If you have a preschooler or a kindergartner chances are you’ve heard the terms phonics, phonemic awareness and decoding before.
What do they really mean? This week as part of our Get Ready for K Through PLAY series I’m going to explain!
Some of my longtime readers (thank you!) may know that I have my Master’s in Reading and am a trained Reading Specialist, but you don’t need a background in education to figure this out. I promise.
All you need is a little explanation of phonics, phonemic awareness and decoding!
What Does Phonics Mean?
Thanks to the popular slogan “Hooked on Phonics works for me!” phonics may be the term parents are most familiar with. Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds. For example, the letter D makes the “d” sound in the word dog and the letters oy make the “oi” sound in the word boy.
Learning these letter-sound relationships is a process that occurs over time. Your child will start to get more explicit phonics instruction in school, but there are many ways to support it at home too.
The most important thing to do is read to your child every day. Being read to helps kids start to identify letters and letter-sound relationships. A good place to start is with the letters and sounds in your child’s name since it is personal and motivating. You can build on this learning by playing alphabet games and doing ABC activities. Don’t force it though, let your child’s interest and readiness be a guide.
What Does Phonemic Awareness Mean?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the separate sounds in a word. Let’s take the word dog again–it’s made of 3 phonemes, or units of sounds. Someone who is aware of and can identify all 3 of those sounds has phonemic awareness. This, too, is a process. Teachers are looking for kids to be able to identify the beginning sounds, the ending sound, all of the sounds and even to switch sounds and make new words.
Identifying and blending sounds together is important because it’s a big part of decoding and spelling words. Fun ways to develop this skill in kids is through rhyming words, songs and poems…and of course reading aloud to them daily!
What Does Decoding Mean?
Decoding is the process of looking at a printed word and being able to say it correctly. It sounds like something a spy should be doing, but all it really means is putting together the sounds in the word to read it aloud. It’s cracking the letter-sound code to come up with the word.
Decoding is just half of the process of reading. The goal of reading is to be able to both decode and comprehend, or understand, the text. Once kids are able to decode words well they begin to work on remembering and understanding the words they are reading.
A good activity that help kids “get” what decoding is all about is my gross motor Walk the Word activity. Try it with kids who have phonic and phonemic awareness knowledge.
For even more information and ideas about them literacy skills kids need for Kindergarten check out what the other Get Ready for K Through PLAY! hosts are sharing!
- from The Pleasantest Thing
- from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
- Sight Word Hunt by Mess for Less
- Books Your Kindergartner Will Love from Mama Smiles
Next week we’ll all be back sharing activities to develop the fine motor skills needed for Kindergarten!
In the meantime be sure to follow our Get Ready for K Through PLAY! Pinterest Board for a huge collection of Kindergarten readiness activities!


Donald Trump Explained
A Special Education Perspective of the Forty-Fifth President of the United States
By: Mr. Jarvis
About the Book
Donald Trump has been a President unlike any other, siding with America’s enemies, attacking our allies, throwing paper towels, giving away classified information, and frequently asking his administration to break U.S. law on his behalf. Experts have so far been baffled as to why Trump displays such unusual behaviors.
Donald Trump Explained answers why, applying the context of his disability to all of the administrative failings of the first two years of the Trump Presidency while exploring deeply Trump’s past. Mr. Jarvis establishes that Autism has been fully evident throughout Trump’s lifetime.
About the Authors
Mr. Jarvis is an educator with eighteen years’ experience working mostly with students who have mild to moderate disabilities at both Charter and District school settings across three states. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Elementary Education and Special Education Endorsement from Weber State University. Mr. Jarvis is married with three young children.
(2019, Paperback, 272 pages)


Selective attention, Art education
Journal/Book/Conference Title Title
Since the 1950's several psychologists have studied the subject of human selective attention [1, 2]. It has been called the 'cocktail party problem' because a good example of the exercise of selective attention occurs when a large convivial group of people come together and it is still possible for an individual to isolate from the high noise level of conversation what a particular speaker says. Thus, the psychological question is: How do humans select what they consider significant information from the vast amount of information provided to the senses by the external environment? It is known that the amount of information input to the senses by far exceeds the processing capabilities of the brain and, therefore, a means exists to filter from the input what a human considers as essential at any particular moment. In the case of vision, one must ignore most of what can be seen. Selective attention is clearly important to artists scientists and technologists, for the sense of sight plays a large role in their work. However, the kind of visual information selected and how it is used may differ greatly in these three domains. Readers of Leonardo are acquainted with the discussions of the possible differences presented by various authors.
Department of Art
Original Publication Date
DOI of published version
UNI ScholarWorks, University of Northern Iowa, Rod Library
©1976 The MIT Press
Behrens, Roy R. and Lash, Kenneth, "The 'Visual World' Program at the University of Northern Iowa, U.S.A." (1976). Faculty Publications. 9.


For many parents and their young children there are few times of the day as special as the last few minutes before bed when parent and child are snuggled together reading a story. A few stories become favorites as evidenced by their tattered pages and memorized words and phrases. For the parent, these readings can be tiresome as the child begs for their repetition night after night. For the child these words bring comfort and pleasure. They form the fundamental building blocks of their literacy development, lasting well into adulthood.
In homes where children have the benefit of this bedtime ritual and other opportunities to hear stories read aloud, they are developing intra-textual awareness, i.e. a deep sense of how stories are written, the predictable patterns, the structure of the text. When these children enter school they believe that the purpose of reading is to make meaning; they believe that when they read a piece of unfamiliar text, it should make sense; they can anticipate what is coming, confirming their predictions as they read.
Unfortunately, far too many children enter formal schooling without these rich, early literacy experiences. Hart and Risley write about what they describe as the 30 million-word gap. They paint a picture of children who have not only missed out on being read to, but who have had so little conversation that they have heard as many as 30 million fewer words than their peers.
Children from both of these groups can be found in almost every kindergarten class in the world. The kindergarten teacher is responsible to advance students from both groups in literacy skills so that they attain proficiency in reading and writing. The Behavior Over Time Graph (BOTG) has proven to be an effective tool to help develop intra- and inter-textual awareness in children. While there is no substitute for preschool years filled with language, conversation and story, this systems thinking tool can be effective in supporting young children to develop fundamental literacy skills.
BOTGs provide a visual representation of a story. They create a picture of the structure of the story. Many familiar children’s books have the same pattern, based on a character’s repeated attempts to solve a problem or achieve a goal, followed by the resolution or happy ending. For example, in “The Little Red Hen” the hen asks her friends to help at each step of baking bread, only to be refused by her animal friends. In the end, however, when it comes time to eat the bread, they are happy to help. In the folk tale “Abiyoyo,” the villagers are constantly annoyed with the young boy and his father. That is until they successfully rid the town of Abiyoyo, the monster that has plagued them forever. That common pattern, sad, sad, sad, happy, is illustrated on the BOTG pictured here.
When skillfully used by primary teachers, the BOTG offers a visual representation of the story not found in retellings, innovations and other graphic organizers. As young children are exposed to multiple stories with similar structure, they can visually see the similarities and thus have one more tool in developing the intra- and inter-textual awareness. Inter-textual awareness is the ability to recognize stories that have similar patterns.
Repetition of pattern as illustrated by a BOTG is great for helping young readers develop a sense of story. In addition, the BOTG can also represent more complex story structures. As students increase their familiarity with the graphs they will become aware of the patterns and similarities, sometimes even naming the line. For example, students in one preschool class call this oscillating pattern the crown story. In this example, a student looking at the graph of the crown story, Goggles, by Jack Ezra Keats, determined from the “points” that every time Peter took action he felt less afraid of the bigger boys that were chasing him.
Using BOTGs helps students with delayed language development acquire a deep sense of intra and inter-textual awareness; in addition, it is an effective literacy strategy for all young readers. We have strong evidence that use of BOTGs in the primary grades improves a student’s ability to retell a story. Identifying and sequencing the key events over time, determining the important events and understanding how those events cause things to happen in the story all contribute to more skillful retellings. Using BOTGs in literacy instruction increases engagement, causing readers to be more active in the reading process. Again, this is recognized as a quality of strong readers, but using the tools of systems thinking encourages these active reading behaviors in all students.
Much of the current focus on education is on closing gaps. Use of BOTGs in the primary grades offers teachers a specific tool to help young learners become strong readers. Accelerating reading achievement is certainly one important step in closing a gap, while at the same time being mindful that the ultimate goal of literacy instruction is to support reading as a process of constructing meaning.


‘He’s had more fun with the box!’
Conventional toys are often very ‘closed ended’ meaning that they usually have one or a small number of uses and ways to play with them, for example a jigsaw puzzle with pieces that are meant to be fitted together to make a single picture. Loose Parts items can be endless of things and have endless purposes – a cardboard box can be a car, a rocket, a house or a den – all you need is your imagination!
What does Loose Parts Play look like?
The great thing about Loose Parts Play is that it really can consist of anything! A good starting point would be wooden curtain rings, cardboard tubes (such as kitchen roll holders), large buttons, corks and milk bottle lids. Most of these things are readily available and can be sourced very cheaply or for free. They can also be replaced very easily compared to conventional toys which are often overpriced and costly.
The best way to start off with Loose Parts Play is to start with a few things first and then to add to your collection once your child has had time to explore and experiment with them. You could then look into getting different containers or pots that the loose parts can be sorted into. Small wicker or wooden baskets are usually a lovely way of presenting the loose parts, but the great thing about it is that there really isn’t any rules. The aim of the game is to let children explore the objects and for them to choose their own ways to play with them.
What are the benefits of Loose Parts Play for my child’s learning?
There are countless benefits of this kind of play for children. The main one being developing their creativity. By allowing them to ‘be in the driving seat’ of their own learning, it encourages them to think outside the box, ask themselves questions such as ‘how many buttons are there?’ ‘What can I do with them’ opposed to us (or the toy) telling them how to play with it. Loose Parts Play can encourage:
- Problem solving
- Gross and fine motor development
- Language and literacy development
- Hand-eye coordination
- Scientific thinking
- The list could go on and on..!
When thinking about Loose Parts Play in my own childhood, I envision times where I would raid my mums button tin at home and spend hours upon hours sorting them into shapes, sizes and colours, pretending they were coins for a play shop, or imagining they were sweeties in my make-believe sweet shop. The possibilities were endless, and those buttons engaged my imagination more than any other toy I owned!
For this reason, we have decided to incorporate more Loose Part Play into our day at Little Houghton Day Nursery. So if you see your child exploring milk bottle and jam jar lids, you’ll now know that we haven’t gone mad (or blown our toy budget!), you’ll understand that it’s because of the enriched learning that it can bring.
Further information on Loose Parts Play


How to Start a Pre-School?
A pre-school is a place where parents leave their children, without any worries, for learning. These institutions are best to build and sharp children skills, behavior, and to develop their social, emotional, and academic participation. If you are also planning to open such an institution, do not forget to meet all the prerequisites. We have cited them in order, have a look at them:
- Get a license for family child care from authorities in charge.
- Get a business license.
- Create a plan for running the school and its different activities.
- Design the curriculum plan, academic learning plan, and environmental setting.
- Prepare a handbook of policies and procedures.
- Design a school website.
What Templates Can Help Pre-School Operations?
Pre-schools are a highly practical setting where human engagement is of great importance. If you are in the management or administrative body, preparing paperwork in such an environment might become difficult at times. From making the curriculums to planning for promotions, and making school budget everything falls on your head. Do not worry, as these works can be easily done by ready-made templates that we provide at an affordable rate. We have also cited the names of those templates that can make your school functioning smoother.
- For starting the pre-school, use ready-to-use Pre-school planner templates, School plan templates, School schedule templates, School calendar templates, School chart templates, etc.
- For advertising and promoting the school activities, use Preschool brochure templates, school flyer templates, School poster templates, School magazine ad templates, etc.
- Use School certificate templates, School sheet templates, Preschool business plan templates, Preschool menu templates, School budget templates, etc. for school operations.
What is Pre-School?
A preschool or kindergarten is an educational institution for early childhood learning. These institutions prepare the children for school by sharpening their skills with extra guidance to their talent. These institutions also support and encourage children for curricular activities.
What is the Purpose of Pre-School?
- It provides a friendly and positive environment for developing children and their confidence.
- It helps them to understand themselves and make decisions.
- It shapes their behavior and manners.
- It strengthens children's emotional and social development.
How Does Preschool Help in Child's Development?
- Pre-school teaches children to explore what they want through physical activities.
- They teach and develop good habits in children.
- They help the children to experiment and learn.
- These institutions teach academic and social lessons.
What are the Benefits of Pre-Schooling?
- Children socialize with people nicely.
- They learn the concept of cooperation.
- It develops children holistically.
- It makes children enthusiastic about learning.
- It conveys education value through experience.
- Children learn to respect elders.
How to Promote Pre-School?
- Advertise the school with both traditional and online media platforms.
- Describe your school fun activities and academic schemes in the advertisements.
- Make attractive posters and flyers and place them in the highly rush areas.
- Sponsor charity shows.
- Partner up with local businesses.


Arranging: A Beginner's Guide
Step-by-Step Instructions and Exercises. Composed by Blake R. Henson and Gerald Custer. Music Education. 278 pages. GIA Publications #9124. Published by GIA Publications (GI.G-9124).
Item Number: GI.G-9124
ISBN 9781622771745. English.
Need to adapt an SATB work for your small SAB choir? Have sopranos who can't sing divisi&hellip,but know a great trumpet player who is happy to help out? Need to simplify a viola part for a beginner?
In straightforward, step-by-step fashion, authors Blake Henson and Gerald Custer show how to take a piece of existing music and craft a workable, polished arrangement that meets the needs of your ensemble in the real world.
Arranging: A Beginner's Guide is full of ideas, examples, and exercises to try out and adapt, grounded in the belief that arranging is not only a necessary skill, it is one that is relatively easy to learn and master. This book is written for conductors, church musicians, teachers, and students at all levels.
Learn how to:
&bull, reconfigure a piece to fit your choral circumstances
&bull, translate your ideas into practical, performable music
&bull, turn a solo song into a choral piece
&bull, write a descant
&bull, transform a piano part into an arrangement for band or strings
&bull, extend a hymn into an anthem with introduction, interludes, and coda
&bull, create within copyright law
With numerous examples and helpful tips - plus humor and insight - this engaging and practical workbook is designed to make the arranging process simple and fun.
We are generally familiar with an endless supply of songs and sounds. However, as performers and as listeners, we need ways of experiencing this information and inspiration in fresh and new ways for insight, understanding, and sometimes for the important and practical reasons of accessibility. This is at the core of Arranging: A Beginner's Guide: Step-by Step Instructions and Exercises, and the tools we need to approach informed creativity are systematically outlined in this comprehensive guide to arranging.
- Tim Sharp, Executive Director
American Choral Directors Association
Sought after for his choral, solo vocal, and orchestral work, Blake Henson has received numerous commissions from choral and instrumental ensembles of all kinds. Dr. Henson is an experienced and popular teacher of theory and composition.
A Grammy-nominated, award-winning composer and arranger with more than 95 works in print and two CDs, Jerry Custer teaches music theory and composition at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Also by Blake Henson and Jerry Custer, available from GIA Publications, Inc.: From Words to Music: A User's Guide to Text for Choral Musicians (G-8728) and The Composer's Craft: A Practical Guide for Students and Teachers (G-8533).
Customers Who Bought Arranging: A Beginner's Guide Also Bought:


This is the second in a three-part series on Kindergarten readiness.
You’ve determined that your child is ready for Kindergarten, but what will she learn when she gets there? Kindergarten is a crucial year for building the foundation of learning by developing literacy, math, and social skills. Therefore, it’s critical to choose the right program that celebrates learning while teaching valuable foundational skills that will prep your child for first grade.
The first step is to evaluate the curriculum. You want a program that teaches the essential skills for reading, handwriting, writing, math. Here is what students will learn in Rippowam Cisqua School’s Kindergarten program, which you can use as a tool to evaluate other programs.
The literacy curriculum should focus on developing each student’s ability to read, write, listen, and speak effectively. At Rippowam Cisqua School, significant time is devoted to shared reading, read-aloud, and word study. Students focus on a least two letters per week, which allows students to apply what they know about letters and sounds to the “real world.” Handwriting is also taught for each letter introduced. By the end of their Kindergarten year, students should be able to:
- Write in upper and lower case using lined paper
- Identify letters in the alphabet and their sounds
- Identify beginning, middle, and ending sounds; segment and blend sounds
- Build on the components of a calendar (days, weeks, months, and basic time)
- Identify if a book is fiction or nonfiction and participate in class conversations
- Identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution of a story
- Write a personal narrative with a beginning, middle, and end
- Understand the steps for researching and writing a nonfiction book
Number sense expands throughout Kindergarten. Students develop their understanding of addition and subtraction by having many opportunities to count, visualize, model, solve, and discuss different types of problems. By the end of the year, children can recognize numbers up to 100, count to 100, and perform basic single-digit addition and subtraction.
In Kindergarten, students are introduced to the scientific method and approach investigations as a scientist would. The discovery method is used to teach students how to find the answers themselves rather than being given the correct solution to the problem. This process of following clear steps to come to the desired outcome supports their executive functioning skills within the natural framework of their own curiosity.
Spanish as a second language
Introducing students to a second language at an early age has many advantages. Bilingual students develop better executive functioning and critical thinking skills and achieve higher academic performance. At Rippowam Cisqua School, students take Spanish from Kindergarten through Grade 4. In fifth grade, they can choose to continue Spanish or learn French or Latin. Our Kindergarten Spanish program introduces students to the sounds and culture of Spanish speaking countries. It is primarily an oral program with much emphasis placed on games, songs, and Spanish culture.
Technology and coding
Kindergartners have computer classes as well as access to iPads in the classrooms. The curriculum emphasizes technology as a tool, not a toy. Mouse control, keyboard awareness, and the proper selection of tools for drawing, designing, and typing are reinforced in every class. Throughout the year, students learn to code using hands-on Bee-Bots and online resources such as Kodable, which can be accessed from school or home
The social-emotional development of your child is central to their academic success. Smaller class sizes enable teachers to spend more time getting to know their students and help students develop strong bonds with their teachers and classmates. Through each interaction at school, students learn valuable social skills that including sharing, taking turns, problem-solving, and helping themselves. They learn to communicate their feelings using words, begin to empathize, and to consider their peers’ feelings. Making eye contact and public speaking are also core to the curriculum.
Through the curriculum and our community, students learn about different families, cultures, and the neighborhoods in which they live. They become young philanthropists, early role models, and understand the power of doing good and being responsible citizens. At Rippowam Cisqua School, the culminating performance for Kindergarten is focused on a unit about community helpers. Each student chooses a member of the larger community, whether it’s the Fire Chief or the local baker, to highlight and personify before family and friends in their performance. Through this project, students understand and respect the world around them while also practicing public speaking.
Next in the series, How to Choose the Best Kindergarten Program for Your Child?
Did you miss the last post in this three-part series? Read Is my child ready for Kindergarten?


Judy Chicago Biography, Life, Interesting Facts
Also Known For :
Birth Place :
Birth Element :
Judy Chicago is an American feminist, artist, writer, and educator.
Early Life & Family
Judith Sylvia Cohen was born on July 20, 1939, in the city of Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Arthur, was a trade union leader who worked several part-time jobs. He was an active member of the American Communist Party, which made him the object of frequent police investigations.
His liberal ways of thinking had a significant influence on his daughter. Her mother, May, was a medical secretary who used to work as a dancer. She loved the arts and passed that love onto her children. Judy’s younger brother, Ben, went on to become a potter.
Judy Chicago started taking drawing classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at the age of five. She enrolled at the University of California at Los Angeles as an art major. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1962 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1964.
At university, Judy Chicago created a series of abstract paintings featuring male and female genitals. She held her first big exhibition at the Rolf Nelson Gallery in 1965. In 1969, she created several experimental sculptures and drawings for the Pasadena Art Museum.
She continued with a series of abstract paintings, called Pasadena Lifesavers. In 1970, she officially changed her last name to Chicago. She wanted to have her name, which was not linked to any man in her life.
In 1970, Chicago became an art professor at Fresno State College. In 1971, she developed the Feminist Art Program, the first of its kind in the United States. She gathered up a group of female students to talk about their lives and the events that influenced their art.
Soon after that, Judy Chicago joined the California Institute of the Arts and established the Feminist Art Program there. She took part in the art installation Womanhouse. She also co-founded the Woman’s Building in Los Angeles.
From 1974 to 1979, she worked on the art installation The Dinner Party. It consisted of a large table with place settings for 39 influential women from history. From 1980 to 1985, she worked on The Birth Project, an installation celebrating mothers and childbirth.
Judy Chicago then created a series of drawings and paintings called Power Play. From 1985 to 1993, she worked on The Holocaust Project: From Darkness into Light. In 1994, she displayed her project Resolutions: A Stitch in Time. Over the next few decades, she held several exhibitions in galleries in the U. S. and the U. K.
In 1975, Chicago published a book of chronicles, titled Through the Flower. In 1979, she wrote The Dinner Party: A Symbol of Our Heritage, a book about her fabulous artwork. She followed up with Embroidering Our Heritage: The Dinner Party Needlework, which she co-wrote with Susan Hill. In 1985, she wrote The Birth Project, describing the process behind her artwork. In 1997, she published her autobiography, titled Beyond the Flower.
In 2005, she released Kitty City: A Feline Book of Hours and Through the Flower: My Struggle as a Woman Artist. In 2009, she and Frances Borzello wrote the biography Frida Kahlo: Face to Face. In 2014, she released the book Institutional Time: A Critique of Studio Art Education.
Judy Chicago won the Tamarind Fellowship, the UCLA Alumni Professional Achievement Award, and the Visionary Woman Award. She has received commendations from Duke College, Smith College, Russell Sage College, and Lehigh University. Her work is currently on display in many museums and art galleries around the United States.
In 1961, Judy Chicago married a man named Jerry Gerowitz. He suffered a fatal car crash in 1963. From 1965 to 1979, she was married to sculptor Lloyd Hamrol. She has been married to photographer Donald Woodman since 1985. They currently live in the Belen Hotel, a historic building in New Mexico which they bought and converted into a home.


Modern art has at all times been attracting the worldwide art lovers since many years and it have a big place on this planet of art. Lately, school curricula in the United States have shifted closely towards common core subjects of studying and math, but what concerning the arts? We use mathematical techniques to assist discover novel insights, even in nicely-studied work. 22 , 23 Also, we excluded articles about art education or art in skilled career growth.
Smith has adopted the Greenfield, California, college as a part of Flip-around Arts, a public-private program developed by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humani-ties (PCAH). Four major therapies emerged: music engagement, visible arts remedy, movement-primarily based artistic expression, and expressive writing.
Many preschool applications emphasize using scissors as a result of it develops the dexterity kids will want for writing. Noticing particulars in work throughout a school tour, for example, helps practice college students to think about details in the future. Oil Portray – Detailed details about oil portray and the way it has evolved and been used throughout artwork.
Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner, who’re affiliated with the education analysis group Mission Zero at Harvard University, have performed systematic evaluations of the research literature and located little credible evidence that the advantages of the arts transfer to other academic subjects.
Periodical indexes (in databases) determine and find the articles revealed in magazines, journals and newspapers. This NAEYC publication focuses on each understanding and doing creative arts with younger youngsters. However artists are difficult these portrayals and notions of magnificence and physical difference.


Eudaimonia: Perspectives for Music Learning asserts the fertile applications of eudaimonia—an Aristotelian concept of human flourishing intended to explain the nature of a life well lived—for work in music learning and teaching in the 21st century. Drawing insights from within and beyond the field of music education, contributors reflect on what the "good life" means in music, highlighting issues at the core of the human experience and the heart of schooling and other educational settings. This pursuit of personal fulfillment through active engagement is considered in relation to music education as well as broader social, political, spiritual, psychological, and environmental contexts. Especially pertinent in today’s complicated and contradictory world, Eudaimonia: Perspectives for Music Learning is a concise compendium on this oft-overlooked concept, providing musicians with an understanding of an ethically-guided and socially-meaningful music-learning paradigm.
1. Eudaimonia: Flourishing through Music Learning (Gareth Dylan Smith & Marissa Silverman) / 2. Music Education and the Continuity of Mind and Life (Dylan van der Schyff) / 3. The Hull House: A Case Study in Eudaimonia for Music Learning (Marissa Silverman) / 4. The Happy Basket (Kathleen Dean Moore) / 5. Musicophilia, Biophilia, and the Human Prospect (David W. Orr) / 6. Weaponizing Racism in the Age of Trump (Henry A. Giroux) / 7. An Ecology of Eudaimonia and its Implications for Music Education (June Boyce-Tillman) / 8. Listening and the Happiness of the Musician (Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon and Megan Jane Laverty) / 9.Eudaimonia and Well-Doing: Implications for Music Education (David J. Elliott)
The Routledge New Directions in Music Education Series consists of concise monographs that attempt to bring more of the wide world of music, education, and society into the discourse in music education.


Panama is probably best known for the Panama Canal, which was built by the United States in 1914 at a cost of $380 million. Over 75,000 workers took ten years to build this canal. Many people died while working on the canal.
The canal stretches 51 miles across the country, creating a travel route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Without this route, ships would have to travel around South America to reach Asia and the Pacific Northwest.
Panama has rich farmland, where farmers grow vegetables, coffee and bananas. Panama is a beautiful country, with many rivers, white beaches and mountains. Off the coast of Panama are over 1,500 islands. Sea turtles, tree frogs and many other animals live in Panama.
Fun Facts about Panama for Kids
- People in Panama believe in close families. Extended families may live together and the people celebrate many festivals.
- Children go to school from the ages of 7 to 15.
- Juan Carols Varela is the current President of Panama (data July 2018).
- 4,162,618 people live in Panama (data July 2018).
- Panama has 29,340 square miles of land.
- At 3,475 m the Volcan Baru is the tallest mountain in Panama and also an active volcano. The last eruption was back in 1550.
- 92 percent of adults can read.
- Spanish is the main language used in Panama.
- People in Panama can expect to live 78.93 years.
- Most people are Christian.
- Panama has a multiparty democracy.
- Panama is also home to the Tree Toed Sloth – Tapirs – Anteaters – Jaguars – Bats – Monkeys and much more.
- After the Amazon rainforest the Panama rainforest is the largest on the American continent.
- The Panama railway was built by the US in 1855.
- Christopher Columbus in the year 1502 visited Panama.
- Balboa is the currency used in Panama. It’s the exact same as the dollar.
- The official language in Panama is Spanish although most Panamanians speak English.
- Route: road, path, way
- Canal: man-made river
- Festival: party, celebration
All About Panama Video for Kids
Here’s the best kids Panama video you can watch right now to learn more all about Panama
Question: Has Panama endured wars like other Central American countries?
Answer: Panama has had its share of political problems. In 1989, U.S. troops invaded Panama and threw out General Manuel Noriega because he was involved in drug trafficking. Since then, the country has had problems with corrupt leaders.
Map of Panama
Here’s a map of the country of Panama and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around Panama! You can see the terrain, but also see the roads, images of the buildings and even take a 3D tour through the streets of the cities of Panama, as though you are actually there!
Cite This Page
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Panama Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 25 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-panama/ >.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Panama Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-panama/
Panama Quiz / Question Paper
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The mission of Pinebrook Elementary Technology department is to educate and empower students in academics, to build foundational skills and support authentic instructional experiences of students with technology integration.
At Pinebrook Elementary, the use of technology is integrated into your child's academic day. Classroom teachers have access to laptops, Chromebooks, Promethean Interactive Panels, for every content area. Throughout the school year, students will engage in a variety of technology-rich learning activities.
The Instructional Facilitator provides teacher with job-embedded coaching and support they need to ensure that technology is being used specifically and purposefully to help students get to Deeper Learning through various instructional strategies such as Project-Based Learning, Personalized Learning and Performance-Based Assessment.


With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, we have the perfect way to help your little ones celebrate this very special day – while building essential early numeracy skills!
Download of free Mother’s Day worksheets, filled with fun activities that cover a range of important mathematics skills for children in kindergarten to grade 2.
Our three sets of gorgeously themed worksheets cover topics including number sequence, shapes, fractions, time, length, odd and even numbers, money and more.
Kindergarten Math Worksheets
Grade 1 Math Worksheets
Grade 2 Math Worksheets
We hope you enjoy these special Mother’s Day-themed activities with your little ones this year. Happy Mother’s Day!
Mathseeds is the fun online mathematics program for children aged 3-8. Your child will work through a sequence of highly engaging online mathematics games and activities designed to build essential early numeracy and problem solving skills.
Claim your free trial of Mathseeds, as well as Reading Eggs, the multi-award winning online reading program for kids.


From the Set Values to Live By
Through various examples, children learn about thankfulness and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, in one's community, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being thankful.
|Interest Level||Preschool - Grade 2|
|Reading Level||Grade 1|
|ATOS Reading Level|
|Guided Reading Level||L|
|Publisher||The Child's World, Inc.|
|Format||Reinforced book, Hosted ebook|
|Number of Pages||24, 24|
|Dimensions||9.5 x 8, 9.5 x 8|
Author: Cynthia Amoroso
Cynthia Amoroso holds undergraduate degrees in English and elementary education, and graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction as well as educational administration. She is currently an assistant superintendent in a suburban metropolitan school district. Cynthia's past roles include teacher, assistant principal, district reading coordinator, director of curriculum and instruction, and curriculum consultant. She has extensive experience in reading, literacy, curriculum development, professional development, and continuous improvement processes.


Children better prepared for school if their parents read aloud to them
Young children whose parents read aloud to them have better language and literacy skills when they go to school, according to a review published online ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Children who have been read aloud to are also more likely to develop a love of reading, which can be even more important than the head start in language and literacy. And the advantages they gain persist, with children who start out as poor readers in their first year of school likely to remain so.
In addition, describing pictures in the book, explaining the meaning of the story, and encouraging the child to talk about what has been read to them and to ask questions can improve their understanding of the world and their social skills.
The review brings together a wide range of published research on the benefits of reading aloud to children. It also includes evidence that middle class parents are more likely to read to their children than poorer families.
The authors explain that the style of reading has more impact on children’s early language and literacy development than the frequency of reading aloud. Middle class parents tend to use a more interactive style, making connections to the child’s own experience or real world, explaining new words and the motivations of the characters, while working class parents tend to focus more on labelling and describing pictures. These differences in reading styles can impact on children’s development of language and literacy-related skills.
The Reach Out and Read programme in Boston has improved the language skills of children in low income families by increasing the proportion of parents reading to their children.
The programme provides books and advice to the parents about the importance of reading aloud. Parents who have been given books were four times more likely to say they had looked at books with their children or that looking at books was one of their child’s favourite activities, and twice as likely to read aloud to their children at least three times a week.
Source: British Medical Journal


- Great Math Games: Ideal for the classroom or the playroom, the classic games give kids lots of ways to explore numbers, colors, and patterns, perfect for teaching the concept of 10’s, adding, subtracting – in a fun way!
- A Strong Dinosaur: The pieces are well constructed, very sturdy for children to bang around and use daily without worry of breaking it
- Vibrant Counting Toys: 10 rows of 10 beads in 5 rainbow colors, the smooth, colorful wooden beads encourage little hands to grasp, spin, and slide them, promoting fine motor skill development
- Mum’s Good Helper: Educational toys, moving one bead from one side to another and counting, attracting your baby’s attention when you need to prepare her/his food
- Safe Bead Abacus: Water-based paint is harmless to baby, good quality, durable, it will last many years if you want to pass it on to another child
Dimensions: 20.32 x 10.16 x 12.44 CM


A new campaign has been launched to improve adult literacy and numeracy rates across Hartlepool which lag behind the national averages.
In Hartlepool, 20% of adults are classed as functionally illiterate compared to 14.6% of adults in England.
The statistics highlighted by the Fabian Society also show that 55.4% of adults are also classed below level 1 in numeracy.
This means they would not pass an English or Maths GCSE and have levels at or below those expected of an 11-year-old.
Darren Hankey, Principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education, is developing a new campaign alongside the Hartlepool Fabian Society on a project it calls ‘One Town Can’ aiming to improve the literacy of adults across the town.
Darren said: “The premise is that in a town like Hartlepool, we can bring likeminded people together to drive forward the idea that they can undertake education initiatives for the betterment of the of the town.
“Poor levels of literacy and numeracy hold people back in so many ways especially in terms of gaining employment and enhancing career prospects.
“Furthermore, many parents are probably not in a position to help their children with homework due to poor levels of literacy and numeracy.
“This is something with which Hartlepool College of FE can help. We have a long and well-established track record of ensuring adult learners achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications including very good GCSE grades”
Darren has written to 38 schools in Hartlepool with the view of communicating this message to their pupils’ parents.
Darren went on to say: “The idea is that we can work with primary and secondary schools to help improve parents’ literacy/numeracy skills, which, in turn, can help improve pupils’ academic achievement.
“The schools can highlight the type of work their pupils will undertake and the College can then provide the appropriate knowledge, skills and qualifications.
“We’ve had a good initial response so far from schools across the town and this is something we hope to get up and running in the New Year.”
Gary Wootton from the Hartlepool Fabian Society said: “It’s fantastic to see somebody willing to take a lead on a collaborative endeavour such as this.
“The education sector has been plagued by artificial competition for too long. In this period of austerity, co-operating and working together is pretty much an imperative.
“The Hartlepool Fabian Society has been completing research into effective systems of education improvement, and Darren has kindly agreed to pick up this strand.
“It is a fundamental belief of ours that education is best viewed as an investment rather than a cost and it is hoped that the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the Northern Powerhouse, and the Department for Education view Hartlepool as an area worth investing in.
“Education does not exist in a vacuum: all of the work done by the council should be evidence-based and promote the best interests of the town’s residents.”
Darren added: “Hopefully this will then have a positive impact on pupils, helping parents to support their children – and ultimately have a positive impact on the entire education system within the town.”


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Why Some Children Seem to Struggle
Some children who struggle at school are regarded as learning disabled. Dr. Jan Strydom thinks this view is out of focus, and suggests a way in which such children may be helped.
The term "learning disabilities" is a misnomer, according to a doctor of education who has spent years researching the subject.
Dr. Jan Strydom has devised a system of learning, called Audiblox, which is proving popular with educators and which, he says, can have "remarkable results" for many children who have been diagnosed as learning disabled.
"It is essential that children be equipped with the tools they need for learning," says Dr. Strydom who has a master's degree in philosophy, a higher teaching diploma and a doctorate in education. "A large percentage of children who have been called learning disabled are not disabled at all and can be helped to increase their learning capacities."
It is important to understand why some children seem to struggle, he says.
"When assessing a child who is falling behind at school or not achieving reasonable results, you must go back to the basic fact that every human being only knows and can do what he or she has learned.
"Often, the reason why a child is showing failure to learn properly is that he simply has not been taught how to learn.
"Once the problem is addressed in the right way, progress can be remarkable."
Dr. Strydom explains that the development of certain foundational skills – such as perception, memory, and concentration – is necessary before a child is able to learn successfully. When a child is systematically exercised on these foundational skills, the learning capacity increases and the problem starts to diminish.
For many years Dr. Strydom, who is the father of three and grandfather of two, has been taking great interest in school readiness. Before his youngest daughter started school he devised a program of school-readiness specifically for her, and when she started school she did extremely well.
He then turned his attention to the question of learning disabilities and applied the same precepts as those he had applied to the school-readiness situation, crystallizing the theory that in order to learn children should be taught how to learn.
The essence of his system, called Audiblox, is a program of mental exercises that develop the foundational skills of learning. The lessons can be done at home, in the school or by private tutors. In a school setting a lesson usually takes 30 minutes per day, four or five times a week, and is frequently used to prevent learning disabilities.
"It is important to try to prevent difficulties arising," says Dr. Strydom. "Children must be equipped with the skills that will enable them to learn well. At the sea or the swimming pool one wouldn't wait to see if a child was going to drown before doing something about it. You'd give him swimming lessons to make sure that he didn't."
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Brookfield's mission has always centered on individual academic achievement. We set high standards and organize the School so that our students can reach them. The school's core curriculum is heavily weighted toward mastering language arts and mathematics skills. Supported by science, social studies, and French, the curriculum is enriched with music, computer technology, physical education, and art.
Students gain experience with both short-term and long-term projects, as well as working individually and in groups. Assignments requiring the use of the local public library are required and research on the Internet is selectively taught and expected. Learning how to navigate the Internet intelligently, to judge the usefulness and reliability of information, and to develop a sense of how to manage the information is part of the instructional program.
To help students attain their academic potential, the School provides a highly structured environment. When students begin to experience the changes of pre-adolescence, they often lose their sense of organization and focus. A routine schedule for middle school students frees them so they can focus their energy on becoming self-reliant learners. The regularity of assignments provides students and families with the predictability they need to manage an accelerated curriculum with extra-curricular and other family activities.
We believe that reading is the heart and soul of elementary education. We expect children to speak and write well; to measure, evaluate, and perform arithmetic; to think logically and clearly in analyzing problems, and to ask thoughtful questions; and to be motivated to search for answers.
Test scores for Brookfield students on the same tests used in California's public schools statewide average above 90 percent, and graduates regularly attend prestigious high schools followed by the most rigorous universities. Approximately two-thirds of the upper grade students qualify to take the Johns Hopkins Talent Search exam for academic excellence each year. However, standardized test scores are only a benchmark and one of the several methods used to evaluate each student.
STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS
All Brookfield students in grades 1 - 8 take the SAT 10 or the ACT Aspire standardized test each spring. These assessments are highly regarded nationally-normed measurement of school achievement. The national average score on this test is 50, from a possible 100. The class mean scores for Brookfield students typically place far above average.
GIFTED and TALENTED SCREENING
In addition to the SAT 9, we occasionally administer a test (SAGES) to screen students for “giftedness” in Math/Science, Reading/Language Arts, and Reasoning. Individual test results are not shared with parents, but are used to help our faculty identify and provide enrichment for students who may not otherwise demonstrate innate ability in these areas.


Mike Middlebrooks earned his Master's Degree in Elementary Education in 1997, and taught 2nd/3rd grade at Encino Park Elementary School in San Antonio.
As a teacher, Mike introduced Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, one named Mattie, rats, scorpions, millipedes, butterflies, ants and many more cool creatures. Most of his book inspirations came from the 'creatures' in his classroom.
About Mattie the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: In the Face of Danger (The Mattie Series):
In the Face of Danger Mattie is no ordinary cockroach: she is descended from the proud line of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Through her father's belief in Mattie, she will be tested as no other Madagascar Hissing Cockroach has ever been tested. Will Mattie simply hop away like Bucky and Brucey the bullfrogs do, when threatened, or hide in the mud like Wallace the worm does when scared or threatened? Mattie's family of 1000 Madagascar Hissers are relying on her to be brave when a green, slithery snake approaches their decaying log which they call home. Will Mattie be brave when she is terrified and scared, in the face of danger?


Resources › For Educators Typical and Not "Normal" The Preferred Name for Children Without Disabilities Share Flipboard Email Print Huntstock/Disability Images/Getty Images For Educators Special Education Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Management Lesson Plans Math Strategies Reading & Writing Social Skills Inclusion Strategies Individual Education Plans Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Elementary Education Secondary Education Teaching Homeschooling By Jerry Webster Special Education Expert M.Ed., Special Education, West Chester University B.A., Elementary Education, University of Pittsburgh Jerry Webster, M.Ed., has over twenty years of experience teaching in special education classrooms. He holds a post-baccalaureate certificate from Penn State's Educating Individuals with Autism program. our editorial process Jerry Webster Updated February 23, 2019 "Typical," or "Typically Developing" is the most appropriate way to describe children who are not receiving special education services. "Normal" is frankly offensive since it implies that a special education child is "abnormal." It also implies that there is a single norm for children. Instead, it is preferred to refer to children without disabilities as "typical" because they have the behavior, intellectual ability and functional skills we would "typically" see in children of their age. How Mental Disability Used to be Defined At one time, the only measure of whether a child was disabled was how he or she performed on a measure of Intelligence, known as an "IQ Test." Describing the intellectual disability of a child was defined by the number of IQ points below the mean of 100 a child would fall. 20 points was "mildly retarded," 40 Points was "severely retarded." Now, a child is to be considered disabled if her or she fails to respond to intervention, or RTI. Instead of performance on an intelligence test, the child's disability is defined by his or her difficulty with grade appropriate academic material. How to Define "Typical" A "Typical" child would perform within a standard deviation of the mean of all children's performance. In other words, the distance on either side of the mean that represents the largest part of the "curve" of the population. We also can benchmark the social behavior of "typical" children as well. The ability to talk in complete sentences, the ability to initiation and maintain conversational exchange are behaviors, behaviors for which speech language pathologists have created norms. Oppositional defiant behavior can also be compared to the behavior expected of a child of the same age without disruptive or aggressive behavior. Finally, there are functional skills which children "typically" acquire at certain ages, such as dressing themselves, feeding themselves and typing their own shoes. These can also be bench marked for typical children. At what age, does a child child tie his or her shoes? At what age does a child typically cut his or her own food, using both hemispheres. "Typical" is especially appropriate when comparing a typically developing child with a child on the autism spectrum. Children with autism spectrum disorders have a great many language, social, physical and cognitive deficits. In many cases they are related to developmental delays that children with autism experience. It is often in contrast to "typically developing children" that we can best describe the needs of special education children. These students are sometimes referred to as "Regular Education Students" or "General Education Students." Example of How to Use the Word Ms. Johnson looks for as many opportunities as possible for her students with severe cognitive challenges to engage their typical peers. Typical children encouraged the children with disabilities while at the same time modeling age appropriate behavior.


|Title||Study of the results in the acquisition of core competencies in schools that integrate primary education and music|
|Publication Type||Journal Article|
|Year of Publication||2017|
|Authors||Andreu, M, Godall, P, Amador, M, Castro, M|
|Journal||International Journal of Music Education|
|Keywords||core competencies, integrated schools, music, Music education, primary education|
The goal of this research was to carry out an exploratory study on how music education integrated into primary schooling (children from 6 to 12 years old) can help in acquiring the core competencies characteristic of this stage. The study was conducted by developing a validated instrument, pilot-tested for reliability, to assess the eight core competencies. Pupils in their final year of primary education in the two schools integrating primary education and music that exist in Catalonia were evaluated by comparing them with a control group from ordinary schools.
The results of the research show that, although music pupils do not attend more than the minimum number of class contact hours legally established for all curriculum areas (except the arts), they obtained better results when performing a test on all the core competencies.


A Person Learns
to Read Once
Why Native Language
The Estrellita Accelerated Beginning Spanish Reading Program supports native language instruction by providing early education bilingual teachers with a methodology and concrete strategies for teaching beginning Spanish reading to young children. This foundation in the primary language assists English Language Learners in achieving a successful and smooth transition to English.
Research has repeatedly shown that a child who learns to read in his primary language (L1) first has a greater degree of success in an English curriculum than does the child who does not. A person learns to read only once. The process of acquiring the necessary decoding skills to “break the code” is a learned process. These acquired skills transfer to the second language (L2) and do not have to be “relearned.”
The Estrellita Program is Not a Translation from English
Some Spanish literacy programs are a direct translation of the English version, which is a recipe for disaster. Contrary to what people think, teaching Spanish literacy is different than teaching English literacy because the linguistic nature of the two languages is different. Some educational companies have attempted to teach Spanish phonics the same way they teach English phonics. This is based on an incorrect premise that literacy development in English and Spanish are the same or very similar.
The Importance of Blending in the Estrellita Program
Estrellita utilizes a syllabic approach to blending and segmentation which systematically builds upon itself.
One of the key differences between Spanish and English literacy development is the onset-rime structure in English versus the syllable unit in Spanish. Beginning reading material in English is dominated by one-syllable words made of three letters (CVC), such as cap, hat, sun, tip, etc. Beginning English literacy instruction is built around the onset-rime structure in these one-syllable words (c-ap).
The situation is very different in Spanish, however. Research has indicated that the syllable is a more important unit of phonological awareness in Spanish than it is in English (Carreiras, Alvarez, and De Vega, 1993). Spanish is an alphabetic language with a regular and well-defined syllabic structure. Beginning literacy programs in Spanish must be built around the syllable unit.
Research on phonemic awareness in English indicates that it should be taught in the pre-reading stage, and in fact, is a precursor to learning to read (Adams, 1990). Research done in Mexico yields very different results (Vernon & Ferreiro, 1999, 2000). For Spanish-speaking students, phonemic and phonological awareness are not precursors to reading in Spanish, but are integral to the reading process and should be taught concurrently with reading and writing.
From the Known to the Unknown
With very few exceptions, there is a direct sound to symbol correspondence in Spanish. English does not have this direct correspondence. This makes the decoding process much easier to master in Spanish than in English.
Decoding the Research
Why No More "MA, ME, MI, MO, MU"?
Research has demonstrated that vowels are best taught before consonants in early Spanish reading instruction (Escamilla, 1999; Ferreiro, Pellicer, Rodríguez, Silva & Vernon, 1994). This is the direct opposite in English reading programs in which consonants are taught first. In Spanish, there are only five vowel sounds. General American English has about sixteen different vowel sounds, represented graphically by a myriad of numerous spellings. This presents one of the biggest obstacles for children learning to read in English, regardless of their language dominance. Children who learn to read in Spanish can more easily “break the code” because of this one-to-one letter correspondence.
The Estrellita Program Bridges the Gap to Literacy
Estrellita serves as a bridge to English, by laying a strong foundation in Spanish literacy that later leads to a more successful transition to English. Test results from many schools and districts using bilingual instruction indicate that children who have been through the Estrellita program in the primary grades are surpassing their English-only peers in English reading scores in later grades. Estrellita provides programs for K-1, PreK, Newcomers, and Games and Activities for differentiated instruction. Additionally, Estrellita strongly encourages a systematic implementation process that includes Professional Development and Site Implementation to ensure a solid foundation and fidelity to the program.


The UMass Lowell String Project is one of the best music education programs in the local area, so if you have a child who loves music, you should check it out! Read on for some FAQ’s that will help you learn more about this wonderful initiative.
What is String Project?
The String Project mainly teaches students how to play string instruments, but they learn so much more along the way. Students discover how music can build positive relationships with peers and within their community, as well as improve musicianship skills like critical listening and reading music. They are part of the National String Project Consortium, which is composed of more than 40 String Projects located at major universities all around the country. In 2014, the Consortium and the American String Teachers Association named UMass Lowell’s String Project the “String Project of the Year.”
Who can join?
This program works out of UMass Lowell’s Department of Music to provide excellent musical instruction to Merrimack Valley students in grades K-12. A select number of scholarships are available for students who may require financial aid to join.
Who runs the String Project?
UMass Lowell’s String Project is headed up by three excellent educators from the university: John-Morgan Bush, Executive Director; Dr. Gena Greher, Coordinator of Music Education; and Kay Roberts, Founding Director. Many college students from the university’s Music Education program also participate, from behind the scenes doing administrative work to on the front lines teaching classes.
What kinds of programs are available?
The String Project is composed of five ensembles and one creative music class.
- Prélude Ensemble—introductory group where students learn to hold instruments and bows and play scales in an ensemble setting
- Overture Ensemble—second-level group in which students continue to develop fundamental performance skills in smaller groups
- Creative Sound Play—a creative music class for students in Overture to learn how to compose original music, creatively utilize resources, and build their own musical experiences both alone and in group settings
- Accelerando Ensemble—serves students who start playing in middle school and students who require additional foundational support before auditioning into the String Sinfonia
- String Sinfonia—students perform more difficult music and begin to learn about musical aesthetics and theory
- Lowell Youth Orchestra—highest-level group composed almost exclusively of high school students who work with guest artists, commission original compositions, and perform complex musical literature for the community
What will my child learn?
The String Project has four main goals: to provide high quality string instrument instruction; to cultivate a lifelong love of music in students; to provide firsthand experience of how music builds positive relationships with peers and the community; and to offer UMass Lowell students the opportunity to become more effective music teachers.
If your child is interested in joining, please contact the UMass Lowell String Project by email at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 978-934-3867. You can also visit their website for more information.
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First discovered in the U.S. in 1877, Apatosaurus was once called Brontosaurus. This massive dinosaur grew up to 82 feet long and weighed as much as 50,000 pounds. It fueled its body by eating tons of plants every day.
- Apatosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, about 152 million years ago. Its name means deceptive lizard because its bones resemble that of the Brontosaurus.
- Apatosaurus’s teeth were straight, like the prongs on a rake. The teeth stripped leaves from trees and plants, but were useless for breaking the plants into smaller pieces. The dinosaur swallowed his meals whole. Apatosaurus swallowed fist-sized rocks called gastroliths, which helped it digest its food. Many modern birds use the same method.
- Apatosaurus was slow but strong. One kick from it could kill a meat eater. Its front legs had one claw, while the back legs had three claws. It could probably rear up on its hind legs to defend itself or reach food.
- Because of their size and strength, healthy adult apatosauruses were rarely attacked by predators.
- These dinosaurs had long necks and tails. The tails could be used as a whip.
- The Apatosaurus had lightweight bones with air pockets in them, similar to birds. These bones made it possible for the animal to become huge without crushing itself under its own weight.
Read more about the Apatosaurus.
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The Connetquot School District prides itself on being recognized by the Namm Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants), as one of the Best Communities in the United States for Music Education.
By participating in a healthy musical environment, students at Edward J. Bosti Elementary School share in many vital musical experiences that add and shape their growth. Music deals with teambuilding. When a student joins a general music class, a chorus rehearsal, a string orchestra rehearsal, or a band rehearsal, all students are active participants. Everyone is equally important in a music class and a rehearsal. Individually, students contribute by adding their own knowledge, talent and personality. This teambuilding is attributed to learning about complex vocabulary words, the language of music, listening skills, fine motor skills, mathematics, physics, history, many different languages, and enjoyment. This is all included in the Common Core State Standards and Student Learning Objectives (SLO), as well as the State and National Standards for the Arts.
All students at Bosti participate in General Music Classes. Our music curriculum follows the National and New York State Standards for the Arts. In addition, all classes incorporate the Common Core State Standards.
Students have the opportunity to dance, sing, play instruments and become life-long lovers of music. We focus on the things children like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance and keep a beat on just about anything. Improvisation and composition start students on a lifetime of knowledge and pleasure through personal musical experience.
“Music students are developing those areas of the brain that expand human creativity. They broaden their thoughts of originality, independence, curiosity, and flexibility, as they interpret, analyze, and break apart the music in new and interesting ways.
Learning through music and the arts not only allows the child to develop all of the types of intelligence that lie within him/her, but also allows the child to express their uniqueness as a person, thereby promoting a strong inner confidence and self-worth.”
From the book - Good Music Brighter Children by Sharlene Habermeyer
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
- Albert Einstein


Then Karen's district shifted its stance on reading curriculum. The local newspaper reported second-grade test scores, and the drop in scores led to an outcry in many forums. The district responded swiftly by adopting and mandating the use of a systematic, direct-intense phonics instruction program. The texts used in reading instruction shifted from predictable books to phonetically regular texts that were referred to by the publisher as "predictable" and "decodable," but that actually consisted of phonetically regular words organized into sentences that strain young readers' sense-making. Teachers were told to follow verbatim the scripted lessons of the phonics program. Karen describes the change:
"I was told by [a district reading administrator] that for too long teachers in this district have thought that their job was to create curriculum. I was told that is not our job. Our job is to 'deliver' [she makes quote signs in the air with her fingers] curriculum."
Life in the classroom changed in response to the phonics mandate because the lessons consumed time. Karen says, "My students need to hear stories. They need to be involved with real literature . although [now] I always feel like I'm battling the clock." She explains that the mandated program is so oriented to precision that her students are less willing to take risks as readers and writers. That, in combination with less time for writing, makes Karen wonder about all the lost possibilities: for teaching, for learning, and for young readers and writers to express themselves, their ideas, their hopes, their dreams, and their imaginations.
Karen and her students live within the tense zone generated by disagreements about the teaching of reading. Government-sponsored groups, researchers, church groups, think tanks, and legislators have placed increasingly harsh and often ambiguous demands on reading pedagogy. The many voices in this never-ending debate contribute to constructing an air of hysteria and urgency about reading and readers. Alongside the cries about poor readers and ineffective instruction are articulate responses describing the intensity of the debate as a manufactured crisis. In the midst of the swirling mass of doubt and rebuttal about teacher efficacy and student performance, we see newscasts of crying children preparing for reading tests, and anxious teachers and parents awaiting test results that affect funding, salaries, and student promotion. The voice of the government via the "No Child Left Behind" act gives the message that systematic, direct-intense phonics instruction will solve many of our educational problems and lead to student success in life beyond school.
But there is one view that's consistently absent in the perpetual noise about the teaching and learning of reading. The missing view -- the one taken in this article -- is the view from a classroom of children and their teacher.


In middle school, our curriculum focuses on helping students to become independent learners and preparing them to succeed in higher level emphasizing the concept methodology.
Vikas –The Concept School Curriculum supports the young learner in :
- Developing independent learning strategies and study skills.
- Deepening their reading comprehension and writing skills.
- Applying the concepts of Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Language skills in day to day life and in preparing for higher level learning.
Our framework for learning helps middle School children interested and engaged with:
- Projects that apply learning to day to day life and are catered to their needs and interests.
- Hands-on experience and utilisation of resources available in the child’s environment.
- Activities that encourage them to think individually and makes learning meaningful.
- Integrating assessment into the learning process, it emphasises on a learner friendly approach in the development of instructional materials.
- Languages - English, Hindi, Telugu, Sanskrit and French
- Social Science
- Health and Physical Education
- Work Education
- Art Education
No man is an island. ‘Living with others’ in the present global perspective has become as significant as ‘living for oneself’. Therefore, VIKAS places a considerable thrust on the development of healthy inter-personal relationships amongst the students. All the curricular and co-curricular activities are designed in a fashion that would leave ample scope for teamwork and group interaction thus achieving the aim of promoting inter-personal relationships.
An array of literary and cultural events await each Vikasian, to be explored and enjoyed. Essay Writing for creative expression, Elocution for effective public speaking, debate for logical presentation of reasoning, singing, dancing, drawing and painting for honing the higher tastes of the mind are just to mention a few.
The school provides for professional training in field events like tennis, kho-kho, volleyball, basketball etc., and athletic events like runs, jumps, sprints, shot-put etc. There are also a number of indoor games to suit the interests of each child. The idea is to channelise the bubbling energies of the children towards a healthy, fruitful activity so that they would emerge with strong bodies, mature minds and clean thoughts at the end of schooling.
All the students are given a course in Value Education which teaches a student his/her obligations towards God, himself/herself, his/her country and fellowmen. Parents are advised to encourage their wards to practise these values. Every student is encouraged to practise his/her own religion faithfully and to respect other religions.
All the programmes at VIKAS are planned to realize the four-fold objectives of education as emphasized even by the UNO:
‘Learning to Learn
Learning to Do
Learning to Be
This is the essence of a child oriented system and VIKAS promises nothing less.
The school is where a child spends 7-8 hours a day; I have never regretted any time spent throughout my nine years in Vikas. Over these many years, I have created lasting relationships with my teachers and peers. My highly inquisitive nature was nurtured by my teachers, who have become an indispensable part o...f my life. Today I consider Vikas to be my haven for knowledge, always ready to help.
Since joining Vikas- The Concept School, my overall growth has gone beyond imagination. Here, we are gifted with a plethora of highly motivated teachers, who focus on molding us into future leaders. The school offers HAP courses from grade six onwards, which aims at the smooth transition into advanced classes... in high school.
A school fostering a child to go ahead with his/her interests. As it stands by its name, Vikas – The Concept School, truly focuses on conceptual learning and holistic education beyond schooling. My teachers have always provided a very safe learning environment. As a student, I would recommend everyone to co...me and become a part of this family, which nurtures our ability to grow. At last, I would surely say, I am proud to be a Vikasian
My teachers have always encouraged and inspired me to go above and beyond my own capabilities. Vikas has transformed me into a better ‘social being’. Truly, Vikas has always stood up to its motto “Holistic Education Beyond Schooling”....
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Literacy skills are essential in order to participate in today’s increasingly global society and economy that demand the ability to effectively use literacy in multiple contexts for multiple purposes. Today’s adolescents have greater literacy demands placed upon them than ever before as they prepare to enter an adult world that requires their ability to read, write, and speak successfully. Today’s teachers face greater challenges than ever before in meeting the increasingly diverse literacy needs of their students in order to prepare them for success in the adult world. This course will prepare you to assist your adolescent students who struggle with literacy to achieve literacy success by providing strategies and techniques that you can incorporate into your secondary classroom in order to scaffold your students’ literacy development. In this course, you will learn to implement research-based instructional practices that scaffold adolescents’ literacy development in the areas of motivation, engagement, reading expository text, using prior knowledge, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and studying. Additionally, you will learn to implement research-based assessment techniques that will allow you to monitor your students’ growth and adjust your instructional practices to foster their continued progress.


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In this lesson Anne talks about her work as an English teacher. The language focus is on the present perfect continuous and simple.
Have you got a job or are you looking for one? In this video Anne tells us about her job.
This resource is aimed primarily at learners who are already working in retail or who want to find out more about working in the sector, but will appeal to any learners who need to talk about processes, prices or career development. The resource uses authentic sound recordings as a springboard for practice in listening, speaking, writing and numeracy skills within this context.
This lesson is about Anne’s journey to work. It provides learners with listening and speaking practice of transport vocabulary and talking about their journeys to work or college/school.


Argumentative Essay about Music Education: A Necessity
“What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children.” General H. Norman Schwarzkopf proclaimed after describing his love of music, even in the midst of the Gulf War.
I agree with him. In my own experience, music has proven to be a priceless gift to those involved. Even so, in some schools this tragedy, getting rid of arts programs and teachers, is occurring. As educators are facing budget cuts and an increasing pressure to do well on standardized tests, “less important” subjects such as music education are being cast aside. This is a very grave mistake. Music and the arts improve academic achievement and teach valuable skills; school administrators should not cut these programs.
Students involved in the arts improve their academic progress substantially. At my own school, many senior band members are among the top twenty-five, some are even in contention for valedictorian. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Education found that in a study of 25,000 students revealed that those consistently involved in music “show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade twelve.” This isn’t just a high school band director talking in order to increase interest in his program.
Another study by Social Science Quarterly showed taking lessons in music has a positive effect on student math achievement. Math isn’t the only subject improved by music; critical thinking, reading, and study skills are all improved by participation in the arts. Students of the arts also score better on standardized tests. The College Entrance Examination Board of 2001 stated “students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math [portion of the SAT], than students with no arts participation.” The arts are not a hindrance to education, taking precious time that could be used for core subjects; but an amplifier of students’ academic skills.
Music also teaches valuable life skills, extending far beyond classroom walls. As a squad leader in the marching band, I have learned to be responsible not only for myself, but for my squad as well. I have to make sure they all know their drills and music, sometimes staying after school to work on it with them. Former president Gerald Ford declared “Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them, a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement.
The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” Skills learned from music include self-discipline, multi-tasking, decision-making, and organization, all essential when studying notes, rhythms, tempo, and style. Principal Helen Nolen of Sellwood Middle School in Portland Oregon believes that participation in the arts is one of the best ways to learn leadership qualities, and therefore makes music and art education a priority. Cutting music and art education is not only undesirable; it is also preventable. Many other schools have found solutions to the ever-present problems of not enough time or money to include music and art with “core subjects”. In fact, according to the Government Accountability office, many schools have found ways to keep their arts programs.
Solutions include finding creative ways to move around schedules, even extending them by using block scheduling or other adding another period. If making the school day longer is out of the question, consider Arizona’s Tuscon Unified School district. They are currently involved in a program called Opening Minds through the Arts. OMA integrates the arts into other subjects, “improving and overcoming challenges faced in education”. With a little bit of research and ingenuity, administrators can stretch time and budgets to accommodate both music and math classes. Music and the arts are an important part of education.
They encourage academic proficiency, and teach skills that will be useful long after high school. As important as they are to students and society alike, schools are still cutting these programs, even when alternatives exist. “We the People…promote the general welfare”. Are not the arts apart of the welfare of our children? School administrators and parents alike need to be educated on the values of the arts, for as many leading world figures have stated, they are not only wanted, but necessary. Not everyone can be great at sports.
For some music is like their bread and water, which we do not have the right to deny anyone.


Document Type: Original Article
Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 81300 Skudai, Johor Bahru Malaysia
Emergent literacy research has demonstrated that literacy development begins early in literate environment of family settings. This qualitative case study explored how literacy development in early years was enhanced in a print-rich multilingual environment. It involved 3 children from 3 families in a multilingual context. Data collection focused on emergent literacy of children and how home environment and family practice supported their literacy development. Data were collected through methodological triangulation of interviews; on-site observation of authentic interactions and literate environment; as well as an audit of home literacy resources. The data were analyzed, within and across cases, before identifying discrepancies and commonalities among participants. Three prominent themes emerged from the general research questions: (1) Quality parent-child or adult-child interaction and exchanges; (2) Immersion in language and print-rich environment; and (3) Intentional explicit instruction. In conclusion, insights gained from children’s early literacy challenges teachers and educators to think more broadly and inclusively about family literacy.


Adams, D. 2007. Can music be used to enhance learning in the classroom? Cardiff School of Education Research Papers. Available at: http://www.uwic.ac.uk/documents/pdf/csejournalv4.pdf
Adams, D. 2008. Play to learn. Teaching Wales. Edition 16. Spring 2008. Available at: http://www.gtcw.org.uk/gtcw/images/stories/downloads/newsletters/Journal_16.pdf
Adams, D. 2010. Music-making: bringing sound into a silent past. The value of creative analogies in the Neolithic Symposium, University of Cardiff. 28 June, 2010.
Adams, D. 2010. Exploring the past through drama and music. History Teacher Education Network Conference. Newport University. 19 July, 2010.
Adams, D. 2011. Music-Making at Prehistoric Sites Helping to Understand Present Intuition of Music. Leading Music Education International Conference. 1 June, 2011. University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Adams, D. and Brassil, K. The Out of Doors Museum: Being Creative At Prehistoric
Monuments. Museum Education Monitor. July 2013 Issue.
Reynolds, F. and Adams, D. 2014. Sound and Performance in Public Archaeology: Examining the Benefits of Outdoor Learning with Creative Engagement at the Neolithic Site of Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, Vale of Glamorgan. Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture. Volume 7, Issue 1, 2014.
Current Research Interests –
ICT in Education


The teacher is responsible for and oversees the supervision, safety, and education of the students. The licensed teacher must plan, organize, adapt and follow a curriculum based upon the foundations of early childhood development, emphasizing language, motor skills, and relationship building.
Skills and Competencies
- Develop and implement a curriculum with appropriate activities for individual children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.
- Supervise assistants while developing team goal-setting, feedback, and participation in an evaluation process annually. Delegate responsibilities appropriate to individual experience and classroom needs.
- Consult with the director and/or assistant director when needed.
- Oversee the planning and implementing of weekly activities and classroom routines.
- Develop and maintain positive and professional relationships with families, identifying differences in parenting and lifestyles.
- Develop a positive relationship with each child and promotes the development of self-esteem and self-discipline.
- Communicate effectively and appropriately as needed with parents to promote an understanding of each child’s day, growth and development.
- Attend all program parent/child functions such as art shows and recognition events.
- Maintain records for children and participate in parent conferences.
- Supervise all activities to ensure the safety of each child at all times.
- Maintain a neat and organized classroom and assist in the maintenance of equipment and materials as needed.
- Maintain confidentiality at all times.
- Supervise nap time by helping children rest if necessary.
- Assist in maintaining all relevant state Child Care Licensing requirements.
- Maintain prompt hours.
- Engage in regular professional development activities.
- Bachelor’s degree
- A current Vermont Agency of Education teaching license with an endorsement in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education or Elementary Education.
- Must qualify as a Teacher or Teacher Associate per the Child Care Licensing regulations for the state of Vermont.


Hereditary factors and inborn play significant role in the process of skills development, however, acquired and environmental seem to be equally important. The environment also had a direct impact to personality traits, because characteristic adaptations were always involved in their expression (McCrae et al., 2000). The significant role among environmental factors played the conscious impacts. At this point, the development of skills can be partly or totally controlled in the unfavourable conditions was seems extremely important to be emphasized. If the child does not receive a proper support, encouragement and guidance some of the skills can in such a situation not be disclosed or not be developed. The more such exposure and stimulation involves the individual, the more intensively skills develop (Petrykowski et al.,2014).Area of upbringing provided unique settings for skills development. Early success may be because of variations in access to sources and childrearing norms and practices in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Urban, suburban, and rural regions provided precise settings for child development. Urban–rural continuum differs in financial status, resources accessibility, and collective human, social, and cultural capital, all of which had huge and imperative impact for human (Vernon-Feagans et al., 2008). A few studies explained that urbanity linked to the development of early educational capabilities, with rural children lagging behind their urban peers in kindergarten success (Lee & Burkham, 2002).Despite the importance of understanding the influence of factors on child or human development in general, few studies had considered how urbanity shapes the development of early academic skills. For instance, rural areas were populated outside main human resources and often had limited access to development of essential resources like health care, libraries, and child care (Vernon-Feagans et al., 2008). Furthermore, over the last few decades, most of young generation had migrated to urban and suburban areas as high-quality jobs in rural communities had been reduced (Vernon-Feagans et al., 2008). Moreover, it might be harder for rural parents to furnish children with enriching experience and connections as scattering of people, shortage of services, and recent reduction of human capital may leave rural families without access to imperative assets and social capital. However, there were also positive aspects of rural residence which were increased home-ownership and accessibility of nature (Wells & Evans, 2003). On the other hand, large cities often known with a lack of green spaces, crime, overcrowding, pollution, which could be disadvantages for parenting and early development even though resource accessibility were not problematic (Evans, 2006). These developmental contexts over those urban–rural continuum brought about variety in the improvement on skills.In addition, urban-rural environment result in significant differences in early academic skills. Furthermore, cognitive stimulation in the home, parenting quality, and parental childrearing beliefs and academic expectations appeared to be important predictors of early achievement. Cognitive stimulation in the home, which includes the provision of educational interactions, activities and materials enhances language, proficiency, and numeracy skills (Son & Morrison, 2010). Similarly, high quality parenting in early childhood, which was characterized by high levels of responsiveness, warmth and consistency promotes early cognitive and academic development (Lugo-Gil & Tamis-LeMonda, 2008). In fact, children living in more urban areas were closer to a variety of enriching activities, the frequency in which urban and suburban children were exposed with stimulating experiences may be greater, thereby raising the quality of their early learning environments. Lastly, parents’ beliefs and expectations regarding childrearing and education were contributed to early academic skills. (Glick et al., 2009). In short, the parents’ expectations regarding their children’s academic achievement had been influenced with subsequent achievement (Davis-Kean, 2005). Parenting had important long-term outcome for the development of characteristic adaptations including the lifelong relationship between parent and child. Many other aspects of the environment were also significantly influenced on characteristic adaptations including peers, the media, educational systems and more (Miller & Votruba-Drzal, 2013).


All About Simple Machines: Types and Functions
Every day you use machines without even thinking about it. A machine is anything that helps make work easier. Basic tools like staplers, screwdrivers and scissors are simple machines. These machines are all based on simple inventions like levers, planes, pulleys or wheels.
Fun Facts about Simple Machines for Kids
- A lever is a stiff board or bar that rests on a base called a fulcrum. The fulcrum lifts and moves objects. Scissors, pliers, rakes and staplers are all types of levers.
- A pulley has a rope and wheels. It can be used to pull things up. An old-fashioned well uses a pulley to pull water from underground.
- A wedge has a pointed end. It can be driven into something to separate it. An axe is a wedge. So is a nail.
- A wheel and an axle is a type of simple machine. A wheel has a rod, or axle, running through it. Your bicycle wheel has a wheel and axle.
- An inclined plane has a slope that takes you from a lower surface to a higher one. A sloped sidewalk is an inclined plane. A dump truck and a roller coaster also have inclined planes.
- A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a rod. It holds things together securely.
Simple Machine Vocabulary
- Stiff: firm, unbendable
- Base: foundation
- Separate: move apart
Learn More All About Simple Machines: Types and Functions
Watch this video all about simple machines:
A cartoon video about the types and functions of simple machines.
Simple Machine Q&A
Question: Who invented the first simple machines?
Answer: The Greek scientist and mathematician, Archimedes didn’t invent simple machines, but he did develop and improve them. Early man invented the first machines over 2 million years ago. These were rock axes. People made windmills and water movers around the time of the birth of Christ. Even monkeys and some other animals use simple machines like sticks and rocks to get food.
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