6 Trends to Watch in Elementary Education
- The massive influx of public school students coming from homes without English fluency is requiring resources to be diverted to ESL and bilingual instruction. Teachers are in need of resources to handle students with wider ranges of language skills than ever in a single classroom. Expect a growing market for teachers fluent in more than one language.
- Robotics is becoming a popular vehicle for introducing STEM concepts to students in ever younger grade levels. The growth and success of programs such as First LEGO League competitions is encouraging more students to participate and possibly pursue STEM studies in secondary school and college.
- Online learning and other alternative education options continue to grow, and their growth encourages the development of better support products, both digital and analog. Online academies, tutoring franchises, and homeschooling all show continued growth.
- Neuroscience is informing educators like never before. As scientists learn more about how the brain works, educators can adapt learning environments ant tools for all students. Education can conform to what is known about brain development. This trend can benefit both neurotypical and special needs students – gifted, dyslexic, autistic, etc.
- Technology has progressed to make it practical for students to have individual tablets or computers with customized curriculum and resources. Many schools have a goal of one student per device.
- Data collection is a trend to watch. With so much technology and testing, schools and families need to communicate clearly about exactly what data is to be collected, how that data is relevant to education, and how student privacy and security is protected. Anyone concerned about civil liberties and/or identity theft will be sure to watch this trend.


Nature Reader Book 3 Third Edition
Kids love to read about animals and nature, and Christian Liberty Press offers six readers chock-full of interesting stories and appealing illustrations. Book K introduces an animal for each of the 26 letters of the alphabet, and includes a story on each one of them. Book 1 focuses on Creation and reinforces phonics principles. Book 2 emphasizes small creatures and lessons from nature. Books 3 and 4 discuss the daily routine and other aspects of animal life. Book 5 has been completely rewritten and teaches about the earths hydrosphere and the multitude of creatures that live in the ocean. Review questions are provided at the end of each chapter or section. Answer keys are available for Books 1-5. These contain detailed answers to the review questions found in the student text.
Teach reading skills using this God-honoring program filled with enriching and interesting reading material. Throughout this series, students read children- and history-oriented stories. Grade K emphasizes phonics instruction (2 books of single-syllable, short vowel, words; 2 books use multi-syllable words, long-vowel sounds). Grade 1 reinforces and applies these phonics skills. Grade 2 assumes students have a good grasp of phonics, so the series then shifts to progressively more challenging vocabulary and reading and emphasizes reading comprehension. Grade 3 stories span a broad history, including ancient and Bible. Grades 4-5 emphasize American history readings. Grade 6 highlights abridged and revised selections from classic authors. Some levels require Teachers' Manuals, student activities, and tests.
over 4 years ago


Milton Clark Avery (March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965 ) was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City.
The son of a tanner, Avery began working at a local factory at the age of 16 and supported himself for decades with a succession of blue-collar jobs. The death of his brother-in-law in 1915 left Avery, as the sole remaining adult male in his household, responsible for the support of nine female relatives. His interest in art led him to attend classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students in Hartford, and over a period of years, he painted in obscurity while receiving a conservative art education. In 1917, he began working night jobs in order to paint in the daytime.
In 1924, he met Sally Michel, a young art student, and in 1926, they married. Her income as an illustrator enabled him to devote himself more fully to painting. The two had a daughter, March Avery, in 1932. For several years in the late 1920s through the late 1930s, Avery practiced painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York. Roy Neuberger saw his work and thought he deserved recognition. Determined to get the world to know and respect Avery's work, Neuberger bought over 100 of his paintings, starting with Gaspé Landscape, and lent or donated them to museums all over the world. With the work of Milton Avery rotating through high-profile museums, he came to be a highly respected and successful painter.
In the 1930s, he was befriended by Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko among many other artists living in New York City in the 1930s–40s. It was Rothko who wrote perhaps the most vivid summation of Avery's art, quoted below.
The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., was the first museum to purchase one of Avery's paintings in 1929; that museum also gave him his first solo museum exhibition in 1944. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1963.
Avery was a man of few words. "Why talk when you can paint?" he often quipped to his wife. Their daughter, March Avery, is also a painter.
He died at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York, after a long illness, and is buried in the Artist's Cemetery in Woodstock, Ulster County, New York. After his death in 1965, his widow, Sally Avery, donated his personal papers to the Archives of American Art, a research center of the Smithsonian Institution.
Avery's work is seminal to American abstract painting—while his work is clearly representational, it focuses on color relations and is not concerned with creating the illusion of depth as most conventional Western painting since the Renaissance has. Avery was often thought of as an American Matisse, especially because of his colorful and innovative landscape paintings. His poetic, bold and creative use of drawing and color set him apart from more conventional painting of his era. Early in his career, his work was considered too radical for being too abstract; when Abstract Expressionism became dominant his work was overlooked, as being too representational.
This is a part of the Wikipedia article used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). The full text of the article is here →


Year after year, The National Center for Education Statistics publishes reports that indicate California students are reading far below the national average.
As far as we’re concerned, that’s an absolute tragedy. After all, reading comprehension is vital skill not just in the classroom, but in everyday life.
That’s why we’re so passionate about equipping students to become strategic readers. The kind that observe structure and organization within text. The kind that think about the ideas being conveyed, read between the lines, and make connections to related texts or knowledge gained elsewhere. The kind that stop when they don’t understand something and purpose to gain understanding before moving on.
We teach students reading comprehension strategies to be used before, during and after reading so that they become purposeful readers. To become independent learners. And understand text at a deeper level.
Want to see your child read strategically? Let’s talk about how we can help.


It’s easy to compare our kids’ development to others’. We see our friends whose kids are already initiating conversations and naming pictures in books, and we wonder why our precious toddler is still using gestures and grunts to communicate.
Many children can have well-developed skills in a wide range of areas, but be behind their peers when it comes to talking. So at what point is a child considered to be a ‘late talker’?
When is a child considered to be a Late Talker?
A simple rule of thumb is that children should:
Make lots of babbling and cooing noises as an infant
Start to say single words around 12 months of age
Begin to use short phrases such as “Daddy car”, “More juice”, “Mummy go” between 18-24 months.
Children who are not meeting these milestones are at risk of being late talkers. If your child hasn’t reached these developmental stages, we recommend that you see a Speech Pathologist as soon as possible.
What are the consequences of being a Late Talker?
Language is the basis of thinking and learning. We use language to comprehend what we hear, store information in our memory, and understand what we read. Children require well-developed language skills to develop their thinking, communicate with others, learn new ideas, and develop their literacy.
It has been said that from 0-5 years children are busy learning language, and from 5 years onwards they use language to learn. Children who are slower to develop their speech and language skills are therefore at greater risk of being ‘left behind’ when it comes to thinking, learning and developing literacy in their preschool years and beyond.
How can a Speech Pathologist help?
Speech Pathologists are professionals who can assess a child’s speech and language development. Before a child begins to use words and sentences, there are many foundational skills that must be developed. At Newcastle Speech Pathology, we take a holistic view of a child’s communication. We consider:
How and why a child is currently engaging with others
Why the child is communicating, and what motivates them
What strategies they are using to communicate (e.g. looks, gestures, sounds)
What pre-verbal and verbal skills they has
How they responds to communication (understanding others, taking turns)
The words and concepts the child understands and uses
How family dynamics contribute to the child’s communication skills
At Newcastle Speech Pathology, we believe in working with families to give your child the best possible start in life. In line with current research, we strongly recommend early intervention. The earlier a child’s communication issues are addressed, the sooner the child will be able to ‘close the gap’ with their peers and be ready for the rigours of preschool.
Our team of experience Speech Pathologists offer individual assessment and intervention-support for Late Talkers and their families.
To find out how you can support your Late Talker, read our post on Helping Late Talkers or give our friendly team a call on 4948 9800.
We’d love to help you!
Certified Practising Speech Pathologist


The Benefits of Music Lessons
Due to budget cuts and governmental funding problems, public schools around the country have had to consider eliminating extracurricular activities such as music programs in an effort to save money. If your child or grandchild's school lacks a music program, providing them with private music lessons may be a worthwhile investment in their future. Researchers are finding that music lessons don't simply improve a child's ability to play an instrument—they also help improve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development.
As children grow and develop, an area of their brains called the cortex increases in density. MRI scans revealed that the thickness of this area of the brain correlates with lower occurrences of anxiety, depression, and other negative mental activity.
In short, the benefits from being exposed to musical education are immense. By stimulating cortex development, students will receive the benefits of improved cognitive abilities, an improved ability to process and control emotions, and have a decreased chance of developing negative psychological conditions that could negatively alter the course of their lives. Musical education doesn't improve a single facet of a child's life; rather, it improves many aspects of health that will help a student learn more and develop faster mentally.
Current Exposure to Musical Training
Today, whether due to a lack of music education options or a conscious choice to pursue other electives, many students and developing children are missing out on musical training that could alter the level of success they experience in their lives.
Unfortunately, when budgets are allocated for school systems, it's not uncommon to place a higher value on other skills, such as math and reading comprehension. At first glance, it makes sense, but given that musical training can improve brain development and academic success in other areas, music education is worth the money. Cutting music programs is ultimately decreasing a student's potential success in other areas of knowledge.


Date: 5th September 2020
Start time: 9.00am
End time: 10.30am
How can we keep them singing? Older students in the music classroom need different motivation than the younger grades. Music educators aim to build the musical skills of students by exposing them to many different songs. Join us virtually as we explore engaging songs, games, and activities specifically for older students. We will also discuss scaffolding student learning and how to design a step-by-step process to ensure that students are able to learn the material and sharpen their musical understandings.
If you can attend on the day, you will receive a Zoom invitation with the meeting link and password prior to the webinar.
If you cannot attend on the day, please register for the recording only and you will be emailed the link and the certificate a few days after the webinar.
Tanya LeJeune lives in Denver, Colorado and has taught elementary music for 25 years. She has taught K– 8th grade general music in Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado, and serves as a Kodály instructor of pedagogy and folksong analysis at the Colorado Kodály Institute at Colorado State University. Tanya serves on the Elementary Music Curriculum Advisory Committee and is the music teacher mentor for Jeffferson County Public Schools. Tanya is past president of ROCKE, the Colorado Kodály chapter, and has served as Member at Large for OAKE, the Organization of American Kodály Educators. She has presented music education workshops and in-services for several school districts, universities, and Orff and Kodály chapters throughout the United States. Tanya’s most recent endeavor is the general music education podcast Music Teacher Coffee Talk she hosts with friend and colleague Carrie Nicholas.


The Kodaly Method, which is also known as the Kodaly Concept, is an approach to music education, developed in Hungary during the mid 20th century. It was named after the Hungarian educator and composer Zoltan Kodaly. Though the method is named after him, it wasn’t actually created by him.
The Kodaly concept of music uses a child-developmental approach, and it introduces the skills in harmony with the capabilities of the children. In this approach, the children are first introduced to the concepts of music through various experiences such as singing, listening, or movement. Only after the child becomes familiar with the concept of music, he or she learns how to compose it. Most of the successful music lesson plans are based on this method.
The Kodaly Concepts are constantly reviewed in regular intervals; and they are reinforced through various methods such as movement, games, songs and exercises.
The Kodaly Method incorporates the use of the rhythmic movement, which is a technique that is inspired by works of a Swiss music educator, known as Emile Jaques Dalcroze. In order to reinforce the various rhythmic concepts, the Kodaly method uses a wide variety of rhythmic movements, such as running, walking, marching, and clapping. All these activities need to be performed at the time of listening to the music or while singing.
The concept was explained to the children with the help of the traditional educational music games of that time. According to the researches and studies, it has been proved that the Kodaly Method improves the rhythm skills, intonation, music literacy and the aptitude to sing in progressively more complex parts.


The United States does not have an official language, yet bilingualism in the public sphere is far from accepted. California, however, has made a big step towards fostering a more bilingual landscape. In November of 2016, California residents voted in a landslide to bring back bilingual education programs in the state: 73.52% said “yes” to California Non-English Languages Allowed in Public Education Act, or Proposition 58. Proposition 58, which will go into effect in July of 2017, repealed critical parts of the almost 20-year-old Proposition 227, or English Language in Public Schools Statute of 1998, which placed restrictions on many programs, like bilingual classes, aimed to help Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students in the public school system. While this policy specifically targets bilingual elementary education, it serves as a proxy for California’s tendency towards a more liberal politics that aims to serve its diverse population.
California is the most populous state in the nation with a count of 39,250,017 residents as of early 2016, per the US Census Bureau. A racially, ethnically, and nationally diverse group of people comprises this population: as of 2014, Latinos officially surpassed whites as the state’s ethnic majority. California has the second largest state Latino population in the country, following New Mexico. California residents also speak a wide array of languages: 43.9% of residents age 5 and above speak a language other than English at home (in descending order, these languages include Spanish, Chinese [Mandarin and Cantonese], Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Armenian, and Farsi). Indeed, California has the largest population of non-English speaking residents in the country.
Proponents of Proposition 58 often point to these statistics: public school systems should reflect and support the population they serve. Proponents also cite studies that show the benefits of bilingual education for English language learners (ELLs). Not only do ELLs achieve English proficiency by middle school, but these bilingual students catch up, if not outperform, their monolingual peers in a number of academic tests. Bilingual children also have displayed better multitasking skills than monolingual children. Opponents of the bill worry that bilingual education will slow Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students’ mastery of English. However, research published since Proposition 227 has discounted some aspects of this concern. Considering all of these factors, California’s adoption of Proposition 58 serves as a statement of recognition and inclusion of the state’s diverse population, while specifically benefitting bilingual individuals.
Proposition 58, written by Ricardo Lara (D – CA), signals a move towards a more overt inclusion of different backgrounds. However, the specifics of the bill do not make clear how effective it will be in delivering its promises of inclusion. Notably, it contains no actionable provisions; it merely calls for the repeal of certain bilingual program restrictions. Proposition 227 did not technically prevent bilingual programs, but it did require parents to sign a waiver in order to keep their child in bilingual programs. Without this signature, LEP students were placed by default in English-only classrooms. Proposition 58, in doing away with the waiver rule and other barriers, removes many of the hoops that bilingual families have had to jump through in order for their children to have access to a bilingual education.
In the interim until this July, state officials and school district leaders must grapple with several questions: which schools will take on bilingual education programs? Local school districts may decide whether or not to offer bilingual programs individually, but Proposition 58 requires public schools to at least offer these programs if 20-30 parents request it. How much will these programs cost? Proponents of the proposition say that the state will not have to pay any more; school districts will just redistribute funds towards bilingual programs. Opponents argue that it will not be this simple– the programs will require extra funding. Where will the state find teachers qualified for these bilingual programs? The 1998 ban on bilingual education forced many bilingual teachers to other states, and bringing them back may be difficult. Further, since Proposition 58 does not force bilingual programs, it is difficult to predict exactly how many bilingual instructors will be necessary. Evidently, many critical questions about the implementation of bilingual programs go unanswered, and will likely remain this way until July, at least.
Proposition 58 comes at a fascinating time: the political leanings of California, notably those concerning immigration and sanctuary cities, are at odds with the nation’s. In the next few months, as California works to implement Proposition 58, it will be interesting to see if its inclusive intentions are translated into effective policy. The foreseeable future will determine whether California will serve as a trendsetter, or just an outlier for state politics that embrace a more diverse populace.


This week, the first activity that kiddos did at KiddoStem Lab was to make playdough. They had fun having their hands dirty while mixing the dough. After the dough is done, they used their imagination to create shapes and objects. Playdough play has many benefits for kiddos such as:
- Fine Motor Skill Development
- Calming and soothing activity
- Good for creativity and imagination
- Develops hand-eye co-ordination
- Good for Social skills
- Literacy and Numeracy development
The second activity was about electricity. Kiddos learned about how electricity transfer from one material to another and what type of materials that can carry electric static. They tried couple objects such as Balloon, Plastic Ruler, Wood Ruler, and paper. This activity is to help kiddos get a better understanding about electric static.


Young children tend to explore a lot. Every new experience, the behaviour they adopt, and the word they learn is an investment for their future. In fact, it paves the way for building their future. Children learn from everything they hear, see, feel, smell, and everyone they interact with. This is why parents should spend quality time with their kids when they are young as it helps them to shape their future.
Early childhood education offered in child care Five Dock offers a range of benefits to not only children but also to their families and communities. In fact, children education specialists suggest that pre-schoolers in child care centre Five Dock tend to learn best when they interact and play with their peers, receive quality care from educators and parents, and don’t feel pressured to learn.
Here is how your child will be benefited from early childhood education:-
Improved social skills
Young buds learn to mingle and interact with each other when they are in a preschool setting. This is because the preschool setting gives them an opportunity to acquire vital skills that allow them to listen to other children, educators, and express their ideas, share, cooperate, make friends, and take responsibility for their actions.
Better performance in school
Research shows that children who received early childhood education do better in academics than those who don’t. They have a reduced need for special education in elementary school and beyond.
Develop literacy and numeracy skills
Literacy and numeracy skills are a foundation for education. However, it is more than reading, writing, and counting. Kids learn these skills by listening to stories, rhymes, seeing pictures and drawing shapes on paper. They also learn these skills by singing and playing music, or pouring sand into containers of different sizes. When a child learns literacy and numeracy skills in the child care Five Dock NSW before they start schooling have a dramatic impact on their academic success.
Enjoy a successful future
The benefits reaped from an early childhood education program can last a lifetime. Children who received high-quality early childhood education programs are more likely to be continuously employed and graduate from university. The skills the children learn from the childcare are significant for their social, academic, and emotional success. Research shows that children who don’t attend preschool are more likely to struggle in their academics in the future.
No matter if your child is starting school next year or in the near future, consider giving them quality early childhood education from a good childcare centre.
The author owns reputed child care in Five Dock. Caring 4 Kids provides high-quality care and early childhood program tailored to your child’s individual interests, strengths, and abilities. Visit http://caring4kids.com.au/ for more details.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Language, Music and the Connection with Early Childhood Learning
for reference- the corpus callosum is the thick band of nerve fibers that divide the cerebrum. It connects the left and right sides of the brain allowing for communication between both hemispheres. It transfers motor, sensory and cognitive information between the brain hemispheres.
So, should we aggressively introduce music and language to our children early on?
This is an area that Dr Adamkiewicz researched with which to find answers.
What was the Answer for Music Education?
According to Dr Adamkiewicz, A child’s intellect can be both trained musically and protected. Firstly, we need to ask ourselves what our ultimate motives and goals are for our child. Then we should create an age appropriate lesson structure to honor our child to help them develop a life long appreciation of music and language.
After all – how many of us learnt music and various languages in high school to now not even be able to read a note of music, nor speak a sentence of a foreign language.
Dr Adamkiewicz turned to an academic at the University of Michigan to get some answers about Music Learning. This is an extract of the response from her interview with the assistant Professor of Music:
“I think there is an extremely delicate balance in how one should unfold the art of playing and communicating music while teaching. Starting the child off too early with note reading, the logic of countering, and intense hand techniques will risk overload and increase a later propensity to music repulsion. Teaching the child totally by ear, too far in their intellectual development, could potentially cause enormous deficit of musical reading and writing that takes years of focus and commitment to overcome”
Dr Adamkiewicz’s recommendation for age appropriate music learning is as follows:
From the womb to 7 years of age
Children should have music in their environment – daily.
They should actively listen, sing / be sung to, have freedom to play a variety of instruments in the household. If they begin an instrument in this time period, it should be offered with no expectations.
Age 8 to 24
From this age, it is a good time to offer more formal lessons that combine the intellectual skills with technique and theory with the listening and playing artistry of music.
What was the Answer for Language Education?


Preschool music education for kids 4-6 y/o in small groups
For children who exhibit an interest in music but who are not yet mature enough for private lessons
The children will learn the basic skills needed to start playing any musical instrument
The lessons entail games and activities
designed to teach children about :
- musical notes
- music appreciation,
- and even composing !!!
Children will also learn songs from around the World.
Lessons are fun and frustration free for the children and the parents!
Group music lessons give preschoolers an opportunity to play with music, to have a stress-free and enjoyable introduction into the world of music making, and to acquire skills that the children will be able to apply to instrumental study – when they are ready for it!
Group music lessons consists of age-appropriate activities that preschoolers can handle and will enjoy.
Group lessons are fun because they involve play with other children. Small children take cues from each other, and learn by playing and engaging directly with material that interests them.
Group music classes create a quality educational family interaction (parental attendance and participation is welcome!)


If you ever struggled through piano lessons as a kid, you might’ve wondered if your mind and body just weren’t cut out for tickling those keys — no matter how many times your music teacher insisted that practice would eventually make perfect. And although practice doesn’t hurt, a new study finds that certain genes may also play major roles in the development of musical aptitude. The researchers, led by University of Helsinki medical geneticist Irma Järvelä, began by gathering a sample group of 767 children and adults. The investigators tested the volunteers for musical perceptiveness, using several standard tests that measure accuracy of perception for pitch, sound timing and melodic patterns. The researchers also gathered blood samples from the volunteers. Using a method called linkage analysis, the researchers then searched for correlations between the volunteers’ musical aptitude scores and their genes. And before long, a variety of linkages became clear: The higher a volunteer’s musical aptitude scores, the more likely that she carried gene variants for high sensitivity in the inner ear and for refined sound processing in the brain. The study is the first to show the importance of auditory pathway genes in musical aptitude.
Genes and Brains
Previous studies have found that these auditory pathway genes govern the development of a variety of structures that allow us to perceive and interpret sound. Seven of these genes shape the development of hair cells in the inner ear’s cochlea, which helps convert sound waves into nerve signals. Another one of them shapes the behavior of a brain region called the inferior colliculus, which routes incoming sound signals to precise destinations in the cerebral cortex. Six others affect the functioning of a brain structure called the amygdala, which plays a central role in our emotional responses to music and other sensory cues. Clear-cut as these results may sound, the study’s authors are quick to point out that, as one analogy goes, “if genetics loads the gun, experiences pull the trigger.” In the paper’s conclusion, the authors acknowledge that “musical aptitude is a complex behavioral trait... Environmental factors, such as the childhood musical environment, the example set by parents and siblings, and music education affect musical abilities.” The findings are reported in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Perception and Environment
It’s precisely that interplay between music-related genes and musical environment that the researchers aim to study next. “We’d like to find out whether genes associated with music perception have beneficial effects in human development, as common-sense wisdom seems to tell us,” Järvelä says. She and her team are also keen to understand the effects of music therapy at a molecular level — a line of research that could eventually lead to more widely applicable and cheap music-based treatments for people suffering from disorders of hearing or memory. The better we understand these interactions between genes, brains and music, the more we’ll understand how to use music for what it’s best at: Putting us more closely in touch with our own minds.
Image by Irina Schmidt /Shutterstock


Numeracy & Literacy
At The Henry Beaufort School our ambition is for our students to leave school equipped with the skills they need to be critical, independent, and informed young adults, able to use and decipher all of the information with which they will be bombarded in future life. It is therefore the shared responsibility of all teachers to work together to build the literacy and numeracy skills of all our students, in lessons, around the school site, and in the wider community. For this reason, students are encouraged to use and develop their skills across all subjects, in order to emphasise the importance and relevance they have for life beyond the classroom.
Both literacy and numeracy are essential skills required in the ‘outside world’. We employ whole school, cross curricular initiatives to support the work of the English and maths departments in raising standards and achievement in these areas, making sure that students recognise they use these skills outside these subject areas and helping them to apply their knowledge in everyday life.


Germany, a land of innovation, invention and ideas is the most preferred destination for foreign students. International standards in education, science and research play a central role in making the country one of the knowledge hubs of Europe. The country has one of the world's best and most extensive school and university systems.
Education in Great Britain is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 5 and 16. At the age of 16 about 2/3 of pupils leave school and get jobs. About 1/3 stay at school until the age of 18. There are about 30,000 state schools with 2,000 private fee-paying schools.
As Bulgaria aligns itself for EU accession in 2007 the country’s government are working on ensuring that the children of Bulgaria have free access to a quality, well structured but open education system that will allow them to learn the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to compete equally with their European counterparts on the world business and economic stage.
Education enjoys high priority, and the largest share of the regional governments’ annual budget in Belgium. Complete systems of public and private schools are available to all children between the ages of 4 and 18, at little or no cost. A 'Creche Kinderdagverblijf plaats” is available for younger children.
The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and nine years of education are mandatory. Schools offer a series of vocational-technical and university preparatory tracks involving one to four additional years of education beyond the minimum mandatory level.
The literacy rate in Albania for the total population, age 9 or older, is about 99%. Elementary education is compulsory (grades 1-9), but most students continue at least until a secondary education. Students must successfully pass graduation exams at the end of the 9th grade and at the end of the 12th grade in order to continue their education.


Pieces or songs
For this section of the exam, you play three pieces or sing three songs chosen from the relevant syllabus lists.
We want you to experience different styles of music, so our syllabuses are designed to include a wide range of repertoire to choose from. You should find music that inspires you, and that you enjoy learning and performing.
How do we choose the pieces and songs?
We have a panel of expert specialist consultants – examiners, teachers and performers – who help us to refresh and renew our syllabuses.
Using guidelines for each subject and grade, they put together an initial list of repertoire ideas. They also take into account suggestions or feedback from teachers and candidates, and look at statistics showing the popularity of previously listed music. This means our syllabus lists include music that we're sure you'll enjoy playing, suiting a wide range of tastes and approaches.
After a thorough moderation process to make sure that the level of challenge matches evenly across the lists, we check the availability of the music selected and then approve the final lists that will appear in our syllabuses.
Video: Trombone Grade 3 Piece B (previous syllabus)
Scales and arpeggios
If you play an instrument, you'll need to play scales, arpeggios and other relevant patterns in the selection of keys, ranges and variants specified in the relevant syllabus.
Scales and arpeggios provide strong foundations for good technical skills and musical understanding. Through learning and playing them, you'll become more familiar with your instrument and develop many key aspects of technique including articulation, tone and intonation.
Playing scales and arpeggios also helps you to understand a number of vital musical ingredients, especially keys and tonality. This develops your confidence and security when sight-reading, learning new pieces and performing – from notation or from memory, as a solo musician or with others.
Video: Clarinet Grade 6 scales and arpeggios
Unaccompanied traditional song
If you’re a singer, instead of playing scales and arpeggios, for this section of the exam you'll perform from memory an unaccompanied traditional song of your choice.
Learning to sing unaccompanied helps you to build your sense of key and pulse without referring to an accompanying instrument, and develops your ability to hold your pitch. It also encourages a sense of rhythm, a varied use of tonal colour, effective musical communication and reliable memory skills.
Video: Unaccompanied traditional song
This section of the exam requires you to play or sing at sight a short piece that you haven't seen before. In Singing exams, this is accompanied by the examiner.
Sight-reading is a valuable skill with many benefits. It helps you to perform new music with confidence, and to learn music more quickly. Good musical reading skills are also very valuable when it comes to making music with others, so singing in a choir or playing in an ensemble becomes more accessible, rewarding and enjoyable.
If you're taking a Horn, Trumpet or Organ exam at Grades 6 to 8, you'll also be required to take a transposition test. If you're taking a Harpsichord exam, you'll take a figured-bass realisation test. More information about this can be found in the syllabus.
Video: Alto Saxophone Grade 4 sight-reading
In the aural tests, examiners assess your listening skills and musical perception. The tests cover awareness of pitch, pulse, rhythm, melody, harmony and other musical features.
Developing good musical listening skills is a vital part of any music education, and the ability to hear how music works helps with all aspects of your music making and progress. Aural tests are the same for all instruments and singing.
Video: Grade 1 aural tests
You can find detailed information about exam requirements in our syllabuses, which are available on this website and in a range of printed booklets.


Pelican is one of the largest birds in the world. They can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. They prefer warmer areas so they live in temperate and tropical areas and avoid cold areas. There are a total of eight different species of these birds. Their scientific name is “Pelecanus”. They have long bills that are hooked at the tip.
They are best known for large pouches of skin hanging down from their bills. These pouches are used to scoop up fish from the water. These throat pouches are also known as “gular pouch” or “gular sac”.
Quick Facts: –
- The earliest pelican fossil on record is a 30-million-year-old skull. It was found in the Oligocene deposits of France.
- These birds are mouth-breathers as their nostrils are sealed off, buried under the beak’s horny sheath.
- Female pelicans lay 1 to 3 eggs and their incubation period lasts between 28 and 36 days.
- Their average lifespan in the wild ranges from 10 to 30 years depending on the species.
- The wingspan of a pelican can be more than six and a half feet long.
- They can comfortably hold up to three gallons of water in their throat sac.
- They are excellent fliers and can soar like eagles with their giant wings.
- Dalmatian Pelicans are the largest, having a wingspan of approximately 12 feet.
- The Great White Pelican is the heaviest species weighing from somewhere from 9 to 15 kilograms.
- These birds are social creatures and typically travel in groups called “flocks”, often strung out in a line.
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Declan, Tobin. " Pelican Fun Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Nov 2020. Web. 28 Nov 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/pelican-facts/ >.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Pelican Fun Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/pelican-facts/
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Swing Sisters: The International Sweethearts of Rhythm by Karen Deans is my pick for today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday in honor of Jazz Fest in New Orleans and Teacher’s Appreciation Week, both celebrated in the month of May.
Illustrated by: Joe Cepeda
Publisher: Holiday House (January 1, 2015)
Suitable for ages: 7-11
Themes: women in music, educational activism, integration, jazz, gender studies, perseverance, inspiration, US history, Jim Crow laws, stereotypes
Brief Synopsis: This book brings attention to the first interracial all female jazz/swing band, The International Sweethearts of Rhythm formed in 1939 at Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi. The band became popular in the 1940’s and toured the US and Europe.
The story opens by bringing attention to Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones, a black educator who started a school in 1909 for orphans in Mississippi. Music education eventually became a part of the school’s curriculum and many of the Sweethearts were part of the school band.
Swing Sisters highlights the struggles these women endured from society because of both race and gender.
Opening pages: “Way back in 1909, not far from Jackson, Mississippi, there was a special place for orphans It was called Piney Woods Country Life School.
A man named Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones started the school. He wanted to make sure these African American kids had a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a good education. In return, the children worked at the school to earn their keep. Some planted seeds and picked weeds outside on the farm; others chopped vegetables in the kitchen or did laundry.”
Why I like this book: A great example of history using a story that inspires and educates. During one of the most difficult times in US history when the intent of oppression from Jim Crow laws was to prevent African Americans from achievement, this band of talented women, black and white, formed and succeeded in entertaining Americans and Europeans.
Further research shows Dr. Jones came from a family of educators, with an uncle who started a school back in 1846. When Dr. Jones learned about a county in Mississippi that had an eighty percent illiteracy rate, he moved there from Missouri and eventually started Piney Woods Country Life School.
For more of today’s book reviews from May 15, 2015, go to author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book page.


Happy World Book Day! Today we’re celebrating the generosity and commitment of our partners to boost literacy and encourage a love of reading in children around the world. Since 2012, World Vision Australia has partnered with Pearson Australia to deliver more than 515,000 learning materials to children across southern and eastern Africa.
Pearson textbooks, storybooks and education toolkits encourage children to become actively engaged as young learners. They provide the foundation for quality education and support children’s right to education in relief and development settings.
World Vision’s approach to education
As World Vision works to educate girls and boys for life, we draw on our expertise implementing education programming in nearly 100 countries around the world, in both relief and development settings. Our programming aims to ensure access to quality education opportunities for children and youth, ages 3 to 18, from preschool through the completion of secondary school or vocational training.
We work with children, families and communities so that:
• Children can read, write and use numeracy skills
• Children can make good judgements, protect themselves, manage their emotions and communicate ideas
• Adolescents are ready for economic opportunity
• Children can access and complete education
Pearson books in Zimbabwe
In the community of Chihota in eastern Zimbabwe, our partnership with Pearson delivers quality learning materials to equip children for lifelong learning and success. World Vision began working in Chihota in 2011, when school enrolment was below 80 percent and an average of 10 children shared one textbook. Education was one of three program areas identified by the Chihotan community as a priority focus for work with World Vision until 2026.
The impact of Pearson resources in Chihota is amplified through integration with the World Vision Literacy Boost program. Literacy Boost is a proven literacy program that supports the development of reading skills in young children through reading assessments, teacher training and community engagement. Students who take part in Literacy Boost can increase their reading comprehension by 30 percent!
Giving literacy a “boost”
Literacy Boost is different from other reading programmes because it gives entire communities the tools they need to encourage their children to get excited about reading. Literacy Boost strengthens national education curricula so that ministries of education and teachers can use the tools they already have, complemented by additional training, to help children learn to read with increased comprehension.
In Chihota, Literacy Boost has created space in the community for children who might not have access to books at home to continue learning with their friends. After-school reading camps and clubs are led by local volunteers who teach children songs, games and stories that reinforce what they are learning in school. Book banks act as portable libraries full of colourful story books – often written by parents and community members – that reflect children’s values, traditions, language and culture. Reading Buddies are paired with children to encourage reading in the home. Parents are also taught how to support their children’s learning needs by creating reading corners, or using found materials to practise writing skills.
Pearson books are integrated into a holistic education strategy in Chihota, which aims to improve education standards through the following measures:
• Equipping schools with books and other learning resources
• Raising awareness about the rights of children with a disability and improving their access to education
• Supporting pre-school education
• Building and renovating classrooms
• Introducing adult literacy classes and promoting the Literacy Boost program in primary schools
• Facilitating inter-school academic competitions.
In Chihota, as around the world, our partnership with Pearson provides vital resources for children to grow and thrive, unlocking their potential to learn and achieve at school and beyond. Together, we’re empowering children with the skills and knowledge for a more promising future!


In the last few years, a wave of high quality research has come out showing just how profoundly positive exposure to music and music education is for babies and developing brains.
Much of this new study has focused on premature babies, especially babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As one researcher pointed out, preemies can close their eyes in response to lights that are too bright, but they can’t close their ears, so music and noise stimulation play an important role in their time in NICU.
One study, for example, found that music therapy in the NICU helps “improve function” for the baby at the same time it reduces anxiety in parents. Other researchers have found that lullabies can improve a preemie’s heart function and breathing, as well as feeding behavior and sucking patterns. Music even encourages these most delicate babies to be more alert while they’re awake and listening, especially to the sound of their own parents singing to them.
As babies age, scientists continue to find benefits from music. One recent study found that music playing in the pediatric emergency room makes it easier for babies and infants to tolerate IV placement. Others have found that music helps children during invasive nursing procedures, doctor’s visits, and even when dealing with pain.
By toddlerhood, the focus of this new research shifts to the benefits of learning music. It turns out that music training has a profound effect on the way a toddler’s brain develops. It’s been shown to increase working memory and help toddlers learn how to pay attention. One particularly fascinating study linked language development to rhythm and showed that toddlers and children who have better understanding of rhythm are able to form more complex sentences earlier.
The moral of the story? Researchers are proving what parents and cultures have known for millennia: music is a powerful part of the human condition that helps emotional and intellectual development.
Reviewed by Sara Connolly, March 2020
- New research is showing that music benefits babies’ brains at every stage.
- In the NICU, music reduces anxiety and soothes.
- In toddlers, it helps children learn language.
- In the emergency room and doctor’s office, music makes it easier for babies.


It feels like school just started, but a quarter of the school year is already behind us. Has your child’s progress report already arrived? You may be tempted to dismiss a progress report because it doesn’t count on your child’s final transcript, but progress reports can help you understand more than just grades.
Common areas of feedback touch on your child’s foundational skills, reading skill level, comprehension, presentation of knowledge, vocabulary, math skills, study skills, and attention to detail.
1. A grade drop in a foundational subject area is a red flag.
If your child has always done well in math classes, but their grade has dropped, it’s important to find out why. Math curriculum builds upon itself, so if your child is struggling with fundamental concepts, they will continue to fall behind. Are they completing their homework? Are they building good study habits? Identifying why your child’s grade has slipped in math is critical to their future academic success.
Reading skills are also a critical foundational area. If your child struggles with reading or writing, they will be at a disadvantage in every single subject. They will struggle with word problems in math, they will have trouble with their science report, and they will miss key points in their history reading. Even if your child is reading at their current grade level, stronger reading and analytical skills will help to give them a competitive advantage.
2. Teacher feedback can help you understand your child’s mindset.
Did you know that students spend an average of 1,195 hours in the classroom per year? Teachers may have insight into your child’s behavior and mindset that you have not observed at home. Open communication with your child, as well as their teachers, is important to get a better understanding of your child’s mindset.
Teacher commentary on your child’s progress report can provide a deeper understanding of your child’s social and emotional learning. Commentary on behavioral patterns include feedback on self awareness, self management, mindset, and relationship skills. Does your child get frustrated and give up on tough academic concepts? Do they have a hard time paying attention in class? Try not to think of this commentary as judgement, but rather as an opportunity to have a dialogue with your child. Getting ahead of negative patterns as early as possible, and helping to build a growth mindset in your child will go a long way toward their happiness and well-being.
3. Create a plan of action.
In order to make the most of the feedback from your child’s progress report, you’ll need to create a plan. For example, if your child is falling behind in reading skills, try to find a book about a subject they are passionate about to read together and analyze.
Tutoring is also a great option to ensure your child is building a strong academic foundation. At Revolution Prep, our tutors go beyond homework help. They can identify foundational concepts that your child is struggling with, and help them to develop their mindset, self-management, and subject mastery.
If you’re not sure how to interpret your child’s progress report, or would like support in creating a plan for your child, our Academic Advisors can help. Academic Advisors understand how school work, testing, college applications, and other learning goals come together.


Leona Mona August 9, 2020 worksheets
Planning Worksheets for Kids.Before creating the worksheet for children, it is important to understand why the worksheet is being made. Is there a message to be conveyed? Can students record information that can be understood later? Is it being created to just teach a basic concept to little children? A well designed worksheet will make its objective clear. The different aspects that should influence the design of the worksheet are the age, ability and motivation of the students. A young child may not be able to write or read more than a few words. Worksheets should be created keeping these factors in mind. When you buy worksheets for your children, look for how the concept is explained. Is it pictorial or is it just a collection of words? A pictorial worksheet will hold the attention of a child more than just a combination of words.
If you must use worksheets, then be sure you do the following 6 things:1. Know what you are buying. If you can’t see it (there is no sample shown), then do not buy it. There are many people out there trying to make a buck off the current popularity of worksheets. Many, if not most, of these people know nothing about mathematics, teaching, or how the brain learns. Anyone can type columns of addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. problems; but these worksheets will be bad for your child. Don’t trust what you can’t see.
There are numerous online resources that offer online worksheets that you can download and use for your children’s homeschooling for free. They cover practically all subjects under the sun. Different homeschool worksheets are available that are suitable for all types of curriculums, and they can help enhance what you are teaching.Aside from helping you assess your child’s comprehension of a subject matter, printable home school worksheets also provide something for your child to do while you work on other things. This means that you can be free to run your home while teaching your child at the same time, because the worksheet simplifies the homeschooling job for you.
Quality may be a little more expensive, but good worksheets will motivate your child to produce neat work that they can be proud of.
Homeschool worksheets have pros and cons that depend on the type of material the worksheet deals with. One advantage is that worksheets are very handy if you want to give your child something to do. Some types of worksheets are very easy to grade and can be completed without much input from you. Worksheets can also give you a good idea of how much your child was able to understand of the subject matter.While worksheets for homeschool can assist in home schooling, they cannot take the place of a proper homeschool curriculum. One disadvantage they have is that they often focus on one subject area only, without integrating the whole curriculum. They can also be simplistic and give the impression that the student understands more than he actually does.
1. Education vs Time Filler
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We’ve partnered with National Geographic Education Fellow and literacy expert Stephanie Harvey to review and improve Explorer magazine, our classroom resource for students grades K-5/6. In partnering with Stephanie, we’ve produced a four-part video series that takes a deep dive into Explorer and its supplementary features.
In the third video of the series, “Curiosity is Contagious”, Stephanie demonstrates how Explorer magazine is a great resource to inspire students to read more and learn about their world.
“If you tap into kids’ curiosity, they will want to read a lot and learn more,” says Stephanie in the video.
Watch “Curiosity is Contagious”:
You can also watch the second video of the series for Stephanie’s insight into reading comprehension strategies that will deepen your students’ knowledge as they read.
In the first video in the series, Stephanie gives an introduction to Explorer and its value as a classroom resource for young readers.
Editorial Director, Explorer magazine
Interested in Explorer magazine? Click here to subscribe to this great classroom resource.


How would you like to skip the phase of baby food jars and spoon feeding baby like it's a flying airplane coming to land? Now, more and more parents are deciding to sidestep this way of introducing baby's first solids with an alternative method known as baby-led weaning, a practice that has been popular in the UK, Australia and New Zealand for years.
While Americans tend to think of "weaning" as ending breastfeeding, many other countries refer to this term for the introduction of complimentary foods. As the name implies, baby-led weaning is the practice of letting baby take control during the introduction of solids by letting baby feed herself rather than parents spoon feeding when it's time to eat.
Those in favor of baby-led weaning suggest benefits similar to those of breastfeeding, where baby is able to self-regulate how much she eats and stop when she feels full. It also gives baby a chance to experience more tastes and textures than when simply offered traditional first foods, improve hand-eye coordination and fine tune motor skill development.
To initiate solids using this method, first talk with baby's pediatrician to ensure baby-led weaning is right for your family. Baby should be about 6 months old and show signs of readiness. She should be able to sit up on her own; be ready and able to chew; pick up items with her thumb and forefinger; show signs of interest in food and mealtimes; and should have lost the tongue-thrust reflex (where baby pushes solids out of the front of the mouth.)
Once ready to begin feedings, sit baby upright and serve larger pieces of food that are easy for baby to pick up on her own and mouth - such as thick strips or sticks rather than bite-sized pieces. Opting to serve foods that are part of your own meal (but without added "adult" seasonings like salt and sugar) are preferred when possible, such as cooked vegetables and pasta, potato, toast, flaky fish and scrambled eggs. Avoid any foods that may pose a choking hazard such as peanuts, popcorn, raw vegetables and whole grapes - and always watch baby while she is eating.
During this process, remember it is simply a time of messy and fun exploration for your little one and avoid getting caught up thinking baby has to clear her plate for it to be successful. For the first year of life, baby's primary source of nutrition will continue to be breastmilk or formula rather than solid foods.
Author's Note: Andrea Luttrell is a registered dietitian nutritionist for the Living Well Eating Smart program at Big Y Foods. Have a nutrition question? E-mail email@example.com or write Living Well at 2145 Roosevelt Ave, Springfield, MA 01102.


Lake Ladoga – Largest Lake in Europe
Lake Ladoga is the largest lake in the Europe covering a total surface area of 6,700 square miles. It is located in Northwest Russia. The average width is 83 kilometers and the north to south length is 219 kilometers. It is the world’s 14th largest freshwater lake on the basis of area.
The Karelian Isthmus separates Lake Ladoga from the Baltic Sea. Then, it drains into the Gulf of Finland via the Neva River. The basin area of the lake includes 50,000 smaller lakes and more than 3,000 rivers.
Quick Facts: –
- This lake’s water is yellow-brown in color because of an aqueous compound, calcium hydrocarbonate.
- The climate in this region is moderately cold. The average annual precipitation is 24 inches.
- The cities located on its shores include Priozyorsk, Shlisselburg, and Sortavala.
- Levels in the lake remain highest in June and July and lowest in December and January.
- The average annual elevation of Lake Ladoga is approximately 2.6 feet.
- The lake consists of around 660 islands that cover a total area of about 435 kilometers.
- The shores of the lake are low and marshy in the South and indented in the North.
- This lake is rich with fish. Approximately 48 different species of fish have been encountered.
- It gets eighty five percent of its water from its tributaries.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Facts for Kids about Lake Ladoga ." Easy Science for Kids, Dec 2020. Web. 03 Dec 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/lake-ladoga/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Facts for Kids about Lake Ladoga. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/lake-ladoga/
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The Impacts Of Explicit Systematic Phonics Instruction On The Areas Of Decoding And Fluency For Students With A Specific Learning Disability In Reading, Marina Hingston
Capstone Research Projects
The purpose of this embedded, mixed methods action research study was to examine the impacts of explicit, systematic phonics instruction on students with a specific learning disability in reading. A phonics intervention program, S.P.I.R.E., was implemented over the course of four weeks. The participants were two 4th graders and one 6th grader, all who had an identified specific learning disability in the area of reading. Data was collected on decoding accuracy pre and post intervention, as well as on reading fluency using timed one minute fluency drills. In addition, student perceptions of the S.P.I ...


Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prodigious musician and one of the greatest composers of all time. He wrote over 600 works including sonatas, symphonies, masses, chamber music, concertos and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Mozart was an exceptional talent from a very early age. At three he was playing the clavichord, and a year later began writing short compositions. He was a musician capable of playing multiple instruments and gave his first public performance at the age of five at Salzburg University. Between 1763 and 1766 he toured Europe with his father and his sister Nannerl, playing concerts and performing before royalty.
After being appointed Konzertmeister at the Salzburg Court in 1769 he made several tours of Italy to study opera, and composed two of his own, Mitridate and Lucio Silla. Returning to Austria, he wrote all of his violin concertos along with settings of the Catholic mass, symphonies and chamber music, as well as the opera Idomeneo, which became a sensation in Munich. In 1782 Mozart married Constanze Weber, which was also the year his opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail was staged with great success.
In the 1780s he composed many sonatas and quartets, and appeared as soloist in the fifteen piano concertos he wrote. Mozart received many commissions for operas and produced a string of masterpieces: The Marriage of Figaro in 1786, Don Giovanni in 1787, Così fan tutte in 1790, and The Magic Flute in 1791.
During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem which was left unfinished at the time of his death. The Magic Flute was the last opera Mozart composed; it was premiered on 30th September 1791 – roughly three months before he died. Mozart himself conducted the orchestra, while the librettist, Emanuel Schikaneder, sang the role of Papageno.
Mozart is not known for radical formal or harmonic innovations. His most popular works have a natural flow and irresistible charm, expressing humour, joy or sorrow with both conviction and mastery. His operas, piano concertos and later symphonies are brilliant examples of high art.
Mozart has a chocolate named after him: the Mozartkugel, a round sweet of marzipan and nougat, covered in dark chocolate.
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If you’re living in Portugal with children, here is a guide to education in Portugal.
Educational departments in Portugal
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education are jointly responsible for the country’s education system. They’re supported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity in providing pre-school education.
In Portugal, you can opt either for a state school (generally free) or a private school.
If you opt for a private school, you can confirm whether it is certified by the Ministry of Education (primary and secondary education), the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education (for higher education), or the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity / Institute of Social Security (for pre-school education).
Preschool education in Portugal
Defined as the first stage of basic education in the lifelong learning process.
Pre-school education for children between the ages of three and five is still optional. Kindergartens are run by a variety of state organizations, charitable institutions, private schools, cooperatives, and unions.
Compulsory schooling: basic education
Basic education (ensino básico) is compulsory and free for everyone. It is intended for children aged between six and fifteen. Pupils who complete this schooling receive a certificate of basic education.
This level of teaching extends over nine years and comprises three cycles:
- The first cycle lasts for four years. This is taught by one teacher (who may be assisted by others in specialized areas). Emphasis is placed on the integrated development of studies and activities and the teaching of a foreign language may begin;
- The second cycle, lasting two years, covers interdisciplinary areas of basic education;
- The third cycle lasts for three years. It is structured as a set of disciplines or groups of disciplines, incorporating various elements of vocational training. Classes are taught by a single teacher per subject or multidisciplinary educational field.
Basic education is intended to provide a common general training that:
- allows pupils to develop interests, aptitudes, and skills and grow as individuals, in accordance with values of social solidarity;
- allows pupils to acquire and master basic knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, forming the basis for further general or vocational studies;
- encourages the development of values, attitudes, and practices that help to instill a sense of civic responsibility and willingness to participate in democracy.
Post-compulsory schooling: secondary education
Secondary education is a cycle of specific studies and includes various courses intended principally to prepare young people to go on to higher education or to enter the labor market. It spans three years, corresponding to school years 10, 11, and 12.
The options offered by the Portuguese educational system following school year 9 are diversified both in standard education and in other forms of education. They can take the form of scientific-humanities, specialized artistic, technological or vocational training courses, and are provided by secondary schools and vocational schools.
Standard secondary education comprises:
- General courses – intended mainly for persons aiming to obtain secondary-level training with a view to continuing their studies in higher education;
- Technological courses – intended mainly for persons aiming to obtain intermediate vocational training so they can enter the labor market.
General courses lead to the diploma de ensino secundário (diploma of secondary education). Technological courses lead to a Level three vocational qualification certificate in addition to this diploma.
Year 10 vocational courses are an alternative secondary-level educational and training path for young people aged 15 who have completed their compulsory education and intend to go on to obtain a vocational qualification immediately afterward. These courses last one year, lead to a Level Two vocational qualification certificate, and are equivalent to school year 10.
Finding a school in Portugal
To find the most suitable school, contact one of the schools in the area where you live or the Direcção Regional de Educação (Regional Education Authority).
The final date for enrolment is normally 15 July (confirm this with the school you choose, as dates may vary).
There is no final date for enrolment for pupils coming from a foreign school during the school year. You should contact the governing bodies of the school for further information.
Any pupils registered in the state school system between pre-school and year 9 whose mother tongue is not Portuguese are entitled to additional one-on-one language support outside their normal classes, should they need it.
Specialized artistic education
Specialized art education courses are provided by secondary schools. They provide artistic training for those hoping to continue their studies and prepare for a career in the visual arts, dance, and music, and encourage individual and group art activities.
International schools in Portugal
You can find English-speaking international schools in Portugal, especially in primary and secondary education. These schools are mostly found in the Greater Lisbon area and the Algarve. For further information on the location of schools, see our Portugal International school listings.


IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In a country where unemployment is very high, there should be only primary education. There is no need for secondary education as there is no hope for them in future.
Give your opinion.
Write at least 250 words.
Many countries around the world are grappling with the problem of unemployment. Some people argue for redefining education in the developing world. To the despair of unemployment, they suggest that primary education is sufficient for them and secondary education is not worth investment. In the instance, I completely disagree with the idea of pessimists who try to downplay the significance of secondary education.
For a start, Empirical evidence shed light on the importance of secondary education. The countries suffer from unemployment because of lack of higher education. Most cases, children attend primary school and drop out before secondary level. Elementary education cannot equip children with the skills and competences they need in the job field. Consequently, they cannot enter into the labour market due to the lack of adequate skills. So, in order to change the status quo, the governments have to emphasize secondary education.
However, to get a desirable result, the governments should introduce a new educational model of secondary level. The unemployment-ridden nations have to develop the robust model couples traditional content with entrepreneurship and health modules. Let me elaborate a bit more. What I want to suggest is that entrepreneurship and health modules have to be mandatory curriculum of secondary level. Besides, student-centred learning should be employed in the classroom where students would work in groups to solve critical problems and manage projects on their own. In addition, the conceptual knowledge should be put into practice through activities at secondary level so that the students can apply what they have learned.
Summing all of the above, the unemployment crisis reinforces the importance of secondary education. To that end, the government should restructure of secondary education combining conventional courses with health and entrepreneurship modules.


On any given day, in towns both large and small, choirs across the country present hundreds of beautiful concerts. While audiences and choir singers alike have long understood the intrinsic value of singing together, the 2019 Chorus Impact Study commissioned by Chorus America also shows us that participation in choirs cultivates positive attributes in singers, which in turn, benefits communities.
Four primary findings emerged from the research:
#1. Choral singing is a significant part of American life, with more than 54 million Americans singing today.
- The number of Americans singing has increased over the past decade, with more than 54 million adults and children participating in choral groups today. More
than one in six Americans over the age of 18 sings in a chorus.
- The percentage of Americans singing today has increased over the past decade, up to 17% today from 14% in 2008.
- Music education in schools is key to lifelong singing and the benefits it brings. The majority of adults singing today say that they began singing because of a school choral music education opportunity. Over half of all choral singers started in elementary school, and three-quarters started by the end of high school.
#2. Adults who sing in choruses report significant personal benefits, including feeling less lonely and more connected to others.
- Nearly three-quarters of singers (73%) say choral singing helps them feel less alone or lonely. Compared to the general public, they are far less likely to report indicators of isolation or depression.
- Choral singers report stronger relationships and better social skills than the public at large. Nearly seven in 10 singers say that singing has helped them socialize better in other parts of their lives.
- Choral singers credit singing in a chorus with making them more optimistic, mindful, and resilient. Eighty percent of singers expect more good things than bad things to happen to them, while only 55% of the general public has the same positive outlook. Singers are also more likely to feel a sense of purpose in their lives and to find their lives meaningful.
- The more exposure people have to choral singing, the more benefits they report. Choristers who belong to more ensembles, rehearse more frequently, and have been singing longer are more likely to perceive benefits.
- Younger, low- or middle-income chorus members, and those with lower levels of education, are also more likely to feel they benefit from participation.
#3. Choral singers are remarkably strong contributors to their communities.
- Chorus members give back to their communities in a big way. They are more likely to contribute financially to the organizations that they support than the
general public. They also volunteer more frequently than the general public in a wider range of areas of need, both inside and outside of the arts—and they are more likely to take on leadership roles within the groups where they volunteer.
- Chorus members are good citizens and exhibit greater civic leadership than the general public. Ninety percent of singers report that they vote regularly in national and local elections, while only 55% of the general public makes the same claim. Choral singers also run for public office more often than their fellow Americans.
- Chorus members credit singing with helping them be better collaborators, team players, and listeners. Compared to the general public, choral singers rank
themselves more reliable and are less likely to prefer electronic communication to face-to-face interaction.
- Chorus members are more adaptable and tolerant of others than the general population. Almost two-thirds of singers (63%) believe participating in a chorus has made them more open to and accepting of people who are different from them or hold different views.
#4. Older choral singers report both a better quality of life and better overall health than the general public.
- Singing in a chorus seems to have a significant impact on mental health. Older choral singers (age 65+) are less likely than the general public to say they have challenges with cognitive abilities, such as doing calculations in their heads, finding the right words to use, or organizing activities. Nearly eight in 10 older choristers credit their choral participation with helping to keep their mind sharper.
- Older singers (age 65+) engage in a broader range of activities than the general public in the same age cohort, such as reading, attending cultural events, and physical activities. They are also significantly more likely to continue working, including working by choice.
- Nearly 20% of older choristers say that choral singing has helped relieve or improve one or more chronic health conditions. Overall, singers who are age
65+ have fewer physical limitations than the general public of this same age.
- As with adult singers of all ages, older singers report that being part of a chorus helps them feel less lonely. Older choristers are significantly less likely than the general population to say they “often feel left out” or isolated from others.
–Excerpted from Chorus America


When recording a soundtrack over a pre-recorded base, the latency is perceptible to the human ear if a delay of 15-20 milliseconds occurs - the track seems displaced from the rest, giving the sense of being poorly played. To resolve displacement over long distances, elements such as sound capture, sound coding and decoding servers, intermediate network elements, lines of communication and the software used all must be factored in.
And not all kinds of music work the same way when adapting to networks. As latency between the musicians increases, compositions that are very rhythmic have greater difficulties in execution.
Credit photo: CESGA
A joint project of the Supercomputing Centre of Galicia and the University of Santiago de Compostela is doing live demonstration experiments with professional musicians using LOLA technology, developed by the Conservatorio Giuseppe Tartini di Trieste (Italy), the Supercomputing Centre of Galicia (CESGA) and the Canal Campus team at the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Two musicians separated by large distances have been able to rehearse for a concert with minimal latency - synchronous no matter how many kilometers separate the artists, according to Professor Xaime Fandiño .
You won't get that using Skype.
Galician musician and composer Pablo Novoa and Italian violinist Sebastiano Frattini, 2,700 kilometers away in Trieste, performed two very well-known musical pieces: Sunny by Bobby Hebb, popular in the 1960s, and Get Lucky, a song by French group Daft Punk. All live on video as well. The aim of these experiments was to get closer to the perception we have of 'real time' and to be as synchronous as possible between both flows: audio and video.
"When I was asked to take part in this experiment, I accepted with joy; my degree was in Chemistry and it was a way of joining the two sides of my vocation. Getting to record or play at a distance opens up a vast field for collaboration between musicians and to give lessons without the need to travel. In addition, any progress to reduce latency is highly beneficial in improving musical and audiovisual recordings," says Novoa.
This technology could also be used directly in music education, distance performances and rehearsals, or high-end videoconferencing.
It is still just experimental but the technology is not expensive. Its complexity lies in the demands it places on the network infrastructure that supports tools of this kind. It has to be communications with low losses, low latency and high bandwidth when video is used, and you won't get any of that from Comcast.


'Kidnapping of Bathsheba Bungy' March 21
In celebration of National Women’s History Month, historical interpreter Valarie Petty Boyer will utilize monologue and song to tell the true story of Bathsheba Bungy, an African American girl from New Castle who was kidnapped by two white men in 1830 and taken to Maryland to be sold into slavery.
“The Kidnapping of Bathsheba Bungy” is set for 1 p.m. March 21 at the New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St.
The program explores Bungy’s ordeal and escape, and the actual trial of her kidnappers which was held in the New Castle Court House — the location where Boyer’s performance will be held.
Boyer holds a doctorate in education from Walden University; and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education — both from the University of Delaware. A resident of Dover, she teaches sociology, human development and general psychology at Delaware Technical and Community College.
As a historical interpreter, Boyer writes and performs her own programs which often feature her singing Negro spirituals. In addition to Bathsheba Bungy, she has portrayed antislavery activist Charlotte Forten Grimke; Nannie Goode, who taught at the Iron Hill Colored School in Newark in the 1920s; and escaped slave Susan Petty, a fictional character created by Boyer and named for her grandmother.
Admission is free and open to the public; reservations are encouraged to 323-4453.


This textbook brings together internationally renowned scholars to provide an overview of print and digital literacy instruction for pre-service teachers and teacher educators. It examines historical and cultural contexts of literacy practices around the globe, and addresses issues that teachers need to consider as they teach children from diverse world cultures, languages, and backgrounds.
Organized into three Parts—Early Literacy, Intermediate to Adolescent Literacy, and Case Studies—the text highlights key practices around the world to provide literacy educators and students with a broader view of effective practices as well as strategies for overcoming challenges faced by literacy educators worldwide. The global case studies present complex issues and allow readers to discuss what it means to be globally minded, as well as how to implement best practices in literacy instruction. All chapters include consistent elements for ease of use, such as vignettes, historical and cultural contexts, implications for future research, and discussion questions.
Grounded in current research and theory, this book is designed for foundational courses in literacy education and literacy methods, as well as courses in comparative and multicultural education.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword by James Hoffman
List of Contributors
1 Introduction: A Global Perspective to Literacy Teaching and Learning
Jan Lacina and Robin Griffith
PART I Early Literacy
2 Reading Recovery: Transcending Global Boundaries
Celeste C. Bates, Connie Briggs, Mary Anne Doyle, Annette Torres-Elias, Allyson Matczuk, Julia Douetil, And Jamie Lipp
3 Early Literacy in Australia: Teaching Teachers to Grow Children’s Global Mindedness Through Multimodal Text Production
Beryl Exley, Linda-Dianne Willis, and Frances Hoyte
4 A Bridge over Troubled Waters: Safe Cross-Cultural Passages with Global Children’s Literature
Sherron Killingsworth Roberts and Patricia A. Crawford
5 Digital Literacies in the UK: Creating, Navigating, and Curating Content
Natalia Kucirkova and John Potter
6 Improving Early Grade Literacy: Implementation of Mother Tongue Instruction Policy in Kenya
PART II Intermediate to Adolescent Literacy
7 Critical Literacy in South Africa: Tracking the Chameleon
8 Becoming a Proficient Reader in Taiwan
9 Becoming a Proficient Writer in New Zealand’s Primary Schools
10 Visible Learning for Adolescents in the USA
Joanna Schaefer, Nancy Frey, and Douglas Fisher
11 Digital Literacies in Canada
Cheryl Mclean and Jennifer Rowsell
PART III Case Studies
12 Teaching to Read in English using Annotations in a High-Stakes Testing Context: A Case of Korean High School Students
13 Teaching Language, Literacy, and Content in a Mexico City Third Grade Classroom: A Case Study
14 Mensajes de los abuelitos: Multimodal Zapotec Literacy Development via the Assertion of Local Ontologies and Community-Based Xkialnana (Knowledge) in Oaxaca, Mexico: A Case Study
Steve Daniel Przymus, Felipe Ruiz Jiménez, and Virgilia Pérez García
15 Literacy Learning in the UAE: A Case for Exploration: NorthStar International School, United Arab Emirates
Fatima Hasan Bailey
16 Literacy Learning in Spain
Marta Larragueta and Lorena De Poza Gutiérrez
Jan Lacina is Professor of Literacy in the College of Education at Texas Christian University, USA.
Robin Griffith is Associate Professor of Literacy in the College of Education at Texas Christian University, USA.


Background and Context
The Friendship School is a school fittingly named for its mission: friendly relations between towns, families and educators; a fertile ground in which a diverse group of children can learn and grow.
LEARN is a Regional Educational Service Center that provides educational options and specialized programming to communities throughout southeastern Connecticut. For the development of the Friendship School, the team at LEARN developed consensus between the Town of Waterford and City of New London on a program for a Early Childhood Learning for 3-5 year olds. Concurrently, Waterford was in the process evaluating sites for a new community center. With a search underway for both, stakeholders decided to collaborate on a co-location study – presenting opportunities to create a mutual benefit and multi-generational learning and interaction. JCJ Architecture was retained to undertake site assessment, planning and design for both facilities. Following an evaluation process, a 53 acre parcel with an existing manufacturing building – constrained on the west by the High School, to the east by a housing complex, to the south by wetlands and to the north by Route 156 – was recommended by JCJ and selected by the Owner.
With limited buildable area and drawing inspiration from the active and historic coastal location, the team set to developing a compact floor plan and to combine the two programs into one building.
The team developed a nautilus-shaped plan for the Friendship School. With curving corridors that act as dynamic circulation spines – connecting classrooms and major program areas – the process of wayfinding is part of an exploratory interaction. Twenty-seven classrooms are grouped into nine triads, each containing pairs of Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms, faculty offices, and shared toileting facilities. Each uniquely shaped classroom contain dedicated zones for gross motor skills, dramatic play, arts and crafts, and quiet work; each zone is finished, equipped and furnished to suit the needs, preferences, and scale of the child. Inclusion of children with identified special needs occurs in every classroom, with related services taking place within the school with typically developing peers. The dynamic learning environment includes core spaces - media center, cafeteria, and arts room – are supplemented by a health center, administrative areas, an informal outdoor learning area and soft-surface playscape.
The Friendship School’s features, layout, coloration and abundant daylight cleverly support a fundamental goal of providing children with stimulating, comfortable, and developmentally appropriate environments. The school was designed to support brain-based learning, promote the four basic environmental needs of children for Movement, Comfort, Competence, and Control.
The team proposed a unique fast track strategy to reuse the existing building. By starting construction during the winter months - building the new school inside the existing structure – the team captured valuable time without being exposed to the weather. Portions of the existing column grid were retained, including in the cafeteria which features exposed structure from the original building.
The Waterford Community Center and Friendship School are linked physically through a corridor and visually through views from the Community Center out into the school’s outdoor play area
Though the Town of Waterford did not pursue LEED certification, the project was designed to follow the parameters of green design. Application of sustainable design principles includes solar orientation, high efficiency motors, low-e glazing, motion controlled lighting, heat recovery systems, and linoleum flooring. Adaptive re-use of an existing warehouse building accommodated nearly half of the school’s total building area and the facility’s compact footprint maintains more than 45 acres of the existing site. Using pre-finished metal panels and brick, as well as aluminum windows and curtain walls, minimized the need for ongoing maintenance. Interior selections included economical but durable materials. Abundant natural lighting – from skylights and clerestory windows – also allows for a meaningful reduction of energy costs.


KINDERGARTEN CLASS DESCRIPTION
This is a very important transitional time for children (from preschool to elementary school). Our main goal is to make this transition a positive one by providing the children not only with academic skills needed for first grade, but also self-confidence and a good self-image. It is crucial that they succeed at many tasks so that they can feel capable and positive about the school experience. Through 1:1 and small group instruction, the children are introduced to new skills at an individualized pace. Units are based on an integrated curriculum approach. Many subject areas are combined in a lesson or project whenever possible.
Through songs, Bible stories, puppet shows and prayers as well as in our day to day interaction, the children will know of God’s love and care, and know that Jesus is their personal Savior. "The Story" curriculum is used. Worship time is each day and an all school chapel led by the pastor is held once a week.
We encourage each child to grow to his/her full potential and instill in them a joy of learning. There is a balance of activities; individual, small group and large group—quiet and vigorous, all developmentally appropriate. Class rules and procedures are established to guide the children toward greater self-control and independence. There are learning centers for math, writing, science, and art as well as literacy boxes, and an extensive library. There are blocks, a playhouse area, puzzles, games, manipulatives, and a computer. There will also be temporary open ended activities such as a refrigerator box made into a truck or a spaceship.
Reading and writing will be taught through a whole language approach. The children will be read to daily and exposed to written words constantly through classroom experiences across all curriculum areas. Phonics and sight word instruction will both be utilized and each child will be taught according to his/her learning style. Students will eventually read pre-primer books independently. Students will write daily, first words, then sentences and eventually stories using both sight words and longer words phonetically (as they sound).
The class goes on short outings to explore such things as
seasonal changes, the weather, or the tree just outside our
window! Once a month, field trips are taken, usually to
enhance a unit of study. Such trips may include Bush Park
for a science experiment, a pumpkin patch, the capitol building at Christmas, the library discovery room, children’s theater, Chemeketa's planetarium, a local farm to learn about worms, and the Portland Zoo! We have a 15 passenger bus with seat belts for field trips.
The class is taught by Kelly Crabtree. She has an elementary education degree and is certified to teach k-8th grade. She has over 35 years of experience including special education, and has also tutored in reading. She taught pre/k at St. John for 25 years before "moving up" to kindergarten 7 years ago.
The teacher evaluates progress in the following developmental areas; social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual. Twice a year, in November and April, a written report summarizing progress is written and parent conferences are held to review assessment and discuss ways to further students’ growth and success. The teacher also creates an extensive portfolio containing examples of the child's work and photo pages of the year's highlights.
Parents are encouraged to be as involved as possible. There are usually several parent helpers on field trips, and you are always welcome visitors to the classroom. The children present two programs for their families and friends (one at Christmas and one at the end of the school year). There is also an informal program in the classroom in the spring. We welcome any input you may have to strengthen and enrich our program.
Enrollment is limited to 15 children.