Why is Halloween Celebrated?
By B. Sumangal; Illustration by Sudheer Nath
Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31st, which is the evening before the Christian feast of All Saint's Day. Halloween's history goes back to the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes (circa 500 B.C.) from whom came the Britons, Scots and the Irish. Present day Britains, Scots, Welsh and Irish are all descendants from these ancient Celtic tribes.
The Celts worshipped nature and believed in the spirit world. They worshipped over 300 gods. Their chief god was the sun and they celebrated two festivals revolving around the sun: Beltane, to mark the beginning of summer and Samhain or Saman to mark the start of winter.
The Celts believed that at the end of summer, Samhain, the lord of death becomes powerful and overpowers the sun god. On October 31, Samhain assembles all the evil spirits who had died the previous year and allows them to return home to visit the living.
On October 31, after the harvest, the druids would meet under an oak grove or near large stone circles where they performed sacrifices. Stonehenge in England is one such druid circle. The priests would light great fires and offer sacrifices to Samhain to ensure that the sun returned after the winter.
During the night all fires except the sacrificial one to Samhain were extinguished. The Vigil of Samhain, as it was called, would keep the sacrificial fire on through the night and the next day embers from this fire would be used to light the fire in each household.
Villagers would try to appease goblins and demons with offerings of food and nuts. They would leave little treats that the household had to offer, to satisfy the hunger of these demons. If the demon was satisfied with the treat, it was believed it would not trick the person or cast an evil spell. Therein lies the origin of the present day trick or treat.
Legend has it that people would also wear masks or other disguises and blacken their faces to try and pass unnoticed by the spirits. This stemmed from the belief that ghosts or spirits cannot see their own reflection. Hence, if a goblin or demon saw another creature looking suitably horrible, they would run away in terror.
After the Romans conquered Britian in 61 A.D., they brought with them their own harvest festival held on November 1, to honor Pomona, goddess of the fruits of trees. Over the years, the two festivals got mixed up and became one long holiday.
In 834 A.D., Pope Gregory III shifted the festival of All Saints Day, then celebrated on May 13 to November 1. The new day was called All Saints Day or Hallowmas. Thus, the evening and night before it became All Hallow's eve and later Halloween.
The Celtic concept of ghosts and witches became blended with Roman and later Christian customs. In Ireland and Britain, Halloween was also celebrated as Mischief Night when villagers were allowed to play pranks on each other.
Traces of the Roman Pomona festival such as ducking for apples in a tub of water still survive. Another is the use of hollowed-out pumpkins lit by candles in the belief that it would ward off evil spirits.
Today, Halloween is a festival of fun for kids. An occasion to dress up as little monsters, ghosts or witches. Over time the custom of adults dressing up as demons changed and the children took over. As they went from house to house they would knock at each house and cry "trick or treat". People would then give the children apples or buns and later candy to keep from being tricked.
However, since the 1960s, various crimes have been committed during Halloween. There have been cases of candy laced with drugs.
Other incidents such as older children attacking younger children to steal their candy, or children finding razor blades or pieces of glass in their treats have also been reported. Increasingly parents and local police and administrative officials issue safety tips for children when they go trick or treating.
Why is Halloween Celebrated? [5W&H for kids]
By B. Sumangal; Illustration by Sudheer Nath
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The Tuneables is an award-winning children's music education DVD and CD series designed to teach the key building blocks of music at a critical time in a child's development. Sponsored by the Music Intelligence Project, this fun, interactive program engages children in songs and activities that provide a foundation of music understanding and growth in intellectual development. Ages 3-8.
Buy your copy today at: www.thetuneables.com/the-music-shop/
About Us » Experts
Dr. Robert Johnson is a career music educator, composer, and performer. After beginning his career as a school music teacher, he earned his doctorate in music from the University of Michigan and held university professor positions for twenty-five years. He began his work with music for young children by developing curricular and instructional strategies that provided substantive music learning and skills development. To support this effort, he identified an age-appropriate repertoire of songs and music literature and created or arranged over two hundred songs designed to teach or reinforce important musical learning. The program was introduced to hundreds of children.
Dr. Johnson advanced the cause of early childhood music education as a university professor by offering courses to prepare teachers, conducting research and sharing the results at conferences, and conducting workshops for parents and caregivers of young children. He utilizes the demonstration class as a means for observers to see first hand how appropriate experience and instruction in music can propel the young child's musical and intellectual development. He emphasizes the importance of selecting and sequencing essential music learning as well as engaging the children in cognitive skills appropriate for the individual child. Dr. Johnson has observed that all children benefit from learning music, and he supports the research findings indicating that the greatest benefit is obtained when learning begins in the earliest years of the child's life.
Patsy Johnson, Ed.D.
Dr. Patsy Johnson is a professional educator who began her career teaching music in the public schools, directing children's choirs, and maintaining a piano studio. These experiences formed the foundation of a music instruction program for preschool children that was expanded and developed over many years. Her direct teaching contact with thousands of children and hundreds of teachers of early childhood music revealed her success in developing unusual levels of musical competence in children. Her reputation has resulted in dozens of requests for workshop and clinics for teachers and for presentations at early childhood education conferences. She incorporated music education programs for young children in private music classes, music programs in preschool settings, and music education courses at colleges and universities.
Dr. Johnson extended her expertise in early childhood education by holding positions as a general preschool teacher of four- and five-year-old children. She then earned her doctorate in education and held positions at universities with graduate programs in educational leadership. As an award winning professor, her courses and research emphasized the importance of a sequential coordinated program of instruction beginning with early childhood throughout the public school years. Her research emphasized the nurturing and fair environments for all learning. She underscored the important role of the arts in a child's intellectual development and incorporated the latest findings of brain research regarding the arts in her courses and lectures.
Drs. Robert and Patsy Johnson have collaborated not only in early childhood music education but also in marriage. Many insights about the benefits of music learning for enhanced intellectual growth emerged as they guided their three children through many of the experiences supported by the Music Intelligence Project. Now, they have moved on to the next generation as they tap in to new technologies while engaging their grandchildren in music learning.


AN INVESTIGATION OF NOVICE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS' KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNIQUES AND PEDAGOGY SPECIFIC TO THE HORN
The purpose of this study was to determine novice middle school and high school band directors’ knowledge of techniques and pedagogy specific to the horn. Ten band directors currently teaching middle or high school band and who were in their first through fourth year of teaching were interviewed. Questions were derived from current brass methods textbooks and placed in one of the following six categories: (a) collegiate background; (b) teaching background; (c) embouchure, posture and right hand placement; (d) construction of single and double horns; (e) muted, stopped and miscellaneous horn pedagogy; (f) care and maintenance. Findings from this study indicate that novice middle and high school band directors have varying amounts of knowledge and expertise of the horn and, in general, are lacking fundamental knowledge of specific horn techniques. In addition, it appears that directors have more knowledge and understanding of concepts relating to the horn that are common to all brass instruments as opposed to concepts associated specifically with the horn.
School:Bowling Green State University
School Location:USA - Ohio
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:instrumental music education horn methods classes technique secondary instruments pedagogy brass band
Date of Publication:01/01/2006


Continuing in our series on the Brookings Institute report “The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects,” Chapters 6-8 deal with the related topics of program size and program financing. While studies of the landmark Perry Preschool and Abecedarian projects demonstrate these programs’ effectiveness for school preparedness and other gains that last into adulthood, these programs were small-scale; any state or school district that wants to replicate the best programs has to consider, first, how large a program to operate—and by implication, which types of students to serve—and, then, how to pay it.
Budgetary considerations will no doubt be the first issue in mind for many organizations. The costs, which include:
staff compensation, which is impacted by teacher quality, student-teacher ratios and the length of the program (half-day vs. full-day);
facilities and supplies costs; and
all will be incurred up-front and on an on-going basis. The benefits, such as:
lower expenses for special education and grade retention;
improved job readiness and lifetime earnings;
lower crime rates; and even
improved long-term health outcomes for program participants
will be seen over the longer term, and only the first of these accrues directly to the school. How then, can policy makers correctly evaluate the benefits against the costs?
Based on studies of the Chicago Child-Parent Centers program, various groups participating in the Tulsa, OK universal pre-K program, and Head Start, the evidence suggest that there is a 2-1 to 4-1 net benefit-cost ratio over time, and some researchers claim even higher returns. These estimates should present strong incentives for a broad-based investment in early childhood learning programs. However, because the benefits are achieved in the longer-term, and do not accrue directly and immediately to the school itself, financing the programs will be a challenge.
It is also important to note that the benefit size is a function of quality: a lower-quality pre-k program, while less expensive to implement, also may have a lower net benefit. Even a proven model like the Perry Preschool will not have the same impact on a larger scale if the inputs aren’t scaled up commensurately.
Moreover, the size of the overall benefit to the state or district may depend on how the program is targeted. Current evidence shows that lower-income children appear to achieve higher relative gains than higher-income children and thus close the achievement gap. A program targeted toward lower-income children offers a higher per-child benefit, dollar-per-dollar; however, evidence shows that middle-income children also can achieve substantial benefits for school readiness from participating in pre-k programs, and some of the benefits that underprivileged children may experience come from having children of different backgrounds mix when the programs are not targeted.
Whether a state or district chooses to implement a targeted pre-k program or a universal one depends on the particular needs and problems it wants to address, as well as the availability of resources. But decision makers must consider the following:
Different programs will experience a range of net benefits or benefit-cost ratios, depending on the populations they serve and other local conditions.
Targeted pre-k programs, universal pre-k programs, and hybrid options (such as those charging sliding-scale fees) all can generate positive returns to participants and school systems alike, but low-quality pre-k programs of all kinds are unlikely to see the positive returns of high-quality programs; the investment must match the desired outcomes.
While schools may see some cost savings down the road, they are unlikely to offset the costs of operating their programs; instead, educators and policy makers must view pre-k as a long-term societal investment, with multiple stakeholders outside the school receiving the benefits.
Tips for Parents
How can parents put this information into action?
Budget busters. Most parents will take the time to find out how much a program will cost. In addition, parents may want to understand: How does the early childhood learning program spend its money? What sources fund a particular program, and where does the money go? Does it look like the program is well-resourced for your child?
Growth plans. Investment also means growth. How does a particular program plan to invest in program growth, especially if it is a two-year program? Even if this is your last child going through a program, knowing the future plans may tell parents a lot about current enthusiasm.
Don’t be shy. Asking these questions may feel uncomfortable at first. They don’t have to be. Not only do these inquiries show that you care about your child, but also they show that you care about the program’s long-term viability. You’re there for the long run.


September Toy of the Month: Bowling
Photo from https://blog.allstate.com/green-entertainment-for-kids/
There are many cute bowling sets available from amazon.com in a variety of styles. However, for a fun DIY project, make your own set! You’ll need the following materials:
● 10 plastic bottles
● A ball
● Decorating materials: Take your pick! (construction paper, glue, stickers, glitter). For an interactive project you can do with your child, drop in a little paint– different colors in each bottle, close the cap, and have your child shake it around until the bottle is coated in color.
How to play with a bowling set:
❏ Use it to work on action words. Explore how your success changes depending on whether you “roll,” “bounce,” “throw,” or “kick” the ball. Your child can direct you with a phrase– “roll the ball” or describe their own actions– “I kicked the ball”.
❏ Talk about shapes as you set the pins up. See how your success changes depending on whether you place them in a “triangle,” “circle,” or “square” shape.
❏ Work on quantity and quality concepts. Predict how many pins you will knock over, then see if you were successful. Use words like “one,” “some,” “most,” or “all” to describe the pins that were knocked down. Predict what color pins you’ll knock over, then label them afterward. Or, if they’re decorated, describe them so the other person knows what you’re aiming for (e.g., I’m going to knock over the purple one with three star stickers).
❏ Use it to work on speech sounds. Print or cut out pictures of items that start with a speech sound your child has trouble with (e.g., /g/). Label the pictures as you place them under each pin, and then label them again as the pins are knocked over and the pictures are revealed.
❏ You can address a variety of gross motor skills by using this bowling set to practice eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination, and ball skills (e.g. throwing, kicking, catching). Make this activity easier or harder by increasing/decreasing the number of pins, moving the pins closer/further from the child while they are throwing the ball.
❏ If your child benefits from a little bit of heavy work, replace a lighter ball for a weighted one. This extra resistance can help your child’s processing of proprioceptive input to improve self-regulation, attention, and focus.
❏ As mentioned above, creating and decorating, is not only an interactive experience for you and your child, but a great opportunity to practice their fine and visual motor skill development, including: cutting, coloring, writing, and gluing.


If you wish to use any of the resources on this page, click the link to the source. The website will prompt you to make a copy, which is then yours to use and share with students. *You will need to log into a Google account to copy the files.
Please do not repost resources. Rather, direct people back to this page to copy resources directly. No resource on this website may be recopied or reprinted for profit.
Those of us who work with secondary students are familiar with the frustration of trying to find resources we can use to teach phonics that aren’t geared toward young children.
These resources have been designed to support phonics instruction in a secondary remote-learning environment since there is a scarcity of tools available for this purpose.
Phonics Tiles and Manipulatives
When you click the link to a file, you will be prompted to sign up for or log into Google. You can copy the file to your Google Drive so you can edit the files and share it with students. Please do not repost resources. Rather, direct people back to this page to copy resources directly. No resource on this website may be recopied or reprinted for profit.
Sound tiles with simple prefixes and suffixes (on manipulative board)
Sound and syllable tiles for two-syllable words (on manipulative board)
More Coming Soon…
“Phonics instruction is: beneficial to all, harmful to none, and crucial for some”


Image credit: commons.wikimedia.org
Music training has been shown to help children’s brains develop faster, boost their IQ, enhance their spatial-temporal skills, and more. But that’s not all music education can do: it also has an effect on children’s social and emotional skills. Here are a few ways music training can benefit your child socially and emotionally.
Research suggests that preschoolers participating in musical groups and movement activities displayed greater group cooperation, cohesion, and pro-social behavior compared to kids who weren’t involved in the same activities. When children work together, they learn how to express themselves and respect each other’s space. Making music or moving together also teaches kids how to work together to achieve a common goal.
One study suggested that singing and dancing together resulted in increased empathy for the other kids in the group.
When kids make music togeher, they have to watch the other group members for subtle cues on timing, volume, and more. These are the same cues we use when we’re reading people’s facial expressions and gauging their mood.
Better social and emotional connection
Music even has an impact on the social and emotional skills of infants. Research has shown that music and movement interactions between adults and children can result in better communication and improved social and emotional coordination and connection, both in terms of rhythm and emotions.
Music can help kids express and manage their emotions in a number of ways.
Singing, dancing, and playing a musical instrument can be an outlet for kids much in the same way it’s an outlet for adults.
Moreover, kids can develop emotional intelligence by recognizing feelings in music and learning. Through listening to music, kids can learn what certain feelings “sound” like, and what emotion is expressed through a particular kind of music. Lyrics can also help children understand the emotions related to certain events or situations.
Faster brain development, higher IQ, increased emotional intelligence, better group cooperation skills: the benefits of music education for kids are seemingly endless! If your kids aren’t already participating in music training, you should strongly consider getting them involved.


In my experience teachers often don’t use museum Web sites simply because they can’t find them. Here’s our successful method of linking online museum resources into other online resources so that teachers have an easier time searching for them. (This has been posted previously on the Museum-Ed Discussion List, please forgive the cross-posting.)
We spend a couple of days at the launch of a project going through the Internet searching for portals, news sites and other resources like ours. At the same time we define key words for our project, for example art education, k-12 social studies, interdisciplinary, teaching, learning, etc. Searching the Internet using key words often leads to more key words and the ability to refine key words based on search returns.
Next we draft a letter of inquiry that can be used repeatedly requesting a link or a listing of our product on related Web sites. The letter usually includes a long and short description of the project so you can send either, which ever is suitable for publishing, as well as the keywords from the previous activity that will help others find it on Web portals. For example on http://www.educating.net/addsite.htm is a form that requires site name, URL, description, contact name, email and phone. On other sites all that’s required is the letter we’ve drafted sent to an email address.
It’s also important to submit your letter, or other request, to all search engines like Google and Yahoo. Search engines contain their own listings of topics, for example Google has a social studies page for kids: http://www.google.com/Top/Kids_and_Teens/School_Time/Social_Studies/
Also don’t hesitate to request listings on teacher’s sites or blogs. Informal is as good as formal on the Web. Finally, we always track submissions on a spreadsheet so that if more information is required or a second contact is necessary there won’t be any duplication.
This diagram from Scott Sayre’s 2001 AAM presentation “Click, Click, Who’s There?” illustrates the multitude of barriers restricting a large audience from significant content. As the audience approaches access, it’s diminished by each of the barriers.


Words of wisdom from one of our dietitians, Shannon Burkett.
When your child has a problem with gaining weight, it can be worrisome and cause stress. Weight loss can be a result from an underlying medical problem, therefore it is important to you’re your child evaluated by their physician. Certain eating behaviors and food aversions can also decrease your child’s nutrition intake and can cause poor weight gain or weight loss.
Here are some things you can do as a parent to help your child get the nutrition he or she needs.
- Always ask a physician or dietitian before buying expensive nutrition supplements advertised on television or the internet. These products may have claims that are not supported by scientific evidence and can put a big dent in your wallet.
- Keep a journal of your child’s diet. Track what time your child eats, how much time it takes your child to complete meals, types of food and drink along with amounts consumed, where meals are eaten, and any other information, such as distractions. This will help you and your physician or dietitian identify possible causes of eating problems.
- Increase calories in foods your child already likes to eat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to dishes, such as pasta, salads, and other vegetables. Use oil in place of cooking spray when preparing your child’s meal. Avoid low fat dressings and dips. Add sugar or honey to foods to increase calories, such as fruits and cereals. Use whole milk in place of low fat for drinking and for cooking.
- Commercial drinks are available to supplement calories and protein in your child’s diet. Talk to your child’s doctor or dietitian about which supplement fits your child’s needs.
- When children drink a lot of juice or milk, this can suppress their appetite for mealtime. Avoid offering fluids 30 minutes before it’s time to eat. Limit juice to no more than 4 ounces per day and do not offer more than 24 ounces of milk daily (16 ounces for under the age of 3 years). Offer water for fluids.
- A parent’s role is to prepare healthy foods. It is up to a child whether he or she chooses to eat the food offered. Never force a child to eat his or her food and avoid nagging at meals because this is a battle you will never win. Mealtime should be enjoyable for all family members and this behavior only leads to bigger problems.
Dietitians can work with you to help ensure your child gets the proper nutrition he or she needs. Talk to your child’s physician about a referral to our outpatient nutrition clinic where you can work one on one with one of our dietitians.
About Shannon Burkett
I’ve worked at Dayton Children’s for 3 years and cover hematology and oncology as well as parenteral nutrition support. I graduated with a bachelor degree in elementary education from Purdue University in 2000 and graduated in 2004 from Loyola University of Chicago, where I studied Nutrition and Dietetics. I spent 1 year as a dietetic intern at Miami Valley Hospital. My love to run and my goal is to complete the Air Force Marathon next year. I also love cooking and spending time with my 2 children.


ings. The available research is quite limited. In their study of “what works” for English language learners in adult literacy education, Condelli and Wrigley (2004) identified only one study of ESL students that measured a literacy outcome and included a design without confounds. Similarly, Torgerson and colleagues (2004) examined almost 5,000 reports on adult literacy and numeracy interventions, and only 3 randomized controlled trial designs focused on English as a second language. Adams and Burt (2002) cast a much wider net in their search for research on adult language learners between 1980 and 2001 to include experimental, descriptive, and practitioner studies from journals, books, reports, and dissertations. The 44 studies reviewed had methodological weaknesses, such as too few participants, unreliable measures, inadequately described practices and outcomes, and no comparison tasks or groups, which prevented drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the approaches. Several of the studies focused on language learners in English preparatory classes before attending college, who are likely to differ in several ways (education level, first language literacy proficiency, socioeconomic status) from the broader population of English language learners. These results are consistent with a recent review of adult literacy instruction research available from the U.S. Department of Education (Kruidenier, MacArthur, and Wrigley, 2010). Similarly, the committee located four studies (two of adults in adult education and two of students in developmental college education courses) from 1990 to 2010 with the criterion that the research include at least one quantitative measure of literacy skill (see Appendix C). Because studies are so few and the ones available suffer from various methodological constraints, it is not possible to draw strong conclusions about effective instructional practices.
Given the limited research on the literacy development of adult English language learners in the United States, we also draw from a broader base of knowledge on second language and literacy development, which includes relatively well-educated adults and young children in K-12 education. Because a main challenge of literacy development for this population is learning a second language, we review research related to the development of both spoken and written language.
For simplicity, we use the term English language learners in this chapter to refer to foreign-born and native-born adults who are developing their English language skills and refer to other adults as native English speakers. On occasion we use more specific terms provided by study authors when referring to individual research studies. The research and sources of information reviewed in this chapter often do not include, however, precise or consistent ways of defining particular subgroups of the English learner population. In future research, more standard terms and definitions will be needed to refer to segments of this population to facilitate the accumulation of reliable, valid, and more interpretable research findings.


It isn't as if Arunachal Pradesh is short of languages of its own. By conservative estimates, the people of the state speak 30 languages – though some experts insist that the state has 50 languages, in addition to several dialects. “The 26 tribes and the 256 sub-tribes [of the state] all have different languages,” Dey said. That diversity, ironically, is among the reasons for Hindi's popularity. Many of these languages are incomprehensible to members of other linguistic groups, so Hindi has emerged as a lingua franca.
The rise of Hindi as a second language has been supported by a combination of historical factors and the central government policies.
The state’s first sustained exposure to Hindi came during the 1962 Indo-China war. Indian soldiers, most of them from the Hindi belt, enlisted locals to carry food and ammunition. The porters’ use of Hindi slowly spread to their families and neighbours.
Since then, schools have become an important conduit for Hindi. Arunchal's schools follow the three-language formula laid down by the Centre, offering compulsory instruction in English, Hindi, and a third language. But no matter what medium students choose, Hindi is decidedly the choice language of conversation – even in English-medium schools, said Bodong Yirang, the director for elementary education in the Arunachal Pradesh department of education.
The growth of Hindi has served the state's economy well. “A lot of Marwaris and Biharis come here for business,” said Professor Tade Sangdo, assistant professor of History at the Arunachal Pradesh Rajiv Gandhi University. “That’s a big advantage for the people of Arunachal. And our people can easily speak with people outside.”
The enthusiasm with which the state has taken to Hindi is unique in the North East. Dey believes that Hindi has not become as prevalent in the rest of the region because people in most other North East states already have a common language in which they can communicate.
"In Tripura, three-fourths of the population is Bengali, so Bengali has become the medium of instruction, Dey said. “In Nagaland, for historical reasons, English is the common language.”
Despite Beijing's claims that parts of Arunchal Pradesh are actually part of its country, no one seems keen on learning the languages of the Middle Kingdom. Said Sangdo, "No one is speaking Chinese, only Hindi." Every person Scroll spoke to was clear on that point.
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Pediatric Occupational Therapy centers on supporting children to build fundamental skills to grow confidently into independent adults.
Occupational Therapists help children develop the ability to cope with challenges, and to use calming strategies to deal with frustration, defuse anger, and manage impulsivity in order to succeed at individual tasks and collaborative interactions at home, at school, and in the community.
Injuries, physical deficiencies, or mental impairments, such as visual or sensory processing disorders, can get in the way of a young person’s ability to complete basic tasks or progress through the cognitive or social development stages appropriately.
Here are some things that you might not have known about pediatric occupational therapy.
1) Children Gain Help Processing Information
As a child, being able to process information, retain it, and then accomplish the task at hand, builds self-esteem by leaps and bounds. Occupational Therapists help children overcome the challenges presented when they have difficulty with any of these skills. Processing disorders blocks certain aspects of a child’s mind from getting important messages to correctly interpret information. These challenges can make it hard for the child to behave appropriately, manage his or her anxiety, thrive at school, and navigate other obstacles
2) Children Can Master Foundational Abilities That Lay the Groundwork for Lifelong Skills
Children who have problems processing visual information would most likely benefit from seeing an occupational therapist. Children who have difficulties with their visual-motor abilities, visual memory, and processing things they see, could find later on that these hindrances might impact their writing, reading, math, and tracking skills. This could explain why they forget numbers and letters, have trouble putting numbers in order, and why they write letters backward.
3) Children Have Support in Learning How to Complete Activities That Take Them Through Their Own Day
Some children benefit greatly when they have the support of an Occupational Therapist to dedicate time and allow space for them to focus on the skills that they still need to develop. Activities of daily living are regular actions taken every day without requiring help. Examples of this are getting dressed or undressed, brushing teeth, or tying shoes. If a child needs extra help mastering these skills, an Occupational Therapist can help by focusing on exercises to build strength in areas that will help them reach the goals they are trying to accomplish.
4) Children Have Help Learning How to Cross-Brain Think
If a child is struggling with higher learning tasks such as reading and writing, an Occupational Therapist can evaluate physical movements and motor functions in order to see if there is a deficiency in cross-brain thinking. A child may be extremely athletic but can have an unrealized difficulty of “crossing the midline” which means they could have trouble reaching their right hand down to their left toes, or their left elbow down to their right knee and vice versa. Practice and help from an Occupational Therapist will help coordinate motor function and allow the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate (cross-brain thinking). By physically activating both sides of the brain and allowing them to work together, children are able to tap into higher learning concepts such as reading and writing.
5) Children Can Further Develop Their Hand-Eye Coordination Skills
Children that need to practice their coordination can come a long way if they are given the chance to receive the help they need. Dys Occupational therapy can be a great resource for improving their handwriting, social skills, visual perception, fine motor skill development, reading (tracking), and motor planning.
6) All Areas of a Young Person’s Occupational Development Can Be Enriched
Some children truly benefit from a little extra attention to their needs. Since a child’s occupation is to learn and play, occupational therapists focus on developing the right skills for school achievement, daily activities, and playing that corresponds with what’s suitable for the child’s age group.
In short, occupational therapy can serve many children, including infants who were born prematurely, children with ADHD, and those who have trouble with reading or writing. Overall, occupational therapy helps children tremendously when their sensory, physical, cognitive, and motor skills could use some extra attention. Since each of these tasks builds into their feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem, addressing these foundational areas is a great step to take.


The Great Leap Forward: The Political Economy of Education in Brazil, 1889-1930
Executive Summary — In 1890, with only 15 percent of the population literate, Brazil had the lowest literacy rate among the large economies in the Americas. Yet between 1890 and 1940, Brazil had the most rapid increase in literacy rates in the Americas, catching up with and even surpassing some of its more educated peers such as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. This jump in literacy was simultaneously accompanied by a brisk increase in the number of teachers, number of public schools, and enrollment rates. Why were political elites in Brazil willing to finance this expansion of public education for all? André Martínez-Fritscher of Banco de México, Aldo Musacchio of HBS, and Martina Viarengo of the London School of Economics explain how state governments secured funds to pay for education and examine the incentives of politicians to spend on education. They conclude that the progress made in education during these decades had mixed results in the long run. Key concepts include:
- Competition in national elections and a literacy requirement may have provided the right incentives for state political parties and state politicians to spend on education in a way that increased literacy rates in a significant way over the period studied.
- Brazil started from an extremely low base and ended in what today would be considered a low level of literacy as well (around 40 percent of the population).
- Between 1889 and 1930 there was significant progress in the provision of elementary education in Brazil. It was to a large extent a consequence of the fact that some states got more taxation powers and had the obligation to spend on public education.
- Positive trade shocks can be converted into long-term development if there is electoral competition, and economic assets are not concentrated in a few hands.
- Expenditures on education between 1889 and 1930 altered the development path of some states and changed their relative rankings compared to other states in a somewhat permanent way.
Brazil at the turn of the twentieth century offers an interesting puzzle. Among the large economies in the Americas it had the lowest level of literacy in 1890, but by 1940 the country had surpassed most of its peers in terms of literacy and had done a significant improvement of its education system. All of this happened in spite of the fact that the Constitution of 1891 included a literacy requirement to vote and gave states the responsibility to spend on education. That is to say, Brazilian states had a significant improvement in education levels and a significant increase in expenditures on education per capita despite having institutions that limited political participation for the masses (Lindert, 2004; Engerman, Mariscal and Sokoloff, 2009) and having one of the worst colonial institutional legacies of the Americas (Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robison, 2001; Easterly and Levine, 2003; and Engerman and Sokoloff, 1997, 2002). This paper explains how state governments got the funds to pay for education and examines the incentives that politicians had to spend on education between 1889 and 1930. Our findings are threefold. First, we show that the Constitution of 1891, which decentralized education and allowed states to collect export taxes to finance expenditures, rendered states with higher windfall tax revenues from the export of commodities to spend more on education per capita. Second, we prove that colonial institutions constrained the financing of education, but that nonetheless the net effect of the increase in commodity exports always led to a net increase in education expenditures. Finally, we argue that political competition after 1891 led politicians to spend on education, Since only literate adults could vote, we show that increases in expenditures (and increases in revenues from export taxes) led to increases in the number of voters at the state level. 65 pages.


When I was in college, I did this activity in my Art Education class. Part of teaching kids art is to teach the history behind the art. Therefore, this shaving cream paint lesson revolves around learning about impressionism. The great thing about painting with shaving cream is that you can build up some really great textures and teach your kids all about how texture can create great effects in art.
The first thing I did was a Google image search for impressionism. I let Abby (Kenzie was sick) point to the art pieces she wanted to look at. I talked briefly about what impressionism means and introduced artists as their work was chosen.
The next thing was to mix up the paint. You basically do shaving cream and acrylic craft or tempera paint. You want the paint to start out fairly vibrant. I gave the kids Popsicle sticks to mix up the paint. They loved that part.
Then, it’s time to paint. You can show different techniques with straight strokes, building up texture, swirling the paint or even using the popsicle sticks to make more texture.
By emphasizing texture, your kids are really learning vocabulary and new art skills. That is what is so cool about working with the shaving cream.
The results are as fun as the process.


Oct 07, · Health literacy challenges may impact older adults more than other age groups. 12 On average, adults age 65 and older have lower health literacy than adults under the age of 27 Low health literacy among older adults is associated with increased reports of poor physical functioning, pain, limitations of daily activities, poor mental health status 34, Use this alphabetical list of healthy aging topics to get more information on how to extend the healthy, active years of life.
The U.S. Department of Education collects and reports data adult literacy and numeracy skills. In , they published the only national data on health literacy skills. These studies found that adults who self-report the worst health also have the most limited literacy, numeracy, and health literacy skills. Aug 21, · The choices you make every day go a long way toward promoting adult health. It's equally important to pay attention to your signs and symptoms. Know which adult health warning signs merit medical attention. These might include unexplained weight loss, changes in bowel habits, shortness of breath and sudden headaches.
Abstract Many studies find a strong positive correlation between education and adult health. A subtler question is whether this correlation can be interpreted as a causal xhuster.xyz by: 3. May 29, · An effective health education curriculum has the following characteristics, according to reviews of effective programs and curricula and experts in the field of health education Focuses on clear health goals and related behavioral outcomes. Is research-based and theory-driven. Addresses individual values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Risky Mistakes Pet Owners Make. Some of these might surprise you. Mar 28, · CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion works to improve health for adults by: Helping smokers quit and promoting smokefree public spaces. Increasing access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities. Promoting lifestyle change and disease self-management programs. Promoting women’s reproductive.


Using multimodal texts for assessing pupils' progress in reading
- Every picture tells a story. Sanderson, Rob // English 4--11;Spring2011, Issue 41, p16
The article looks into the use of the wordless picture book "The Chicken Thief," by Beatrice Rodriguez in the classroom. It provides an overview of the story and outlines the characters and their qualities in the story. It offers information on the ways to use the book, the representation of the...
- GRADE 2 Reading Skills Practice Test. // Scholastic News -- Edition 2;Mar2004, Vol. 60 Issue 6, p1
Presents a reading skills practice test for school children.
- Students blame teachers over low test scores. // New York Amsterdam News;10/23/2003, Vol. 94 Issue 43, p20
This month, children in first through third grades are taking a literacy test in New York City. Last year, 61 percent of third-graders to eighth-graders failed the statewide reading test. One of the students says her teacher does not care about that test. Another student says it is not fair to...
- Multicultural Primers for Today's Children. Whipple, Gertrude // Education Digest;Feb1964, Vol. 29 Issue 6, p26
This article reports that in 1962, the Detroit City Schools Reading Program introduced three pre-primers illustrated with multi-racial characters, prepared with the culturally-deprived child in mind. The books had several unique characteristics. From the very beginning, story characters in the...
- Phonics reading check failed by four out of 10 pupils. // School Leadership Today;2012, Vol. 4 Issue 4, p6
The article reports on a phonics reading test among the school children in Great Britain which depicted lower rate of passing of children at the test signifying the help of teachers needed in enhancing the reading skill.
- NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND? // Parenting School Years;Feb2009, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p106
The article reports that 70% of fourth-graders in the U.S. have reading skills below grade level.
- LEMBRANÃ‡A REVELADORA: A PSICANÃLISE NO TEXTO LITERÃRIO. de MAGALHÃES FILHO, José Soares // Revista Memento;jan-jul2012, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p172
Psychoanalysis as a resource for reading is the subject that leads this text. It takes a look at some basis of the psychoanalysis and Freud's attention given to literature as a source for clinical cases' studies and for structuring of psychoanalytic concepts. It investigates the similarities...
- Bringing picture books alive. Hingst, Lisa; Rayner, Gwen // Educating Young Children: Learning & Teaching in the Early Child;Spring2013, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p32
The article discusses the concept of bringing picture books alive which is about sharing quality picture books with children in an entertaining and interactive way. The author reflects on the importance of reading books and telling stories to enhance literacy development and cultivate...
- Headteachers don't trust primary literacy tests, claims expert. Marshall, Michael // Education (14637073);11/25/2005, Issue 201, p2
Reports on the claims of Sir Cyril Taylor, chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, that headteachers are skeptical about 11-year-olds' reading skills even if they reach the expected levels in England. Information on the voucher system proposed by Taylor.


By Casey Farrington, Communications Intern
According to an American University study, 63 percent of girls have never even thought about running for political office. I can’t help but think that if high school history texts featured Shirley Chisholm’s story a little more prominently, the number of girls who have thought about running for office would be a lot higher.
Chisholm was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Barbados. She came back to the US to earn her BA and a Master’s in elementary education. Following about ten years in that field, Chisholm ran for local office, and in 1968 she became the first black woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Then she ran for president.
As both the first African American candidate and the first female candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Chisholm was scoffed at and threatened, but she knew that the scope of her campaign was bigger than just one woman from Brooklyn.
Her historic run expanded what people in the U.S. thought possible.
She opened the door for the 2007 primary season, when both a woman and a black man were serious contenders for the Democratic Presidential nomination. She ran the first length of the relay that Barack Obama finally finished in 2008, when he became the first African American to win the White House.
Luckily Chisholm’s place in history became a little more prominent this month, when the USPS memorialized the orange blazer-clad stateswoman on her very own stamp.
And if that weren’t enough, they made this video that describes her impact better than I could hope to:
Clinton and Obama aren’t the only ones beholden to Chisholm’s legacy. NOW is, too. She refused to let what society dictated women should do stand in the way of what needed to be done. In this spirit, Chisholm helped found the National Organization for Women in 1966. Her life provided a new model of femininity and NOW provided a new path to achieve it.
Here’s to more stamps honoring amazing women. The more we remember women like Chisholm, the more women like Chisholm there can be.


Language Explorers is a fun and engaging intercultural education initiative focused on language as a tool to explore diversity and identity in the classroom.
– Training on linguistic diversity, EAL and intercultural education for teachers and early childhood educators (currently delivered online)
– Language Explorers workshops in early years settings and primary school classes, bringing multilingual artists, musicians, storytellers and architects into the classroom (we are able to deliver these virtually, too, so please get in touch if you are interested!)
Since establishing the programme, more than 2000 children have taken part in workshops in primary schools, libraries and at public events such as Africa Day, Probe and Kaleidoscope Festival.
But I don’t speak any foreign language!
Every activity is an exploration in how language works, so anyone can get stuck into our games, riddles and creative activities. We don’t teach foreign languages, but we combine our experience with the knowledge and creativity of the children to examine similarities and differences between sounds, words and ways people communicate.
Why do we need more languages anyway? Can’t we just get on with English and Irish?
Our society is becoming increasingly multilingual and more and more children are growing up speaking at least two languages.
Language Explorers allows those children to make use of all the languages they know, even if they only know a few words. Our approach is based on the discovery of how language works, what patterns are common across languages and how language can help us to learn more about others.
These are essential elements for the development of language awareness, which is an essential milestone in literacy development throughout the school cycle.
Learning to understand that there are many languages spoken in Ireland and that each one of them has an important role in other people’s life is also a key to foster intercultural dialogue and to learn to respect and value diversity.
Who we are
Francesca La Morgia
Charlotte worked for 10 years as a speech and language therapist in France, mainly with children and especially in the disability area.
She believes that an emotional connection between children and their heritage language is the best way to bring them on the bilingualism path.
Elena loves giving shape to interesting ideas. She is behind the creative side of Mother Tongues. She has put together the Language Explorers activity book in 2018 and is designing the new activities for the LE programme. Elena has also designed this website.
Aga studied languages and communication in Poland and Germany before moving to Ireland, where she works as a Polish teacher at supplementary schools and runs a blog on the maintenance of the Polish language in the context of migration.


A Painful Separation
Nine-year-old Saoudata has had to make a sacrifice that no little girl should.
She’s had to evacuate Sévaré without her mother and her 2-year-old brother. The only reason that they were left behind was because her mother, Habibatou, was short on bus fare by twelve dollars.
“She has to put her children first, that is what mothers do,” said her Aunt Zachery.
Saoudata and her siblings will be living with their Aunt Zachery and Uncle Ahmed.
It’s the second time they were uprooted because of the conflict in Mali. Last year, when fighting broke out in the historic north Malian city, they fled to Sévaré because they thought it would be safe. Now they're relocating to Ségou, the regional capital in central Mali, where there is a large army and government presence.
Ségou is bustling with activity seemingly oblivious to the fighting which is occurring north and west of the town. There had been a tense moment 100 miles from Ségou when the armed insurgents crossed the border from Mauritania and seized Diabaly. The tension had been noticeable in the town, but the following day everything had returned back to normal.
In the midst of life, Saoudata is visibly unhappy.
“I miss my mother. I miss my little brother. I wish we were together in our family home. I wish that everything would become normal again so that we could return home.”
Saoudata also misses school and her friends and this is an area where Plan International can help. Since the beginning of the conflict, Plan International has been busy helping hundreds of displaced children find temporary schools where they can take catch-up classes and make-up exams.
Since the beginning of the crisis in Mali, hundreds of children have been denied their right to receive an education. According to education officials 300,000 students have been out of school and half of these students are girls.
Despite efforts over the last decade by the Malian government to improve girls’ education, ingrained cultural practices such as early marriage and the general perception that a “woman’s place is at home” has made these efforts difficult.
“I wanted to become a doctor but since we left home in Timbuktu, I don’t think I will be able to go back to school. I hear my family talking about finding me a husband as soon as possible. That’s not what I want,” confides a 14-year-old Aicha to Plan.
Her friend Fatoumata is enrolled in Plan’s Sido-Sinokoura Primary School in Ségou. She has also received a school kit to help her get started with her studies.
As part of this program, Fatoumata benefits from catch-up classes and regularly attends the Children Friendly Spaces (CFS) for extra-curricular activities.
“These catch-up classes and CFS are just great. Over the past few months, I have seen many displaced children with poor literacy and numeracy skills come to Ségou and excel beyond their age group,” explains Aminata Samaké, head of the Fondation Education Communautaire pour le Développement (FECD), a local NGO which works with Plan Mali in Ségou.
Fatoumata is adjusting to her new school, but she says that her life as an internally displaced person has “downgraded her lifestyle."
“At home, I used to go to the movies and hang out with my friends. In Ségou, I don’t know anyone.”
No one knows when the conflict will end or when Fatoumata and the others will be able to return home. In the meantime, they will have to make new friends and start new lives.


The further they advance through the adult curriculum, the more students recognize how their skills connect and transfer. They also recognize how skills and knowledge are cumulative, laying foundations for and building upon one another. All of their adult education curricula could qualify as “business skills development,” because students’ acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills empowers their workplace advancement. At the curriculum’s more advanced levels, however, the curriculum focuses more and more on language and mathematics skills specifically required in business. For example, business skills development courses focus on reading, analyzing, interpreting, and responding to business texts. Writing for business stands as its own discourse domain, different and distinct from all others, so that business skills development works only with business discourse. Similarly, at its higher levels, business skills development focuses on all the mathematical operations shown on spreadsheets, and it emphasizes analysis of and inference from statistics.


This one's for you, Alexandra.
I'm feeling compelled to add to the case for art in schools and make another plea that as budgets are slashed this spring, funding for the arts in schools is preserved.
Several of my arguments have been made before, although I will review them; then I've got an addition to make to the case.
A Historical Justification
Let me start with some amazing scientific facts that justify our ancestral right to art, because long before we were building cities, writing, or taking tests, humans were painting, dancing, and playing music. Paleontologists have found evidence that as far back as 100,000 years, human beings were painting. The oldest evidence of humans making music dates back 35,000 years-carved flutes have been found in caves in Europe.
All around the world, for tens of thousands of years, humans (including kids) have expressed themselves in a variety of ways, for a variety of reasons. How can we think of removing such a mode of expression from the place where children spend half their lives?
For a meditative, surreal experience on the role of art for ancient and modern people, watch Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog about the Chauvet Cave in southern France. It might transform the way you think about art and human beings.
Present Day Justification
Into the modern day and our schools. Let me review the points that many have made before:
- Art education brings communities together and offers a language that transcends race, language, age, and ability.
- The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution, that there are many ways to see and interpret the world, and that the limits of language do not define the limits of our cognition.
- Teaching anything through music/lyrics helps kids remember (think of the ABC song); music helps children in math, language development, and to manage their emotions.
- The arts help children find other ways of expressing their thoughts and feelings beyond the traditional.
The arts as their own curriculum, integrated into core subjects, and infused in a school, contribute to all aspects of learning. They make a place feel good. They bring beauty.
Here's another reason why we need the arts in schools: We need art educators. Having worked with handfuls of art educators, (and full disclosure: I am married to one) I am prepared to stand by an assertion that they are a unique breed essential to the success of any school, particularly those attempting to transform education. They are the ones who see ways of solving problems that others don't, who look at what we have to work with -- the materials, the personnel, the space -- and enthusiastically suggest combinations that others had never considered. They are the ones snapping the camera left and right, documenting the process of transformation that we're attempting in our education system.
They are the first to take the standardized curriculum and find the fissures where art can be inserted and where learning can be brought to life. They are the ones reminding those of us who can get too heavy and serious in this work to play and cover our hands in paste, clay, papier maché.
Art educators can run on the eccentric side or sometimes they're a little disorganized, but then they say something that spins a whole new angle on a kid, a moment, or a problem. As we tackle the overwhelmingly complex problem of figuring out how to save our public schools, I might just be convinced that we won't be able to do it without the help of art educators.
Alexandra in Costa Rica, 2003.
This weekend, on February 11, the world lost a remarkable arts educator, Alexandra Kulka-Wells, to breast cancer. Alexandra was a founding teacher at ASCEND, the small Oakland Public School where I also taught. There she taught kindergarten and first grade, integrating art into every standard. Her infectious energy and laughter knit our little community together in those first challenging years of building a new school. She went on to get her Master's in art education and work with several other Oakland schools, supporting teachers, parents and students to discover how art could help them experience learning in a different way. She was also a photographer and painter. In her 38 years on this planet, Alexandra touched the lives of thousands and will be deeply missed but always remembered.


A recent study among 3- to 7-year-old children showed that children's motor skills benefitted if a child was older and participated in organized sports. Additionally, the study provided information about the importance of temperament traits for motor skills.
More specifically, traits such as activity and attention span persistence were found to be positively associated with motor skills. This was a rather novel result, as the association between motor skills and temperament during early childhood is not yet widely understood.
In essence, motor skills comprise locomotor, ball and balance skills, all of which are present in everyday life tasks like running, climbing, throwing and drawing.
Adequate motor skills enable participation in typical games and types of playing for different ages and developmental phases, for example, in tag, running and ball games.
"Even though motor skills develop as a function of age, skill development still needs to be stimulated consciously," says Donna Niemistö, a PhD student from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä. "Motor skills do not develop without practising, thus skills need reinforcement through repetition of the skills.
Motor skill development is greatly supported when the child is moving in multiple ways. In a current study we found more evidence that participation in organised sports can be useful to gain more opportunities to practise and repeat essential movements."
Temperament and its traits refer to a child's biological and individual characteristics, such as the biological way of reacting to one's surroundings.
Temperament is rather stable over time. To date, there have been only a handful of studies concerning young children's motor skills and temperament traits, even though in older age groups, more research is already available.
"Children who tend to have an active type of temperament, as well as children who show persistency when faced with challenges can be motivated and persistent in learning and rehearsing motor tasks. Therefore, these findings were expected and logical."
"A child with an active temperament can react more rapidly. Consequently, the child will get more opportunities to move along with increased repetitions. Without noticing, the child will also gain more opportunities to perform motor tasks."
Additionally, the capacity to maintain attention is equally important for skill acquisition.
"To learn new skills, one must be able to concentrate and maintain focus even though the skill may, at first, feel challenging or even difficult," continues Niemistö.
Both temperament traits can influence the development of motor skills. Therefore, it is important that parents as well as early educators and teachers are aware of these individual factors in case they want to encourage and support their children's motor skill development.
"For example, there is no need to emphasize for an active child to be more active," Niemistö explains. "However, with an active child, a parent could guide the child to maintain focus and attention, despite possible distractions in the surroundings."
Motor skills were assessed with two internationally well-known measurements. The first assessment tool measured the locomotor and ball skills and the second one the balance and coordination skills of the child. As the chosen assessment tools measured divergent aspects of motor development, differences between associated factors related to motor skills were also found.
The development of balance and coordination skills was better in those children who were described as more emotionally regulated. On the other hand, locomotor skills were better in children whose parents had higher educational level and the development of ball skills benefitted if children had free access to sport facilities in nearby surroundings."
Donna Niemisto, PhD., Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla
Niemisto, D., et al. (2020) Individual, family and environmental correlates of motor competence in young children: Regression model analysis of data obtained from two motor tests. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16432-0.


| WV K-12 Education Job-Bank
|| Open |
|LPN - Aide|
|RN - School Nurse|
1. Successful experience in teaching children to read and write.
2. Comprehensive knowledge about the content and methodology of literacy instruction in the areas of: phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, writing, and motivation to read.
3. Knowledge of the Support for Personalized Learning (SPL) Model.
4. Knowledge of the Common Core State Standards (Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives of WV) for English/Language Arts.
5. Experience in assessing student skills and knowledge in reading and writing, using a variety of formal and informal assessment tools.
6. Knowledge of and experience with using assessment results to guide instruction.
7. Knowledge of theory and practice of teaching writing as a process and product.
8. Experience and personal characteristics that predict success in working with and coaching professionals with varying levels of responsibility for literacy education and knowledge of literacy instruction.
1. Assume a leadership role in improving children’s chances for achieving their maximum literacy potential.
2. Work cooperatively with teachers and administrators.
3. Provide leadership in the development of literacy initiatives.
4. Research and develop strategies/plans for overcoming identified deficiencies.
5. Have a proactive orientation to resolving conflicts and problems.
6. Provide coaching/mentoring for teachers and administrators in the implementation of literacy initiatives to include: formal and informal discussions, coaching sessions, demonstration lessons with pre- and post- discussion/analysis, study groups, staff meetings, training sessions, and workshops.
7. Provide oversight and coordination of literacy screenings and assessments.
8. Collect and disseminate literacy assessment/screening results to appropriate personnel.
9. Maintain confidentiality of assessment results and personnel issues.
10. Design, coordinate, lead, and oversee professional development activities in the area of literacy.
11. Provide content knowledge and resources about teaching and learning literacy in the areas of: instructional strategies, assessment, interpretation of assessment results, classroom management, and practices that promote literacy.
12. Observe/monitor classroom instruction to ensure literacy plan is being implemented appropriately.
13. Participate in parent involvement activities.
14. Adhere to policies and procedures of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Barbour County Board of Education.
15. Assist educators in implementing the West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives in the area of literacy.
16. Utilize research, best practices, and assessment data to assist teachers and administrators in making informed choices about curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials.
17. Ask for help and resources when needed.
18. Maintain paperwork and other documentation consistently, appropriately, and in a timely manner.
19. Collect and maintain documentation of trainings.
20. Disseminate assessment results to appropriate personnel.
21. Provide assessment trend data to appropriate personnel.
22. Exemplify collegial behavior and commitment to teamwork.
23. Keep abreast of current research-based literacy practices.
24. Obtain prior approval from your immediate supervisor before distributing written communication and other media.
25. Other duties as assigned.
Reports to: RESA 7 Executive Director or designee
Job Location or School Name
RESA 7-Philippi Elementary School
Valid West Virginia Certificate Endorsed in Elementary Education
Masters Degree in Reading
Out of county applicants must successfully interview
Daily Rate as per Title I 1003(a) grant.
Employment Term – 80 Days for the 2013/2014 school year as scheduled by Director and/or Principal.
Application Deadline: August 5, 2013 by 4:00 pm
Send letter of application and resume to:
Director of Special Education
1201 N 15th Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
County Contact Email
Please note that jobs are posted by the county offices, not by the WVDE, and that participation is voluntary. If you are looking for jobs for a specific county or counties, check with their central office to make sure that they are participating.
View information about the teaching profession on our statewide recruitment website.


Exploring and expanding upon current understandings of early childhood music education, this book provides a much-needed response to the rapid social, cultural and technological developments affecting children’s experience of music today.
Critical New Perspectives in Early Childhood Music returns to the core question of how children engage, participate and learn through music, and how we are to best harness musical resources to their benefit. Chapters move beyond conservative or traditional models of practice and draw upon new and emerging insights from the fields of childhood studies, neuroscience, psychology and sociology. In-depth analysis of research and real examples from practice illustrate the strengths and possible shortcomings of each approach and acknowledge the diverse impacts of digitisation, increased child autonomy, intensive parenting practices, and cultural and economic diversity on the child’s experience of music.
An invaluable theoretical overview of current thinking in relation to contemporary musical childhoods, this book will support and challenge students and early childhood music educators as they rethink practice for the present day.


Welcome to your classroom literacy web resource. Within these
pages, you'll find easy access to a wide assortment of literacy ideas customized
for classroom teachers of students with special needs. I've tried to keep
the links on this page particular to this audience, but you will also find
many other relevant literacy resources by visiting the Teachers
homepage or by selecting a particular grade level from the left sidebar.
Special Education Organizations and Websites
- American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association (ASHA) supports
those in contact with learners who have speech, language, and/or hearing
- CAST: Center for Applied
Special Technology is a not-for-profit organization
that uses technology and the concept of universal design to expand opportunities
for all people, including those with disabilities. Some very impressive
work is being done by this organization.
- ERIC Clearinghouse on
Disabilities and Gifted Education includes
research articles, principles for learning to read, and tips for parents
- KidSource has
a wealth of information related to the learning needs and health of
children. Some of its features for special needs learners include
to Literacy Outreach Program provides training
and some online resources which describe their efforts to assist early
childhood and early childhood special education staff, related services
personnel and families in supporting the early literacy development
of young children with disabilities.
- Learning Disabilites
Information and Resources (LDOnLine) is an
interactive learning guide for parents, teachers and other professionals.
is a forum for students to share artwork, writing, opinions and more.
A unique resource is A
Student's Guide to the IEP and a version with audio
Products for Special Needs and Education If
its materials you're looking for, you'll find it here!
Center to Improve Practice in Special Education through Technology,
Media and Materials (NCIP) is a great resource
for best practices and classroom integration experiences.
of Special Education Programs (OSEP) gives
you lots of resources about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act) and more.
Special Education Teacher's Message Board is a place to read, share,
ask questions or post your own comments with special needs teachers
across the country.
Down Syndrome Parent Support Group from southeastern
Illinois provides a wealth of informative articles. Clicking on the
literacy folder in the left menu will link you to several articles about
instruction in reading, communication and writing for children with
Education News provides in-depth, timely news related to educating
students with disabilities. State by state resources, family support,
and much more make this an excellent website to visit.
Education Resources is a nice short list of
related links provided by the African Digital Library.
- TextHelp for language
and literacy learning provides unique software
tools and electronic interfaces that enhance the literacy learning opportunities
of those with special needs.
- Wrightslaw: Special
Education Law links parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys
to accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children
with disabilities. The sitemap
will help you get started and there's even an online Special
Education Advocate newsletter.
Relevant Online Documents and Resources
This page last updated May, 2007.


Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
I recently had an interesting conversation with two other art educators
about how art teachers go about determining "what to teach" in their
classrooms. We all agreed that there's so much to teach today about
art/through art, that's its really difficult to decide on "what's really
worth teaching?" Just looking at the variety of topics that have arisen
on this list over the past few years demonstrates this point.
So, I thought I'd pose a few questions here to see what kinds of responses
they might stir up:
1. How do you determine what to teach in your classroom?
2. If you could teach only 3 things (ideas/concepts) to kids in a year,
what would those be?
3. What are the "essential" ideas worth teaching/knowing in art?
While you may respond to any of these questions, I'm particularly
interested in your ideas on the third item. If you look up the word
"essential" in the dictionary, you'll find definitions like: "necessary to
the existence of a thing," "most important," and "constituting the essence
of something." The other way of thinking about this is "What are the BIG
ideas in art?" These "big" ideas are not specific to a particular artist
or work....they enable us to understand something about "Art" in general.
Art comes in many forms and is made for many purposes.
Art makes us look at our world in new and different ways.
Artists today are constantly reinventing art.
I have more of these, but I'm curious as to what others think are the "BIG
ideas" in Art.
Praying for lots of rain in Florida,
CRAIG ROLAND. Associate Professor-Art Education.
Department of Art, FAC 302, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida.
32611-5801. (352) 392-9165 - Art Ed Office (352) 392-8453 - Fax
new email address: rolandc


Art Education for Young People
In our Look and See program, a year-long study of visual art, 4th through 8th grade students, as well as their teachers, will learn to experience the meaning in works of art as they are introduced to our unique, objective method of art appreciation.
Classes typically meet once a week and de Mazia instructors work closely with classroom teachers to plan, develop, and adjust the programming and course schedule to meet the needs of their students.
Our art appreciation program for children will offer students the tools to begin to answer questions such as: What is art? Is a painting a recreation of reality, or is it something else? How can students have their own interpretations of art, and yet still agree as a group as to what they are seeing?
Our intention is to incorporate visual understanding along with their other primary learning skills. Our hope is that learning visual language at a decisive point in the educational life will allow them to objectively see the world with a deeper appreciation. Students never look at their world the same way again!
Click here to view our Look and See course locations.
“Students have had the opportunity to learn the language of color while increasing their vocabulary. The artistic lens is beginning to develop. They are using critical thinking skills while comparing and contrasting. This is in direct alignment to the PA State standards.”
— Geraldine Fitzpatrick-Doria
Principal, BB Comegys Elementary School
Many of our classes for 4 -8th grade students are offered free of charge through the de Mazia Foundation's community outreach.
Click here to download information about how we can design a program for your school or organization.
The Violette de Mazia Foundation receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.


In this seventh episode we discuss how music technology can play a role in the general music classroom with Abbie Van Klompenberg, an outstanding music educator here in the Phoenix area. We discuss different pedagogical techniques she has used in her program, ways to develop lessons with technology, and strategies for getting started. Lots of great information from a great teacher.
About Abbie Van KlompenbergAbigail Van Klompenberg is a K-8 General Music and Choral teacher in the Littleton Elementary School District No. 65 (Avondale, Arizona). She earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Western Michigan University and her Master’s in Music Education from Arizona State University. Upon graduation from ASU, she was named Outstanding Graduate Student from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts for her accomplishment in the field of music education.
In 2010, Mrs. Van Klompenberg authored and won the Wallace A. Denehy grant, providing funds to create a digital music and composition lab in her elementary general music classroom. Mrs. Van Klompenberg has presented at the local, state, and national level including the 2012 Arizona Music Education Association’s Conference and the 2011 Mountain Lake Colloquium for teachers of general music methods. Other academic interests include creativity through composition, integration of popular music and popular culture into the music classroom, and project-based learning.
You can follow Abigail on Twitter @namelesstweet.


COLUMBIA – As public schools nationwide cut funding for art programs, museums in Columbia are providing opportunities for children to foster art appreciation and comprehension.
A solution to the decline in funding for the arts is to increase the access kids have to art. Kathy Unrath, assistant professor of art education at MU and author of the article "Bringing Children to Art – Bringing Art to Children," encourages her education students to do both. As a part of the certification process, Unrath's students do exactly this when spending a semester in an art class at Lee Elementary School.
"Part of the requirement is that (my art education students) bring Lee students to look at art," Unrath said.
In addition to bringing kids to art at museums, pre-service education students also develop portable museums to bring art to the kids at Lee. These portable museums are collections of art with a certain theme, such as optics. They are often created on a triptych board and designed to lure and retain children's attention.
In the classroom, Lee students are able to incorporate their art studies with both history and geography. This week alone, "two second-grade classes went to Africa with a globe and Langston Hughes' poetry, traveled across the ocean to North America, time-traveled through the civil war to the Harlem renaissance and saw how Picasso was influenced by African pattern," said Ann Mehr, an art teacher at Lee.
Families with children at other local schools can still benefit from MU Art Education programs that use museums as a means to teach art.
One program is Tiger Artists, a Saturday school that makes its students "mini-MU tigers." The program begins in a classroom in the education building at MU and then moves to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, where students can view pieces up close.
"I think it's absolutely important, philosophically, that students get to view the work of art in person," Unrath said.
Tiger Artists, which just finished its fifth year, is offered each fall and is open to 20 students on a first-come, first-served basis.
Even without a specialized program, museums can be a supplement for art education. Children, as well as their adult guides, can find something to appreciate in museum exhibits.
"(The kids) tell you things they see that you can't even imagine," said Cathy Callaway, who often works with kids at the Museum of Art and Archaeology. "I look at something differently because of the way they describe and relate to (the piece)."


...the children of the Baby Boom generation have set off a population
explosion in the nation's schools? The dramatic enrollment growth, known
as the Baby Boom Echo, began in the nation's elementary schools in 1984,
and elementary enrollment has increased annually since then. At the
secondary level, annual enrollment increases began in 1991 and are
expected to continue through the year 2007.
(Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement)
Classical Music's Traditional Audience Is Graying. By the year 2030, approximately half of our nation's population will be over 65 years of age. Music educators have the power to make Classical music matter again to young people.
(Source: Chamber Music, February 1998; a publication of Chamber Music America)
Music Students Are Scoring. Music students are outperforming non-music students on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). College-bound seniors with coursework or experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.
(Source: The College Board, September 1997)
Music Is Beating Computers at Enhancing Early Childhood Development. Music training, specifically piano instruction, is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term enhancement of spatial- temporal reasoning.
(Source: Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 1997)
Music Enhances Linguistic Skills. Music -- specifically song -- is one of the best training grounds for babies learning to recognize the tones that add up to spoken language.
(Source: Sandra Trehub, University of Toronto, 1997)
America Is A Country Full Of Music-Makers. 113 million, or 53%, of Americans over the age of 12 are current or former music makers.
(Source: 1997 "American Attitudes Towards Music" poll conducted by the Gallup Organization)
Americans Say Schools Should Offer Instrumental Music Instruction as part of the regular curriculum. 88% of respondents indicated this in a 1997 "American Attitudes Towards Music" Gallup poll.
(Source: Music Trades, September 1997)
Scientists, Therapists Agree: Music Heals More Than Just The Spirit. Music benefits older adults. Active music-making positively affects the biology and behavior of Alzheimer's patients.
(Source: Music Making and Wellness Project, a study conduc
ted at the University of Miami)
The Window Of Opportunity For Studying Music is between the ages of three and ten. This is the time when we are the most receptive to and able to process music.
(Source: Newsweek, February 19, 1996)
Studying Music Strengthens Students' Academic Performance. Rhode Island studies have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children's performance in readi
ng and math.
(Source: "Learning Improved by Arts Training" by Martin Gardiner, Alan Fox, Faith Knowles, and Donna Jeffrey, Nature, May 23, 1996)
Music and Spatial Task Performance: A Causal Relationship. Music lessons, and even simply listening to music, can enhance spatial reasoning performance, a critical higher-brain function necessary to perform complex tasks including mathematics.
(Source: Frances Fauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 1994)
The Mozart Effect surfaced about four years ago when research uncovered that adults who listened to music of complexity for ten minutes or so experienced temporary increases in their spatial IQ scores.
(Source: Frances Rauscher, Ph.D.,Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine,1993-1994)
Music Is One of Our Greatest Economic Exports. "The arts are an economic plus -- second only to aerospace as our most lucrative national export."
(Source: Michael Greene of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)
Music Teacher Expertise is a Critical Factor in Student Learning. Research indicates that teachers of all subjects -- including music -- who are more experienced and educated are more effective in the classroom. Consequently, students learn more from them.
(Source: Paying for Public Education: New Evidence on How and Why Money Matters, by Ronald Ferguson, 1991)
"Reprinted with permission of MENC:
Association for Music Education"


The Reading Train is more than just an app, it is a personalized reading tutor. Read all about our exciting features below.
Based on Libby Curran's award-winning books, The Reading Train offers a huge collection of stories and books on the alphabet, numbers, colors, animals, and math, with new books added monthly. The Reading Train does more than teach kids how to read, it helps them learn about the world and gain the foundational skills to succeed later in school. Sign up below to learn more about what we are doing in the future.
After reading a book, The Reading Train generates a unique set of quiz questions presented as the Train Game that assess children's understanding of what they just read. The quiz includes spelling, sentence completion, word matching and reading comprehension in an absorbing game.
Each level of books has a carefully calibrated quiz that meets the unique needs of a student at that given level. As children continue through the collection, they acquire vocabulary, phonics skills and sight words to take them from beginning reading to reading independence.
Tap on any word to get a detailed explanation, including a definition and image, empowering children to read completely independently. On the parents' page, adults can view books read, overall scores and scores broken down by book and question type. Question types include matching, sentences, spelling and comprehension. With an unlimited number of profiles allowed, teachers can share an iPad with all of the students in a class and monitor their individual progress.
Our audio dictionary, with illustrations and audio definitions provides kids with the opportunity to learn more about the words they are reading with a simple definition that is read aloud when tapped.
Besides a FREE, powerful dictionary, we offer kids access to a large collection of song books. For every book read, children earn coins that they can spend in the music store. They can listen to songs and even record themselves singing along. New books and songs will be added every month.
“The Reading Train is the best early reading app I have even seen. It is the first literacy app for young children that teaches them through real reading, instead of by drilling isolated skills. With a wealth of leveled books, a comprehensive dictionary and a wonderful game to extend the learning, as well as detailed progress reports, it's like having an individual reading coach for every child."” Irwin Sussman, Superintendent of Newport School District, New Hampshire
"This is a brilliant app. It opens up the world of reading for even the most reluctant readers.” -Kris Kidder, First Grade teacher
“The Reading Train makes me so smart” - A Satisfied User


Races is a sequential memory subtest (i.e. in which items have to be remembered in the correct order). It correlates significantly with later literacy development. The correlation of Races given at age 5 with BAS Word Reading at 6:6 was 0.50, with Macmillan Individual Reading Analysis (MIRA) at 6:6 was 0.58, with Edinburgh Reading Test at 8:0 was 0.52, and with BAS Spelling at 8:0 was 0.53. All were significant at the p<0.01 level. For further information on the statistical evidence see Singleton, Thomas and Leedale (1996) and Singleton, Thomas and Horne (2000).


Private music instructors teach students in a one-on-one setting, providing instruction in technique, performance, music notation, and more. Most specialize in one or two specific instruments.
Also called: Private Lesson Teacher, Studio Teacher
What does a Private Music Instructor do?
Private music instructors, who usually specialize in an instrument or class of instruments, work one-on-one with students to develop their instrumental technique, performance ability, and advanced skills such as notation, theory, improvisation, and auditioning. Many private music instructors are self-employed, and as such have great control over every aspect of their work, from the age range and skill level of their students to the musical styles and pedagogical methods employed.
An instructor who teaches beginners will typically develop their basic skills—scales and chords, proper fingerings and posture, etc.—and work on rudimentary pieces. On the other hand, instructors of advanced and professional musicians will focus on performance, repertoire, and preparing students for auditions, recitals, concerts, and exams.
Like all teachers, private music instructors spend plenty of time outside of lessons on related work, including maintaining or developing their own musical skills; studying new pedagogical methods; gathering materials relevant to their students' interests and stage of musical development; planning individual lessons; scheduling lessons; and managing the other administrative tasks associated with running a small business, such as marketing and finances.
Private Music Instructor at a Glance
There are no official educational requirements to establish oneself as a private music instructor, although degrees in music performance and education certainly help inspire confidence from potential clients and students. Private music instructors take varying paths in their careers; one might go to graduate school and work as a music professor before opening a private studio at an older age, while another might spend their early life as a professional musician before transitioning to education. Still others work for public schools, or specialize in a particular kind of music education, such as adaptive arts education, early childhood education, or vocal coaching.
The many private music instructors who are self-employed are responsible for recruiting their own students via advertising, networking, and word of mouth. They might also use techniques like distributing cards and flyers to music and instrument shops and offering discounts for referrals, or form professional partnerships with other teachers and receive students on recommendation. Private music instructors might also work for independent or chain music education companies. With time and experience, successful private instructors can attract talented students, charge more for lessons, and expand their business.
Reading and writing music notation
Knowledge of pedagogical methods and theories
Written and verbal communication
Successful private music instructors combine seemingly contradictory qualities: they are patient and demanding, impassioned and articulate, and able to simultaneously nurture their students and push them to do the hard work required to advance as an instrumentalist and blossom as a musician. It is important to remember that a terrific player doesn't necessarily make a great teacher. The best instructors are skilled communicators as well as deft instrumentalists, invested in their students' growth, and knowledgeable about pedagogy.
Most private teachers are independent contractors who set their own work schedules, rates, and work location. Most work out of a studio or their own homes, or travel to their students' homes. The workday generally takes the form of many individual lessons, each of which lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.
Private music instructors who work for music education companies have work lives similar to those of freelancers, but may lack the freedom to set their own schedule, rates, and location. In exchange, they're likely to have a more consistent paycheck, and don't have to spend as much time on administrative tasks like scheduling, marketing, and networking.


Black-eyed Susan (the black in the middle is the seeds)
The earliest flowers probably developed about 130 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period, as a way to attract newly evolved flying insects - mainly bees - and get them to help spread the plant's pollen far away from where the plant was growing, to make new plants. Bees and flowers seem to have evolved together; neither could live without the other.
Like earlier gymnosperms, flowering plants start with tiny seeds at the end of branch stems, in a swelled out part we call the ovule or ovary. The seeds rise up along a tube called the pistil and come out the end.
Daffodil with petals and pistil in the middle.
All around the sides of the ovary and pistil are the stamens, which evolved out of leaves. The stamens make pollen. When the pollen gets on the seeds, the seeds are fertilized and can produce a new flower. Some flowers, like wheat and other grasses, let their own pollen fertilize their own seeds, but more often flowers evolve so that bees carry their pollen to other flowers to increase genetic diversity. That makes for stronger, healthier flowers.
The first flowers relied on wind to move the pollen, and then on bees just happening to come by at the right time, but gradually some flowers evolved to encourage the bees to fly from flower to flower. These flowers evolved to make bee food - nectar. Flowers make nectar, which is basically sugar water, down at the bottom of the ovary, at the base of the petals. Some plants even may make drugs like caffeine or nicotine or opium in their nectar to get the bees to come. When bees fly down into the flower to get the nectar, they get pollen all over themselves, and then when they go to another flower to get more nectar, they rub the pollen off over there.
To let the bees know where to go, flowers also evolved bright, showy petals and strong smells. Petals, like stamens, evolved out of leaves. Some plants have simple petals that are just leaves without chloroplasts in them, so that they are red or yellow instead of green. Other plants have much fancier petals.
To find out more about flowers, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Science for Kids home page
History for Kids home page