I. Brief Background on Learning Disabilities
According to http://learningdisabilities.about.com, "Learning disabilities are neurological differences in processing information that severely limit a person's ability to learn in a specific skill area. Everyone has differences in learning abilities, but people with learning disabilities have severe problems that persist throughout their lives. Learning disabled people may have difficulty in school or on the job. These disabilities may also impact independent living and social relationships.
The types of Learning Disabilities listed here are the ones I found from http://learningdisabilities.about.com, www.medicalnewstoday.com and Manila Bulletin.
1. Learning Disabilities in Reading, Dyslexia
IDEA defines two main types of learning disabilities in reading.
a. Learning disabilities in basic reading skills involve the foundational skills required to understand the relationship between letters, sounds, and the words they represent.
b. Reading comprehension disabilities involve complex thinking skills such as understanding words, phrases and larger meanings of passages.
2. Dysgraphia and Learning Disabilities in Writing
Learning disabilities in basic writing skills include neurologically-based difficulty with producing written words and letters. Expressive writing disabilities may involve comprehending and organizing written thoughts on paper.
3. Learning Disabilities in Math, Dyscalculia
In the article "Stimulating Math Skills by Massie Santos Ballon she described
dyscalculia as a condition that can affect the ability to calculate, visualize or otherwise use numbers when speaking or writing.
In 2005, Ms. Queenee Lee Chua wrote an article under Philippine Inquirer Education entitled "Why is Math so Difficult?" and she said that experts believe that 5 to 8 percent of US schoolchildren may have dyscalculia. However, there are no Philippine figures for the past decade. At that time, Ms. Chua has handled 20 children whom she suspected to have some form of math learning disability but she insists that this is still a small fraction of children she has diagnosed. Ms. Chua reiterates that most students do not have any disability. They may either have attention-deficit, math-phobia or just plain unmotivated.
According to the British Dyslexia Association, somewhere between 3 to 6% of the population is affected by dyscalculia only.
4. Learning Disabilities in Language, Communication
There are several types of learning disabilities in language. Students with language based learning disabilities may have difficulty with understanding or producing spoken language, or both. Receptive language disorder is a type of learning disability affecting the ability to understand spoken, and sometimes written, language.
Dysphasia is an impairment of language ability. This class of language disorder ranges from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write.
5. Learning Disabilities in Motor Skills, Dyspraxia
Commonly known as the motor learning disability, A person with dyspraxia has problems with movement and coordination. It is also known as "motor learning disability". Somebody with dyspraxia finds it hard to carry out smooth and coordinated movements. Dyspraxia often comes with language problems, and sometimes a degree of difficulty with perception and thought. Dyspraxia does not affect a person's intelligence, but it can cause learning difficulties, especially for children.
6. Behavior Disorders with Learning Disabilities
Children with learning disabilities sometimes have behavioral problems. In some cases, problems with behavior may involve medical conditions such as attention deficit disorders. In other cases, behaviors may result from frustration with learning or learned because of environmental factors at school, home, or both.
Ballon, M.S. (2010) Stimulating Math Skills. Retrieved from
De Mesa, T. (2009) Don’t give up on your child with LD. Retrieved from
Lee-Chua, Q. (2005). Why is Math So Difficult. Retrieved from
Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from
Questions and Answers about Dyscalculia. Retrieved from
What is Dyspraxia. Retrieved from


Recently I read this great post for teachers by Deborah of Teach Preschool about a preschool craft project which looked cute but wasn’t really that much fun for the children to complete. In fact, the teacher ended up doing most of the preparation and assembly herself! Now as a teacher I can honestly say we all have those days when, for whatever reason, a project we think will be a hit is very clearly a miss. So what can we, as parents, learn from this? Well, I think we can learn to more closely examine the projects we choose to do with our own children to assess whether they are likely to work well. And to this end, here is a list of…
5 questions to ask yourself when considering an art or craft project for your child…
1. What is my motivation for choosing this project? Did I think it was cute or is this project likely to be of real interest to my child?
2. Will my child find this project fun and engaging?
3. How much of this project can my child do themselves?
4. Does this project allow my child to respond individually, to express themselves creatively? Will the result be unique to my child?
5. Is this project appropriate to the age of my child and their level of development? Is it challenging without being so far beyond their capability that they lose motivation?
If you answer the majority of these questions positively, then I believe you are much more likely to be choosing an activity which will be a hit with your child.
And next time you enter an early childhood learning space, look around and ask yourself, ‘Do the art and craft items I see displayed look like they were completed by the children? Is each one unique to each child or do they all look the same?’ Because when it comes to art and craft with young children, unique, individual and child focused are all good things to see 🙂
Is there anything else that you would add to my list?
For more about inspiring children through creativity, check out my award winning book – Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children.


IMPORTANCE OF FINE ARTS EDUCATION
A world where people are linked with circuits all the time everywhere fail to build emotions and humanly connections. Similarly the education offered today is entirely status oriented, people impart confidence to those who is a medical, a engineering or a civil service student but art is never encouraged as a passionate profession but only a means to soothe and refresh minds. But the tech-savvy world fails to realize the importance of art, studies have proven to enhance the intelligence and proficiency of students connected with art compared to the students lacking interest in art. Arts education partnership in 2002 reported that school children exposed to art are more proficient in reading, writing and math, similar reports have been revealed in the recent years.
Schools in this era are neglecting fine arts education in order to grow financially forward. Fine arts education has been proven to increase the academic intelligence and achievements, skill development, civic engagement, social relationships and the opportunities of the children participating in it, which are the skills that a nation wishes to develop among its youth.“When you think about the purposes of education, there are three,” Horne says. “We’re preparing kids for jobs. We’re preparing them to be citizens. And we’re teaching them to be human beings who can enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. The third is as important as the other two.” Fine arts education helps the children to embrace nature, observe their surrounding, builds emotions and confronts them with real life.
Fine arts education is a composition of strong emotional beliefs and a bond with canvas pencil and colors. The schools today pressure on test score and fine arts is considered less important compared to the academic subjects. Fine arts education can shape an individuals’ passion towards art and can also motivate and encourage him to paint his world with his passion. The institutions today offering are few and these few lack the quality education, structured classes or enthusiasm to transform an art dreamer into an art believer and follower.
The era where fine arts education faces a threat there still exist a ray of hope; one such hope is Pencil and Chai – Fine Arts Gurukul. A fine arts education hub entirely focused on building strong artistic passion within each art aspirant that reach out to them. Understanding the test score and responsibility pressures during the week days Pencil and Chai offers its art richness during the weekend. They offer uniquely structured art classes in realistic environments leaving behind the concrete walls and hugging the nature atmosphere. Pencil and Chai is encompassed of fine artists who striving hard to keep the fine art education alive in this competitive world. The love for colors and pencils are so strong and passionate that it is capable of healing any sorrow, strengths a human emotionally and create wonders. Leonardo Da Vinci, the name flashes a million colors and the masterpieces that connects with every human uniquely, that moment has made art victorious. Fine art education is a means to uplift, nurture and guide the young passionate art aspirants the right way , Pencil and Chai – Fine Arts Gurukul leads them to the road less travelled , the road travelled by the unique and the creative , a road which is full of successful milestone without any failure ends.
Check out our structured coursesTags: Bachelor Of Fine Arts Best Art Education In Bangalore Fine Art Fine Arts Fine Arts Education Painting Classes Realistic Art Education Sketching Classes Structured Fine Arts Classes


Why we do it?
– The fact that a child finds learning a rhyme easier with a tune than without is evidence of its nature to grasp notes in a melody more easily than words in a sentence.
– The fact that we clap our hands, tap our feet, scratch an itch, knock on the door and walk on the floor in rhythm is evidence of our nature to stay on a beat.
Music is an indispensable part of of us. It is our natural language and the fundamental code of communication and expression. We do not have to learn music to feel it because we are born with it. Ironically, while we do recognize the need to teach a language to establish a medium of instruction before teaching anything else, we see music as just entertainment despite studies proving that musical activities are total brain workouts that boost cognitive development especially during early childhood. According to Dr. Aniruddh Patel of Tufts University, music engages emotion, memory, learning, plasticity, attention, motor control, pattern perception, imagery and more. Simply put as German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously did, “Without music, life would be a mistake”.
Its scientifically proven potential notwithstanding, music has been inexplicably neglected by the education system in India for decades. As the emphasis of education curricula lies solely on knowledge accumulation at the expense of creative thinking, academic success for students hinges exclusively on their ability to memorize. With the task of imparting information taking precedence over learning, focus of the educators is neither on the learners nor on their individual capacities to learn. This situation gets exponentially worse as we move to the public schools where most of the children are from disadvantaged communities with no hope of any form of music education. It is critical that the education we provide focuses as much on the learners as it does on the lessons.
By using music to enhance cognition and creativity, we need to make children better learners well prepared to face the ever-growing challenges at school and elsewhere. Music educators have to collaborate with institutions to integrate music in the curricula. After all, music is our natural language. The education system must see it that way and celebrate it by helping students take advantage of it to improve their learning, expression, creativity, problem-solving and emotional development just to name a few. Quality music education is a birthright of every child. It is therefore in our hands and on our shoulders to help all children, especially the disadvantaged ones who cannot afford music lessons, reap the benefits of quality music education & exposure.
Pieces of music missing in curricula may well be the missing pieces needed to fix the puzzle of perfect education children truly deserve.
Hence, Project Missing Pieces – Search begins here.


Art helps children make connections with the world, teaching
them to better appreciate the experiences and points of view of
other people. Creative expression through the arts helps children
communicate their own observations and feelings, encouraging
sharing and self-expression.
Nurture the artist within your child by setting off to explore the
art treasures of Chicago. Take advantage of the amazing array of
free art classes, tours and more.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is host to Family Days, where every
second Saturday of the month, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., families can learn
about art through hands-on activities, scavenger hunts and more.
Admission is free for families with children 12 and under, and
activities are tailored for children of all ages. Upcoming themes
include I Heart Art on Feb. 13 and The Artist Studio on March 13.
Free daily tours are also offered Tuesdays at 1, 2 and 6 p.m.,
Wednesdays-Fridays at 1 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at noon, 1,
2 and 3 p.m. www.mcachicago.org.
Chicago's very own world-class art museum, The Art Institute of
Chicago, values and promotes art education for children through a
variety of free programs. The new Ryan Education Center, a
state-of-the-art facility, features five classrooms, three large
studios and a kid-friendly gift shop. Stop in to view a family
orientation video at the center to better guide your way throughout
Play with blocks and puzzles, play an interactive game,
participate in a drop-in art activity or storytelling hour or enjoy
quiet time with a book from the extensive children's library. Free
classes, from mini-master classes for the tot set (age 3-5) to teen
digital art studios, are sure to match the interests of the budding
young artists in your family. Check out the family programs
calendar at artic.edu for information on classes and family
Located within the University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus, the
Smart Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of more than
10,000 art objects, spanning five millennia of both Western and
Eastern civilizations. The Smart's small galleries and outdoor
sculpture garden are excellent spaces for children and adults to
explore art together. Check out the museum's Web site before you
go: Print gallery guides and play interactive games and activities,
including an art detective game and an interactive sketchbook. www/smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/education.
The National Museum of Mexican Art, located in Chicago's vibrant
Pilsen neighborhood, is the nation's largest Latino arts
institution. The museum presents the Mexican culture from ancient
times to the present, on both sides of the border, and offers great
family learning opportunities. Don't miss Kraft Family Sundays, a
free, year-round, hands-on program where you can create art with
Throughout the year, the museum's education department offers
Saturday morning or after-school art classes. Class themes may vary
by exhibition, medium or technique. In July, children will have an
opportunity to learn about diversity in the arts at the museum's
summer camp. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org.
The Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue offers free computer arts
workshops on everything from composing a song in Garage Band to
building a photo album for families with kids (age 6-9 and 10-13).
Concordia University has just launched a new online program to
introduce first- through eighth-graders to art history. Ten online
lesson packets for each grade level focus on higher level thinking
and cover artists from Rousseau to da Vinci. www.uchicago.edu/artlessons.
Amy Bizzarri is a mom of two living in Logan Square. She also blogs at tiramisumom.com.
See more of Amy's stories here.
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The Union Cabinet has finally passed the Right to Education Bill. This controversial Bill had been deferred twice before. It had earlier faced opposition from the Law, Finance ministries where the major issue was the financial contribution of each state. The Right to Education Bill essentially means that every child in the age group of 6-to-14 has a right to elementary education that is provided free and compulsory and is of equitable quality and available in an accessible area.
This Bill is aimed at setting up certain minimum standards for public and private schools. This would eventually mean raising the worth of educational facilities across the nation. The government is very positive as it realises that the Bill would also help to restrict the problems of child labour and malnutrition. However, the Bill might still face hurdles as it has a clause that makes it compulsory for the private schools to reserve nearly 25% of the seats for the unprivileged and poor children.


|Posted on August 29, 2016 at 7:45 AM|
There may be a reason why musos think they have it all. Studies show that adults with some childhood musical experience perform better on selected cognitive tests than adults who had never studied music, and this advantage seems to become more prominent as we age.
Try patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. The chances are that your musical friends will have an easier time of it than you. When kids learn to play an instrument, learning a particular physical skill is a given because they move hands, fingers and feet into the position required. The secondary benefits are perhaps more profound in the long run; playing a piano or keyboard means you have to make different movements simultaneously with your left and right hands, similar to when you play an acoustic guitar. It develops ambidexterity, but also improves the ease and range of movement and helps with sport and dancing.
Math and Physics
Once kids understand rhythms or beats, learning math comes easier because they are introduced to counting, fractions, and division in a natural way. It introduces them to pattern recognition which is very helpful for understanding math principles.
Social and Language Skills
Speech processing improves with training in pitch and melody and reading comprehension improves. If they take part in group classes, they quickly learn teamwork as they are encouraged to adjust their playing when they play too fast or slow.
It Refines Discipline and Patience
Some instruments take years to learn to play well, and it teaches your child to persevere to reach his goals. Children can be impatient, so the nature of this activity makes it easy to measure progress. It is quite simple to set attainable goals such as performing a piece correctly before moving on to the next, and if your child is a born performer you can relax about thinking up fresh entertainment ideas for the next family gathering.
Music is fun, and when kids experience success, it increases feelings of self-esteem and confidence. It teaches them to present themselves in public, which is an important life skill for all ages. The emotional release that comes with expressing yourself through music increases feelings of belonging and identity.
What to Consider When Selecting an Instrument
You'll be listening to the sound of your child practicing for the next few years. Do you like the sound of that instrument enough, or can you provide a suitable environment for committed practice in a private area of the house?
Don’t just reach for your credit card and hope this “stage” will blow over. Offer reasonable support in the form of formal or informal classes as soon as your child is ready. Think about combining classes with games to make learning more enjoyable. A game like Guitar Hero requires skill and knowledge of music theory to play well, and it will give you a break from listening to disharmonious strumming or scales repeated endlessly
Listen to your child. If he wants to play the acoustic guitar, don’t make him learn the piano first, because you want him to have a classical music education. He’ll resist practice, and the whole thing will end in tears. At the same time, don’t saddle your 5-year old with a baritone sax larger than himself. Agree to start with the alto, or even a flute which is much easier to play with small hands.
Take her to a sympathetic musical instrument shop where she can try out different instruments, and hold or cradle it to get a feel for it. Playing a too-large instrument will cause frustration and even injury. Stringed and keyboard instruments are highly suitable for younger children, and you can easily find smaller instruments to overcome issues of finger stretch and size.
Woodwind instruments can be tried from around 10 years. Lighter brass instruments can be tried from 8 to 10 years of age as the weight is considerable and fingers need to be long enough to reach positions. Stringed instruments and keyboard instruments are highly suitable for young children, as smaller instruments are readily available. It may take a while to match your child to his perfect instrument, as kids sometimes start with one and move on to another as soon as they discover new possibilities.
Children learn very fast and generally, the younger they start, the faster they learn. If you can match the correct instrument to the child, they tend to throw themselves into the experience completely with the added benefit of keeping them safely occupied and energy levels contained.
Sources and Further Reading
About the Author
Colleen has a passion for guitars and ukuleles. She enjoys jamming, teaching, and getting others involved in music. Her website, Coustii, focuses specifically on guitars and ukes.


Contact: Science Press Package
American Association for the Advancement of Science
'Protein police' search your food
When you eat beans and rice, you make the "protein police" in your brain happy because you are eating a meal that supplies the ingredients your body needs to make proteins. These protein ingredients are called "amino acids."
Click here for a high resolution photograph.
When you eat beans and rice, you make the "protein police" in your brain happy because you are eating a meal that supplies the ingredients your body needs to make proteins. These protein ingredients are called "amino acids." You need proteins to grow into the next shoe size, to grow into your next hair style and to grow your finger nails. Proteins are also necessary for a wide range of general body maintenance tasks, including the replacement of worn out cells.
In a new study in the 18 March 2005 issue of the journal Science, scientists explain the biological chemistry behind the "protein police" in the brains of mice and rats. If certain amino acids are missing from their food, the rodents' brains can detect the deficiencies 20 minutes after they start eating.
The brain's "protein police" are on the look out for shortages of "essential amino acids" which are protein building blocks that can not be made and must be ingested in food.
Some foods, including many animal products, contain essential amino acids – and when the protein police detect these amino acids, they are happy and keep quiet. Most plant proteins, however, are missing at least one of kind of essential amino acid. By combining the right plant foods - like when humans eat beans with rice – you can get the right balance of amino acids from plant sources.
If you are lucky enough to have all the beans, rice, tofu, meats, cheeses and grains you could ever want, the protein police in your brain may never take action.
But people with certain health problems, as well as people who have access to a limited variety of foods, may have their food urges influenced by the protein police in their brains.
By studying wild and laboratory animals, scientists are learning more about how the protein police operate to try to avoid amino acid deficiencies.
For example, a rat living inside a warehouse filled with corn has more food than it could possibly eat. Even so, the rat's protein police make it go out and find other food because corn does not provide all the necessary protein-making ingredients.
In the new study, the scientists discovered that animals and yeast use a similar technique to detect protein building blocks.
The fact that many different creatures, from primitive yeast to humans, have a similar ability to detect shortages in protein-making ingredients highlights the importance of maintaining the ability to build proteins.
Making proteins is about number three on the list of most important tasks for an animal's survival, said Science author Dorothy Gietzen from the University of California, Davis in Davis, California. Oxygen and energy are the only more immediate needs most creatures have.
Back to Science for kids
Science is published by AAAS, the non-profit science society.


Number Pieces, a free new elementary education math app from The Math Learning Center (MLC) (www.mathlearningcenter.org) and Clarity Innovations (www.clarity-innovations.com) aims to help students develop a deeper understanding of place value while building their computational skills with multi-digit numbers. Young learners manipulate virtual base 10 pieces to represent multi-digit numbers, regroup, add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Number Pieces also provides a drawing tool to label representations and show their understanding.
Number Pieces is the third app in the growing MLC collection, joining the Geoboard and Number Rack apps released in the spring of 2012. Additional virtual manipulatives are planned for release this year.
To download the apps and access web versions, visit The Math Learning Center: http://catalog.mathlearningcenter.org/apps


Our Open Educational Resources are developed in the form of lesson plans, with information about topic of the lesson, learning target, educational methods, educative tools that will be used during the lesson, homework and assessments.
The following Open Educational Resources are available:
|Traditional Cypriot breakfast vs modern breakfast: we choose a healthy way to start our day!||Greek|
|The nutritional properties of bread and its significance in traditional Cypriot cuisine||Greek|
|The nutritional properties of wine, its products and significance in traditional Cypriot cuisine||Greek|
|Com’è fatto il cioccolato / How chocolate is made||Italian / English|
|Food and Farming in Ireland through the Ages||English|
|Food in Ireland||English|
|Food and Nutrition||English|
|Template for Open Educational Resources||English|
We strongly encourage educators in Europe to reuse and redistribute these resources, and to create and share their own contents based on our template in English.
Cyprus Food Museum provided three open educational resources, available in Greek and adjusted to the High School curriculum.
DigiLab – Sapienza Università di Roma provided How chocolate is made, an educational resource available in English and in Italian (“Come è fatto il cioccolato?”), including contents from Europeana and digital cultural objects from its partner, Museo del Cioccolato.
The Irish Local Government Management Agency provided three open educational resources, available in English, relating to the topics of food, nutrition and farming in Ireland. The resources support the primary school curriculum.


For Educators, Students, Parents
These are some of our favorite resources for learning about science, math, and engineering. This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list.
Online Courses and Curriculum Materials
- Art of Problem Solving: mathematics – complete curriculum, books, online courses, and online community for pre-college students around the world.
- CodeAcademy: easy introduction to programming in different languages.
- Khan Academy: all subjects, all levels.
- MIT OpenCourseWare: open materials, including video lectures, for MIT courses.
- edX: opportunity to take free courses online from universities including MIT and Harvard.
Competitions for the Classroom
- Curiosity Challenge: competition for elementary school students in the Boston area for asking great questions about science.
- MathCounts: middle-school competition for fast math problem-solving.
- AMC: national math competitions for middle and high schoolers.
- FIRST: international robotics competition for teams of high-schoolers.
- MIT+K12: videos showcasing MIT science and scientists.
- Vi Hart: YouTube video maker focused on the beauty of math.
- Behind the Scences at MIT exciting two-minute videos relating chemistry to everyday life and applications.
- The Education Arcade at MIT develops games aimed at improved math, science, engineering, programming, and literacy skills.
- The Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab develops toys and games for learning programming and other skills. Their signature creation is Scratch – a user-friendly programming language for writing games, animations, etc.
Commercial Toys & Games
- K’nex (and K’nex Education)
- Straws and Connectors
- LEGO Mindstorms
- Chaos Construction Set
- Blocks & Marbles
- Snap Circuits
- Gears! Gears! Gears!
- Some great traditional strategy games: Blokus, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Go, Mastermind, Othello, Pente, Quarto, Set
Field Trips (Boston Area)
- Boston Museum of Science
- MIT Museum
- Harvard Museum of Natural History
- MIT Edgerton Center: hands-on engineering for visiting classes.
- Science on the Street: year-round traveling science demonstrations, run by the Cambridge Science Festival.
After-School Programs (Boston Area)
- PRIMES: intensive after-school math research program.
- MITxplore: math problem-solving enrichment taught by MIT students.
- Spring HSSP: formal classes taught by MIT students.


Technology and Early Childhood: Finding the Right Balance
Parents and educators are grappling all the time with how much young children should be exposed to using technology and interactive media. How appropriate is it for 4-year-olds, for example, to be using applications—even educational ones—on iPads?
Well, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College have jointly issued a new guidance to help early educators ensure that they use digital media and technology in ways that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth through the age of 8.
At the outset, the statement acknowledges that digital technology is ubiquitous and is only likely to become even more pervasive in children's lives. It also lays out the need to measure how much "screen time" children get on a daily basis and to ensure that time spent with screens such as those on smartphones, tablets and even digital cameras are included in that measurement. It's important, the statement says, for early childhood educators not to use technology just for the sake of technology and that using screen media as a replacement for active play, engagement with other children, and interactions with adults is inappropriate.
At the same time, the guidance explains that young children need to develop "technology-handling" skills in their early-childhood settings that are associated with early "digital literacy," especially for poor children who are less likely to have access to such technologies in their homes. Those technology-handling skills are akin to the "book-handling" skills associated with early literacy development.
The guidance also includes very specific principles for early educators to apply when making decisions about how to use technology.
And though the guide is designed for early educators, it is packed with useful information for parents who have to make similar decisions about what happens with their children at home.


Originally published as a guest blog on the It'sNotAcademic blog of Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, as part of Voices from HEQCO’s November 2014 conference, Hands On: Exploring Apprenticeship and the Skilled Trades. This blog can also be read in French/en français.
Right now, the United States is facing a major skills and educational attainment gap. Family-supporting jobs increasingly require a postsecondary credential. It’s estimated that, by 2018, two-thirds of all jobs will require education beyond high school, but 62% of adults today lack any credential beyond a high school diploma or GED.
And it’s not just an issue of educational attainment. According to the 2013 OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), a landmark international study, one in six adults has weak literacy skills and nearly one in three has weak numeracy skills. Among minorities, the percentage of adults with low skill levels is even higher—35% for black adults and 43% for Hispanic adults. The data make it clear: We must seek new ways to dramatically improve the credential and degree attainment of our workforce, especially for lower-skilled, underprepared adult learners.
The challenge is that our current educational and workforce development systems have not done a great job of addressing the needs of adult learners in an effective, efficient manner. Adult learners face numerous barriers to meeting their educational and career goals, including (but not limited to) overly long, linear program sequences; schedules that make it difficult to both work and attend classes; minimal career guidance; few support services; and instruction that isn’t relevant to learners’ career goals. As a result, few of the underprepared adult learners that enroll in community college programs ever successfully earn a marketable credential.
At Jobs for the Future, we work across the education-to-career-pipeline to identify breakthrough models that improve student outcomes. Accelerating Opportunity, launched in 2011 in partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the National Council for Workforce Education and the National College Transition Network, was developed to address the challenges described above. It uses an integrated pathways approach to accelerate basic skills acquisition and directly connect instruction with career and technical training that results in an in-demand credential. Accelerating Opportunity virtually cuts in half the time students need to attain the skills training required for a good job, as the foundation learning happens simultaneously. A core element of this model is team teaching: the foundational skills instructor and career and technical instructor co-teach the class, and the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the learner.
The Accelerating Opportunity initiative started in 32 colleges across four states and now operates in 78 community colleges in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. To date, collectively, Accelerating Opportunity colleges have developed 151 integrated pathways, and have enrolled nearly 5,400 students who have now earned more than 6,350 credentials.
We know the model works. In Kentucky, for example, 65% of the participating students earned a credential, versus 9% of a comparison group. It’s also a powerful model because it not only builds foundational learning; it connects academic skill building with career and technical training. We’ve also learned that implementing such a model requires major systems change at the state and college level. Thus far, states are investing their own money in the model, enacting policy changes to support implementation and scaling to new colleges. The states and colleges are committed to sustaining the model; they’ve seen the impact it has on underprepared learners and want to ensure it is available for all students seeking career and technical training.


Welcome to Art Masterpiece!
Art Masterpiece is a national art enrichment program that uses reproductions of fine works of art to promote art literacy in elementary school age children. Elements and principles of design are introduced in fun ways that the children can easily grasp. During a one hour Art Masterpiece session, students will learn about a particular artist, their style of art; explore a specific piece of artwork by that artist and then create their own artwork based on the principles they have learned.
Why is art education important? Studies prove that art enhances a child’s overall education. Art encourages cognitive, analytical and creative thinking skills. It strengthens physical coordination, and develops self-discipline. As children increase their awareness of art, they are more able to recognize, interpret and value the art they encounter in their everyday world.
The Weinberg Art Masterpiece program is run solely by wonderful parent volunteers. Our volunteer “art guides” conduct 6 one-hour lessons for each classroom over the course of the school year. No experience or artistic talent is required only enthusiasm is needed. We invite you to be a part of this fun and rewarding experience. All lessons are preplanned and all art materials are provided. The art materials for this program are funded by our Art Fair proceeds and tax credit.


Sense of Smell – Free to Print Easy Science Activity Sheet Hidden Words Puzzle
Sense of Smell Activity Sheet – Download this free to print easy science activity sheet for kids. This printable science activity sheet includes a hidden words puzzle and a find-the-missing-words puzzle game for kids. Kids can learn fun facts about the sense of smell through this fun activity sheet. Our hidden words puzzle is free to print and free to use as many times as you wish.
This free to print easy science activity sheet is suitable for kids in Primary school, Kindergarten and even Preschool. Pre-K kids can use our missing words puzzle as a listening comprehension activity while learning interesting fun facts about our noses.
Grammar & Primary school kids can use this find the hidden words puzzle as a reading comprehension activity sheet.
Educators can use our free to print easy science activity sheets to supplement science classes, child enrichment programs and after school activities.
Parents homeschooling their kids, can spend quality time teaching their kids fun easy science facts about the sense of smell.
Our free science kids site offers many easy science facts for kids as well as free printable hidden words puzzles and free to print easy science activity sheets for kids.
How do we smell things? The nerve responsible for smelling is the olfactory nerve. Aside from seeing and tasting, smelling also helps us appreciate things. The nose isn’t just for smelling. The nose warms the air and tiny hairs in there catch dirt, dust and pollen and prevent it from entering into our lungs.
Get our Sense of Smell Free Hidden Words Puzzle
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Podcasts As Elevator Speeches
June 21, 2013
To create a podcast about Social Media, I researched the definition of Social Media and made sure I was familiar with the vocabulary of the topic. I have used Social Media for years, but I wasted to make sure that I knew that I was talking about and not leaving our any important aspects unknowingly. I also researched Social Media exclusively in the context of education. I was surprised by how few articles there were so I was forced to expand my search to Social Media itself. I was delighted to find an article that discussed music education and Social Media together.
I wrote my podcasts using these article as sources. I chose to write in the first person because of the informal location of these podcasts. An elevator is an enclosed space and a mode of transportation to a final destination. Many people are distracted in an elevator by the various aspects of what will happen when the doors open. Elevators, as media outlets, are also hindered by the short period of time people are in them. Keeping all these qualities in mind, I immediately engaged my listener with a question or a reference to an unusual object, such as a dictionary to draw the audience in.
Next, I browsed for royalty free music that was also downloadable for no charge. This was a little tricky, especially when I was looking for sounds with a “news” theme. I finally found what I was looking for after two days of searching on http://www.freeplaymusic.com. I edited the downloaded mP3s into my Audacity files to create my podcast mP3s. I cut the music to fit in the first and last 5 seconds of the podcast as my introduction music and conclusion music. I also had to add fades to decrease the harsh jump from the music to the spoken voice.
What I learned from this process came primarily from the research portion of the project. I was unaware there was so little research on the impacts of social media on children. I already knew what cyber-bullying was from the deaths of teenagers and the mass media’s reports on them. Of the top five social media sites, I currently use four and primarily favor Pinterest. I knew a lot about these outlets, but not what was happening to teens who use them. I was shocked by the links to depression in children.
After reading and distilling the articles into my podcasts, I understand now why my administration has been so reluctant to allow teachers to use these sites. I was unaware of the damage that could be caused by adding to a child’s time and exploration of social media. After reflecting on these negative side affects, I am also encouraged by the attention brought to this area. I hope there is much more research on the impact of using social media in the classroom and safe techniques for integration. I was also encouraged by the research on music and social media. I would like to find more articles that discuss how music in social media is furthering sharing between people on a global scale.
Lievrouw, L. A., & Livingstone, S. (Eds.). (2002). Handbook of new media: Social shaping and consequences of ICTs. SAGE Publications Limited.
Social media. (2013). In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social media
O’Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804.
P.Treagus. (2013, March 11). How can social media be used in education? [Web log comment]. Retrieved from: http://www.socialnomics.net/2013/03/11/how-can-social-media-be-used-in-education/
Salavuo, M. (2008). Social media as an opportunity for pedagogical change in music education. Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 1(2-3), 2-3.
Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites. (2013) in eBizMBA. Retrieved from http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websitesPodcast: Current Issues/Challenges in Implementing Social Media in Education


Numeracy across the Curriculum
Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College has a ‘can do’ approach to numeracy – we believe that all children can, and should be mathematically confident. All staff recognise the importance of providing children with a wide variety of mathematical experiences and of promoting a positive mathematics culture.
All curriculum areas teach numeracy as part of their subject content. As a result, children not only get to practice and develop their mathematical skills across all subjects, but also see the relevance of numeracy in all aspects of their education, and therefore their future. Pupils also take part in fun numeracy activities outside the classroom.
Here pupils have the opportunity to practice and develop their mathematics skills in a relaxed and informal setting. Pupils have taken part in games, challenges and puzzles involving: scale drawing; symmetry; logical processing; building; balance; measuring; converting units and sorting.
Whole School Events
There are a series of whole-college events to support Numeracy that take place throughout the year. These involve the weekly Numeracy form challenge, maths starters in lessons, Inter Form Competitions, World Maths Day, World Pi Day and most importantly our college’s Numeracy Week.
Upcoming Numeracy Events
We will be supporting World Maths Day and World Pi Day.
How can our Parents support with Numeracy?
Establishing a strong, consistent message between home and college is essential to support a child’s mathematical development. To foster this, the College runs a programme of Parent Support Evenings. These consist of workshops that explain the techniques used to teach key topics; resources that can be used at home; internet based support and (for some year groups) revision advice. We have produced a parent’s guide and a methods booklet to help with supporting your child with their Mathematical development. You can download the guides by clicking the images above.
Intervention Programmes are available for all pupils who would benefit from them. Continued dialogue between the Mathematics department and the SEN department ensure pupils are identified quickly and their individual needs catered for. There are two types of programme; one designed for pupils that need to build their numeracy skills generally, and another for those pupils that need support in preparing for their exams.
Numeracy Skills Programme
This involves initial assessment, followed by a personally tailored programme of small group, and one-to-one sessions. The aim of each session is to improve childrens’ understanding of number, their basic numeracy skills and most importantly their confidence. In each session children carry out a variety of practical tasks, independent work, group activities and internet based practice.
Preparation for Exams Sessions
These sessions are focused on exam technique, quick number strategies, recalling information and working independently. Some pupils follow a weekly programme of sessions across the whole year, some pupils simply receive intensive support immediately prior to their exams.
Year 7 pupils who receive numeracy intervention also take part in a range of activities designed to develop their skills in a practical setting. These may include organising and preparing a tea party, shopping to a budget and surveying a local playground.


This language arts task card and anchor chart bundle includes cause and effect, context clues, shades of meaning, genres of literature, and homophones.
**This is a zipped file that includes 5 language arts pdf files!**
These language arts task cards sell individually in my store at the following links:
SHADES OF MEANING
CONTEXT CLUES TASK CARDS
UPPER ELEMENTARY HOMOPHONES TASK CARDS
CAUSE AND EFFECT
GENRES OF LITERATURE
SHADES OF MEANING:
Shades of Meaning, sometimes called Nuances of Language, Task Cards are Common Core aligned for 3rd-5th grade. This packet includes four shades of meaning instructional pages, 36 task cards with three various questions types, an answer sheet, and an answer key.
Context Clues Task Cards are aligned to the Common Core for 3rd to 5th grade. These 34 context clues task cards require students to use context to make meaning, as well as identify the words or phrases that helped them to understand the meaning of an unknown word. These context clues task cards can be used in stations, small groups, centers, or for early finishers and includes the answer sheets as well as the answer keys.
Homophones lists and homophones task cards are common core aligned and included in this homophones product for 3rd-6th grade. This set includes 2 homophones instructional slides, 11 pages of homophones (over 260 words with definitions), 36 homophones task cards, 1 answer sheet, and 1 answer key.
CAUSE AND EFFECT:
These Cause and Effect Task cards are common core aligned and designed for 3rd to 5th grade. This cause and effect product includes 4 instructional pages, 36 task cards, an answer sheet, and an answer key. These cause and effect task cards can be used in stations, small groups, whole class, centers, or for early finishers.
GENRES OF LITERATURE:
Genres of Literature Task Cards and Informational Cards are Common Core aligned for 3rd-6th Grade. Product includes 13 genres of literature: biography, autobiography, narrative non-fiction, expository non-fiction, fairy tales, fantasy, folk tales, science fiction, historical fiction, fables, poetry, tall tales, and realistic fiction. Descriptions of each genre are covered on 8 pages of the product. There are 36 task cards (with three different variations of questions). The answer sheet and answer key are also provided.
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Kirsten has 18 years of experience in elementary education. She has been a homeroom teacher for first grade, third grade, and fourth grade, as well as ESL. She has also been a school counselor for grades PK-6, an ESL pullout teacher for K-6, and a Reading Recovery Teacher. She received her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and psychology from The University of Iowa and a Master’s of Education in school counseling from Sam Houston State University. She believes that students make the most progress when they are engaged in their hearts as well as their minds. Her resources offer relevant, rigorous, engaging content that nurtures the whole child.
Copyright © Kirsten’s Kaboodle. All Rights Reserved.
• Purchasing this product gives the purchaser ONE LICENSE to this product. This allows the purchaser the right to reproduce this product for HIS/HER class ONLY.
• Duplication for an entire team, school, or school district is strictly forbidden.
• If other teachers would like copies of this product, please direct them to my store.
• You may not reproduce, redistribute, or post this item on a blog or website for download (free or paid).
• Copying any part of this product (even for a classroom website) is also in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
• You may not modify, copy, or alter this product in any way.
• Please feel free to spread the word about this product via social media or blog post. A link to the product (or my store) is much appreciated.


Supporting the New Curriculum in Wales – Enterprise Troopers and the LNF
As changes take place in Wales, enterprise activity is helping schools meet national requirements.
The Donaldson review recommended that as educationalists we provide a broad and balanced curriculum where creativity can be allowed to thrive and schools produce ambitious and enterprising contributors.
Enterprise Troopers offers all this and more.
Support Materials 1 – 12b
The following Key Stage 2 curriculum-linked support materials have been designed to support you on your enterprise journey. The suggested activities encourage children to develop their understanding of enterprise and provide exciting ‘real life’ opportunities to develop and apply a range of skills. The suggested plan takes the activity from inception to completion. Feel free to adapt and use as you wish.
Literacy and Numeracy Skills Pathways
Each of the activities (1 – 12b) have been mapped against the LNF to show where there are explicit opportunities to develop the required skills in KS2 – from numerical reasoning and handling data to writing for meaning, reading, discussion and presentation skills.
The level of challenge will be dependent on your own pupils and can be adapted accordingly.
Click on the image below to see the table
Click on the hyperlinks below to open the files
Title (click to download)
|Activity 1||What should we do?||Thinking of a product|
|Activity 2a||Who shall we speak to?||Preparing for a visitor|
|Activity 2b||Where shall we go?||Preparing for a visit|
|Activity 3||What did we find out?||Finding out from a visit / visitor|
|Activity 4||Can we plan?||Writing a business plan|
|Activity 5a||Who is best at?||Deciding roles|
|Activity 5b||Key word card sort||A literacy task to introduce key enterprise vocabulary|
|Activity 6||What shall we call ourselves?||Creating a company name|
|Activity 7||What do people want?||Conducting marketing research|
|Activity 8a||How can we advertise?||Creating an advert|
|Activity 8b||Creating an advert checklist||Pupil checklist|
|Activity 9||How do we make it?||Choosing the best method to produce a product|
|Activity 10a||Can we sell it?||Understanding the enterprise’s finances|
|Activity 10b||Key word matching task||A literacy task to introduce finance vocabulary|
|Activity 11||We can do it||Selling the product / carrying out the service|
|Activity 12a||How well did we do?||Evaluating the enterprise|
|Activity 12b||Evaluation checklist||Pupil checklist|
Enterprise Troopers Links with the Curriculum in Wales – Activities for Progression
This table provides a snapshot example of where and how progression can be built into the Enterprise Troopers competition. Business activity presents a perfect opportunity for pupils to reflect on their own achievement (“I can” and “I have”).
Click on the image below to see the tables
There are also genuine opportunities within the Cornerstones curriculum to incorporate exciting ideas for enterprise activity.
The very nature of enterprise provides real-life opportunities to develop wider skills of
– critical thinking
– problem solving
– planning and organising
– creativity and innovation
– personal effectiveness
We would welcome any feedback you might have on both the content and relevance. We would like to receive your suggestions for the development of future resources.
If any enterprise in taking place in your school we would like to feature you on our good practice page.
Please email us at EnterpriseTroopers@cazbah.biz


Priorities for Student Learning: 2017 – 2020
In 2013 the LRSD School Board established Three Priorities for Student Learning, setting goals that every student would be:
- Developing strong literacy and numeracy skills.
- Academically, emotionally, physically and intellectually engaged in learning.
- Demonstrating that they are active citizens contributing to their communities.
Informed by an extended review of the 2015-16 Report to the Community, as well as feedback gained from the Board's Community Connections Committee, the Board agreed to make several small and yet significant additions to our Priorities for Student Learning that LRSD will carry through for the next three years.
Aligned with these priorities,
each of our schools and departments will develop and then focus upon specific
goals that will help our Division level aspirations come to fruition. The three
priorities for student learning in the Louis Riel School Division are that each
and every student is:
Developing strong literacy and numeracy skills, and that the Division has evidence of this development.
- At the high school level, students are developing a high degree of financial literacy.
Academically, emotionally, physically, and intellectually engaged in learning.
- Students will become independent learners.
- Students will be prepared for their preferred post school opportunities.
- Students will demonstrate creativity and innovation.
- While engaged in their learning, students will have a high degree of mental wellness.
Demonstrating they are active citizens contributing to their local, national and global communities.
As well, recognizing that some communities face significant structural challenges, it is our goal to ensure all students, including those from Indigenous and Newcomer communities, have the same opportunities and achieve as well as their peers.
To see these priorities in action, read our annual Report to the Community. Both the report from the division and the reports from each school give specific examples on how the priorities are being focused on every day.


Welcome to Kindergarten at Ainslie School
In 2016, our Kindergarten team comprises of 2 classes:
|Junior Team Leader||Catherine Dillon|
|KC classroom teacher- East wing||Sascha Colley|
|KS classroom teacher- East wing||Isobel Short|
|K/1S classroom teacher - East wing||Clair Shute|
Kindergarten is an important year of schooling as children formally begin to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Our whole school community will help your child adjust to school and help them to feel comfortable.
In Kindergarten at Ainslie children learn through play, games, social learning and hands-on activities. We focus on the whole child and their interests, needs and abilities. We structure literacy and numeracy groups across the year level depending on students' learning needs. We value excellence, respect and community.
All kindergarten classes implement elements of the Walker Learning Approach on most mornings, which has been specifically and rigourously designed and researched to ensure that explicit teaching and learning is retained alongside directed and scaffolded investigations. During these investigations, students are engaged in hands-on learning, where children's interests are used as the predominant means for learning experiences alongside explicit teaching of skills and understandings in literacy, numeracy and other academic and cognitive areas. Teachers provoke learning in Kindergarten.
When to start school
Your child can start Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn five on or before 30 April in that year. By law, all children must be enrolled in school by two weeks after their sixth birthday. The ACT Education and Training Directorate also offers an early entry program.
When to start your child at school is an individual decision. You may want to discuss this with us or with your child's preschool educator, carer or doctor.
Preparing for Kindergarten
You can help your child prepare for Kindergarten and be organised for the first day at 'big school', by discussing what they might expect. For example, after they meet their teacher they will have table activities to explore, with other children they might already know, as well as with new ones to meet. Trying on school uniforms beforehand or maybe shopping for a new school bag, lunchbox or shoes can add to the excitement. Please contact our school should you wish to visit beforehand to help your child feel more comfortable and to start getting to know people there.
For further information visit the Starting School page on the ACT Education and Training Directorate website.
Useful resources for Parents and Carers
- Kindergarten Achievement standards for English and Mathematics ( 16.9 KB)
Kindergarten Achievement standards for English and Mathematics ( 90.5 KB)
- Supporting your child at home ( 21.7 KB)
Supporting your child at home ( 34.9 KB)
- Five ways to build your child's literacy skills (includes translated information)
- Reading with your child at home
- Literacy and numeracy tips (includes translated information)
- Everyday numeracy K-4 video (includes translated information)
- Five ways to build your child's numeracy skills (includes translated information)
Fun learning links for children
Reading Eggs (use your school logon)
BBC Schools - Games
Starfall - learn to read with phonics
ABC 3 -Games
Literacy Centre - Education Network


Enjoy another life-long, cost-effective learning tool from edbook to enhance literacy development.
A favorite finger play, Two Little Blackbirds, is now available for reading aloud, shared reading and retelling. The resource includes four days of lesson ideas, word wall and/or pocket chart vocabulary, puppets for retelling, a standard sized version of the finger play, and a class book for reading aloud and independent reading.
Individual copies of the class book may be printed and stapled together for take home books to support parental involvement in children's literacy development.
Using the clip art, make an enlarged chart for shared reading. (instructions included).
Reading Aloud, Shared Reading and Retelling are essential components of language and literacy development, background knowledge, motivation to read, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.


The influence of critical theory in art education has become commonplace, but its use in addressing students' popular culture in kindergarten to Year 12 classrooms is problematic. The now numerous reports by art teachers of their successfully inculcating critical consciousness towards
popular visual culture appears to have more to do with a reforming zeal or advocacy than evidence. Moreover, in echoing the modernist origins of critical theory, their attempts to facilitate critical thinking often take the form of unproblematic and authoritarian pedagogy. Lessons learned
from media education in the United Kingdom are employed to recommend that art teachers reject prima facie evidence of critical thinking among their students and learn to appreciate the complexity of student negotiations with popular culture. Taking their cue from media educators, it is proposed
that art educators adopt a post-critical pedagogy based on Bhaktin's notions of dialogue.
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Document Type: Research Article
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA.
Publication date: 2008-12-01
More about this publication?
The International Journal of Education through Art is an English language journal that promotes relationships between art and education. The term 'art education' should be taken to include art, craft and design education. Each issue, published three times a year within a single volume, consists of peer-reviewed articles mainly in the form of research reports and critical essays, but may also include exhibition reviews and image-text features.
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- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites


Bouncing Boys Back to Books is a two week summer camp intended to improve literacy abilities and cooperative interactions of young at-risk inner-city boys. The program embeds literacy development in activities meaningful to the boys in order to increase reading levels and give students a head-start on the upcoming school year. Sports are used to build students’ self-esteem and team-building skills. Bouncing Boys Back to Books has used SHLF funding to provide daily bus transportation making the program accessible to a much wider range of children. Bouncing Boy Back to Books also used SHLF funding to:
» Pay the salaries of the basketball coaches
» Go on a field trip to the Olympic Stadium
» Buy each student a book of their choice at a local book store
» Buy basketball jerseys
» Pay for a portion of the nutrition activities budget
As a result of the program parents, teachers and the kids have reported significant positive changes in the boys’ confidence and ability including reading awards and fewer trips to the principal’s office! The program has been such a success that it is over-subscribed however SHLF funds have allowed the number of participants in the program to increase.


Pioneerhood 1978 № 12
Availability of videosources
Annotation1.Pionersky Museum of Military Glory in Moscow school number 409. 2.Vsesoyuznye youth competitions in sport climbing in the Crimea. 3.Vystavka children's creativity in children's art gallery. 4. All-Russian Week "Theatre and Children" in Moscow.
1. The plot of "On the roads of war."
Moscow School № 409. Singing Teacher Valery N. Capon is a lesson (synchronously).
Pioneer Museum of Military Glory, photos of soldiers, slides, newspaper of the war years.
Schoolgirl tells about the museum and his father who fought (synchronously).
The museum exhibits: helmets, mines, missiles, military posters, photographs.
Schoolgirls say (synchronously).
Photos: Students meet with war veterans. 2. The plot of "Sports bold."
Crimea, the All-Union competition for sports climbing.
The guys from the club train young climbers in the mountains.
Children learn to keep balance on a wire knit knots.
Children climb the hill, protecting each other ropes.
The jury and the children in chairs watching his teammates.
The slope rises head of the sports section of the Yalta Palace of Pioneers.
Girls overcome difficult mountain road, go down on the ropes.
Climber creeping up on a high hill. 3. The plot of "We draw."
The building of Yerevan Children's Art Gallery.
The exhibition of children's art in Yerevan House of Art Education.
Children and adults in the exhibition hall view the paintings.
Drawings and paintings of children.
Little artists showcase their work.
Children at the easel in a studio.
4. The plot of "Hello, theater!" All-Russian Week "Theatre and children."
Moscow theater named after Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Children in theatrical costumes interact in the theater lobby.
Performing groups children's drama performances.
Children in the audience.
An excerpt of the performance of the State Central Puppet Theatre "The Tale of Tsar Saltan".
For children drawn director of the theater, People's Artist of the USSR Sergey Obraztsov (synchronously).
Moscow Crimea Yerevan
Childhood and youth; World War II; Sporting events; Museums and exhibitions; Theater; Sport


Research Related Literacy Websites
(in alphabetical order)
for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)
CIERA is dedicated to disseminating the most current research about
early reading acquisition. This site includes archives on presentations
at reading conferences as well as many other research articles and technical
reports about CIERA's latest findings with regards to early reading
Issues in Literacy Development
This document summarizes the best available research and professional
expertise to help teachers provide high-quality literacy instruction
for students from kindergarten through Grade 8. The information has
been organized around topics that are important to literacy development.
Authors: John Pikulski and J. David Cooper.
Literacy Education Resources: Early Childhood to High School
An extensive list of online resources sorted into twelve major categories
of literacy education.
Literacy and Reading Excellence Center includes information on early
literacy, national statements, balanced literacy and other areas.
This center also has a great
list of resources.
- International Reading
Association addresses all issues related to
reading as a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting
high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading
instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and
encouraging the lifetime reading habit.
provides a wealth of searchable information about issues related to
and international adult literacy communities in many themes
and from many educational perspectives.
- The Literacy Project by Google.com provides a search engine to find: books and scholarly articles about literacy, reading promotion, and education, literacy videos from organizations and teachers, literacy organizations around the world, literacy blogs, book clubs and groups, and literacy-related documents on the web.
- National Center for
Family Literacy supports family literacy services across the United
States through programming, training, research, advocacy and dissemination
Center for the Study of Writing and Literacy (NCSWL): Although this
organization has completed its mission, many publications and research
articles are still available online
- National LINCS-
A gateway to adult education and family literacy for users throughout
the world created by the National Institute for Literacy
Research Center on English Learning & Achievement (CELA): From
here, you'll find links to their current newsletter
and archives back to 1996, access to their many publications about research
in reading with a great search function. You can download many interesting
documents from here, including Guidelines
for Teaching Middle and High School Students to Read and Write Well
by Judith Langer.
- National Writing
Project: a research institute dedicated to improving the teaching
and learning of in American schools
Assessment of Educational Progres (NAEP) reports on Reading results
Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) provides research
focusing on a vareity of critical issues in literacy including their
newest update Using
Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction
National Research and Development Centers: several of these research
centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education includes literacy
and Literacy Resources from Alaska Regional
Assistance Center (AKRAC) includes some excellent publications about
literacy components and a nice listing of resources.
Excellence Grant Program awards grants to
state education agencies to improve the reading skills of children in
kindergarten through third grade.
Research about Reading and Reading Disabilities
Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework.
Online Documents about Literacy Instruction and Research
(in alphabetical order)


M.A. in Elementary School Teaching
Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education
College of Education
Fifth grade (Education); Music--Instruction and study--Juvenile
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this project is to provide students and educators with an easy to follow manual that will help them learn and successfully participate in MIDI sequencing in an elementary educational and personal setting.
Research for the study involved the review of the New Jersey Core Standards and national standards for music and music technology in education. Music technology websites for educators were also reviewed. A case study group of seven fifth grade students was formed for the project. This group was known as the Music Technology Club. The purpose of the group was to learn MIDI sequencing through the use of a MIDI keyboard and a computer sequencing program. Various MIDI sequencing manuals were consulted for reference and further understanding of the subject.
During the course of the project students learned basic sequencing procedures and successfully created multi-track sequences. The manual was written and revised throughout the project based on student observation and the writer's personal participation in the learning process.
A MIDI/music technology resource website was developed that can be utilized by educators and students who are developing their skills in MIDI sequencing and for educators who are interested in implementing MIDI sequencing activities in the elementary classroom.
Bradshaw, Jann M., "MIDI sequencing in the elementary classroom" (2002). Theses and Dissertations. 1401.


A bachelor’s degree is a post-secondary degree awarded after completed 120 credits. It usually takes eight semesters to complete a Bachelor’s degree. While completing an undergraduate course, candidates have to study general courses and chose a major specific subject. A Bachelor’s degree can also be called a baccalaureate in certain countries.
Digital design professionals make use of programs, algorithms and data as well as traditional design skills to tool tailored objects and processes for a wide variety of applications. The corporate sector, educational institutions, governmental bodies and charity organizations call upon their talents to visualize and create unique products and concepts.
The United States of America is located on the continent of North America. It is the third largest country by size in the world. It has a relatively short history compared to other world nations, has one of the world's largest economies, and has one of the world's most diverse populations.
View all Bachelor Programs in Digital Design in North America 2017
The Art Institute of Vancouver’s Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design degree program focuses on the increasingly vital relationship between design and sustainable principles. As environmental demands escalate and take centre focus in educational and political discourse, there is a growing need for designers who can provide solutions while creating sustainable, eco-conscious designs. [+]
Visual and Creative Arts majors in graphic design receive instruction in the foundations of studio art. Building upon this foundation, students engage in specialized studies in print and digital media grounded in an understanding of the social impact of the arts. [+]
If you like to work with computers to solve visual and spatial problems and create exciting designs for publication in print or on the web, a career in graphic design can be yours. When you complete our two-year program you will have the foundational skills to join our other graduates in exciting fields like advertising, graphic design, publications, commercial printing and the internet. [+]
The Bachelor of Arts in Game Design prepares graduates to be modern game designers, capable of working in large teams, communicating and collaborating with other designers, artists, and engineers, and [+]
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation is a four-year program designed to prepare students to create artwork at the professional level. Rather than simply teaching students how to use current [+]
Use your creativity and imagination to bring ideas to life. If you have pictured yourself working in graphic design, advertising, web production, film, animation, television or gaming, this could be the right program for you. You will explore the principles, technology, practical applications, and methodologies that can help you produce creative graphic design solutions. You will also learn the language of web design and begin to create a variety of interactive content for web and mobile devices. [+]
Cultivate your creative passion, your desire to move people and your interest in visual communication with a degree in graphic design. [+]
A new innovative program, Interactive Digital Studies (IDS) is about creatively addressing the future. Students in IDS gain an arsenal of digital skills, a firm understanding of digital culture and theory, and a means for responding to our digital world. [+]
A Bachelor of Media Design specialising in Graphic Design will teach you how to communicate using text, images, and form to make visual connections and craft ideas into meaningful interactions. [+]
A Bachelor of Media Design specialising in Interactive Design prepares you for the technical demands of the web design and mobile development industries. [+]
The BS in Digital Media is designed to allow students the opportunity to explore, in depth, the new exciting field of Digital Media under the guidance of recognized working artists, designers, and educators. [+]
The new graphic design focuses on the development of effective communication through the study and practice of design. LCI we focus on educating our students in creative ways [+]
The Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) is New Zealand’s only degree specialising in game art. Over three years, you develop artistic style through a combination of traditional art, 3D animation and visual effects using industry-standard [+]
The Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) is the only degree of its kind in New Zealand and delivers a highly developed technical knowledge base and skill-set. Work across multiple game platforms including PlayStation using commercial grade [+]
The Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and Visual Effects) delivers a comprehensive technical skillset and essential project experience [+]


Literacy And Numeracy Skills
EDLounge is an alternative learning resource that can be personalised for your individual learners, allowing you to deliver targeted literacy and numeracy pathways for your students. Our method is ideal for KS1-KS4 students, transition students, closing attainment gaps, whole school approaches and interventions.
Any student can access EDLounge anywhere and at any time to develop their knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects and improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
EDLounge is an effective tool for developing literacy and numeracy skills by providing access to:
- Over 7,000 lessons in a wide range of subjects including a range of English language, literature and numeracy lessons geared at different levels
- Interactive puzzles, quizzes and games to develop knowledge and understanding
- A large bank of keywords and definitions for pupils to refer to when completing lessons
- Tracking and monitoring so you can view and evaluate progress
- A positive, motivational learning environment which encourages pupils to learn independently
- A cross-curricular approach with keyword puzzles for each subject
Our numeracy and literacy resources are great for:
- Students struggling to grasp the basic rules of numeracy, spelling and grammar?
- Challenging students of all abilities
- Improving learning with transition year groups
- Catch up programmes
- Student with English as a second language (ESOL)
- Homework, literacy, numeracy clubs
- Learners with low confidence
- Parent and child sessions
- One to one session
- Personalised learning
For more information about EDLounge, a two week free trial or a live online demo of the functionality of the online learning platform, contact us on 01909 568 338 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org, quoting reference code 'literacy'.


They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. A video, then, must be worth at least 1500!
Below are some examples of Music Learning Theory in action in a general music setting.
Rote Song Procedure is an interesting way that MLT teachers present songs to students in a Whole-Part-Whole way.
Students first listen to the song as a whole. Then, the teacher asks them to isolate the parts - melody, macrobeats, microbeats, resting tone, bass line. Then, the song is performed together, and the students have a greater sense of the whole.
Here are some videos on Pattern Instruction, the PART, of Whole-Part-Whole.
A resource for musicians, music teachers, and parents of future musical prodigy
Learn the language of music.
Learn the tonalities with these short, catchy tunes.
Short songs in varied tonalities and meters with words to sing for your baby.
Vocal musings for listening and audiation purposes.
Andrew Mullen is a teacher, folk musician, multi-instrumentalist, song-writer, and lifelong learner. He has taught all levels of students in a number of subjects, and is currently a middle school teacher and curriculum coach in Burlington, Massachusetts. Mr Mullen holds Masters degrees in Music Education and School Administration, as well as certification from the Gordon Institute of Music Learning (GIML) in Elementary General and Early Childhood Music. He is currently entertaining Doctoral scholarships.


A Four Step Process
How would you like to jump start your music theory education with an approach that acknowledges a students ability to learn more quickly than we give them credit?
Sounds good, but can it be accomplished?
My answer is not only yes, but unequivocally yes.
I am going to share a 4 step process that I have adopted in creating teaching materials and applying to learning experiences. This method is used for developing learning materials that both help get past roadblocks in learning and is used as a system for explaining and teaching others.
Get to know the basic structure, although simple, it is a key component in your success. It doesn’t take any more applied effort to complete, but the rewards are far greater.
1. Start with the big picture
For our music education method we approach any new subject with definition of terms, symbols, and notations that are key to understanding. Clearly pointing out them out and giving them meaning is necessary to building a common foundation or context in which you will be working.
Take the example of music’s master staff. Instead of jumping into the middle of the lines and spaces and trying to define note names it would be better to define the symbols associated with the staff.
Wouldn’t it make sense that we define what a treble stave and bass stave are and how they are identified with clefs? Why there is a bar line that connects them. What the numbers like 4/4 mean even if we don’t get into the detail of exactly how they work. Talk about ledger lines above and below the staves.
Step 1 is all about painting a big picture to put things in context. Overall descriptions allow us to frame a reference for applying more details to a larger concept. This can usually be done fairly quickly and will provide boundaries for the rest of your lesson.
2. Learn the basic new concept or idea
The second step of our music education method. Once the framework is in place you begin working the details. Starting with your previous definitions you zero in a specific item to elaborate on the specific application. This usually will be very quick, but a key then is to approach it from several directions or different ways.
Using the three senses of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (physical) we put the basic concept through paces. Looking and working it from different directions.
For the master staff example we might zero in on lines and space showing the note increments. Then showing how line to line works and moving from one clef to the next. A great example in working with rhythm would be using just the right hand, then just the left hand, and make both hands working in different patterns.
There often seems to be the concept of “here it is hope you learn it now or don’t worry we will go over it again and again until you do learn it some time later.” Using the multiple approach method the brain gets an opportunity to absorb and process the new information. Thus it builds a solid foundation for building new concepts that are applied on top of the current one, instead of relearning it to build new concepts later on.
3. Work It
The third step of our music education method. This is where we build upon the base to lock in what we have learned. It is done with slowly building endurance, resilience, staying power. The methods used here are aids like flash cards used in combination with speed drills. Building a series of specific charts or templates that expand the concept learned.
An example for rhythm would be working a table composed of time (beats) and accents on beats and using combinations of hand taps to work out one specific pattern. It’s a three dimensional approached easily integrated to speed up the process.
4. Own it.
The four step of our music education method. Owning it is all about having elasticity and flexibility. What does that meant? It is the final step in learning that becomes a natural part of our knowledge. It is the ability to control the actions or use of the knowledge we have acquired.
It can be the ability to groove on the rhythm. You have the ability to play with it, change it at random, slow it down, speed it up, adjust to circumstance and still have complete control of it. It might be the ability to change chord structure on the fly to re-harmonize a song.
These 4 steps are an easy process, but do require effort to organize and apply to your learning experience. Look at what you are doing now and determine if you can improve your teaching or learning experience with modifying your approach. You may be surprised by the result.


The Limestone District School Board operates Parenting and Family Literacy Centres in three elementary schools with the support of the Ministry of Education. The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board operates one site within the Kingston region.
The Centres are free of charge and are open to parents, grandparents and caregivers of children from birth to six years of age. Each Centre provides play-based activities within a school setting. These activities help prepare children for school and offers parents an opportunity to learn ways to support their children in their learning journey.
The purpose of Parenting and Family Literacy Centres is to:
provide play-based activities within a school setting to help prepare children to learn upon entry in Kindergarten;
offer a family literacy program that develops early literacy and numeracy skills to prepare children for school;
help increase parents’ knowledge, involvement and comfort level with schools;
provide opportunities for optimal child development through positive parent-child interaction;
assist in the early identification of children with special needs; and,
help children transition more easily into kindergarten by allowing Centre staff and kindergarten teachers to work together.


Bihar, one of the first states to draw up a plan for universal secondary education, is considering involving the private sector to help open more schools for children in the 14-17 age group.
Bihar has put the investment that it needs for education—for all age groups—at Rs10,000 crore per year for the next eight years.
This investment need is apart from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), the Manmohan Singh government’s flagship programme for universal elementary education, which aims at putting all children in the 6-14 age group in school.
Bihar, one of the poorest states in terms of per capita income and state domestic product, is considering ways to raise sufficient resources. One of the strategies being considered, is to partner with the private sector.
“We may look for private sector involvement,” said M.M. Jha, principal secretary for the state’s human resource development ministry, which oversees education. “Private sector can build a school and we can provide teachers or the other way round. We are still considering (the options).”
The reason why the state feels that private capital may be drawn to secondary schools is because the government is not mandated by law to provide free education to children in this age group, unlike the 6-14 age group where free and compulsory education is a constitutional requirment.
The state government feels that private schools can be allowed to set their fees, subject to government regulation.
Bihar wants to open 17,000 secondary schools in the next eight years, to add to the 3,000 schools that already exist.
Education experts say schools for the older age group are needed across the country because of the demand created by children who entered school as part of SSA. This programme has, since 2004, relied on a cess on every tax-paying Indian to fund elementary schools.
It has helped reduce the number of out-of-school children from 58.02 million in 2001 to 13.4 million in 2005.
“It is a function of success of SSA at least in terms of numbers,” said Samphe D. Lhalungpa, chief of education for the United Nations Children’s Fund, or Unicef, in India, which has worked with the government to bring innovations in teaching in schools in poor districts of Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
“There is pressure from Class VIII onwards from children who are getting out or are already out of the SSA”.
Realizing this demand, finance minister P. Chidambaram increased the education cess by 1% in the Budget for this fiscal year, and doubled the outlay for secondary education from Rs1,837 crore in 2006-07 to Rs3,794 in 2007-08. It is not clear how the Union government will share these resources with the states as no formal scheme for achieving universal secondary education has been announced by the former.
The Centre has so far funded 75% of SSA. But this fiscal onwards, it has asked states to fund an equal share in the SSA. Bihar has a budget of Rs3,300 crore for SSA in the current fiscal, one of the largest budgets of all states. The state has released Rs600 crore as the first tranche of funds.


Monkey Mind (n.) - As you begin to do a meditation practice, you will notice that your mind has the tendency to just chatter away. You may be constantly planning, ruminating, justifying, thinking about last week's TV show, and on and on. This inner dialogue does not often stop. It leaps from topic to topic like a monkey from branch to branch in a tree. The name we give to this often mindless mental chatter is called "Monkey Mind."
Seeing Your Thoughts
This week's skills practice lays the foundation for beginning to see your monkey mind.
If you aren't already doing this week's foundational skills practice, check out Using Your Breath as Home (Week 3) to learn more.
Tuesdays – Word of the Week
This day is dedicated to key terms and definitions to help you gain a better understanding and increase your mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and educational leadership vocabulary.
Learning and Education Blog
Covering everything from mindfulness, educational leadership skills, and emotional intelligence.


A blog posted by Professor Maud Hickey on the Huffington Post website in December 2015 extols the value of music classes to teenagers at a detention centre in Chicago.
Professor Hickey is an Associate Professor and the Co-ordinator of Music Education at Northwestern University, and has been facilitating a computer music composition class for the past five years at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago.
The nearly 700 residents who have been students in the classes have been composing prolifically and passionately about their hopes and dreams, their past and future lives, and their everyday distresses. For most of them, this was the first time they were asked – and allowed – to share feelings through a creative outlet. For nearly all of them, it was the first time they had stood proudly in front of their families, teachers and detention centre staff to play music they created after weeks of hard work.
“Research on the effectiveness of arts education in detention centers is scant but growing,” said Professor Hickey. “In the recently published Oxford Handbook of Social Justice in Music Education, my review of the research literature on music programs in detentions centers found that music programs produced extra-musical psychological outcomes, such as improved confidence and self-esteem, improvement in learning skills, as well as improved behavior and reduced recidivism.
“Harnessing the work around arts education in detention centers in order to organize and advocate for the integration of creative art making in these facilities is worthwhile. These programs provide humane and positive outlets for incarcerated youth. However there is a need for more research to show the effectiveness of these programs in order to get the attention of policy and curriculum writers.
“Though providing creative arts education in detention centers may not save lives, it will change lives. And that gives all of us hope.”


Elementary Education: Literacy/Curriculum
The Curriculum and Literacy Program is intended for certified, practicing classroom teachers who have a strong interest in teaching literacy in grades K-6 or developing their content knowledge in elementary education and curriculum theory.
This program provides an in-depth view of reading and writing research, curriculum theories and content information, and the application of theory to classroom teaching.
Program candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery of the following:
- The candidate will enhance their knowledge of curriculum theory and development.
- The candidate will refine and expand skills in reading and applying educational research.
- The candidate will explore how one can provide teacher leadership in curriculum or literacy.
For a full list of required courses and program information, please visit the Graduate Catalog.
Advisor: Dr. Deanna Michael


Many EFL teachers, particularly those of struggling learners, reject using first rate online materials mainly because they feel their students can’t deal with the vocabulary or the sentence structures. Sometimes this may be a wise decision but in many cases wonderful opportunities are missed.
Identifying these opportunities all depends on employing “the art of SOME”. The activity called Wacky Web Tales is a great example of this.
To create a Wacky Web Tale, student first see a series of prompts, asking them to fill in a noun, an adjective, a large number, the name of a song, etc. All they know about the story they are going to get is the title. I chose, for our example, an absolute all time favorite called Simply Delicious .
This is the part that is so incredible from the teacher’s point of view, particularly so when the students realize how these stories work. Suddenly these struggling learners ask to be reminded what a noun/verb is. These distinctions very important for such students. One of the reading comprehension strategies they need to acquire is how to decide which words to look up in the dictionary (verbs often give the most meaningful information in a sentence, for example) and then how to choose the definition/translation suitable for their context when they do turn to the dictionary. English is a language full of words that have a different meaning as different parts of speech!
It gets better.
Students are motivated to dream up what they deem to be interesting answers, so that their story will be funny. Since they usually don’t know many of the words they want to use, they look them up! These aren’t words I, the teacher, asked them to use – they are self-motivated to look up these words. That’s what I call meaningful learning!
Even spelling comes up! Two 16 year old girls in my class (it’s a great activity for pairwork) today argued about the correct spelling of “beautiful” and “Italy” . Without my intervention they corrected their own spelling!
Now we get to the second part. When the students have filled in all the missing words they click to see their completed story. Here’s the “Simpy Delicious” story I created:
There are many difficult and unknown words in the completed text, which in this case is a recipe. But that doesn’t matter at this stage. I have no problem supplying any unfamiliar word (and they can read the words they inserted themselves!) as this is the stage to share a good laugh with the silly story they created. Remember “the art of the some”! We’ve done plenty of meaningful learning!
While the site is geared at 3rd grade American children, I find it suitable for use with struggling students with poor vocabularies in junior high-school and high-school as well. I haven’t tried it with adults.
It’s great to be wacky sometimes – enjoy!


Music can work miracles. It can soften a man’s heart like David’s harp, or liberate families like Julie Andrew’s voice did, and even safeguard from pain and misery like Cecilia’s organ. Listening to music has known therapeutic effects. It can create a feeling of togetherness as in a soccer stadium but also loneliness in case of the Bavarian king Ludwig II who had created a hide out to listen to his favorite music. A particular music piece can take you away while it stays in your head. It communicates with you (1). All these valuable effects and impacts are hardly ever recognized by the educational arena. Music and its deployment in the curriculum has been diminished over the years. Listening to, communicating through, practicing with.. – not much of it is left in our schools. Still, music can do educational wonders too.
To testify this an older study (first published in 1999) was found in the International Journal of Music Education. It narrates about a program in which parents were invited to their school to be involved in music experiences with their own child(ren): listening to pieces of music, communicating through instruments, practicing small compositions. The author found that parents began to relate to their child far beyond the musical and improved their parenthood.
We seem to have forgotten about the educational value of music in our school curriculum (2) but music is the ‘soundscape’ of youth, an environment from which identities are derived (manifest in clothing, communicating, and life orientations). Isn’t it then strange to note that music is so absent in schools? The wisdom contained in the cited study is that music can bridge between generational identities; thus connecting teachers with students, recognizing diversity, and experiencing common grounds. It will do well for schools to embrace music again and thus keep preferences of students oriented towards education.
Can music help to improve parent-child communication? Learning music with parents ; an Argentine experience by Dina Poch de Gratzer. International Journal of Music education (1999) 34. 47-56.