A principle that Google practices has given a group of high school seniors the freedom to pursue their own projects in AP English class.
The 80/20 principle at Google means that employees spend 80 percent of their time on assigned projects and 20 percent working on something that's interesting to them. At Arlington High School in Lagrangeville, N. Y., AP English teacher Julie Jee opened up 20 percent of class time for students to work on their projects.
While they did have some general guidelines, she really wanted them to be creative and focus more on the learning process than the product exclusively. And they did.
"I would definitely encourage teachers to implement 20 percent time in their classrooms because I think they'll be more than pleasantly surprised; they'll be completely blown away by what their students have to show them," Jee said.
In the 2012-13 school year, her students split into small groups, picked a book to read from an Advanced Placement reading list and came up with an essential question based on the book. Then they set out to answer it.
A group of four seniors read Out of Africa, a Kenyan memoir by Isak Dinesen, and decided to answer the question, "How do you conquer fear?" Elizabeth Saint-Louis, Marissa Zaritsky, Natalie Turner and Klea Albrahimi figured out what they were afraid of and set out to face their fears.
They rode horses, tried new foods and played a scary video game called Slender. And while some of them still didn't like trying new food or petting dogs, they discovered that not everything was as scary as they thought.
Twenty percent time made learning more personal and gave students a chance to think differently, said Marissa Zaritsky, a newly graduated senior who plans to major in communication disorders at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall.
"The 20 percent project I think is something that should be utilized in every school," Zaritsky said.
And so should technology. Zaritsky and her classmates used iMovie to create their documentary and kept a journal of their progress in Google Docs. Their teacher also incorporated interactive whiteboards, computers, websites, Edmodo, prezi and other tools throughout the year.
"This is the first year I've ever had a teacher who brought technology into the classroom in a big way," Zaritsky said. "Using technology in the classroom not only will make the students more interested because the teachers are going on a level that the kids understand, but it also brings in a new element. It's not just paper and pen anymore."
Technology also played a big role in another project. Seniors Schuyler Kieley and Kieran Stack read Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and set out to answer the question, "Do you feel that it is our duty as a society to help those in need?" The main character, Willy Loman, commits suicide, and at the end of the book, his family was trying to figure out how his death could have been prevented.
Kieley and Stack interviewed other students and posted the video interviews on YouTube. Both of them enjoy music and are planning to major in music education and music industry respectively in college next year. So they organized a benefit concert for the Kelley Doyle Children's Christmas Foundation, which was established after the suicide of local resident Kelley Doyle to provide Christmas presents for children in need.
"Putting on a benefit concert has always been something that I wanted to do, but there was never like a good time or a huge drive to do it," Kieley said. "But when this opportunity came up, Mrs. Jee gave us tons of time to plan it, and it just seemed like the right thing to do."
They spread the word on Twitter and Facebook, asked five high school bands to send them a video preview of their music and put a trailer video together with those clips. The band that Kieley is in, Rewards and Revisions, played in the concert.
More than 75 people showed up, and the two seniors were able to send a check for $375 to the foundation.
Their project allowed them to use their passion for music to help others in their community. And it motivated these students to work hard on a project they created.
"Once you realize the amount of effort that you're putting toward something that you've come up with yourself, you realize that everything else really should have that same work ethic," Kieley said.


teaching of science a real search into fundamental principles and an exposition of all-embracing truths! "Facts," said Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, "facts alone are wanted in life"; and facts—the more minute the better—are the goal and joy of the specialist. But man is not an examinable fact; he is a veritable kaleidoscope of elusive impulses, impressions, ideals, fictions; and it is with man that the whole life of the educated man is to be lived.
In our schools and colleges (and especially in our professional schools), we need to get back to the humanities—not to the humanities of Greece and Rome as expounded in Oxford and diluted in America; but to the humanities of the twentieth century. For the study of the real humanities implies a working-knowledge of humankind, of men. We have been so overwhelmed with facts and discoveries and theories and inventions and names and classifications, that we are forgetting that the main fact in life is you and I. We have been so busy stuffing our children and our students with these facts that these classifications, that we are forgetting that the main things which they, as men, must know are men. Therefore give a boy, give a student all the facts and all the practise that he can get in school and college, provided you do not fail to give him, at the same time, a broad outlook upon history, upon literature, upon human experience and human life. Whether he is to start in a store, in an office or as a "drummer"; whether he is to be a minister, a lawyer, an engineer or a doctor, his success in life depends enormously upon his ability to get on with and to handle men. He can not have that success unless he is broad, catholic, tolerant, tactful and philosophical; and he can not be those things unless he has been trained, not as a specialist, but as a man. By success is not meant, of course, mere financial and professional success—though in nine cases out of ten those are most likely to be achieved by the broadest man—but that highest success which comes through the widest social usefulness, through the consciousness that one has got out of life that which has made the pains of living really worth while.
It may be an exaggeration to say that American scholarship is in a deplorable condition; but every American must acknowledge that we do not produce our due proportion of great men. There are, of course, many excuses which may properly be offered; but one of the fundamental reasons is that we permit our promising youth to specialize too soon. Consequently their scholarship, to paraphrase Bacon, is that of boys, who can talk but who can not generate. To produce men with the loins from which will spring great contributions to human thought and action we must gradually make over our whole system of elementary education so that youth, instead of being put through vast machines for imparting facts, shall be put into small classes under intellectually strong women, and especially under intellectually and morally strong


Play is how infants understand the world around them, and Tummy Time is the best way to build the strength and coordination needed to roll over, crawl, and reach. Since it is advised that babies lay on their backs to sleep and spend so much time in this position, parents are encouraged to work Tummy Time into their baby’s routine to help develop the neck and back muscles.
“As soon as the baby is born, you can begin Tummy Time in the hospital,” says Anne Zachry, PhD, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that Tummy Time start at birth to avoid flat head syndrome. Tummy Time works the core, shoulders, back, and neck, which are all critical to playing and learning for babies.”
The American Occupational Therapy Association offers tips for successful tummy time sessions:
- Start Slow. Start gradually with short 2- to 3-minute intervals a few times each day and work up to 40-50 minutes on their tummies per day.
- Make Tummy Time Part of Your Daily Routine. Incorporate Tummy Time into activities you already do with your baby, such as reading, drying off after a bath, changing a diaper, burping, or applying lotion. “If you work Tummy Time into your daily routine, your child will come to expect it,” says Zachry.
- Promote motor skill development. Arrange toys in a circle around your baby to encourage side-to-side movement and reaching in different directions. Get down on the baby’s level to encourage eye contact and head-lifting which develop neck muscles. Talk to your baby and hold a toy to promote head lifting, smiling, cooing, and reaching.
- Get Comfortable. Roll a towel or blanket and place it under your baby’s chest and arms to provide extra support during Tummy Time. Be sure your baby’s weight is distributed evenly to equally strengthen tummy muscles. (Always supervise your baby during Tummy Time, especially when using a bolster.)
- Engage the Senses. Place a mirror in front of your baby. Their own reflection offers engagement. Vary the textures that your baby lays on (terry-cloth or fleece, for example) to offer different touching sensations.
- Consider Alternatives. Tummy Time does not always have to take place on the floor. Use your chest, lap, or arms as places for your baby to lay. Comforting your baby while encouraging Tummy Time will help hesitant children feel more secure with new positions. A side-lying positioning works well if a transition to stomach-lying is needed.
“If they resist tummy time, don’t give up hope,” says Zachry. “Don’t lay them on their tummy and expect them to stay happy. Keep them entertained and keep it brief. If they start to fuss, remove them from the situation so they do not associate Tummy Time with a negative feeling.”
For more tips on a successful Tummy Time session, download the full tip sheet here.
Pediatric occupational therapy practitioners promote participation of all children and their families in everyday activities or occupations, including tummy time, to facilitate development. For more information about how occupational therapy practitioners work with children in their homes, schools, private practice, hospitals, or community locations, visit www.aota.org.
To schedule an interview with a pediatric occupational therapist, call AOTA Media Relations Manager Katie Riley, 301-652-6611, ext. 2963 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
Founded in 1917, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) represents the professional interests and concerns of more than 140,000 occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide. The Association educates the public and advances the profession of occupational therapy by providing resources, setting standards including accreditations, and serving as an advocate to improve health care. Based in Bethesda, Md., AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward promoting the professional development of its members and assuring consumer access to quality services so patients can maximize their individual potential. For more information, go to www.aota.org.


One of the most innovative educational strategies that the NSC used improve the completion and success rates of students is a two-part STEM Bridge program.
The first STEM Bridge strategy is to embed competency development into the technical curriculum instead of using a traditional pre-program approach to developmental education. This was accomplished through the development of an innovative STEM Readiness course which integrates basic skills, workforce skills, computer skills, and job readiness training contextualized within the STEM pathways.
STEM Readiness Scenarios and Learning Outcomes (PDF)
The STEM Readiness course is programmatically consistent across the five fields and transferable to other colleges and it focuses on the development of critical key skills identified by all of the technical teams.
- The STEM Readiness course was built in an online format with assistance from Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative (OLI) and Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and focuses on refreshing critical key skills in the following areas:
- Math: Arithmetic, Measuring Systems, Quantifying Data, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Triangles and Cartesian Plane.
- Workplace Communication and Critical Thinking: Written Communication, Oral Communication, Teamwork/Conflict Resolution and Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
- Professional Skills: Customer Service, Confidentiality, Organizational Skills and Time Management, Teamwork, The Job Search Process and Professional Image.
- The second STEM Bridge Strategy is a foundational component that provides an accelerated pathway into the newly designed programs of study. NSC needs assessment of working adults led to the conclusion that many students require more intensive, up-front development of the basic skills required for access to the technically demanding educational pathways into STEM occupations. The STEM Foundations course helps students bring their math, reading/writing, computer and critical thinking skills to the level necessary to take full advantage of the technical curriculum in one of the five programs. The STEM Bridge team developed a modularized set of curriculum “bundles” that can be adapted and inserted by colleges wherever needed to provide support for lower level learners who need to build foundational skills before entering the credit certificates. The innovative “STEM Foundations” course contains 22 interactive online modules in Math and workplace communication to support the FAST TRACKS program.
STEM Foundations Workplace Communication (PDF)
The NSC STEM Bridge courses are available as interactive open educational resources at oli.cmu.edu.
Other innovations designed to achieve high rates of completion, credential attainment, and employment include:
- Compressed schedule to enable students to finish and become reemployed sooner than with traditional college programs.
- Cohort enrollment — the same small group of students learn together throughout their one-year program.
- California State University's MERLOT/Skills Commons Site: The US Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program has created a free and open online library containing free and open learning materials and program support materials for job-driven workforce development. The Open Educational Resources (OER) are produced by community colleges across the nation and can be found, reused, revised, retained, redistributed and remixed by individuals, institutions, and industry.
National STEM Consortium materials on Skills Commons include downloadable curricular documents and related materials such as comprehensive program guides, instructor toolkits, lesson plans, syllabi, etc.; supporting documents including outreach materials, informational videos, labor market information, and subject matter expert reviews of the curricula; and links to the OLI materials.
- Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative: OLI is an online educational platform that enhances classroom learning through digital modules that provide feedback to instructors. Students use the modules to learn and engage with material in an interactive online environment, while activities examine each student's understanding of key concepts. The instructor uses the data from the platform to design the class and focus on important areas. National STEM Consortium pathways are available at OLI as downloadable documents with a limited number of interactive lessons – two per course – for difficult to learn/difficult to teach topics; the STEM Readiness and STEM Foundations courses are fully interactive on OLI.


Fantasy Creature Prints
Level: MS Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Pattern and Color
Art Skills: Drawing, Printmaking
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
My middle school students are constantly talking about playing video games. It seems to be the topic of conversation in my classroom. I created this lesson to incorporate their passion for playing video games with printmaking. Students design their own fantasy creature using yarn on cardboard. They print using tempera paint. Then they add color to their prints with watercolor paint. Finally they add lines and pattern with oil pastels. These fantasy creatures are the talk of the school!
Literacy connection: have students write a short story about their fantasy creature.
Option: Teach students about warm and cool colors. Students will create a warm and cool colored print. Have students use warm colored oil pastels on the warm colored print and use cool colored oil pastels on the cool colored print. (Or vice versa, warm oil pastels on the cool print.)


Using multimodal texts for assessing pupils' progress in reading
- Every picture tells a story. Sanderson, Rob // English 4--11;Spring2011, Issue 41, p16
The article looks into the use of the wordless picture book "The Chicken Thief," by Beatrice Rodriguez in the classroom. It provides an overview of the story and outlines the characters and their qualities in the story. It offers information on the ways to use the book, the representation of the...
- GRADE 2 Reading Skills Practice Test. // Scholastic News -- Edition 2;Mar2004, Vol. 60 Issue 6, p1
Presents a reading skills practice test for school children.
- Students blame teachers over low test scores. // New York Amsterdam News;10/23/2003, Vol. 94 Issue 43, p20
This month, children in first through third grades are taking a literacy test in New York City. Last year, 61 percent of third-graders to eighth-graders failed the statewide reading test. One of the students says her teacher does not care about that test. Another student says it is not fair to...
- Multicultural Primers for Today's Children. Whipple, Gertrude // Education Digest;Feb1964, Vol. 29 Issue 6, p26
This article reports that in 1962, the Detroit City Schools Reading Program introduced three pre-primers illustrated with multi-racial characters, prepared with the culturally-deprived child in mind. The books had several unique characteristics. From the very beginning, story characters in the...
- NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND? // Parenting School Years;Feb2009, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p106
The article reports that 70% of fourth-graders in the U.S. have reading skills below grade level.
- Phonics reading check failed by four out of 10 pupils. // School Leadership Today;2012, Vol. 4 Issue 4, p6
The article reports on a phonics reading test among the school children in Great Britain which depicted lower rate of passing of children at the test signifying the help of teachers needed in enhancing the reading skill.
- Bringing picture books alive. Hingst, Lisa; Rayner, Gwen // Educating Young Children: Learning & Teaching in the Early Child;Spring2013, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p32
The article discusses the concept of bringing picture books alive which is about sharing quality picture books with children in an entertaining and interactive way. The author reflects on the importance of reading books and telling stories to enhance literacy development and cultivate...
- Headteachers don't trust primary literacy tests, claims expert. Marshall, Michael // Education (14637073);11/25/2005, Issue 201, p2
Reports on the claims of Sir Cyril Taylor, chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, that headteachers are skeptical about 11-year-olds' reading skills even if they reach the expected levels in England. Information on the voucher system proposed by Taylor.
- EDITION 4 READING SKILLS PRACTICE TEST. // Scholastic News -- Edition 4;10/5/2009, Vol. 72 Issue 4, p4A
A reading skills practice test for school children is presented.


Died: 1963 AD
1895 – Paul Hindemith Composer, born on the 16th of November in Hanau, WC Germany. He was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.
1915 – 1923 – He studied at Frankfurt, then played violin in the Rebner Quartet and the Opera Orchestra, which he often conducted. His works include operas, concertos, and a wide range of instrumental pieces.
1922 – His pieces were heard in the International Society for Contemporary Music festival at Salzburg, which first brought him to the attention of an international audience.
1927 – He taught composition at the Berliner Hochschule für Musik in Berlin.
1937 – 1970 – Wrote a theoretical book The Craft of Musical Composition, in which, amongst many other things, he ranks all musical intervals from the most consonant to the most dissonant.
1934 – His music was banned by the Nazis, and he moved to Turkey, the UK, and the USA.
1935 – He was commissioned by the Turkish government to reorganize that country’s musical education, and, more specifically, was given the task of preparing material for the “Universal and Turkish Polyphonic Music Education Programme” for all music-related institutions in Turkey, a feat which he accomplished to universal acclaim.
1941 – He was appointed professor at Yale.
1943 – His most popular work, both on record and in the concert hall, is probably the Symphonic Metamorphoses of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.
1953 – Appointed professor in Zürich.
1963 – Died on the 28th of December in Frankfurt, Germany.


From September 2014 Computing will be a subject in its own right in English schools. Of course at Raspberry Pi Towers we are delighted (and I mean dancing around like a drunk uncle at a wedding reception delighted) that young people will now have the opportunity to study one of the most creative, exciting and challenging subjects in the curriculum. But who will teach them? Computing is effectively a brand new subject and there are relatively few specialist teachers to deliver it. The problem is worse for primary school teachers who have to teach a range of different subjects and who typically have fewer IT resources than secondary schools.
So, of course, we need to train teachers, especially primary teachers. And training works wonders—teachers arrive at my courses full of trepidation and weird rumours (you need to be a maths genius; it’s all about programming; coding gives you hairy palms). They walk out of the end of the day confident and buzzing with excitement and ideas. That’s all it takes. Of course no one will be an expert after one day, but the point is that you don’t have to be. Computing at this level is about problem solving and puzzles and creative fun—things that human beings are naturally drawn to and enjoy. And it’s definitely not just about “coding”. Whatever that is.
So hurrah for training! Let’s all sign up for a course at our local school! Except … there isn’t any to speak of. What there is is typically dispersed and expensive and of variable content. What teachers and schools need is widely available, low-cost, high quality, curriculum-centred training.
Which is what Code Club thought too. So in true Code Club fashion they decided to just do it. We love Code Club! Anyway, I’ll let them fill the rest in. I only meant to write a sentence as an intro but as you can tell it’s something I’m passionate about. Plus, I like showboating. And if you are a school or teacher and would like to get involved, pop over to Code Club Pro’s site for more information.
Code Club, the network of over 1,875 volunteer-led after-school coding clubs, with the support of Google and CAS (Computing at Schools), is launching a nationwide training programme to teach core computing skills to primary school teachers.
The CPD program has been launched in response to widespread teacher demand for training in this area. According to Code Club, which has access to a wide network of schools, the training needs of teachers has so far been overlooked in this process. Its founders said: “Teachers are the key front-line implementers of the curriculum and more needs to be done to support this transition”.
Launching in April, Code Club Pro will enable primary school teachers to quickly understand the requirements of the new computing curriculum. The mission is to deliver training in computing to over 20,000 primary school teachers by 2016, while reaching many more through the provision of online programmes and resources.
Clare Sutcliffe, Co-Founder and CEO of Code Club, said: “The addition of coding to the new primary school curriculum is a great step forward for the UK education sector. However, to date, there has been a lack of focus on how to equip the primary school teachers to actually teach this new subject. We know first hand that teachers are feeling daunted by the prospect of having to teach a syllabus they don’t fully understand themselves. As a result, we decided to create a training programme that would help support them through this period of change.
“As a not-for-profit, Code Club is able to focus on a core objective of supporting as many teachers and children as possible, through the provision of fun, accessible and affordable training, which hands on and experiential. Our goal is to improve access to training, so that teachers can feel confident and excited about delivering the new computing curriculum.”


SchoolArts is a national art education magazine committed to promoting excellence, advocacy, and professional support for educators in the visual arts since 1901.
Issue link: http://www.schoolartsdigital.com/i/186315
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History of computing in education: IFIP 18th World Computer Congress, TC3/TC9, 51st Conference on the history of computing in education, 22-27 August 2004, Toulouse, France
This book looks at the history of computing in education from two points of view - as a history of the impact of computing on education over the past forty years and as the use of the history of computing as a pedagogical tool in computing education. These two intertwined views look back at computer education and the ways in which organizations have attempted to use computers to enhance teaching and learning from elementary education through university studies in several countries. The topics include: considerations of cybernetics and informatics; government sponsored open source software for school education; learning with the artificial sciences; technology leading to historic changes; ICT in Catalan schools; streams in the history of computer education in Australia; growth of computing technology for education in India; computing and education in the UK; evolution of e-inclusion for the disabled; educational hypermedia computing; keyboard training; studies of educational computing projects; and using computing history to enhance teaching. History of Computing in Education is unique in its topic, the field having not been the subject of extensive study in the past. the impact of computing on education is only now receiving due attention. This book derives from contributions made at the History of Computing in Education conference at the IFIP 18th World Computer Congress, held in August 2004 in Toulouse, France and sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). Teachers, students, researchers, authors, and education developers should find this work as a welcome addition to their educational repertoire. It will also provide new dimensions of breadth and depth in the evolution of computing in education.
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Ethiopia has one of the world’s fastest-growing populations and is Africa’s second most populous country, with the majority of people living in rural areas.
Despite significant economic gains and improvements in access to essential services like health and education, it still faces major challenges such as food insecurity, cyclical disasters, population pressure, unemployment, disease and natural resource degradation.
Natural disasters, particularly droughts and floods, occur frequently in Ethiopia, with over 2 million people requiring humanitarian assistance every year. Natural resources, especially water, land and vegetation, are under severe pressure from overpopulation and overexploitation.
Around 1.3 million people are living with HIV in Ethiopia, one of the largest affected populations in the world. Our HIV work has now expanded into a wider community health programme, incorporating TB, malaria, and maternal and child health.
Ethiopia also has some of the highest rates of maternal, neonatal and child mortality globally. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities are a major cause of preventable illnesses.
According to USAID, 20 million young people and 30 million adults in Ethiopia lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. Many children do not attend school.
Christian Aid’s work in Ethiopia is predominantly in the south and south-west, which has seen particularly slow rates of development. We focus on working through partners to support groups within society who are often neglected.
We are helping people increase their crop yields through methods that effectively use the little water available to them, raising awareness of HIV and supporting people living with the virus; and improving access to clean water in rural areas.


On the Right Track
1. Family Literacy Training
The NWT Literacy Council believes that to support children’s literacy development effectively, parents:
The training is designed to help community people learn about literacy. At the end of the training, participants have the skills to plan and deliver family literacy programs in their communities. These programs help parents develop the knowledge and skills they need to support their children’s learning.
In the Early Childhood Development Action Plan, the Family Literacy Training Institutes are called the Northern Parenting and Literacy Program. However, the Literacy Council refers to them as “training” or “training institutes”, and so those are the names that will be used in this report.
The five-day training was designed to help communities develop their capacity to support literacy programming by providing training for local residents. During Years 1 and 2, the Literacy Council delivered the training on a regional basis. Community members who were interested in family literacy could apply to attend the training in their region. During Year 3, the training was territorial wide, and anyone from any community in the NWT could attend.
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Pastel Landscape: Free Lesson Plan Download
Grade Level: PreK-2 Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Line, Space
Art Skills: Drawing, Care & Use of Materials
Making Connections: Landscape, Horizon Line
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
Using chalk pastels with Kindergarten can be a little scary, but this lesson has just the right balance of instruction and freedom to make it work, I promise. If you let students know this is a special material that usually only the “big kids” get to use, they will treat it as such and rise to the occasion. This is one of my most popular Kindergarten lessons and I always send it to get laminated, just to make it that much more special. The lamination traps all their wonderful little fingerprints and handwritten name, making it a sweet keepsake for parents as well.
Helpful clean-up hint: I prepare a bucket of damp washcloths prior to this lesson. As students finish their piece, they store it on the drying rack so that is doesn’t get smudged, clean up pastels, and then wipe their hands and table with a damp rag.


From CONACULTA (Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes), this site showcases authentic audio materials on cultural and educational news from Mexico (México). Advanced intermediate through advanced students.
This NEH-supported site draws from the Philadelphia City Archive, one of the country's largest municipal archives. Discover 2 million photographs, dating from the late 1800s, with gorgeous images of Philadelphia and its arts, history, culture, and people. Apps for iPhone and Droid.
From Dirección General de Culturas Populares, a section of a larger site focusing on holidays celebrated in Mexico and their wider significance. Intermediate through advanced students.
Writings, heroes, history from Educarchile (portal educativo chileno). The site surveys the history, literature, and cultures of Chile. Intermediate through advanced students.
Virtual_Oaxaca is a virtual representation of Oaxaca, the city, surrounding archeological sites, and arts communities. Created by teachers in an NEH-funded Summer Institute. Plan a lesson, watch a video, and peek at Oaxaca on Second Life. More to come!
Introduction and access to children’s audio tours as a fun way to learn about the masterpieces of the museum’s rich collections. Intermediate through advanced students.
From the Secretaría de Educación Pública (México), a searchable and downloadable online textbook on art education, including visuals, photographs, vocabulary words, analyses of works of art and art appreciation. Intermediate through advanced students.
From the Ministerio de Educación de España, Instituto de Tecnologías Educativas, a site on astronomy and the mythology of the heavens, with music and readings on figures of Greek mythology, the stars, and constellations. Intermediate through advanced students.
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, showcases the life and art of Cuban-born Pop singer, Celia Cruz, with documents, photographs, and video and audio clips of her performances. Intermediate students.
From the Secretaría de Educación Pública (México), a searchable and downloadable online textbook on art education rich with images, to teach vocabulary and the appreciation of the arts, with spaces with activities for the students to analyze aspects of art education. Advanced beginning through intermediate students.


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- Your mental attitude and the importance of taking care of yourself
- Making time for your marriage
- How to help your child with their sensory issues in their room. (Types of sheets to buy, clothing, how to adjust their surroundings for comfort).
- Behavior and Communication
- Diets that may help and how to learn what foods possibly might affect them negatively. How to find out yourself.
- Hygiene (I loved how it suggested to relax about toilet training. Chaz did not learn till he was over 4 years old how to potty in the toilet).
- Tips for keeping your possessions clean and protected
- Tips on teaching manners
- Protecting your "escape artist". (I still remember when Chaz escaped when he was two. He was furiously peddling on his tricycle to 'grandma's house' which was about a mile away. I was scared out of my mind)
- Social outings and interacting with their peers. What places help teach typical play with their peers.
- Tips for eating out with your ASD child
Kathy continues to work on additional books in The Child with Autism series, including The Child with Autism Learns about Faith (2011), The Child with Autism Goes to Florida (2011), and The Child with Autism Learns MORE about Faith (in progress).
LaNita Miller is the author of beginning textbooks, and received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education from Austin Peay State University, and her master’s degree in Special Education from George Peabody College, which is part of Vanderbilt University. She is currently completing her certification in behavioral analysis. She has over twenty years’ experience in the special education classroom.


A primary school
is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization In some countries, and especially in North America, the term elementary school is preferred. Children generally attend primary school from around the age of four or five until the age of eleven or twelve.
In areas that adopted a three-tier system, the term primary school is often used as an alternative to First School, taking in ages up to 9 or 10 years old, although for education planning purposes, the term "primary education" in these areas will still cover the age groups as in a two-tier system.
In the private sector, fee-paying schools which provide primary education are known as preparatory schools, and they often cater for children up to the age of thirteen. As their name suggests, preparatory schools are designed to prepare pupils for entrance examinations for fee-paying independent schools.
Primary school students in England sit standardised tests 'SATs' in Year 6 and in Year 2. These tests are used to provide individual student results and to rank schools according to their performance. Tests include Numeracy, Mental Maths, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Spelling and Science. A final level is awarded for Maths, English and Science. Wales and Northern Ireland abolished the tests quite some time ago, whilst Scotland never implemented the SATs. There were plans to boycott the tests in 2010.
For each child to have the self belief and resilience to become successful life long
• To create a safe, happy and inclusive environment where everyone is valued, respected, fairly treated and successes are celebrated
• To nurture and develop positive relationships by encouraging active involvement and effective communication with parents and the community
• To engage children in high quality learning and teaching which is fun, interactive, motivating and offers real life experiences
• For each child to have a strong sense of pride in themselves, their school and to be active contributors in the wider community
• To consider relevant and current local and national priorities and implement asappropriate
Preparation for School
To reduce the disruption to lessons, we ask that every child comes to school fully equipped and prepared for the day ahead with 2 sharp pencils and a rubber, and colour pencils if possible. The school will provide rulers.
Support for children
The school is well suited for access for children with a physical disability. All floors used by pupils are served by a lift. There are two equipped disabled toilets. All staff have been trained on the use of the ‘Evac Chair’ – which enables the disabled to be taken down stairs in the event of an emergency
Homework is not an ‘add on’ to the work done in classes that has no purpose or benefit. It is an essential part of a child’s learning and is directly related to work carried out in class or is in preparation for a learning episode. Therefore it is very important that children and parents understand the importance of the homework set by teachers and the value it has for the children - developing them as Successful Learners, Effective Contributors and
Homework is a very good way for parents to know exactly what their child is learning on a day to day basis and allows for real discussion and collaborative working within families. It also helps to build our community as we forge the interdependent partnership between school, child and parents.


Even I have to admit that there are times where drill and practice is required in maths. Or sometimes you just want to use some examples.
Enter Mathmaster.org This website helps you create worksheets for most grades up to about year 7. You can either save them as jpg or pdf or print them. If you have ebeam installed you can even print to eBeam Scrapbook as a background that you can then draw on and mark up as required for a demonstration.
Making up maths worksheets with all the grids, nets, shapes and number lines can be really painful in MS Word - especially if you want then to be precise enough for the students to actually measure. Dynamic Paper from the illuminations website might just be what you are looking for. There is a whole slew of resources for maths teachers there. Go nuts.
I'll repost one of my other favourite literacy worksheet makers - lessonwriter.com. This not only does the worksheet for you based on the text that you give it - it even writes your lesson plan.
Good music education software is hard to come by - This looks like it will fit the needs of most primary teachers. LenMus
LenMus is a free program for learning music. LenMus program allows you to focus on specific skills and exercises, on both theory and aural training. The different activities can be customized to meet your needs, and it provides interactive feedback until mastery of each concept is achieved. It also includes an score editor.And if like me you have no musical ability at all you might want to try out this grid based synth. Be careful you could spend hours on this. http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix
Sorry I haven't been blogging lately but the boss came over for a visit from the emerald city and things got really busy.


Looking for elementary education posters relating to math/science measurement skills? This product contains 21 different measurement-related posters that can be used to enhance your lessons! These educational and colorful posters can be used as teaching aids, handouts, journal pages, etc.
*COMMENTS FROM PURCHASERS:
"Great for centers!" -chanda414
"The posters were very helpful! Thank you!" -ecupiratesfan
*THIS PRODUCT INCLUDES:
(21 separate posters/handouts)
"How to Measure"
"Units of Measurement"
"Use a Ruler"
"Use a Meterstick"
"Use a Thermometer"
"Use a Measuring Cup"
"Use a Balance"
"Use a Clock"
"An object can be measured in many different ways..."
"Measurement Systems (US Customary and Metric)"
"Volume, Capacity, and Density"
"Estimating Measurements" (Version A)
"Estimating Measurements" (Version B)
"Gallon Man" (Version A)
"Gallon Man" (Version B)
"Measurement Conversions for Length/Mass"
"When do you use measurement?"
"How do you decide which unit to use?"
"How do you measure length?"
...that were intended for use in early elementary classrooms.
*23 pages total (21 posters/handouts).
*NOTE: THE SAMPLE FILE MAY NOT CONTAIN ALL OF THE PAGES THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IN THE FINAL PURCHASED PRODUCT.
*NOTE: All of the Math (Measurement) posters (not Science)are INCLUDED in my "Elementary Measurement Packet". Check it out in my store!
*After purchase, please leave me a positive comment/rating and be my follower! :)
*Copyright © Mrs. Lane. All rights reserved by author. This product is to be used by the purchaser only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).


ERIC Number: ED489261
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Reference Count: 0
New Visions for Linking Literature and Mathematics
Whitin, Phyllis; Whitin, David
National Council of Teachers of English
In their second book copublished by the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, David and Phyllis Whitin offer K-6 teachers a wealth of ideas for integrating literature and mathematics, including: (1) Specific criteria for evaluating math-related books, with emphasis on inquiry, critical thinking, diversity, and individual challenge; (2) Practical discussions about books and their use in K-6 classrooms; (3) An in-depth look at problem posing and book pairs as effective strategies for engaging all students; (4) Explicit connections made to NCTM's "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000) and NCTE and IRA's "Standards for the English Language Arts" (1996); (5) Interesting sidebars of extension activities and text sets; (6) Practical strategies for introducing math-related books to children; and (7) An annotated list of the best math-related literature available. This is a book filled with numerous examples of children's work, many of which are drawn from widely diverse, multicultural classrooms. Each chapter discusses a range of books and classroom applications to show how teachers can skillfully integrate such books to meet school objectives in language arts and mathematics. It is this dual perspective that makes the book unique. With its inviting tone and practical suggestions, "New Visions for Linking Literature and Mathematics" is an invaluable resource for the elementary school classroom. Following a foreword by Judith Lindfors, and an introduction, this book is divided into the following five chapters: (1) Criteria for Selecting Math-Related Books; (2) Book for a Wide Range of Ages; (3) Problem Posing with Children's Literature; (4) Using the Strategy of Book Pairs; and (5) Best Books for Exploring. (Contains 6 appendixes.)
Descriptors: Childrens Literature, Mathematics Instruction, Evaluation Criteria, Interdisciplinary Approach, Critical Thinking, Teaching Methods, Elementary Education, Educational Objectives
The National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. Tel: 877-369-6283 (Toll Free); Fax: 217-328-9645.
Publication Type: Books; Guides - General
Education Level: Elementary Education
Authoring Institution: National Council of Teachers of English, Champaign, IL.; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc., Reston, VA.


Your second grader will hone her cutting skills making this fun and colorful flower creation. The stem of a plant holds up a flower, along with providing nutrients, helping the flower to grow. Your child can learn more about plants while making this fun art project!
What You Need:
- Green construction paper
- Construction paper for the flower
What You Do:
- Take a look at a flower with your child, either by heading outdoors or looking at a flower in a book or on the Internet.
- See if your child can recognize the parts of the flower, such as the stem, leaves and petals! She can look at several types of flowers and notice how some have similar petals and others are different.
- Now it’s time to make her own interesting flower! Start by turning a 9” by 12” sheet of green construction paper into a 9” by 9” square with the help of a ruler and pencil.
- Invite your child to trim and curve the four corners of her square creating a circle. Then have your child draw a spiraling line starting at the outside edge of the green paper and ending in the center of her square.
- Now she can use her scissors to carefully follow and cut along her spiraling line, honing her concentration and cutting skills!
- Now she’s got a spiraling stem for her flower! Invite her to cut out a circle from one color of construction paper and petals from another. She can also cut a couple of green leaves to attach to her stem!
- Offer your child the glue and encourage her to glue together her flower and then attach it to the end (the outside part) of her spiral along with the leaves she cut out!
- Now she can hang her spiraling flower from the center of the spiral stem and watch as it moves and sways in the air!
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


Q2. What is happening to the version identifier (i.e. A, B, or C at the end of the unit code) in units of competency?
Q4. How can a Training Package user determine the AQF level of a unit that does not have an AQF level indicator in the code?
The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) is a tool that describes and measures language, literacy and numeracy skills in the numerous contexts in which individuals work, learn and communicate. The ACSF underpins the quality management of Australian Government language, literacy and numeracy programs and is a key component of the infrastructure which exists to support and improve adult learning. The ACSF is recognised by all state and territory governments.
The ACSF provides a rich, detailed picture of real life performance in the five core skills of:
- Oral Communication
The ACSF has been developed to facilitate a consistent national approach to the identification and development of the core skills in diverse personal, community, work, and education and training contexts. It offers:
- shared concepts and language for identifying, describing and discussing core skills
- a systematic approach to benchmarking, monitoring and reporting on core skills performance. (Source: DEEWR, Revised ACSF: 2012)
The Core Skills for Work Framework describes a set of non-technical skills, knowledge and understandings that underpin successful participation in work. Participation in work could be as an employee, as someone who is self-employed, or as a volunteer.
This set of non-technical skills, often referred to as generic or employability skills, contribute to work performance in combination with technical or discipline specific skills and core language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) skills.
The Framework describes performance in ten Skill Areas, grouped under three Skill Clusters:
Cluster 1 - Navigate the world of work
- a. Manage career and work life
- b. Work with roles, rights and protocols
Cluster 2 - Interact with othersa. Communicate for work
- b. Connect and work with others
- c. Recognise and utilise diverse perspectives
Cluster 3 - Get the work done
- a. Plan and organise
- b. Make decisions
- c. Identify and solve problems
- d. Create and innovate
- e. Work in a digital world (Source: Ithaca Group, Draft ACSF: 2012)
Updated 28 March 2014.


Empowering Andrea to help year 5 students construct fraction understanding
Baturo, Annette R. (2004) Empowering Andrea to help year 5 students construct fraction understanding. In Hoines, Marit J. & Fugelstad, Anne B. (Eds.) 28th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, July 14-18, 2004, Bergen, Norway.
This paper provides a glimpse into the positive effect on student learning as a result of empowering a classroom teacher of 20 years (Andrea) with subject matter knowledge relevant to developing fraction understanding. Having a facility with fractions is essential for life skills in any society, whether metricated or non-metricated, and yet students the world over are failing in this aspect of mathematics (Queensland Studies Authority, 2002; TIMSS, 1997). Understanding fractions requires comprehension and coordination of several powerful mathematical processes (e.g., unitising, reunitising, and multiplicative relationships) (Baturo, 1997, 2000). While this paper will report on student learning outcomes, its major focus is to tell Andrea’s story and from this to draw implications for pre-service education and teaching.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from and citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from theindexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
Full-text downloads displays the total number of times this work’s files (e.g., a PDF) have been downloaded from QUT ePrints as well as the number of downloads in the previous 365 days. The count includes downloads for all files if a work has more than one.
|Item Type:||Conference Paper|
|Keywords:||mathematics, fraction, elementary education, primary, teaching, unitising, reunitising, part, whole understanding, partitioning, teacher knowledge|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > EDUCATION SYSTEMS (130100) > Primary Education (excl. Maori) (130105)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > EDUCATION SYSTEMS (130100)
|Divisions:||Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Education|
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 2004 (please consult author)|
|Deposited On:||07 Feb 2006|
|Last Modified:||29 Feb 2012 13:08|
Repository Staff Only: item control page


'Action needed' on numeracy skills in Scottish secondary schools
- 28 March 2012
- From the section Scotland
More than half of S2 pupils are not doing well at maths, according to Scotland's first national survey.
But theScottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN)suggested primary pupils were performing at a high standard in the subject.
Education Secretary Michael Russell said the results showed the new Curriculum for Excellence was working well in primary schools.
But he said more focused action was needed in secondaries.
Mr Russell added that the link between deprivation and attainment in Scottish schools remained too strong.
More than 5,000 teachers and 11,000 pupils were surveyed for the SSLN.
The results showed 76% of P4 pupils were performing well or very well in numeracy, with 72% of P7 pupils reaching the same standard.
But in S2 only 42% pupils were performing well or very well.
The percentage of pupils not yet working within their respective levels in numeracy was less than 1% in P4, about 2% in P7 and 32% in S2.
Boys tended to outperform girls in numeracy at P4 and P7.
And S2 pupils living in areas with lower levels of deprivation were twice as likely to be performing well or very well as pupils living in areas with higher levels of deprivation.
The vast majority of pupils said they enjoyed learning, though the strength of agreement reduced among older pupils, and more than 90% of pupils agreed what they were learning would be useful to them outside school.
More than 90% of primary school teachers and more than 80% of secondary school teachers reported they were very or fairly confident they could improve learning using the Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes for their area.
In February, a report by the Royal Society of Arts praised the teaching of maths in Scottish schools, which it said England should look to learn from.
And speaking during a visit to Stenhouse Primary School in Edinburgh, Mr Russell said: "Given that we have deliberately raised the bar with Curriculum for Excellence - with high standards expected at each level, the strong performance of primary pupils in maths and numeracy is hugely encouraging.
"A common and historic trend is for performance to dip between mid and upper primary and then dip again in early secondary. So it is particularly welcoming to see the high performance in P4 maintained through to P7 under Curriculum for Excellence.
"However, this high performance must also be sustained and improved through to secondary.
"The performance results taken from S2, who were the last cohort of pupils not to benefit from Curriculum for Excellence, shows that more is needed and the link between deprivation and attainment remains too strong."


In elementary school, your child will develop the literacy and numeracy skills they need to succeed throughout their time in school and beyond. Building this foundation in key areas during the elementary school years allows students to unlock their full potential and discover their passions.
While the learning that takes place in the classroom is very important, elementary school is truly an exciting time in a child’s life because of all the new experiences available beyond the classroom. Whether it’s taking part in after-school programs or participating in sports, there are countless ways for students to get involved in school life and make the most of their experience.
Parents play a very important role during these years and we want to make sure that you have all the information you need to ensure your child achieves success. The staff at your local school are always here to help and answer any questions you may have. Want to know how you can get involved? We have developed a series of resources to guide you through the process.


Writing professional standards for music teachers
In June 2002, the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) endorsed a project to develop professional standards for Australian music educators. A draft version of the standards has been widely distributed throughout the profession to stimulate discussion. The project team, drawn from the ASME National Executive, consists of Dr Amanda Watson (Secretary), Associate Professor David Forrest (Publications Editor) and Dr Neryl Jeanneret (President).
A priority of the ASME project has been to involve and include music educators who work in all contexts, categorised in Australia as classroom music, instrumental music in schools and studio music teachers.
Background: the wider drive for teaching standards
The impetus for this project came from recommendations of A Class Act: Inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession (Senate Employment, Education and Training References Committee, 1998). The development of professional standards for Australian music educators builds on the major work undertaken in the disciplines of English and Literacy, Mathematics and Science.
Between 1999 and 2002, the relevant professional teaching associations representing these disciplines were funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to develop professional standards and performance assessments. The long-term goal of each project was to support the development of a national voluntary system to provide professional certification to teachers whose practice has attained high standards as set by the profession in each of the three disciplines. A wider context of this work has included improved career paths for teachers, clearer long-term goals for professional development and greater responsibility within the profession for quality assurance.
It was also significant that at the time of writing the first draft of professional standards for Australian music educators, the Australian Joint Council of Professional Teaching Associations (AJCPTA) published a paper supporting this type of work by professional teaching associations. Titled Submission: Establishing the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership (February 2004), it stated that:
The AJCPTA is supportive of the research work conducted by professional teaching associations in the area of teaching standards … Their collaborative approach to the work has created a strong trust with those involved and has earned them respect from teachers and other professional associations.
The first stages of the ASME project consisted of a paper that included an extensive literature review. The project team also consulted widely with members of the profession. A forum was convened at the ASME National Conference in Darwin in July 2003. A two-day summit was held in Melbourne in February 2004. The first draft of the professional standards for Australian music educators was then developed.
The draft drew on the professional standards written by teachers of English and Literacy, Mathematics and Science, and also used advice regarding structure of professional standards published in A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching (MCEETYA, November 2003).
In adapting these guidelines to the context of music education, the ASME draft revised terminology at a number of points. The term ‘accomplished’ was a requirement of the standards in the other disciplines, but in music ‘accomplished’ is specifically reserved as a description of a performing musician. The terms ‘excellence’ and ‘outstanding’ also have links to the performer and a performance. After consideration, the term ‘expert’ was chosen as being more appropriate for the teacher of music in a number of educational contexts in Australia.
The ASME standards are presented in four domains, each with three subheadings (indicated in brackets, below):
The project team has also been aware of the future need to build in a form of assessment to make the professional standards meaningful and serve a practical purpose.
It is proposed that the professional standards for Australian music educators will be launched at the ASME XV National Conference in Melbourne in July 2005.
Australian Joint Council of Professional Teaching Associations. (2004). Submission: Establishing the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership. Leichhardt: Author.
MCEETYA. (2003). A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching. Canberra: Author.
Senate Employment, Education and Training References Committee. (1998). A Class Act: Inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession. Canberra: AGPS.
Key Learning AreasThe Arts
Subject HeadingsTeaching and learning


Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education major prepares candidates to be state certified to teach pre-kindergarten through second grade classes.
States, such as Oklahoma, regularly report a shortage of early childhood teachers, and therefore, numerous job opportunities in both public and private schools are available to those who earn this degree.
Early Childhood teachers accumulate many skills and knowledge (such as curriculum, instruction and administration) that allow them to move into other career areas, as well. With some additional coursework, teachers can add the following areas of specialization: English as a Second Language, Exceptional Children and Gifted Education. With a Master’s degree, teachers can serve as counselors or in administration or media.
Early Childhood Teacher- Public, Private, or Parochial School
Lead Teacher or Manager- Day Care Center, Head Start Center
Public Relations- Non-profits, corporate PR departments
Corporate Training- Human Relations
Advisor- Community or Small College Admissions
PY 4132 - Psychology of Students with Exceptionalities (2 cr.)
TH 3201 - Catholic Perspectives on Education (1 cr.)
PY 4003- Child and Adolescent Development (3cr)
ED 3002 - Educational Technology (2 cr.)
ED 3012 - Foundations of Teaching (2 cr.)
SO 3013 Sociology of the Family (3cr)
ED 3113 - Early Childhood Reading Assessment and Instruction (3 cr.)
ED 3403 – Theory to Practice in Early Childhood (3cr)
ED 3242 - Children’s Literature (2 cr.)
ED 3112 - Methods of Integrating Fine Arts in Early Childhood Education (2 cr.)
ED 3312 - Methods of Early Childhood Physical Education and Health (2 cr.)
ED 3312 - Methods of Early Childhood Language Arts (2 cr.)
ED 3323 - Methods of Early Childhood Science (3 cr.)
ED 3332 - Methods of Early Childhood Social Studies (2cr.)
ED 3343 - Methods of Early Childhood Mathematics (3 cr.)
ED 4512 - Group Process and Classroom Management for Early Childhood Teachers (2 cr.)
PY 4223- Tests and Measurement (3cr)
ED 4322 - Student Teaching Seminar (2 cr.)
ED 4910 - Student Teaching (10 cr.)
For a complete coursework overview, download the Program of Study here.
Each candidate will complete 100 hours of field experience in local school districts prior to student teaching.
Additionally, our students are members of the Teacher Education Association (TEA), a pre-professional organization of students currently preparing for careers in education. Members of the TEA may choose to join either the Student Oklahoma Education Association (SOEA) or the Student Professional Oklahoma Educators (SPOE). Both organizations offer benefits to teacher education candidates and provide numerous professional development opportunities. Each semester, the TEA has a Meet and Greet to welcome new education majors. Other activities of the TEA include the SGU Christmas Festival and tutoring in local schools.
Our Early Childhood program is new, but we hold it to the same standards as the Elementary Education program. We have Elementary Education alumni from St. Gregory's in school districts throughout Oklahoma.
For more information about becoming a St. Gregory's Early Childhood Education major, email us at email@example.com.


Incorporating movement with fluency instruction: A motivation for struggling readers
- Making the Most of Assessments to Inform Instruction. Risko, Victoria J.; Walker-Dalhouse, Doris // Reading Teacher;Feb2010, Vol. 63 Issue 5, p420
This article describes how students' performance assessments, especially reading performance assessments, can be utilized to provide teachers with a basis for making informed instructional and curriculum decisions. Assessments can help define students' strengths, needs, and instructional...
- Developing Comprehension. Manning, Maryann // Teaching Pre K-8;Apr2007, Vol. 37 Issue 7, p58
The article presents the authors recommendations for reading comprehension strategies that should be discontinued. She cautions teachers not to fall into the belief that their original content cannot be as good as what is published, but rather to find a way to use both. She reminds readers of...
- Using Verbal Protocols to Identify the Reading Strategies of Students Who Are Deaf. Schirmer, Barbara R. // Journal of Deaf Studies & Deaf Education;2003, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p157
The purpose of this study was to identify the reading strategies used by students who are deaf by investigating their self-reported thinking during reading. The participants were 10 elementary students attending a residential state school for the deaf. After each page of reading a short story,...
- Using Read-Aloud Time Wisely. Walther, Maria P.; Fuhler, Carol J. // Book Links;Jan2008, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p8
The article offers tips on how to maximize the read-aloud experiences. It cites that teaching students on how to read the illustrations is essential by sharing wordless picture books. It is believed that comparing and contrasting favorite folktales could build higher-level thinking skills as...
- Focus reading to learn faster. // Communication Briefings;Jan2013, Vol. 32 Issue 3, p8
The article offers several guidelines to effective reading and better comprehension, adapted from the book "Extreme Productivity," by Robert C. Pozen.
- Tips for getting an accurate reading level score. // Patient Education Management;Jan2009, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p3
The article focuses on the readability formulas which offers various suggestions to assess the reading grade level of documents and materials.
- La escuela puede enseï¿½ar estrategias de lectura y promover su regular empleo. // Revista Mexicana de Investigaciï¿½n Educativa;ene-abr2003, Vol. 8 Issue 17, p129
No abstract available.
- ï¿½Por quï¿½ las personas no comprenden lo que leen?(2004). Le�n, Jos� A. // Revista Nebrija de Lingï¿½ï¿½stica Aplicada a la Enseï¿½anza de ;2010, Issue 7, p1
The current conception about literacy and reading comprehension has been changed extraordinarily in the last decades. Today its study is more closed to lifespan conception than a reading adquisition period only. In this work the reading comprehension and literacy are analyzed based on in this...
- Extra Dose of 9th Grade Reading Said to Help. Viadero, Debra // Education Week;12/10/2008, Vol. 28 Issue 15, p5
The article discusses the Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study, a federal program that tests school curricula. A report entitled "The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study: Findings from the Second Year of Implementation" reveals that giving extra literacy classes to 9th grade readers increases...


Some of you may be familiar with PBS' Art:21 program about contemporary art.
SchoolArts is going to be featuring it each issue next year but there are
some great materials for it already online. You can find the Educator's
Guide and Online Lesson Library at
www.pbs.org/art21/education/teachingmaterials. There are also videos and
DVDs available. This will be the third year of the program and I know lots
of universities use the materials. They are certainly suitable for high
school, as well.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane C. Gregory" <email@example.com>
To: "TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group"
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 9:57 AM
Subject: [teacherartexchange] clarification
> Hi Diane and all,
> I would be glad to clarify my statement. :-)
> When anyone begins to make a work of art one of the things they can do to
> satisfied with their final results is to focus on creating using current
> skills, strengths and intelligences. They can also train their hearts,
> and souls to take advantage of happy accidents and recognize when and how
> make modifications as the work develops.
> The teacher and student in tandem can identify these skill sets and
> work of art that uniquely takes advantage of these strengths while pushing
> student and the teacher to new heights. It is a highly cognitive
> problem-solving and higher order thinking ability that is required. This
> applies to all levels K to the end of life. The process and the
> art creation requires a dialogue about the idea of creation and one's
> to execute the idea. A resolution between the idea and ones ability to
> this idea is required. When these two forces come together the work is
> and satisfying to its maker. This is what I call cohesion--the highest
> art production and creation. This is the highest level of creation as
> identified by Viktor Lowenfeld many years ago and my own
> my own work with students.
> I hope this helps to clarify my thoughts.
> What do you think?
> Dr. Diane C. Gregory
> Director, Undergraduate & Graduate
> Studies in Art Education
> Texas Woman's University
> Denton, TX 76204
> To unsubscribe go to


‘The National Educational Network is a dedicated, educationally focused resource for teaching and learning without constraints of time or location. Harnessing our unique expertise, we enable a safe, secure, collaborative and creative learning experience for pupils, teachers and parents.’
One good thing about the National Educational Network that people don’t realise is that it contains links to a huge amount of educational resources for all aspects of the curriculum. It also has a useful e-safety audit tool.
The resources are all categorised by age / stage and subject:
By following the links I re-visited a few little gems that I had forgotten about including:
- The Open Weather Forecast – Move the dials on the weather forecast to develop numeracy skills.
- The World of Sport – Geographical activities with a sporting theme.
- The Far Away Fruit Salad – Get your five a day with a geographical theme.
- The Climate Change Portal – A One stop shop for climate change resources.
- Study Skills - How to become an effective learner and manage your own learning.
What’s your favorite resource from the National Education Network?


Creating Shadow Art: Free Lesson Plan Download
Grade Level: HS Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Positive/Negative Space, Shape
Art Skills: Collaboration, Photography
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
If you’ve never seen the shadow art of Tim Noble and Sue Webster you’re missing out. These artists literally shine light onto piles of junk and produce shadow images of people. You can check out their website here but keep in mind, there are a few inappropriate words and images.
Meanwhile, if you are like me (and most art teachers) you already have a box of junk in your classroom. A box of junk can serve so many purposes. Everything from having students create Rube Goldberg contraptions to recycled art projects. However, after viewing Tim and Sue’s work, you’ll know exactly what you’ll want to do with that junk… Have your students create shadow art.


Numeracy improves in primary schools
Scotland’s primary classes, implementing Curriculum for Excellence, are achieving and sustaining high performance in numeracy skills while more focussed action will be taken in secondary classes to raise standards, Education Secretary Michael Russell said today.
The findings were published today as part of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN ), the first ever national survey of primary and secondary pupils’ numeracy skills.
Speaking from Stenhouse Primary School in Edinburgh today, Mr Russell said:
“Given that we have deliberately raised the bar with Curriculum for Excellence – with high standards expected at each level, the strong performance of primary pupils in maths and numeracy is hugely encouraging. It provides a clear picture that, alongside Scotland’s teachers’ unwavering commitment, learning and teaching under Curriculum for Excellence is improving life chances for our children and young people.
“A common and historic trend is for performance to dip between mid and upper primary and then dip again in early secondary. So it is particularly welcoming to see the high performance in P4 maintained through to P7 under Curriculum for Excellence.
“However, this high performance must also be sustained and improved through to secondary. The performance results taken from S2, who were the last cohort of pupils not to benefit from Curriculum for Excellence, shows that more is needed and the link between deprivation and attainment remains too strong.
“For the first time we have a detailed picture of numeracy across Scotland which enables us to focus in on the areas most needing support in pre-CfE secondary learning such as fractions.
“Education Scotland will today release the first in a series of teaching support materials designed to tackle these areas. Particular support for secondaries, in addition to the numeracy materials and networks already available, will also be put in place to drive improvement.
“We knew that more could be done to improve literacy and numeracy and raise attainment. This is why we introduced a new curriculum which is now paying off. This Government is committed to doing all we can to support our hugely talented and committed teachers as well as our tens of thousands of children and young people eager to learn.”
Marlene Galashen, Head Teacher of Stenhouse Primary School, said:
“At Stenhouse, teachers are aware that a crucial aspect of their work is to enthuse pupils as they develop fundamental numeracy skills, and learn how to apply their knowledge in everyday life, learning and work.
“As a result of the emphasis which Curriculum for Excellence has placed on numeracy, Stenhouse pupils experience an increased amount of time spent on number and mental maths and more opportunities to talk about their work, Where appropriate, the link between numeracy and other curricular areas is identified and taught within the selected context, enhancing enjoyment of learning about numbers.”
Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy – sample questions
To coincide with the publication of the report, Education Scotland has provided a range of support materials to help teachers develop the numeracy skills of their pupils. These support materials are available on the Education Scotland website.
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Join in the discussion and help us make Scottish Education even better.


Under the leadership of the Office of the Governor and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State policymakers and those most interested in the success of young children—their parents, caregivers, teachers and administrators in early childhood and elementary settings, and others—have come together to create a description and framework of the skills, knowledge, and approaches to learning that contribute to children's success when they go to kindergarten.
The Benchmarks describe the characteristic knowledge and skills necessary for a young child to succeed in school. The Benchmarks cover all domains of early childhood development: physical well-being, health and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches toward learning; cognition and general knowledge; and, language and literacy, and communications. They include examples of indicators that demonstrate that the goal has been achieved as well as strategies to support learning for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The Benchmarks create a continuum of learning that links early development to later success in school and life.
The development of the Benchmarks is a partnership between the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and is sponsored by the Head Start-State Collaboration Office, OSPI, Department of Social and Health Service (DSHS) and the Department of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED).
Purposes and uses of the Benchmarks
The Benchmarks are intended to:
- Create a continuum of learning that links early development to later success in school and life by aligning the Benchmarks with Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and K-3 Grade Level Expectations (GLEs);
- Promote reasonable expectations and practical strategies for parents and those who care for and teach young children to support their learning and development; and
- Contribute to a unified vision for the early care and education system in Washington State.
Nature of the Early Learning and Development Benchmarks.
The Benchmarks are the foundation document for development of materials for the diverse audiences that care for young children. For example, a benchmark in the area of reading will suggest that children need to understand the meaning of what is read to them. Infants who can focus attention on simple picture books, toddlers who can make up or finish a story, and preschoolers who can "read" a picture book by making up a story to go with the pictures are demonstrating pre-literacy skills. The Benchmarks will help adults support children in gaining these important skills, knowledge, and approaches to learning. The benchmarks link to related EALRs and the K-3 GLEs, thus supporting children as they move from their homes and early care and education settings into the elementary school.
Process for developing the Benchmarks. The process has:
- Built on existing documents and research—using significant work already completed by Washington early care and education professionals, lessons learned from other states, and findings of research;
- Involved key stakeholders—by drawing upon the expertise of those who will use the Benchmarks in their work with children and families and families themselves;
- Been guided by a Core Team-comprised of representatives of the Office of the Governor, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Division of Child Care and Early Learning, the Head Start-State Collaboration Office, and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program; and
- Been led by a renowned expert in early childhood learning—Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan and a team from the National Center for Children and Families at Columbia University.
Key dissemination strategies.
Dissemination and implementation are critical to assure that the Benchmarks reach intended audiences and can be incorporated into the everyday practice of early care and education professionals. Dissemination and implementation will be viewed as a professional development opportunity for the early care and education, and be applicable to the range of users. Well-designed dissemination is essential to effective implementation. Key strategies will be to:
- Develop publications in a variety of formats;
- Distribute to a variety of stakeholders via multiple means;
- Develop informational materials and technical assistance tools targeted to specific audiences; and
- Develop strategies for redistribution to assure that high turnover in early care and education settings is not a factor in limiting use of the Benchmarks.
Evaluation of the project. The initial dissemination and implementation activities are expected to take approximately a year from the time the Benchmarks are initially completed. During this time data will be collected to assess how useful the Benchmarks have been to parents, how many early care and education professionals have been reached and their responses to the Benchmarks, initial effects on program practice, and initial responses of kindergarten teachers and elementary administrators and specialists.


Last Friday I attended Channel 4’s launch of a new film looking at how education has failed the young people of today and how the legacy of pre-Victorian education systems is inappropriate for the future of the UK. The film certainly had its shortcomings. Its tracking of a number of students from Swindon in south east London did tend to veer into caricatures and its identification of problems in the UK education system didn’t focus clearly enough on class and the variations of learning opportunities in the UK. It also tended to do something that always annoys me about discussions on education, in that it assumed that decisions made during school years shape one’s career forever (more on this later in this post). And finally, it failed utterly in providing any sense of how we should go about reforming education.
But what the film did well was question the historical framework upon which education is built. From 1870 in the UK (under the auspices of the English Elementary Education Act), there was a clear policy for educating all children, regardless of financial means. Parents still had to pay for education for children aged 5-12 years even under this Act, but the comprehensive education system was designed to ensure that children would reach a minimum education level before entering trade. As time went on, leaving age and the cost of schooling varied under various conservative and labour governments, but several aspects of the education system remained. Specifically, there were curriculum systems developed based on age, rather than ability, and class formats focused predominantly on the chalk-and-talk, ‘empty-vessel‘ teaching strategy.
There is a substantial body of evidence about teaching and learning that indicates that engaged/situated learning, critical analysis and group work is a much more effective means of facilitating learning, and there’s also evidence that both gifted and struggling students are failed by a system which educates on the basis of age rather than ability. But curriculum regulations operating in the UK as well as elsewhere in the Western world are forcing educators to sustain this outdated method of mass education, regardless of the benefits of ability-oriented, and facilitated learning techniques.
We tend to assume that the education system that taught us is sufficient for the purposes of the next generation, but there is absolutely no reason to make such an assumption. As the cultural variance among school aged children broadens, and as the variance in learning styles of people are more readily understood, it is incumbent upon policy makers and society to consider different strategies in education. But this means that there needs to be tolerance of different teaching styles and a reduction of rote learning in curriculum, in favour of critical understanding. As a result, we need to rethink the value of all curriculum content, all teaching styles and all standardised assessment methods. We may need to simply scrap current curriculum and standard testing systems altogether, in order to properly reform the system.
Finally, as I noted above, there needs to be a complete re-education of teachers, parents and the community about the importance of secondary education results. There is still even among otherwise bright people, the perception that if you don’t get certain results at high school, you will never get into certain careers. This is a complete myth. In every course and every discipline I have ever come across, there are multiple opportunities to access courses and careers, regardless of your secondary school results. Indeed, there are clear advantages in some professions of people pursuing alternative courses and careers prior to accessing their areas of interest. Furthermore, young people of the current generation are unlikely to have a single career during the course of their working life. It is highly likely that most new graduates will have at least four different careers in their working lives, and a portfolio education background and working history will only work to benefit these graduates. Specialisation will always exist in various disciplines, but without developing skills across a range of areas, it’s potentially a career-limiting move, rather than a career-development technique as has traditionally been the case.
The value of the C4 film then, is to set a framework for a more detailed analysis of what can and should be done about education in the UK. I’d encourage C4 to support development of four or five other documentaries that look specifically at what can be done in education reform, and to finally debunk the relevance and perceived importance of GCSEs and A Levels for the careers of the next generation of school leavers.


Mathematics in Early Childhood Learning
A position of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Question: Why is mathematics important for early childhood learners?
A growing body of research supports the implementation of curricular resources and program standards for mathematics for early childhood learners (Richardson, 2000; NAEYC & NAECS/SDE, 2003; Clements, Sarama, & DiBiase, 2004; NAEYC, 2009; National Research Council, 2009). The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) recommend the implementation of “curriculum that is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, comprehensive, and likely to promote positive outcomes for all young children” (2003). This research underscores the need to expand the implementation of pre-kindergarten programs to all communities to provide greater access to early mathematics instruction for early childhood learners. In mathematics, curricular and program standards should be flexible guidelines based on the following criteria: available research and expert practice, the big ideas of mathematics for children, and a range of expectations for outcomes that are developmentally appropriate (Clements, Sarama, & DiBiase, 2004). The big ideas in mathematics must include mathematical experiences that incorporate mathematics content in areas such as number and operations, geometry, algebraic reasoning, and measurement. Mathematics curricula and teaching practices should rest on a solid understanding of both mathematics and the development of young children. Understanding should be monitored by observation and other informal evaluations to ensure that instructional decisions are based on each child’s mathematical needs.
Research on children’s learning in the first six years of life demonstrates the importance of early experiences in mathematics. An engaging and encouraging climate for children’s early encounters with mathematics develops their confidence in their ability to understand and use mathematics. These positive experiences help children to develop dispositions such as curiosity, imagination, flexibility, inventiveness, and persistence, which contribute to their future success in and out of school (Clements & Conference Working Group, 2004).
Early childhood educators should actively introduce mathematical concepts, methods, and language through a variety of appropriate experiences and research-based teaching strategies. Teachers should guide children in seeing connections of ideas within mathematics as well as with other subjects, developing their mathematical knowledge throughout the day and across the curriculum. They must encourage children to communicate, explaining their thinking as they interact with important mathematics in deep and sustained ways.
Teacher education programs must include attention to the mathematics component of early childhood programs, and continuing professional development opportunities should support high-quality mathematics education. Effective professional programs weave together mathematics content, pedagogy, and knowledge of child development and family relationships (Ball & Cohen, 1999). The development of institutional policies that promote teachers’ mathematical learning, teamwork, and planning can provide necessary resources to overcome classroom, community, institutional, and system-wide barriers to young children’s mathematical proficiency.
NCTM position statements define a particular problem, issue, or need and describe its relevance to mathematics education. Each statement defines the Council's position or answers a question central to the issue. The NCTM Board of Directors approves position statements.


Language Arts Classroom:
Meeting the Needs of Adolescents in
Reading and Writing Instruction
"Fair doesn’t mean giving every child the same thing, it means giving every child what they need."
In our English department, we can provide multiple options in instruction, curricular materials, and assessments so that every student can meet the language arts standards in his or her own way. In fact, the principles of UDL can be applied across the curriculum, as all subject area teachers can improve their instruction using these basic principles of student learning.
What is Universal Design for Learning?
UDL is the development of curriculum that meets all students' learning needs. No matter their learning style, behavior, background, culture, race, gender, or physical difficulties, all students have a right to quality instruction that helps them meet their learning goals. The diverse students we teach come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Each student has specific learning needs, each student has learning strengths in every subject area, and each student brings unique prior knowledge to our school. We can not reach every student using a "one-size-fits-all" approach to our curriculum.
UDL is achieved when teachers present information in many different formats, appealing to diverse learning styles and learning preferences. Teachers must also provide assessments that work for different types of learners, and teachers must attend to students' levels of motivation and engagement.
When a student is interested in the materials, sees and hears information, has the opportunity to work with the materials, and expresses understanding through a means that displays his or her strengths, then a student learns.
Brain imaging shows that we use different parts of our brains when gathering facts, completing actions, and experiencing emotions. Activating these three brain networks helps students learn.
Research about how the brain works suggests the importance of UDL for reaching and engaging all students. Visit the National Center on Universal Design for Learning and read the UDL Guidelines 2.0:
Technology plays a central role in UDL, as it allows teachers to provide multiple means of representation to meet diverse learners' needs. Instead of relying on textbooks, teachers can create and share multimedia resources with students. Technology also allows students to apply learning through multiple means of expression. Students can create digital stories, podcasts, blogs, and wikis, for example. Technology motivates students and gets them engaged in learning. It provides a wealth of tools for student expression.
In Maine we are fortunate to have a laptop for every middle school student (thanks to Maine's Learning Technology Initiative: http://www.maine.gov/mlti/index.shtml ). We are under-utilizing these tools if we are using the laptops only for word-processing tasks. Using their laptops in our classrooms, students should be collaborating online, exploring online resources, and creating authentic products to demonstrate learning.
Follow this link to hear Dr. David Rose discuss the role of technology in UDL:
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) provides many online tools that our middle school students can use to meet their individual learning needs and to meet the standards with the aid of technology.
Follow this link for UDL Toolkits: Digital Content in the Classroom and learn to integrate digital content into your own classroom, such as multimedia and etext tools:
UDL Book Builder is an exciting tool developed by CAST. Book Builder allows teachers to create digital texts with comprehension and vocabulary supports built in for students. This allows us to modify our instruction for each student, and to teach reading comprehension strategies along with content. Subject area teachers can include explanations alongside text, to aid in understanding.
Another great tool from CAST is UDL Editions by CAST, which provides online texts with supports built in to support reading comprehension. Readers can select "maximum support," "moderate support," or "minimum support" to view "stop and think" prompts about the text that are appropriate to support their reading comprehension. This helps create active learners:
learning strengths and challenges:
Read this article from the Center For An Accessible Society for further information on Universal Design in architecture:


YMAZ Aims and Objectives
Youth Music Action Zone Programme - Aims and Objectives
Youth Music Action Zones (YMAZ) are flexible and responsive to the needs of their community and young people. They impact on the regional and national music education landscapes.
Across YMAZ host organisations, there are common, shared objectives that each Action Zone intends to achieve:
• To establish a legacy of music-making opportunities in areas of high social and economic need and geographical isolation
• To champion the value of music making in advancing the educational and social development of children and young people
• To improve the overall standards of music-making across all music styles and genres
• To establish music-making opportunities as a force for regeneration in communities, fostering social inclusion and community cohesion
Youth Music Goals
Over the course of 2010/11, together, we have demonstrated impact against outcomes associated with Youth Music
1. CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES
Improve the life chances of children and young people in the most challenging circumstances by supporting them to achieve their full potential through engagement and progression in music-making.
2. ENCOURAGING MUSICAL TALENT AND POTENTIAL
Realise the musical talent and potential of children and young people by ensuring opportunity for all to develop their talent regardless of background or chosen genre.
3. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Enable the highest quality music making, by developing a diverse, highly-skilled and inspirational workforce
4. EARLY YEARS
Advance the learning and development of all children in their early years (0-5s), by aiming to ensure universal access (in England) to high quality music making activities across a range of settings
5. EFFECTIVE ORGANISATION
Become more effective in order that we can better address and adapt to funding challenges ahead. The YMAZ Programme 2011/12 will demonstrate success against these goals at both national and regional level.


As a parent, understanding the simplicity of early childhood play and facilitating the fun of play is important for child development. The person who will teach your child the most during play in the early years of toddlerdom and preschool age is very likely to be you.
There are all kinds of play that are valuable for early childhood learning including:
This is when your child uses their imagination and skill to create something – a game of dolls or building with blocks for example. Constructive play develops problemsolving skills, imagination, fine motor skills, and self-esteem.
This involves playing with other kids, whether it’s an incidental game at the park with another child they’ve just met or a pre-arranged play date between peers. It teaches social skills, like empathy, and broadens your child’s world. Toddlers find it challenging to play with others until they are around two years old so don’t expect them to share and always play nicely!
This type of play is common for babies and toddlers and typically involves stimulating the senses with tactile, movement, sound, and visual experiences.
Practice play involves the repetition of new skills as they are learned – things like throwing or kicking, twirling, hopping and physical mastery of skills used in sport or games.
Toddlers and preschoolers learn through play and they love nothing more than Mum or Dad getting down to their level and playing with them.
How to play constructively with your toddler
- Let your toddler choose the activity or toy.
- Let your toddler start on their own and lead the play most of the time.
- Don’t worry about mess or trying to tidy up – just let it go.
See life through your toddler’s eyes:
- Play on the floor at your toddler’s level, where you can make eye contact.
- Allow time for taking turns in play and talking.
- Make what your toddler is playing with your focus so you are sharing the play experience, not just playing side by side.
- Accept their way of doing things.
Give your toddler your full attention:
- Show you are listening and attending to what they are doing by watching, and echoing their actions back.
- Create a commentary of what your toddler is doing without asking questions or correcting them.
- Praise what your toddler is doing as often as possible.
Adapt your language:
- Use short, simple words, to encourage development and understanding.
- Don’t contradict what they are telling you, but echo back what they are saying, to show you are listening.
- Be very positive, affirmative, and enthusiastic in your responses.
More articles on the benefits of play:
- The importance of play to boost development
- Play stages for toddlers
- How to encourage imaginative play
- Baby play ideas
- Play ideas and activities
More reading about toddler play:
- Playing is how toddlers learn from HealthyChildren.org
- Toddler play and learning basics from Raising Children Network
- 10 ways toddlers prosper from play from What To Expect