For teachers, parents, and most youngsters, it's back to school time.
But for 400,000 children, it's an even more important occasion -- starting school for the first time. Most of them are ready for school and, years later, most of them and their parents will look back fondly on their first few weeks.
Sadly, about a third of the children who are starting school aren't ready. Many of these youngsters still will be behind by the time they reach third grade. Many may never be able to catch up with what their schools -- and our society -- expect them to learn and be able to do.
This is a problem -- and there is a solution. Taking the long view from early childhood to young adulthood, there is increasing interest in creating a more "seamless" system of learning that begins early and assures that students can successfully finish school and move on to higher education or job training and, eventually, into the work force. In the New Economy, where Americans must compete with workers from throughout the world and keep adapting to changing technologies, "seamless learning" -- and, indeed lifelong learning -- is essential for everyone.
Looking at the early years of education -- from age 3 through third grade -- our preschools and elementary schools need to address four fundamental realities.
t The early years before children start kindergarten are crucial for student achievement. Neuroscience demonstrates that the brain's development is nearly 90 percent complete by the time a child is 5 and that the years from birth to age 3 represent the most rapid brain development. Economists tell us that investments made in the early years will bring large returns in the form of fewer dropouts and grade retentions, increased graduation rates and ultimately increased adult productivity. Educational research shows us that children who have opportunities to participate in quality early care and education are well prepared for school and do better when they get there.
t The transition from early learning into kindergarten is important and can affect later school success. What's needed: communication and cooperation among schools, communities and families. When children feel safe and prepared for kindergarten and families understand and value what happens in school, then issues such as persistent absence and lack of parental involvement are not problems.
When children go to school regularly and parents support learning at home, children succeed. When kindergarten and early education teachers can exchange information or visit each other's classrooms, they are better able to coordinate children's experiences across the two systems -- and children do better.
t The positive effects of high quality early care and education may dissipate for some children unless they are followed by consistent and high quality teaching in kindergarten through third grade. These early elementary grades are critical for later school success because the foundation skills that children will need to meet school expectations must be established by grade 3. Without this foundation, children will not be equipped to handle the higher level academic challenges they will encounter.
t When children's learning experiences before and after they start school are coordinated or aligned, then the first component of a "seamless" learning system is in place. Children will succeed when what they experience, how they are taught and what they are expected to know is high quality and linked across the early years and the early grades.
Creating these links is not easy. It will require two groups of people who usually aren't used to working together -- early childhood educators and K-12 educators -- to find ways to connect their two systems.
Because this is a vitally important but challenging task, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Education Commission of the States are convening meetings that bring together education leaders and policy makers to explore ways that states can create more coherent and connected systems of learning across early learning and the early grades.
The "Linking Ready Kids and Ready Schools" governors' state forums are helping to raise awareness of these issues and will jumpstart efforts to link early care and education and the early grades so all children will be ready to succeed by grade 3.
By working together, leaders from pre-school education, elementary education and public policymaking can make sure that, when back to school time rolls around again, more children will be well on their way to completing a successful educational journey.
Mimi Howard is early learning program director for the Denver-based Education Commission of the States. She lives in Denver.


Bohol Province: demographic, economic and vital statistics report, 1975.
A summary of Bohol's demographic characteristics and vital statistics is presented, together with a socioeconomic profile of the Philippine province. As of 1975, Bohol's population was 759,370, and there were 184 persons/kilo. A sex ratio of 99 was observed in 1975, and 51% of the population was economically active. 48% of the population aged 10 or older was married, 84% had completed at least 1 grade of school, 16% had finished elementary education, 11% had finished secondary education, and 2% had finished college. Statistics show that nearly 46% of the population aged 10 or older was in the labor force, and the labor force participation rate was higher among males than females, higher among those aged 25-44, and higher among academic degree holders. 65% of the labor force were farmers or fishermen, while craftsmen and process workers comprised the 2nd biggest group of workers, followed by those in mining. The majority of males were farmers, while women were generally in crafts and manufacturing. More males were in administrative positions, while there were more women who were professionals or in service. The birthrate in the province for 1975 was 28/1000, but births may be substantially undercounted. The death rate for 1975 was 7, while of 5402 registered deaths, 21% were infant deaths, 4% were neonatal deaths, and 1% were maternal deaths. According to Provincial Health Office records, the non-Project area reported more family planning acceptors than the Project area. The pill was highly favored in the Project area, while condoms were most popular in the non-Project area. Finally, a brief description of the socioeconomic status of Bohol is presented.


All learning is easy using the rhyme, rhythm, and repetition of songs that teach basic skills. Discover the mastery and magic that lasts a lifetime!
Ensures individual success and confidence through its use of a multisensory, multimodal approach that requires total participation from all learners.
Winning Reading Boost takes older non-readers to independent reading ability using a unique 36-step curriculum built on carefully sequenced, systematic, and explicit phonics instruction using phonics songs and games.
Integrate songs to promote learning, memory recall and skill development.
Sing, Spell, Read & Write engages students with a sequence of songs, games, and appealing stories that the reader is able to read independently.
Combines the best teaching practices supported by current research on brain function, language acquisition, and reading.
Education research is the scientific field of study that examines education and learning processes and the human attributes, interactions, organizations, and institutions that shape educational outcomes.
This document is a compendium of research on the Sing, Spell, Read & Write program. Included in the compendium are a variety of studies conducted over the last several years. Types of research include: full studies, historical test score analyses, research base analysis, and summaries of studies.
At the core of the Winning Reading Boost initiative is an intervention for struggling 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade readers that builds fluency and reading independence through a unique 36-step learningto-read curriculum built on carefully sequenced, systematic, and explicit phonics instruction.


Poor Judas – he just can’t decide what to do with his life. Everybody expects him to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he has too many doubts. Then one day he meets a man who changes everything. With new hope and a new sense of purpose, Judas leaves his home and his family to follow Jesus. But for how long can Judas accept the simplicity of Jesus’s work? How soon will his mind return to its former complex ways? Tortured by increasing doubts, troubled by rivalry within the group, and sensing that time is running short, Judas feels compelled to take action. What will he do? How will he do it? Why has this man, so anxious to do good, become one of the most notorious people in history? Real Reads are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world’s greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions.


Here's something I found on the web a few years ago: the isomorphic keyboard, which
presents each given tonal interval with the same simple, consistent geometric shape wherever it occurs.
See the patterns?
- The vertical axis = octaves;
- The horizontal axis = major seconds;
- Up-and-right hexagonal axis = perfect fifths; and
- Up-and-left hexagonal axis = perfect fourths.
A minor second is up-and-left-then-two-left (e.g., from B2 to C3).
The major scale, in any key, is tonic, right, right, up-and-left-then-two-left, right, right, right, up-and-left-then-two-left. That is, it's (from tonic) M2, M2, m2, M2, M2, M2, m2. Doesn't matter what pitch the tonic is, the major pattern on the keyboard is always the same. The other modes of the diatonic scale all have the same circular pattern, just starting on a different place in the circle (of course).
Check out the diatonic triads. All of the major triads have the same shape. Look at C-E-G, F-A-C, & G-B-D -- they all have the same shape, of an upward-pointing triangle. Same within a given key, same across all keys. Minor triads all have the shape of a downward-pointing triangle. The diminished fifth, B-D-F, is a single diagonal line (of two stacked minor thirds) slicing right through the diatonic scale.
What's going on here?
The whole note-layout is defined by just two intervals: the up-and-right hexagonal axis of perfect fifths, and the vertical axis of octaves. All other intervals are defined by a combination of movements along these two axes. For example, a major second is two perfect fifths up-and-right, minus an octave; a major third is four perfect fifths up-and-right, minus two octaves; and so on. All of the notes' locations can thus be derived from a combination of perfect fifths and octaves. Music theorists will recognize this as being the means by which the Pythagorean and meantone tunings are derived (and also 12-tone equal temperament, if the perfect fifth is tempered to 700 cents). In fact, this keyboard note-layout presents every tonal interval consistently across a very wide range of tunings, including the inharmonic indigenous tunings of Indonesia, Thailand, and Mandinka Africa. Thus, the keyboard's note-layout captures, in its geometry, something deeply fundamental about the structure of music. The keyboard is thus a form of tonnetz, or tonal lattice, as used in neo-Riemann analysis, and as implicated in research into music cognition.
I don't know about you, but I think that that this keyboard is pretty cool. It makes the underlying consistentcy of music's patterns quite obvious, don't you think? Could this be a useful tool in music education?


Sugden and Wade, leading authors in this area, comprehensively cover motor development and motor impairment, drawing on sources in medicine and health-related studies, motor learning and developmental psychology. A theme that runs through the book is that movement outcomes are a complex transaction of child resources, the context in which movement takes place, and the manner in which tasks are presented. The core themes of the book involve descriptions of motor development from conception through to emerging adulthood, explanations of motor development from differing theoretical, empirical, and experiential perspectives, and descriptions and explanations of atypical motor development when the resources of the child are limited in some way. Readership Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paediatricians, teachers (physical education, early childhood development, elementary education), educational psychologists, kinesiology and sports scientists.
David Sugden has an academic background in developmental psychology, special education and physical education, his PhD is from the University of California at Los Angeles. He has taught in primary, secondary and special schools as well as lecturing at college and university level in the UK and the USA. His specialist research interests include motor development, motor impairment, motor learning, and children with developmental disorders. His work centres on the characteristics of typically developing children and those with various forms of impairment. He is co-author of the most widely used assessment instrument for motor difficulties, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. He is currently Professor of Special Needs in Education, University of Leeds, UK.
Michael Wade has published extensively in two areas of motor skill development across the lifespan: one with emphasis on individuals with motor difficulties and the other being the effects of ageing on motor skill performance. Dr Wade holds Fellow status in the American Academy of Kinesiology and the American Academy of Mental Retardation and is a Past President of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. He teaches and researches in the areas of motor development, ageing, developmental disabilities, human factors, and the foundational aspects of the field of kinesiology. He is currently Professor of Kinesiology and Professor, Centre for Cognitive Science at the University of Minnesota, USA.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Motor Development
Chapter 2: Biological Influences on Developmental Change
Chapter 3: Developmental Models and Theories, Motor Control and Development Theories:
Chapter 4: Early Movement Development: Birth to 24 Months
Chapter 5: Motor Development of Young Children: Two to Seven Years of Age
Chapter 6: A Movement Development of Young Children; Seven Years of Age through Puberty
Chapter 7: Cerebral Palsy: The Condition
Chapter 8: Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
Chapter 9: Children with Intellectual Disability
Chapter 10: Motor Development in Children with Other Developmental Disorders
Chapter 11: Children with Visual Impairment
Chapter 12: Assessment and Intervention for Children with Movement Difficulties
Chapter 13: Perspectives on Development: Typical and Atypical


The Making of Braided Rugs
The first floor covering in the United States was the braided rug. Braided rugs were practical and durable and added warmth and color to a room. Usually the tradition of making a braided rug was handed down from one generation of women to another. Often out of necessity, girls learned to make rugs out of old coats, dresses, blankets, or suits while working with their mothers and/or grandmothers. Although the hours were long, the materials needed for making braided rugs were few and the process not complicated. The activity of making braided rugs often helped form a bond between those who made them and the products they created.
In the latter part of the 1900s the art of braided rug making had a revival. Rather than being made out of necessity, braided rugs were made primarily to decorate homes giving a room a “homey, cozy” look. This type of rug was also a reminder of a simpler time.
Today, the art of making braided rugs is not being handed down from one generation to another as it was in the past, but there are still some women braiding rugs. I am one of them. The following paper offers a brief history of braided rugs, the basic process for creating such a rug, and a look at the people who choose to create them.
Keywords: Women and craft, Braided rug making
Dr Shari Stoddard
Associate Professor, Art, Central Washington University
Previously I taught at Ball State University and the University of South Carolina.
I have presented at international, national, regional, and local conferences on topics such as including aesthetics and art criticism in elementary school curricula, cooperative learning strategies, and reflective thinking. I received the 2001-2003 Western Region Binney & Smith Crayola Dream-Maker Grant, and in 1998-1999 the Mary McMullan Teacher Incentive Grant from the National Art Education Foundation. My chapter Including Aesthetics in a Second Grade Curriculum: It Can Be Done has recently been published in the book Teaching Art in Context: Case Studies For Preservice Art Teachers.


This past Tuesday, Uwezo1 launched it’s 2012 report on the state of numberacy and literacy (right-click to save-as) across East Africa. Similar to last year, the results are not cozy. Here is a round-up of the critical facts this year:
- Less than one third of pupils possess basic literacy and numeracy skills.
- 20% of children in Standard 7 do not have Standard 2 level literacy and numeracy competencies.
- There are large differences among EA countries, particularly with regard to literacy.
- There are minimal differences in literacy and numeracy levels between boys and girls.
- Children from socio-economically disadvantaged households perform worse.
- Private schools pupils perform better public school pupils, particularly in Tanzania.
For East African authorities involved with the delivery of public education, this should not be coming as a surprise, unless it takes more than a year for officials to read/see the results around town.
More importantly, what can everyone – citizens and public institutions – do about this?
When we blogged about the report last year, here is what our commentators suggested:
- The Government needs to deliver on its promises. People can help, but the Government is a central actor.
- Basic education needs to be a basic right for all and there should be mechanisms in place to maintain this right.
- Languages should be used consistently.
- We need to discuss these findings with the public. Conferences and blogs are one thing, word on the street is another. Does the average citizen know?
In addition some further questions were asked for future reports:
- Based on the research, what are the recommendations for action?
- How does teacher pedagogy within the classroom affect learning?
- What are people saying about their own / their childrens’ education?
- Where can we find comprehensive information about all schools (rather than samples of schools)?
What are your thoughts about this year’s report? Discussion welcome below.
1Uwezo means ‘capability’ in Kiswahili. Uwezo is a four year initiative that aims to improve competencies in literacy and numeracy among children aged 6-16 years old in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, by using an innovative approach to social change that is citizen driven and accountable to the public.


Kindergarten-Animals in Action 3
1st Grade-Setting the Scene 2
After listening to or reading a familiar fairy tale, the students chose one scene from the story to recreate in ScratchJr. They were responsible for creating the scene with backgrounds, characters, action, and voice recordings.
2nd Grade-Computer Explorers 2
The students worked on a program that will keep score as they play a math game. Using ScratchJr, the students used functions and conditions to move a soccer ball toward the net. Each time a player scored in a card game, the ball got closer to the corresponding goal.
3rd Grade-Variables Rule 2
Using Hopscotch ( a coding app on the iPad), the students built an interactive program that responds to new events like tilting, shaking, and tapping the tablet. The students learned how to move characters around the x-y grid and learned how to create a variable to track score, lives, and a timer.
4th Grade-Brain in Action 1
With this activity, students investigated how the brain processes sensory information to store it as memory and how it effects their reaction times. The students participated in a memory card game, a reaction test on the iPad, and "remember the objects."
5A & 5B-Create a Toy 1
Teams worked collaboratively to create a prototype of toy using the engineering design process and VEX IQ® components. The criteria for this problem was that the toy had to have at least one moving part, but could not use the robot brain, motors, or sensors. Each team designed, sketched, built, and presented the prototype to the rest of the class.
5C & 5D-Data Collection & Display 3
Using the Tynker iPad app, the students are learning to code their first game by following step-by-step directions. The students learned about x and y axes, how to add characters to the game, and code actions the characters can follow.
Welcome to the STEAM Studio Blog for Jamestown Upper & Lower Elementary Schools in Hudsonville, MI. Here you will find the latest projects and concepts we've been working on in class.
comes to Hudsonville with 17 years of teaching information and technology skills to elementary students. After earning a BA in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2000, she drew a circle on the map and chose Southwest Michigan.


FlutePlay with The Seasons
This lesson plan bundle will bring your flute lessons to a whole new level by motivating your students and encouraging their imagination to go wild. We hope these lessons will also invite you to have as much fun as your students while teaching and creating your own additional lesson plans.
WHY THE SEASONS?
Summer, autumn, winter or spring. Every season brings different weather, different colors, different smells, different feelings and emotions. Which season is your favorite? Already from a very young age, children start to make memories that are connected to a certain season: from building a snowman in the winter and planting flowers in the garden during spring, to playing fun water games with friends in the summer and running around in the vibrant autumn leaves. The seasons are familiar to children. Using the seasons as a theme gives teachers many opportunities to build some beautiful and fun lessons. In FlutePlay with the Seasons you will find all the materials you need to take your #littleflutes on a musical journey through summer, autumn, winter and spring.
WHAT DOES THIS BUNDLE INCLUDE?
To make sure that you can start having fun flute lessons with your #littleflutes right away, we've included everything we think you will possibly need in this bundle:
- A specific introduction to the theme
- A list of additional books for little children
- A list of music from a comprehensive list of flute method books
- A list of supplemental resources
- Four lesson plans
- A blank lesson plan
- A Puzzle Plan
- Activities & Resources
***ALL FlutePlay members receive a 40% discount on lesson plan bundles! Want to join us? Check out the "for teachers" page for all the details!!!
We are Stéphanie Superle and Marjolein Desmet, two passionate #littlefluteexperts who have created a lesson structure that, we believe, offers teachers and students an inclusive, well-organized, high-quality group class and private flute lesson. Our degrees in Music Pedagogy, our specializations in early childhood music education, and our years of experience in teaching #littleflutes gives us the ability to create these lesson plans with so much LOVE and POSITIVITY, making sure that you and your students will always enjoy FUN and PLAYFUL lessons.
For more information about who we are and what we do, visit our studio pages:


by: Claire Haas, Vice President of Education, Kiddie Academy
As parents, we know the power of music. We sing to our children to make them smile, to help them go to sleep, and to get them to clean up their toys. But, the impact music has on cognitive and social development in young children is staggering.
Several studies by the American Association for the Advancement of Science based at Brown University explored the effects of music education on young children’s learning. The conclusions of these studies support the theory that music instruction can help build intellectual and emotional skills, facilitate children’s learning and strengthen other academic areas, such as reading and math.
At Kiddie Academy educational childcare centers across the U.S., music is used not only as a successful transition and cross-over activity, but also as a vehicle to promoting school-readiness skills like literacy and listening acuity in preschool age children.
In fact, we see the power of introducing music to children every day, in hundreds of classrooms across the country. Music, especially when paired with movement, can improve a child’s gross motor skills and improve her listening skills. In addition, music can play a strong role in boosting a child’s social skills and can also help to teach diversity. Kiddie Academy teachers utilize a wide range of music styles in our classrooms, from classical to jazz, often giving children their first introduction to a new music style they may love.
Here are a few ideas for adding more music to your child’s daily routine:
- · Visit your local library and borrow a selection of music CDs from artists or genres you’ve never experienced. Listen to them with your child and discuss what you like or don’t like about each.
- · Choose music over television whenever you can. We often use TV as “background” during other activities. Switch to music instead.
- · Make music a habit in your home. If you have an iPod, place a docking station with speakers in your family room or kitchen. Turn on music while preparing meals, doing dishes or sweeping. Allow family members to create their own playlists.
- · Play classical or other soothing music in your child’s bedroom at naptime and bedtime.
Kiddie Academy recently announced a new partnership with Kindermusik, a leading provider of early childhood music programs, to offer the Kiddie Academy Music & More program. Beginning in early 2013, many of our academies will add the music enrichment program to their education-based curriculum.
To learn more about Kiddie Academy, including our new music instruction programs, please visit our website at www.kiddieacademy.com.
Claire Haas is a mom of two who also serves as Vice President of Education for Kiddie Academy, a national network of education-based childcare learning centers.


During the first years of life, children learn at an amazing rate. They make new discoveries every day, and the foundation is formed for a lifetime of learning.
One very important skill for children to develop is numeracy, or the ability to understand and use numbers and mathematics in everyday life. There are many ways to help build a solid foundation in numeracy, long before a child learns to add and multiply.
The best way for your child to learn is through play. You can help her build these beginning numeracy skills in many fun ways.
Counting. There is no end to the things you can count with your child. When cuddling with your baby, count five toes or five fingers. Count two arms going into a sweater. Repeat songs or stories that have number or counting themes. Count backwards from 10 with your preschooler when it is time to pull the plug at bath time. Count toys as you put them away, or items as you put them in the grocery cart.
Shape recognition. Put together simple shape puzzles with your child. Talk about shapes you see in books, or draw shapes together. Use shape cookie cutters to trace on paper or cut play dough. Look for shapes all around you.
Matching and sorting. When doing laundry, ask your child to find matching pairs of socks, or to put all the face cloths together. Sort blocks by colour, shape or size. Stack books with the largest at the bottom and the smallest on top.
Measuring. Let your child help with baking by filling measuring cups and spoons. These are also great toys for the bathtub or sandbox. Lay a book on the floor and see how many square blocks can be lined up beside it. Have your child stand against the wall to measure how tall he is.
Comparison. When you are putting on your shoes to go out, point out that yours are larger than your child’s. Compare the size of your hand to hers. Make two piles of toys, one twice as large, and talk about the difference. Cut a banana into an even number of slices so you each have the same amount on your plate.
Numeracy language. When playing with your child, use a variety of "math" words to help him understand and be able to express different numeracy concepts. For example: big or small, more or less, heavy or light, full or empty, first or second.
Every day, you can do many things to help boost your child’s numeracy skills. As she grows she can build on this solid foundation of learning, both in school and in life.
Shawna Munro works at the Elspeth Reid Family Resource Centre, a facility of Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba that offers
parenting information and support.
» 255 Ninth St., Brandon


VISION STATEMENT FOR MUSIC
The Broward County vision for music education is based on the concept
that music is an essential part of life, integral in the development of
the whole person, and a vital component for the advancement of civilization.
The quality of life is improved by physical, emotional, social and cognitive
growth experiences through a meaningful, sequential study in music.
|Learning through music is a lifelong process; successful learners are lifelong features.|
|All students are entitled to music literacy which enhances their ability to learn.|
|Students learn music in different ways and have widely divergent needs; instructional programs and teaching strategies should accommodate diverse learning styles and needs.|
|Learning in music promotes the investigation of old and new ideas, critical thinking and aesthetic awareness, as well as alternative ways of knowing and understanding.|
|The study of music prepares people to make informed choices about works of music that in turn contribute to richer, more meaningful lives.|
|Music education reinforces all other curricula by connecting concepts and processes to everyday life.|
|The study of music fosters an environment of acceptance and understanding of cultural diversity.|
|Excellence in music grows from a shared commitment by teachers, parents, administration and the community.|


For Source information, return
to Why Music? Links and Info Page
- New Studies Support Original Findings
Music Lessons Help Improve Math Skills
- New research continues to show music lessons, especially
lessons, can help elementary school students score higher on
- math tests.
- In a 1999 report, Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of
- Irvine studied three groups of second graders. One group
- piano lessons and used a special mathematics computer
- Another group used the mathematics program and also
- English training. A third group received only standard
- After four months of this training, the second-grade students
- group that received piano lessons and used the math
- program scored 15 percent to 41 percent higher on tests of
- and fractions than the students in the other two groups.
- In a 2000 report, Dr. Shaw studied the math test scores of a
- of second graders from inner-city Los Angeles who were
- piano lessons twice a week for a year. Shaw compared the
- scores of this group to the scores of elementary school
- affluent Orange County who did not receive piano lessons.
- The second graders from Los Angeles scored as well as
- graders from Orange County. Half of the second graders in
- study scored as well as fifth-grade students in Orange
- The study of music and improvement in math seem to be
- connected. These new studies add credibility to the results of
- research, when a specific link between music and math was
Sharon Begley, "Music On the Mind," Newsweek, July 24, 2000.
berksmusic.com Music Education Links
Return to berksmusic.com Main


The group of crops that receive the least quantity of water would be the Control Group. Sample Hypothesis IF I give vegetation elevated amounts of water THEN, they’ll improve in progress proportionately BECAUSE, they want water to photosynthesize and develop.
Engaged Hands-on Science For Kids.
They also could be a great useful resource when you’re attempting to decide about your well being profession. Developing an in-depth understanding of complex scientific principles can take an enormous quantity of effort and time.
Integrate chemistry with environmental research by testing native water and soil samples.Taste test extra acidic and more alkaline meals to see how chemistry impacts what you eat. Talk to your trainer about science games you can play with your classmates to learn and help reinforce scientific ideas. You could make up your own games, or purchase some on-line or direct from an academic store.Help reinforce fundamental ideas and vocabulary with crossword puzzles, which are easily downloaded online.
Once you understand what works finest for your self, you can begin your finding out routine more effectively and efficiently. In the afternoon, college students’ brains are good at integrating new info with what they already know. During this time of day, college students are able to create connections and make the data they have discovered more meaningful.
Tackling a troublesome textual content can be daunting, even for probably the most clever pupil. So daunting, in fact, you may be tempted to place off your assigned studying until the final possible moment. Late nights and caffeine add as much as an incomplete understanding of the ideas you have to know. Instead, use these tricks to confidently undertake your science studying task.
That mentioned, science has indicated that learning is best between 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 10 pm, when the brain is in an acquisition mode. On the opposite hand, the least effective learning time is between 4 am and 7 am. While there is really no one finest time of the day to check, let’s check out the advantages of finding out in the morning versus the opposite occasions of the day. The means of science is a way of constructing information in regards to the universe — developing new ideas that illuminate the world around us.
- Do you have sufficient time to do your experiment before the science fair?
- You also can read more about common science honest rules on our Scientific Review Committee page.
- four-H science programs provide youth the opportunity to find out about STEM via enjoyable, arms-on activities and tasks.
- This content material is provided in partnership with National four-H Council.
- Check with your instructor or the science fair coordinator for rules specific to your science honest.
Use the 20 artistic project ideas above to create one thing that conjures up you. This also implies that we have to educate the educators and consequently to undertake sufficient science curricula at college schooling departments. Scientists themselves should get extra concerned each in colleges and universities. They point out that a lot of the tools, technologies and medicines we use today are merchandise or by-products of research, from pens to rockets and from aspirin to organ transplantation.
So though the process of science is iterative, ideas don’t churn by way of it repetitively. Instead, the cycle actively serves to construct and integrate scientific information. Search online databases corresponding to SciStarter to search for citizen scientist tasks relevant to your studies. There are different camps for various pursuits. There are camps dedicated to exploring engineering, ecology, physics, chemistry, and extra.
Many students keep away from studying science journals, as a result of they’re put off by the terminology, tables, graphs and diagrams. A good journal article could make a fancy scientific subject come alive.These journals often have useful info that may allow you to better perceive your coursework.
However, as a result of liquids are boiled, grownup supervision is recommended. This project is finest for middle college and above. If your proper brain has laid dormant for much too long, it’s time to provide it a wake-up call.
Those ideas are inherently tentative, but as they cycle through the method of science many times and are tested and retested in different methods, we turn out to be more and more assured in them. Furthermore, through this similar iterative course of, ideas are modified, expanded, and combined into extra highly effective explanations.
Scientific Method Science is in the end primarily based on observation –Sight and listening to Observations will lead to query—which result in experiments to reply. EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT You conduct an experiment to see how totally different quantities of water could affect plant development. You solely change the amount of water you give the crops. The amount the crops grow is the Dependent Variable. You use the identical kind of crops, the identical type of soil, the same measurement pot, the same quantity of sunshine and keep them at the similar temperature.


Early reading skills are the foundation for strong reading ability later, in much the same way that a solid building foundation supports a skyscraper - the stronger the foundation, the higher the building. A common adage regarding reading instruction is that children learn to read until third grade and read to learn for the rest of their lives. Comprehension is the necessary reading skill that will allow students to access the curriculum and obtain information.
5 Pillars of Reading
Phonemic Awareness is the first and most fundamental of all the reading skills because research indicates that future reading skills are dependent on it’s development. Phonemic awareness, the ability to identify the smallest units of sound in the English language, has been shown to be a very powerful predictor of later reading achievement. Phonemic awareness is closely associated with phonological awareness - manipulating and substituting phonemes.
Phonemic awareness: cup = /c/ /u/ /p/
Phonological awareness: “what is the last sound in cup?” /p/ “Change the last sound to /t/. Now what is the new word?” Cut
Phonemic awareness applies only to verbal speech but provides the foundation for the next instructional step of associating individual sounds with written letters, commonly known as phonics.
The second pillar of reading is Phonics Instruction. Phonics is the instructional method that transitions learners from oral language to print and transforms meaningless marks on a page into letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds of English. Phonics instruction and strategies provide the basic skills that enable learners to decode the words they read and to spell the words they write.
Phonics provides the explicit connection between individual sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes) and an understanding of the alphabetic principle, the predictable and systematic relationships that can be used to recognize, read, and spell words. Phonics is especially important for beginning readers and English language learners. Research indicates that approximately 40% of readers will need explicit Studies have shown that “systematic and explicit phonics instruction is more effective than non-systematic or no phonics instruction”.
The ability to read text quickly and accurately is called fluency. Fluency is the third pillar of reading instruction and is based on a) the reader’s understanding of the alphabetic principle to accurately decode words, and b) a collection of common sight words (words that cannot be “sounded out”). When readers are able to decode with automaticity, they can focus attention on the content and meaning of what they are reading.
Effective strategies for improving fluency include providing opportunities for students to read and re-read the same text aloud. This can be done initially with an adult or reading partner who models and provides guidance as needed. Reading records can also be used to identify initial miscues and oral reading fluency rates and improvements after re-reading.
Vocabulary is the collection of words that are known and understood by the learner. In many cases, vocabulary is first developed orally as students hear and repeat words and associate meaning with objects in their environment. As they begin to decode, learners create associations between spoken words and the corresponding text. It is therefore much easier to introduce written words that are already part of the student’s spoken vocabulary. Vocabulary instruction generally moves from common, more concrete items (car) to subject-specific and more abstract items (molecule). Adding new words to vocabulary is important in order to develop comprehension.
Comprehension is the fifth and last pillar of the 5 Pillars of Reading Instruction and is often identified as the goal of reading. Learners who decode text but gain no meaning from what they read are unable to use or store the information available in print. Text comprehension strategies assist in developing skills that promote reading for understanding and include identifying the purpose and structure of the text, connecting to prior knowledge and personal experience, questioning, and summarizing.


A 'Literate' is any person who is able to read and write on his own and 'Literacy' is the ability to read and write or is the quality of being literate.
Kerala with a literacy rate of 90.90%, stands first among other Indian states. Recognizing the need for a literate population and provision of elementary education as a crucial input for nation building, the state government with the backing of the central government, launched a number of plans and programmes over the past years to facilitate the provision of free and compulsory education with satisfactory quality to all children at least up to the age of 14 years. 'Akshara Keralam' Project introduced in the early 1990s was one such project initiated with the aim of bringing the the maximum number of illiterates to schools and other study centres. This project was implemented in different phases throughout the state. Apart from this, a number ofgovernment organizations and voluntary associations under various schemes and services, conduct classes ( mainly evening classes ) for the illiterate adults. Such classes are held throughout the rural and backward areas of the state where educational institutions were absent in the yesteryears or for those who were unable attain elementary education in their childhood or later. The literacy rate in the urban areas is slightly greater than in the rural areas. As per the norms of National Literacy Mission, a literacy rate above 90 % shall be treated as complete literacy. On this basis, Kerala was declared a, 'Fully Literate State', on April 18th, 1991.
|Kerala- Literacy Rate*|
|* As per census 2001|
Like men, women in Kerala also hold a high literacy rate -87.7 %, which is higher than any other state in India. As a result women in Kerala enjoy a social status which is unattainable by the women folks in other parts of the country. Of the total working class (Main and Marginal) of Kerala, which is 32 % of the total population, 15.3 % are women.
The literacy rate of the three communities shows that Christians are more literate than Hindus and Muslims. The literacy percentage of these communities are: Hindus (male - 90.2 and female - 86.7 per cent), Muslims (male - 89.4 and female - 85.5 per cent) and Christians (male - 94.8 and female - 93.5 per cent).
Compared to other states in India, living standard of Keralites is high. Obviously, this is attributed to the high literacy rate and the educational standard of the people. Kerala, once home to many social evils is now absolutely relieved of them.
Apart from providing general education, Govt. of Kerala has taken initiatives to provide computer education to all students. This programme is being implemented at all schools and colleges throughout the state.
Important Dates and Events in Kerala's Literacy Mission
- June 1989 - Kottayam Municipal Town is the first Fully Literate municipal town in India
- February 1990- Ernakulam District is the first Fully Literate district in India
- 1991 - Launch of 'Akshara Keralam' project
- 1991 - Kerala's Literacy rate reaches 93.64 %
- 1991, April 18 - Kerala declared a Fully Literate State.


Streetism in Ghana
“I would like to go to school, but my parents cannot afford to pay the school fees so I just have to make a living on the streets. I will continue my education if your organisation can help me.”
“Streetism” is a broad term used to encompass the desperate situation of children who are forced to spend most of their time outside their homes, engaging in menial income generating activities in order to survive, and often having to sleep rough on the streets.
Faced with worsening economic conditions in rural areas, characterised by limited support for farming activities, increasing unemployment, poor access to health facilities and inadequate educational opportunities, increasing numbers of adults and children are migrating to the major urban areas of Ghana.
Living, working and sleeping on the streets exposes these vulnerable children to the dangers of robbery and violence, rape, prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse. Diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are also of increasing concern.
|As well as those forced to live on the streets, there is also another category of “streetism”. They are children who come from the city itself, but whose parents or guardians are still facing issues of poverty and deprivation. Unable to pay for school fees, children end up working on the streets trying desperately to earn the money for fees.|
The overwhelming majority remain outside the education system, with at best only limited literacy or numeracy skills, condemned to a future of manual labour and exploitation.
Although accurate figures are difficult to find is estimated that there are at least 40,000 street children in Ghana.
In the capital Accra alone, the population of street children has more than doubled in the last five years. Over the years, one generation of street children have given birth to another, with mothers and children remaining exposed to the dangers of life on the streets. In January of 2003 a survey undertaken by a local Ghanaian NGO concluded that there were an estimated 20,000 children and 6,000 babies living on the streets of the city.
And yet, with timely and practical support, the lives of these vulnerable children and young people can be completely turned around.


Acoustical analyses of people belting out "Jingle Bells," "Brother John" and a Polish birthday song, "Sto Lat" reveal that most people sing in tune and in time, even without musical training. Moreover, two distinct "phenotypes", or recognizable forms, of impaired singing exist that are linked to perceptual abilities.
Establishing this linkage is helpful for designing a music education curriculum.
Dr. Simone Dalla Bella and colleagues from the University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, Poland, set out to evaluate the proficiency of singing in the general public because little data existed, yet most people believed the majority of people can't carry a tune.
The team individually recorded 42 visitors to a Montreal park whom they asked to sing the familiar anthem of the Quebec sovereignty movement, "Gens du Pays." They compared them to professional singers' renditions.
When the non-musicians were instructed to sing more slowly, 40 of 42 sang as accurately as the pros in terms of pitch and timing. Next, investigators invited 40 volunteers into their acoustics laboratory in Poland and instructed them to sing "Jingle Bells," and other songs.
The investigators then administered a test called the Montreal Battery of the Evaluation of Amusia.
From this they identified two phenotypes of impaired singing: off-pitch singers with perceptional deficits who don't know they're landing on the wrong notes, and poor-pitch singers who can tell they're off and sing anyway.
The talk is entitled "Singing out of tune: Disturbances of vocal performance in the general population."
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It has been brought to my attention that many area schools are looking at cutting art education and I would like to address to the public why that is such a bad idea and why art education is crucial for our kids.
First off, some kids are lucky. They are born into creative families that promote artistic endeavors and provide meaningful and consistent experiences which foster a love of the arts. Many others, however, are not so lucky. They are born into families that may not have the time, resources, or desire to expose their children to such experiences. This leaves educators with important questions to address, such as: are the arts important, how can schools make sure students get exposure to the arts, and why is it important to do so?
The arts are important because they teach us fundamental abilities that are taught almost exclusively in art programs. Two books I have read recently highlight the importance of the skills necessary for students to be innovators and competitors in the the 21st century workforce. One is called "The Global Achievement Gap" by Tony Wagner. In this book, Wagner looks at the evidence which shows that Americans are not leading the world in success on standardized tests. He agreed with that fact, but brought up some excellent research which shows that isn't so bad. He pointed out how students that are doing well on standardized tests are lacking in the survival skills that they will need, but which have sadly been forgotten.
These "survival" skills are adaptability, initiative, effective communication, analysis, curiosity, and imagination. The last two are taught almost exclusively in art classes. Wagner further emphasized that standardized testing and rigid curriculums which are aimed for students to do well on the tests do nothing to help students gain skills they will need to survive in the future. If art education is cut, the one place where students can develop these skills will be cut as well, and our society - the future of our great nation - would pay the ultimate price.
The other book was "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. This book discussed the importance of shifting our priorities away from linear thinking, to what the author refers to as high concept and high touch. He wrote that, "high concept involves the capacity to detect patterns and opportunities, to create artistic and emotional beauty... to combine unrelated ideas into something new." High touch involves the ability to empathize, have meaningful relationships, realize one's potential, and find purpose and meaning. Both of these skills are currently undervalued, yet must be present in those students who want to thrive in the emerging world they will inhabit. These skills cannot be tested on a bubble sheet and their importance is immeasurable.
Schools need to allow students more exposure, not less, to the arts because if we fail to so, we are cheating our students of the chance to develop the skills that they will need for their future success. Some may argue that teachers could integrate art into their lesson plans, but the truth is many don't unless they themselves are an artist or have a deep understanding of the creative process. There is also so much information that needs to be taught each year that it is impossible for teachers to fit it into their lessons.
Art education programs are just too important to be cut and schools owe it to their students to avoid knowingly and strategically short-changing them. Schools are an integral part of the larger community and must give students the opportunity to be competitive in the 21st century. Art education does just that.


At DimensionU, kids find video games that are fun, educational, and rewarding. Parents find an easy and proven way to motivate their children to learn.
DimensionU allows kids to review and practice foundational 3rd–9th grade math skills. For example, if your kid is studying pre-algebra, we know that success in pre-algebra requires strong skills in whole numbers, exponents, fractions, and so on — much of which was introduced in prior grades. As a result, our goal is to ensure that they are fluent in the foundational skills that will lead them to be a great pre-algebra student.
This means that in many cases you will see your kid studying topics that don't seem to be at their grade level. However, don't worry — it is a topic that is critical to their success at grade level.
The best way for us to describe this might be a basketball analogy. The way that you become a great basketball player is by practicing all of the core skills for scoring or defending. You must practice your shots. You must practice your dribble. You must eat well and get in shape. You practice playing with your team. THEN you are ready to go on the court and compete.
DimensionU is your kid's training ground.
DimensionU is also one of the first educational gaming solutions to support the Common Core Curriculum, as well as individual standards of all 50 states and over a dozen standard textbooks.
The goal of the DimensionU Educational Allowance program is to motivate and engage a kid to do at least 30 to 45 minutes a week of educational gaming in the first month of enrollment across multiple Math topics and skills.
Here's an example of a weekly goal: Answer at least 25 questions correctly at a specific level of content (e.g., Grade 6 – Algebra).
Topics range across five areas in Math:
- Data Analysis and Probability
- Numbers and Operations
A child could be tested in over thirty different skills across the five topics. Below is an example of some of the skills in Algebra:
- Complement of a Subset
- Difference of Perfect Squares
- Domain-Range of Relations
- Exponential Growth-Decay
- Factorials-Exponents-Absolute Values
- Intersection Union
- Multiply-Divide Monomials
- Operations with Radical Terms
- Quadratic Equation
- Set Builder Interval Notation
- Simplify Polynomial Fractions
- Solve Algebra Problems
- Solve Relation-Function Problems
- Translate to Algebra
- Undefined Fractions
|Membership||$9.95/yr||Or free if you invite 5 friends|
A great site for educational math games in a 3D virtual world.


How it can be used for bottom portion of chart:
Reading 3D is a reading record on a handheld palm available from Wireless Generation.† The instrument balances the assessment of foundational skills with Text, Reading and Comprehension (TRC) diagnostics, giving a complete picture of a studentís reading development.† Teachers administer the TRC to collect a variety of reading and comprehension information.† The assessment involves a child reading a passage from a leveled reader to combine quick indications of early skill development with deep observations of studentsí interactions with authentic texts.† Reading 3D is intended to be used for grades K-5.† The assessment can be used for both determining benchmarks and for progress monitoring.† A series of charts are provided from the assessments to provide data for grouping and to aid in instructional decision making.
Home Connection is an add-on module that supports educatorsí efforts to encourage parent involvement in their childrenís education.† The home connection piece enables parents to:
∑ be aware of the schoolís assessment schedule,
∑ quickly reference the latest benchmark scores with graphical depictions,
∑ understand assessment measures with clear, understandable terms, and to
∑ understand specific details about a childís strengths and weaknesses.


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"I first used ReadWriteThink.org during my literacy block of college courses to help me construct a lesson on word building. My classmates enjoyed this lesson so much that I knew I would use the website again to help me develop lessons for my "real" students."
Karen Griffin's Story
Helping Phonics Flower in the Elementary Classroom
As a student teacher in a first-grade classroom, I struggled with ways to make phonics fun. I was thrilled to find the lesson Phonic Generalizations in Chrysanthemum. This lesson uses -ow words from the book Chrysanthemum to point out the two sounds this letter combination can make. The lesson plan includes hands-on activities that allow students to use a whole-brain approach to learning. I created a sheet that the students used to write their words on after they created them with the letter tiles. Students were able to create words using letter tiles, read the words, write the words, and then read them again. This allowed them to notice that while spelling patterns in words might look the same, they do not always sound the same. Students were then asked to write one or two sentences using two -ow words. Volunteers were asked to read their sentences aloud. This lesson not only provided me with a way to make phonics fun for my students, but it also allowed me to enjoy teaching phonics!
Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Minilesson
Students learn about word families by reading Kevin Henkes’s book Chrysanthemum, identifying words with certain vowel pair endings, and reading words with similar endings.
Grades K – 2 | Student Interactive | Learning About Language
Word Wizard uses themes from four popular U.S. children's books to create word puzzles that students solve by unscrambling letters and considering related clues.
Students learn the different sounds that -ow can make.
Assessment of /ow/ sounds
Assess student mastery of the sounds made by "ow" through oral and written formats.
Worksheet for /ow/ sounds
Students write the words they created with the letter tiles.
I am a 37-year-old who, after feeling unhappy in my previous profession (nursing), decided to take a hiatus and work in a local preschool. It was at that time I fell in love with teaching and decided to return to school to obtain my bachelor's degree in elementary education. I graduated in May 2011 and have recently been hired as a second grade teacher for the 2011-2012 school year. I am looking forward to having my own classroom to put ideas from ReadWriteThink.org into practice. My husband, Geoff, and I have been married for 16 years and have two beautiful children.


Music education can have a profound impact on children. Research has found that learning music facilitates learning other subjects, enhancing skills children will inevitably use elsewhere, according to PBS.
The benefits of music education might be even more tangible than that. A 2004 study published in the journal Psychological Science found that 6-year-olds who were given weekly voice and piano lessons benefitted from small increase in IQs. Groups that received drama lessons or no lessons at all experienced no such increases.
Additional studies have linked music education to other benefits. The Children’s Music Workshop notes that research has shown that musical training physically develops the part of the brain associated with processing language.
These are just a handful of the ways music education can positively impact young minds. Parents who want their children to reap these rewards and more can take these steps to encourage a love of music in their children.
• Cut a rug with your kids. Children are bundles of energy who want to expend as much of that energy as possible. Dancing along to music is a great way for kids to use it up. Kids might not be able to waltz or dance an Irish jig, but many love to jump up and down. If they begin to associate music and dancing with jumping up and down, they’re more likely to smile when mom and dad crank up the stereo.
• Sing and encourage kids to sing along. Kids won’t know if their parents are classically trained opera singers or performers whose vocal talents are best restricted to the shower. Singing along to favorite songs may encourage kids to follow suit, allowing them to learn words and language. Singing also is a fun activity kids are sure to embrace, making them look forward to daily music sessions.
• Let kids be the DJ. When you start playing music, keep a close on children to see how they react to different types of music. If they seem to favor one style over another, play that favorite style more often. If they tend to like it all, continue to expand their horizons, which many even open your eyes to musical styles and acts you’d never consider otherwise.
• Let kids participate in music. Especially young children might not be able to pick up a guitar and make it sing, but that doesn’t mean they can’t participate. Purchase age-appropriate instruments for your children the moment they start playing with toys. Their curiosity might compel them to embrace musical lessons as they grow older. In addition, look for children’s musical events in your community, whether it’s a sing-along at the local library or an introduction to musical instruments at a nearby community center.


The Yamaha Music Education System consists of a systematic curriculum which spans 7 years for children of both pre-school and school-age. The very basis, or core, of this system is the Junior Music Course for 4-year old children, followed by the Junior Extension Course and the Junior Advanced Course.
Pre-school age children undergo a period of rapid development in acquiring their aural skills. They can immediately memorise whatever sounds and words they hear for the first time. Therefore, if they are exposed to a variety of music by listening, singing and playing at this critical point in their lives, they will acquire a fundamental sense of music that is both solid and balanced.
The curriculum of the Yamaha Music Education System is based on an holistic musical training approach with a special focus to emphasize the creativity of each child.
Please find detailed information at the following pages:


Early Childhood Assistant Teachers
JCC Early Childhood Services’ philosophy is based on a developmental approach that focuses on exploration and experimentation within a nurturing and social environment. Children learn the basic skills necessary to develop academically, creatively, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Creative Curriculum is the framework for the JCC Early Childhood learning experience. In support of meeting the Illinois Early Learning Standards, a variety of respected teaching methods are implemented to transmit the learning experiences and values that set a JCC Early Childhood education apart. Our aim is to provide a program of Jewish enrichment, teach Jewish values, and to build a strong sense of Jewish identity. Our staffs help children develop the skills and self-confidence necessary for living in a complex, changing world. A vital part of our teachers’ role is to communicate and work with families to develop mutual, realistic expectations for learning and behavior. All JCC schools are NAEYC accredited and licensed by DCFS.
As an Assistant Teacher within our Early Childhood program, you will:
- Be responsible for the safety and welfare of the children, supervising all children by sight and sound;
- Work with the Lead Teacher to implement a program that includes elements of the JCC’s integrated secular and Jewish curriculum and that helps children achieve their full potential, recognizing that each child has a unique style of growth and learning;
- Provide and maintain an atmosphere which is conducive to emotional and cognitive growth;
- Establish and maintain good communications with director, staff and members;
- Make families feel welcome by greeting them personally by name and be able to share specific information regarding their child;
- Foster a collaborative, team-focused atmosphere, both in the classroom and within Early Childhood Services as a whole;
- Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and training and development opportunities;
- Participate in Product/Agency-wide programs as appropriate;
- Work with Lead teacher to maintain NAEYC, ISBE and DCFS standards.
Essential Physical Duties:
The essential physical duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Lift children (up to 40 lbs);
- Use hands to manipulate, feel and control classroom items or equipment;
- Be a physical presence with the children at all times on the floor, at tables, on the playground, etc.;
- Diaper children in accordance with DCFS & NAEYC requirements;
- Enact site/classroom emergency procedures quickly and effectively;
- Supervise children by sight and sound;
- Talk, hear and communicate with parents;
- In classrooms where children participate in swimming, be in the pool with the children and aquatics instructor.
Minimum Professional Requirements:
- At least 20 years of age;
- Have or be working on either a CDA or equivalent or an associate’s or higher degree in ECE-CD or equivalent;
- One (1) year (1560 clock hours) of child development experience in a pre-school, Kindergarten or licensed Day Care program, from birth to age six preferred.
Minimum Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to lift and move with children (up to 40lbs.)
- Must demonstrate physical stamina and agility including the ability to be mobile for long periods throughout the day.
- Demonstrated ability to move from sitting (on chair or floor) to standing position easily and quickly;
- Must be able to stand for long periods of time and be able to run and be actively engaged physically with children.
- Must be able to respond to emergency situations, moving from sitting to standing to running quickly and effectively.
- Must be able to supervise children by sight and sound.
- Ability and willingness to be in the pool with children participating in swim programs.


Physical Education (K-12)
Bachelor of Science in Physical Education
This licensure program prepares you to teach and/or coach in grades K-12. You will develop professional knowledge, skills and dispositions to be effective in teaching and related fields.
Those interested in physical education have a desire to encourage students grade K-12 in a physically active lifestyle. These majors recognize the value of taking care of the temple God gave us, and seek to teach others the foundational skills to also keep their bodies healthy.
The goal of Evangel University's Physical Education program is to prepare teachers who can educate students on good nutritional and physical behaviors, creating physically active, healthy young people. It also serves the purpose of creating future educators who understand the broad scope of education and who are committed to creating quality educational experiences, influenced by God’s will and their desire to serve others.
Program Plan (pdf)
|Want to see exactly what classes you will take? The Program Plan (sometimes called a degree sheet) includes all specific requirements - including University proficiencies, Frameworks courses and degree requirements.|
Each of Evangel's academic programs is made up of a set of core curriculum, program requirements and electives. The courses listed below are just a small sample of courses that might be taken as a part of this specific program.
|Techniques of Teaching Fitness and Weight Training||Basic principles of fitness and weight training and their application to the classroom and conditioning programs.|
|Psychology of Sport and Physical Education||The psychological basis for play and coaching, including motivations and behavioral patterns of athletes and spectators.|
|Sociology of Sport and Physical Education||The role of sport and physical education in society, including the influence of sport as a social system and the influence of other social systems on sport.|
|Fundamentals of Rhythmic Movement||
Develops an understanding and gain an appreciation for the importance of movement and dance activities within the overall physical education curriculum and prepares future physical education teachers to effectively plan and teach these activities.
|Fundamentals of Teaching Elementary Physical Education||
Organization and administration of physical education in the elementary schools, emphasizing the needs, characteristics, types of activities, and teaching methods specifically for the elementary age level.
Evangel University's world-class faculty is made up of caring, Christian professionals who are distinguished in their fields and dedicated to the development of tomorrow's Christian leaders.
Graduates of the physical education program can become Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certified K – 12 physical education teachers, teaching in the public schools.
|GPA||Achieve a 3.0 grade point average in content area and professional education courses, while maintaining a 2.75 cumulative grade point average across all courses.|
|Admittance to Program||Application for provisional admittance to teacher education is made in EDUC 219-Foundations of Education. This class is prerequisite to all teacher certification courses unless an equivalent course has been transferred from another college. Applications for admittance are available in the Department of Education office.|
|Recommendations||Satisfactory recommendations from all university supervisors of practica.|
General Undergraduate Requirements
The following are general requirements for all students beginning an undergraduate program at Evangel. For more information visit Undergraduate Admissions Requirements.
|Faith||As a boldly Christian university, all of our students have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.|
|Diploma||Graduation from high school, or having the equivalent of a high school diploma such as the General Education Development (GED) examination.|
|Core Subjects||A minimum of a 2.0 GPA in core college prep classes (English, math, social sciences and science with a lab)|
|Grade Average||A "C" average. However, in some cases, a student with a weak academic record may be considered. To remain at Evangel, however, the student must meet scholastic requirements.|
|Standardized Tests||>Entering freshmen should take the ACT or SAT test. The codes for Evangel are as follows: SAT: 6198. ACT: 2296.|
When it comes to life at Evangel, there's always something happening on campus and there are always new lessons to learn, even outside of the classroom...Learn More


The documentary "The Music Instinct" brings together scientists, scholars and musicians to explore the science of music:
Thursday, March 29, 2012
For more information, see here. Deadline for applications is 20 May 2012.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 09, 2012
|Tecumseh Fitch presenting at|
SMART on April 20th, 2012
SMART is an acronym for Speech and language, Music, Art, Reasoning and Thought. These activities are organized in close collaboration with the Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, in which also the Faculties of Science, Medicine, Social Science and Economics & Econometrics participate.
Some interesting upcoming SMART Cognitive Science Lectures are:
- Tuesday 20/3, 15h30 – 16h, P2.27, Anne Baker (Amsterdam), SMART Perspective on Language and Executive Function; followed from 16h-18h in the same room by a CSCA Lecture by Ianthi Tsimpli (Thessaloniki) on Signed and Spoken Language Asymmetries in a Polyglot-Savant
- Friday 20/4, 16h-18h, UT3.01, Tecumseh Fitch (Vienna), Cognitive Overlap between Language and Music (see abstract)
- Friday 25/5, 16h-18h, UT3.01, Carel ten Cate (Leiden), On the linguistic abilities of songbirds
- Friday 22/6, 16h-18h, Doelenzaal, Östen Dahl (Stockholm), How languages get complex
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Last month the peer-reviewed online journal Visions of Research in Music Education published a tribute to Jeanne Bamberger. See here for more information.
Bamberger, J. (1991/5) The Mind behind the Musical Ear: How Children Develop Musical Intelligence. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Bamberger, J. (2000) Developing Musical Intuitions: A Project-Based Introduction to Making and Understanding Music. New York: Oxford University Press.
Desain, P., and Honing, H. (1988). LOCO: A Composition Microworld in Logo. Computer Music Journal, 12 (3), 30-42. DOI: 10.2307/3680334
Honing, H. (1993). A microworld approach to the formalization of musical knowledge Computers and the Humanities, 27 (1), 41-47 DOI: 10.1007/BF01830716


I attended the SmartBrief STEM Pathways event on Thursday, October 20th. The format at the event was speakers, followed by smaller group discussions on STEM versus STEAM, student motivation, teacher retention & pathways. As we were recapping the event and having final questions & answer, I was thinking about how far we have come in education & business from early childhood learning. Learning new things is inherently messy. Learning to ride a bike often involves falling, as does climbing trees, or the monkey bars. Cooking or baking involves making messes and even making things that don’t taste good. Even earlier activities like attempting to put shapes in the correct shaped holes, or stacking blocks result in “stuck” toys or toppling towers. But learning in our classrooms as children, or our work environment as adults are expected to be orderly. We are expected to sit quietly, raise our hands & follow the established systems.
Are we doing ourselves and the next generation a disadvantage by limiting the time we have to get messy? Conversations in education reform are heavily focused around “STEM education”, but what does that really mean? If you consider STEM as a mindset, and our path to critical thinking and active curiosity, then it is more about giving our teachers the resources they need to target every kid, leveraging whatever it is that helps them engage in the process. Our focus on standardized testing and grades dampers the desire to try new things. The fear of any sort of failing, or movement away from the orderly, causes a discomfort. At the end of last year, my younger daughter was recommended fro Algebra 1 for her 8th grade math class. She also set herself a goal of making the all A honor roll all 4 quarters. Unfortunately, this was cause for a bit of a meltdown this week as her current math grade was a C, and she had a math test, and the end of the semester is approaching. She was putting so much pressure on herself for this next test, because she wanted to meet her goal. She was neglecting the fact that she was taking an advanced class, that was bound to be harder but she would not have been referred into the class, had her former teacher (and her parents) not believed she could do it.
In the same vane, there a quite a few conversations going on in organizational behavior about the fear of failure. The recent news about Wells Fargo and falsified accounts being created by sales people as a result of the unrealistic, intense goals set out by the organization is just another manifestation of the same stories behind Enron, wall street banks, etc. We have put such constraints around our employees and ourselves, that we lose that desire to challenge and be messy. We reinforce that sense of order initiated when we are told we need to start coloring inside the line, or it’s too old for you to still play with dolls.
There is a role for organization & cleanliness, but I encourage you all to make room for some messiness. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the form of learning to cook something new, or taking on a new hobby or pushing the limits professionally. Give yourself that leeway, and make sure you give that same leeway to your employees.


The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. Composed of 50 to 100 billion neurons, the human brain remains one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries. Here we will take a closer look at the four lobes of the brain to discover more about the location and function of each lobe.
Brain Lobes and their Functions
The brain is divided into four sections, known as lobes (as shown in the image above). The frontal lobe, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and temporal lobe have different locations and functions that support the responses and actions of the human body. Let's start by identifying where each lobe is positioned in the brain.
Position of the Lobes
The frontal lobe is the emotional control center of the brain responsible for forming our personality and influencing out decisions. The frontal lobe is located at the front of the central sulcus where it receives information signals from other lobes of the brain.
The parietal lobe processes sensory information for cognitive purposes and helps coordinate spatial relations so we can make sense of the world around us. The parietal lobe resides in the middle section of the brain behind the central sulcus, above the occipital lobe.
The temporal lobe is located on the bottom of the brain below the lateral fissure. This lobe is also the location of the primary auditory cortex, which is important for interpreting the sounds and the language we hear.
The occipital lobe is located at the back portion of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes. The occipital lobe is primarily responsible for processing auditory information.
Functions of the Lobes
The frontal lobe has many functions most of which center on regulating social behavior. Here are some of the important functions of the frontal lobe:
- Cognition, problem solving and reasoning
- Motor skill development
- Parts of speech
- Impulse control
- Regulating emotions
- Regulating sexual urges
It is more common to injure the frontal lobe than the other lobes of the brain because the lobe is located at the front of the skull. The effects of damage to the frontal lobe often result in personality changes, difficulty controlling sexual urges, and other impulsive and risk-taking behaviors.
The parietal lobe has several functions including sensation, perception, and spatial reasoning. This lobe is responsible for processing sensory information from various parts of the body. Here are some of the functions of the parietal lobe:
- Sensing pain, pressure, and touch
- Regulating and processing the body's five senses
- Movement and visual orientation
- Visual perception and recognition
- Cognition and information processing
Damage to the parietal lobe can result in problems with spatial reasoning, reading, writing, understanding symbols and language. Right-sided damage to the parietal area can affect a person's ability to dress or groom his or herself. While left-sided damage can result in language disorders and disorders with perception.
The temporal lobe. There are two temporal lobes located on both sides of the brain that are in close proximity to the ears. The primary function of the temporal lobes is to processing auditory sounds. Other functions of the temporal lobe include:
- Since the hippocampus, or part of the brain responsible for transferring short-term memories into long-term memories, is located in the temporal lobe, the temporal lobe helps to form long-term memories and process new information.
- The formation of visual and verbal memories.
- The interpretation of smells and sounds.
The type of impairment that results from damage to the temporal lobe depends on where the damage occurred in the lobe. Temporal lobe damage can lead to difficulty processing auditory sensations and visual perceptions, problems concentrating on visual and/or auditory stimuli, long-term memory problems, changes in personality, and changes in sexual behavior.
The occipital lobe, the smallest of the four lobes, is located near the posterior region of the cerebral cortex, near the back of the skull. The occipital lobe is the primary visual processing center of the brain. Here are some other functions of the occipital lobe:
- Visual-spatial processing
- Movement and color recognition
Since the skull protects the occipital lobe, injury is less likely to occur. However, severe damage to the occipital lobe can result in a variety of visual problems including the loss of color recognition, visual hallucinations or illusions, problems recognizing objects, and difficulty understanding language.


history of the Segues to Science Project is intertwined with the history of the
teaching economic and ethnobotany at the University of Hawaii (formerly College
of Hawaii). This is summarized as follows:
- 1918 The first course is taught (Botany
2: Economic Plants) by Joseph Rock.
- While the campus was being developed,
Joseph Rock developed the landscape as a botanical garden featuring economically
important trees. Information has been compiled about each of the trees and has
been incorporated in courses as they have been taught.
- Over the next sixty years a series of
botanists continue to develop courses and research in the areas of economic and
ethnobotany. Chief among them is Dr. Harold St. John.
- In the 1970s Bea Krauss was teaching
ethnobotany to over 1000 students each year and because of that ethnobotany
become a household term in Hawaii. Subsequently, ethnobotany become part of the
elementary education and became incorporated to some extent in different parts
of the K-12 educational system as a whole.
- In the 1980s Isabella Abbott began to
teach ethnobotany emphasizing modern scientific research methods and she
expanded the range of ethnobotany courses being offered to include courses for
senior undergraduates and graduate students. Isabella Abbott systematically
reached out to Native Hawaiian students encouraging them to learn to be good
scientists and to be proud of the science of their traditional cultural
- In the 1990s Will McClatchey and Kim
Bridges began to expand the ethnobotany courses to include a global perspective.
This culminated in development of a Bachelor of Science in Ethnobotany degree
through the Department of Botany.
- In the 2000s the Department of Botany
organized an Ethnobotany Track including five core faculty members (Kim Bridges,
Will McClatchey, Mark Merlin, Tamara Ticktin and David Webb) in order to teach
the courses of the Ethnobotany degree and provide research leadership in the
area of Ethnobotany.
Throughout the above development period
there have been several observations that the faculty have consistently made
about the entry level students in the ethnobotany courses. They are
- non-science majors (and "turned-off" by
- members of self-identifying ethnic
- excited about exploring their own
- interested in learning from their
family and in their own (non-English) language
- interested in "alternatives" to modern
lifestyles and culture
Regular results of the ethnobotany
courses have included:
- non-science majors becoming interested
in science (or at least warming up to parts of it)
- new science undergraduate students who
changed majors based upon an ethnobotany course
- students interested in science as part
of their overall means of learning about their own family and
- new undergraduate and graduate students
from ethnic communities not usually well represented in sciences in
The Segues to Science Project was to
- Specifically articulate the
transitional developments that we have been observing particularly as they
relate to transitions between ethnobotany and other sciences.
- Quantify the observations so that the
project can be scientifically evaluated.
- Develop follow-up mechanisms to
encourage and track students participating in segues to see if they continue to
develop interests in science.
|Funded by National Science
Foundation Grant Award Number DUE06-18690|


"When math fact instruction is thoughtful and strategic, it results in more than a student's ability to quickly recall a fact; it cultivates reflective students who have a greater understanding of numbers and a flexibility of thinking that allows them to understand connections between mathematical ideas. It develops the skills and attitudes to tackle the future challenges of mathematics."
-Sue O'Connell and John SanGiovanni
In today's math classroom, we want children to do more than just memorize math facts. We want them to understand the math facts they are being asked to memorize. Our goal is automaticityand understanding; without both, our children will never build the foundational skills needed to do more complex math. Both the Common Core State Standards and the NCTMPrinciples and Standards emphasize the importance of understanding the concepts of multiplication and division. Sue O'Connell and John SanGiovanni provide insights into the teaching of basic math facts, including a multitude of instructional strategies, teacher tips, and classroom activities to help students master their facts while strengthening their understanding of numbers, patterns, and properties.
Designed to be easily integrated into your existing math program, Mastering the Basic Math Facts:
Through investigations, discussions, visual models, children's literature, and hands-on explorations, students develop an understanding of the concepts of multiplication and division, and through engaging, interactive practice achieve fluency with basic facts.
Whether you're introducing your students to basic math facts, reviewing facts, or providing intervention for struggling students, this book will provide you with insights and activities to simplify this complex, but critical, component of math teaching.
Downloadable resources filled with customizable activities, templates, recording sheets, and teacher tools (hundred charts, multiplication tables, game templates, and assessment options) simplify your planning and preparation. Over 450 pages of reproducible forms are included in English and Spanish translation.
Study Guide included for Professional Learning Communities and Book Clubs.
Discover more resources for developing mathematical thinking at Heinemann.com/Math
Number Of Pages: 175
Published: 14th March 2014
Publisher: HEINEMANN EDUC BOOKS
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 27.69 x 21.34 x 1.27
Weight (kg): 0.48


Psychology of Reading and Writing and Educational Practice
This course explores a range of theories to explain how reading and writing develop. The course will encourage students to challenge a number of popular perspectives and consider the implications for practice.
Not currently available.
1. Develop a critical understanding of theories of literacy acquisition;
2. Explore their instructional implications; and
3. Apply their understanding of literacy development to assess literacy issues and design a programme tailored to the individual students' needs in an educational context.
The following list indicates indicative course content:
Theories of literacy acquisition and development
Critiquing theories of literacy development
Diversity in development of reading and writing literacy
Approaches to reading and writing instruction and promoting reading and writing development
Online Learning Activity: On-line Discussion
Literature Review: Literature Review
Case Study / Problem Based Learning: Case Study


Early Childhood Music Initiative
About the Early Childhood Music Initiative (ECMI)
The Early Childhood Music Initiative (ECMI) at Duquesne University strives to provide meaningful musical experiences for young children in underserved preschools throughout Pittsburgh. ECMI was designed in 2010 to inform and educate preschool directors, teachers, and early childhood caregivers about ways to incorporate music into the daily lives of children while also allowing future music teachers (undergraduate music education majors) to gain experience teaching music to children in real-world settings.
Under the direction of Dr. Rachel Whitcomb, Assistant Professor of Music Education, ECMI is underway for the 2012-2013 academic year through generous funding from The Pittsburgh Foundation.
During the first year of the project, ECMI served the early childhood education community in the Pittsburgh region by placing undergraduates in seven preschools to teach weekly music classes. More than 240 preschool children actively engaged in these activities, and 40 preschool teachers became familiar with developmentally appropriate musical activities each week. A Lesson Collection was written by experts in early childhood music and shared with over 125 preschool teachers, directors, and caregivers at the first ECMI Professional Development Conference in June 2011. Conference attendees were invited, free of charge, to attend educational sessions focusing on teaching techniques for incorporating music into preschool instruction.
Currently, ECMI is serving the following five preschools in the Pittsburgh region by providing weekly musical instruction:
• Angels' Place
• Beulah Christian Preschool and Child Care
• Hilltop Community Children's Center
• JLC Daycare
• Righteous Beginnings Learning Center
ECMI also offers a lending library of musical instruments and lesson materials for preschools interested in including music during daily instruction.


Enhancing Teachers Effectiveness
In: Other Topics
Enhancing Teachers EffectivenessTOPIC: ENHANCING TEACHERS EFFECTIVENESS
Developing nations generally spend a fairly large component of their national budgets on education. Of that, a large proportion is spent on paying up teachers’ salaries. In Indian States, the share of teacher salaries in elementary education expenditure is estimated, on an average, to be 97 per cent (World Bank 1996).
In the prevailing economic crisis world over, most developing nations are forced to contain their public expenditure. Given this scenario, it is unlikely that most developing nations will be able to increase their educational budgets in the future. This leaves very little hope for any increase in the expenditure on teachers’ salaries, teacher numbers. At the same time, the requirement of teachers is going up. Several conditions are continuously impacting on the need for primary teachers e. g., increasing enrolments, retiring teachers etc.
Notwithstanding the scarcity of funds to appoint additional teachers needed, any quality improvement will be only possible through more efficient use of the available resources – both human and physical. Teachers are the most important human resource in any educational programme. Therefore, the real challenge is to enhance teacher effectiveness
without increasing costs.
To define and measure teacher effectiveness is a difficult task. To put it simply, one may say that what students learn is the basic “output” of schooling; the more students learn in a given time, the more “effective” is the teaching to which they have been exposed. In other words, it is the value added to learning due to implementation of the teaching process. Schooling is a composite phenomenon that would comprise of several dimensions. At a bare minimum level, schooling would require a building; some provision for seating children, drinking water, and sanitation facilities, teaching material; teachers and provision for upgrading skills of teachers. Lack of any of...


Teaching with primary documents encourages a varied and active learning environment for teachers and students, and fosters the development of lifelong learning skills.
The following curricula were created by graduate research assistants using primary source materials from the holdings of the Georgia State University Library’s Special Collections and Archives. All of the lessons plans were created to adhere to national and state education standards. Some of the lesson plans contain documents that are reproduced from the original form, and may be printed and reproduced for classroom use.
We encourage teachers to develop lesson plans derived from our collections. For more information, please contact the Special Collections and Archives at 404-413-2880 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Southern Labor Archives
- Work ‘n’ Progress: Lessons and Stories in Southern Labor History (7th – 12th Grade)
- PATCO Strike of 1981 (9th – 12th Grade)
Popular Music and Culture Collection
Lesson plans that were created by music education graduate students with support from The Johnny Mercer Foundation.
- A Musical Trip Across America (1st Grade)
- The American Musical (7th Grade)
- American Popular Music, 1900-1950 (8th Grade)
Women and Gender Collections
- Silenced Voices: Understanding Domestic Violence through Primary Sources (8th – 12th Grade)
- The ERA: Oral Histories Curriculum (8th – 12th Grade)
- Exploring Gender Roles in Society, Literature, Art, and Film (8th – 12th Grade)
- Georgia Women Speak! (8th – 12th Grade)


The government seems to have woken up from a long long sleep and introduced the much awaited Right to Education Act that was enacted by the Indian parliament on 4th August 2009 and finally came into force on 1st April 2010. The enforcement of this act made India one among the 135 nations that have made education as one of the fundamental right of every child.
The amendment to Article 21 of the Indian constitution is made by inserting Article 21 A . This Article provides for free and compulsory education for all the children between the age group of 6 and 14. The following are the salient features of the Act.
- Children between the age group of 6 to 14 are entitled to free and compulsory education.
- Until the completion of elementary education no child shall be expelled, held back
- After the completion of the elementary education (up to 8th grade) the child must be awarded with a certificate.
- The teacher student ratio has to be fixed.
- This Act is applicable for the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Act requires that a reservation of 25% for the economically disadvantaged communities in all the private schools for the purpose of admission to the Class One.
- One of the mandatory provision of this Act is the improvement of the quality of Education.
- The Act also requires that the teachers in the school must have an adequate professional qualification.
- The schools are under the obligation of providing proper infrastructural facilities. If this condition is not followed the recognition of the school stands canceled.
10. The financial expenditures will be shared by the Central and the State government in their respective ratios.
I think that the government needs to put in rigorous efforts in implementing this law in the rural areas where there is a limited access to the schools and parents and children prefer working to education. There is a dearth of trained teachers in the rural areas too. Steps have to be taken to provide for good, well trained teachers in the rural areas who can impart proper education to the people. The schemes designed by the government for educating the girl child must be followed on strict basis.
By enacting this Act the parliament of India has taken its first step to provide quality education to the children in India. Let us hope that in the years to come we find that no child is found to be illiterate and deprived of the fundamental right to education.


American Studies is the study of America – its history, literature, geography, society, culture, politics, economy, philosophies and dramas. Drawing from among several disciplines, the major provides a broad liberal education and helps students develop critical thinking and writing skills as well as a sophisticated understanding of the unique, diverse American landscape.
Rowan's American Studies major provides a great base for many careers. It is an excellent coordinate major for students in the Elementary Education program as it covers many of the Core Curriculum Content Standards that aspiring educators will be expected to teach. Married with a minor in Philosophy, American Studies is also excellent preparation for law school. Along with the American Studies major students have the opportunity to minor in many other programs. We also recommend a double major in Public Relations to give a stronger sense of American history, society and culture.


How Children Learn Theatre, Grades 58
In theatre, artists create an imagined world about human beings; it is the role of the actor to lead the audience into this visual, aural, and oral world.
To help students in grades five to eight develop theatre literacy, it is important that they learn to see the created world of theatre through the eyes of the playwright, actor, designer, and director. Through active creation of theatre, students learn to understand artistic choices and to critique dramatic works.
Students should, at this point, play a larger role in the planning and evaluation of their work. They should continue to use drama as a means of confidently expressing their worldview, thus developing their personal voice.
The drama also should introduce students to plays that reach beyond their communities to national, international, and historically representative themes.
Source: National Standards for Arts Education, published by Music Educators National Conference (MENC). Copyright © 1994 by MENC. Used by permission. The complete National Arts Standards and additional materials relating to the standards are available from MENC, The National Association for Music Education, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191, telephone: 800-336-3768.