Cross–posted from the J-PAL blog.
How can policymakers integrate lessons from innovations proven to be effective in another context? Learning journeys can play a key role in understanding the implementation and context details which drove a program’s impact and might help or hinder success in a new context. As part of J-PAL Africa’s ongoing support to Zambia’s Ministry of General Education in implementing an evidence-informed remedial education program, two Ministry officials and J-PAL Africa policy staff undertook a learning journey to the state of Gujarat, India.
The Ministry hopes to pilot and scale a “Catch Up” program based on the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) pedagogical approach. This program aims to improve the basic literacy and numeracy skills of primary school students by grouping them according to ability and providing them with instruction tailored to their learning level. Pratham, a large education-focused NGO based in India, developed and refined the TaRL approach over the last two decades. Pratham also partnered with J-PAL affiliated researchers to evaluate this approach and, after the results of the evaluation demonstrated that TaRL improved student learning, has worked with J-PAL South Asia to scale it up in various states in India.
Rigorous evidence that a program model has worked is only one piece of the puzzle when attempting to use evidence from one context in another.i Policymakers must also understand important underlying contextual factors both where the program was implemented and in the next context. Additionally, policymakers must consider how the program was carried out and any key components that drove success. Seeing a program in action within its original context is one means to gain knowledge that will support its implementation in a new context.
Two officials from the Directorate of Standards at Zambia’s Ministry of General Education who are heading the Catch Up program—Mr. Mahuba Hazemba, Senior Officer, and Mrs. Mercy Mwiya, Principal Officer—travelled to observe Pratham’s TaRL program in schools. The group observed two program models: a learning camp model, where students receive remedial instruction for 3 hours a day over a few weeks, and a teacher-led model with 1.5 hours of teaching per day throughout the school year. They additionally met with Gujarat government officials, as well as Pratham and J-PAL South Asia staff working on scaling up the program in Gujarat. The Zambian officials also heard from teachers about their experiences and learned about the support teachers receive when delivering the program.
In carrying over learnings of the trip to the Zambia’s Catch Up program, Mr. Hazemba noted:
“What we have noted that is key to the success of the program is the teamwork between stakeholders, including the government, Pratham, and J-PAL. All three groups have a part to play in the success of the program… Also important is assessment and monitoring…”
The Zambia Ministry of General Education plans to pilot the Catch Up program beginning in November 2016. The pilot will test two models similar to those observed in Gujarat. The results of the pilot will help the Ministry of General Education decide if and how to bring the program to scale in Zambia.
Zambia’s Ministry of General Education and J-PAL Africa are partnering with a few other organizations to implement the Catch Up program. ZESSTA, the Technical Assistance component of the Education Sector Budget Support Program in Zambia will develop teaching materials for each school. VVOB, a Belgian strategic partner to the Ministry of General Education, provide training and ongoing support to monitors throughout the course of the pilot.
i For more information on how J-PAL approaches bringing a program from one context to another, watch J-PAL’s Executive Director Rachel Glennerster present on generalizability at the International Growth Centre.


What are Learning Disabilities?
Learning disabilities are diagnosed difficulties in specific thinking skills, which may make school difficult for youngsters. Students with learning disabilities generally have at least average intelligence, but they struggle in one or two subjects. The difficulties cannot be due to problems with hearing or seeing and they cannot be attributable to a deficit in a related skill that negatively affects assessment of the learning disability such as attention, impulsivity or memory. They are not the result of lack of instruction.
Reading disorders are the most common type of learning disability. Students with reading disorders often have trouble with phonics (letter sounds), speech, and word reading. Students with reading disorders may have trouble processing and putting together the separate sounds in words. They may have problems with reading speed or comprehension.
Students with writing disorders may have problems with handwriting, grammar, and/or written expression. Handwriting difficulties may be due to poor eye-hand coordination. Other students with writing disorders may have trouble putting their thoughts onto paper.
Math disorders affect math fact skills, math calculation skills, and/or math problem-solving. Students with math disorders may have trouble with visual spatial tasks.
Signs and Symptoms
Here are some common signs of learning disabilities:
|Reading Disorder Symptoms||Writing Disorder Symptoms||Math Disorder Symptoms|
Learning disabilities are often genetic and run in families. They may also develop from prenatal alcohol or drug exposure, lead poisoning, poor nutrition, seizures, head injuries, and treatments for childhood cancer. However, the cause is often not entirely clear.
- Accommodations help students complete the same curriculum as their peers. Examples include extra time to complete tasks, shortened assignments, recorded books, use of a calculator, and seating near the teacher. Public schools are required to provide accommodations to students with learning disabilities.
- Modifications are changes to the curriculum. For example, a special education teacher might provide instruction at the student’s academic level. Public schools must modify the school work if accommodations are not enough to help the student. Generally, the earlier the intervention the better.
- Reading disorders can be treated with one-on-one instruction by a reading specialist. This instruction may focus on how to blend letter sounds together into words. Treatment may include instruction in phonics (decoding sounds), spelling, reading speed, or reading comprehension.
- Handwriting problems may be treated with by an occupational therapist (OT), who helps with coordination, finger strength, and writing letters.
- Written expression disorders may be treated by helping students organize their thoughts before writing.
- Math disorders may be treated through strategies that help the student solve problems step-by-step. In addition, students may learn math facts through stories or songs.
With proper early intervention, students with learning disabilities can be as successful in school as their peers.
- Learning Disabilities Association of America: https://ldaamerica.org/resources/
- National Center for Learning Disabilities: https://www.ncld.org/


Turkey's young people are struggling to turn their educations into work opportunities. University is a privilege, with the vast majority of Turks not making the cut. Half of the country's young today do not finish secondary school. With poverty on the rise, school is not a priority for many Turkish families. Nearly a quarter of Turkey's 74m people are children aged six to 17 years, according to the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO). Not since the beginning of the republic has Turkey's future relied more on its youth.
One in 10 children - 1.85m - work for small businesses, on the street or as seasonal agricultural workers. Attempting to reverse this trend, the government is increasing the amount of money it puts toward education. If their children attend school, poor families receive monthly government grants of $15-20 per child, funded in part by a $250m World Bank programme.
Research done by the research centre for women's studies at local Ege University showed that as of 2007, roughly 8m Turkish women are illiterate. More than 640,000 girls do not attend school in Turkey and only 3% of women receive university educations. In an effort to close the gender gap, the government has increased grants for girls who stay in school.
In 1997, the government increased compulsory primary education from five years to eight to combine the schooling of 10.5m children ages 6 to 14. Falling into three categories, Turkish secondary schools include three-year college preparatory public or private schools and four-year vocational schools that aim to train students for the workforce. Public spending is skewed towards the elite schools, according to ministry of education figures in 2006. The state spends two times more per pupil in the selective Anatolian high schools attended by 8% of students than it does in general high schools attended by 43% of students. The remaining students attend vocational and technical schools (36%) and open education high schools (10%).
Most middle class parents are willing to spend a lot of money to prepare their children for selective high school and university exams, viewing university admission as the key to economic gain. Thousands of 14- and 15-year-old hopefuls spend a year of weekends in expensive private study centres called "dershanes", where they are filled with information necessary to pass tough entrance exams for selective high schools. Spending another year training in these study centres, nearly all third-year high school students attend preparation classes for the university entrance exam. Yet entrance to a university or college is limited to one tenth of the 1.5m students who take the exam each year.
The European Commission released a report in January that found the Turkish education system's biggest deficiency is its low capacity to develop a free market economy. Criticising the report's view of educating individuals according to market needs, Alaaddin Dincer, the president for the Education and Science Workers Trade Union, argued that this approach would commercialise education. He also said that rather than encouraging the private sector to invest in education, the state should fund education with tax revenue from the private sector.
The report called the government's plans to develop vocational education an important step toward labour compatibility. Instead of increasing the number of students in vocational schools, Turkey must increase job opportunities and wages to make way for a modern labour force, said Bahadir Aydagul, deputy coordinator of the Education Reform Initiative at the Istanbul Policy Centre. The 2006 World Bank study found that the labour market pays the same wages on average to vocational and general secondary school graduates, while university graduates are paid twice that of high school graduates.
International studies concur that the low rate (2.6%) of pre-school age children attending school in Turkey - and the lack of a plan to develop pre-schools - contribute to overall problems in education and beyond. The average rate of schooling among 3- to 4-year-olds is 67.8% for OECD countries.
Turkey's education experts are working hard to incorporate more critical thinking in the curriculum. Last year, the ministry of education introduced an "innovation" course in the primary school curriculum in which students present competitive business plans drawing on math, science and English skills. The goal is to foster employment relevance, technology and critical thinking in the next generation.
Elite private universities like Istanbul's Koc University are keeping many students whose families can afford to send them abroad for university on home turf. "Students might pursue some work or educational experience abroad but they are returning to better jobs and salaries than a decade ago. Turkey is experiencing less of a brain drain these days and more "brain circulation," Attila Askar, president of the university told OBG. "This generation needs to be very well educated and if we can increase the work opportunities for them, our future will be very bright."


A number of people preparing for their professional numeracy skills test are also looking to prepare for a GCSE Maths resit at the same time and because the cross over in terms of topics is so prominent it makes sense to revise for both at the same time. However, although the topics are similar there is much more to cover for the GCSE and the question types vary quite a lot, especially because the format of the exams is so different. Therefore it is essential to access the right revision materials for each subject. The best GCSE Maths revision materials can be found at Maths Made Easy. The following links will take you to relevant resources.


As an educator, you have probably already heard of phonics. But chances are that no one has ever sat down with you to explain exactly what phonics instruction is. That’s where we come in – with the help of phonics expert Wiley Blevins, we have compiled the basic information that you need to know before teaching phonics.
What is phonics?
Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and their spellings.
The goal of phonics instruction is to teach students the most common sound-spelling relationships so that they can decode, or sound out, words.
This decoding ability is a crucial element in reading success.
Why is phonics instruction important?
Most poor readers tend to rely so heavily on one reading strategy, such as the use of context and picture clues, that they exclude other strategies that might be more appropriate. To become skilled, fluent readers, children need to have a repertoire of strategies to draw on. These strategies include using a knowledge of sound-spelling relationships — in other words, an understanding of phonics. In addition, research has shown that skilled readers attend to almost every word in a sentence and process the letters that compose each of these words.
Therefore, phonics instruction plays a key role in helping students comprehend text. It helps the student map sounds onto spellings, thus enabling them to decode words. Decoding words aids in the development of word recognition, which in turn increases reading fluency. Reading fluency improves reading comprehension because as students are no longer struggling with decoding words, they can concentrate on making meaning from the text.
In addition, phonics instruction improves spelling ability because it emphasizes spelling patterns that become familiar from reading. Studies show that half of all English words can be spelled with phonics rules that relate to one letter to one sound.
How should you structure phonics instruction?
Continue Reading at Scholastic.com


Although 13 days shy of my 5th birthday, I clearly remember listening to a series of beeps coming from our big black desktop radio on 4 Oct 1957. The Soviet Union had launched the world’s first satellite Sputnik I and placed it into orbit in space. Even though I had no idea what a satellite was, I understood my parents’ concern that our nation was in danger. That concern was shared by practically every adult in the nation and translated into public policy. The federal government poured money into improving math and science education.
Americans won the race to the moon as a result of the science and technology focus, and students who studied science during this period went on to invent the personal computer, advanced medical technology, vehicles that have probed our solar system and beyond, and Velcro.
Enthusiasm and respect for science has faded in the years since. The federal government has other priorities, space shuttle launches are being phased out, and Hollywood and the news media no longer treat people in science as stars. In the first seven years of this century, the number of people entering science and engineering grew at the smallest rate since the National Science Foundation began keeping track of the numbers in the 1950s. Science scores put American students in the middle compared to other countries, behind nations like Japan, Russia, Singapore, and Hungary.
Science educators and researchers consider these four areas in most need for reform:
- Standards. Many experts feel that students study too many science topics, but not in enough depth. “Many existing national, state, and local standards and assessments, as well as curricula in use in the United States, contain too many disconnected topics given equal priority,” a 2006 report from the National Research Council found.
- Elementary Education. A recent study published in the International Journal of Science Education found that 65 percent of scientists said their interest in science began before middle school. Women were more likely than men to report that their interest was sparked by school-related activities.
- Curriculum. Science education experts want to see more inquiry and problem-solving in science classrooms. There is some movement in that direction. The College Board is revising its AP science courses to reduce emphasis on memorizing facts.
- Teachers. Many people with science majors don’t teach math. Only 40% of fifth grade students are taught science by teachers with science degrees. About one-third of high school physics teachers have a major in phyics or physics education. The National Science Teachers Association has pushed to pay science teachers more than teachers in other subject areas.


International literacy Day
UNESCO marked September 8 as International Literacy Day in 1965. Since then, this annual occasion sees schools, organisations and communities working to nurture literacy around the world. The objective of the day is to raise awareness about increasing accessibility to literacy for those most disadvantaged. In celebration, 3D Printworks would like to discuss how our industry, the 3D printing industry, could be mobilised in aid of this cause.
3D Printed Learning Aids
A research project which features 3D printing and literacy development took place at the Seoul National School for the Blind in 2016. After observing that many visually impaired students aged 3-5 lacked fundamental literacy skills, the faculty at the school began to experiment with 3D printed resources.
One of the learning aids printed is this Hangul writing stencil. This item uses braille to help students identify Korean characters. These items being 3D printed is important as it allows customisable learning aids to be cheap and accessible.
Removing obstacles for disadvantaged children is always positive and this project has helped conceptualise how 3D printing could help meet the educational needs of such individuals. The results were promising, improvements in "grip power" were observed in students using the aids. This is essential for literacy, being practiced in gripping a pencil improves students ability to communicate and express themselves.
Inspired by these efforts, 3DPrintworks have decided to print our own learning aid. We want to demonstrate how simple and useful 3D printing can be for this application. The tool we printed is a braille version of a phonetic literacy cube. We found this design on Thingyverse from user Sauer. The cube is a simple puzzle used to teach visually impaired children aged 4-8 literacy skills. The aid features 3 cubes connected by a twistable join. Each face of each cube has a different braille pattern which correlates to a letter in the alphabet. By twisting the cubes into sequence, you can create 16 real and nonsense 3 letter words in a CVC (consonant vowel consonant) combinations.
In the office we have had a lot of fun solving the puzzle and learning braille as we do so. It is great to see 3D printing’s potential for interactive education first hand. We printed the cube using our "Dark Grey PLA". It is easy to customise the letters, If you look on the Thingyverse page you should see an app on the right marked “open in customizer”.
This will take you to an extension which allows users to easily input the letters you would like to appear in braille on the cube. This extension directly alter the CAD design to do so. This feature demonstrates why 3D printing is essential to the advancement of special needs education. The ability to customise these learning aids in such a user friendly way enables carers and educations to cater to the specific needs of students easily and quickly.
As pointed out in the afore mentioned research article
“customized learning materials are often difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to produce”.
Additive manufacturing technology allows for relatively cheap manufacturing of small, specific items and in doing so enables more people to get tailored support. We have exampled literacy, however almost all subjects can benefit from 3D printed visualizations. Biology and 3D printed enzymes or Maths and this 3D printed “parabola manipulative” for instance.
All these manifestations highlight the world changing usefulness of 3D printing. A whole new dimension of interactive teaching is being opened for young people, just imagine how different education would have been for you if technology like this was accessible during your time at school. The possibilities for 3D printing in education seem endless. The way it can make education more inclusive by enabling disadvantaged students is particularly promising and we would love to see more applications of 3D Printing within schools.
Information about how you can make this happen in your local school institution can be found here.
In the spirit of international literacy day, I would like to conclude this article with a shout out to the fantastic work Scottish Libraries have done to increase access to 3D printing in communities across the nation. Since 2016 every Scottish library service now offers 3D printing . Dundee Central Library was the first UK public library to offer the service, which has been used to print book characters which are used to support creative writing and storytelling for people with learning disabilities.
3D Printworks offers professional printing services to make your projects a reality. If you work in education or have a business or project you think may benefit from 3D printing then please contact us here and a member of our team will guide you through the processes from concept to creation.
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What is student-friendly design process thinking?
According to John Spencer, student-friendly design thinking follows a cycle that he calls the LAUNCH cycle. Students look, listen, and learn. Then they ask tons of questions. They understand the process or problem through deeper research which leads them to navigate ideas and create a prototype. Finally they highlight what is working and fix what is failing.
Another key characteristic of design thinking is giving equal value to the process as to the product. It’s not about the destination. This can be tough in any field where you often are judged by the tangible results of your work, such as standardized evaluations where the number on the page is the end all and be all. But, much of the learning children do is totally invisible. It isn’t all about the facts kids recite or the number of books they read in a semester. It’s about the kind of person they are becoming.
Nurtures Greater Resourcefulness
Design thinking is the key to navigating the maze of jobs and problems of real life after school. According to Spencer, design thinking teaches students determination, workarounds, good citizenship, and adaptability. The old model of getting good grades, graduating college, and climbing a corporate ladder simply is no longer a reality.
A great example is Abby Schukei’s article about how art education can foster better digital citizens in which she shares actual tools and lessons that teachers can use. Like Spencer says, design process thinking “doesn’t show up on the test, but it shows up in life!”
Develops Resilience and Skills for Real World Situations
Many teachers will be able to tell you that kids practice design process thinking already if you let them; they play. Research such as Dr. Peter Gray’s has shown just how essential play is in reducing student depression and anxiety. According to Gray, increasingly product-driven schooling give students the sense that they don’t have any control over their futures.
Unfortunately for students, play is often cast aside as a waste of time, but it is essential to practicing for real world situations. If we let students self-direct, they develop the resilience and skills they need. This is true for learners of all ages. Tim Brown’s TED Talk Tales of Creativity and Play is full of fun examples about the relationship between play and creativity.
Adaptability and Open-Mindedness Encourages Creative Life-Long Learning
“Teachers are content experts, but they’re also kid experts,” says Spencer. They know what kids need and should be given space to design learning processes around their students’ needs. Design process thinking brings together structured problem solving and student-driven play, but it only works if teachers and students are given space to take risks. Spencer’s LAUNCH cycle is a great framework but he also says, “the beautiful thing about frameworks is you can modify them.” Creative life-long learning is all about being adaptable and open-minded in the ways we teach and learn.
For you busy bees who want to learn more but don’t have time to wander around the internet searching and reading, this 30 minute long podcast episode, Design process thinking with John Spencer produced by Bedley Bros Edchat is perfect for your commute or doing dishes.


With the decline of music education in public schools, many public libraries are attempting to “pick up the slack” by offering early music education classes for kids. These classes not only provide a good way to make good use of your early childhood music curriculum, but also present a great way to gain new students for continued music education classes.
Approach your local public library and offer to help with an early childhood music class. Once you have your class set up, here are some tips and potential pitfalls in conducting a library toddler music program:
Have a one-minute orientation before you start your library children’s music demo class:
- Politely ask all patents to turn cell phones off for the duration of the class.
- Parents/adults are the models to the child and do everything. You may need to mention this again when you find yourself singing and moving if the parents are just sitting and eying their cell phones.
- All musical teaching aids, such as songbooks and musical instruments, go on a table out of the child’s reach so as not to distract in the beginning.
- All toddler hands must be free of stuff and ready to make music.
- Ask that no one leaves the class until the “goodbye” song.
Other tips and considerations for your early childhood music demo class:
- Assign a sticker to each child with their first name, so that you can include them in the songs you sing. This creates a personal connection with the children.
- Include some new music in your class, but don’t rule out the classics with which the kids are familiar – Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Jack and Jill (add lots of falling and rolling on the floor), Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Walk and Stop, Clap with Me, etc.
- Make sure to include the parents, asking them to participate in each class to create a more memorable experience for them and their child.
- Expect all activities to take longer with larger classes.
- Add rounds (Make New Friends is a great song for this activity.)
- Bring enough sticks and jingle bells for everyone. Drums are also very popular.
- A moment of “quiet alertness” sometime during the class. This may not happen in your public library children’s music demo class, but if it does, acknowledge the children and parents at the end.
- Keep in mind that public library classes do bring in a level of families looking for the free music appreciation event. It is your job to make it more than that and invite the transition to paid children’s music classes at your own studio. Become the music and movement expert in your community, and mention your other classes that meet in a more intimate setting.
- After the “goodbye” song, move to the doorway to wave goodbye to every child and say their name.
- Turnout is often dependent on how well your library communicates its events.
Speak with your library administrators to see how they are marketing your demo class, and if there is anything else that can be done to make it a success, such as offering posters to be placed around all of the library branches in your area.
Most important, bring your business cards, brochures and have the class material available for parents to look through. After a few weeks of mentioning the material, parents will start showing interest in continuing the early music development experience with their child.
A very special thanks to this month’s contributing Musikgarten teacher:
Ellen Johansen, Ellen Johansen Music Studio


Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements
All undergraduate students complete the Liberal Arts Curriculum as the core of their studies at Catholic University. The curriculum provides a common educational experience, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and focused on enduring questions, that fosters a holistic understanding of reality and human life. Students develop a broad and versatile set of skills and knowledge that is necessary for success in any field of study or professional work.
For most students, the Liberal Arts Curriculum requires the completion of 15 courses and a focus area. To accommodate for more extensive major requirements, students in some professional programs complete 10 courses and no focus area. Four of the 15 (or 10) liberal arts courses are part of the First-Year Experience Program and are taken in small learning communities (“LCs”).
Liberal Arts Course Requirements
The following 15 course requirements constitute the core of the Liberal Arts Curriculum. To accommodate for extensive major requirements, students in some professional programs (see “exceptions for professional schools” section below) complete only requirements 1-10. Courses that fulfill each of the liberal arts requirements are included on the back of this sheet.
- Classical Philosophy (LC course)
- Modern Philosophy (LC course)
- Foundations in Theology I (LC course)
- Foundations in Theology II (ideally taken Sophomore Year)
- Rhetoric and Composition (LC course)
- Foundations of Mathematics, Statistics, or Quantitative Reasoning
- Foundations in Natural Science
- Explorations in Literature
- Explorations in Fine Arts
- Foundations Social Science
- Philosophy elective course
- Theology elective course
- Foundations in History or Political Theory
- Intermediate Language I
- Intermediate Language II
Study of a Language to the Intermediate Level
2 of the course requirements (see 14 and 15 above) are fulfilled by the study of a language through the intermediate level (typically the 104 level). Students who have prior language experience (e.g. spoken at home or studied previously) may take a placement test to either test out of the requirement or into a higher level, potentially needing to take only one or no language courses.
The language requirement is fulfilled by one of the following:
- Completing language studies through the intermediate level of any classical or modern foreign language.
- Demonstrating fluency at the intermediate level of any language.
- Completing the Foreign Language Substitution, IF a student has a documented learning disability specific to language learning. Contact Disability Support Services to discuss the appropriate accommodations.
The focus area offers students the opportunity to build upon the 15-course core in a way particular to their preferences and interests and benefiting their academic and career goals. Specifically, the focus area is met by completing a concentration in the liberal arts, which would result in a designation of “Cardinal Scholar” upon graduation, or one of the other approved alternatives.
The focus area requirement is fulfilled by completing one of the following:
- A Liberal Arts Concentration in either liberal studies or the enduring questions
- A minor, certificate, or double major/dual degree
- The study of an additional language to the intermediate level
- The Bachelor of Science science concentration (BS students only)
- 2 honors tracks (honors students only)
Exceptions for Professional Programs
To accomodate for extensive major requirements, students in the programs listed below complete 10 liberal arts courses (requirements 1-10 in the liberal arts course requirements list above) and may have exceptions specific to their program. Additionally, students in these programs DO NOT complete the language requirement or a focus area:
- Early Childhood and Elementary Education
- Nursing BSN***
***Nursing BSN students complete only 9 liberal arts courses by picking either a Literature or Fine Arts
Additional Details and Information
Up to 2 courses may “double count” for both liberal arts and major requirements, meaning at most 2 major courses can be used to fulfill liberal arts requirements. Students should check their degree audit and consult with their advisors to identify major courses that also fulfill liberal arts requirements.
Page updated August 5, 2020


Parents are the first and most important teachers. You will see that kids of educated parents usually get college degrees and have a good successful career. Even if you are not highly qualified, you can make a great difference in the future of your children by teaching them at home. Among all subjects, you should pay special attention to mathematics. Here I have discussed why you need to give numeracy skills to your kids at home.
Math is an Essential Skill
Math is not just a subject that is used in almost every field of science. It’s also essential for surviving in this world. We use numbers in everyday life. People who don’t understand the use of numbers face many difficulties, and they get fooled by many people. By teaching mathematics, you are helping build a strong foundation to deal with the world. If they build interest in it, they will open the door to many opportunities.
You Can Make it Fun for them
Mathematics is very boring for kids because of the way it is taught at school. If they lose interest in this subject, it will make it very difficult for them to get quality higher education. They also won’t be able to join many fields like engineering and business. On top of that, it will be difficult to find a good job. Even in minor jobs, employers expect you to know basic math. You can try different math games to make it fun for them. This way, they won’t feel like they are studying; they will feel fresh and enjoy this subject.
You Can Give Personal Attention
They teach mathematics at school. However, each teacher has to deal with a class full of kids. No matter how good a teacher, it is not possible to keep track of each kid’s growth. Only a parent can offer personal attention. You will be able to see how fast they are learning. If they are slow, you can help them get back to the track. They require someone to see their weaknesses and shortcomings. Identify where they lack, be positive, and work to improve it.
Teach Practical Mathematics
Mathematics taught at school is limited to theory and books. You can take this time as an opportunity to teach numbers from a practical point of view. For example, you can start by telling them how money works. Give them minor chores that involve calculation. It gives them an understanding of how real-life works and where they will have to use mathematics.
They Learn to Focus
Kids easily lose focus. Their attention span is barely five minutes, but they might not even be able to focus on a math problem for this long. This is one of the reasons why they are unable to learn mathematics properly. You can sit with them and help them to focus on each problem by offering rewards. This ability to focus is crucial for a successful career.


Elementary education is a memorable time for students where learning is fun, hands-on, and interactive. As students progress through lower school, they are taught how to learn and given the tools to be successful in future grades.
The world is full of stories that show us how to live our lives and develop character. Students learn through sharing their experiences both in their schoolwork and daily lives. Forming a steward’s heart in PCA’s youngest students is a part of their learning experience as they are exposed to bible stories every day, worshipping God in Chapel, and participating in the school’s Spiritual Emphasis Days.
Kindergarten teachers seek to build the supporting pillars for learning during these formative years. Students explore math concepts using concrete manipulatives as they learn to identify and write numbers as well as understand one-to-one correspondence. Students develop phonemic awareness, decoding and end-coding skills, and become familiar with sight words – the most commonly used words in the English language. Age-appropriate reading comprehension skills and vocabulary skills taught in the classroom reinforce the concepts that build on the foundations of reading. Kindergarten students attend auxiliary classes in Spanish, Art, and Music. Structured physical education classes and recesses serve to develop physical agility and strength.
Early Elementary: Grades 1-3
As students learn to embrace their God-given strengths and talents, PCA’s Christian teachers provide research-proven techniques to lead students in learning to read, write, calculate, and explore nature with plenty of time to sing, dance, draw, play and laugh. Lower school classes are small enough to allow students to build meaningful relationships with teachers and receive individualized attention.
Technology is utilized to enhance learning in the classroom and provide students with a world of educational tools and experiences through iPads and Chromebooks. Lower school students attend auxiliary classes in Spanish, Art, and Music. Structured physical education classes and recesses serve to develop physical agility and strength while promoting fun.
Elementary: Grades 4-5
As students continue to grow in maturity and their walk with Christ, they are encouraged to discover truths about themselves and the world around them. Daily Bible classes and bi-weekly Chapels, led by local youth ministers and PCA’s faculty members, guide them through this process.
A balanced curriculum and changing of classes to rotate between teachers provide students with an increased level of responsibility as they prepare for middle school. Language arts, math, science, and social studies are the core classes offered in addition to auxiliary classes in Spanish, Art, Music, and IDEA Lab. Classes are small enough to allow for differentiation and collaboration between classmates and teachers. Hands-on technology and learning the proper use of devices build on academic foundations. Structured physical education classes and recesses serve to develop physical agility and strength while promoting fun.
Elementary Organizations and Clubs
National Honor Society; an average score of 90 is required from previous year’s grades
Annual Art and Drama Presentation
Elementary Academic Competitions
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Zane Blozer National Handwriting Contest
National Geographic Geography Bee


In order to meet the challenges of rapidly changing cultural life in the twenty-first century, professional musicians need to be lifelong learners, drawing on a wide range of knowledge and skills. To be succesful in a variety of roles, they require a reflective and responsive attitude to change. This chapter addresses the concept and meaning of lifelong learning among professional musicians, as well as the ways institutions and teachers can facilitate attitudes and capacities for lifelong learning.
|Title of host publication||Special needs, community music, and adult learning|
|Subtitle of host publication||an Oxford handbook of music education|
|Editors||Gary E. McPherson, Graham F. Welch|
|Place of Publication||New York|
|Publisher||Oxford University Press (New York)|
|Publication status||Published - 2018|
- lifelong learning


Our Autumn themed half-term continued this week with apple and ginger muffin making. Led by Mandy, the children are participating in a baking session using the seasons apple harvest (fresh from Mandy’s garden). With all the ingredients assembled, the children help to count spoonfuls of oil, smell the ginger and taste the chopped apple going into the buns. Mandy explains that it is harvest time; that the flour in the mix comes from wheat growing in farmers fields, and apples from trees at this time of year. Finally the children are invited to taste the muffins and take one home. We think they are enjoying them.
Our Autumn display shows the conkers, cones and acorns that we can see in the environment around us. Some children have brought in leaves to contribute to the display. Please help them to continue doing so. We encourage the children to explore these natural objects, feel the texture and observe changing colours. Sometimes we can help to provide vocabulary that describes their observations and by doing so help children to build one of the skills required for literacy development.


By Erin E. Harrel, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education at Edison State College
and Joyce Rollins, Professor, Education M.A., Mary Robertson, Professor of Mathematics Education,
Anne Angstrom, Ph.D., Professor of Middle Grades Language Arts
Teachers in the world today not only have the responsibility of teaching our children, but they have to be trained to recognize various health and social issues that may be taking place in a student’s life. As adults, we understand ourselves and can monitor our own health, or take steps to correct issues in our lives. Children, however, present a multitude of issues at school as basic as not feeling well, to stress, to food insecurity, and are often unaware of how to seek help. Edison State College’s School of Education offers multiple programs to prepare teachers for Elementary, Middle and Secondary school careers.
In the Elementary Education program, all college students participate in a Health and Recreation course. This course instructs teacher candidates how to look for signs of abuse and depression in students, as well as the proper procedures to follow when they suspect these circumstances. Teacher candidates explore the signs and causes of bullying and prepare themselves to integrate preventative measures and positive citizenship in the curriculum. It also informs future teachers how to incorporate recreation into all subject areas. Working with parents and the community to address issues of food insecurity, proper nutrition, and healthy home habits is often addressed with the elementary teacher candidates to prepare them to become activists within their school community.
All middle school and secondary programs require the teacher candidates to create a lesson plan centered on a social justice issue. This assignment encourages teacher candidates to be aware of the child’s total health and wellbeing as well as instate an awareness of a global society. These critical tasks are designed to inform teacher candidates about the importance of discussing issues relating to social justice and diversity within the classroom. Programs like this reinforce the concept of social justice and make teacher candidates aware of the child’s total health and wellbeing. Teacher candidates also learn ways to write about bullying awareness and prevention by using fiction and non-fiction texts which deal with these issues to launch discussions with students. All of the experiences taught in this course not only cover being aware of health symptoms, but being fully aware of the entire wellbeing of the student with their daily activities at school and at home.
At Edison State College, we feel it is imperative to take our teaching and learning experiences out of the classroom. All teacher candidates are required to complete 30 hours of Service Learning. Through these service opportunities future teachers gain experience in dealing with parents and community members and often have the ability to teach health and wellness outside of the standard curriculum. For example, many teacher candidates participate in the afterschool ArtFest/ESC School of Education Art program. ArtFest Fort Myers supplies all of the art supplies and Edison State College School of Education students fa-cilitate the afterschool program free of charge to elementary school students. This year the program is being offered at two Title I elementary schools. This gives students the opportunity to participate in art activities that are not otherwise offered in the regular school day. This also allows teacher candidates to spend time with the students and get to know their personalities so that throughout the program, they can recognize any changes.
Edison State College – www.edison.edu | 800-749-2322


Education is a vital thing in everyone’s life. It is the process of gaining knowledge in different areas and understanding the surrounding world. Studying is not limited to what an individual gains from academic institutions; it also includes the knowledge one gets informally from life experience and older generations. Education offers a means to acquire knowledge regarding various topics and then implementing it to improve people’s lives. It starts from childhood, where kids learn everything from what is happening around them. (These first years from birth show us why it’s so important to treat both boys and girls equally.)
Education initially took on the form of oral tradition, the aim being to preserve the cultural knowledge from generation to generation. Though the transfer of knowledge from the older generation to the younger generation is still relevant, the process has changed over time. Nowadays, schools, colleges and universities are considered to be the main educational institutions. The medium through which education is provided is continuously evolving to make the process of learning easier for both learners and teachers.
Evolution of the Concept of Education
The concept of education started way back in prehistoric times, and the primary intent was the same as it is today — to teach someone and to share knowledge. This approach included storytelling, imitation, paintings and various other things that ensured that the learner had understood the subject. As mentioned earlier, the primary aim of studying was to learn how to best preserve cultural and social knowledge; this knowledge would then be passed on to the younger generation, who will then forward it to the next generation and so on. Nowadays, society is highly influenced by the history of our ancestors, and the focus on preserving culture and sharing it with younger people remains the same.
With the increase in the dependence of human development on education, the governments of the majority of countries have made it mandatory for children under 18-years-old. This was made to ensure that future generations have enough knowledge to make reasonable choices that help their country’s overall growth. Even now, in some regions, women cannot get access to education, which results in a low literacy rate among women. Fortunately, the amount of girls who know at least how to write and read is continuously increasing. To uplift the country, education of the whole population is required.
Importance of Education
It’s necessary to educate children from a younger age, so when they reach adulthood, they can understand reality better and make decisions that influence not only their own lives but society in general. Education also plays a significant role in enhancing the experience of any adult who wants to bring a positive change in society.
Most of the developed world gives priority to educational institutions as a necessary thing for the country’s growth. The United States makes it mandatory for children to have elementary education, which results in a high literacy rate. The country has many people that contribute to the country’s growth, and this is because of education. Apart from that, the U.S. is continuously launching new reforms so that the children can learn more with less effort. Many schools have started online classes and interactive approaches to increase interest in the studying process.
The situation is changing both for teachers and students as well. Most students nowadays are occupied with part-time jobs on top of studying just to stay afloat financially. However, sometimes, it became too much, and they don’t have time to complete their academic tasks. Usually, they don’t have enough time to do their homework due to a tight schedule, and they might think, “Who will do my homework?“ or “How will I complete the school work?” To solve this problem, students can search for help from professionals online.
No matter how difficult it can be to study, it’s vital to remember that education is a privilege that every person should appreciate. It affects our lives significantly and offers us lots of opportunities. It’s our choice to use them or not, but it’s definitely better to have this choice and we should be grateful.


€10.00 inc. VAT
• This edition of Figure it Out 5 has been completely revised to take account of the objectives as set out in the Revised Mathematics Primary School Curriculum.
• The programme is fully covered, including new topics and approaches.
• In line with the recommendations of the Primary Curriculum Support Programme, Active Learning is encouraged throughout.
• Consequently, the more difficult written work is preceded by mental mathematical activities, where appropriate, to facilitate greater conceptual understanding.
• Emphasis is placed on number work throughout the book, while special attention is given to problem-solving - an area highlighted in the Revised Curriculum.
• Regular Test Yourself sections provide ample practice and consolidation work.


Every culture in the world has its own kind of music that is appreciated by all ages over every continent. Although every culture is different, music unifies all races and has been used through history for different events and for enjoyment purposes. For this reason, music is important to world cultures and continues to be created over the decades, there are a couple of important facts to know.
1. It Makes it Effortless to Celebrate
Music is played at every sort of party, which includes weddings, graduations, and birthday celebrations. It is regarded as a way to have fun and workout excitement or joy which you might be experiencing at the moment.
2. Music Is a Type of Expression
Musicians are proven to express themselves through song and tune to communicate how they are feeling in life, which makes it possible for listeners to associate and find comfort in the music.
3. It Allows Us to Dance
Music inspires individuals in every culture around the globe to dance and say how they feel along with the motion.
4. It Continues to Evolve
Music is not stagnant and continues to alter and change in each time period. New artists that earn an online master of music education often learn different melodies and noises from historic music and change it to make it contemporary.
5. It’s an Art Form
People who are creative and desire a socket can create different kinds of music, which enables them to place art out into the world and share it with other individuals. It’s something to be shared that is unifying because people can relate to the songs and feel inspired by it.
6. Coffee is Intimate
Music is remarkably romantic and allows artists to communicate a message or emotion which they might not be in a position to communicate with their voice and reveals a deeper part of that they are.
7. It Is a Type of Communication
A lot of people struggle with communicating with other people but may declare how they feel with a song they write or have noticed, making it easier to express themselves without having fear or intimidation.
Though most people have their own preference for the type of music that they like listening to, each culture can agree that the tunes are still an important part of life by expressing ourselves as human beings. By enjoying the art kind, it makes it easy to combine and connect to other people that are different than those.


The act of handwriting engages and integrates the visual, motor, and oral language systems and handwriting is related to language and literacy development. Research supports an important role for handwriting in the development of reading and spelling skills.
- Describe brain-based models of written language development and the rationale for using a speech-to-print (vs. print-to-speech) approach to instruction and intervention.
- Outline the cognitive processes of spelling and handwriting.
- Describe the research-documented impact of handwriting on reading and on spelling.
- Identify the gross motor, fine motor, and oculomotor skills that underlie handwriting and describe activities for the development of these foundational skills.
- Demonstrate and explain rationale for activities that integrate principles of handwriting with word study instruction.
- Understand the role of handwriting in functional brain development. Become familiar with brain-imaging research which demonstrates the role of handwriting for recruitment and integration of brain regions that underlie successful reading and spelling.
- Acquire knowledge and skill in developing students’ foundational skills for handwriting. Gain insights into the importance of gross motor, fine motor, and oculomotor skills and acquire ideas for related instructional activities.
- Learn how to apply principles of handwriting development in word study instruction. View demonstrations of activities that facilitate integration of motor, visual, and oral language systems and receive answers to commonly-asked questions including, “Should my student say the letter names or phonemes when writing letters? How do I help a student who reverses letters such as b/d? Should my student use manuscript or cursive?”.


What Was the Missouri Compromise?
And Other Questions about the Struggle over Slavery
From the Series Six Questions of American History
When the Missouri Territory applied for statehood in 1818, the United States had an equal number of free states and slave states. The territory’s leaders wanted Missouri to be a slave state. But that would have destroyed the balance of representation in Congress. A heated debate broke out. The southern representatives and Missouri’s leaders thought states should be able to decide the slavery question for themselves. Northern members of Congress thought otherwise. Would the Union split apart over the question of slavery? The Missouri Compromise settled the argument and saved the Union—temporarily.
So why was the Missouri Compromise of 1820 so controversial?
Who was the great compromiser?
What were the terms of the Missouri Compromise?
Discover the facts about one of the most debated compromises in U.S. history.
|Interest Level||Grade 4 - Grade 6|
|Reading Level||Grade 5|
|Publisher||Lerner Publishing Group|
|Imprint||Lerner Publications ™|
|Number of Pages||48|
|Reading Counts! Level||5.5|
|Dimensions||7 x 9|
|Guided Reading Level||T|
|ATOS Reading Level||6.2|
|Accelerated Reader® Quiz||149575|
|Accelerated Reader® Points||1.0|
|Features||Bibliography/further reading, Index, Sidebars, Source notes, Table of contents, Teaching Guides, Timeline, Websites, and eSource|
Author: Wendy Hinote Lanier
Wendy Lanier is an author, teacher, and speaker who lives in Beaumont, Texas. She has written books for Lerner Books, Capstone Press, Lucent Books, and KidHaven Press. She also regularly contributes work to various magazines and websites. Wendy has a B.S. in Speech Communication Disorders and a M.Ed. in Elementary Education. She has taught grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 specializing in the areas of science, social studies, and language arts. She began writing full time in 2008 after teaching for nearly twenty years.
Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!
Six Questions of American History
Explore pivotal moments in US history, from colonial times to the Civil War. Discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how of important events such as the Pilgrims settling at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Writing exercises at the… View available downloads →


Women in Art
‘..we were told that using the word ‘women’ in the exhibition title was not appropriate so we could not use this word in the Japanese title…’
These words are from the curator of Soaring Voices, an exhibition of women ceramic artists first held at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in 2009 and then toured internationally. They reflect the continuing difficulties for women artists in Japan to be recognized for their achievements. In this, as in other areas of Japanese art, recognition and acclaim has been strongest in the West.
Relatively free from the prejudices of the male-dominated world of Japanese art, we can freely use the word ‘women’ in our exhibition title. March 2012 celebrates International Women’s Day with the aim to mark ‘the economic, political and social achievements of women’ and is the catalyst for this exhibition which explores the role of women in Japanese art as both creator and created, as source and muse.
The social changes and increasing affluence of post-war Japan created opportunities for women in education. The introduction and development of academic institutions, particularly those dedicated to the arts, enabled women, generally prevented from entering the traditional studio apprentice system, to be trained in the technical aspects of traditional crafts. Kyoto University of Arts opened to women in 1945 and Tokyo University of the Arts in 1952. The influence of Western art historians also introduced concept and individual expression to Japanese art education.
Women as creative artists are featured in ceramics, glass, metalwork and jewellery. Kishi Eiko and Kitamura Tsuruyo are well established significant ceramic artists in Japan and internationally. Akagawa Mihori is a younger artist, recipient of the Emerging Artist’s Award at the influential Women’s Association of Ceramic Art Exhibition of 2002. Iwata Ruri continues the significant work of three generations of glass artists. Nakano Kaoru creates unique inspiring art jewellery from Japanese paper and Kidera Yuko is a pioneer in the world of metal.
As ‘created’, women feature in the art of all times. The 11th century classic novel Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu, a woman of the Court, highlights the life of women as objects of male fascination and desire and provides a continuing wellspring for the decorative arts. The structural changes of Edo society, the growth of merchant culture and the courtesans of the Yoshiwara continued to see women portrayed in the art of ukiyoe. The Westernization of Japan and new roles for women inspired internationally renowned print artist Ikeda Masuo to question women’s loss of identity.
It is in the work of contemporary women artists in Japan that we see the force of Japanese tradition combine with the power of creativity from a perspective freed from that very tradition.


In a previous blog post, I announced my excitement for becoming a certified Software and Data Carpentry instructor. As I complete my checkout process, I also wanted to recap the most important points from the training. A lab meeting presentation of this recap cis available on google slides here.
Looking forward to teaching my first workshop in the next few months!
The current goal in higher education is to create an active learning environment in the classroom. This is not new, and in fact I spent 2 years working with the Cornell Center for Teaching Excellence designing workshops using this philosophy. Often, higher education utilizes passive learning environments. The professor is the expert, and they lecture for 50 minutes alongside powerpoint slides. This format is easy to teach, it matches the traditional academic presentation style, and its fairly easy to prepare because the instructor focuses on the question: "What material should I cover?"
A wonderful outcome of active learning is that the instructor is encourage to instead ask "What should the outcome of this lesson be?" These outcomes are called learning objectives, and without them, you are teaching just to cover material. Learning Objectives describe what your students will be able to do after finishing the lesson. Learning objectives can be foundational (recite this fact, describe this model) or higher order (choose and apply the correct model to solve a real world problem).
It should be no surprise that Software and Data Carpentry workshops clearly state their learning objectives at the start of each lesson: communicating these to your students is very helpful!
The human brain has limited space for short term memory, not unlike Random Access Memory (RAM) in a computer.
Software and Data Carpentry subscribes to a model of working memory with limited cognitive load. Your working memory is fast and effective, but small. To test the limits of your working memory, you can take this test.
Most people can remember 5-7 things in the above exercise, give or take. Keep in mind that for true novices, every piece of a single concept will constitute one "thing"! Picking one higher order learning objective per lesson, and including the foundational skills required to achieve it, will almost always meet, or exceed, this limit.
When we think of school, we think tests. Tests are a great form of evaluation, but they should just be the tip of the iceberg. Sprinkling a lesson with evaluations has many benefits, such as :
Prudent use of in-class activities will allow you to evaluate your students' learning while also working to overcome the limits of short term memory.
In-class activities include all of the following examples:
etherpad is an excellent group notepad.
The most interesting portion of this training for me was the use of technology. Active learning is so difficult in an on-line session: how do you stop for evaluations or encourage students to interact?
I was also delighted that Workshops use a Jekyll template and github hosting for the website. This site is powered by the same tools!


This is your brain on music
Neuroeducation is playing a key role in the future of education, where the curriculum is based not just on teaching subjects but on preparing brains for learning. Research over the past several years has strongly identified links between language and music within the brain.
Music instruction, in particular, can directly impact and improve a child’s ability to learn. Learning music through intensive and repeated exercises can actually prepare a child’s brain for learning by increasing higher cognitive functions such as attention, focus, memory, and problem-solving.
A child’s ability to learn and process language is also greatly improved by preparing the brain to learn through learning music. Several studies have used updates in neuroscience and brain scanning to identify the effects of music education on the brain in people of all ages. In children, music lessons were shown to stimulate neural pathways in the left hemisphere, where language development is known to take place.
It is important to note the difference between passive listening to music and music education. This is a huge leap from the once-popular Baby Einstein videos, which were thought to passively affect a child’s brain development through exposure to classical music. Research has shown that passive listening to classical music can have an increased effect on productivity on repetitive tasks, but does not in any way have the same effect on the brain as learning to play or compose music.
Schools should be using this research to enhance the early education of children; instead of playing classical music and hoping that it will improve a child’s cognitive functioning, teachers could be teaching mini-lessons on music before or during language classes. Music education should be just as important as time spent on Math and Literacy.
Music can easily be incorporated into many curriculum areas. Research has also shown (and I’m sure many of you can relate) that music and songs can also dramatically improve our ability to memorize information. By actively engaging and including students in the creative process of writing songs, for example, or choreographing dances to describe scientific concepts or turning points in history, teachers can positively improve the cognitive functioning of their students, and thus, their ability to learn.
Learn more about Music Programming at Oak Learners at oaklearners.ca/fallwinter


Genes help hit the right note in musical score
Next time you hit a wrong note while singing in the shower blame it on your genes.
New research published today in the journal, Molecular Psychiatry, suggests our musical abilities may be determined by our DNA.
The research team, led by Adjunct Professor Irma Jarvela of the University of Helsinki in Finland, found musical aptitude is affected by several genes that detect and interpret sounds.
Researchers took blood samples from 767 people from 76 families, ranging in age from seven to 94 years. Some families had a strong musical tradition, boasting several professional players.
Jarvela and her colleagues unravelled the genetic code from the samples and carried out a comparison between the volunteers, looking for variants in their DNA.
They also asked the volunteers to do three musical tests. The guinea pigs were asked to distinguish between notes that had slightly different tones and durations, and to identify sequences of notes that were subtly different from each other.
Among those who performed well in these tests, the big standout was tiny but significant differences in several genes located on Chromosome 4 which help determine how we hear and perceive sound.
One variant lies on a gene called GATA2, which is important for the hair cells in the inner ear. The delicate fibres on these cells move in response to different frequencies and transmit a signal through the auditory nerve to the brain.
Another telltale variant was found in a gene called PCDH7, which plays an important role in a part of the brain called the amygdala - believed to be the driver for how we transform sounds into patterns.
Part of the answer
These are only a few of what is likely to be a bigger gene haul, but in any case DNA goes only part-way to explaining musical ability, the authors say.
According to a common theory, musical aptitude has a "primary" component - the physical ability to distinguish tones and sequences - and this is a prerequisite to a "secondary" component, the skill to play, which is dependent on one's culture and environment.
"Musical aptitude is a complex behavioural trait," Jarvela writes, stressing the team's experiments "account for only a part" of it.
"Environmental factors, such as the childhood musical environment, the example set by parents and siblings, and music education affect musical abilities," she adds.
The researchers say they plan to examine the interplay of these effects in more detail through data collected from the families via a questionnaire and from individual DNA information.


Special Education Resources
A Place of Our Own
KCET’s A Place of Our Own (Los Niños en Su Casa in Spanish) is a daily television series, a website, and an extensive outreach program devoted to the unique needs of people who care for children.
Family, friends and neighbors – everyone who takes care of young children – are child care providers. Every interaction and every activity of these adults with their charges provide valuable opportunities to help children learn and grow.
A Place of Our Own shares ways for us all to help children acquire cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills, as well as nurture language and literacy development.
The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey
The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey publishes a variety of booklets, brochures, fact sheets, and posters on brain injury topics. Our publications are available free to persons with a brain injury, family members, professionals and organizations.
Education World – Special Education
Welcome to the Education World Special Education Subject Center. Here, you will find information and tools, from Education World and other valuable sources, chosen specifically for the special education community.
Internet Special Education Resources
ISER is a nationwide directory of professionals, organizations, and schools that serve the learning disabilities and special education communities. We help parents and caregivers find local special education professionals to help with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder assessment, therapy, advocacy, critical teen issues, and other special needs.
Marc Sheehan's Special Education/Exceptionality Page
Welcome to my special education and exceptionality page. This page provides a wealth of resources for exceptional students.
ParentPals Special Education Resources
Additional resources about special education for parents and teachers alike.
PBS Parents - Inclusive Communities
Information from the PBS Parents web site regarding special education, inclusive communities, and the evaluation process.
U.S. Department of Education – Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing
AUTISM AWARENESS RESOURCES
Autism Society Tips for the Holidays
Twelve Tips for Helping People with Autism and Their Families Have a Happy Holiday.
While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of people on the autism spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are disrupted and routines broken. Our hope is that by following these few helpful tips, families may lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. The following tips were developed with input from the Autism Society, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network.
NBN Autism Program
The NBN AUTISM program is designed for children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Our mission is to provide evidenced-based, best practice strategies to maximize the personal potential of each child. Compassion and sensitivity are combined with clinical competence and expertise. While our program is based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles and practices, our team of professionals are eclectic in their approach, recognizing the importance of individualized treatment.
- Sesame Street Autism Resources for Parents
- Reduce the Noise: Help Loved Ones with Sensory Overload Enjoy Shopping
- Resources for Military Families
- Moving with Special Needs Kids
- Home Modifications for Special Needs Kids
- Academic Accommodation Resources
- Estate Planning for Parents of Special Needs Kids
Below is a list of community-based resources for families.


This month my daughter Hannah turned 25, and my youngest son Søren turned 15. Once upon a time Reading Rainbow was a happy part of our literacy routine. Recently Sara came to visit and we stood in my kitchen humming the theme song, laptop in hand, anticipating LeVar. Surprisingly, what we gleaned from this little stroll down memory lane transcended sentimentality. The treasure struck us in the first four words of the episode: “Hi, behold the egg.” LeVar Burton looked us straight in the eye and took the better part of a minute (55 seconds to be exact) to enunciate four words.
Like Mr. Rogers before him, LeVar knew how to settle us into slow motion and slow motion is just what our children need to learn well.
Let’s face it. Overexposure to electronics is over stimulating, diverting precious brain space from creative thought. Letting the mind engage in the stillness of imagining utilizes areas of the brain that will be left inactive while engaging in electronics.
Children should not have difficulty sitting with a book for a long time.
Children should not have difficulty sitting with a pad of paper and colored pencils.
And children should not have difficulty sitting, without implements, enjoying their imagination in silence.
Our world is cluttered with all sorts of noise—auditory and visual. We are saturated. And the outcomes are disturbing. Rampant distraction is diminishing the capacity for contemplation and creativity. The din is overwhelming.
Let’s change the atmosphere. This fall, why not create a tradition of reading? Engaging with books helps children settle into slow motion so that imagination might thrive. And slow motion is stress sapping!
Back away from the vortex of fast-forward-too-muchness.
Sillness is a form of silence. And everyone knows that silence is golden, “Behold the egg.”
The ability to read and write is complex and involves the integration of numerous foundational skills. Learning to read and write, children must wade through the landscape of phonology (word sounds), orthography (word patterns), morphology (word classifications) and then tackle the more treacherous path through the land of syntax (word patterning) and semantics (grammar) to gather tools that enable them to practice the art of reading and writing. But that’s not all, not at all! We must not discount the child’s EQ when it comes to literacy. Soft skills such as emotional insight, curiosity, and attitude all contribute to motivation and motivation impacts learning. Exposing children to a vast array of language arts experiences in an environment that is brimming with opportunities to enact language from a young age cultivates natural curiosity and promotes peaceful acquisition of skill over time. This is the magic of the tortoise versus the hare in action! And, just to complicate matters just a tiny bit more, literacy is much more than being able to read and write. True literacy is not just the ability to decode and encode language, true literacy occurs when the child moves from the foundational to the realm of creation, the realm of original communication.
Providing prepared opportunities for children to independently discover the tools of literacy across all domains of learning promotes the ability to enact language. It is vitally important that children not lose heart or become discouraged when mistakes occur. Self-correcting materials allow children to learn through their own errors to make the correct decision without having the teacher point it out to them. When encouraged to discover, children are simultaneously empowered to practice such complex skills as:
scrutinizing to make confident decisions
self-critiquing to assert thoughtful opinions
hypothesizing to draw informed conclusions
When Nelson chose the “Bones of the Body” work during our Discovery session, not only did he work through identifying the Latin names for a selection the election of the human skeleton, he was intrigued and invested in the work and, consequently, rewarded intrinsically. This child, while hard at work, was calm, confidently focused, and enthusiastic about learning. I have no doubt that this little exercise had less to do with learning the names of bones and more about strengthening the backbone of literacy. Discovery provides opportunities for children to, not only gather tools, but to encounter and practice the processes through which great ideas are conceived and forged.
Thank you to our customers for your overwhelming support! We are still able to ship most orders in 1-3 days. However, due to COVID-19 related supply chain issues, some orders may be delayed up to 2 weeks. Thanks in advance for your patience!Dismiss


Before considering how much music technology should be integrated into music lessons, it must be first considered what the objectives of music education are and what we want it to look like. For myself, music education should be inclusive, where all students of different backgrounds and abilities can be involved in music and be able to perform and create. Technology allows teachers to create opportunities for learning for all students, it also allows students to be autonomous in their learning to allow for inquiry, authentic learning and skill development.
This is where Richard Gill (2016) said that in music education there is not one size that fits all and we should not teaching one style of music. Music is also consumed by people differently as many more people are using streaming services and especially during the Co-Vid 19 pandemic (Westcott Grant, 2020)
This has also meant the way we teach music has been different and we have had to rely on technology to give students any form of music education. From personal experience, having to rely on technology so quickly lead to a lot of problems, and having to share ideas, problems and solutions with other teachers going through the same process.
Going through the pandemic had given me a better understanding of music education. The most successful projects we encountered with teaching online involved working as a community and collaboration. Programs like Soundtrap were more successful than GarageBand for the reason that students could collaborate on the same project. Also, as a teacher, I could drop in on a project at any time. See the conversations and give immediate feedback. I believe that the technology programs that allow a level of collaboration and allow development for various levels are the most successful.
Moreover the experience of music is charging and is different. Bauer (2014) highlights that students can have a more ‘do it yourself’ attitude to learning through technology, that they can make music using mobile technologies and online. What can follow is that students develop through constructed and experiential learning.
From understanding the learning objectives of the students, it follows three understanding of what the technology can be used for. The SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition) model is useful in categorising and understanding the types of music technology in their varied forms (Puentedura, 2008.)
From Schrock’s (2013) visualisation we can see how it is a useful tool to relate to other critical and creative thinking models such as Blooms. Purely using technology to substitute or augment tasks, function within the lower orders of critical thinking. Where technology has new functionality where it is modified or redesigned, it allows students to access the higher order thinking skills such as analysing, evaluating and creating. This is why initiatives like maker-spaces are so exciting because it allows students to problem solve and be more critical in their learning. Therefore when looking at the technology we use we should consider how are we going to make students use their higher lieder critical thinking skills as well as developing performing and creating skills which are equally important in music.
Bauer, W. (2014) Music learning and technology. New Directions: A Journal of Scholarship, Creativity, and Leadership in Music Education 1 (1). Available at: http://nd.music.msu.edu/music-learning-technology-william-bauer/ Accessed on: 1st August 2020
Puentedura, R. (2008). TPCK and SAMR: Models for enhancing technology integration. In, As we may teach: Educational technology, from theory into practice. Maine Department of Education.
Schrock, K. (2013) SAMR Model and Bloom's Educators design. Available at: http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/2797403_orig.jpg Accessed on: 1st August 2020
The University of Sydney (2016) The Place of Music in 21st Century Education. Available at: https://coursera.org/share/756064bb20bc2b5141b902b7e6011188 Accessed on: 31st July 2020
Westcott Grant, K (2020) The Future Of Music Streaming: How COVID-19 Has Amplified Emerging Forms Of Music Consumption. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinwestcottgrant/2020/05/16/the-future-of-music-streaming-how-covid-19-has-amplified-emerging-forms-of-music-consumption/#43fbf7b0444a Accessed on: 1st August 2020
I am the High School Music teacher at GEMS World Academy in Singapore. I have a passion for seeing students improve and develop by performing and creating music.


Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and hear the individual sounds that letters make. Being able to identify these sounds is one of the first stages of literacy development and is essential for success in reading and writing. During first grade, phonemic awareness is a large focus of literacy instruction. Adults can use several activities to promote phonemic awareness in young learners.
Beginning Letter Sounds
This lesson requires students to use listening skills to identify the letter used at the beginning of a given set of words. Provide students with small dry-erase boards and dry-erase pens. Inform them that you're going to state a variety of words and upon doing so, they must listen closely to try to identify the letter that makes the first sound in each of the words. Once they think they've determined the letter that makes the sound at the beginning of each word, they should write it down on their dry-erase boards and hold it up. For example, if you say the word "cat," students should write the word "C" on their boards. Review what's written on each board and clarify if students seem confused about a particular sound.
Find the Sound
In this lesson, students must identify where a given sound is in a list of words. On index cards, write "B" for beginning, "M" for middle and "E" for end for each student in your class and distribute the cards. Explain to students that you're going to tell them a sound and after stating the sound, you're going to state a series of words, and after hearing each word, students are to hold up the card that illustrates if the sound was heard at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the word. For example, if you are working on the digraph "sh" and say the word "fish," students should hold up the "E" card. Offer help if needed.
Rhyming Word Match
Rhyming helps students relate words that share common sounds. Create rhyming worksheets for your students. On the top of the worksheets, include a picture of an item -- a bat, for instance -- that serves as the reference word for the lesson. On the rest of the page, include pictures of items that rhyme and don't rhyme with the word "bat." Distribute the worksheets to students, review the key sound "at" in the word "bat," and instruct them to circle the pictures on the work sheet that rhyme with or have the same key sound. Review the answers as a whole class.
How Many Sounds?
Students work on identifying how many sounds they hear in words with this lesson. Discuss how words are made up of two or more sounds. Say a few words and discuss how many sounds are in each word. For example, you could say the word "jug" and then slowly say the word, enunciating each of the sounds; j/u/g. Say a word and ask for a volunteer to tell the class how many sounds are in the word.


Fun Leonardo Da Vinci Quiz – FREE Interactive Kids Quiz Games
Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Leonardo Da Vinci Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this FREE online interactive quiz on Leonardo Da Vinci. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun Leonardo Da Vinci quiz again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci Quiz & FREE Online Quizzes
Our fun kids quiz questions are a free science quiz for kids resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Leonardo Da Vinci quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about Leonardo Da Vinci while enjoying this FREE interactive quiz games for kids.
If your kid is being home-schooled, or is enrolled in some extra-curricular program, then this is a fun science activity, with reading comprehension benefits for first to fifth grade kids. Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who scores the best, doing this fun quiz game for kids with score about Leonardo Da Vinci.
As a reading comprehension fun activity for your kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension in a faster and more efficient manner as they train to remember what they read, or set a limit on the number of times your kid can read about the Leonardo Da Vinci quiz topic, before they do the actual quiz games online we offer on our easy science for kids website.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing these science quiz questions and our other fun easy science quizzes, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the interactive quiz questions and answers game. You will select the Leonardo Da Vinci quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the quiz score. Your child can try this quiz about Leonardo Da Vinci many times, till he or she gets the perfect score faster, as your kid learns to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Leonardo Da Vinci Quiz – FREE Interactive Kids Quiz Games -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/fun-leonardo-da-vinci-quiz-free-interactive-kids-quiz-games/
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Author(s): Paul Thomas
Good drawing forms the basis of all art - and is art in its own right. This book takes an in-depth look at drawing, exploring the many varieties of line and mark possiblies in different media, and comparing different styles. Questions such as 'What is drawing and what are its purposes?' and 'Can anyone do it?' will be answered, and those who have barely put pencil to paper will be guided gently through the basics. Drawing is not just for beginners, it will inspire those who already have experience to go further and explore more advanced techniques. From start to finish, every reader will be shown how to hone their observational skills to achieve convincing and satisfying results.
Paul Thomas (Author) Since 2004 Paul Thomas has spent his time travelling between Australia and Europe. His work reflects this cultural diversity in drawings and paintings that explore shared mythologies and narratives. Having recently finished a series of drawings that dealt with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, he is now working with the diverse flora and fauna of Australia. The dramatic and inventive landscape allows him the freedom to develop new projects outside of his usual context and challenges his own position as a European artist. Anita Taylor (Author) Anita Taylor is a figurative painter, exploring identity, emotion and narrative through tableaux and interactions which are at once highly theatrical, ye intimate and symbolic. Alongside her practice as an artist, Anita Taylor has worked in art education in numerous roles, including: Director of The Centre for Drawing at the University of the Arts, London; Dean of Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts, London, and Deputy Head of School, School of Art, Media and Design at the University of Gloucestershire, where she was first awarded a Professorial title. She is currently the Director of the National Art School in Sydney, Australia. Anita also co-founded and is co-director (with Paul Thomas) of the Jerwood Drawing Prize, a prominent annual award and touring exhibition that showcases current drawing practice in the UK.


Pimen Orlov: As an apprentice, the painter became a student of Briullov and one of the best European portrait painters
The history of Russian art knows many names of artists who came from the common people. One of these is the brilliant Russian portrait painter Pimen Nikitich Orlov, a native of the peasants, who, thanks to his perseverance and self-education, was able to enter the Imperial Academy of Arts, become the best student of Karl Bryullov, live all his life abroad and gain worldwide fame for himself and his fatherland.
Pimen Orlov (1812-1865) hails from a deaf farm in the Voronezh province. The father of the gifted boy was a miller, and he had to earn his living by hard work for his life. Therefore, he dreamed that his son, when he grew up, would become his assistant. But from early childhood Pimen had a strong desire for drawing, and he did not want to think about any other profession. Poor parents, unfortunately, were not able to give his son an art education. Therefore, very young, Pimen Orlov leaves his father’s house and goes to an apprentice to a wandering painter-painter, who walked from village to village, making up his own life for art.
It should be noted that, at that time, not only ordinary dyers were called painters, but also self-taught artists, who often painted village churches, painted decorative paintings in the choirs of the landlords, and also painted their portraits.
Pimen came to such a master, wandering with whom, quickly gained skills in drawing. And the desire to improve forced the future artist to change more than one such self-taught teacher. And it will not be so much time as Orlov himself will be able to take orders for the execution of icons and pictorial portraits of local rich people.
And once I was lucky for the future artist to meet the leader of the nobility, the landowner Gladky. And, as is known, there are no chance encounters, and this one was especially significant in the life of Pimen. The rich man, having seen his works, decided to help the young talent, sending him to St. Petersburg and paying for his education at the Academy of Arts. Truly, it was a royal gift of fate – the dream of a poor country guy came true.
Pimen was also lucky with a teacher at the academy – Karl Brullov himself was his mentor. And two years later, a student Orlov was awarded the first silver medal for achievements in portraiture.
And I must say that the choice of the genre was not accidental. Portraiture of Bryullov in the middle of the 19th century was a great success and was highly appreciated. And many fellow painters, including his disciples, imitating the great master, wrote in his manner. Pimen Orlov was also no exception. Absorbing knowledge like a sponge, he quickly adopted the style and manner of the teacher in the portrait genre and had quite substantial orders from noblemen of St. Petersburg. This allowed the poor artist in his student years to have money for quite a tolerable existence.
By 1837, Pimen Nikitich graduated from the Academy, having received a silver medal of the first degree and the title of a free artist. And four years later, he had the opportunity to go abroad to study world art. Having settled in Rome, the hardworking master very quickly gains popularity of the artist of genre paintings, as well as a talented portrait painter.
He paints pictures in the traditional Italian style of classicism, in which beauty is exaggerated in the portrayal of the characters, and the environment itself. A regular orders from local wealthy people were very important for the artist, because the portraits were still the main source of his income. And only a few years after arriving in Rome, the artist was appointed by the government of Nicholas I a pension of 300 rubles per year.
And from year to year the artist sent home his works, for which he received the title of academic portraiture in 1857. Working hard brushes, painstakingly prescribing their canvases to the smallest details, the painter showed eye disease. This was the reason that at the appointed time of departure home.


PK-8 General Music
PK-8 General Music Maps*
Learning in general music classes is most effective when students are actively involved and have quality aural experiences. Performing, working in small groups, active listening, creating, moving to music, and independent projects result in deeper learning than lectures and worksheets. Courses in general music, therefore, should provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for performing (voice, guitar/ukulele, keyboard, percussion, handbells, electronic generated music and other instruments); responding (movement, listening-based classes such as music history and literature); creating (electronic music, improvisation, composition); and making connections to other arts, disciplines, cultures, and personal life. Because performing, responding, and creating are the modes through which musical understandings are achieved, even listening-based classes should include appropriate performing and creating activities. Recommended activities, such as listening, performing, creating, improvising, and responding are efficient hands-on learning modes, attract and hold the students’ interest, and give students a key to lifelong enjoyment of music.
Special consideration needs to be given to developmentally appropriate early childhood music education. As stated in the Wisconsin Music Curriculum guide, “Music education for young children involves a developmentally appropriate program of singing, moving, listening, creating, playing instruments, and responding to visual and verbal representations of sound.
*Standards maps may be reproduced if Wisconsin Music Educators Association is cited as the original source.