All Vestavia Elementary East students participate in art classes each week. The K-3 Art curriculum is based on the Alabama Course of Study for the Visual Arts. It reflects a developmentally appropriate foundation for building on learned content and skills from one year to the next. While learning basic fundamentals, students also learn creative problem solving, art appreciation and artistic fluency. Individual learning styles are accommodated to help students see there are different ways of doing things, each providing a unique result. The Art Room provides a stimulating environment promoting this type of creative thinking while encouraging students to use good judgment, develop responsible behavior and have a more tolerant and cooperative attitude toward others. A rotating exhibit of student work from all grade levels is displayed in the school’s front entrance through out the year.Library
The VHEE Library Media Center program is designed to prepare our students to be 21st century learners. Our program focuses on both technology and literature by providing library lessons focusing on the skills and standards of the American Association of School Librarians and the Alabama Courses of study. Our library collection provides our students and teachers with a variety of print and digital resources to enhance and support their research and learning.Music
Our music program at Vestavia Hills Elementary East is a fun, skills-based program based on the state and national music standards. Students sing, play instruments, and analyze a variety of music from America and around the world. Students use instruments such as guitars, hand bells, African drums, and xylophones to experience hands on learning. We use the latest technology including audio cube MIDI controllers to create music and share our work. We offer an after school elective choir to 3rd grade students. The choir performs in community events and participates in service projects around town. Our mission in the music program is to create a life-long love of music for each and every student.Physical EducationThe goal of the Physical Education Program of Vestavia Hills Elementary East is to assist each student to become a physically healthy and active person and gain knowledge about healthy lifestyle. The curriculum for K-3 Physical Education is organized into content standards and benchmarks that define the learning goals and objectives appropriate for each grade level. What the students should know and be able to do is defined in three strands: motor skill development, health-enhancing physical activity, and interactive behaviors. A sequential and progressive physical education program benefits the various needs, ability levels, and interests of all the students.Click the following link to view All CCRS Courses of Study.


Trilling Your Way Forward With Flute Sheet Music
The flute is one of the oldest instruments known to mankind. From the earliest people to modern times, the flute has graced many ears with its soft and usually high-pitched tone. From classical orchestral works to jazz and more, the flute has lent its distinct timbre to many sounds. As a budding flutist, you’re learning techniques to play the instrument correctly and confidently. Musicnotes is your go-to for easy flute sheet music, enhancing your love of the flute and music education.
How Does a Flute Toot?
When the word “flute” is used, it is usually in reference to the Western concert flute. Although most flutes are made of silver or silver-plated brass, they are part of the woodwind family, which includes oboes, clarinets, saxophones, and bassoons. Flutes also differ from other common woodwinds primarily in three ways:
- Sound creation: Whereas other woodwinds require a single or double-reed, playing the flute means blowing air over an opening called an embouchure hole.
- Horn carriage: Flutes are typically held to the side, perpendicular to the body of the person playing.
- Shape: Most woodwinds have a flared bell end. Flutes are completely cylindrical with a closed end.
Similar to other woodwind instruments, pitches on the flute are generated by a series of open and closed holes along the instrument.
In most ensembles, flutes are among the highest-pitched instruments. The common flute is pitched in C and has a range extending from middle C to the third C above middle C. Some flutes include a special key to hit the B below middle C. Advanced flutists can play above this third C.
As with other instruments, flutes come in different sizes and shapes that correspond to their range. The piccolo looks like a miniature flute and plays one octave higher. Lower flutes such as the alto and bass flute are lower in pitch and are curved.
Do You Need To Transpose Flute Sheet Music?
The Western concert flute is a non-transposing instrument. It is pitched in C, which means the notes in flute sheet music match the pitches produced. Unlike the B-flat clarinet or most saxophones, flute players don’t need to transpose when reading scores or charts for C-instruments. Music written for pianos, guitars, and voices is pitched in C, so a flutist can play what is written. Musicnotes offers sheet music designated for C-instruments, as well as piano, guitar, and lead sheets, all of which a flute player can read without transposing.
What Kind of Music Does a Flute Play?
Flutes can be found in almost any genre of music. Most orchestral music features parts for the flute. You can hear the flute in classic and contemporary jazz music. The rock band Jethro Tull features this instrument, and pop superstar Lizzo plays the flute in many of her songs. You can hear the smooth sounds of the flute in film scores, commercial jingles, and more.
Musicnotes offers flute sheet music from every genre. Whether you’re new to the instrument or you’ve been playing it for years, you can find theme songs, classical works, and more written for the flute. Find solo pieces or sheet music that includes piano accompaniment or guitar tabs. Playing music, solo or with others, is better when you have access to the songs you love.
Photo by Antoine J. on Unsplash
Readers May Also Like:
8 Creative Ways To Style Your Human Hair Wig & Lace Front Wig For A Fab Look
Making the Right Choice: Everything You Need to Know Before Buying Furniture Online
Moissanite Rings – Perfect Choice for the Modern-Day Bride
35 Rihanna Songs That Will Always Remain Timeless


A Swansea University study has revealed how as little as an hour a week of outdoor learning has tremendous benefits for children and also boosts teachers’ job satisfaction.
Through interviews and focus groups, researchers explored the views and experiences of pupils and educators at three primary schools in south Wales that had adopted an outdoor learning program, which entailed teaching the curriculum in the natural environment for at least an hour a week.
Interviews were held with headteachers and teachers, and focus groups were conducted with pupils aged 9-11 both before and during the implementation of an outdoor learning program within the curriculum.
The schools in the study reported a variety of benefits of outdoor learning for both the child and the teacher and for improving health, wellbeing, education and engagement in school.
Lead author of the study Emily Marchant, a PhD researcher in Medical Studies at Swansea University, explained:
We found that the pupils felt a sense of freedom when outside the restricting walls of the classroom. They felt more able to express themselves, and enjoyed being able to move about more too. They also said they felt more engaged and were more positive about the learning experience. We also heard many say that their well-being and memory were better, and teachers told us how it helped engage all types of learners.”
The benefits of outdoor education for children are well documented, but a finding of this study is the impact that the outdoor learning program had on teachers.
Initially, some teachers had reservations about transferring the classroom outdoors but once outdoor learning was embedded within the curriculum, they spoke of improved job satisfaction and personal wellbeing. This is a really important finding given the current concerns around teacher retention rates. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of outdoor learning as a curriculum tool in improving school engagement and the health, wellbeing and education outcomes of children.
The schools within our study have all continued with regular outdoor learning within the curriculum. With support and recognition from education inspectorates of the wider benefits to children’s development and education, outdoor learning could be set within the primary school curriculum.”
Marchant, E. et al. (2019) Curriculum-based outdoor learning for children aged 9-11: A qualitative analysis of pupils’ and teachers’ views. PLOS ONE. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212242.


What Can I Do With an Associate's Degree in Elementary Education?
Elementary education involves work with children in preschool, kindergarten and grades one through six. Students who complete the associate degree program in elementary education gain an understanding of early childhood development, education theory, cultural issues and students with special needs. Community colleges usually offer associate degree programs and, generally, require the completion of about 60 credit hours.
A combination of liberal arts and education career courses prepares students for advanced degree programs or employment in child care and educational settings. Take a look at some career options with these types of education degrees.
Elementary School Teacher Assistant
Your associate degree in elementary education may open the door for employment as a teacher assistant. Teacher assistants work under the supervision of licensed teachers in childcare centers, after-school programs, private schools and public schools.
As a teacher assistant, your duties might include working one-on-one with children to develop skills, preparing educational materials and assisting the licensed teacher with managing and observing the children. You can expect to work less than full-time hours as a teacher assistant, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Child Care Center Preschool Teacher
If you're interested in teaching jobs with an associate's degree, know that you may qualify for some preschool teacher positions, depending on the setting and the job responsibilities. Preschool teachers help children through play and instruction to develop the concepts and skills needed for kindergarten.
Some child care or education settings, such as public schools and Head Start programs, require bachelor’s degrees and licensing for preschool teachers, notes the BLS. However, many child care centers require a minimum of an associate degree for preschool teachers.
Child Care Worker
As an alternative to seeking teaching jobs with an associate's degree, you might consider an employer that requires some postsecondary education for child care workers. The child care worker cares for the basic needs of children, but also encourages healthy development through play and planned activities.
Child care workers often work as sitters or nannies and, generally, need only a high school diploma for employment, explains the BLS. However, employers in states with certification and minimum training requirements might prefer to hire a child care worker who holds an associate degree in elementary education. You also may choose to operate your own child care business.
Considering Types of Education Degrees
When looking at degree lists for educational roles, you'll find that the associate degree in elementary education serves as a foundation for continued studies at four-year colleges and universities. Liberty University mentions that students may use the associate degree to qualify for acceptance into a bachelor’s degree program in education.
States require the bachelor’s degree in education for teacher licensing, however. Community colleges often enter into transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities to accept students who complete the associate degree program in elementary education. Students meet eligibility requirements, such as a minimum grade point average, to gain acceptance into the transfer program.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook - Teacher Assistants
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook - Preschool Teachers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook - Childcare Workers
- Liberty University: Associate Degree in Education (Non-Licensure)


At IXL, we strive to keep our personalized learning platform in line and up to date with students’ evolving needs. That’s why we compile a list of our top new features to help you—as a learner, educator, or parent—get the most out of IXL.
Keep reading below for a roundup of releases from the last month of 2021, including Recommendations for science and social studies, new skills for ELA, more math tutorial videos, Spanish support for Checkpoints, and more!
Plus, watch a video that highlights our biggest new releases from this winter. We’re proud of all the ways we’ve made IXL better this year, and we can’t wait to add even more new features in 2022!
Recommendations for IXL Science and IXL Social Studies
IXL now offers personalized skill recommendations for science and social studies! Students practicing these subjects will receive in-skill recommendations for support and next-up inspiration. Science and social studies skills will also appear on students’ Recommendation walls. These skill recommendations are based on students’ previous practice and are categorized to help students achieve different goals.
New math skill plans
We’ve added the following textbook skill plans:
- Virginia GoMath Grades K-5
- Math Expressions Grade 6
- Carnegie Learning Math Geometry
- enVision Mathematics Integrated I, II, and III
New English language arts skill plans
We added the following new skill plans:
- REACH for Reading Grades 3 and 5
- Mirrors and Windows Grade 10
New science skill plan
Following up on our recent release of Amplify Science Grades 4-8, we’ve rounded off our coverage of Amplify Science with skill plans for Grades 2 and 3.
New ELA skills
We have added a number of new skills for early literacy development.
For Pre-Kindergarten, we added 10 new skills on sight words, such as Read sight words: a, in, run, the, you. Sight word skills help students quickly recognize common words, which improves their reading fluency.
Additionally, for grades 1 and 2, we’ve added five new read-along and read-alone skills. Read-along texts feature audio support that highlights each word as it is being read out loud to students. Read-alone texts are designed for students to read independently and therefore have audio support for the direction lines and answer choices, but not the passages. You can try out one of these new skills here.
New lessons for Algebra 1
We have released a batch of 8 new lessons, adding to our offerings for Algebra 1. Students can use these lessons to brush up on key math topics before they start practicing! New topics include domain and range, standard deviation and variance, and arithmetic sequences. Lessons are available for math in third grade through Algebra 1 and are listed at the bottom of the grade-level landing pages. Take a look at all of our Algebra 1 lessons here.
Complete math video coverage in grades 6-8
We’ve released 13 new math videos to complete our video tutorial coverage in grades 6-8! That means every middle school math skill now comes with an on-demand video walkthrough. These new videos cover topics such as simplifying expressions by combining like terms with algebra tiles and the relationship between perimeter and area in rectangles.
More Spanish support for math
We’ve extended our Spanish translation coverage to Checkpoints! Spanish support is now available for select grade 8 math Checkpoints. Have a look at one of our favorites.
These will work just like other translated skills, except that when students answer a problem incorrectly, they’ll see a translated explanation for the exact problem they saw. In other translated skills, students are instead given a translated example similar to the problem they saw.
In addition to translated Checkpoints, we’ve expanded our Spanish-language support to include a few dozen new math skills. These newly supported skills include topics such as dilations, special right triangles, and equations of parallel and perpendicular lines.


THE ONLY WEB PORTRAYAL OF A NATION'S ENTIRE MUSICAL LIFE - DESCRIPTIONS, NUMBERS, ISSUES, FUTURES
ABOUT 'MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA'
The Music in Australia Knowledge Base provides the world with a source of information about musical practice in Australia and/or by Australians that can assist in its further development and lift its status in Australian life and culture, and in the world at large.
The Knowledge Base describes the situation of music in Australia. So, for instance, it could describe the situation of music in schools – what is provided, the competence of the teaching, government attitudes and so on, but would be much less likely to dwell on intricacies of pedagogy or syllabus.
It covers the entire music sector including the role of music in human development and society, music’s creation and practice, the music sector and its components, government policies, regulation, support, the international context. It covers facts, issues of contention, statistics, research.
The Music in Australia Knowledge Base is produced and published by the Music Trust. The Trust’s slogan: The Music Trust works with energy, imagination and authority for music in Australia.
New ADDITIONS TO MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA
INSIDE THE MUSICIAN: Stuart Vandegraaff: Living on the Harmonics
Between the Covid lockdowns of 2020, I took the opportunity to release an album of original jazz compositions, Saving Daylight, which was launched to a full
Public Expenditure on Artistic, Cultural and Creative Activity in Australia in 2007-08 to 2019-2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FULL REPORT https://newapproach.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ANA-62237-Insight-Report_DC07.pdf This report provides an updated overview of cultural expenditure trends by governments in Australia between the years of 2007–08 and
This Musical World. The trail of war’s consequences is long
Mandy Stefanakis Written by: Mandy Stefanakis ‘All wars are evil, and all victims deserve support.’ – Clare Daley A work that truly affects me is the
How our album of birdsong recordings rocketed to #2 on the ARIA charts
Gang-gang cockatoos are endemic to south-eastern Australia. Shutterstock Written by: Stephen Garnett and Anthony Albrecht Australia is losing its birds at an alarming rate – one
INSIDE THE MUSICIAN. Felicity Wilcox: In Search of New Ways to Sound
Felicity Wilcox. (Nat Cartney@ Rolling Media, February 2021.) Written by: Felicity Wilcox I fell in love with music through playing piano in my childhood. When
What is the point of taxpayer funding of private schools?
Melbourne Grammar School science hub Written by: Chris Bonnor and Tom Greenwell The growth in private schooling has long been accompanied by declining overall levels of
Loudmouth is the free monthly online magazine of the Music Trust. It reports current developments, discusses matters of policy, politics and cultural development. Its music education section covers issues ranging from early childhood to career development, community music and educational research. Its excellent reviews are written mostly by musicians, and include important recordings and books not reviewed elsewhere.
THIS MONTH ON LOUDMOUTH
MUSIC, THE ARTS AND THE WORLD
- Understanding value of our cultural lives
- Great opportunities: arts policy suggestions for the new government
- How Gough Whitlam got the arts going
- Australian government’s shrinking role in cultural diplomacy
- 60 performances of Australian music at Albert Hall,London
MUSIC AND MUSIC PEOPLE
- Chris Cody interviews the great jazz pianist Mike Nock
- INSIDE THE MUSICIAN: self-revealing article by brilliant pianist Novak Manojlovic
- Obituary: the late great trumpeter Bob Barnard
MUSIC, WELLBEING AND EDUCATION
- Urgently rescue arts education now
- Wales triples funding, launches National (school) Music Service
- 60% of teachers exhausted, want out. To the rescue!
- Reverse Morrison’s ignorant perverse university fee increase
MUSIC AND BOOK REVIEWS
THE BEST MUSIC REVIEWS page in Australia. Written mainly by musicians.
LOUDMOUTH’S DECEMBER REVIEWS
Reviews of 15 books, documentaries and recordings in classical, jazz, new music, rock, memoirs, and musicology.


We love sharing and learning with other educators! We are available to lead the following workshops with your school's staff.
"Differentiated instruction" is a buzz word in today's educational world, but how DO you actually meet the needs of a diverse group of 20-30 learners ?! We can share strategies for simultaneously supporting students who are performing below, at and above expectations.
Writing is a skill everyone needs, yet it can be one of the hardest subjects to teach. We do our wonderful writing units, but are they making our students better writers? We can provide tips for helping a student organize and plan their writing and then make their way through the writing process.
Direct Phonics Instruction
About 50% of general education students do NOT inuitively pick up on the patterns of phonics and require DIRECT instruction in decoding. Learn how to support lower-level readers and bring them up to grade level.
Alternative Math Strategies
You've probably heard of the "Singapore Method" that is gaining traction in New York City. This is just one of many "new" ways to help students understand the concepts behind mathematical processes and word problems. We can train your staff in progressive and concept-based strategies.


Forgive and Let Go is a children’s book to teach them about forgiveness. The story tells you that people will make mistakes and it is best to just forgive them and let go. It also teaches you to say I am sorry and to be kind to others and how to forgive others even if they don’t apologize to you.
At the end of the book there are ways to reinforce the ideas if you are trying to teach them to your children.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
For young children, learning to forgive—when they’ve been let down or had their feelings are hurt—can take time. Help children develop their forgiveness skills and learn how to accept an apology and move on without holding grudges. At the same time, encourage children to let go of disappointment and to accept when things don’t go the way they hope. Back matter includes advice for teaching forgiveness at home, at school, and in childcare.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
From the author of the popular Learning to Get Along® books comes a one-of-a-kind character-development series. Each of the first six books in the Being the Best Me! series helps children learn, understand, and develop attitudes and positive character traits that strengthen self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Each book focuses on a specific attitude or character trait—optimism, self-esteem, assertiveness, resilience, integrity, and forgiveness. Also included are discussion questions, games, activities, and additional information for adults. Filled with diversity, these social story books will be welcome in school, home, and childcare settings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed., has her master’s degree in elementary education and gifted education. A former first-grade teacher, she has taught education classes at Utah State University and has supervised student teachers. Cheri and her husband, David, have six children and enjoy the company of their lively grandchildren. They live in Laurel, Maryland.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Elizabeth Allen is an artist and professional illustrator of children’s picture books as well as a former songwriter and jazz musician. She has exhibited her art in galleries in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Elizabeth lives on a river running through a forest near St. Paul, Minnesota.


|Elective, Credits||Elective 2 credit [Department of Elementary Education Elementary Education Course]|
Principles of education are knowledges which “should” be known to become a teacher. Not only that, beyond the obligation, but are powerfully useful knowledges when you will have become a teacher.
“Principles” of education are various kinds of things which educational activities bear on. And learning the various principles give us competence of reflection to detect tasks and find solutions of current education, standing away from common sense which we are jailed.
In this lecture, to acquire the competence of reflection, we are going to learn institutional basis, historical background, international comparison, social functions, and structures of communication about education.


1920–1925 Bauhaus teacher
Between 1895 and 1897, Adolf Meyer completed a two-year apprenticeship with a cabinetmaker in Mechernich in the Eifel region. He also received instruction in drawing. He then worked in furniture workshops in Cologne, Krefeld and Düsseldorf until 1901. From 1903, he attended the Kunstgewerbeschule (school of applied arts) in Cologne. From 1904, he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Düsseldorf under Peter Behrens and Johannes Ludovicus Mattheus Lauweriks. In 1907, Behrens hired his former student to work in his studio in Berlin. Between 1909 and 1910, Meyer worked for Bruno Paul. The same year, Walter Gropius hired him as the office manager at his studio in Neubabelsberg. This collaboration, which lasted until 1914, resulted in a number of important 20th century buildings, such as the Fagus-Werk Karl Benscheidt in Alfeld an der Leine of 1910 and an office building and factory for the Deutscher Werkbund (German Work Federation) exhibition in Cologne in1914. When Gropius’s practice closed down, Meyer became office manager for the steel construction company Breest & Co. in Berlin.
In 1919, Walter Gropius brought Adolf Meyer to the Staatliches Bauhaus Weimar as an assistant for the architecture department. Here, he directed Gropius’s private architecture office and taught technical drawing and construction from 1920 to 1925. Together with Walter March, he was the site manager for the Haus Am Horn project. In 1924, he was responsible for the compilation and typographic development of the book Ein Versuchshaus (a prototype house), published by the Bauhaus Weimar as the third volume in the series of Bauhaus Books.
After the closure of the Bauhaus Weimar on 1st April 1925, Meyer stayed on in Weimar as a freelance architect. In 1926, he was represented in the exhibition Neue Baukunst (new architecture) held by the Kunstverein Jena (Jena art association). He also designed a number of buildings. These include the Gildehall housing estate in Neuruppin in 1925–1926 and the Zeiss Planetarium in Jena in 1925. On the recommendation of Walter Gropius, Meyer was appointed to the Board of Public Works in Frankfurt am Main in 1926 and was head of construction consulting in its building department. At the same time, he was head of structural engineering at the Frankfurter Kunstschule (art academy). During his period in office, the city built the coking plant at Gaswerk Ost (gasworks east) in 1927 and the Prüfamt (testing office) in 1929 as well as the workshops, depot and warehouse for the municipal electricity works.
- · Annemarie Jaeggi (1994): Adolf Meyer. Der zweite Mann: Ein Architekt im Schatten von Walter Gropius, Berlin.
More articles on the topic
Josef Albers1888 - 1976
Gropius appointed Josef Albers as a young master before he had even qualified as a journeyman. He was in charge of the preliminary course, where he formulated a pioneering approach to art education.
Johannes Itten1888 - 1967
Itten developed the celebrated Bauhaus preliminary course and was a major influence during the early years. He left the Bauhaus after disagreements and founded the Itten School in Berlin.


Welcome to the home of The TPS Bears!
More than just winning or losing, we believe in the power athletic participation has on our students’ abilities to connect their physical, emotional, and intellectual lives. Through their efforts in our physical education classes and on our competitive sports teams, TPS students learn what it takes to work together, respect one another’s differences, and support their peers in both successes and challenges. Cross-grade level interactions are unique to the TPS program and help to promote leadership and collaboration across age-levels.
Pre-K Through Fifth Grade
Pre-K through fifth-grade participate in a physical education program that promotes fitness, motor skill development, sportsmanship, conditioning, and cooperation. We strive to help each student develop an appreciation for movement and athletics, and recognize the importance of a physically active lifestyle.
Sixth Through Ninth Grade
Sixth through ninth grade students compete on interscholastic athletic teams. Through their participation, students learn the importance of teamwork and the critical values of self-discipline, tenacity, responsibility, and integrity. While skill mastery is important, good sportsmanship is paramount and the focus above all else. Every child is expected to represent TPS with honor, pride, and respect.
TPS Hits The Trails
One of the most special and unique parts of the TPS experience is our access to miles and miles of gorgeous hiking trails surrounding our campus. As part of our athletic program, beginning in pre-k, our students hike the trails of the Ramapo Mountains to enjoy the natural scenery, make scientific discoveries, improve their physical fitness, and enjoy time together. They spot frogs, insects, fox, critters, and deer on their walks, learning to respect and appreciate wildlife and how to manage traveling on uneven terrain. From these experiences, our students come to value all that the natural world has to offer and want to work to protect it.


It’s spring again! The world is getting a little greener and the plants start to grow again. High time to make the classroom greener too! Read here how you can make your classroom and your children’s fingers a lot greener. But to avoid insects bite you to get rid of a plant pest, visit cyclamen mites for more details.
Easy peasy plants
No green fingers? It does not matter. It is not at all difficult to take care of plants in the classroom. There is a very easy to care for plant species: the cactus! At stores like Dille & Kamille and HEMA you have them in all shapes and sizes, and for a low price. They look great in the classroom and these plants need little water. Bonus point for the cactus: Children quickly learn that touch has consequences.
Not only do plants create a nice atmosphere in the room, but there are also a number of plants that simultaneously purify the air. How nice is that in a room with about thirty creatures breathing in and out? Take the spoon plant (Spathiphyllum), for example, which is also very easy to care for. He indicates immediately when he needs care and only needs water once a week. Oh yes, you cannot drown this plant with too much water. Ideal!
Succulents come in all shapes and sizes. The nice thing about this plant is that it is easy to propagate once it has grown a little. Take, for example, a pancake plant, of which you can easily make more plants with some cuttings. Equally a fun project for the children.
Do you not like putting real plants in the classroom, afraid that they will not survive? Then take a self-sufficient plant: an ecosystem in a pot. You don’t have to water, so it couldn’t be easier. And if you still feel like putting in a little more effort, create a mini-ecosystem with the children.
Vegetables and fruits
When the children have brought peppers to school as a healthy snack, for example, you can collect, dry, and plant the seeds. You can also let the children take the kernel of an avocado or the kernel of pepper to school, in order to grow a plant there. Getting really fruit is not the goal, but of course, it is fantastic when such a small seed becomes a beautiful plant.
Research shows that a plant wall in the classroom has a positive effect on the self-image and concentration of the children. Other studies of plants in the classroom also show that students in classrooms with plants performed better on tests for creative and problem-solving behavior. An Australian study even shows significant improvements in language and numeracy skills. Perhaps this does not apply to every student, but if it does not help, it does no harm.
A little less known fact about plants, but no less true: plants are sound-absorbing! Ideal in a classroom with usually a lot of noise. You must, however, bring more than one plant into your home, otherwise, it will not be of much use.
Good for mental health
Plants radiate tranquility, which makes the children more relaxed. Plants can also make you feel more positive and clear your mind. What are you waiting for?
Do you expect that your plants will not survive the holiday periods in the classroom? You can put a stop to that! The old system of giving a student a plant home every holiday works, of course. But how often do they not come back with a brand-new plant? Nowadays there are drip systems that can provide your plant with water for a longer period of time. So that is no longer an excuse.
Into the wild
Take the children outside for an afternoon and let them collect cuttings from plants. Then they put them in pots in class. It is then useful to stock up on a bag of potting compost. You can let the children bring their own pots from home. Think jars of peanut butter, chocolate spread, pasta sauce, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or pesto. Nice and sustainable! Of course, you ask them to clean the pots well in advance.
Sense of responsibility
By taking care of plants with the whole class you create a shared sense of responsibility. Together you must ensure that the plants continue to live. In this way, the children learn early on what it is like to take care of something alive. As a teacher, you learn a lot about your students at the same time.


This Morning CMU SR and Cambodian Committee on Human Rights representatives visited Wat Svay High School and this afternoon the Angkor High School. Similar to yesterday a short seminar on the Right to Education was conducted with the Grade 12 students. Human Rights Number 26: The Right to Education1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. 2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.


Tag: Assignment Ideas
Amburgy, P. M. (2011). Diversity, Pedagogy, and Visual Culture. Art Education, 64, 6-11. (PDF)
Amburgy discusses how she attempts to move towards an understanding of "representation, ideology, and social privilege" in the construction of her Art Education course. She details numerous assignments that she assigns her students that make them confront the ways that their social position prefigures their understanding of visual representations of different demographics. Many interesting critical resources are cited in the article.
Lee, N. (2012). Culturally Responsive Teaching for 21st-Century Art Education: Examining Race in a Studio Art Experience. Art Education, 65, 48-53. (PDF)
The first half of this article contains a basic discussion of what race is and how it can affect a classroom environment. The second half then moves on to portray how a teacher can establish both a dialogue and a visual art assignment that helps students articulate their conceptions on race. This article would help professors introduce primary discussions of race into the classroom.
Bowles, N. (2005). Why Devise? Why Now? "Houston, We Have a Problem.". Theatre Topics, 15(1), 15-21. (PDF)
This article emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the creation of devised or collaborative theatre. This would be helpful for professors thinking of including devised theatre on their curriculum.
Cherne, B. (2013). Empathy as a Diversity Teaching Tool: A Performance-Based Class in Multicultural Dramatic Literature. Theatre Topics, 23(1), 69-81. (PDF)
This article explores the utility of performance in breaking down negative cultural perceptions and harmful "Othering" effects of minority students. It argues that the performance of theatrical texts outside of the western canon, done sensitively, can lead to a more rich and empathetic understanding between students of varied backgrounds.
O'Brien, C., Kroner, C., & Placier, P. (2015). Deaf Culture and Academic Culture: Cultivating Understanding Across Cultural and Linguistic Boundaries. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 8(2), 104-119. (PDF)
This highly theoretical work examines an experimental teaching experience that exposed students to Deaf Culture through the methodology of the Theatre of the Oppressed. This allowed the students to express and discuss misconceptions they have with Deaf people and gain further insight into life as a differently-abled person. This study would be helpful to any Theatre professor who is interested in teaching, discussing, or directing works that include Deaf and differently-abled characters.


Task Force To Examine Maternal Mortality Rate
Question by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya and Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod
- whether the Government has set up a task force to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood imperative of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio, improvement of nutrition levels and related issues;
- if so, the details thereof;
- whether the movement against child labour is required to be made a public movement; and
- if so, the manner in which it is likely to be made public movement?
Answer by: Minister of Women and Child Development (Shrimati Smriti Zubin Irani)
A Task Force was constituted by the Government vide notification dated 4th June, 2020 to examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with
- health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter,
- key parameters like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), Child Sex Ratio (CSR) etc. and
- any other relevant points pertaining to health and nutrition in this context and to suggest measures for promoting higher education among women.
- Child Labour is an outcome of various socio-economic problems such as poverty, economic backwardness and illiteracy. The Government has taken various steps for elimination of child labour comprising legislative measures, project based rehabilitation and emphasis on universal elementary education.
- Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 has been amended in 2016. The amended Act is now called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 which inter-alia provides for complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation and processes and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. The Act also provides for stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and has made the offence as cognizable. The Rules framed under the Act, provide for District Nodal Officer (DNO) and Task Force at district level under chairpersonship of District Magistrate to ensure that the provisions of the Act are properly enforced.
- In addition, Section 370 in the Indian Penal Code, 1860 defines trafficking in persons including children for the purposes of exploitation including physical exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude etc. as an offence. Further, as per Section 2(14)(ii) the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, children who are found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force, have been defined as children in need of care and protection and are entitled to proper care, protection, development and rehabilitation through the processes and institutional set ups provided under the Act.
- The Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labourers. Under the NCLP Scheme, the children in the age group of 9- 14 years are rescued / withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres to provide bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system. The children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal education system through a close coordination with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. An online portal- “PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement of No Child Labour)” has also been developed for better monitoring.
- The steps taken by the Government for abolition of child labour have resulted in reduction of child labour in the age group of 5-14 years in the country from 57.79 lakh in 2001 to 43.53 lakhs in 2011 (as per the figures of 2001 and 2011 census respectively).


Learn to subtract to 1,000 without crossing tens or hundreds.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students learn to subtract numbers to 1,000 without crossing tens or hundreds.
Students will be able to subtract to 1,000 without crossing tens or hundreds.
Ask students to determine how many bananas are left. Have students explain their strategy out loud as they solve the problems.
Explain that you can subtract by counting. You first count how many there are in total, this is the first number of the subtraction problem (the minuend). Then you count how many are taken away, which is the second number of the subtraction problem (the subtrahend). When you take the second from the first you are left with the difference. Show this on the interactive whiteboard using the blocks, and discuss the different problems. This includes problems in which the second number (the subtrahend) has hundreds, tens, and ones. Check that students are able to solve a few problems on their own or in pairs with the given problems with blocks.Ask them to say the problem they are solving out loud, and to say the steps they are taking out loud. Next explain that you can solve these subtraction problems in different ways. Show that you can use a number line to subtract. You can also split the subtrahend and take away the hundreds, tens, and ones in steps. You can also choose to take away the subtrahend in one step. Emphasize to students that they should first carefully look at the problem and then decide which method to use, because all of them work, but some are easier to use on different math problems. Ask students to solve a few problems individually or in pairs, explaining their strategy. Finally walk through the steps of a story problem with the class. Explain that you first determine what kind of math problem it is, then you determine which numbers are important for the problem. You say or write the problem and finally solve the problem. Do one story problem as a class and then ask students to solve another individually or in pairs.
Check that students are able to subtract numbers to 1,000 without crossing tens or hundreds by asking the following questions:
- What do you look at when you have to solve a story problem?
- How do you solve 774 - 522?
Students are given subtraction problems with visual support, as abstract problems, and story problems. Have students explain the steps they are taking to solve the problems out loud, or to a partner.
Discuss with students that it is important to be able to subtract numbers to 1,000 without crossing tens or hundreds so that you can determine the difference of larger numbers. Ask students to solve the subtraction problems on the board. Ask students to explain their strategy. How did they solve the problem? Close by having students work in pairs. At the top of the stairs is a number. As it falls down the stairs, it falls apart. How many are left when the number reaches the bottom?
Students who have difficulty with subtraction can use a number line as a visual support. Remind students that they can take different sized jumps on the number line.
Optional: MAB blocks or other manipulatives, number lines.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


OMG has been taught extensively in Ventura county, California. It also sparked interest in China. Fan traveled to China in 2015 and 2016, lectured on OMG at the Chinese Museum for Women and Children, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and other venues. He highlighted the mathematical concepts embedded in origami art and its educational benefit.
Art education fosters creativity and innovation, it has been mandated by China’s Ministry of Education in 2015. Various art forms are being introduced into classrooms, more and more Chinese students are taking art lessons.
More information on OMG can be found at http://www.bijian.com/omg.html.


As I continue to teach in person after the pandemic, I realize more and more the unexpected gaps in student learning due to interruptions in school during COVID. As teachers, it is prudent to always have this in the back of our minds – that what we may assume students know something that they do not know e.g., I assume they know that library books are borrowed and come back … Here are some shortfalls in knowledge that I have encountered in the past couple of years.
Procedural: How to line up (even what a line is and that you walk behind the person in front of you), how to run in between lines on a track, how to get a new lock for their locker
Social/Emotional: How to talk with teachers and friends, how to resolve conflict, how to deal with boredom, how to deal with anger
Academic: Basic literacy and numeracy skills, the names of instruments, whole units of knowledge missing from history, health and science
The list goes on and on. The point is that things we expect our students to know, they do not know. When we are having difficulty with our students, it is a good idea to just go back and ask them questions e.g., Did you know if we run out of tissue, you can ask me for more, you don’t have to take used ones out of the garbage? It may be that we are expecting them to be able to do something they have never been taught. They cannot pick which instrument they would like to play if they do not know the names of the instruments. They cannot run in the lines if they do not know what the lines are for. They do not know what they do not know. It is our job to find it out.


Women in Composition
thesisposted on 2021-11-15, 18:46 authored by Paige Ellbogen
Women's success in music composition has been limited by societal perceptions that have labeled women as inferior to men physically, emotionally, and intellectually. These impressions have created barriers for women who wished to pursue education and gain music training. In the 20th century, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Nadia Boulanger, and Lili Boulanger were three women composers who, despite these limitations, received education and gained recognition for their musical talent. Now, in the 21st century, composers Libby Larson and Anne Guzzo note aspects of modern society that continue to limit young women composers. In order to reduce prejudice toward women, aspects of music education must change. We must reexamine how we portray women composers and musicians, reconsider requirements for the study of music composition, and offer regular examples of women in academic music roles as models for young children.
PublisherUniversity of Wyoming. Libraries
CollectionHonors Theses AY 18/19
- Library Sciences - LIBS


Trauma is a broad term that generally encompasses an individual’s capacity to experience control over or integrate the impact of an extremely emotionally or physically damaging event. How a traumatic situation impacts an individual is not just based on the severity of the event, but also on duration, prior experiences, how an individual has learned to interpret and respond to them and ability to access appropriate supports to allow for healing.
Trauma Focused Coginitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents (ages 3 to 18 years old) who have been affected by single, multiple, or complex traumatic experiences. In TF-CBT, the child/adolescent works through a series of modules focused on psychoeducation; building foundational skills for relaxation, feelings identification, emotion regulation, and healthy coping; processing the traumatic experience(s); working through trauma triggers; and planning for future safety. TF-CBT also includes a caregiver component, which involves individual meetings for the caregiver, as well as joint sessions with the caregiver and child. The caregiver component is focused on sharing new skills that the child is working on, providing parenting support, and strengthening the caregiver-child relationship. TF-CBT has been shown to improve various emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with trauma.
Instinctual Trauma Response (ITR) Therapy
When we experience overwhelming, life threatening or terrorizing events, our system goes through a series of survival responses known as the Instinctual Trauma Response (ITR). Based on years of clinical observations, neurological research and these universal survival processes, ITR Therapy can provide relief for individuals experiencing trauma symptoms by offering an art therapy and parts-informed approach. Instead of being stuck in one of these response states, by applying simple principles the ITR method helps identity and heal the root cause of the trauma, organizing the sensory-based memories and allowing the brain to logically and naturally bring trauma stories to a conclusion.
Trauma-Informed Internal Family Systems Therapy
The IFS model of therapy synthesizes family systems theory and multiplicity of the mind. It suggests the mind is not unitary but an ecology of subpersonalities or “parts” that relate in patterns resembling that of families. Traumatic experiences can force these parts into extreme roles, resulting in undesirable behaviors, thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms. Parts carrying the trauma become compartmentalized or “exiled” while other parts take on protective or reactive roles preventing access to the associated pain. IFS contends everyone has a “Self” or healthy essence at their core that when accessed is capable of healing the trauma carried by the internal system. Through specific dialogues and techniques, IFS therapists develop a therapeutic alliance using their own Self energy, crucial in facilitating a client’s ability to access their own.
Trauma-Informed Art Therapy
Through evolving research in both art therapy and neuroscience, we are beginning to understand how art making works with the brain and helps facilitate resiliency and healing post-trauma. Art therapy can provide a distinct advantage over verbal therapies alone by accessing the non-verbal realm. By tapping into our innate creativity, traumatic memories can be externalized allowing a sense of empowerment over what is being expressed and at what pace, and distancing between the person and the content being visually depicted. When imagery is at play, individuals are able to engage with the process of making the image, acknowledge and explore unspeakable traumatic experiences, open pathways to change and explore elusive parts of themselves.


If you have ever had a small child living in your home, chances are there are several Dr. Seuss books lying around. He is, after all, the best-selling children’s author of all time.
Did you ever notice, though, that there are two different types Dr. Seuss books? Quite frankly, until recently, I did not.
In 1937, Seuss published his first story, To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. It is a great story, one of my favorites, but very different from the book that catapulted Dr. Seuss to worldwide fame and fortune.
The Cat in the Hat, published in 1957, had a very different purpose, scope, and scale than Seuss’s earlier work. It is this book – and the subsequent “Beginning Reader” books by Seuss – that made Dr. Seuss a household name and put him smack in the middle of an ongoing and heated debate.
Seuss’s early work was written like most children’s books – inspired by the author’s experiences and flowing from his imagination to the page.
Seuss’s Beginning Reader series, on the other hand, was commissioned by a textbook publisher in response to criticism of reading instruction in the United States. A prominent journalist had pointed out that the reading materials (i.e. Dick and Jane) used to instruct new readers were excruciatingly boring and out of touch with kids’ lives and interests.
Seuss’s creations, like the Basal readers that preceded them, were intended to support a reading program called the “look and say” method, which taught students to identify whole words by site rather than relying on the principles of phonics to sound out each word.
Seuss was given a list of 348 words that the average six year old should know and asked to choose 225 from that list to make into a story kids would actually want to read.
Seuss found this task extremely difficult and later described it as “being lost with a witch in a tunnel of love.” On top of this difficulty was the fact that Seuss himself did not believe in the reading method he was laboring to support. He felt that the lack of focus on phonics and phonetic awareness was a leading cause of illiteracy in the United States.
Hmm. What is a writer to do?
If you are Seuss, you stick to the parameters of the assignment, add your own style and humor, and sprinkle it liberally with opportunities to practice phonics. Ta da! The Cat in the Hat!
By the time Seuss was finished he was convinced that his creation, The Cat in the Hat, would land him “plumb in the middle of a great educational controversy.” And indeed it did.
Seuss’s comments are often quoted by proponents of phonics instruction, but as the pendulum of education continues to swing between the extremes of relying wholly on phonics training on the one hand and immersion in literature on the other hand, Dr. Seuss’s Beginner Reader series are right where they should be – plumb in the middle.
They provide exactly what a novice reader needs – an authentic and entertaining read-along with a chance to practice the skill of building words out of letter sounds and the repetition necessary to add to a lexicon of words that are solidly known and understood.
The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Hop on Pop, and Green Eggs and Ham have an honorary place in American culture as the very first books many of us ever read all by ourselves, and they will most likely remain as the debate rages on.


There are thousand of reading comprehension activities out there today, but a big key to improving reading comprehension is parent involvement. After completing Learners EdgeCourse 760: Building Comprehension in the Primary Grades, teacher Melissa Orozco created anamazing family reading bingo board to provide an interactive activity that involves students, parents and reading at home. Check out her activity below.
Parents are key supporters of reading development and one way to get parents involved in the reading development of their children is through an activity that the whole family can do together. I bring you, Family Reading Bingo.
Name of activity: Family Reading Bingo
Description of activity with enough details for parents to implement at home:It’s time to enjoy some reading at home with your whole family. Below is a Bingo board of fun reading activities that you can do as a whole family. Complete a bingo and turn it in for a special prize! Get a blackout and have lunch with me and a friend! Have fun reading!
Goal for the activity – outcomes in general terms:Have the familiesfindnew and exciting ways to practice their reading at home. Help them to see that reading isn’t only in a book.
When this would be shared with parents: This will be sent home before Thanksgiving break and not due until after winter break. It will allow the students to read with many family members.
How/where you will distribute this activity or idea to all your parents:I will distribute this activity in class and also email it home to parents.
Click here to download the Family Reading Bingo Board.
Looking for additional ideas on how to improve reading comprehension? Enroll in Learners Edge Course 760: Building Comprehension in the Primary Grades and learn real life reading comprehension strategies and dozens of scenarios demonstrate effective ways to: select the perfect books, model think alouds, assist students in making important connections, and empower your students to having meaningful conversation about the texts they are reading.
Learners Edge is passionately committed to providing you with continuing education coursework, materials, and tools that will help you succeed in your classroom and in your career.
Offering more than 100 print-based or online courses for teachers, you can earn the graduate credit you need for salary advancement and meet your professional development needs. Contact us today to get started!


It started with a fairly simple problem. The class of elementary education majors were looking at energy and efficiency. This course is specifically designed to help these students get a basic understanding of the nature of science (using the awesome Physics and Everyday Thinking curriculum). Since the goal is to look at science, we don't have too much math in the course. However, in this case students were trying to find the power needed such that a fluorescent lightbulb would have the same brightness as an incandescent bulb.
In essence, this gives the students a word problem. Some students rise to the challenge, but some students just shut down. I let students work in groups on the problem and then volunteers shared their solution with the class. It was a great activity. Students can see that even if you understand how to solve this problem, it can be very difficult to share that understanding with others. But in the end, I had to make a few statements to the class. This is what I told them.
First, this is wrong. You are a math person because you are human. All humans do math. All humans do art and music, and build things and cry, and laugh. It's what makes us human. Second, you are going to be a teacher. You are going to have an enormous impact on young students. If you even think that you don't like math, these students will pick up on your dislike and also not like math.
I have some bad news. Everyone seems to think they are going to be teaching second grade after they graduate. However, I don't think everyone is going to get their first choice of grade level. Just look at me. I wanted to be a space cowboy for my career---but I ended up as a physics professor and blogger (which is pretty fun though).
Ok, so let's assume that you do in fact teach second grade. Will they have to solve a problem like this one in your class? Probably not. However, in order to help kids with 2nd grade math you need to understand math at a higher level than what you teach. Take reading as an example. Suppose a teacher could only read at a second grade level. Could that teacher help second graders to read? I suspect not. The same is true for math.
Yes, that's true. Algebra is both confusing and difficult. You know what else is difficult? Riding a bike. Yes, this is not as easy as you think. You only think riding a bike is easy because you worked and practiced riding until you mastered it. If you spend enough time with algebra, you will also think it is easy. Remember that time you were learning to ride your bike and you fell over and scraped your knee? It hurt, right? This is the "scrapping your knee of algebra". You will get better if you just keep at it.
Math? Yes. But wait! There's more. I think a 2nd grade class should include everything that humans do (well, not everything). Students should study literature, art, history, music and science. Also, there is something else every student should try---programming. Yes, kids can code and so can you.
There are two reasons why everyone should learn to code. First, we live in a world surrounded by computers. We use computers both directly and indirectly in all aspects of our lives. Second, learning to code is much easier in 2015 than it was in 1995. There are really some awesome tools out there that can teach you the very basics. Now, I'm not saying you have to go out and make your own iPhone app. I'm just saying you (and kids) should try it out.
Where should you go to start your class with coding? I recommend code.org. There are some super awesome tutorials that can get you started with coding. It starts off with simple activities involving graphical code (also using Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies). At more advanced levels, it even teaches loops, decisions and even debugging. It's great stuff. The early parts are easily completed by kids as young as 7 years old.
Ok, so let me summarize. DON'T say "you aren't a math person" and DO introduce coding activities into your class. The end.


Language and Dyslexia: The Influence of Morphological Awareness on the Literacy Development of Children with Dyslexia
Date of Award
Bachelor of Arts
English, Linguistics, and Communication
Department Chair or Program Director
Major or Concentration
Dyslexia affects approximately 7-10% of the English-speaking population (Kalashnikova et al., 2019) and is a “persistent and unexplained difficulty in achieving accurate and/or fluent word recognition skills, despite adequate intelligence and opportunity” (Waldie et al., 2017, p. 29). Children at a familial risk for developing dyslexia may begin showing impairments in their literacy skills as early as the age of two, which often affects scholastic achievement, as children are expected to be proficient in their native language by five years old. Children with dyslexia face impairments in morphological awareness, the “explicit awareness and ability to manipulate and reflect upon the morphemic structure of words” (Law & Ghesquière, 2017, p.47), and lag behind their age-matched peers in developing reading and spelling accuracy. If children with dyslexia can be supported in their development of morphological awareness skills, then they may also show improvements in their ability to read and spell accurately.
King, Mackenzie, "Language and Dyslexia: The Influence of Morphological Awareness on the Literacy Development of Children with Dyslexia" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 412.


June 19, 2013
2:00 pm Eastern Time
Early Childhood Development Content Liaison
National Head Start Information Communications Center
This session is part of the Classroom Investigations Series
sponsored by the InvestiGator Club
Have you ever heard of STEM and wondered exactly what that means or how it applies to early childhood classroom practice? Join this webinar to find out about this “hot” topic. Learn why it’s so important to help teachers develop strategies to foster interest in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) with even the youngest children by capitalizing on their natural curiosity.
Recent inquiries into the reasons why more students aren’t pursuing careers in (STEM) is that they haven’t had positive early experiences.
The outdoor environment is one of the best places to begin. AND the earlier we begin the better! As soon as toddlers and young children show curiosity and start asking questions about the world around them, they are ready for intentional experiences designed to respond to their inquiries.
In this webinar you will learn new strategies to help the teachers in your program implement proven practices that promote school readiness and other important outcomes in health and child well-being.
This webinar will help you as an instructional leader learn about approaches that increase teachers’:
• use of the outdoor environment in support of STEM with special emphasis on SCIENCE;
• strategies for intentional planning for and implementation of discoveries in nature;
• strategies to strengthen children’s language and literacy development, including vocabulary, through intentional nature-based science and math explorations;
• recognition of the key science process skills of observing, predicting, investigating, classifying, and communicating, which are the basis of critical thinking and learning for children;
• focus on children’s school readiness progress in science, math, approaches to learning, and physical health and development; and
• motivation to engage families in outdoor science experiences with children as they support parents.
The session offers accessible resources and effective practices for directors, curriculum directors, staff development providers, and education managers that ensure they are well-prepared to help teachers plan and implement positive STEM experiences in natural environments for our youngest learners.Session Slides: Download
Session Recording: View


Early Childhood Development (ECD) and pre-primary education both lay the foundations for acquiring literacy and numeracy skills and are universally recognised as being beneficial to the subsequent performance of children in basic education programmes. In spite of an increase in the net enrolment ratio to 85.8% as recorded by the United Republic of Tanzania (2016) basic education statistics for pre-primary, primary and secondary basic education statistics, quality of pre-primary education is severely compromised by the shortage of qualified teachers. The low numbers of qualified early childhood development educators (ECD) and pre-primary teachers, who are key to the expansion of quality of pre-primary and ECD education in the country, is a key contributory factor to this problem.
Karibu Tanzania Organization (KTO) and its implementing partner Stichting Aflatoun International are working with teaching colleges across the country to expand access to quality pre-primary teacher training. The project’s target is to train 600 new ECD educators and pre-primary teachers who will enter the education sector in their local communities. It aims to do this by introducing the pre-primary teacher course into 20 Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) which were identified by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) as a way of addressing the need for non-formal education and support for pre-primary education teacher training. The FDCs will also host daycare facilities and resource centres that provide students with information on ECD.
By expanding access to quality pre-primary teacher training, KTO aim to:
- Provide communities with greater awareness of pre-primary education and the day-care services available at the FDCs
- Ensure that FDCs become high quality providers of ECD and pre-primary education
- Increase the number of capable pre-primary teachers who can support the children in their care to be better prepared for primary school.
Gender equity and social inclusion
FDCs are committed to providing excluded and vulnerable members of the community with the education and skills needed to work. While a small number of the students that enrol in the FDC’s traditional courses for building and trade are women, the colleges’ cohort are largely men. KTO hopes that by introducing pre-primary teacher training, more women will be encouraged to participate in the FDC education system.
Principles for digital development
Design for scale: Although the project has started in just 10 colleges, KTO has designed for scale with the view of rolling out the innovation across the country. By taking a partnership approach and involving government partner MoEST from the outset, KTO can access the networks and tools needed to extend its outreach. Piloting the innovation in a limited number of sites will allow the project to gather evidence and demonstrate impact before attempting to scale up.
At this early stage of implementation, KTO are concentrating on content development, material development and training the Trainers. KTO will continue to monitor the project’s progress, regularly analysing the infomation collected and discussing how the findings can used to adapt the innovation and taken to scale.


Comparing and ordering numbers to 50
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students learn to compare and set in order numbers from 20 to 50. They are able to determine if a number is more or less than a given number.
The interactive whiteboard shows a selection of numbers and the students must determine which numbers are less than 29 and which are more than 42. To check if the students have selected the correct numbers you can erase the squares to show the correct numbers. Repeat this again, but now the students must also set the numbers in numerical order. You can check if students have given the correct answer by erasing the grey squares on the interactive whiteboard.
Show students a number line on the interactive whiteboard and explain that it shows the value of the numbers. The value increases from left to right and numbers on the left are smaller than the numbers on the right. They go from least to most. Set a few numbers on the number line with the class and show how they go from least to most and it is represented by their position on the number line. The number that comes first on the number line is the smallest, or least, and the last number you set on the number line is the biggest or most. As a class set a few numbers in order. Tell students that they can use the number line as a tool to set the numbers in the correct order.
Check that students can compare and order numbers to 50 by asking the following questions/doing the exercises:
- When is a number more than another number?
- How do you know when a number is more or less?
- Which number is more than 39? How do you know?
- Write a number that is less than 26.
- Write a number that is more than 43.
The students first practice with numbers where they need to recognize the least and most. Next they practice setting multiple numbers in numerical order from least to most.
Discuss with students the importance of being able to compare numbers and setting them in the correct numerical order. Give the example of the mail carrier who needs to set the mail in order to make their job easier, but who also needs to compare numbers so they know which house numbers come first. Check that students know that they can use a number line to support their thinking and that they know how to set numbers from least to most. To check that students have understood, show a set of numbers on the interactive whiteboard. Students must determine which is number is the least, the most, and set them in numerical order.
Students who have difficulty comparing and ordering numbers can be supported by the use of a number line. By using the number line the numbers are placed in order and it is clear which number should come first and last, and also supports the growth from least to most.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


Wooden & Bamboo Percussion
Wood and bamboo are living, natural materials which are often used for making musical instruments. In our "percussion" category, you will find drums made of wood, such as the Cajón or the wooden Darbuka. You will find shaker pads and classical tonewoods. Sound animals made from the wood of the jackfruit tree can be found at DAN MOI in many different variants. They enable animal sounds to be imitated but they can also be played as tonewoods. Some of the sound animals are made up of two or three sounds, similar to a simple xylophone. Children can approach music playfully by trying out the different tones of the sound animals. In pre-school music education, the sound animals are often used to demonstrate the difference between high and low tones.
A sound animal is a hollowed-out piece of wood shaped on the outside to resemble a fish, bird or frog. The wooden bodies are played by striking them with a small wooden striker. When you strike the wooden body, it sounds as clear as the sound of tonewoods. If you run the striker over the ribbed surface of the sound animal, you get a rasping tone similar to that of a Guiro. No rare woods are used to make these instruments, only wood from the jackfruit tree, which grows back sustainably. The surface of the sound animals is treated with vegetable oil.
The handy flat shakers are rather novel, contemporary musical instruments which allow plenty of scope for experimentation: the flat shakers can be used as rhythmic rattles but they can also be used to create exciting effects and sound similar to a "rainstick". You can strike the surface of the flat shaker to create a rhythmic effect and combine the various snare, rattle and bass effects. The bigger siblings of the shaker pads are the classical Cajón and the mobile "traveller Cajón" for on the road.


Math Sites To Use With Students
- AAA Math- Hundreds
of interactive math exercises for grades K-8. Each page includes an explanation,
randomly generated problems about the topic and timed challenge "games".
- ALEKS- A fully automated
math tutor, available only on the Internet.
Ten Activities- This entertaining site designed to help students understand
the base ten counting system.
Maker- A fun way for children to learn the art of making change.
- Education 4 Kids-
Offers on-line math drill games.
Provides fun, interactive multimedia for learning math.
- FunBrain.com- This
site provides a fun way for elementary students to reinforce basic math
skills through interactive online activities about making correct change,
fractions, and computation.
- Interactive Mathematics
Miscellany and Puzzles- A warehouse of math puzzles and games.
- Kids Only at Coolmath.com-
Online games that reinforce basic math skills.
- Math League-
"Math Leagues, Inc. provides students with fun and educational math contests,
problem books, and math educational software."
The goal of this web site is to help grade school children improve their
math problem-solving and critical thinking skills. It has 4000 math word
problems for children to enjoy.
Weight on Other Worlds- Ever wonder what you would weigh on Jupiter?


SAINT JOHN BOSCO – THE FATHER & FRIEND OF YOUTH
Saint John Bosco, commonly known as Don Bosco, was an Italian Catholic priest who dedicated his life to the education of young boys. He was born at Becchi, near Turin, in Northern Italy, on 16th August 1815. Don Bosco was kept away from regular schooling because of many difficulties. His father died when he was two and so his poor family needed his services at the farm. Bosco’s elder stepbrother opposed all his plans of getting even an elementary education. Yet through sheer dint of will power and the help of many a generous heart, he got himself educated to support himself. At this time he worked at odd jobs – all of which he later taught his orphans.
After he became a priest in 1841, he expanded his work for poor and abandoned boys. Born and bred in poverty and having grown up among boys who, for want of a decent home, lived in the streets, he understood well their yearning for food and love which were never adequately satisfied in their homes.
To cater to the needs of such boys, he started an ‘Oratory or Boys Club’ open to all the boys who wished to spend their time usefully. In order to prepare boys for skilled labour, in 1853, Don Bosco turned his mother Margaret’s Kitchen into a make – shift cobbler and carpenter shop. This was the first Catholic trade school in Italy.
With the dedicated group of followers who gathered around him, he was able to help the street urchins to become honest citizens and God-fearing men.
To win the hearts of the youngsters he used “The Preventive System”. Don Bosco explained it as a happy blend of reason, religion and loving kindness. In fact when asked about the secret of his immense success with youngsters, he simply answered “Love”.
To continue the work that he had started he founded in 1859, a religious society of priests and brothers, known as Salesians (SDB). They are a group of persons set apart within the Catholic Church for the education of youth, especially the poor and the abandoned. To spread his work to needy girls, with the help of Saint Mary Mazzarello, he founded a society of nuns called “The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians” (FMA), in 1872 commonly known as Salesian Sisters. Besides these two, in 1876, he founded a third spiritual family called “The Union of Salesian Co-operators” a group of men and women, married or unmarried who, without becoming priests or nuns would work for youth in the spirit of Don Bosco.
When he died on 31st January 1888, his parting message was typical of him, “Tell my boys, I am waiting for them in heaven”.


Source: Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Vol. 44, No. 2, p. 121–139. 2011
(Reviewed by the Portal Team)
The authors examine differences in student technology outcomes between a pilot 1:1 program with ubiquitous technology use and a more traditional program in which our candidates are expected to complete specific technology requirements in each course.
Participants and Design
The participants were 109 teacher candidates enrolled to elementary education department at a suburban university in Southern California.
Twenty-eight were enrolled in the 1:1 laptop cohort, whereas 81 were enrolled in four regular (non-laptop) cohorts.
One-hundred nine teacher candidates completed a pretest technology survey online at the beginning of the teacher preparation program in the fall semester.
In addition, 71 teacher candidates completed a posttest technology survey online at the end of the spring semester.
The authors assigned one of the 10 cohorts to be a 1:1 laptop cohort.
The other nine cohorts approached technology integration accordance with California teacher education policy in which students are expected to have specific technology experiences and requirements in each course.
The department chair selects the instructional and supervision faculty involved in all cohorts based on area of expertise and cohort need. All cohorts complete the same courses, and faculty use the same approved syllabus for each course.
The findings reveal that pretest candidates, who self-selected to be involved in the laptop program, ranked themselves lower than non-laptop participants on areas of beliefs about technology in education.
Furthermore, the authors found that after the post-test that the beliefs of laptop candidates about educational uses of technology and skill level with educational technology significantly increased.
The results also indicated that teacher candidates who were not given ubiquitous access did not improve in skill level, nor did their beliefs about educational technology change.
The finding that candidates in the non-laptop cohorts had no difference in their beliefs, use, and expertise from pre- to posttest, despite being required to complete technology course assignments —could have a profound impact on how teacher educator programs plan candidate technology experiences.
The authors conclude that this study is significant for teacher education because of the statistical evidence supporting the claims that providing teacher candidates 24/7 access to laptops is a better choice for promoting 21st century skills in the candidates than other methods.


By Katrina Moore
Picture books, by their nature, are books in which the pictures tell as much (sometimes more, sometimes all) of the story as the words. When done well, this is why picture books are so magical. In 40 or less pages (mostly) and 500 or less words (usually) we are made to laugh, or cry, or wonder, and in the very best of cases . . . all of the above.
So how do you craft such a magical marriage between words and illustrations?
And how is this done if you are only the author?
Let’s share some stellar examples:
Sometimes, the words are purposefully open to interpretation, like in SOMEDAY by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds:
This can also lead to illustrations that amplify the drama and escalate the tension (and humor),
like in CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK by Stephen Martin Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill:
Sometimes, the words are charged with emotion, leading to illustrations that are giggle-worthy,
Or downright hysterical, like in David Shannon’s NO, DAVID!:
Sometimes, the words are super silly, and the illustrations create the perfect compliment,
Sometimes, the words are intended to be ironic (and if you are the author-only, this is an instance where you will want to include an art note), as in Cate Berry and Charles Santoso’s PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON’T DO BEDTIME, where the words say,
In the above picture book examples, the words and art flow together fluidly, sometimes complimenting each other, sometimes elevating each other, sometimes opposing each other, and sometimes balancing each other so beautifully that the matches are seemingly made . . .
in picture book heaven.
So as you craft your picture books, think:
How can I leave room for the illustrator?
What purposeful word choices can I use to make a big splash?
Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey. Earning her M.A. in elementary education, she has been a teacher for almost a decade in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, illustrated by the talented Julia Woolf, is a lyrical celebration of the different ways that hugs bring people together, forthcoming from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books in 2019. Her second picture book, GRANDPA GRUMPS, illustrated by the amazing Xindi Yan, is a humorous and heartfelt story about a little girl, Daisy, and how she connects with her Chinese grandfather across cultures and generations, forthcoming from Little Bee Books in 2020.
When she is not writing or teaching kids in elementary school, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her two kids, husband, pomapoo pup, and of course, a cozy book. Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.
Katrina Moore writes for all, teaches many, and raises two young children. She holds an M.A. in elementary education. She's the author of ONE HUG, GRANDPA GRUMPS, SOMETIMES LOVE (Penguin/Dial, '22), and the forthcoming chapter book series, TEENY HOUDINI (HarperCollins/Tegen, '22), and more. Connect with her on twitter!


Emergent bilingual students face unique challenges in the classroom. Educational publishers have a crucial role in supporting these students’ learning by creating curriculum materials that honor their linguistic and cultural needs. In this blog post, we’ll explore how educational publishers can best serve emergent bilingual students in their curricula.
Understanding Emergent Bilingual Students
Emergent bilingual students come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and may be at different levels of English proficiency. They need support to learn academic English, develop English literacy skills, and access grade-level content in English. It’s essential for educational publishers to understand their needs and develop materials that cater to them.
Incorporating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Culturally responsive pedagogy involves acknowledging and valuing the cultural and linguistic diversity of emergent bilingual students. Educational publishers can incorporate culturally responsive pedagogy in their curricula by:
- Including texts and materials that represent diverse cultural perspectives and experiences.
- Using examples and scenarios that are relevant to the students’ experiences and backgrounds.
- Providing opportunities for students to share their own cultural and linguistic knowledge.
- Incorporating strategies that support language development and academic language use.
By incorporating culturally responsive pedagogy in their curricula, educational publishers can create a learning environment that promotes equity and respect for students’ cultural and linguistic diversity.
Providing Accessible Materials
Emergent bilingual students may face barriers to accessing curriculum materials due to limited English proficiency, unfamiliar vocabulary, or complex sentence structures. Educational publishers can create accessible materials by:
- Simplifying the language and sentence structures to make the content more accessible to emergent bilingual students.
- Providing definitions, translations, and explanations of unfamiliar vocabulary.
- Including visual aids such as pictures, charts, and graphs to support comprehension.
- Providing audio or video recordings of texts to support listening comprehension.
By providing accessible materials, educational publishers can ensure that emergent bilingual students have equitable access to grade-level content and can participate fully in classroom activities.
Developing Language and Literacy Skills
Emergent bilingual students need support to develop language and literacy skills in both their native language and English. Educational publishers can support language and literacy development by:
- Providing materials that promote vocabulary development, grammar, and syntax in both languages.
- Including activities that promote reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in both languages.
- Providing explicit instruction on English language development, academic language use, and language learning strategies.
- Providing opportunities for students to practice language and literacy skills in authentic contexts.
By developing language and literacy skills, educational publishers can help emergent bilingual students become proficient in both languages and better prepared to succeed academically.
Offering Professional Development for Teachers
Teachers play a critical role in supporting the learning of emergent bilingual students. Educational publishers can offer professional development for teachers to support them in creating a supportive learning environment for emergent bilingual students. Professional development can include:
- Training on effective instructional strategies for emergent bilingual students.
- Guidance on how to integrate culturally responsive pedagogy in the classroom.
- Guidance on how to use curriculum materials to support the needs of emergent bilingual students.
- Guidance on how to assess students effectively.
- Opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices.
By offering professional development for teachers, educational publishers can support the effective implementation of their curricula and ensure that emergent bilingual students receive high-quality instruction.
Emergent bilingual students face unique challenges in the classroom, but educational publishers can support their learning by creating curriculum materials that meet their linguistic and cultural needs. By incorporating culturally responsive pedagogy, providing accessible materials, developing language and literacy skills, and offering professional development for teachers, educational publishers can ensure that emergent bilingual students receive high-quality instruction and have equitable access to grade-level content. With the right support, emergent bilingual students can thrive academically and contribute to a more globalized world.


Music Educator Resources
Dear Music Educator Family,
We know that no one is ever prepared for an unprecedented event such as what we are currently facing. Please know that as we go through this time we stand with you. We are here and happy to help in any way we can.
I would argue that music is even more important in today's setting than ever before. As the world goes into isolation students need regular engagement in an enjoyable environment. Music Education has the power to immediately improve student's current settings.
The following are important resources that we feel may aide you in pursuing online instruction for your students. Below is a link to a webinar recording of a call hosted earlier today in partnership with NAMM and NAFME. Ellis County Music Center is a proud member of both the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD). Specifically, the presentation by John Mlynczak of Note Flight was very insightful in providing practical advice for exploring online learning for music students. We encourage you to take a few moments to review this section of the webinar. His presentation starts at the 26 minute mark. He speaks to issues such as Student Online Privacy, Copyright Questions, and some best practices for musical learning online. We hope you find this information helpful.
Additionally, our team has taken time to locate practical resources for students for reinforcing basic skills and fundamental lessons for your students. The links to these resources are below.
· Music Theory lessons and drills to teach/reinforce basic music reading skills, as well as fundamental music theory concepts
· Smart Music web-based suite of instrumental repertoire, complete with practice, feedback and assessment tools
· How to Practice Your Instrument a brief how-to tutorial covering the basic elements and techniques of a productive practice routine
· Musician Practice Tips tips on how to create a more productive practice routine
· Be Part of the Music a reminder of why you should join and stay in the band
· Instrument Demonstrations a brief demonstration of each band instrument by members of the US Army Field Band (especially helpful for young band members)
· Musician's Toolkit a series of online lessons specialized for each instrument, ranging from introductory to advanced (Subscription Fee Based Website)
We wish the best for you, your family, and students as we all make it through this together. #MusicIsLife
Tim Grant, President - Ellis County Music Center


I can calculate simple fractions as part of a set.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
In this lesson, students will learn the steps (using division) to calculate simple fractions as part of a set.
Students will be able to calculate simple fractions as part of a set.
Students will look at pictures and decide what fraction they see. Knowing how to find fractions will help students know how many objects you get if you are given the fraction.
A fraction has a numerator and denominator. A character will model the steps to calculate fractions with a sample problem: find the fraction of the set you want to know and divide the total by the denominator. Students will then practice this skill by calculating one-third of a group of marbles. They will do a few other problems using simple division to calculate one-half and one-fifth. They will also do word problems.
Students will complete 10 questions.
The lesson closes with 3 more practice problems.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


De Aftermath Consults
Graphic design is all around us, in a myriad of forms, both on-screen and in print, yet it is always made up of images and words to create a communication goal. The building blocks of graphic design are the elements that carry the majority of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. As graphic design becomes more visible and prevalent in our lives, graphic design as a practice becomes more important in our culture. Through visual examples, this course will teach you the fundamental principles of graphic design: image-making, typography, composition, working with color and shape... foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice.
If you want to be a designer you have to be a maker and a communicator, so this course will offer you lots of opportunities to get your hands dirty with exercises and with more practical projects. At the end of this course you will have learned how to explore and investigate visual representation through a range of image-making techniques; understand basic principles of working with shape, color, and pattern; been exposed to the language and skills of typography, and understand and have applied the principles of composition and visual contrast.
At the end of the course, you will have a core set of graphic design skills that you can apply to your own projects, or to more deeply investigate a specialized area of graphic design. To succeed in this course, you will need access to a computer.
We train and expose you to graphic design software such as Corel Draw and three Adobe Creative Suite programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. The course is completed by a capstone project that applies the skills of each software or program and peer feedback in a finished branding project suitable for a professional portfolio


(GERMAN 19TH CENTURY)
In 1809, six students at the Vienna Academy formed an artistic cooperative in Vienna called the Brotherhood of St. Luke or Lukasbund, following a common name for medieval guilds of painters. In 1810 four of them, Johann Friedrich Overbeck, Franz Pforr, Ludwig Vogel and Johann Konrad Hottinger moved to Rome, where they occupied the abandoned monastery of San Isidoro. They were joined by Philipp Veit, Peter von Cornelius, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow and a loose grouping of other German-speaking artists. They met up with Austrian romantic landscape artist Joseph Anton Koch (1768–1839) who became an unofficial tutor to the group. In 1827 they were joined by Joseph von Führich (1800–1876).
Joseph Anton Koch, Detail of the Dante-Cycle in the Casino Massimo
The principal motivation of the Nazarenes was a reaction against Neoclassicism and the routine art education of the academy system. They hoped to return to art which embodied spiritual values, and sought inspiration in artists of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, rejecting what they saw as the superficial virtuosity of later art. In Rome the group lived a semi-monastic existence, as a way of re-creating the nature of the medieval artist’s workshop. Religious subjects dominated their output, and two major commissions allowed them to attempt a revival of the medieval art of fresco painting. Two fresco series were completed in Rome for the Casa Bartholdy (1816–17) (moved to the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin) and the Casino Massimo (1817–29), and gained international attention for the work of the “Nazarenes”. However, by 1830 all except Overbeck had returned to Germany and the group had disbanded. Many Nazarenes became influential teachers in German art academies. (Source: Wikipedia).


• Define pivotal response training
• Identify skills to be taught using pivotal response training
• Identify the steps for implementing pivotal response training
• Locate resources
Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is a method of systematically applying the scientific principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to teach learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). PRT builds on learner initiative and interests, and is particularly effective for developing communication, language, play, and social behaviors. PRT was developed to create a more efficient and effective intervention by enhancing four pivotal learning variables: motivation, responding to multiple cues, self-management, and self-initiations. According to theory, these skills are pivotal because they are the foundational skills upon which learners with ASD can make widespread and generalized improvements in many other areas.


Accelerating Reading Progress: Balancing Phonics and Language Arts for Optimum Performance
The National Reading Panel conducted an extensive study which found that many students experience difficulties learning to read because of their inadequate phonemic awareness (2000). The combination of explicit instruction phonics instruction coupled with a balance of Literacy correlates to a significant increase in reading progress.
Given this knowledge teachers can finally put the reading debate on whether or not to teach explicit phonics to their students to rest and teach it systematically within the framework of a balanced literacy classroom.
Examine the techniques to effectively combine phonics instruction with a balanced literacy classroom
Gain an understanding of the format and structure of a Balanced Literacy Model
View the specific reading strategies that connect to each grade and reading level (Fountas & Pinnell)
Masterfully design lesson plans from templates for teaching guided reading and skill groups
Attention given on how to provide fluency instruction for English Language Learners (ELL) and students with special needs