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20 Important Benefits of Music In Our Schools
March 10th, 2011
Nearly everyone enjoys music, whether by listening to it, singing, or playing an instrument. But despite this almost universal interest, many schools are having to do away with their music education programs. This is a mistake, with schools losing not only an enjoyable subject, but a subject that can enrich students' lives and education. Read on to learn why music education is so important, and how it offers benefits even beyond itself.
- Musical training helps develop language and reasoning: Students who have early musical training will develop the areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. The left side of the brain is better developed with music, and songs can help imprint information on young minds.
- A mastery of memorization: Even when performing with sheet music, student musicians are constantly using their memory to perform. The skill of memorization can serve students well in education and beyond.
- Students learn to improve their work: Learning music promotes craftsmanship, and students learn to want to create good work instead of mediocre work. This desire can be applied to all subjects of study.
- Increased coordination: Students who practice with musical instruments can improve their hand-eye coordination. Just like playing sports, children can develop motor skills when playing music.
- A sense of achievement: Learning to play pieces of music on a new instrument can be a challenging, but achievable goal. Students who master even the smallest goal in music will be able to feel proud of their achievement.
- Kids stay engaged in school: An enjoyable subject like music can keep kids interested and engaged in school. Student musicians are likely to stay in school to achieve in other subjects.
- Success in society: Music is the fabric of our society, and music can shape abilities and character. Students in band or orchestra are less likely to abuse substances over their lifetime. Musical education can greatly contribute to children's intellectual development as well.
- Emotional development: Students of music can be more emotionally developed, with empathy towards other cultures They also tend to have higher self esteem and are better at coping with anxiety.
- Students learn pattern recognition: Children can develop their math and pattern-recognition skills with the help of musical education. Playing music offers repetition in a fun format.
- Better SAT scores: Students who have experience with music performance or appreciation score higher on the SAT. One report indicates 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math for students in music appreciation courses.
- Fine-tuned auditory skills: Musicians can better detect meaningful, information-bearing elements in sounds, like the emotional meaning in a baby's cry. Students who practice music can have better auditory attention, and pick out predictable patterns from surrounding noise.
- Music builds imagination and intellectual curiosity: Introducing music in the early childhood years can help foster a positive attitude toward learning and curiosity. Artistic education develops the whole brain and develops a child's imagination.
- Music can be relaxing: Students can fight stress by learning to play music. Soothing music is especially helpful in helping kids relax.
- Musical instruments can teach discipline: Kids who learn to play an instrument can learn a valuable lesson in discipline. They will have to set time aside to practice and rise to the challenge of learning with discipline to master playing their instrument.
- Preparation for the creative economy: Investing in creative education can prepare students for the 21st century workforce. The new economy has created more artistic careers, and these jobs may grow faster than others in the future.
- Development in creative thinking: Kids who study the arts can learn to think creatively. This kind of education can help them solve problems by thinking outside the box and realizing that there may be more than one right answer.
- Music can develop spatial intelligence: Students who study music can improve the development of spatial intelligence, which allows them to perceive the world accurately and form mental pictures. Spatial intelligence is helpful for advanced mathematics and more.
- Kids can learn teamwork: Many musical education programs require teamwork as part of a band or orchestra. In these groups, students will learn how to work together and build camaraderie.
- Responsible risk-taking: Performing a musical piece can bring fear and anxiety. Doing so teaches kids how to take risks and deal with fear, which will help them become successful and reach their potential.
- Better self-confidence: With encouragement from teachers and parents, students playing a musical instrument can build pride and confidence. Musical education is also likely to develop better communication for students.


Contact: Science Press Package
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Birds on treadmills
Guinea fowl are domesticated birds that are good for studying the science of walking and running.
[Image courtesy of Richard L. Marsh]
Click here for a high resolution photograph.
The roadrunner cartoon (Beep, Beep!) never seems to get tired, but real animals do get tired when they run. A new study investigates what movements in walking and running use up energy. This is a long-standing mystery of exercise science.
After studying helmeted guinea fowl -- pheasant-sized birds -- running on treadmills, the authors report that leg swinging (when the foot is in the air) consumes one quarter of the total energy burned in leg and hip muscles.
These results do not fully agree with past research projects that predicted that legs use almost all the energy when the foot is on the ground.
To estimate the amount of energy the active leg and hip muscles consumed during leg swinging, Richard Marsh from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and his colleagues tracked the amount of blood going to particular muscles during guinea fowl walks and runs. The harder a muscle is working, the more oxygen it uses.
With more research, scientists hope to understand the exact job all the working muscles perform when animals, including humans, run.
The study appears in the 02 January, 2004 issue of the journal Science.
Back to Science for kids
Science is published by AAAS, the non-profit science society.


Fine Arts Programs in Elementary Schools
Elementary school students experience music by listening, speaking, chanting, singing, moving, playing, reading, writing, and arranging. Leaving out even one element shortchanges student learning. These basic elements provide a foundation for advanced development when students interpret, compose, improvise, and evaluate music and musical performances.
Elementary music students listen, identify, describe, and categorize a myriad of sounds. They listen to short musical selections and distinguish between like and unlike passages. Through a carefully planned sequence of activities, students learn to look at a passage of notes and replicate it with accurate pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo.
Elementary students also learn to listen to a melodic line and identify its visual representation. This exercise enables students to use both ear and eye to identify forms such as AB, ABA, theme, variations of a theme, and rondo. With more experience, children learn to hear the difference between two very similar phrases, for instance those having the same melodic line but different rhythms or vice-versa. From simple learning processes that begin at primary levels, students advance to analyzing longer and more complicated musical works in which harmony and texture also create form.
Music specialists and classroom teachers who are responsible for music instruction have a challenging task. To enable all students to realize their musical potential, elementary schools must implement a solid music program based on scaffolded course content. To build a foundation for musical achievement, activities must be sequenced and TEKS-based. Class musicals do not substitute for the ongoing, well-rounded instruction necessary for the development of content knowledge and skills. Excursions to concerts and performances do not constitute, and should not supplant, quality music instruction.
Districts and campuses make decisions about time allocations, meeting patterns, and class size. In class, time is used to teach music concepts and skills and distribute and collect the materials. In addition to the content taught, the facility and staff availability help determine maximum enrollment in music classes. Final scheduling considerations include the number of class meetings per week, the time of day, the length of the class, and the number of students in the class.
The music specialist should have no more than five to six classes per day and a total of no more than 150 students. Strong music education relies on both group and individualized instruction; large numbers of students reduce both the effectiveness of teaching and the quality of learning.
Elementary specialists have one duty-free planning and preparation period per day and scheduled intervals between classes. Classroom teachers may escort students to and from the classroom, providing security for students and time for the music specialist to set up for the next class. Specialists may require additional assistance when a class contains students with special needs. In small school districts where specialists are assigned to multiple campuses, an additional period is needed for travel, record keeping, materials management, and preparation of multiple music laboratories. An additional benefit of having a music specialist on the faculty is the added flexibility in scheduling teachers’ conference periods.
The range of class activities determines the specific space allocations for elementary music courses. Playing classroom instruments, movement, singing, and games require adequate room for safety and instructional effectiveness. Other space considerations include:
- Secure storage for equipment and materials (e.g., tapes, compact discs, VCR/TV, classroom instruments, computers)
- The number of chairs, risers, and/or desks needed to accommodate the largest class. (If classes scheduled in the room include students from kindergarten through grade five, several desk and chair sizes are needed.)


What is it like for children in India to access education? 206 Trained community journalists, using digital video cameras, will capture the reality of the implementation of the Right to Education Act. Are schools easy to get to? Is the student-teacher ratio correct? Are there toilets and drinking water in the schools? Are the School Monitoring Committees functioning properly? These, and more are the questions we are asking. >> more Read a detailed blog here | Video Volunteers playlist of videos
There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. The most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
India: Definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females.
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61% male: 73.4% female: 47.8% (2001 census)
Global Citizen: Primary Education
Access to education is not a privilege, it's a right.
No one teaches us how to dream. We just do. But dreams can only carry the 67 million children not in school, mostly girls, so far. Educating child no matter where they are is one of the biggest steps we can take toward ending extreme poverty.
The Tragic Lives of Child Brides
Child marriage is still the fate of many of the world's girls, forcing them into a life filled with harmful outcomes.
1 In 9 girls marries before age 15, and this infographic shows what happens to them.
Download Infographic by Jan Diehm for the Huffington Post.
December 10 marks the anniversary of the presentation of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes that there are "equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." But, because of the widespread practice of child marriage, 14 million girls under 18 are denied those rights each year. This infographic shows some facts about the lives of child brides.
8 million children are not in school. Choose to speak up for their right. It's time you raised your voice too. Let's together show these children the way to school.
An Uneducated Girl is a Girl in Darkness
Two-thirds of the world's 880 million illiterate adults are women. Girls are more than 70 percent of the 125 million children who don't have a school to attend. Significantly more girls than boys enrolled in the first grade fail to complete the first cycle of primary school.
Social traditions and deep-rooted religious and cultural beliefs are most often the barriers to expanding girls' educational opportunities in undeveloped countries around the world.
Did you know that:
In parts of the Horn of Africa girls are abducted for marriage, causing them to be reluctant to walk the far distances to get to school?
Throughout the Sahel region of Africa and parts of the Middle East, a dowry system, often promoting that girls leave their studies, is still in place?
The AIDS crisis in Southern Africa and Asia drives many young women, little more than children themselves, to become heads of families, become involved in child trafficking and drop out of school?
In parts of Latin America, girls and women from indigenous areas have little opportunity to learn to read and write?
Despite these conditions, there is much desire for change: Parents in even the poorest circumstances everywhere hope that their children will receive an education. Even though the barriers to education for girls in these countries are many, they are not insurmountable.
Understanding the barriers to girls' education in particular is key to launching our innovative approaches. Educating girls and women results in:
Healthier, better educated children and grandchildren;
Fewer maternal deaths and reductions in the under 5 mortality rate;
Delayed marriage and better parenting skills;
Improved literacy and numeracy skills leading to greater economic opportunities;
More skills and knowledge enhancing women's self esteem and the well being of families.
In Nigeria, where 10 percent of the world's deaths to children occur, literate mothers are much less likely to see their children die before their fifth birthday than their illiterate peers. While in the United States, Los Angeles mothers' reading skills are the greatest determinant of their children's academic achievement.


Diagram of a copper atom
Copper is a kind of atom that has only one electron in the outermost ring. Copper is a fairly heavy atom, that can only be made inside a red giant star. When the red giant star has finished making copper and moved on to heavier kinds of atoms, eventually it explodes into a supernova and shoots out the copper atoms along with lots of other kinds of atoms. All of the copper in the universe comes from this process. Copper came to Earth when the Earth first formed out of a nebula cloud. All animals and most plants need copper in order to make some of their enzymes.
Because copper atoms have only one electron in their outer shell, like silver and gold, it's a kind of metal, and it's very easy for copper to share electrons with other atoms to make bigger molecules. Copper atoms can combine with each other to make pure copper, or they can combine with oxygen to make copper oxide (like rust, only with copper instead of iron).
Copper makes it particularly easy for electrons to move from one atom to the next, and that makes copper a good metal for moving electricity from one place to another. We use copper wire inside electric cords to move electricity from the wall to your computer, and inside telephone cords to move electricity from your land-line telephone to your friend's telephone to carry the sound of your voice.
To find out more about atoms, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Science for Kids home page
Kidipede home page


Each week, The Mini Page covers a different topic. The Mini Page will teach your readers about that week's topic using word puzzles, connect the dots, recipes, drawings and pictures.
Appearing in over 500 newspapers weekly, The Mini Page is loved by children, parents, teachers, and anyone who wants to learn a little more while having a lot of fun.
The Mini Page was created by Betty Debnam (UNC Class of 1952). Ms. Debnam gave her complete archive from the years she was creator and editor to the UNC Library and the financial support necessary to create this electronic archive.
An online finding aid with details about the contents of The Mini Page Archive is available at the Southern Historical Website.
The Mini Page is a four-page weekly newspaper feature directed to kids but of interest to readers of all ages. The feature has won many awards for excellence in educational journalism and has appeared in as many as 500 newspapers. This digital archive provides online access to issues published from August 1969 to May 2007, the period during which founder Betty Debnam was editor.
Over its nearly forty year history, The Mini Page built its reputation by reporting on topics of significance to the elementary curriculum including features about science, government, animals, hobbies, artists, holidays, biography, science, geography, history, manners and other subjects. The topics are written in an easy to understand style. The issues are carefully researched, written and then double-checked by top sources in the country. Each issue has recipes, super sports and puzzles based on the main theme. The Mini Page is a welcome resource for classroom teachers as the material fits easily into the curriculum and emphasizes the standard course of study. Parents enjoy sharing the feature with their children. Betty Debnam feels that elementary education can begin or be refreshed at any age. The Mini Page is a form of mass media education for all ages.
The first issue of The Mini Page ran in the August 29, 1969 issue of the Raleigh News & Observer. In 1970, The Mini Page was picked up by The Charlotte News and published in both papers. MSC Features, Inc., a national newspaper advertising representative became the syndicator from 1972-1976. National syndication began in July 1977 with Universal Press Syndicate (now a division of Andrews McMeel Universal). In 1977, Debnam published her first companion book, The Best of The Mini Page, followed in 1978 by The Mini Page Kids' Cookbook, a collection of the feature's most popular easy-to-follow recipes. A number of companion books followed over the years, including: The All New Best of The Mini Page (1982), The Mini Page Book of States (1988), Rookie Cookie Cookbook (1989), and The Mini Page Guide to the Constitution (2006), among many other guides and activity books.
For many years, Betty Debnam was The Mini Page's sole staff member. She was editor, reporter, layout artist, and even developed and sold advertisements to sustain the newspaper in its infancy. Debnam also created The Mini Page's beloved cast of characters including: Alpha Betty, Rookie Cookie, Mighty Funny, Peter Penguin, Mini Spy, and other favorites. Later, other assistants joined Debnam's staff at The Mini Page and contributed to its success, especially Alan McDermott, Debnam's editor at Universal Press.
In May 2007, Betty Debnam sold the Mini Page to Universal. The sale contract permitted Debnam to donate The Mini Page's archive to a university for online publication. In 2009, Debnam presented the archive to the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sparking a collaboration with UNC Chapel Hill Libraries that would result in the development of this online resource.
©Copyright 2010 by the University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, all rights reserved


While Centennial Secondary School does have an urban base, the majority of the school’s 1090 students are bused in from rural areas. This school operates the visual and performing arts program for the region.
In 2004–2005, 88% of students in the Grade 9 academic mathematics program and 59% of students in the Grade 9 applied mathematics program met or surpassed the provincial standard.
Our math department functions as a high-energy, collegial and collaborative unit that is extremely committed to professional development. Every department meeting begins with an exercise in problem-solving to identify best practices, and teachers continually challenge themselves to enhance their instructional methods. Neither I nor the vice-principal can pass by a math class without being invited in by a teacher to observe student activities.
Highlighting mathematics in action is one of the key ways Centennial Secondary School successfully facilitates student comprehension and enthusiasm. Teachers put special emphasis on connecting mathematical concepts to real-life situations and are working hard to integrate the use of technology and manipulatives to improve conceptual understanding and problem solving. All initiatives flow out of a dedicated focus on sound instructional practice, which involves ongoing reflective practice and support. For example, immediately following the EQAO assessments, teachers review responses and debrief to determine strengths and weaknesses and revise lesson plans accordingly. As well, importance is placed on cross-department dialogue, as all subject teachers are deemed instrumental in advancing literacy and numeracy skills.


Informative articles, research summaries and papers focus on literacy in children. Highlights a special segment of Position Papers in “How Young Children Learn to Read in High/Scope Programs.” In addition, specific advice and suggestions for parents and teachers and a schedule of relevant trainings and conferences are offered. Literacy information applicable to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school students.
Reading Comprehension: Teaching Reading Comprehension, Teaching Reading Strategies
in Education / Learning
A substantial collection of early literacy information. Includes information and articles on teaching reading strategies and reading comprehension activities to elucidate literacy and reading in young children. Other topics covered include bilingualism, developmental disabilities, phonics and technology and literacy. Features additional tips, advice, a parenting guide, and a schedule of trainings and conferences.
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how adults including parents, teachers, librarians, school psychologists, etc. can help. Reading Rockets creates and disseminates information about reading through PBS television programs, online services, and professional development opportunities.
Zero to Three provides practical tips and research-based information on early literacy for parents and/or professionals such as child care providers and pediatricians. Topics covered include language and literacy development and book preferences. The site also includes tips of the week and "Parenting A-Z."
The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement Provides academic, technical articles and instructional resources on early literacy. Provides information on teaching reading strategies, reading books to children and story writing. covers topics such as reading comprehension activities, story writing, home and school effects and staff development.
Offers practical and research information and online journal articles on child literacy. Includes literacy in the classroom with reading comprehension activities, articles on teaching reading strategies, technology and literacy and other topics.
Summaries of current knowledge prepared especially for parents, with links to other relevant web sites. Articles cover how reading skills develop, difficulties with reading, and parents who have trouble reading. From the University of Michigan Health System.
Colorín Colorado provides information, activities, and advice for Spanish-speaking parents and educators of English language learners (ELLs). The parent's section is completely bilingual. For educators, there are downloadable resources for PreK-3 teachers (most resources are also relevant for grades 4-8) who have one or more English language learners (ELLs) in their class. The educator's section provides practical, research-based, and best-practice information and strategies for teaching English language learners.
Dr. Barbara Foorman discusses research on a variety of interventions for literacy in early childhood and school-age children. She presents effective intervention options for classrooms as well as individual students in need of literacy intervention support.
This article discusses reading interventions for third graders. It also discusses Early identification, intervention, and the success rates of retention.
in Education / Learning
- After School Care
- Bilingual Education
- Charter Schools
- Child Care/preschool
- Early Intervention -Practices
- Early Intervention- Literacy
- Gifted Children
- Health Care in Schools
- Home Schooling
- Language Delays
- Learning Disabilities
- Multicultural Education
- Out-of-school Time
- Parent Involvement
- Parents' Rights
- Physical Disabilities
- Preschool Curriculum
- School Psychology
- School Readiness
- School Violence
- Special Education


- food wall display or Eating the Alphabet book
Foundational Skills/RF.PK.MA.2.a: With guidance and support, recognize and produce rhyming words (e.g., identify words that rhyme with /cat/ such as /bat/ and /sat/).
Head Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Phonological Awareness: Identifies and discriminates between sounds and phonemes in language, such as attention to beginning and ending sounds of words and recognition that different words begin or end with the same sound.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 8: Listen to, identify, and manipulate language sounds to develop auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness.
Word Play: Rhyming Game #1
ELA Focus Skills: Phonological Awareness (Rhyme), Vocabulary
Ask children to name some plants they eat. Then invite children to play a rhyming game using different foods.
- Say, I will name a plant food and I want you to name a word that rhymes with it. Demonstrate for children.
- Point to a picture of a bean and say, Bean. Pause as if thinking; then say, Seen. Bean and seen are rhyming words. Have children focus on the ending sounds as you stretch out the sound in each word, be-e-a-a-n-n and se-e-e-e-n-n
- Point to a picture of a lime and say the word. Ask, Can you think of a word that rhymes with lime? (time, dime, climb) Allow time for children to respond. Accept made up words as well as actual words.
- Repeat the process with the words pear (bear, tear, rare); corn (horn, torn, born); fig (big, dig, wig); and pea (me, tree, sea).
Adaptation: With very young children, say two words that rhyme and one that does not (bean, green, lime) and ask children which word does not rhyme.
Adaptation: In groups with varying ages, challenge older children to come up with as many rhyming words as possible in five minutes for the words bean (lean, mean, clean, machine, magazine, seen, teen, thirteen) and pea (bee, he, key, knee, see, me, tea, we).
Educator Tip: Guided and independent Letter, Sound, and Word practice continues to take place in center activities. It is helpful to set up the literacy center immediately after the direct instruction and repeat instruction before children work in the literacy center identifying letters.


THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
The National Service Training Program was also known as “An Act Establishing the National Service Training Program (NSTP) for Tertiary Level Students, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 7077 and Presidential Decree no. 1706, and for other Purposes” or Republic Act No. 9163. It was signed into law in January 23, 2002 amidst the various calls of dissenting sectors for its abolition or reform.
It invoked the constitutional provision regarding the “duty of the state to serve and protect its citizens,” specifically Article II (Declaration of Principles and State Policies), Section 2, which states that “The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people. The government may call upon the people to defend the state, and in fulfillment thereof, all citizens may be required under conditions provided by law, to render personal military or civil service” (italics supplied). This is the same principle that created and sustained the Reserve Officers Training Corps.
The primary objective of the NSTP law is to promote the role of the youth in nation-building. As such, it aims to encourage the youth to become civic and/or military leaders and volunteers whom could be called upon by the nation in cases their services are needed.
Compared with the ROTC which specializes in military training, and the E-ROTC which granted three options for students yet was limited in implementation, the NSTP law ensured that the three components – Civic Welfare Service, Literacy Training Service, and Reserve Officers Training Corps – will be given the same and equal implementation in educational institutions. Moreover, it defined the different components, the duration of the training, coverage, etc.
The Three NSTP Components
The National Service Training Program is composed of three different components.
The Civic Welfare Training Service is geared towards activities that have social impact through activities that could contribute to “health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry”, thus the CWTS component of the NSTP stressed the importance of youth involvement in broad programs or activities that will benefit the people. While the CWTS focused on programs to enhance the living conditions of the people, the Literacy Training Service has a more limited yet equally useful objective that is to “train students to become teachers of literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out of school youth, and other segments of society in need of their service”. LTS thus specializes in the education of the people, strengthening the education sector to empower the people through education.
Meanwhile, Reserve Officers Training Corps, while deemed equally important by the NSTP law (it maintained its existence and nature mentioned in RA 7077 having the primary objective to prepare the youth in national defense, became merely a component of the program.
To compare the Old ROTC to the NSTP, here is the ROTC organizational structure


EDEL 3100 is an arts course that takes place in the AC Lab for students majoring in Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Special Education. From an educator’s perspective, students review the basic foundations of the arts (aesthetics, art criticism, and visual and performing arts) and explore the arts’ role in education, their connection to other disciplines, and their unique contribution to human societies. Through lessons involving embodied arts experiences, ‘body-on’ arts making, curriculum design, the application of digital media, group activities, and class readings and discussions, students develop artistic and aesthetic skills that will help them to confidently speak about and utilize the arts, creativity, and design as ways of thinking, inquiry, expression, and assessment with their future students.
In EDEL 3100, students create and participate in 2D art projects, a found art sculpture social media project, digital storytelling movies, drama tableaus, movement workshops, arts critiques, and playful creative exploration.
For example, for the Found Art Sculpture Project, students use everyday objects to create unique sculptures. Once completed, the sculptures are placed in public places to be found by anyone who encounters them. From there, they can be kept or altered and replaced in a public place. Look out for our sculptures! Each has a tag similar to the one on the right. If found, we ask that you email us and tell us about your experience of finding art at email@example.com


Design thinking is a methodology used for investigating ill-defined problems, acquiring information, analyzing knowledge, and positing solutions in the design and planning fields. Centered around creativity, empathy, rationality, and putting the user’s needs as the heart of the problem, design thinking is seen as an important tool for driving innovation. But design Thinking is not just for designers, it’s for engineers trying to solve a problem; it is for parents who want to expand their children’s view of the world and teachers looking for new ways to engage their students. It is a new way of looking at things that is quickly becoming a core element in business strategy all around the world. This presentation will outline the ways everyone can benefit from the techniques and strategies of this innovative methodology.
Bio: Natalia Delgado is a Mexican artist, designer, educator, researcher, international speaker and published author, living in Canada since 2009. Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in graphic design from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, and current PhD Candidate in Art Education at the University of Victoria.
Over ten years of teaching experience in the areas of design, marketing and creativity. currently teach design and photography at Uvic and I working as a consultant and instructor for the International NGO Poster for Tomorrow.
She has participated as speaker and workshop facilitator in Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Finland and Ghana. Recipient of numerous awards for her design work has exhibited in Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Lebanon, Italy, France, Ireland, Iran, China, Ecuador, Belarus, Australia, Cameroon, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Bolivia, Turkey, Taiwan, Venezuela, United States and Sweden.


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In its publication “Making the Case for Arts Education,” the Ontario Arts Council reported that involvement in music helps young people do better in school and in life. This research tells us that young people exposed to music demonstrate improved reading, writing and mathematical skills. Additionally, their ability to think creatively, work in teams, communicate, solve problems and exercise self-discipline is greatly enhanced. Students say that their commitment to music keeps them focused and motivated in everything they pursue, helping them to attain a higher level of achievement in all areas of their life, as well as a sense of personal accomplishment.
The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra believes in the value of music and music education by offering a variety of programs that are designed to teach and inspire students of all ages. During the 2011-2012 season, over 2,100 people were reached through the SSO’s Outreach and Education programming.


Mission and Learning Outcomes of the UVU Elementary Education Teacher Preparation
The mission of the UVU Teacher Preparation Program is to prepare competent, caring, and qualified individuals who are ready to assume the role of teacher in elementary schools. Students who complete our program meet the InTASC teaching standards.
Throughout the education program you will be required to create lesson plans. The School of Education uses a certain form for lesson plans created in your different classes. Click on the Lesson Plan Template to view the form. The lesson plan rubric will be used to score your lesson plans.
During your student teaching assignment you will complete a senior project. The purpose of this project is to help you continue to understand the teaching/learning process and to demonstrate your skills and abilities as a teacher. Your project will involve teaching a unit, which will include planning, teaching, assessing, evaluating learning and teaching, and reflecting on the teaching/learning process. Completion of the Senior Project is a requirement for graduation and licensure through the School of Education at Utah Valley University.
For directions and scoring guides click on the Senior Project.
The School of Education uses the Senior Portfolio to document our claim to the Utah State Office of Education and to TEAC accreditation board that we are preparing students to be successful beginning teachers. Throughout the program you will be required to complete key assignments. The key assignments make up the Senior Portfolio which is reviewed to ensure all students have been prepared in meeting the INTASC standards. To view the requirements and layout of the Senior Portfolio click on the Senior Portfolio.
Dispositions are important character qualities useful for success in the Elementary Education program and for future success as a professional educator. Once each semester program students will complete and submit an online disposition survey. This will be done during Classroom Management I-IV.
Useful resources for the Utah State Office of Education:
You will find various websites under Professional Organizations to use throughout the Education Program and your teaching career.
This workshop provides a simple but explicit process for phonics instruction to beginning readers, struggling readers, and English language learners.


- State Water Resources Control Board - Main page for the Storm Water Program and General Permits
- Explorers' Club - A fun site for kids ages 5-12.
- Students' Center - An educational site for older kids.
- Environmental Education Center - An educational site for teachers and students.
- Water Science for Schools - Information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge.
- Environmental Links For Kids - Links to about 90 different sites that deal with Environmental Science for kids.
- Motor Oil Recycling - Manteca provides its residents with oil collection containers that are picked up on a weekly basis and exchanged for another container.
- Manteca Solid Waste Recycling Division - Information about collection services.
- University of California - Main page for the Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project.
- EPA Pesticide Program - EPA Office of Pesticides Program (OPP) home page
- International Erosion Control Association - A non-profit, member organization that provides education, resource information and business opportunities for professionals in the erosion and sediment control industry.
- Erosion Control - Links to other erosion control information for Business and Industry.
- Concerned Citizen Resources - Become familiar with environmental issues and potential environmental and human health risks caused by pollution.
- EPA Office of Children's Health Protection - Information regarding water quality and children's health.
- EPA Office of Water - Information about urban runoff pollution, also called "non-point source pollution".
- Click here to download the EPA's Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (a large PDF file - takes awhile to download).
- Take care of your lawn in an environmentally friendly way. Download the EPA booklet Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment (a large PDF file - takes awhile to download).
- Earth 911 - A great organization with lots of information about the environment.


Just when it seems that this long, frigid winter will never end, spring is set to make a grand entrance on campus. One of its earliest appearances will occur near the northeast entrance to Ketchum Hall when the large round buds on the Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) tree burst open with a flourish of showy yellow blossoms. Growing in small, tight clusters, these blossoms will remain for several weeks. Then Cornelian Cherry will be dressed in deep green leaves, elliptical in shape, with prominent arcuate, or curved, veins.
Cornus mas is a member of the Dogwood family and is native to central and southern Europe and western Asia. William Turner, the sixteenth-century British physician and natural historian, recorded its presence in the British Isles in 1551. Although it is popular in the U.S. as an ornamental shrub or tree, the Cornelian Cherry was originally cultivated for its fruit. When they ripen in late summer, these ruby-hued berries add yet another color to the landscape.
The fruit, which does not fully ripen until it drops from the tree, has been compared in taste to the cranberry or a sour cherry. Humans have discovered multiple uses for the fruit, including herbal medicines, jams, syrup, wine and liqueurs; it is even kept in brine and used like olives. Non-human consumers include bees, birds, rabbits and squirrels. Butterflies find it a suitable larval host and are attracted to its nectar.
The name Cornus, meaning “horn,” is a reference to the hard wood of the tree. It is extremely dense and does not float in water. Ancient craftsman preferred it for the production of weapons and tools; it is still used for tools and machine parts. The felt used to make the Turkish fez was colored with dye made from the bark, and oil can be extracted from the pits.
The Cornelian Cherry is a slow-growing, relatively small tree, reaching only 15 to 25 feet in height at maturity. But what it lacks in stature is more than made up in the beauty and color it adds to our campus. Be sure to watch for it to blossom in the coming days. This tree was planted in the Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum as a memorial to Dr. Z. D. Robinson and his wife, Patricia McNaney Robinson.
You can support our beautiful urban campus by making a gift to the Campus Beautification/BSCenery Fund (310509) through the Faculty and Staff Appeal.
Article submitted by Laura Klenk, assistant professor, Elementary Education and Reading Department
Photo by Michael Gallo, instructional support assistant, Campus Services


The measurements of a person's ring and index fingers may come in handy in the early identification of developmental disorders, career paths, and behaviourial issues such as technophobia, psychologists claim.
In a comparative study of the finger lengths of 75 seven-year-old children with their Standardised Assessment Test (SAT) scores, researchers found evidence that finger lengths can accurately predict a child's numeracy and literacy abilities.
Longer "digit ratios'', which were calculated by dividing length of the ring finger by that of the index finger, were generally found in males with good numeracy skills. In contrast, girls tended to have shorter ring than index fingers, and fared more poorly in numeracy than literacy tests.
While finger lengths have long been a source of knowledge to palm readers and mystics, it is only in recent times that scientists have been able to link finger lengths with the sex hormones, testosterone and oestrogen, according to Dr Mark Brosnan, who led the study.
"Testosterone has been linked to spatial skills and mathematical skills, [and] digit ratio has been linked to testosterone," said Brosnan, Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath. "So the question then was - does digit ratio relate to mathematical abilities?"
Scientists believe that high levels of exposure to the male hormone, testosterone, while a child develops in its mother's womb, promote the development of the areas of the brain which are often associated with spatial and mathematical skills.
Similarly, the female hormone oestrogen is thought to do the same in the areas of the brain which are often associated with verbal ability.
"Interestingly, these hormones are also thought to have a say in the relative lengths of our index and ring fingers," Brosnan said.
"We can use measurements of these fingers as a way of gauging the relative exposure to these two hormones in the womb, and as we have shown through this study, we can also use them to predict ability in the key areas of numeracy and literacy."
Longer index fingers could also be linked to a greater tendency towards what Brosnan has termed "computer anxiety", or "technophobia", which has been defined as a fear or anxiety towards technology.
And while it is unlikely that finger length measurements could replace SAT tests, Brosnan announced plans for further research into how digit ratio relates to a person's career path.
The early prediction of a person's natural disposition could perhaps be used to reduce anxieties to do with technology, and even open new avenues to technology-related careers, Brosnan said, should the person be willing.
"Those who are good at maths, for example, [might] enter numerate jobs," he predicted, noting that this hypothesis has yet to be empirically researched.


Children in Play, Story and School:Imaginative play and story telling occupy key roles in children's psychological development and socialization. Bringing together leading contributors, this volume explores what play and story mean to young children, and how these vital aspects of development can best be supported in child care and educational settings. Vital connections are drawn between children's activities, their interpersonal relationships, and their emerging cognitive and affective capacities. Topics covered include promoting social play in the classroom, story telling and literacy development, and the influences of early caregiving experiences on attachment and learning. Theoretical and methodological issues in these areas of research are also addressed, as well as social policy implications. The book is inspired by the work of Greta G. Fein, the pioneering teacher, researcher, and child care policymaker, who has contributed an integrative concluding chapter.


ing, and goal attainment. Chapter 6 applies what is known about literacy, learning, and motivation to examine in greater depth one aspect of the instructional environment—instructional technologies—that may motivate essential practice with literacy activities, scaffold learning, and help to assess learners’ progress. Technology also may help to resolve some of the practical barriers to more extensive literacy practice related to life demands, child care, and transportation, which adult learners cannot always afford, in either dollars or time.
The next two chapters discuss the research for two subgroups of the adult learner population. Chapter 7 synthesizes what is known about the cognitive, linguistic, and other learning challenges experienced by adults with learning disabilities and the uses of accommodations that facilitate learning. Chapter 8 considers the literacy development needs and processes for the population of adults learning English as a second language, which includes both immigrants and U.S. citizens and is diverse in terms of education, language background, and familiarity with U.S. culture. This chapter points to the major challenges experienced by English language learners in developing their literacy skills and outlines the research needed to facilitate literacy development. Given that the basic principles of reading, writing, learning, and motivation have been discussed in previous chapters, this chapter focuses on issues specific to the literacy development of adults who are learning a second language.
Chapter 9 presents the committee’s conclusions and recommendations in light of the research reviewed in previous chapters. Our conclusions stress that it should be possible to develop approaches that improve adults’ literacy given the wealth of knowledge that exists. The challenge is to determine how to integrate the various principles we have derived from the research findings into coordinated and comprehensive programs of instruction that meet the needs of diverse populations of adults. In this final chapter, we urge attention to several issues in research and policy that impinge directly on the quality of instruction, the feasibility of completing the much-needed research, and the potential for much broader dissemination and implementation of the practices that emerge as effective.


Photo: NLU students in Mexico
Ten National Louis University undergraduate elementary education students recently traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to observe teachers, share ideas with their counterparts at two teacher-training universities, and immerse themselves in the country’s culture.
The trip was part of the Chicago Teacher Partnership Program (CTPP) grant, which was awarded to a group of select Chicago universities, including National Louis, to prepare teachers in high-need Chicago public elementary schools.
Many students in the high-need Chicago public schools come from Mexico or have parents who immigrated, and they face challenges of culture and language.
The ultimate goal of the trip, which also included two National Louis professors and staff members, was to help future teachers gain a better understanding of those they’ll be helping, including not only ways to better connect them to curriculum, but also to connect with them as human beings.
The students’ itinerary involved classroom observation in a wide range of schools, from those in and around Guadalajara to rural locations. Particularly moving was a night school for children from low-income households who must also work during the day to support their families.
The group collected a list of the pros and cons of what they saw, and they were given a unique opportunity to present these findings toward the end of their trip to a special panel of the Mexican Department of Education.
They found, for example, a disparity in technology and classroom decoration among the schools. Some had computers, but they were broken. Others had items like smart boards, but the teachers didn’t know how to use them. In other schools, the walls were bare, not even displaying students’ work.


"Music," wrote Ludwig van Beethoven, "is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents." Were he alive -- and visiting America -- today, Beethoven would likely lament the barren musical landscape found in many classrooms.
School boards across the country facing budget shortfalls see music as a "soft" skill and run it up the gallows pole at the first sign of financial trouble. That's a big mistake. Though music-education programs have been in decline for the last two decades -- California, for example, saw a 50 percent drop in the number of students taking music classes in the last five years, according to the California Department of Education -- the benefits they provide students are desperately needed.
Consider the following: Kids who are actively engaged in music programs score 100 points higher on their SATs, according to the National Association for Music Education (NAME). In one school district in San Francisco, a study by Music in Schools Today (MIST) found that when exposed to a music education program, only 1 percent of students wound up in juvenile hall -- a figure that stood at about 30 percent before music was introduced, says Meg Madden, executive director of MIST.
In addition, says Michael Blakeslee, deputy executive director of NAME, "music is a culture carrier." In courses focusing on world cultures, for instance, instructors can bring in music from far-flung lands. Likewise, history teachers can introduce music from the time periods that the class is studying. Many great Web resources for accessing this music exist. The Library of Congress's American Memory project is a good place to start.
Any time with students and music -- even just five minutes per day -- is time well spent. "We take an integrated approach," Madden says. "We do it after school, during lunch, wherever we can."
Having kids listen to music for five minutes and write about the way it makes them feel, or playing an instrumental track and encouraging them to write and sing lyrics, are just two ways to spark creative energy and engage students in the learning process. "It's natural for children to make music," says Madden, who notes that kids often sing to themselves in idle moments. "With music, you can get right to them and open their minds to the idea of learning other subject areas, of becoming learners, and of respecting their teachers."
Eric Hellweg is a writer in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who specializes in business, technology, and entertainment issues.


President Obama Leads the Way on Early Education for All Children
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, the President called for making prekindergarten available to all children through a federal-state partnership. He made a compelling case for this investment in early education, noting the benefits for children, parents, and our nation’s economy. He explained how early education could help children succeed in school and in life. He talked about the importance of helping parents struggling with the high costs of preschool. And he discussed his proposal as a key part of building the strong workforce we need for our future economic prosperity.
The President demonstrated his commitment to early education not only by mentioning it in his State of the Union address, but also by inviting Susan Bumgarner, an early childhood educator from Oklahoma—a state that makes prekindergarten available to all four-year-olds—to be a guest of the First Lady during the address. Susan Bumgarner is one of the many early education teachers (most of whom are women) across our country who are helping our children grow and learn so they are ready for school.
We are excited about this proposal and about working to make it a reality for children and families. We look forward to hearing more details, as there are many questions about exactly what form it will take and how it will work. For example: What role will states play in making prekindergarten available? How will we provide high-quality supports not only for four-year-olds but—given the importance of the earliest years to children’s development—for infants and toddlers as well? How will we ensure that that the prekindergarten programs offered are of high quality? How can we design the proposed early education programs to meet the diverse needs of families, including the child care needs of working parents?
Regardless of the remaining details, this is a great step forward—and it’s just the beginning. On Thursday, the President will be highlighting early education once again when he visits the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center (which includes Head Start, Early Head Start, state-funded prekindergarten, and preschool special education programs) in Decatur, Georgia, a state that has long been a leader in supporting universal prekindergarten. We will keep you posted as we learn more about the President’s plans for early education. And you can thank the President for his commitment to early education and encourage him to keep this issue on the top of the agenda by sharing your comments with the White House through their website.
The President’s call for increased access to early education comes at a time when many governors are also proposing to expand funding for child care and prekindergarten. These leaders all recognize that the early education investments are some of the wisest investments we can make because they pay off far into the future for our children, families, and nation as a whole. Hopefully, the President and those governors already demonstrating support for early care and education will build on one another’s proposals and encourage other governors and policymakers to join in efforts to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities.
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COMPOSER TIMELINE- Free resources for teaching music
Learn to read music the fun way with Note Squish. This simple game will teach you the names of the notes on the treble, bass, and C-clef. Fun for kids just learning an instrument, adults brushing up their music skills, and everyone in between. Great for students of any instrument: piano, guitar, bass, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, saxophone, flute, clarinet, and more.
Medieval and Renaissance music and instruments/ resource for project 6th grade
Beth's Music Notes: 5th grade
MUSIC composing with pizza fractions... Going to do this with 4th grade!
Music Education Lessons - LiveBinder


Where did Jazz Originate?
By B Sumangal; Illustration by Anup Singh
Jazz has often been called the only art form to originate in the United States, though even this is not exactly true. Jazz, is a kind of music that was sung or played by the African slaves in the plantations of America. In the 18th and 19th century, Africans were lured or kidnapped from their villages and sold in faraway America as slaves to work in large plantations.
After a hard day's labour, these people would gather together and sing, both to forget their worries and also to teach their children about the land and culture they came from.
Different forms of musical notes from various cultures flowed across the Southern United States during the late 1800s. They were part of the cultural baggage that immigrants brought from their countries to the land that was the melting pot of cultures, America.
Jazz music thus, grew from a combination of African folk music and rhythms, Caribbean and black American music, as Africans have a very strong culture of singing and dancing.
Early jazz music was basically the Blues, a soulful and heart-rending composition with simple and repeated harmonies performed by black musicians who had little or no training in Western music.
The Blues was especially widespread in the American South. This was because the American South had the largest number of plantations and so also the largest numbers of slaves. Jazz instrumentalists have long exploited the blues as a vehicle for improvisation.
Apart from its musical influences from Africa, the Caribbean, Latino rhythms, instruments like the clarinet and the saxophone also influenced the sound of jazz.
By the middle of the 19th century, jazz grew in popularity and its sound became influenced by musicians with formal training and classical backgrounds.
In the late 1890s a musical style evolved from St Louis called Ragtime. Its popularity quickly spread to other parts of the United States. This music style emphasized on formal composition and was played on the piano. The music was energetic and lively and quite different from the piano concertos associated with Western classical music. Naturally people loved it.
From New Orleans in the American South in 1900, came a fuller Jazz, developed and refined by the French Creole. The Creoles are people of Caribbean origin, mainly from Haiti, once a French colony.
The city had its own tradition of band music for street parades and this type of jazz was sometimes referred to as classic jazz, traditional jazz, or even Dixieland jazz. (During the American Civil War in 1865, the Union of the North and the Confederacy of the South were divided by the Mason-Dixon line. Since then, the American south is sometimes referred to as Dixieland.).
New Orleans was the musical home of some of Jazz music's greatest composers and players. These included cornetists Buddy Bolden and King Oliver, cornetist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Jelly Roll Morton among others.
Jazz soon spread from New Orleans to other parts of the country. A New Orleans Jazz band led by Fate Marable played on riverboats plying on the Mississippi River.
The earliest Jazz recording was made in 1917 by a New Orleans band called the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. In 1920, Mamie Smith recorded 'Crazy Blues'. Soon Jazz records were selling faster than could be recorded or produced.
At the same time, radio became a popular feature in every home and commercial radio stations featured live performances from New Orleans, St Louis, Chicago and New York city.
Jazz was actually widely appreciated as an important art form in Europe even before it gained popularity in the United States. Today, with variations in style and music, musicians from all over the world are making major contributions to jazz music.
Where did Jazz Originate? [5W&H for kids]
By B Sumangal; Illustration by Anup Singh
Online Mind Games Tic Tac Toe News for Children Antonyms Kids' Magazine Word Play Poems for children Mind Games Discover Earth Ganesh Coloring Pages Tongue Twister Science Magazine Word Search Game Children's Craft Activities Reference Quotations Stories Folktales Learning Math Fiction for Kids Art for Kids Educational Games Coloring Books Quiz Flash Cards Did You Know? Famous People Computer Quiz Coloring Pages Math for kids Children's Books Environment Kids' Activities 5WH Science for Kids Games for Little Kids Riddles Word Match Children's Crossword Jokes for kids Science Quiz


Waldorf educators are not alone in their call for developmentally appropriate learning in early elementary education. The month of May adds another study on the pile of research supporting the benefits to delaying overzealous academics in early childhood.
This report from New Zealand, covered by The Telegraph, says, “Pupils kept out of formal schooling until the age of seven perform just as well those subjected to normal lessons at five… In some assessments of reading skills, those with a later start actually overtook their peers by the age of 10, figures show.”
This study release comes close on the heels of recommendations by Dr Richard House, a senior lecturer at Roehampton University’s Research Centre for Therapeutic Education, to delay formal schooling for bright kids.
This article summarizes his recommendations, saying, “…gifted pupils from relatively affluent backgrounds suffered the most from being pushed ‘too far, too fast.’ He quoted a major US study – carried out over eight decades – that showed children’s ‘run-away intellect’ actually benefited from being slowed down in the early years, allowing them to develop naturally.”
The Harvard Education Letter harps on these issues as well. The results from this study, answer these questions: “Have kids gotten smarter? Can they learn things sooner? What effect has modern culture had on child development? The surprising answers—no, no, and none.”
This prompted Jerlean E. Daniel, executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, to say: “Above all, young children need time—time to manipulate objects and ideas, time to make the information their own,” says Daniel. The Gesell study, she says, “is a resource to people who want to find greater balance in kindergarten.”
Why find greater balance? Because, as the Harvard Education Letter also reports, there are serious concerns about the current state of the early education environment, including:
– A narrow range of literacy and math skills
– Eliminated recess or physical education
– Scripted curricula
This piece says these have caused, “Several prominent early childhood organizations [to issue] reports on the importance of incorporating developmentally appropriate practice into elementary school classrooms, based on what research has confirmed about early learning.”


Software for Struggling Learners
Delaware District Launches Reading Intervention To Help with AYP
Seaford School District (SSD) in Delaware is looking to give its adequate yearly progress (AYP) a shot in the arm through the use of a software-based reading intervention. The district has implemented Scientific Learning Corp.'s Fast ForWord educational software in an effort to help its elementary school students achieve AYP and meet state requirements.
While SSD piloted the software in 2005, at the time it was financially unable to purchase the software. However, in December 2009, with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the district was finally able to afford the applications and in spring 2010 began implementation in its four elementary schools, two of which failed to meet state AYP requirements in the 2008-2009 school year.
"We use a variety of intervention programs to help struggling students. The programs are all generally helpful, but none address the foundational cognitive skill sets that are the key to improved critical language and reading skills," said Paula Johnson, director of elementary education for SSD. "Fast ForWord is something every learner can benefit from, including English language learners, special education students, at-risk students, and those who are working below, at, or above grade level."
Johnson and other district leaders have expressed praise for the software's attention to key cognitive factors in literacy acquisition, including memory, attention, processing rate and sequencing.
Seaford School District serves about 3,500 total students in six schools sprewad across 82 square miles in lower Delaware. It has an annual budget of $38 million.
Further information on Fast ForWord, including technical specifications and links to assistance in locating funding, can be found Scientific Learning's site here.
Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.


K - 5 Math
Teaching Resources Some neat
activities and great quotes (new)
Rekenrek Math Materials
For teaching numeracy skills and concepts
The Kahn Academy
1800 instructional videos on many different
children with gaps in their mathematical understanding. From the UK.
New Zealand Numeracy Project
Activities and ideas for
developing numeracy skills.
and activities; a unique and highly effective instructional
Recovery helping students overcome
difficulties in mathematics.
Van De Walle's Black-line Masters
a neat collection of reproducible
materials for teaching math.
Humanism, and Constructivism. Where do your beliefs about math
Using Sheltered Instruction to teach Math to English Language


NVQ3 unit 331 Assignment 2 AC3.3
Ok first time i have used this. I am finding the last bit a pain. I had to write about two of the disabilities in the introduction and have chosen giftedness as my second choice but i am stuck. Please read and point me in the right direction.
Show an understanding of how disability may affect development
Assessment Criteria 3.3
There are many disabilities that can effect development Such as a physical impairment, sensory impairment, speech and or language difficulty, learning difficulty, medical conditions, emotional and behavioural difficulty or giftedness. I will explain about a two of these in depth.
There are many physical impairments which can effect development and can be broken down to visual impairment, hearing impairment and mobility impairment. A physical disability is usually the result of a condition affecting mobility or upper limb disorders or motor co-ordination in terms of fine and gross motor skills, which has an impact on lifestyle, movement and independence. For some children with physical disabilities, potential barriers to learning and participation may need to be identified and additional arrangements and support will be needed to overcome these.
Physical disabilities can effect many areas of development such as:
Physical development - fine and gross motor skills could be effected, they may not be able to write, paint, use cutting tools or play with toys, they would not have that hands on approach. Their growth could suffer and they may not be able to join in and free play with others or join in with curriculum based lessons such as P.E.
Communication, language and literacy development - Visually impaired children cannot look upon the faces of others to see how a sound might be produced, but must rely solely upon their abilities to hear the sounds in question and determine how that sound would be produced. This makes the task of imitating significantly more difficult. Blind children cannot acquire vocabulary as quickly as sighted children because of their inability to see objects or images. Sighted children commonly learn words by observing objects around them and then connecting those objects with a word. Because blind children cannot see these objects, they can not acquire vocabulary in this same manner. They can have delayed speech, language and communication skills . Hearing impaired children can develop more slowly in vocabulary. For example their sentence structures are shorter and simpler, they have difficulty understanding words which can lead to misuse of verbs and other complex writing, they may not be able to hear speech sounds correctly, therefore speech may be difficult to understand.
Personal, social and emotional development - Children with any disability can often feel isolated, without friends, and unhappy in school, particularly when socialisation with other children is limited. They may be bullied by their peers for the disability they have which can cause low self esteem, anxiety, anger, aggression, sadness fear, depression, loss of self worth, value and direction in life effecting learning and development.
Creative development - Children with any of the above disabilities may not be able to respond in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel or express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings. May not be able to use suitable tools, role-play and use their imagination or explore colour, texture or shape. As you can see many area's of development are effected and schools and outside agencies have to put in place help and support for each child to reach their full potential academically and developmentally no matter what disability they have.
'Gifted' is a term used in schools to describe children who have the potential to develop significantly beyond what is expected for their age.
'Gifted' refers to a child who has abilities in one or more academic subjects, such as English or Maths. It can also refer to a child who has skills in a practical area such as music, sport or art. Gifted children have special learning needs and can effect every day life in school. If their needs are not met it can effect many areas of development such as:
Personal, social and emotional development - If the child's needs are not met then it could lead to frustration, a loss of self-esteem, boredom, laziness and underachievement. If the gifted child is not recognized, he or she quickly becomes bored and disinterested with others and lessons. They quickly surpass their non-gifted classmates and become accustomed to a relaxed approach to learning, this can also make them arrogant and have a feeling of being above the rest. But it could go the other way the gifted child may not want to be or feel different to their peers and could shy away form other and or try to hide their giftedness which could cause
Communication and language development - Communication and language between the gifted child and their peers can become less due to others thinking the gifted child is different or perhaps the teachers pet. The gifted child may feel that they are above others and therefore shy away from children their own age


Looking for a fun (and educational) way to play with homemade bubble solution? Former teacher turned homeschooling mom Genny Upton (In Lieu of Preschool and Parent Teach Play) recently taught her children about hypotheses by making and experimenting with 6 different bubble solutions in her own backyard. Read a summary and link to this guest blogger’s full article below.
Using homemade bubble solution is a playful way to teach science for kids, like these 4 steps in the scientific method:
- Formulating, testing, and modifying hypotheses
Genny and her children began their experiment by making 6 different homemade bubble solutions at a science station in the backyard. Based on what they observed about the solutions they created, her children each formed a hypothesis for which of the 6 solutions they thought would produce the best bubbles. (You could also have children form hypotheses for which solution would produce the biggest, reddest, or stickiest bubbles.)
Her children then got to experiment with the solutions to test their hypotheses. This is when the real bubble fun began!
They observed and measured the bubbles and decided if their hypotheses were correct or if they needed to be modified. Either way, she and her kids had a ton of backyard bubble fun!
Get the recipes for making all 6 homemade bubble solutions, as well as beautiful, illustrative pictures of this outdoor science experiment at Genny’s “In Lieu of Preschool” blog.
What other ways have you introduced the scientific method at home?
Share your tips and lessons in the Comments below, or join the conversation on our Facebook page.
* * *
- 3 Uplifting Bubble Games for Kids!
- 2 Play-Based Tools for Oral Motor Success
- 3 Simple Tips to Develop Your Child’s Oral Motor Skills


Course Number: 188*/3.0 X 3L, 1T (Course Code Explanation)
Open To: B.Mus. and B.Mus./B.Ed. students, non-B.Mus. students
Area(s): Music Education
Instructor(s): Mr. Jeff Hanlon
Day(s) and Time(s): W: 6.30-9.30
Room: HLH 120
An introduction to the guitar through class instruction. Fundamental note-playing and chording techniques to accompany singing will be emphasized. Includes the study of ranges, fingerings, transpositions, basic instrument maintenance, method books and teaching techniques. Students must provide their own instruments. Enrolment is limited.
This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of the guitar for students intending to teach in a class setting. Students will develop and apply basic guitar techniques, including chording, scales, arpeggios, slurs and tremolo, to a variety of musical styles.
Evaluation consists of solo and group performances including a mock Royal Conservatory exam and a Blues guitar “jam”. Students are required to provide their own instruments; a nylon string classical guitar is preferred.
Students will receive 36 hours of instruction in one term. Students will have the opportunity to play in a tutorial/lab/choir/ensemble once per week. During this experience they will learn song leading, elemental conducting, e.g. breathing with the entry, down-beat, cut-off, how to solve problems in a class of beginning musicians, as well as using warm-ups and techniques learned in the class sessions.


Types of Adolescent Literacy Initiatives in Out-of School-Time (OST) Programs
Enhancing adolescents' literacy abilities in structured out-of-school time (OST) programs is a growing area of interest among OST enrichment providers. Schools and community-based agencies have developed a host of after-school remedial tutoring programs that provide intensive instruction for struggling students, while project-based youth development programs incorporate text-rich activities to provide highly motivating opportunities for young people to practice their reading and writing skills.
- Literacy and academic development programs,
- Literacy enhancement programs,
- Academic enhancement programs, and
- Social development programs.
Literacy and academic development programs
OST literacy and academic development programs for adolescents work primarily with students who are performing academically below grade level. Students rarely choose on their own to participate in literacy development programs, but are often referred to these services by a teacher or parent.
The primary goal of a literacy and academic development program is to help students who test below basic in reading and writing achieve the skills necessary to become successful in school. The most common method of OST literacy instruction is one-on-one and small group tutoring. Sometimes this type of intervention is called remediation because it is assumed that the individual in need of intervention did not learn the skill when it was originally taught (or mediated) and thus needs a repeat of the teaching-or of the mediating-that should have occurred at a younger age or earlier stage of development.
OST literacy enhancement programs are intended to engage adolescents in reading and writing activities in highly motivating environments. For the most part, students participate in activities voluntarily and come from a vast range of academic backgrounds. The primary purpose of the literacy enhancement program is to ignite student interest and excitement around text-rich experiences. Literacy enhancement providers hope that this enthusiasm will translate into improved academic performance or motivation to read and write, although these programs rarely offer explicit literacy instruction to those who are struggling with basic literacy skills. Instead, they immerse youth in literacy activities with the hope that young people will enhance literacy skills because they need those skills to successfully complete the activities of the program.
Several programs address literacy development within the larger context of boosting students' academic achievement in their out-of-school time. We identify these as academic enhancement programs, recognizing that their missions are often two-fold-to provide a safe, structured after-school space for students to develop their social skills, and to offer educational enrichment that will enhance students' academic abilities. Participants may reflect a wide range of achievement, but some programs particularly target the lowest performing students. Unlike literacy/academic development and literacy enhancement programs, the acquisition of reading and writing skills is not central to programmatic objectives, but still may be addressed through a variety of educational activities.
High quality academic enhancement programs present a comprehensive enrichment menu of activities, often offering youth choices of which activities they would like to participate in. The programs include a combination of homework help and intriguing project-based educational activities. These programs also provide recreation and leisure time for the students and stress the importance of building caring adult relationships among students, staff and volunteers.
Social development out-of-school time programs work to support the social and emotional development of students, such as conflict-resolution skills or character building, with less of an emphasis on the academics. However, social development programs may implicitly require a particular literacy competency through structured activities in the program. For example, students on a camping trip may be asked to reflect on their experiences each day by writing in a journal. However, unlike academic enhancement initiatives, social development programs for the most part do not imbed standards-based educational content within their activities with the specific aims of increasing grades or achievement scores, nor do social development programs typically provide literacy instruction, even when engaging youth in activities that require literate skill.
Moje, E. B., & Tysvaer, N. (2010). Adolescent literacy development in out-of-school time: A practitioner's guide. New York, NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Comments and Recommendations


In his State of the Union speech President Obama ran through his laundry list of proposed new government run programs and government spending that he called “investments,” including this:
Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high-quality early education. Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old. As a parent as well as a President, I repeat that request tonight.
This is a familiar, progressive formulation.
- Start with appeal to authority, in this case “research shows.” Other variations include “study after study shows” and “independent experts confirm.” But never name the studies or experts.
- Then, make an assertion – in this case the obvious – that it’s good for children to begin learning early.
- Finally, leap to the conclusion that Washington politicians and bureaucrats, with their volumes of regulations and piles of money should jump in and take control to “help states.”
Federal “help” always involves rigid regulations and payoffs to special interest cronies. And, dictating that “every four year-old” shall be enrolled strongly appeals to Obama’s base, an ideal opportunity to begin indoctrinating a future generation of voters in progressive dogma.
But the federal government already operates a nation-wide preschool system called Head Start. Yet Obama chose not to mention it. Why?
Perhaps the answer lies in a meticulous study of Head Start results completed just three years ago by the staff of Obama’s own Department of Health and Human Services. For several years they tracked the progress of 5,000 children who were eligible for Head Start, a program offered only to low income families. Half of the 5,000 kids were enrolled Head Start programs, while the other half became a control group that did not attend Head Start or any pre-school.
An extensive battery of tests was run on both groups of children just before Kindergarten, at the end of Kindergarten and at the end of first grade. It turned out that the Head Start group did not perform any better in Kindergarten and first grade than the control group. Here’s a summary, directly from the HHS study:
[I]t appears that access to Head Start has an impact on 4-year-olds’ language and literacy skills while they are in Head Start, but these early gains are not sustained as the children develop and move into the early school years. Furthermore, there is no evidence of impacts on children’s math ability, pre-writing skills, or teacher assessments at the end of Head Start, at the end of kindergarten, or at the end of 1st grade. In other words, the children in the Head Start group ended their Head Start year with moderately higher skills than their counterparts in the control group, but this advantage did not lead to longer term gains when they were in school. At the end of 1st grade, they end up at the same point as the children who were not given access to the program. Although both groups of children are making progress over time, in most instances, the Head Start group scores are not statistically different from the control group scores in kindergarten and 1st grade.
For decades politicians have routinely called on Congress to expand Head Start. But with this study documenting failure in mind, Obama asks Congress to pay for “high quality” preschool. In his 2013 State of the Union he asked for funding for private preschools.
Obama’s most recent budget proudly proclaimed an annual cost of $8.1 billion for Head Start “to serve approximately 962,000 children.” That works out to about $8,400 per year, per child, not as much as the elite preschools the children of Washington officials attend, but well above the average charged by private preschools across the country. Yet, Head Start graduates are no better prepared for school than children who didn’t attend any preschool.
Apparently, the President’s response to the failure of government’s existing national preschool is demand that Congress launch a second, national preschool.
The Constitution’s Tenth Amendment commands the President and Congress to restrict government’s power and reach only to those functions authorized by the Constitution. Everything else is to be left to the States or to The People. Operating preschools is definitely not authorized by the Constitution. So, the failing Head Start program shouldn’t even exist. And there certainly is no Constitutional authorization for a second national preschool system!
There have always been successful sources of early childhood learning, from parents and grand parents, to siblings, to low cost and even free preschools, some organized by churches. But the progressive movement Obama leads does not trust The People to figure out their own, varied, approaches and as always demands nation-wide uniformity.


BEST: Building Effective Support For Teaching Students With Behavioral Challenges
BEST Summer Institute 2014
Social Matters!- Using Evidence Based Practices to Teach Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, and Self-management Skills to StudentsAages 3-18
Participants will learn specific methods for teaching interpersonal (social) skills, communication skills, and self-management skills to all students. Methods apply to universal implementation as well as to students requiring increasing levels of support within a multi-tiered system. Specific methods will include Modeling, Antecedent intervention, Self-Management, and Story Based intervention. A variety of specific strategies that support these methods will be introduced and practiced throughout the strand.
For each method presented, participants will develop lesson plans and systems for data collection. Also included will be a process for data based decision making and use of professional expertise when designing instruction to meet the needs of a multitude of diverse learners.
Pre-ReadingsCheck back after May 1st.
Julie Erdelyi, M.A. is the Program Manager for Communication Services at the Stern Center for Language and Learning in Williston, Vermont. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Vermont, and her Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Julie's passion for teaching led her to work in early childhood education and then adult learning before becoming a classroom teacher in Minnesota. Upon returning to her home state of Vermont, Julie began work at the Stern Center where she provides instruction for clients of all ages and offers multiple professional learning opportunities for educators including BEST 2011 -2013, continuing education workshops, and two graduate courses in social cognition.
Last modified February 26 2014 01:16 PM


“With a concrete focus on leadership and leadership issues, the editors have created a book that expands the notion of inclusion well beyond special education, offering a framework or lens for creating schools that operate from a position that views all students in a strength-based manner.”
—George Theoharis, Syracuse University
This important book expands the notion of inclusion well beyond special education to include English language learners, students with refugee status, LGBTQ children, poor children, and other underrepresented populations. Employing real-world vignettes and up-to-date research findings, this hands-on resource provides strategies that school leaders can employ to improve teaching and learning in their school or classroom. Contributors offer a wide variety of perspectives from the fields of testing and assessment, early education, elementary education, special education, educational leadership, and reading.
- A multidimensional framework for how school systems can adopt effective inclusive leadership practices.
- Lessons learned from discrete subgroups of students who are often marginalized by the focus on standards-based accountability.
- An exploration of the role of data with implications for systemic decision-making.
- Research-based practices and assessment tools for the classroom.
- Engaging vignettes from diverse classrooms and schools.
Contributors: Rebecca Burns • Thomas Crisp • Jennifer Menon Mariano • Jody Lynn McBrien • Tary L. Wallace • Julia M. White • G. Pat Wilson
Phyllis Jones is an associate professor in the department of Special Education at the University of South Florida. Janice R. Fauske is a professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of South Florida, Sarasota. Judy F. Carr is co-director of the Center for Curriculum Renewal, Sarasota, Florida and a consultant to schools, districts, state agencies, and other educational organizations with a focus on leadership development and coaching.


Malala Yousufzai's story has resonated throughout the world. Now 16, she was an advocate for the education for girls in Pakistan since she was 11 years old. Imagine an 11-year-old speaking out against a government and societal system in order to obtain an education.
On Oct. 9, 2012, she was shot in front of her school friends while traveling home from school in the back of a pick-up truck. Transported from her beloved Swat Valley to Islamabad and eventually England, she survived the attack and has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
She continues to speak out for the rights of all children, especially girls, to an education.
Only 22 countries provide taxpayer or government-supported elementary and high-school education. Here, in the United States, public education is so much a fabric of our society that we cannot imagine the plight of Malala and other children around the world. Our own history largely excluded women and minorities from public education until the 20th century. In the U.S., public elementary education was offered to boys as early as the 1870s. By 1918, all states had compulsory education laws that governed most children. By the late 1950s, children were granted access to public schools on an equal basis, regardless of race.
Yes, we take our current public education system for granted. Not so in Malala's Pakistan where parents pay for tuition, books, uniforms and school supplies so that their children can be educated.
Imagine that in the 21st century, children throughout the world struggle for access to education. They defy cultural and religious norms, governmental oppression, parental hesitation, in order to go to school. They stand in solidarity or individually to learn to read, to write, to understand the greater world into which they were born. They walk miles, earn money to help pay for tuition, books, uniforms and school supplies, travel through battle-ravaged landscapes for an education.
In Pakistan, government and societal norms discourage the education of girls. In our sister nation of Mexico, elementary and high-school education is not publicly subsidized or taxpayer supported. Malala's story speaks volumes in support of public education. Her story makes our local education issues a source of embarrassment.
If a 16-year-old girl is willing to stand up to the repressive regime that would prevent her from obtaining an education, what should we do in the face of public corruption in our schools, education laws that train our children to learn by rote, and the dehumanization of teachers and administrators who give their lives and talents to develop our children's minds? How far are we willing to go to insist that our public education system responds to the changing world and economy to equip children with the tools they need to achieve economic success and intellectual satisfaction in their future careers? How do we hold policy-makers accountable for the use of taxpayer dollars in developing educational curricula and the supportive environments that make learning a positive norm? And how do we instill in those children pride and joy in intellectual development? How do we harness their native curiosity, turning it outward to broaden their horizons beyond the borders of this country to the wider world? How do we teach them to think critically and interact with society, government and technology?
Yes, Malala's story should give us a moment of pause, considering the struggles of our own children, involving ourselves in the issues confronting our school districts, administrators and teachers. We should work tirelessly to ensure all children have access to an education that will form intellectually inquiring and curious minds to answer the questions of tomorrow.
And we should be thankful that our children do not necessarily face certain death on the way to and from the schools they attend.


The Learner's Edge, Inc.
...making reading comprehension and math problem solving happen!
The Learner's Edge develops and publishes research-based reading comprehension and math problem-solving instructional materials and programs. These materials significantly improve student achievement in all areas of reading comprehension and math problem solving.
These instructional materials are carefully designed for efficient learning, incorporating all student learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), are user-friendly and moderately priced. They are used with success by teachers and tutors, in public schools, charter schools, and home schools, with regular-achieving students, English language learners, gifted and talented, special education, at risk-students, and in closing the achievement gap.
When the programs are used as designed, significantly improved academic performance occurs in mathematics, in reading comprehension, in study skills, in grade level vocabulary, in all content areas, and on today's standardized assessments.
The Learner's Edge format and instructional strategies make it possible to instruct a total class or individual students, of any ability, at or above grade level, in the areas of mathematical problem solving, reading comprehension, vocabulary development, writing, listening, speaking, and critical thinking.
Instructional materials and tests are available for reading comprehension, mathematics, study skills, and bilingual education.
All of the reading comprehension, critical thinking, and mathematical problems-solving programs and materials developed by The Learner's Edge, Inc. are piloted and regularly reviewed by a dedicated team of practicing teachers, administrators, students, and parents to meet the goals of high expectations and grade-level or above achievement.


South Asia’s problems of poverty, illiteracy, poor health and nutrition, unhygienic habits, taboos, and harmful social customs require significant communication interventions to influence individuals and families to change their behaviours.
Programme communication seeks to inform and motivate specified groups of people to accept and use unfamiliar ideas and practices or to change harmful habits, lifestyles or ways of thinking. The aim is to influence positive behaviours that lead to improved health, nutrition, literacy rates, social services, income levels and family and community wellbeing.
UNICEF in Action
UNICEF has a long tradition in communication for development (C4D), and applies an array of communication approaches, ranging from policy advocacy, social, and community mobilization to interpersonal communication and media mobilization. The modern development paradigm advances results-oriented communication to support the Millennum Development Goals and requires greater use of different communication approaches and synergies among the various components of development programmes. Communication interventions are grounded in research and based on sound documentation, participatory approaches, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation. This paradigm places programme communication as a critical component in programme planning, funding and managing processes to shape behaviours and contribute to positive social change.
Effective programme communication or C4D will result in more children under five completing at least four rounds of immunization against preventable childhood illnesses like polio, measles, and vitamin A deficiency, as mothers understand the importance of immunization. Understanding the benefits of such practices, family members are more likely to practice proper hygiene and sanitation in their homes and communities; caregivers to use oral rehydration therapy to prevent diarrhoeal dehydration; mothers and food handlers to apply proper food selection, preparation and feeding practices. Effective communication will help parents to understand the importance to sending their daughters to school and ensuring that their children complete their elementary education, and communities to protect their children from abuse, violence and exploitation. Children and adolescents can be helped to acquire the life skills that will help them practice responsible behaviours, particularly to prevent HIV/AIDS and substance abuse.
Regional Programme Communication C4D Training eDVDs
C4D eDVDs are now available


Welcome to the Avon Maitland District School Board ESL Resource Center!
Hello, I am Coralee Mathews, the ESL Coordinator for AMDSB since 1998! Working with ELLs (English Language Learners) has never been more exciting! This website and its 2 sister sites has been designed to help Parents, Educators, and Students to navigate through the many resources available on the Internet devoted to ELLs.
Resource Center - this site provides links to resources for teachers and parents to improve students' literacy, writing, and oral English skills. The resources selected are things we have found useful here in AMDSB. In selecting resources, I like practical: which means free and ready to use right away! You will also find materials from some of my workshops over the years which reflect my interests and teaching preferences - I hope they will inspire you to have fun with your kids :-)
STEPs - this site is for teachers working with the Ontario Ministry of Education's new tool Steps to English Language Proficiency, a research based scale similar to the common European Framework and the Canadian Language Benchmarks, but original to and based on current field testing of Ontario's diverse ELL population. STEPs has undergone extensive testing and vetting in Ontario school boards over the past 10 years and we in AMDSB believe it is the best system for assessment and ongoing program adaptation for both ESL (English as a Second Language) and ELD (English Literacy Development) students. The site offers samples of projects, tests, and materials that I have developed to support our students using STEPs as the foundation for curriculum success in both ESL/ELD and Mainstream classrooms.
Teaching ESL - this site is specifically for Ontario teachers both practicing and studying ESL. I developed the site for my students while teaching ESL AQ courses at Brock University. The site links teachers directly to Ministry resources and resources that support research based, best practices for effective ELL instruction.
Resources are added all the time, so please bookmark our site and visit often!
2011 WORKSHOP HANDOUT : ESL PLAY DAY ACTIVITIES: GAMEPLAN PDF
Fullfilling the Promise of Diversity - the Ministry of Education Ontario!
Kindergarten ELLs - Links for Teachers
Mrs Levin's Prek Pages - gives several authentic ideas for making your kindergarten more ESL friendly and to help you connect with your ELLs.
ESL Movie - A charming video made by a kindergarten teacher that shows lovely circle time strategies for working with ELLs that will work for all jk/sk students - using rehearsed sentences and key visuals as well as music
ESL Ideas for the Kindergarten Classroom: a variety of ideas for activities that make your kindergarten ELL friendly
Colorin Colorado! : an excellent U.S. site that offers information on learning ESL in Kindergarten and beyond for teachers and parents in both English and Spanish.
Webmaster - Coralee Mathews
ESL Coordinator, AMDSB