The pillars of liberal democracy are collapsing in many nations. “Liberty is under siege.”
Violent hate crimes have surged around the world, including the U.S., where disgusting racist, homophobic, and misogynist language has become normalized in political speeches and on social media, where violence has become routine, and where free speech and other democratic freedoms are under threat.
These realities highlight the fact that what sustains democracies is not simply legal safeguards and rules, but also social norms and practices, individual and communal ethics, empathy, excellent public education systems, and peaceful protest, including “calling out” racism and other social injustices “loudly and by name.”
As the authors of the 27 chapters in Artistic Citizenship document, artists of all kinds around the world are putting their art-making to work for social “goods” by “calling out” and protesting anti-democratic and anti-human behaviors.
(Note: By “artists” we mean amateurs and professionals in all the arts, arts educators, and students involved in art-making for active social justice).
One example of a full-time arts activist is Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre
Guante is a hip-hop artist, a two-time National Poetry Slam champion, an educator, a writer, and a contributor to Artistic Citizenship. He has “performed for justice” widely in the U.S. and abroad—from the United Nations, to the Soundset Hip-Hop Festival, to countless colleges, universities, clubs, theaters, and rallies across the U.S. His performances have been featured on BBC Radio 6-Music, MSNBC, Upworthy, Everyday Feminism, and Button Poetry. And he facilitates community workshops that use the arts as jumping-off points for deeper conversations about identity, power, empathy, and agency.
Here are two examples of Guante’s performances that exemplify his commitment to challenging dominant narratives related to race and racism, and deconstructing traditional notions of masculinity:
Takeaway Thoughts and Questions
Do arts educators have a civic responsibility to do more than talk-talk-talk about artistic “response-ability” and social justice in their journal articles and at conferences? Writing and face-to-face discussions are important, of course, which is why we applaud a 2017 initiative at Michigan State University titled “Musicking Equity: Enacting Social Justice Through Music Education.”
Hopefully, such conferences will actually lead to “enacting” social justice in the sense of actual participation in public contention, acting for social justice, doing it, performing it, and creating “ethical spectacles” of/for social justice.
As David has emphasized in several articles and conference papers over the last 10 years—see “Socializing Music Education“; “Artistic Citizenship as/for Music Education“; and “Canadian Music Schools: Toward a Somewhat Radical Mission“—“raising people’s consciousness about their oppression through reflection and talk is not enough: Physical and emotional support for actual participation in public contention is required” (Anyon). “Intellectualizing,” does not, by itself, move people—physically and emotionally—to take meaningful action for social justice.
To motivate people to join a social movement for meaningful resistance and positive change, it’s essential that they engage in some kind of action, as many scholars and activists have argued (Anyon 2005; McAdam, Tarrow & Tilly 2001; Meyer 2002; Payne 1995). The reason is that “people’s personal identities transform as they become socially active, and actions for social justice create new categories of participants and political groups: identities modify in the course of social interaction” (McAdam, Tarrow & Tilly). In Jean Anyon’s words, “One develops a political identity and commitment … from walking, marching, singing, attempting to vote, sitting in, or otherwise demonstrating with others.”


Date of this Version
The process of teaching students is incredibly difficult. Oftentimes, the adversities of the profession sway highly effective teachers into social and emotional deficits, and eventually lead to burnout (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011; Wisniewski & Gargiulo, 1997). Emotional depletion, burnout, and high attrition in the profession may be costly for the educational system – both financially and academically (Klusmann, Richter, & Lüdtke, 2016). We suggest that the key to preventing burnout, and cultivating flourishing students, is through the educators themselves. Educators who are taught, practice, and implement the skills of well-being at the onset of their careers are more likely to positively adapt and endure the adversities associated with the profession. Investigation of the current integration of well-being skills in teacher education programs suggests that teaching well-being is not prioritized and, therefore, not well included in the curriculum of teacher education programs. As a result, we suggest a framework for the reform of teacher education programs, which includes well-being accreditation standards, supporting domains, and sample courses. Planting a seed of resilience within teacher education programs may allow educators to build foundational practices and pedagogies based on the science of human flourishing. We hope that our research sparks conversations about the importance of prioritizing teacher well-being and resilience.
resilience, teacher resilience, positive psychology, teacher well-being, pre-service teacher training, education reform, positive education, teacher education
educational flourishing, teacher well-being, education reform, positive psychology, positive teacher education, positive education, educational well-being, teacher resilience,
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons
Date Posted: 23 August 2018


One of the most interesting phenomena of homeschooling a child with dyslexia has been watching his approach to spelling. It is quite a myth that people with dyslexia can’t learn phonics…they can! However, the rules of phonics can become a crutch for many who see its do’s and don’ts as unwavering guides for how to form words. This leads to phonetic spelling errors such as “a-l-l-w-a-z-e” for “always” and “e-n-u-f-f” for “enough.”
While phonics instruction is wonderful for reading, it can have incredibly detrimental effects in the teaching of spelling for students with dyslexia. Although there are certain patterns of spelling that hold true for some English words, the language is chock full of “exceptions” to the rules, and therefore needs to be taught separately from phonics in most cases.
People with dyslexia seem to respond best either to individual word memorization techniques, visual spelling instruction, or sight word methods of learning spelling.
- Word Memorization – this method involves creating some association between the word meaning and the sequence of letters in the word to help the speller memorize and retain the particular spelling of each word. Games like Letter Blocks at Vocabulary.co.il, where letters are chosen sequentially to create words, are wonderful for practicing this technique.
- Visual Spelling – instructors using visual spelling techniques will use either color, pattern, or symbols to help students differentiate between letters in a word and memorize their placement.
- Sight Word Spelling – sight word memorization involves a visual-spatial processing that has the student stare at a word for an appointed amount of time until that word is imprinted on their memory. If true imprinting has occurred, the speller can usually spell the word backward as easily as forward because their brains have memorized the placement of the letters rather than any sequential or symbolic memory triggers.
No matter which technique is used, students with dyslexia can improve their spelling by practicing their weekly spelling words the fun way by inputting them into lists at SpellingCity.com, and playing games with the words, or printing out the handwriting worksheets for each list. This is a sure-fire way to help any student get the review they need in a format they will enjoy!


To review the extensive research on literacy development in young children, visit the website of the National Association for the Education of Young Children at naeyc.org. Below are summaries of two studies that highlight the role of books in enriching vocabulary and the importance of having a home library in children’s subsequent school success.
Picture Books Enrich The Vocabularies Of Children. Encouraging parents and caregivers to talk to their babies more often is certainly important, but how does reading picture books expand upon the vocabularies of caregivers. A large replication study at the University of California, Santa Cruz, repeated a classic study showing that print has a richer vocabulary than speech. They found that the variety of words in picture books was more extensive than that of parents talking to their children. Picture books were three times as likely as child-directed speech to use a word that isn’t among the most common English words; this result was found regardless of parents’ background. Even the language quality of two adults talking to each other fell below that of picture books. Given the fact that word mastery in adulthood is correlated with early acquisition of words, a potentially powerful leveler of family income and social background may be as simple as engaging in picture-book reading with babies. (Adapted from Dom Massaro, University of California at Santa Cruz, Letter to the Editor, The New Yorker, Feb. 2, 2015.)
Importance of Children’s Home Libraries.
UNICEF’s ongoing study of inequality in children’s learning and development found that regardless of how many books a family already has, each addition to the home library helps children get a little farther in school. Children growing up in homes with many books get 3 years more schooling than children from bookless homes, independent of their parents’ education, occupation, or income. The importance of having books in the home is the greatest where books are rare. It is in these homes that each additional book matters most. The findings hold equally in rich nations and in poor. Data is from representative national samples in 27 nations, with over 70,000 cases. (Evans et al., Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Vol. 28, Issue 2, June 2010.)


It’s so easy to connect to your students in a meaningful way with multimedia and with music education videos on YouTube. With a single click, you can instantly inspire young musicians to excel musically and academically, teach a concept through the language of video or simply enjoy exploring the many educational offerings. Here are 10 of my favourites:
1) Why an “A” is not enough:
Dr. Brennan makes a poignant point about the educational system using a familiar tune at a band concert while encouraging excellence through music education and performance.
2)Vibration: See The Unseen:
This is an excellent slow motion look at vibrations that can serve as a music teaching resource. With a catchy electronic melody and awe-inspiring imagery, this YouTube video will help your music students understand vibrations and sound wave in an unforgettable way.
3)T-Mobile Music Events: Making Music Fun!
I just love these! if you’re not familiar with the term – these are extraordinary musical/dance events that take place in everyday places just out of the blue. I’ve put a few here together on this post so you can find them easily and enjoy them with your students.
4)Animusic on YouTube:
Animusic creates musically inspiring computer animation combining imaginative virtual instruments with MIDI music. Works for every instrumental group from percussion to strings will awe students!
5)Deaf Percussionist Evelyn Glennie Teaches How to Truly Listen:
Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie has mesmerized audiences for decades. She explains how to listen to music, including interesting insights from her own experiences with music, deafness and how there’s much more to the art of listening than act meets the eye. This TED talk video is over 30 minutes long and makes a great start to discussion for any older class.
6)Music Advocacy YouTube Video:
What are the benefits of music? This simple presentation is one of the best music advocacy videos I’ve seen- it’s simple yet tasteful and provides interesting insight and facts on the benefits of music education to our brains.
7) History Of Rock Videos
Finding videos and recordings for teaching general classroom topics such as the History of Rock can be useful, but often time consuming to put together. At this article, I’ve put together some the most relevant videos to highlight the most significant artists in the beginning of Rock and Roll era.
8)Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir “Lux Aurumque”:
Choral directors who love Eric Whitacre’s lush harmonies and ethereal compositions will enjoy sharing Whitacre’s innovative take on choral music in this popular YouTube video.
9)Music for Kids: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
In this you tube video which is wrapped in a child friendly platform so that students don’t to read comments or get distracted, puppets explore musical instruments at the Meyerson Symphony Center and learn about Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. A fun introduction to this work for any young music classroom. Click here for the link.
10)Evolution of Music – Music History Mashup
With over 100 songs spanning a millennium, this music history mash-up takes your students through an exciting historical journey through time in just 11 minutes.
These ten videos are a start to sharing, but I’m sure you will agree there are so many more high quality videos freely available. Please feel free to leave your comments and share your favorite music education videos so that all teachers can get easier and quicker access to resources.


Type of App:Math Apps
I love this app for young children. My daughter uses Endless Alphabet as well as Endless Numbers as a way to not only have some fun – and educational – screen time.
Watch as your kids grab numbers on the screen and hear them moan their name (i.e.: “one… one… one… one…”) until you place it in the correct spot. Soon enough, your child will be doing simple addition and subtraction, while also doing some subitizing to boot!
From the App Store:
From the team at ORIGINATOR – the creators of the beloved Endless Alphabet, Endless Reader, and Sesame Street’s Monster at the End of This Book…. Originator is a team of passionate artists and engineers dedicated to the best education+entertainment apps for kids.*
As a follow-up to Endless Alphabet, set the stage for early numeracy learning with Endless Numbers! Kids will have a blast learning number recognition, sequences, quantity, numerical patterns, and simple addition with the adorable Endless monsters. Each number features interactive sequences and equation puzzles with numbers that come alive, and a short animation that provides context and meaning to each number.
- 5 numbers are free to try with numbers in Number Packs available for purchase.
- Delightful animations reinforce number recognition, quantity, and counting.
- Interactive number puzzles reinforce basic numeracy skills.
- Endless Numbers was designed with your children in mind. There are no high scores, failures, limits or stress. Your children can interact with the app at their own pace.
Share With Your Learning Community:
Learn About Other Math Apps


1 DAY KODALY-BASED PRIMARY MUSIC COURSE
IMPACT YOUR SCHOOL AND SEE GREAT RESULTS IN PRIMARY MUSIC!
Friday 13th June, BRIGHTON & HOVE MUSIC & ARTS
‘It’s mindblowing how many games there are to use in the classroom’
Come along for:
- Increased confidence in music teaching
- Increased knowledge of the NEW 2014 Music National Curriculum
- How to teach music skills progressively
- 100 + activities – songs, singing games and practical musical activities to teach immediately in the classroom
- Tips on how to work towards outstanding music lessons
- A refreshed love for music teaching
Receive a FREE downloadable book and DVD of your choice – worth up to £34.99
We have an ever-expanding repertoire of over 500 singing games and musical activities – but don’t worry, we don’t teach them to you all at once! We teach:
Singing game with xylophones
circle games, name games
rhythm games, pitch games
puppet games, instrumental games
Turn-taking games and many, many more!
We then USE the games to teach musical skills including notation and composition
WILL THIS COURSE WORK FOR YOU? YES! THIS IS WHAT OTHERS SAY:
‘Brilliantly useful – it’s mindblowing how many games there are to use in the classroom’ – ‘very engaging and practical’ – very enjoyable music course – great subject knowledge and pace – thank you’ – ‘excellent pack of resources and ideas’ – it has inreased my bank of songs, rhymes, games etc and improved my confidence’ – I like the many ways of using one song to develop musical skills’ – ‘I now have an overview of developing musical skills stage by stage’ – a practical approach to learning just as the children do’……
Course run by Sally Wagter, an experienced music specialist of 15 years, music trainer of 10 years and creator of Primary Music Resource books and the Active Music Primary Music Teaching Scheme. Sally has a B/Ed (Hons) and a Professional Practice Certificate in the Kodaly Concept of Music Education accredited by Roehampton University.
Call Sally on 07963 431405 if you would like to attend or to ask questions about the course.
For LASTING RESULTS IN YOUR CLASSROOM MUSIC, please join us on this fantastic one-day course. Cost £99.00 per teacher. FREE DOWNLOADABLE BOOK AND DVD. Call Sally or visit our contact page and send us an email.
Brighton & Hove Music & Arts Centre.
There is free parking at the centre and it is only a 5 minute walk from the nearest station…
TIMING OF THE DAY
10am to 4pm


Dialogic Reading (DR) is a form of interactive shared book reading which promotes children's active participation in reading. Previous studies have demonstrated that DR positively affects young children's literacy development. This small-scale study extends existing DR research to all-male dyads to examine whether DR has a greater impact on boys' literacy development than traditional styles of shared book reading. The sample comprised 18 boys between the ages of five and eight years and their adult male reading partners. Participants were randomly allocated to either the DR condition or regular shared reading (SR) condition. Adults were trained in the two approaches using a self-instruction training DVD. Children were pre- and post-tested on measures of receptive vocabulary, reading attainment and reading fluency. Intervention effects were assessed after six weeks by comparing the extent of pre- to post-test change in the DR and SR groups' standardised language scores. No statistically significant differences between the DR and SR groups were found. However, effect sizes indicated that experience of DR accounted for 15% of the variance in receptive vocabulary growth. Exposure to SR accounted for 13% growth in reading attainment and 12% change in reading fluency over the course of the intervention. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed in relation to further research evaluating the use of SR methods with all male dyads.
Bibliographical noteThe full text of this item is not available from the repository.
- boys' underachievement
- reading fluency
- shared book reading


Mathematics includes specific aspects of numeracy which will be developed both in mathematics and through activities in other areas of the curriculum.
Putting mathematical knowledge and understanding to constructive use has been one of the decisive factors in shaping societies.
Engineering, science, technology and business rely upon mathematics and continue to find new applications for mathematics.
Cultural development and artistic endeavour are influenced by mathematics.
Each of us uses mathematical skills and concepts in everyday life.
To face the challenges of the 21st century, each young person needs to have confidence in using mathematical skills, and Scotland needs both specialist mathematicians and a highly numerate population.
Learning through mathematics enables children and young people to:
- develop essential numeracy skills, including arithmetical skills which allow them to participate fully in society
- develop a secure understanding of the concepts, principles and processes of mathematics and apply these in different contexts, including the world of work
- have an understanding of the application of mathematics, its impact on our society past and present, and its potential for the future
- establish firm foundations for further specialist learning, including for those who will be the mathematicians of the future.


Originally settled by native people, especially the Ute Indians for which the state was named, Utah became a sanctuary for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) seeking religious freedom in 1847. Today, more than half the population belongs to the faith and still influences culture and politics.
- When Mormons arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they found a barren desert. Over time, they built canals to bring water to thirsty crops. The desert “bloomed as a rose,” as their leader had predicted it would. Today farms and orchards stand as a legacy to their hard work.
- The early Mormon pioneers adopted the symbol of a beehive to represent hard work and unity. They quickly built homes, schools, libraries, churches, and temples (sacred places of worship).
- Utah is bordered by Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. Northern Utah contains mountains and farmlands and experiences warm summers and cold winters. Southern Utah is drier, with hot summers and mild winters.
- Almost 70 percent of the state is set aside for national parks and as military and defense space. The U.S. government is a major employer.
- Utah is known for its outdoor recreation, including skiing, hiking, fishing, and boating.
State capital: Salt Lake City (population, 186,440)
Largest city: Salt Lake City (population, 186,440)
State flower: Sego lily
State bird: California Gull
Watch a video about Utah.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Facts about utah for kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Nov 2020. Web. 30 Nov 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/utah/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Facts about utah for kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/utah/
We've recently added
- Fingerprint Identification Experiment
- Forensic Facts for kids
- Stem Cells
- Stem Cell Worksheet
- Buffalo – Part of the Bovidae Family
- Buffalo Differences Worksheet
- Draw the Buffalo Worksheet
- Who invented it?
- Famous American Inventors (Top ten and their Inventions)
- Vaccines and Antibodies
- How To Build a Winogradsky Column and Learn About Soil Science
- Potato Light Bulb Experiment
Sponsored Links :


The Mathematics department here at Falconer School aims to deliver exciting, challenging and relevant Mathematics.
We have two full time teachers supported by a full time dedicated Teaching assistant. We have a supportive atmosphere where students are not afraid to make mistakes or take risks and where students are able to work both collaboratively and independently.
All students have 4 lessons of 40 minutes each week. During this time we strive to give students an understanding of the underlying principles of the mathematics they learn, making links and developing reasoning skills and logical thinking with the aim of developing independent and collaborative learners. All classes also have a Numeracy session once a week in which problem solving and working together are developed through exciting informal activities such as puzzles, games and challenges.
Wherever possible we will use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods. Here at Falconer Mathematics Department we recognise the importance of clear well-presented written work as well as practical hands-on learning and computer-based activities. Maths is taught in two dedicated classrooms, both with interactive whiteboards, one with a full set of desktop PCs and the other room has access to laptops.
All subjects here at Falconer deliver Numeracy skills as and when necessary in their subject whether it is measuring in the Technology Department or graphs and charts in science, Numeracy is seen as a vital skill for all.
At KS3 we follow the National Curriculum and aim to cover a wide range of skills and techniques. Students start the GCSE syllabus in the Summer term of Year 9 to allow for extra revision time before their GCSE exams. At the end of Year 10 and in January of Year 11 the students sit Edexcel Mathematics awards at level 1, 2 or 3 in Number & Measure and Algebra respectively. A pass at Level two is worth half a GCSE grade B. This is to boost students’ confidence and to give experience of sitting public exams whilst allowing staff to gauge progress.
At the end of KS4 all students achieve a GCSE from the Edexcel exam board. There are two levels, Foundation (G – C) and Higher (up to A*). The paper a student sits is based upon their target grade and achievement in mock papers. We expect all students to make progress at least in line with government expectations, if not higher. Should a student not be making expected progress we endeavour to address this with targeted interventions to enable and assist this student to gain the skills which they are capable of.
Independent study is an important way to consolidate what students have learned in class. They also might be given a task that involves watching a tutoring video, making notes or carrying out research into a topic. All students have a session once a week during school hours to do this whilst supported by their form tutors.
We look forward to seeing you strengthen, grow and flourish throughout your time here at Falconer!


The scheme “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” was launched on 22nd January, 2015 in Panipat, Haryana to balance child sex ratio. The agenda is to save girl child and to ensure education and participation of the girl child. Around one crore money has been given to villages for maintaining child sex ratio and the scheme is controlled by three ministerial departments namely, Women and Child, Health and Welfare and Human Resource Development. According to the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, around 90 percent of funds as allotted to the programme of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” remain unutilized. Out of the total allotted amount of 43 crore in the fiscal year 2016-2017, only 5 crore was utilized. To ensure survival, protection, equality, empowerment and education of the girl child, there needs to be a much coordinated effort to create a female friendly environment in our society. A society which is free from gender based discrimination, which provides basic elementary education, social security schemes and stringent laws against crime/violence against women. If she is born, she is made to feel vulnerable at various stages of life both inside and outside their home. The lack of proper sanitation facilities inside home leaves her no option other than relieving herself out in the open which often leads to physical harassment. On the other hand, the absence of (functional) toilets in the schools has been a major reason for the drop out of girls. Another major cause of hindrance in the education of the girl child is of the safety which also leads to her early marriage. The ratio of the boy and girl in primary education is one concern and the equivalent ratio of student and teacher is another concern.
Education is not just a tool to make someone literate; it is the social training through which values, knowledge and skills are ingrained into people. Therefore, quality matters. For a majority of female students, it becomes difficult to access higher education due to socio-economic factors such as high fees, lack of infrastructural facilities, lack of financial aid etc. which determine her participation in education. Socially constructed barriers for women continue to put constraints on their freedom to acquire education as independent beings. Whether the regular calls day and night to know of our whereabouts or being asked to remain within the socially demarcated boundaries, some are even advised to keep a check on what to wear, eat, whom to meet and become friends with. Even after having cracked the entrance or competitive examination, not all women are able to claim their seats because of the above many such conditions. On the eve of independence, women enrolment in India was less than 10 percent of the total enrollment which has increased to 41.5 percent in the academic year 2010-11. As per the UGC Report, 2012, only 12 percent women students enrolled for Master’s Level program whereas a mere 0.8 percentage was enrolled in research. Gender based discrimination, sexual harassment, molestation, violence do add hindrance to the continuation of their degrees and add to the reasons of dropping the course. To decrease the gender gap in some higher educational institutions, there are provisions to provide five marks relaxation to women students. To address the question of safety inside campus in colleges/universities, it is necessary as per UGC guidelines to set up an internal mechanism body which functions like a complaint Redressal forum to take cognizance of cases relating to that of sexual harassment. Unfortunately, it is hardly being implemented in most of the central universities. The presence of women in higher educational institutions have made them play a crucial role and sharing the responsibilities in social, political, economic and cultural arenas.
The participation and representation of women students across central or state universities have been tremendous over the years. Students Federation of India is one such student’s organization which has not just engaged with women students across social economic backgrounds but also motivated them with full efforts to increasingly participate in student movements and protests both inside and outside university campuses. In the current year, it holds close to 250 women students in Students’ Union position across colleges and universities in India. It is an organization which not only believes in increasing the number of memberships over a year but constantly believes in the spirit of Study and Struggle! Our comrades, excel both in academic as well as political life where they bring their classrooms learning’s, discussions as well as theories practically on the ground to fight discrimination at societal level on the basis of caste, color, religion, gender, race, ethnicity, language etc.


What High School Classes Should I Take to Pursue My Career as a Music Teacher?
A music teacher is responsible for introducing students to music appreciation, offering classes such as music theory, history and performance. In order for a high school student to enter the field of music education, she must take several classes to prepare herself for the in-depth university studies needed to become a certified music teacher.
Music theory classes focus on the building blocks of music, such as rhythm, pitch, melody and harmony and how they all work together. Composition and analysis are also important parts of the course, as well as learning to sight read passages on staff paper. A high school student who has a working knowledge of music theory will have a head start on becoming a successful college music education major.
Music history provides an overview of the ancestry of music, outlining its development throughout the centuries, from the Renaissance period to modern day. Students also learn about composers who have shaped the spectrum of music. Learning to identify various styles, composers and musical time periods by ear is a necessary skill for an influential teacher. A high school music history class will provide students with the basic information needed to enter college-level courses that dive deeper into the historical impact of music on society.
Chorus, Band and Orchestra
A chorus class will teach a singer to work together with other vocalists and put music theory studies into action. Participating in a band or orchestra will show students how to play music together in harmony. Performance classes teach pitch, blend and presentation. Working in a group setting gives a future music teacher the opportunity to appreciate different talents and instruments and helps narrow down their choices of what kind of music teacher they may want to become.
Individual lessons give students the opportunity to work one-on-one with an expert. The curriculum will include warm-ups, physical form, technique and interpretation and offer performance opportunities. The student will build his repertoire, adding songs of different genres to his book and practicing audition pieces for college entry. The teacher will guide the student in picking the right pieces, filling out applications and building a resume. In addition to perfecting a specific talent, individual lessons instruct the aspiring music teacher to be confident presenting music to an audience and eventually, a classroom full of learners.
Ashley K. Alaimo is a writer, blogger and certified teacher in New York. She has a master's degree in elementary education and early childhood education from Medaille College, as well as a bachelor's degree in music and theater from Buffalo State College. Alaimo has also worked as an education specialist with ages birth to 12 years old, creating classroom and enrichment curriculum for various early childhood centers.


Yesterday, Sunday 9 February, the department launched a call for evidence for the new National Plan for Music Education.
With the National Plan due to launch in autumn 2020, the department is seeking views from stakeholders including music industry experts, parents, carers, young people and teachers.
The 2020 plan sets out our vision for music education in England where children from all backgrounds will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument or to learn to sing, allowing them to progress to the next level of excellence.
School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:
All children, regardless of their background, should get the opportunity to play musical instruments, learn to sing and learn how to read and write music in the classroom.
I want to continue to level up opportunities so all young people can get the best out of their music education. We can only achieve this if we reflect on the latest advances in music and work together with experts in the music industry, specialist teachers, as well as reflecting on young people’s experiences.


The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is split into seven areas of learning. The learning and development that takes place in these seven areas is underpinned by The Characteristics of Effective Learning. These are the ways in which children interact with the world around them and with other people. They are:
- Playing and Exploring
- Active Learning
- Creating and Thinking Critically
Much of your child's early learning will take place through play. The teachers plan play opportunites and activites, some play will be child inititated and some will be adult led.
The teachers plan activities and experiences for children in the following areas:
• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups and to have confidence in their own abilities.
• Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds to letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to learn about shapes, spaces and measures.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
The YR topics for the year are :
Why can't we have chocolate for breakfast?
Why do leaves go crispy?
Night and day
Around the World


Curriculum development is an important part of the education process, ensuring that classes at all levels, from early childhood to post-secondary, are best designed to help students be successful in learning the material and gaining the skills needed to continue to advance. With the right background in developing courses and materials, professionals in the field have opportunities to create everything from textbooks to tests to lectures.
Early Childhood Curriculum
A number of programs are created in order to help children between birth through the age of six gain the skills that will be needed to continue on in school and be successful. Curriculum developers design each part of these programs. Curriculum at this level of education includes such activities as developing fine motor skills, language acquisition, and literacy skills.
Elementary through Secondary Curriculum
Curriculum development teams for high school, middle school, and elementary schools focus on similar benchmarks as early childhood, with additional development of skills in other academic areas such as mathematics, science, and humanities. Course developers will identify textbooks, create course objectives for each section and class, and sometimes will develop language for a standardized syllabus to use across a specific school or a school district to ensure quality and consistency.
Curriculum developers at this level of education are also likely to be a part of the test writing process at a standardized level. State and college entrance examinations are developed using existing standards for secondary and elementary education. Curriculum developers craft questions on these tests to ensure that students are gaining and have mastered concepts and techniques.
In many universities and colleges, courses, particularly at the beginning level of an academic discipline, are designed to be standardized in every class. This helps to ensure that every student is learning the same material and mastering the same skills to move forward.
In addition, the popularity of online courses is continuing to grow, allowing students in all situations to complete courses and degree programs. Curriculum developers in these programs design courses completely for every instructor to implement. This includes creating a syllabus, lesson presentations, lecture materials, assignments, and more.
Either while in school or after a degree has been completed, many future professionals and professionals already in the workforce look for certification and other training programs that allow completion of program that advances specific skill sets. These programs also require design, and curriculum developers are responsible for creating the information to study as well as the certification tests.
Education and Experience
The requirements to become a curriculum developer vary greatly by subject, field, and purpose. One requirement that is most likely needed is to be considered an expert in the discipline in which the curriculum is being developed. Work experience and an advanced graduate degree are often required. Additionally, certification or a degree in curriculum development is preferred or sometimes necessary to qualify for positions. Additional information can be found on the website for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Related Resource: Educational Theory
Designing courses requires skills in developing material that matches the objectives of a class. Advanced knowledge and experience of an academic subject or professional area of skill are beneficial in beginning to create courses and work in the field of curriculum development.


Educators, schools and government bodies around the westernised world today are focussed on ensuring they keep pace with the rapidly developing space of 21st century education.
Students of today have access to a vast array of resources, technologies and choices which were not readily available a decade ago, and some of which did not even exist 15 years ago. Facebook, for example, was founded in 2004 – that is only 11 years ago. However, this is a daily, sometimes hourly, aspect of many students’ lives today and most have no memory of life without it and other similar ways of connecting globally.
This video produced by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) was shared with me by a peer. It helps to highlight the rapid growth in the future learning space as well as the impact and advantages these changes have for our students.
Considering that this video represents the momentum of much of the modern world’s educational focus today, where does that leave our Syrian refugee students? Many have had interrupted access to schooling throughout the last 4 years of conflict, but many have also ceased their education entirely. According to UNICEF, 68% of refugee children are not able to access schooling due to social, legal or economic barriers. With over 4.08 million refugees who have already fled Syria as of September 2015 it is estimated that half are children under the age of 18 years. Using UNICEF’s figures, that equates to approximately 1,387,000 refugee children under the age of 18 years who are not able to access education.
The gap that is apparent between the educational experiences of youth around the world today is certain to continue to widen unless the educational welfare of the Syrian refugees is addressed promptly.
Mercy Corps interviewed 150 Syrian refugee youths and asked for their words and pictures of what it was like growing up as a refugee. Their personal stories are emotional and moving, but importantly they demonstrate that they are all after a common goal – to be empowered and gain “recognition and respect for their skills and to contribute to their communities” (Streng, 2015).
Mercy Corps has recommended three main areas of focus in order to improve educational outcomes for the Syrian refugee youth.
- Reduce barriers to formal education and provide alternative learning models
- Develop job and leadership skills that improve future employability
- Provide activities that reduce isolation and improve adolescents emotional health and connection to their communities
Education is so much more than providing paper and pencils to learn literacy and numeracy skills. Yes, these skills are important, but so too are the abilities for refugee students to pursue future educational pathways, to develop a genuine connection to their community and for the ongoing psychosocial wellbeing of each child in order for them to contribute in meaningful and purposeful ways in the future. After all, these children are also 21st century learners.
I don’t think this is too much to ask, especially when you consider the educational luxuries that are available for other 21st century learners elsewhere around the world.


The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a framework for learning, development and care for children from birth to five and the legislation that took effect from September 2006 was established under the Childcare Act.
The EYFS framework works on a number of principles, the importance of children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and reminds us of the importance of involving parents, which eyLog supports with our eyParent App.
eyParent app engages with parents and helps them to understand their child’s development on a more regular and real-time basis, through their child’s learning journey, even uploading their own observations. Parents can view their child’s observations, reports, daily diaries, accident/incident sheets, progress reports and view or send messages from/to the nursery.
Every childcare provider should apply the four guiding principles, to allow for quality and consistency in all early years settings, equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, and a secure foundation of opportunities for each individual child which are assessed regularly and reviewed;
- Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between staff and parents and/or carers.
- Children develop/learn in different ways and at different rates.
- Every child is a unique child, who is learning constantly and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Shaping the educational programme in every early years settings are the seven areas of learning which all derive from the guiding principles. These are separated into 3 prime areas and 4 key areas.
- Communication and Language Development
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Literacy Development
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design Development
eyLog provides the function to allow the observation sheets format to be customised to match your processes, so that staff find it easier to transition to eyLog. The comprehensive sections allow staff to add activity analysis, assessments, next steps and notes to ensure a thorough observation, whilst easily being able to select which area of the EYFS is being observed and the age related statements within those, that the child has achieved.


The Importance of Early Childhood Education
Sydney and the remainder of Australia are coming out of lockdown. We want to feature the significance of dedicating resources into early childhood education for your progeny. It’s a typical conviction that kids don’t begin learning until they’re taken on at school. However, their previous years, from ages 0-4 are in reality the essential to development.
Early childhood education allows youngsters to communicate. Conversing with your infant throughout the day may feel fulfilling. However, it denies them the opportunity to communicate with others at their level.
Child to child interaction manifests expressive gestures that improve youngsters communication proficiency at an early age. Youngsters get the opportunity to investigate human behaviour and adapt to social situations as they see peer reactions to their conduct.
Young children who get the consideration they need from early childhood development improve in school. They are probably going to appreciate increased income, superior social lives, a happier life.
Learning from the earliest available moment in life makes way for deep rooted learning as the child grows. A parent’s friendship is consistently something worth being thankful for. Nonetheless, presentation to peers and different grown-ups in a learning situation does great things for a kid’s certainty. Mental incitement during exercises in youth training enables little youngsters to develop, learn and create.
It’s been indicated that the ROI made while an individual is young is higher than the ROI for a later investment. This implies grown-ups (matured 40) who partook in a pre-school program when they were youthful have higher incomes. These individuals are bound to be utilised in a better job than grown-ups who didn’t.
For each dollar dedicated to early kid care and instruction, in excess of 16 dollars come back to society. Interest in early childhood learning expands potential for the remainder of the kid’s life.
Youth instruction helps youngsters by encouraging a deep rooted energy for learning. It encourages them to build up the social abilities they have to have to flourish as adults.
Youth training supports the improvement of fine motor and tactile aptitudes. Language improvement happens the most during youth instruction. It primes youngsters to be innovative. At last, it outfits them to adapt to critical thinking.
The adequacy of a youth training program boils down to three essential components: emotional support, classroom organisation and instructional support. These three territories should work in synthesis. When they do, youngsters have the social and emotional help they need to get sure and prepared for future achievement.
At Willow Bee, Willougby child care centre, we support these areas to guarantee your kid is furnished with a quality early childhood education. Contact our early childhood education and care centre today to make an enrolment for your youngster. We can also answer any inquiries about what early learning can offer your kid. We are open full time – five days out of every week, Monday to Friday – and eagerly anticipate addressing you.


Primary School Curriculum of Cambridge International School – Doha, Qatar
The Cambridge Curriculum encourages learners to become confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged:
- Confident in working with information and ideas – their own and those of others
- Responsible for themselves, responsive to and respectful of others
- Reflective as learners, developing their ability to learn
- Innovative and equipped for new and future challenges
- Engaged intellectually and socially, ready to make a difference.
In the Primary School, students study a curriculum based on The National Curriculum for England, adapted to include Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History. The curriculum is delivered using interactive teaching methods, which aim to develop academic skills, literacy, numeracy, as well as building self-confidence, self-esteem, social skills and a love of learning.
The medium of teaching is English. The curriculum is broad and balanced to meet the needs of students in a rapidly changing world. Years 1-3 are taught in classes by a Primary teacher, with a few specialists used. The subjects included in the curriculum are: Arabic, Islamic Studies, Qatar History, English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, Social Studies and ECA.
We aim to help our students leave CIS with an awareness of tradition, valuing the importance of leadership and world citizenship and having a strong sense of community. We trust that they will all carry with them a vision for the future, becoming productive and worthwhile members of society.
The teaching style at CIS is interactive, placing responsibility on the student to be an active learner through participating in class, asking and answering questions, carrying out tasks individually or within a pair or group, and carrying out independent work at home through homework activities. Through differentiated teaching approaches, we aim to ensure that students of all abilities have the best opportunities to learn and achieve their individual potential.


Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title:||Science Communication in Early Childhood through Online Videos|
|Keywords:||Audio-Visual Technique;Early Childhood;Learning;Science Communication;Online Videos|
|Abstract:||We are living in a world of innovations and growing scientific inquiry & literacy among all segments of the society. Online content has today become an inevitable part of our lives. In early childhood, science communication and scientific learning is essential for developing children’s early thinking process and future understanding, impacting skills of learning and attitude formation of a child. The social learning theory suggests that people learn from each other via observation and by imitating others.|
This paper inquires about how online videos are helpful in learning science and how it has changed the learning pattern in early childhood. The objective of this paper is to find out the importance of science learning through audio-visual learning techniques. This paper further explores the relevance of teaching and learning through online learning techniques. To achieve the objectives quantitative research approach has been adopted for data collection. The finding of this study revealed that teachers and parents of Delhi are in favour of science communication through online videos in early childhood learning for the overall development of a child and online teaching learning is the future of education. It should be adopted and encouraged in every educational setup.
|ISSN:||2278-2796 (Online); 2278-2788 (Print)|
|Appears in Collections:||JST Vol.08(3-4) [July-December 2020]|
Items in NOPR are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


Diving Into Nonfiction Text Features
We dove into our study of nonfiction text features over the last two weeks. We started with a sorting activity for fiction and nonfiction text features.
Text Treasure Hunt
My children are still struggling with Text Features. So I whipped up a simple powerpoint, made a worksheet and set them on a treasure hunt. ...
Amy Lemons - Amy Lemons provides teaching tips and resources for teachers of elementary school students with access to a free resource library.
Amy Lemons provides teaching tips and resources for teachers of elementary school students with access to a free resource library.
Animal Research Project
One of the kindergarten Common Core writing standards is to participate in shared research and writing projects (W.K.7) and to gather infor...
Animal Research Folder: A Fact Finding Mission
We're way into our animal unit and I'm needing to wrap things up and move on. We've spent time learning the words related to this unit and ...
Letter Larry - Elementary Education
Writing letters is a huge staple in our first grade classroom, not to mention one of the most FUN activities we do! This year, I have really focused on upping the fun factor in my classroom–not to say it hasn’t ALWAYS been fun ;). I am really into creating songs…
Swat the Vocab!
Need an easy game to play with your students to review academic vocabulary? Swat the Vocab is the perfect game. It's easy for you and a bl...
Using Visual Recipes
As you can probably tell from some of my previous posts, I absolutely love cooking with my kids! We don't get to do in near as often as I would like since we have to finance it with our own money and it can get quite pricey. We still are trying to do it at least once or twice a month, and my aide are great about helping out with ingredients! Every time we get ready to try a new recipe I like to have a visual to go with it. This way we can go over the recipe step by step before we head into…
About Me Lapbook With Nonfiction Text Features
Such a fun activity for the beginning of the school year and a great way to review nonfiction text features!
The Newspaper Reports Teaching Pack
Enhance your children's newspaper report writing skills with this fantastic collection of teaching, activity and display resources! Includes a comprehensive guide, planning templates, writing checklists, examples of newspaper reports and more!
Free Life Skills File Folder Activities for Special Education - Adapting for Autism | Work Tasks for your Special Education Classroom
Free Life Skills File Folder Activities for the independent work station in special education classrooms. Practice life skills for community integration!


Your child might not be the next Mozart or Michael Buble, but that doesn’t mean an education in music isn’t important. As funding for music and extracurricular programs in schools is cut across the country, many children and adolescents are missing out on the educational benefits these activities provide. In a recent article, writer Laura Lewis Brown identified a number of these benefits and how they can help children excel in and out of the classroom. Here is a list of the seven benefits provided by Lewis Brown:
Not Just About the Music – Recent studies have shown that “learning music facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas.” Children learning about music have to “tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously.”
Language Development – Music enhances a child’s ability to decode sounds and words and helps develop the parts of the brain involved with processing language. In addition, the relationship between music and language is also socially advantageous to young children, according to Lewis Brown.
Increased IQ – A study done by E. Glenn Schellenberg found that young children who were given music lessons over the school year tested on average three IQ points higher than other groups.
Brain Boost – Studies have shown that students who receive music instruction have improved sound discrimination and fine motor tasks. Research also indicates that a musician’s brains works differently than that of a non-musician.
Spatial-Temporal Skills – Research has also found a causal link between music and spatial intelligence which means, according to Lewis Brown, that having an understanding of music can help kids visualize various elements that should go together (i.e. solving match problems).
Higher Test Scores – A study published in 2007 revealed that “students in elementary schools with superior music programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math” on standardized tests compared to schools with low-quality music programs. In addition, studies have shown music training can help with basic memory recall.
Advantage for Musically Inclined – Music can help improve a child’s ability to learn and complete non-music tasks, but it doesn’t make someone smarter. A music education should be about helping a child become more musical, learn a new skill, appreciate all aspects of music, and understand more about themselves, according to Lewis Brown.
Rent from Wert
Is your child interested in learning how to play an instrument or looking for a creative outlet? Rent from Wert Music!
Family-owned, Wert Music has been supporting local band programs for 40 years and carries a wide selection of school approved rental instruments. From drum kits and violins to woodwind instruments and horns, Wert Music offers new, like-new, and economy instruments from some of the most recognizable brands in the business.
In addition, Wert Music offers low monthly rates and month-to-month plans and there is never any obligation to purchase. Wert Music also provides free estimates, on site repair services, and free pick-up and delivery to your school.


Liberal Arts Education
Liberal arts in a nutshell
A liberal arts education is a traditional program of learning in Western higher education. In modern times, it focuses on four key areas: the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
A liberal arts degree draws on these areas to provide a broad program of study that is generally undertaken prior to studies encouraging professional specialisation. In other words, a liberal arts degree aims to teach foundational skills and knowledge rather than training an individual for a particular profession or technical vocation.
History of the liberal arts
The liberal arts tradition originated in the era of classical antiquity. At the time, it referred to the essential education needed for an individual to play an active role in civic life and emphasised writing, speaking and reasoning through three subjects: grammar, rhetoric and logic, collectively known as the trivium.
This educational model was transmitted to the Roman and medieval world. At this point, four subjects were added: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, collectively known as the quadrivium.
The seven subjects in the medieval liberal arts curriculum were then transmitted via the Renaissance to the schools and universities of modern Europe and America. Over time, the trivium and quadrivium began to correlate with what we know now as the humanities and sciences.
Liberal arts today
Historically, the aim of a liberal arts education was to produce a person who is articulate, virtuous and knowledgable across a range of fields.
Modern liberal arts curricula offer a larger range of subjects, but they still retain the core aim of developing well-rounded individuals with transferrable skills and knowledge across a broad range of subjects.
Benefits of a liberal arts education
Make a more informed choice about your career path
A liberal arts education introduces students to a range of subjects they may not have otherwise encountered, allowing for the discovery of new interests and the pursuit of previously ignored avenues.
Develop knowledge and skills to carry you across a range of industries
A liberal arts degree covers a broader range of knowledge and skills than a degree specialising in a single discipline. Liberal arts degrees are renowned for their ability to foster:
- analytical, critical and creative thinking
- oral and written communication skills
- problem solving skills
- information literacy skills
- ethical decision-making skills
- the ability to pose meaningful questions
- self-confidence and self-understanding
Liberal arts degrees are appealing to employers
A recent study by Deloitte reported that humanities educated individuals exhibit superior critical thinking and communication skills. Significantly, Ernst and Young have reported that employers are placing higher value on critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication than vocational schooling when recruiting recent graduates.
Develop a strong foundation for postgraduate study
Liberal arts graduates are often better equipped to deal with the rigour of postgraduate study given the focus on developing higher order thinking and communication skills in their undergraduate study.
Increase your earnings potential
A recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) has found the average 40-year ROI of a liberal arts degree to be nearly $200,000 higher than the average ROI of all college graduates.
A liberal arts education is education for life
The value of a liberal arts degree goes well beyond its potential to aid your future career. A liberal arts degree produces well-rounded, articulate graduates with a love of learning and the ability to engage with everything life has to offer on a deeper level.


Fur, feathers, and fins - when did they all begin? Were animals designed by a genius Creator, or did they evolve by random chance?
In Animals by Design, you'll discover what the Bible and science say about the source of all life. You'll also explore the unique features of favorite, famous, and far-out creatures!
You'll find answers to these questions and more! The third book in the Science for Kids series, Animals by Design will leave you in awe of your creator as you study the wonderful creatures in His world!
If you prefer, this resource, Animals by Design, is also available in digital form as an eBook and can be downloaded now.
|Title:||Animals by Design: Exploring Unique Creature Features|
|Author:||Institute for Creation Research|
|Publisher:||Institute for Creation Research|
|Publication Date:||May 2018|
|Audience:||2nd - 6th Grade|
|Dimensions (inches):||7 x 7 x 3/8|
|Shipping Weight:||10 oz.|
There are so many unique animals in here that my older kids love reading about! There are also bullet points on each page that we read to our toddler instead of the full text. We are both Christians and engineers, so it is important to us that our kids understand that creation is supported by science. We have found this series of books very helpful in accomplishing that.
Highlights God's creation with beautiful illustrations and fun facts. Enjoyable for children and parents alike. Made of quality material. I bought this for my children and me but have decided I may need a few more copies for nieces and nephews at Christmas time!
This easy to read book for children (and adults) has wonderful illustrations and interesting facts about animals. The illustrations are colorful and attention grabber. The three bullet points at the beginning of each topic capsulize and provide a preview of these interesting facts. Most topics contain, "Did you know?" at the bottom of the page to enlighten the mind. There is a Glossary at the back to define unfamiliar words and an Index to quickly locate a page about an animal. The book upholds that God created and designed these animals, not a result of evolution. Animals by Design highlights what the Bible and science say about each unique animal. This resource will balance the collection of books, which support evolution of animal species.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of the book from ICR as part of their launch team. This rating and review is my personal, honest evaluation of the resource.
My family is enjoying learning new facts about animals in our world. As a science teacher, I am loving the rich details and unique characteristics of some unfamiliar animals. As a mom, I love how my children are drawn in by the colorful illustrations and diversity of the animals explored. This is a great non-fiction resource where each page stands on its own, so you can read about a few animals and then come back for more. At the same time, there is a definite thread that runs throughout the text to help readers see how each animal is specially created by design. Complex concepts related to origins are addressed in the text and supported with a glossary.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of the book from ICR as part of their book launch team. This rating and review is my personal, honest evaluation of the resource.


While working as a District Elementary Education Officer in the nineties of the last century, I had the privilege of interacting with a large number of teachers teaching at the grass root level. Soon after reaching a school for inspection, I used to ask the teachers: “How many of you teach language in this school?” The common answer was: “ One teacher, Sir.” “What about others? Don’t you teach Language?” “No, Sir, I teach Maths, she teaches Social Studies, he teaches……” I pretended to be surprised. “But, don’t you think, all of you are basically language teachers?” I used to ask. They were visibly shocked. How ignorant a District Education Officer could be, they must have wondered!
Do we need a teacher specifically for a particular language when all teachers are basically language teachers? Isolating language from the overall learning experience of a child goes against the theories of learning. How can we forget that all learning during our childhood was through language itself?
Language plays a central role in the learning experience of the child. It enables the child to form concepts, explore symbols, analyze a given problem and to solve it, organize information and interact with his or her environment. Therefore, irrespective of the subjects they teach, all teachers should give due weightage to the centrality of language in the learning process of the child and any pedagogic intervention should recognize the role of language in the transaction of the curriculum. The concept of Language across Curriculum acknowledges the fact that language education does not take place in the language class alone, it takes place in each and every subject.
While discussing the goal of language curriculum, the National Curriculum Framework of India also advocated a language across curriculum perspective. “A language across curriculum perspective particular relevance to primary education. Language is best acquired through different meaning making contexts, and hence all teaching is in a sense language teaching” (NCERT,2006:4).
Language across curriculum is based on three basic tenets: (a) language is more than surface structure, (b) the entire school as an environment influences the learners’ language development and (c) language plays a key role in virtually all school learning. ( Fillion, 1979: 48). Irrespective of the subject area, learners assimilate new concepts largely through language. When they listen and talk, read and write about what they are learning in non-language classes, they use language as language and consequently, while increasing their concepts in non-linguistic fields, they enhance their linguistic skills as well. Therefore, all the stakeholders of education need a broad language perspective that integrates language and content learning ( Mohan,B.A.: 1986:18).
The centrality of language in the transaction of the school curriculum leads us to content-related instruction that provides cognitively engaging contexts for language practice and integrates language development with content learning (Curtain, H and Dahlberg, A.,2010:281).
Language is a major tool for a child to decode the world around her, it is also a tool for her to learn about the world. For a child, a language is not limited to the domain of social interaction, it is also a resource for her thinking and reasoning. Therefore, don’t make the child a victim of the compartmentalization of your curriculum, design you curriculum in such a way that the cognitive development and the linguistic development of the child go hand in hand. All the teachers are equally responsible for presenting the language with its panoramic view before the inquisitive mind of the child.
Curtain, H. and Dahlberg, C.A. 2010. Languages and Children: Making the Match, Pearson: New York.
Fillion Bryant. 1979. Language across the Curriculum, McGill Journal of Education. Pp. 47-60.
Mohan, Bernard A. 1986.Language and Content. Addison-Wesley:Reading


Geologic Publications and Data
The Pennsylvania Geological Survey has been collecting and disseminating geologic and topographic data since the First Pennsylvania Geological Survey was formed during 1836.
Over the years, the Survey has published hundreds of reports and maps, many in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey. The current (fourth) series of publications includes printed and digital products, mostly technical, but also many popular and educational in scope.
Statewide Geologic Map and GIS Datasets
The Pennsylvania Geological Survey’s most popular group of datasets -- Bedrock Geology of Pennsylvania (ZIP) -- consists of 1:250,000-scale ArcGIS shapefiles for geologic units, geologic contacts, dikes, and faults that were created and slightly modified from the materials used to produce the 1980 printed Geologic Map of Pennsylvania (ZIP).
Pennsylvania Geology Magazine
Pennsylvania Geology is the
Pennsylvania Geological Survey ’s free online magazine. It includes articles about the geology of Pennsylvania, earth science education, topographic mapping, and announcements of new publications, conferences, and other geologic and topographic items of interest.
To receive a hyperlink to each new issue as it becomes available,
email the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. To view past editions of the magazine, use the hyperlinks provided in this list of magazine volumes (PDF).
Obtaining Geological Publications
The Fourth Pennsylvania Geological Survey assigns reports to different publication series according to their content, technical complexity, and intended audience. These publications are available as ZIP or PDF files.
Pennsylvania Geological Survey Publications (ZIP) contains descriptions of each series, individual report information, and hyperlinks to all publications. Publications can also be selected and downloaded through geographical searches on
The American Geosciences Institute maintains a database of Geological Survey publications, and the U.S. Geological Survey's
National Geologic Map Database includes close to 700 of our publications. Both websites offer useful search options and link to the publication landing pages in PaGEODE for the downloading of our reports.
Almost all formal Pennsylvania Geological Survey publications can be borrowed from the
Survey library or through an interlibrary loan.
In addition to being available online or in libraries, free publications that are still in print may be ordered from the Survey by
email. These include most of the:
- Educational series booklets
- Park guides (now part of the trail of geology series)
- Page-size maps
- Poster maps
- Information circulars
When emailing your request, please include:
- The publication series and number
- The quantity you desire
- The ship-to address
- A telephone number where you can be reached if necessary
- The school affiliation if relevant
The Geology of Pennsylvania
Special Publication 1, The Geology of Pennsylvania, can be
purchased online from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
New Publications From the Survey
Check out these publications from the past six months:
Pennsylvania Geology (v. 49, no. 4) (PDF), featuring the articles “Reflections on
Palmichnium kosinskiorum -- The Footprints of Pennsylvania’s Elusive Elk County Monster” and “Integrating Geologic Toolkits into Elementary Education--Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Tioga Counties, Pennsylvania”
Databases and GIS Datasets
GIS datasets are included with many of the geologic maps and reports released since the year 2000.
Databases exist for the following:
PaGEODE Web-Mapping Application
PaGEODE stands for Pennsylvania GEOlogic Data Exploration. In addition to the publication-searching capability mentioned above, it can be used for geographical searches of Survey data. With PaGEODE, GIS datasets related to bedrock or surficial geology, mineral resources, or geologic hazards can be viewed in your web browser and downloaded for specified areas.


As I continue on my journey exploring language and literacy development of Aboriginal children in Canadian schools, I have benefited greatly from our forum discussions and the following websites, videos and literature.
- The following video is a wonderful place to start when thinking of literacy as communication and the blend of traditional literacy and digital literacy to empower human connectedness and literacy, in any culture.
2. This document, Fostering Literacy Success for First Nations, Metis and inuit Students,reflects the importance of a bilingual approach to literacy, recognizing that many FNMI students communicate in non-standard forms of English/French “For these students, literacy success is cultivated by individualized programs that support their identity; experiences and relationships to the world”. The below link does not work here on this blog but paste into browser and it links fine!
3. First Nations 101 http://www.firstnations101.com/is a basic starting point for exploring the history of the First Nations People of Canada. It aims at supporting true reconciliation between First Nations and non-First Nations people. It was published in June, 2011 to celebrate National Aboriginal History month and in the Sunshine Coast School District was given to all teachers in 2013.
This website http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/FNliteracy.html
focus’ on the need for literacy development in digital media as well as traditional reading, writing and numeracy. “Although the number of literacy models that exist are extensive and sometimes confusing, researchers agree on a few key principles:
☉ Parental involvement in literacy initiatives is invaluable – the younger the child, the higher the value☉ First Nations children need instruction and literacy development in their own traditional language just as much as the mainstream language.☉ Orality is a traditional literacy skill that has endured since time immemorial in First Nations communities and continues to be an important one. Children should be encouraged to both listen to and tell stories and express themselves orally from a young age.☉ Connecting with Elders can help children and adults develop traditional literacies”
Do You Speak My Language – Mi’kmaw at First Nations School in Nova Scotia is a video focusing on why young aboriginal students are losing their traditional language. It is based on interviews with elders discussing the influence of television in their communities in 1954.
Let me find my talk so I can teach you about me.
Students interviewing elders in their community end up being interviewed themselves about the importance of their traditional languages and how to preserve them for future generations.


No image available
November 23, 1790
September 14, 1848
Greensboro , GA
Elizabeth Gardner Foster (unknown)
Thomas Flourney Foster was born in Greensboro, GA, the son of Colonel George Wells Foster. He received his elementary education at the male academy in Greensboro under the tutelage of Parson Ray and then William W. Strain. After being admitted to the bar in state of Georgia he opened an office in Greensboro. He was elected to first the Georgia House of Representatives and then the U.S. Congress. While in Congress, he made important speeches on states rights. He retired from Congress in 1835 and resumed his law practice in Columbus, GA. However, Foster was drawn back into politics and at the Whig Convention in Uscaloosa, AL in 1840, he made a fervent speech against Martin Van Buren. He married late in life and his wife is said to have tempered his excessive drinking. He died in Columbus, GA.
Years at LLS:
Graduated from the University of Georgia in 1812 and later attended Franklin College where he graduated from in 1812.
Lawyer; Political Office
Admitted To Bar:
Georgia in 1816
Training with Other Lawyers:
He read law for a short time with Matthew Wells in Greensboro, GA.
U.S. Representative (GA) 1829-1835, 1841-1843
Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary from 1833-1834.
State Representative (GA) 1822-1825
The Citation of Attendance provides primary source documentation of the student’s attendance at the Litchfield Female Academy and/or the Litchfield Law School. If a citation is absent, the student is thought to have attended but currently lacks primary source confirmation.
Records for the schools were sporadic, especially in the formative years of both institutions. If instructors kept comprehensive records for the Litchfield Female Academy or the Litchfield Law School, they do not survive. Researchers and staff have identified students through letters, diaries, family histories and genealogies, and town histories as well as catalogues of students printed in various years. Art and needlework have provided further identification of Female Academy Students, and Litchfield County Bar records document a number of Law School students. The history of both schools and the identification of the students who attended them owe credit to the early 20th century research and documentation efforts of Emily Noyes Vanderpoel and Samuel Fisher, and the late 20th century research and documentation efforts of Lynne Templeton Brickley and the Litchfield Historical Society staff.
CITATION OF ATTENDANCE:
Handwritten list by William Samuel Johnson, "Catalogue of the Students at Law in the school at Litchfield Conn. at & after Aug. 15th 1817..", Connecticut Historical Society, Johnson Family Papers, 1722-1863, Box - Johnson Papers; Catalogue of the Litchfie
Do you have more information for the Ledger?
If you have family papers, objects, or any other details you would like to share, or if you would like to obtain a copy of an image for publication, please
contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, and it’s one of the best early predictors for reading success.
of 4th graders and 66% of 8th graders are reading below a proficient level, according to 2019 NAEP scores.
of elementary students are capable of learning to read when they receive sufficient instruction on foundational reading skills.
of teachers surveyed said Heggerty meets or exceeds their expectations when it comes to having a positive impact on learning outcomes
Heggerty is the most structured and systematic curriculum that I’ve seen. Everyone is really excited about it. It’s fun to watch. The kids like it too.
It's one of the most worthwhile purchases the district has ever made. Everyone is happy with it -- it's 100%! We've done a lot of site tours to see how the implementation is going, and good anecdotal stories just keep coming from the instructors. I honestly haven't heard anything negative.
When you look for programs out there, there are hundreds of phonics programs but very few phonemic awareness programs that take students from the simplest to advanced forms. Heggerty has come out with a comprehensive and systematic way to do that. It follows an excellent scope and sequence. It develops all of the skills they need to know. No one does it as systematically as Heggerty.
The Heggerty curriculum is consistent, repetitive, and presents the same skill in different ways. I've taken kids who were non-readers and after three to four months with the Heggerty program, they hear sounds and words and they segment and blend words which makes them better readers. It's the intermediary step between non-readers and readers.
The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness program is brilliant. It requires very little preparation and the lessons are engaging, quick, fun, and effective. The results speak for themselves, with a majority of students showing improved outcomes in both reading and writing.
Dr. Heggerty's program is easy to implement and requires very little preparation. We have used this program for one year and have seen fabulous gains in our students’ ability to attempt unfamiliar words in their writing.
Comprehensive, yet succinctly organized, logically arranged, and richly resourced. The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum is the best research-based program for foundational literacy I have ever seen. Its value for hard-of-hearing & students struggling with central auditory processing issue is clearly applicable.
This curriculum has had a powerfully positive effect on student achievement in eastern Montana schools. Student early literacy assessment scores have improved greatly in the schools that have begun using this curriculum over the past 2-3 years.
This is the best program I have EVER used! A few minutes a day and the results are mind blowing!
Strong phonemic awareness is crucial to reading success! Heggerty lessons are quick, fun, and multisensory!
I use this curriculum in my classroom almost every single day! It is incredible and it is the ONLY thing that makes sense about teaching reading! I am literally obsessed.
Our kindergarten and first grade used it last year and now it is being used in second grade! It has made a huge difference!!
Research & Findings
The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of the likelihood of failure to read.
Every point in a child’s development of word-level reading is substantially affected by phonological awareness...
Phonemic awareness training provides the foundation on which phonics instruction is built...
Phonemic awareness is central in learning to read and spell.
Phonemic awareness is the most important core and causal factor in separating normal and disabled readers.
The two best predictors of early reading success are alphabet recognition and phonemic awareness.
Phonemic awareness has been shown to be a very powerful predictor of later reading achievement.
Phonemic awareness is the most potent predictor of success in learning to read.
(Stanovich, 1996, 1994)
Yes, there really is a difference in brain activation patterns between good and poor readers.
The most comprehensive reading program EXPLICITLY [sic] teaches about the sounds of language.
ALL [sic] children can benefit from being taught directly how to break up spoken words into smaller units and how letters represent sounds.


Approach to Early Childhood Education
At Sankofa, we let children be children. Our educational approach is child-directed, non-academic and holistic in nature. We believe that free, imaginative play builds the foundation for creativity and critical thinking later on in life. We strive to stimulate and develop all of the child’s senses through a number of activities.
• Singing and music
• Storytelling, rhymes and reading
• Indoor and outdoor play
• Arts and crafts
• Modeling with clay and beeswax
These activities have been carefully selected to enhance the child’s language/literacy development, concentration and memory, fine and gross motor development, and social skills.
Sankofa consists of three bilingual mixed-age groups for children between the ages of 1 and 6:
• 1 English-German group for children aged 3-6 years – “the Elephants”
• 1 French-German group for children aged 3-6 years – “the Giraffes”
• 1 English-French-German group for children aged 1-3 years – “the Lions”
Each group consists of 16 children.
We maintain the bilingual aspect of our program by employing English/French/German native speakers who read, sing and speak to the children in their group in their respective languages.
We recognize that our families speak a variety of languages at home and we value this linguistic diversity. Even though we have chosen English and French (two widely spoken languages in Africa and the African diaspora), we celebrate the many other languages our families and staff speak and strive to incorporate them through songs, nursery rhymes and storytelling.


Art Education Is on the Decline
Art education has been on the decline for years in U.S. schools, even though most Americans say they believe in the benefits of art education.
In 2008, just 49.5 percent of 18-year-olds reported receiving “any art education in childhood,” which is down from 64.6 percent in 1982, according to a report from the National Endowment for the Arts. This is occurring despite the fact that a large majority—88 percent—of Americans said they believe the arts are part of a well-rounded education, according to a 2016 survey.
One School System Experiments with Art Education
Houston has taken a stand for the importance of art education with the Houston Arts Access Initiative, a program available over the past two years at 21 schools in the area. The program incorporates “enriching arts educational experiences across dance, music, theater, and visual arts disciplines,” according to researchers who studied the effects of the program.
For example, at one elementary school, students watched a musical puppet show portraying the negative impacts of bullying. Students also took part in dance classes and went on arts-related field trips.
Researchers Brian Kisida, assistant professor at the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, and Daniel H. Brown, assistant professor at Texas A&M’s College of Education and Human Development, observed the program and reported their findings on the Brown Center Chalkboard. They reported several benefits of art education in schools.
Uncovering the Benefits of Art Education
The benefits of art education are plentiful.
“We find that a substantial increase in arts education experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes,” the researchers wrote.
If this is the case, then, we might wonder why art education continues to decline, why there is not more emphasis on the arts in today’s curriculum.
Part of the reason may be that the studies and data on the benefits of art education are rare and sometimes a bit murky. The researchers say there is “a remarkable lack of large-scale experimental studies that investigate the educational impacts of the arts.”
Generally, educational achievement is measured by math and reading test scores. Unfortunately, the arts may not translate directly to higher test scores. The researchers say they did not determine “significant impacts” on math, reading, science, or attendance scores.
The benefits of art education in schools include:
- Fewer disciplinary actions
- Higher writing scores
- Increased compassion among students
- Heightened engagement in school
When comparing the schools participating in Houston Arts Access Initiative, the study revealed lower disciplinary infractions, by 3.6 percentage points. While math and reading scores did not fluctuate in any material way, writing scores on the other hand improved, with “an improvement of 13 percent of a standard deviation” in writing test scores.
While admittedly difficult to measure, the study reported “an increase of 8 percent of a standard deviation in their compassion for others.” This was determined by gauging students’ interest in how other people feel and their level of interest in helping “people who are treated badly.”
Lastly those who took part in Houston’s art program were more likely to be engaged in school. The students considered their school work more enjoyable and more interesting and said their school work “makes them think about things in new ways.”
After observing the Houston program, the researchers said, “There are strong reasons to suspect that engagement in arts education can improve school climate, empower students with a sense of purpose and ownership, and enhance mutual respect for their teachers and peers.” Arts education can “produce significant positive impacts on academic and social development,” they said, adding that, “This mission is critical in a time of heightened intolerance and pressing threats to our core domestic values.”
While art education may not directly lead to significantly higher scores in math and science (although it is also important to note that these scores did not decline alongside an increased emphasis on the arts), it is clear there are strong and even measurable benefits to exposure to and engagement in the arts.


The journey to becoming a confident writer begins when a child experiments with creating different-shaped marks, be it making marks with a crayon, or simply moving a finger on a steamed up window or through spilt tomato sauce.
Enjoyable adult-guided activities such as threading, weaving, sewing and printing are essential for developing the co-ordination skills needed to hold and manipulate a pen to master the complex skills of handwriting.
Our Growing Writer’s approach supports the complex magical journey from making a mark, to emergent writing, to confident writer, laying the foundational skills that enable each child to flourish with the confidence and capability to succeed at school. More importantly, Growing Writers nourishes the inspiration and desire to write, exploring the connection between written and spoken word through play and communication.
In our settings look out for our play and learning at home ideas which will provide you with activity suggestions that you can do with your child at home to support their learning, so that together we can help your child to become a confident writer. You can view our Play and Learning at Home Activities online, which will provide you with lots more exciting ideas and activities for you and your child to help support their magical writing journey.
• Triangular shaped pencils and felt-tip pens are best for helping children’s early mark making and writing. The three sides naturally help small fingers assume an appropriate grip and make drawing a more comfortable experiences. These can be purchased in most good stationary and toy shops.
• Always sit beside your children when they are writing. This way, they will not see letter formation upside down or sideways.
• Writing down things that your child says will help them understand that what they say can be written down and understood by someone else.
• Finger painting, and writing in dry sand are good activities for developing motor skills and visual perception, helping your child to coordinate their hand movements and fine motor skills.
• Painting their names with water on pavements or bricks is a great activity for young children, helping to develop their gross motor skills and also define their movements as they see the concrete changing from light to dark. This activity is very simple – it only requires water, a bucket and a large brush.


Where Does Our Water Come From?
Humans can live for up to a month with no food, but we’ll die in a few days without water. Our bodies are 60 percent water; our brains are over 75 percent water. Water cushions our joints and carries nutrients and oxygen to our body. We lose water every day through our sweat and urine. Clean drinking water is pretty important, but it’s something we rarely think about.
- Our drinking water comes from two sources, ground water and surface water. Ground water is water that seeps into the ground and stays trapped there in sand and gravel. We get it out through wells. Surface water comes from rain and snow and is stored in lakes and rivers.
- Most people in the United States get their water through a public water system. The water is cleaned and treated at a water treatment center. It comes to us through large underground pipes. People living in cities and the suburbs get their water this way and pay a monthly bill to the local government, depending on how much water they use.
- People living in rural areas sometimes get their water from individual wells, usually found on their property or nearby. This water is free, but there are expenses to drill and maintain wells.
- Water can be polluted by anything it comes in contact with — bacteria, lead, antibiotics, or prescription medicines. Water treatment centers can remove most harmful materials, but it’s important that we do our part.
- Sometimes water becomes unsafe to drink. When this happens, people must boil their water, treat it with chemicals, or use bottled water.
Watch a video about how water gets to you.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Where Does Our Water Come From? ." Easy Science for Kids, Nov 2020. Web. 25 Nov 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/where-does-our-water-come-from/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Where Does Our Water Come From?. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/where-does-our-water-come-from/
We've recently added
- Stem Cells
- Stem Cells Worksheet
- Buffalo – not just a sauce
- Buffalo Differences Worksheet
- Draw the Buffalo Worksheet
- Who invented it?
- FAMOUS AMERICAN INVENTORS (top ten and their inventions)
- Vaccines and Antibodies
- How To Build a Winogradsky Column and Learn About Soil Science
- Potato Light Bulb Experiment
- How To Use Friction to Pick Up Bottle of Rice
- How To Make Popcorn Dance
Sponsored Links :