented in a quick-reference chart, following the four strands of the CCRS Organizer.
For more information about lifelong learning skills and how to incorporate them into your state or district policies, or if you would like to request technical assistance from the CCRS Center, please email us at email@example.com.
Michael McGarrah is the project manager for the College and Career Readiness and Success Center.


G-9417 Gending Rare â Childrenâs Songs and Games from Bali, Brent C. Talbot, softcover
This delightful collection of childrenâs folksongs and games from Bali is perfect for elementary classrooms exploring cultural traditions from around the world.
The collection includes:
An introductory booklet containing:
- A colorful map of Bali
- A description of the island of Bali and its people
- A description of the context and historical background of the project
- A guide to reading titilaras nding-ndong notation (the notation system used in Bali)
- A pedagogical guide for creating lesson plans
- Biographies of the author, collaborator, composer, and illustrators
Thirteen song booklets (10 for songs with games, 3 for songs without games). Each song booklet includes:
- A beautifully illustrated cover by Balinese artists
- A description of the song and how it is related to daily life in Bali
- A description of how to play the game
- The song notated in Titilaras Nding-Ndong notation
- The lyrics in Basa Bali (the language spoken in Bali) and a transliteration in English
- An arrangement of the song by famed Balinese composer, Ketut Gede Asnawa. Each arrangement is notated in Western notation and can be performed on gamelan (the instrumental ensemble most common in Bali) or on classroom Orff instruments.
A build-your-own shadow puppet kit containing three puppets (Arjuna, Krishna, and the Kayon) that you can color, cut out, and assemble on your own.
Access to multimedia including:
- High definition videos of Balinese children playing the games
- High definition videos of Balinese children singing the songs
- High definition videos of Balinese children pronouncing the lyrics
- Audio recordings of gamelan
- Photographs of Bali
Brent C. Talbot travels the globe researching how music is learned and taught in various cultural contexts. He is the coordinator of music education at Gettysburg College and the founding director of Gamelan Gita Semara.
Made Taro is a master teacher, storyteller, and writer of Balinese songs, games, and culture. He has collected over 250 childrenâs songs and games from across Bali and has written over 30 books. Taro is the founder of Sanggar Kukuruyuk, a childrenâs program for storytelling, singing, and playing featured in the videos associated with this book.
Ketut Gede Asnawa is a renowned composer, performer, and scholar of Balinese music. Asnawa serves on the faculty in the School of Music at the University of Illinois in Urbana and created the instrumental arrangements in this book.
The Bali-Based graphic design studio neverlandART was founded in 2005 by graduates of the Indonesia Institute of Art in Denpasar. The talented Mangkoe and Ajik created the artwork found throughout this book.
Categories: Children and Youth, Choral/Vocal


National Achievement Surveys NCERT: 2017 & 2021
Despite significant achievement in the filed of school education in India over a period of time, quality of education, in terms of students achievement is still a major area of concern because of which all programmes of Government of India, including the flagship Samagra Shiksha/Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan centered around improving quality of education. Traditionally Achievement Surveys in India are being conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), initially for Grade I, III and V, which was later extended to Grade VIII and recently to Grade X. The same was initiated in 1994-95 under the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) covering 272 districts across 18 states of India. In this section, reports generated by the NCERT over a period of time has been presented.
Despite improvement, quality of education remain the main concern so far as the School Education in India is concerned because of which efforts are now being made under the Samagra Shiksha to further improve the quality of education. In addition to NCERT achievement surveys, an international NGO, namely PRATHAM also used to conduct Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) but its methodology is different than NCERT Achievement Survey. ASER is a Household survey and NCERT survey the unit of data collection is school details of both surveys have been presented in this section.
- Class V: Mid-Term, National Survey
- Class V: National Survey, Executive Summary
- Class III: National Survey, Executive Summary
- National Studentâs Achievement Survey, Class III, 2014 (NCERT)
- National Studentâs Achievement Survey, Class V, 2012 (NCERT)
- National Studentâs Achievement Survey, Class VIII, 2012 (NCERT)
- SSA Quality Monitoring Tools (NCERT, 2005)
- NCERT Quality Monitoring Tools, 2013
- National Report on Quality Intervention in Elementary Education (NCERT)
- CCE Implementation Report (NCERT, 2013)
- Regional Report on Workshop on Quality Monitoring Tools (NCERT, 2013)
- Impact of tutoring on Learning Levels by Accountability Initiative (Ambirsh Dongre & Vivbhu Tewary)
- Annual Assessment of Education Report: 2006 to 2014, ASER, Pratham
- Annual Assessment of Education Report: 2014, ASER, Pratham
- Achievement Surveys under SSA
- National Achievement Survey (NAS, NCERT): Grade III, V & VIII, 2017
- Learning Outcomes at Elementary Stage (NCERT), 2017
- National Achievement Survey (NAS, 2017, NCERT): National Report to inform Policy, Practices & Teaching Learning
- Pratham Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2019, ASER (Early Years)
- Pratham Annual Status of Education Report (Rural), Wave1, October 2020 (ASER)
Users are requested to please refer the original source of information and may like to provide reference of the original source.


Itâs easy for parents to get caught up in it all and forget that the holiday season is overflowing with authentic opportunities to help children develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially.The season is filled with chances for parents to help their children with physical development.
Fine motor skills are easily cultivated by allowing children to help with wrapping gifts and decorating cookies. Fine motor skill development is especially crucial for younger children who are just developing those abilities. Donât worry if the gift is not perfectly wrapped. The experience is worth a few loose ends and a bit of wasted tape.
Many of the bigger holiday projects are good for older children to help with. Strength and balance can be improved when they assist with things such as putting up a tree or outdoor decorations and lights or carrying a stack of gifts.
There are also occasions to help children develop their intellectual skills during the season.
Reading holiday stories with younger children is a great way to work on language and reading skills. They can also benefit from going grocery shopping by helping pick out items at the store and reading price tags.
For older children, itâs beneficial for them to assist with making food and baked goodies so they can learn how to measure and add in the correct amounts of ingredients. Itâs also good for them to begin learning more deeply about family traditions and culture.
Since time with family and friends is such an integral part of the holiday season, emotional development can be fostered easily, and empathy is a great place to start.
Children tend to get so caught up in anticipation of parties and gifts this time of year that they often donât think of how the holidays may affect others. Taking time to talk to them about giving will initiate more emotional intelligence.
Having younger children help choose a toy to donate to an organization for another child is a great starting place. For older children, donating items and helping at a local food bank will help them begin tapping into a deeper part of their emotional development.
And while there are chances for different types of development everywhere during the holidays, children have the most opportunities to develop socially. Events are abounding, and itâs an excellent time for children to work on communication and social skills.
Younger children often have parties to attend with games and fun activities. Helping them work on sharing with others, taking turns, and using good manners at these events will foster positive social skills. For older children, taking part in conversations with different people, as well as being a âhostâ for an event, will help them work on more mature social skills.
With the freedom and overabundance of events of the holiday season, fostering childrenâs developmental needs can be overwhelming. However, utilizing the opportunities at hand can make it easier. Taking time to make this a priority will have lasting benefits for everyone.
To learn more about the powerful Skillz childhood development program that uses martial arts as the vehicle for growth, or to get your child started at our Patchogue location, click the button below:
4GK MARTIAL ARTS
380 East Main St
Patchogue, NY 11772
Author: Jennifer Salama of Skillz Worldwide.
Jennifer is a 4th-degree black belt and has been training in martial arts since 2001. She has a Masters Degree in Child Psychology. She has embraced the SKILLZ curriculum because of its focus on child development and using martial arts as a vehicle to develop the child as a whole.


At first, the concept seems difficult. How do you help third-graders understand what service means?
But for Early and Middle Childhood Education Professor Arthur Hochman and his early elementary education class, the challenge is often the most important part of the lesson plan.
For a little over five weeks this semester, Butler students were paired with Crooked Creek Elementary School third-graders in groups. The Butler students were responsible for creating lesson plans and guiding the elementary schools students through projects to discover what service is.
âEvery semester I like to work with a local public school in coming up with something special thatâs going to have a feeling of culmination and importance, so that these third-graders will have an experience they will never forget,â Hochman said.
In past years the projects have varied. Students and children have organized a flash mob to honor a teacher or come to Butler for a day to present research theyâve done.
This year, the lesson took a different turn as the third-graders worked together to create their own magazine called Helping Hands. It was published within another local kids magazine, Inspired.
Kat Welch and â17 and Allison Behling â18 are two of Hochmanâs students who worked at Crooked Creek.
Under the guidance of teachers such as Megan Shuck Rubey â12 and Kristen Vannatta, they helped students create artwork, conduct interviews, and come up with ways to serve their teachers.
Welchâs group created an autograph book for one teacher and wrote a poem for another.
âIt was neat to see how it was really important to them that the teacher liked it and that it was special for them,â she said. âWe made a point to teach them that it was anonymous. At first they struggled with that, but then came to realize itâs more about the act of doing than getting recognition.â
Hochman said the children are motivated to work on a deeper and higher level when there is an incentive of being able to achieve something important, such as serving and creating an actual published magazine.
âItâs the idea of getting kids to do work thatâs in context, thatâs real,â Hochman said. âIt gives you an impetus to do great work, as opposed to âYou need to learn multiplication so you can learn division so you can learn algebra,â which when youâre little feels a little hollow.
âBut if itâs âYou need to do a good job because you want to do a good job because thereâs something at the end of the tunnel thatâs meaningful for you,â as a third-grader thereâs power in that.â
After finishing the magazine and sending it in for publication, the Butler students returned to surprise their third-graders on the final day. The students gathered to see their final product projected up at the front of the classroom, and a special guest even came to visit: Trip, the Butler bulldog mascot.
Together, they celebrated their published magazine and the new bonds formed between the Butler students and their third-graders.
âWe had third-graders crying,â Hochman said. âThe attachments are very real.â
âIt was very sweet,â Behling said. âBut I think I was even more excited about Trip than they were.â
Not only did they come away with new friends, Behling and Welch said they came away with teaching experiences they will never forget.
âFor me, I loved seeing the progress that was made,â Welch said. âThe first or second day we were there, we asked them what service was. They all said out of order signs or drew stores. But by the end of the project, they talked about how it was important to do things anonymously for others.â
Behling said she noticed even more changes in herself.
âI kind of went in expecting for me to have my place, for everything to go my way, and obviously that doesnât always happen, especially with kids,â Behling said. âMy biggest takeaway was not everything has to go right the first time and sometimes you just have to try again.â
Sounds a lot like the Butler Way.
-By Evie Schultz â16


The Value of Sorting in Literacy
You may have noticed that young children often naturally sort objects when they are playing. Sorting is an early developmental skill that helps prepare children for learning. The value of sorting for math development may seem obvious, but did you know that it also helps lay the groundwork for literacy skills?
Sorting involves the process of identifying and describing attributes by their similarities and differences. This is important in literacy because children often begin recognizing and writing letters by comparing how they look the same and different in shape and size, especially when matching uppercase and lowercase letters. Sorting also helps them develop spelling skills as they learn to alphabetize and notice patterns in words. In addition, the physical act of sorting helps develop fine motor skills which are needed for holding a pencil and writing.
Below are some examples of ways to encourage sorting for children at different ages:
- Babies (0-3): Use real life objects (such as toys or blocks) rather than cut outs from magazines so they get the benefit of hands-on learning (just make sure objects are not choking hazards). Sort items based on color, shape or size and use piles or cups/bowls to keep it organized. There are also several sorting toys available in stores as well. *Make sure you talk to your children as they sort about WHY the objects belong in each group so that you can help them begin to pay attention to similarities and differences as well as give them the language to describe them!*
- Preschool: Sort objects based on their beginning sounds. Use letter cards with the uppercase and lowercase form written on it as headers. While there are numerous alphabet sorting activities and printables online, it is easy and more economical to use the header cards and/or baskets/cups.
- Elementary School: As children start kindergarten, they will begin to notice other patterns in words besides beginning sounds. This is a good time to sort words based on their middle vowel sounds (a, e, i, o and u). Picture cards with the words written on the back are a good way to start so that they listen for the way the vowel sounds before looking at it. Word walls are also excellent visuals for helping children remember sight words and other important words.
- Late Elementary to Middle School: Once children have a firm understanding of middle vowel sounds, they will move on to more complicated vowel patterns (such as ai, ie, oa, silent e, etc.).
Sorting helps children make sense of the world around them while also providing fundamental skills that are needed in literacy. Fortunately, it is inexpensive and easy to incorporate sorting activities that help further childrenâs literacy development.
Any questions? Please email us at firstname.lastname@example.org. Taylor Burke is a teacher and Director of Communications at Neighborhood Lit. and works closely with Janice Migliazza, a Reading Specialist and owner of Neighborhood Lit, Route 34, Colts Neck to bring you this information.


The St Mary's Primary School Curriculum
Our goal - Principle and Purpose
This part of the website provides an overview of our school curriculum and our plans for the future.
We want our curriculum to connect with Chippenham and beyond so that the children in St Mary's Catholic Primary School appreciate their place in their immediate and wider community.
Through our curriculum we want to equip each child with the knowledge and skills to understand and interact with their world, we want to help them build on prior learning, be curious, ask probing questions and be brave in finding solutions.
Through our curriculum our goal is that children will:
- Develop deep knowledge and skills and use this to engage with the familiar and be engaged by the unusual
- Be immersed in language and to communicate with others. In particular we want children to develop secure reading skills. We see reading as a basic right and a significant gateway to independence and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding;
- Know how to use the knowledge they have and practise using this so that it becomes embedded
- Be challenged and resilient;
- Be proud of their local environment but also see their place on a global scale;
- Work individually and add their voice to the many;
- Live out their faith as part of one body in Christ by:
- Accepting and giving help, giving charitably and embracing altruism;
- Loving and celebrating difference, having the courage to be different and standing up for the rights of others just because it is the right thing to do.
We want our children to be relentlessly creative, critically curious and to live ambitiously.
To this end we believe childrenâs learning and their curriculum should be Intrinsic, Inspirational and Interlinked. We view this as a TrinIty Approach to learning.
To find out more about this approach, please follow: TrinIty Approach
For more information on the National Curriculum click here.


Parents of young children have long been told that the number one predictor of reading success in their children is the act of reading aloud to them. However, a new study by National Center for Children and Families at Teacher's College, Columbia University suggests that other elements in a young child's home environment may play a larger role in reading development than previously thought. The most surprising factor? The level of âchaos,â specifically household disorder, in an early reader's home environment.
For parents that consider themselves lucky to catch a glimpse of the floor under their children's clutter, this news may come as a shock. But according to Anna Johnson, the lead author of the study, âchaosâ is actually a specific construct that takes into account not only general untidiness, but âcrowdingâ (either people per room or people per square foot), noise, transitions (moving house often), and routines (such as eating dinner every night or having the same bedtime ritual).
Reading aloud to your child has been thought of as the major component for reading success. But the study, controlled for socio-economic status, showed that other variables may well come into play. âWhat we found was that some of the home literacy environment components that mattered were more unusual, such as how often a child entertains himself alone with a book,â says Johnson.
Surprisingly, however, the study found different results between literacy development of children with mothers of average reading ability and those of above average reading ability. âHousehold order explained literacy growth only among children of mothers who were above average readers,â says Johnson. In contrast, child-initiated elements such as how often a child brings books home or spends time alone with books explained literacy growth among children of mothers who were average readers.
What do these new findings mean for parents of beginning readers? Although Johnson cautions against jumping to conclusions before the results of the study have been replicated, she says that different households may find that different reading strategies work best for them. âFor mothers who are average readers, it looks like it could be very useful to make books available and give access to your child. It looks like for mothers who may be very busy â perhaps professionals who are high functioning with respect to reading - maybe their kids can benefit by having an organized house that has a series of regular routines,â suggest Johnson. âAnd don't resist the urge to pick up the broom.â
Want more unusual ideas for aiding reading development at home? Here are some out of the box ideas for fostering reading:
- Take your child to the library to sign up for his very own library card. Having his own card will make your child feel a sense of excitement and motivation around books and reading. While you're there, challenge your child to a library treasure hunt using the call numbers and letters on the spines of shelved books.
- Sneak reading practice into regular playtime. There are lots of ways that you can work literacy learning into fun and easy activities. Go pretend fishing for words, play post-it bingo, or practice a cup toss game for a literacy lesson that's inspired by the classic carnival challenge.
- Books form the foundation of early reading, and having them around is just the beginning of the different ways that they can inspire your child. Not only can kids begin to appreciate books by looking at and reading them, they can also begin to create books of their own! For a some fun book creation ideas, try Story Starters: A Book Making Activity, making a nonsense book, or creating an ABC nature book.


ERIC Number: ED342492
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1992-Feb
Children Should Be Heard: Developing an Open-Minded Foundation in the Early Years.
Thayer-Bacon, Barbara J.
By offering children the opportunity to speak up in the classroom, educators help build a vital foundation in open-mindedness that is essential for critical thinking. Teaching children to be critical thinkers requires that teachers listen to what children say, encourage them to talk, and not insist that they share the teacher's beliefs. Young children immediately believe in their own ideas, have complete assurance on all subjects, and are impervious to experience or different points of view. Interaction with others is the primary way that children move out of this egocentric manner of thought. Because of the strong connection between language and thought, children need to practice their language skills to improve their thinking ability. Aside from family settings, school is a good place to help children learn these skills. Unfortunately, teachers, like parents, often lack the time to listen patiently, offer guidance, and discuss issues. There are many ways of opening up the time for class discussions and many benefits to doing so. These benefits include increased enthusiasm for the subject and creativity in thinking about the different ideas involved. If children are to receive these benefits, teachers must overcome: (1) beliefs that children learn more from adults than from each other and that children are easier to manage when they are kept quiet; (2) the fear that dialogue may prove psychologically damaging to children; and, most importantly, (3) the tendency to make one's feelings about children contingent on the children's beliefs. (AC)
Descriptors: Child Rearing, Classroom Communication, Classroom Environment, Classroom Techniques, Cognitive Development, Critical Thinking, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Elementary Education, Elementary School Students, Language Skills, Listening, Parent Child Relationship, Teacher Influence, Teacher Student Relationship
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A


ROCHESTER, New York â Due to their proximity, the relationship between the United States and the Pacific Islands is important to maintain. Rep. Ed Ed Case (D-HI) reintroduced H.R.2967 in the House on April 5, 2021, together with Congressmen Ami Bera, Ted Yoho, Brad Sherman and Don Young. The aim of the BLUE Pacific Act is to âestablish a comprehensive, long-term United States strategy and policy for the Pacific Islands.â The goal is âpromoting peace, security and prosperity for all countriesâ involved, the bill says. This includes respecting the sovereignty of the involved nations. One important aspect of the bill is its focus on bolstering education across Pacific Islands in order to reduce poverty.
Introduction of the Bill
During a speech given on July 30, 2020, Case stated that âAs a Pacific nation, the United States can and must contribute to regional efforts to address these issues. In naming and reintroducing this bill, we pay tribute to the Blue Pacific vision pioneered by Pacific Islands leaders and reaffirm our commitment to the region once again.â
The bill will strengthen âU.S. diplomatic and development presence in the Pacific Islandsâ and aims to bring mutual benefits for all parties involved. As stated by Congressman Young in a press release, âThe relationship between the United States and the Pacific Island nations is one of shared values and a commitment to diplomacy.â
The Importance of Education
A particularly important aspect of the BLUE Pacific Act is building and maintaining a quality system of basic education in order to reduce poverty rates. Education is a proven pathway out of poverty, yet across the Pacific Islands, rates of educational attainment are low. This impacts the overall prosperity and economic growth of Pacific Island nations.
In 2019, UNICEF reported that roughly 40% of Pacific Islander children âare not enrolled in pre-primary school,â equating to about 175 million children who are not receiving the foundational skills and education necessary for success in future academic levels. Without a pre-primary foundation of education, children will struggle in other levels of education as each level builds on the other.
In a 2019 press release, UNICEF Pacific Representative Sheldon Yett says, âIn the Pacific islands, progress has been made and more children than ever before are enrolled in pre-primary education. But, the most vulnerable are still denied this opportunity. This increases their risk of repeating grades or dropping out of school altogether and relegates them to the shadows of their more fortunate peers.â
For these reasons, the BLUE Pacific Act directs the United States to work with Pacific Island nations to âreform policies, improve curricula, strengthen data systems, train teachers and provide quality learning materials.â Additionally, other efforts involve constructing new educational facilities and rehabilitating older school facilities.
The bill also directs the United States to provide assistance to support ânational nutrition and health programsâ to eliminate any further barriers to school attendance in relation to food and physical well-being. School programs will also focus on providing students, especially the most disadvantaged students, with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure employment after their schooling ends.
The legislation directs the U.S. to prioritize out-of-school children by providing support for them to return to education and giving them the remedial education support necessary for them to âcatch upâ to their peers.
From 2022 to 2026, the bill directs the allocation of $5 million per year in order to meet these educational targets and strengthen overall educational systems across Pacific Island nations.
The World Bank confirms that there is a âstrong link between education and earnings,â highlighting the importance of the BLUE Pacific Actâs educational focus. In addition, education has many other socio-economic benefits that will contribute to the overall strength and resilience of Pacific Island nations.
â Max Cole


Specialized Reading Programs (K-8)
Saint Francis School has chosen to utilize the Wilson Reading SystemÂ® in working with students who have difficulty with phonemic awareness, decoding, and encoding. Wilson is a highly-structured curriculum based on Orton-Gillingham principles. The school uses three separate Wilson Reading SystemÂ® components:
FundationsÂ® in grades K â 3 gives all students a thorough foundation in basic phonics acquisition. It thoroughly teaches the foundational skills of the Common Core State Standards and supports the reading standards, writing standards, and standards for language. FundationsÂ® is a supplemental prevention or early intervention program designed to be used in conjunction with our existing literature-based reading instruction.
The Wilson Reading Program at Saint Francis is a two-year and two summer intensive program for third fourth, fifth, and sixth graders that is a direct, systematic, cumulative, multisensory presentation of the structure of our language, emphasizing phonics rules, and applications. It follows a ten-part lesson plan addressing decoding, encoding, leveled vocabulary instruction, fluency, and reading comprehension.
Just WordsÂ®: A one-year program specifically designed for sixth and seventh graders who are still experiencing mild or moderate gaps in phonemic awareness and have not had the opportunity to participate in the Wilson Reading SystemÂ® two-year program. Just WordsÂ® is a highly explicit, multisensory decoding and spelling program for students who have gaps in their decoding and spelling proficiency. The programâs curriculum provides a sophisticated study of word structure through direct teaching of âhow English worksâ for both decoding and spelling automaticity.
We chose the Wilson Reading SystemÂ® because it is a finite program based on students completing the entire Wilson curriculum, consisting of a set number of books with each book containing lessons on the application of phonemic rules when reading and spelling. We feel that this is a much more concrete presentation for students who are having difficulty with phonics. The students have 2 periods/day of Wilson with a trained teacher and associate teacher.
Trained Faculty- Our faculty participates in specialized training prior to teaching any of the Wilson programs and has earned Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner and/or Wilson Dyslexia Therapist certifications.