This case study focuses on a student named Mark, who is in fifth grade. His primary language is English. The documents below describe Mark's reading, spelling and writing performance at the beginning of the year. Using these materials, write a response in which you apply your knowledge of reading assessment and instruction to analyze this case study.
Your response should include three parts:
1. identify three of Mark's important reading strengths and/or needs at this point in the school year, citing evidence from the documents to support your observations;
2. describe two specific instructional strategies and/or activities designed to foster Mark's literacy development for the remainder of the school year by addressing the needs and/or building on the strengths you identified; and
3. explain how each strategy/activity you describe would promote Mark's reading proficiency.
The following running record shows the miscues he made while reading.
Mark ignored all punctuation marks at the end of the sentences. His reading was slow and halting. He hesitated between words.
The following is his retelling:
Norm, Norman was the happiest rabbit in whole world because he was first to play first, center field. And, and, he was going to be a part of the team with the resters on the bench. That’s all.
The following a sample of Marks’ writing:
I wuld mak my scool beter by asking pepul to pik up the trash everday. I wuld also tel them to pik up in the lunch tabuls. And be quit in line.
The following is a sample of one of Mark's spelling tests:
The following was taken from a response journal that Mark kept:
I lik the book how to be a purfect pursun in three dayz. It was fun. The boy was nis.


Unlike the middle colonies
, New England did not receive a stream of unstable migrants. More like a trickle
. The rocky soil of the northern climate did not encourage widespread farming. Weather ranged from one extreme to the other, with sweltering heat in the summer
and bitter cold
in the winter
. This was a fortunate boon
to Yankee ingenuity
, however, because it encouraged the diversification of agriculture
outside of staple products, unlike in the South
. New Englanders were skilled merchants, lumberers, fishers, shipsmen, and industrial masters of the fledgling colonial enterprise. Religion also was another factor that kept New Englanders isolated and homogenous
, with the sulferous Puritan
sermon dominating the spiritual landscape straight to the Revolutionary War
These traits had a major influence on the establishment of New England villages. Unlike in the Chesapeake, where establishment was random and somewhat haphazard, Yankee villages were required to go through rigourous processes for their establishment. A new town was to be legally chartered by colonial authorities, and town fathers, elderly gentlemen, took charge of the distribution of land. The colonial legislature would grant a large parcel to them, and they would then divvy it out as they saw by merit. Everything was done in an orderly fashion, with each family receiving several parcels of land, including a woodlot for fuel, a tract suitable for growing crops, and another for pasturing animals. Also constructed promptly were a meetinghouse, serving the needs of worship for the fiercly religious Puritan settlers, and a town hall. The village green was the final central addition, suitable for drilling the local militia.
An interesting note is that all towns of more than fifty families were required by colonial law to provide elementary education. Because of this, literacy was widespread throughout New England in the pre-Revolutionary days, unlike in other areas of the country. The oldest corporation in America, Harvard College, was established in New England as a place of training for local ministers in 1636, an early testament to the importance of education for New Englanders. Primers had heavy religious content to suppliment their education values, intended to promote the continued propagation of "God's people."


Facilitating interdisciplinary learning and innovation in games art education
MetadataShow full item record
In March 2011, the Digital Arts Curriculum – Interdisciplinary learning and Innovation project (DACii) was launched at the Abertay University. The aim of this project was to facilitate interdisciplinary learning and encourage innovative thinking amongst students of Computer Arts, with particular focus on the application of digital game design as a means of addressing research problems posed by other disciplines. The project methodology and outcomes are presented in this article. This includes the findings of a student game design case study in response to a brief from environmental science experts and the results of research into curriculum design within a Computer Arts programme.
Parker, L., Sloan, R. and Martinez, S. 2012. Facilitating interdisciplinary learning and innovation in games art education. Networks. 18: July 2012. Available from: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-18-july-2012/art-design-media-learning-and-teaching-projects-2011-12-final-reports/facilitating-interdisciplinary-learning-and-innovation-in-games-art-education
RightsPublished version (c)University of Brighton, available from http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-18-july-2012/art-design-media-learning-and-teaching-projects-2011-12-final-reports/facilitating-interdisciplinary-learning-and-innovation-in-games-art-education
The following license files are associated with this item:


Historical Context of ALS
As always, it is best to trace the source of an educational system such as the ALS to the basic and fundamental law of the land. The Philippine Constitution provides for free and compulsory elementary education and free secondary education through the Department of Education (DepEd). This means that all Filipinos have a constitutional right to basic education, and the DepEd is mandated to provide this service to all Filipinos.
In the 80’s, the global community launched a campaign called Education for All (EFA) that aimed to eradicate illiteracy and promote functional literacy for all people of the world. Our nation was a signatory to this and as such, committed to providing education for all Filipinos
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM → is a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education. It encompasses both the non formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. In summary, we say:
Basic Education = early childhood education (kindergarten) and elementary education (Grades 1-6) and secondary education (1st-4th year) and ALS (for out- -of- school age children, youth adults and those with special needs).
Alternative Learning System = Non Formal Education (NFE) and Informal Education (IEd)
A. EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 356: RENAMING THE BEREAU OF NON FORMAL EDUCATION (BNFE) THE BEREAU OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM (BALS)
On September 13, 2004, the office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines renamed the DepEd’s Bureau of Non Formal Education the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) through this Executive Order signed by Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The order directs BALS to provide a systematic and flexible approach to reach all types of learners outside the school system.
THIS MEANS THAT by the virtue of this Executive Order, the BALS has given the authority to guide the development of the country’s ALS.
Functions of BALS
•to address the learning needs of all marginalized groups including the deprived, depressed and underserved citizens •to coordinate with various agencies for skills development of the learners •to expand access to educational opportunities for citizens of different interests, capabilities, demographic characteristics and socio-economic origins and status •to promote certification and accreditation for basic education of alternative learning programs both non formal and informal in nature
B. EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA) PLAN by 2015
In 2004, the Philippine government once again committed to participate in the global campaign for Education for All by the year 2015. In this plan, one of the major goals is “transforming all nonformal and informal education intervention into an ALS to yield more EFA benefits”. This means that the goal is to have in place a credible ALS (consisting of NFE and informal Education) that shall increase functional literacy among the marginalized groups of learners.
To this end, certain tasks will need to be undertaken, namely.
1.Develop and strengthen the DepEd’s BALS and mandate it to serve as the government agency to guide the development of the country’s ALS. 2.Make available public funds for ALS programs of GOs and NGOs subject to the guidelines of BALS. 3.Build and develop a constituency for ALS development.
4.Conduct research and studies to test cost-effective options for delivering quality ALS. 5.Undertake an inventory of available resources in localities for literacy interventions outside schools. 6.Ensure a vigorous and credible system for reliably assessing, measuring, validating and communicating competencies acquired through NFE and informal education.
In summary, the EFA Plan for 2015 prescribes urgent tasks that will guide the Department of Education in fulfilling the spirit of RA 9155 and EO 356 and ultimately the vision of the Philippine...


It is designed for students in preschool through 5th grade. Older students will use Strategies for Older Students of the original Lexia Reading program. To purchase Lexia Reading for $174.95 for a one year subscription, click here.
What is Lexia Core5? and why is Lexia Reading best for my child at home?
What is Lexia Core5 ®?
Lexia Reading Core5™ provides all students—from emerging readers to on-level and advanced students—a structured, sequential, scaffolded approach to the six areas of reading instruction—from phonological awareness to comprehension.
View the scope and sequence by activity (pdf).
Lexia Reading Core5 helps students master foundational reading skills by providing immediate corrective feedback, multiple levels of scaffolding, and explicit instruction both online and through direct instruction with the teacher.
Students work independently to develop reading skills in a structured, sequential manner with a focus on:
- Foundational skills to develop automaticity and fluency
- Listening and reading comprehension with complex text
- Academic and domain-specific vocabulary to improve comprehension
View the skills overview.
Lexia Core5 ® is for students from Preschool to 5th grade, Strategies for Older Students is for 6th grade through adult. By using artificial intelligence, your student will be automatically placed in the component that best fits your students needs.
For a Product Tour and to learn more, Click Here
Lexia Strategies for Older Students ®
Designed for 6th graders and above (even if they are not reading on level).
The activities in Strategies for Older students® are specifically designed to remediate basic reading skills while offering age-appropriate content and interface. The focus of the activities helps students increase automatic word recognition by reinforcing phonic elements and sound symbol relationships. Activities in SOS provide extensive practice in everything from basic phonological awareness to advanced word attack skills.
Lexia Reading® Strategies for Older Students® provides:
1. A broad range of activities (basic to advanced) enabling readers of all levels to improve their skills.
2. Interactive exercises which branch automatically, providing practice where needed and increasing in difficulty when the student is ready.
3. Students with independent work, thereby increasing confidence in their skills.
4. Directions in Spanish; aiding non English-speaking students to progress more quickly.
5. Easy-to-read Reports for Parents or Tutors that assist with their instructional planning.
Most of the above text came from Lexialearning.com with their permission
"Lexia, Lexia Reading, Lexia Early Reading, Lexia Primary Reading, and Lexia Strategies for Older Students are all copyright Lexia Learning Systems, Inc.: The Family Literacy Centers, Inc. is also copyright; none can be used without the express written permission from their prospective owners.."


Grade Level: 5 through 8
Subject Area: Science
Estimated time of Completion: Activity and discussion can take up to 2 90-minute blocks depending on the amount of research
Food webs show the interaction of different producers and consumers in an ecosystem. They are a good visual organizer to show the different flows of energy among the organisms. They can also be used to demonstrate how each organism is important to the survival of the ecosystem.
The Living Edens: South Georgia Island shows examples of organisms that live on South Georgia Island and how they get their energy. After watching the video, students can construct a food web showing the interactions among the organisms on the island and in the ocean.
By the end of this activity, students will be able to:
National Science Standards:
This lesson addresses the following national science standards for grades 5 through 8 as established in the National Science Education Standards at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/:
Procedures and Activities:
Ask students to list several organisms found in the region. These should include animals and plants. (Students might begin by listing things they've eaten in the past 24 hours.) List these organisms in different places on a blackboard. Ask students to draw lines representing "who eats what" among the organisms listed. Afterwards, fill in any blanks or clear up any confusing relationships. Explain that organisms in every environment are part of a food web; students will be looking for such a web in the South Georgia Island video. (*The teacher may show the entire video so students can see the complete variety of organisms represented; however, teachers may want to screen the program first due to a few graphic scenes of seals fighting.)
Completed food webs could be used to measure the students understand of how energy flows in the ecosystem.
Student participation in discussion could be observed. Students could also individually answer the discussion questions on paper.
Have students research various ways Antarctica and surrounding islands have been affected by humans (egg harvesting, oil spills, hunting, over fishing, and loss of habitat). How have these actions changed the populations of organisms of the ecosystem/food web? What can be done to prevent humans from destroying the South Georgia ecosystem?
Students could examine an organism in the food web and determine how it is adapted to hunt and eat its food. They could also examine how they camouflage and protect themselves from predators.
Web Resources: (Note: these links will take you away from PBS Online.)
Pete and Barb's Penguin Page
Seal Conservation Society: Antarctic Fur Seal
Life in Antarctica: British Antarctic Survey
USA Today: Work and Daily Life in Antarctica
About the Author:
Kathleen Taylor is a 6th grade Science and Computer Science Teacher at George Mason Middle School in Falls Church, VA. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.
Her current interest is developing curriculum that allows her to students to explore the earth sciences in creative ways. She has the most fun teaching oceanography, meteorology, and geology because she feels kids are naturally fascinated by understanding the physical world around them.


New research from Western University provides brain imaging evidence that students well-versed in very basic single digit arithmetic (5+2=7 or 7-3=4) are better equipped to score higher on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), an examination sat by millions of students in the United States each year in preparation for college admission tests.
In findings published today in The Journal of Neuroscience research led by Daniel Ansari, Associate Professor in Western's Department of Psychology and a principal investigator at the Brain and Mind Institute, showed by utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on high school seniors that there was a significant link between their brain responses while solving extremely basic, single digit calculation problems and standard scores on the PSAT.
"The surprising thing here is that we found both a positive and negative relationship between brain activation during the very elementary, single digit arithmetic tasks and how well they did on the PSAT test, which measures advanced, high school level math skills," says Ansari, Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Students that scored better on the PSAT math tests generated greater positive activation in a brain region in the left side of the brain, called the supramarginal gyrus, which is known to be linked to fact retrieval, while students that scored lower, produced more activity in an area in the right side of the brain, called the intraparietal sulcus, which is involved in quantity processing and more effortful problem solving.
"Essentially, this means that those high school students that don't do so well on the PSAT use more problem solving strategies when they are doing very elementary sums and subtractions," offers Ansari. "If you are a high school student and you are using brain circuits that we know are associated with fact retrieval and fluency, we see evidence that you are also going to score better on the math portion of the college admission test. There is a clear link between fluency and high level abilities – being fluent at basic math counts."
This new knowledge is important from a math education perspective, concludes Ansari, because traditionally, debate rages between the "drill and kill" style approach versus more conceptual, problem-solving based pedagogy, but it is now clear that both methods are important in elementary education. These findings suggest that the way in which the brain is organized for single digit arithmetic calculation predicts performance on more complex math skills, illustrating the critical role that arithmetic fluency plays in building mathematical proficiency among students.
Given that the evidence is correlational, future studies following children from early elementary school through to high school will be needed to shed light on the specific ways in which acquisition of basic arithmetic fluency influences the learning of the kinds of skills tested by the PSAT.
University of Western Ontario: http://www.uwo.ca
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
Free-living songbirds show increased stress hormone levels when nesting under white street lights. But different light spectra may have different physiological effects as this study finds, suggesting that using street lights with specific colour spectra may mitigate effects of light pollution on wildlife
Scientists identify the condition aphantasia, in which people cannot create images in their head
The dust in our homes contains an average of 9,000 different types of fungi and bacteria, a study suggests.
A mosquito can bear up to 23 times its total body weight on each leg, which is crucial for landing on water – the insect's secret is way it stands
Tropical species with smaller geographical ranges are more likely to die out in a warming climate than those that can adapt by ‘invading’ new regions
Most people think of bacteria as germs, signs of filth, or unwanted bringers of disease. Slowly, that view …
The gloomy octopuses crowded at Jervis Bay, Australia, appear to spit and throw debris such as shell at each other in what could be an intentional use of weapons
Therapies based on hormones that make us more trusting enhance our natural placebo effect – a finding that could alter the way clinical trials are conducted
The blind, hairless babies born recently at Washington D.C.'s National Zoo are completely dependent on their mothers—who can sometimes accidentally crush them.
The poop-hoarding insects have an amazingly advanced internal GPS that allows them to navigate by day or night.


Most children begin learning phonics by sounding out letters and learning what items represent that sound and that letter, i.e. A is for apple; A sounds like “aaaaaaaaaaaaaa”. Children begin learning phonics from parents, siblings, videos, and music at a very early age (2-4 years old) even before entering school.
Phonics and phonemic awareness are comingled when teaching children in this manner. Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and written symbols, whereas phonemic awareness involves sounds in spoken words. Therefore, phonics instruction focuses on teaching sound-spelling relationships and is associated with print. Most phonemic awareness tasks are oral.
Even though parents are the initial teachers, it will take a professional to instill all of the rules of phonics and to teach students decoding skills as they begin to read. Hiring a tutor with experience teaching early learners will ensure a student’s success as they begin elementary school. A professional tutor can also reinforce phonics for those students that were taught the Whole Language approach to reading and are still struggling in 2nd and 3rd grades. Hiring an Advanced Learners tutor is a guarantee that you will receive a professional tutor that can make a difference in a child’s ability to read.
High School Tutors
As soon as your student begins high school the pressure is on. Many students find the transition into high school rough. When every grade counts towards a scholarship or college acceptance, starting high school on the right foot and staying on solid ground can be a struggle for many students. Do not wait to hire a tutor when you see your student struggling! Hiring a professionally educated, experienced, and qualified tutor can save many stressful nights of studying and test preparation anxiety. A commitment to your student’s education doesn’t have to be a costly one; our high school tutors work around your schedule and we work with your budget.
As the 5th largest city in the United States, we are prepared to provide the most professional tutoring services available to Phoenix’s residents and students. As the population of Phoenix continues to grow, only 2nd to that of Las Vegas, we will continue to grow with it maintaining a database of highly qualified and experienced tutors to meet the people’s needs. We have tutors available for early elementary learners up to and including graduate students attending Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Argosy University and the other college campuses sprawling across Maricopa County. Our reputation as a premium service is evident in the hundreds of testimonials we have received from parents, students, and schools across the state of Arizona.
View Some Of Our High School Phonics Tutor Profiles
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The U.S. Marines aren't the only ones looking for a few good men. While female teachers have dominated elementary schools for quite some time, the ratio of men to women in the classroom has steadily declined over the past two decades. Nowadays, only about 9 percent of elementary school teachers are male.
What's keeping men away? According to the National Education Association (NEA), one big reason is the salaries of teachers compared to other professionals. It's probably not a coincidence that states with the highest teacher salaries tend to have the highest percentage of male teachers.
Other reasons for the shortage, according to educational experts and men themselves, include:
- the perception that teaching is “women's work”
- a lack of role models
- the fear of false child-abuse accusations
- the fear of feeling out-of-place in a predominantly female workplace
Many men who do become teachers find that they are not expected to stay in the classroom for long. People often assume they are just using the experience as a stepping-stone to a higher position. Some male teachers have even reported receiving advertisements in their mailboxes for positions as principals and administrators—notices that female colleagues did not get.
While hiring and retaining male teachers may not be easy, studies show the effort can have a large pay-off, especially by helping boys to view school as a male-friendly place. In fact, research done by Swarthmore professor Thomas Dee and published in the journal Education Next raises the possibility that the academic gap between boys and girls might be narrowed by exposing boys to more male teachers.
For parents interested in adding more gender diversity to the classroom, here are a few ideas:
- Express your concern to your school's board of education and ask the group to make an effort to recruit more male applicants the next time a classroom position opens up.
- Write to your elected officials to lobby for higher teacher salaries (for the appropriate names and addresses, go to www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ and type in your zip code under “Take Action”).
- Invite male teachers to talk at the school's Career Day. (And, while you're at it, seek out a female firefighter or construction worker, too.) When our children see that both men and women have a wide variety of vocations open to them, they can begin to imagine themselves growing up to be whatever they want to be.
- Set up a mentoring program between older male students and elementary-school boys. Both groups benefit—the older from being role models and the younger from the individual male attention.
- If you are a father, get involved in elementary education any way you can--act as a field trip chaperone, help out at a holiday party, or volunteer for lunch duty.
Just as women have made great strides in many male-dominated fields, it is time to encourage men to break the elementary school gender cycle. For as we find a few more good men to teach our children, we might just find that we turn out a few more excellent men in years to come.


Arts in Education: Background and Legislation
Publication Date: January 2007
Publisher(s): Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
The "arts" are considered a core academic subject as part of the core curriculum for K-12 education, according to the Goals 2000 panel and as defined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended. The federal program that supports integrating arts in the schools at the K-12 level is the Arts in Education program, authorized under the ESEA, as amended, and administered by the Department of Education (ED). This program provides grants for model projects that integrate the arts into school curricula. It has, in the past, given two major grants: one to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and one to the Very Special Arts (now VSA ARTS) program for children with disabilities. P.L. 106-554 increased funding from $11.5 million to $28.0 million for additional arts education grants in FY2001. In the 107th Congress, the Arts in Education program was considered under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) (P.L. 107-110) as part of the reauthorization of the ESEA, and it remains a separate program under ESEA, Title V, Part D, Subpart 15.
The FY2006 appropriation for the Arts in Education program was $35.3 million. Both in FY2006 and FY2007, the Bush Administration proposed to eliminate funding for the Arts in Education program. The FY2007 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHSED) Appropriations bill (H.R. 5647, H.Rept. 109-515), as reported by the House Appropriations Committee during the 109th Congress, would have provided no specific funding for the Arts in Education program. In contrast, the Senate Appropriations Committee-reported bill would have provided $36.5 million for Arts in Education for FY2007. This would have included $6.369 million for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts program, $7.44 million for VSA ARTS, and $7.936 million for professional development for music, dance, drama, and visual arts educators, a program to be administered by ED. It would also have included $13.755 million for the competitive art education model grants program and $1 million to continue evaluations and national dissemination of information regarding model programs and professional development.
The third continuing appropriations resolution (CR) for FY2007 (P.L. 109-383) carried funding for the Arts in Education program through February 15, 2007, at the lower of the House-passed, Senate-passed, or FY2006 level. In this instance, the FY2006 funding level ($35.3 million ) will be provided.
This report provides background and legislative history on arts in education. It will be updated.


MONDAY, June 25, 2012 — We all know about the importance of using sunscreen. Did you know it isn't allowed in public schools?
As mom Jesse Michener discovered, public schools in 49 of the 50 states — including Washington, where she lives with her family — consider sunscreen to be a medication that requires a doctor's note to apply. (California is the sole exception). When her daughters Zoe and Violet came home from a school field day with serious burns, Michener was furious. Both children were taken to the hospital that night with headaches, chills, and pain.
"Prolonged sun exposure leads to burns," Michener, a freelance photographer and videographer, wrote on her blog. "Either put sunscreen on or, at the very least, remove the child from the sun. A simple call would have brought me to that school in minutes to assist my kids."
To make matters worse, fair-skinned Zoe has a form of albinism that increases her sun sensitivity, a situation that the school teachers and staff were fully aware of, Michener wrote.
Kids Need Sun Protection, Too
"We know that having a sunburn at any time in your life, particularly in childhood, increases your risk of skin cancer — including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer," says Jennifer Stein, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine. "And in the short term, a sunburn can be really painful."
Because it was raining the morning of the field day, Michener didn't apply sunscreen to her kids before they left for school. While making sure that children have sunscreen on before they leave the house is a good idea, says Dr. Stein, "you have to reapply it every two hours. If you put it on your kid in the morning, by lunchtime it's sweated off."
What's the reason for the sunscreen ban? "Because so many additives in lotions and sunscreens cause an allergic reaction in some children, we have to really monitor that," Dan Voelpel, a spokesman for the Tacoma Public Schools (where the Michener children are students), told ABC News.
"There's lots of different things in sunscreen that you can be allergic to," says Stein. "It can be the active ingredient, or something else, like the fragrance used." She recommends that both kids and adults test any sunscreen first on the inside of the arm for any reaction before applying it all over. Ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide a physical barrier against the sun's rays and may be better for sensitive skin.
Cover Up for Sun Protection
But as Stein notes, sunscreen is just one part of a sun protection plan. Wearing clothing that covers your shoulders, chest, and back is a smart idea, and add on a hat. "They make clothing now that's accessible at all price points that's designed for sun protection — it's breathable and waterproof." It's also wise to avoid peak times when the sun is directly overhead, usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The cover-up advice is especially important for infants, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Because delicate infant skin absorbs sunscreen chemicals more easily, the best sun protection strategy for babies is to keep them out of direct sun entirely. "Little babies can overheat very easily," says Stein. "If your baby needs to be in the sun, protect them and use a sunscreen — just make sure it's something you've tested beforehand."
School Sunscreen Ban: What You Can Do
Since the sunburn incident, Michener reports on her blog, she's heard from the director of elementary education in Tacoma that a new law has passed allowing individual school districts to decide what is and isn't allowed regarding sunscreen application at school.
Parents may want to check with their local schools about any policy affecting sunscreen use. "I'm a mom," says Stein. "For my kids, a parent can sign a permission slip to say it's okay to put sunscreen on." She recommends that along with the slip, parents provide a "safe" sunscreen — one that's been tested to make sure there's no allergic reaction — for their kids to take to school.
Michener told the Huffington Post she's heard from people all over the country and is working with others to research what can be done to revise sunscreen policies in public schools: "I'm out to change policy that ties their hands from making good decisions."
Is the sunscreen ban justified, or just plain dumb? Do you think sunscreen should be allowed in schools? Share your opinion in the comments.
Credit line: Courtesy of Jesse Michener
Last Updated: 6/25/2012


When society thinks of philosophy, Plato’s name will come to mind almost immediately. As a whole we must remember that Plato had a teacher, a mentor, someone to guide his journey into changing history for the better. Plato’s teacher forced people to call everything into question using moral values. This man bears the name of Socrates.
Born in Athens, Greece in 469 B.C. Socrates grew up with average boys’ life. Socrates received a regular elementary education in literature, music and gymnastics. As Socrates grew older he became familiar with the rhetoric and dialectics of the Sophists. Socrates later served as an infantryman in the Peloponnesian War.
Even being a proven war fighter, Socrates true love was engaging in dialogue and argument with anyone who would listen or submit to interrogation. One of Socrates best known “verbal battles” was with a young man named Eythyphro. During this historic dialogue, Socrates presents the question “what is the definition of piety?” (moral duty). Every answer given by the young man was subjected to Socrates’ critical thinking until nothing Euthyphro says remains certain..
Socrates did not engage in the debates to prove his worth or just win an argument. His goal was to serve as an example of enlightenment to those around him. His opponents would walk away with their pride ,but most importantly new found knowledge. Socrates willingness to teach and enlighten was what eventually led to his downfall.
Socrates had a gift that he was willing to share with the young people of early Athenian society. Even though he was often approached with payment for his teachings, Socrates declined money for his services. How could a man accept payment for what he truly loved? Failure to accept money could have set the wheels into motion for his eventual trail.
Socrates was eventually sent to trail for numerous offenses ranging from corrupting the youth of the city to his associat...


Want to help your child develop stronger numeracy skills and make your dice games even more fun? These funny little dice are simple and easy to make and they're sure to elicit at least a few giggles. Your child will love rolling them and counting the number of eyes that show up. Once your funny dice are ready to roll, challenge your kid to a game of Many-Eyed Monster Frenzy!
What You Do:
- Help your child use a toothpick to apply a small amount of glue to one of the googly eyes and apply it to one side of a cube. Hold the eye down for a moment to make sure it sticks.
- Apply a small amount of glue to 2 googly eyes and place them on another side of your cube. Hold them in place as well.
- Have your child put some glue on 3 googly eyes and stick them to a third side.
- Continue gluing the corresponding number of eyes to the fourth, fifth and sixth sides of your cube.
- Give the cube enough time to dry completely.
- Follow the same steps with the second cube and however many additional dice you'd like to bring to life with the goal of adding a little wacky humor to whatever game you opt to play.
Try playing Many-Eyed Monster Frenzy! You'll need 2 dice and pencils and paper for each kid. Before rolling the dice, inform the kids what kind of monster they're trying to create. For example, tell them that for the first roll they're looking for three-eyed monsters. Kids then take turns rolling the dice and recording their rolls. After they've rolled, challenge them to figure out how many three-eyed monsters they would have given the number of eyes they've rolled. For the next round of rolls tell them they're aiming for a monster with a different number of eyes. This simple game is a great way to introduce multiplication and division fundamentals to young children.


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- New Rubrics!
- Just Print and Go!
Before we look at some of the most useful comprehension strategies, we must begin to acknowledge what exactly is meant by the term 'comprehension'. This is the ability to understand something, grasp what it is about, and be aware of the finer details relating to it. When applied to reading, comprehension is having an understanding of a given text, whilst being able to interpret and apply the deeper meaning of it. We look at five of the best approaches when it comes to supporting students in comprehending a book, play or poem.
Story Mapping - This technique is particularly popular with younger students who need precise instructions to understand their work. To help them better understand a story, they must fill in text boxes to answer given questions about it. Firstly, they may have to describe the main character and the setting of the book, and also the different pivotal events in the text. In most stories, there is a particular problem, and students may also be required to state what this was and how it was solved at the end.
By breaking down the story into key segments, pupils are able to grasp in greater depth the defining moments of the text, and then begin analyzing why things happened and what effect they had on subsequent events.
Read, then answer - Perhaps the most popular of all reading comprehension strategies is reading a short extract and then answering questions on it. The beauty of this strategy for improving reading comprehension is that it can be adapted for all age groups; by simply choosing more or less complex texts, you can address students across all grades.
- Intrigues Young Readers
- Experience Culture and Fun
- Age Appropriate Content
- Grade Leveled For Grades 6-9
True and False - In True and False, students are given a list of statements relating to the storyline of a book that they have read. From this list, they must identify which of the statements are true, and which aren't. This demands an understanding of the book's content, as in order to know what happened and what didn't, they have to think carefully about the text's themes.
You: the Author - In terms of reading comprehension strategies, playing the part of the author is one of the most exciting, hands-on exercises there is. Teachers must supply a chair and place it in the center of a large circle of students. By picking names out of a hat, numerous pupils will be called up one at a time to sit on the chair, and questioned as if they were the author of the book.
Pupils who are not on the chair have the job of asking questions about the book, such as: "What about Richard's personality made you choose him as the main character?" It's questions like this that help the students asking and the one answering, as both parties will have to think about how characters were portrayed in the story, and how different events unfolded.
Diary entries - After each chapter, students could be asked to write a diary entry on behalf of one of the characters about what has happened to them during that stage of the book. Through doing this, pupils will have to think more deeply about any major occurrences within a chapter, and will hopefully understand the text better as a result.


CEA and the Ontario Institute in Studies in Education (OISE) have teamed up to provide you with relevant and timely information based on current empirical educational research. The primary goal of this project is to get relevant and needed research into the hands of parents and other interested people. They are written in plain language on topics of interest to parents, such as homework and class size.
Additional Resources For Parents
Foundations for Literacy: An Evidence Based Toolkit for the Effective Reading and Writing Teacher: http://eyeonkids.ca/docs/files/readwritekit08.pdf
- Although this was written for teachers, there are many useful strategies that may easily be implemented at home.
Ministry of Education, Government of Ontario: The Government of Ontario provides tips for parents on helping children learn to read. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/index.html
Peel District School Board, Literacy and Numeracy Tip Sheets: This site provides 16 tip sheets on helping children improve their literacy skills. http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/parents/tips/num-index.htm
Reading and Language: Building Literacy Skills Everyday:
This website provides practical tips on how parents can support literacy skills through daily activities (e.g. going to the doctor's office or grocery shopping) http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/quicktips/main.html
The Government of Alberta: This website provides information for parents and teachers on literacy the range of essential literacy skills and strategies. This site is available in French as well.
Toronto District School Board, Parenting and Family Literacy Centres: This website provides free school based programs to support children’s early literacy through play. There are translations available on the program’s key features in 16 languages. http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=201&menuid=1001&pageid=732
TVO Website for Parents: Parents will find videos and related links about how children learn to read on this website.
Quebec English Literacy Alliance: A list of literacy resources can be found on this website for children and families.
Research References Informing this Issue
Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., Osborn, J., Adler, R., & Noonis, L., (2001) The research building blocks for teaching children to read: Put reading first. Retrieved September 28, 2010, from National Reading Panel Web site: http://www.nifl.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf
Early Years Education Ontario Network. (2010). Early Literacy. In Eye on Early Years Education and Ontario Network. Retrieved Oct. 15, 2010, from http://eyeonkids.ca/early-literacy
McCardle, P., & Chhabra, V. (Eds.). (2004). The voice of evidence in reading research. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Pelletier, J., Reeve R., Halewood, C., (2006). Young children’s knowledge building and literacy development through knowledge forum. Early Education and Development, 17(3), 323-346.
- Key finding is that “Children who participated in the online Knowledge Forum learning environment made greater gains in early reading over the course of the year.” (p. 341)
Torgesen, K. Joseph., Wagner, K. R., Rashotte, A. C., Herron, & J., Lindamood, P. (2010). Computer-assisted instruction to prevent early reading difficulties in students at risk for dyslexia: Outcomes from two instructional approaches. Annals of Dyslexia, 60(4) 40-56
- In this study, students who received interventions through two computer programs showed stronger outcomes in phonological awareness, rapid naming, phonemic decoding, word reading accuracy/fluency, spelling, and reading comprehension at the end of first grade.


WHY MUSIC – Part 2B – Music and the Brain: Rhythm and Playing
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” – Plato
Behind the Beat
The oldest known musical instrument, other than the voice, is the drum. Man’s use of the drum since the dawning of civilization may help explain why our brain is so innately attuned to respond to rhythm. Music with a steady beat serves as an auditory control mechanism for organizing all kinds of thought and movement – from opening the door to remembering where you left your keys.
Rhythm itself has served as a primary source of communication throughout certain periods of history. This can be witnessed in the message-encoded drumming between African slaves, with the role of military drummers on the battlefield, and through one of the earliest forms of electronic communication – Morse code. The human brain is wired to recognize and organize our thoughts into rhythmic patterns.
Our systems naturally entrain to the pulse of the music. From our early days in the womb when our inner rhythm entrained to the beat of our mother’s heart, to the countless times we moved and sang along to our favorite song, to those nights in the club dancing to a steady beat with 1000 strangers – our nervous system, our brain and our metabolism were being programmed by the rhythm.
Unlike visual stimuli, music has a remarkable ability to drive rhythmic, metrically organized motor behavior. This is why it is much easier to tap along in accurate time to an audible beat, than to a flashing image or light.
In addition to engaging nearly all the parts of our brain required for active listening (see Music and the Brain Part A: Active Listening), physically playing a rhythm, or any instrument for that matter, helps us create a complex neuro-feedback loop between the auditory cortex and the motor cortex that controls the movements of our bodies. When a musician performs, at least three basic motor control functions are required: timing, sequencing and spatial organization of movement.
The Musician’s Brain
New developments in neuroscience and technology such as FMRI, are unveiling new discoveries every week and reaffirming theories that many scientists, philosophers and musicologists have held for centuries. It appears that highly trained and proficient musicians may even have different brain structures than the rest of us, especially those that started training as children. Recent studies show that long-term musical training and expert level performance are associated with enhanced features of the brain’s actual anatomy in both auditory and motor regions.
It is especially inspiring that the insights gained from scientists and doctors studying these processes are being applied to groundbreaking treatments for people suffering from autism, ADHD and Parkinson’s disease, as well as being used to help with stroke rehab and other learning disorders.
Whether you are a professional musician or a beginner, a therapist or a parent, it is important to realize that playing music can engage more areas of the human brain than any other known human activity. In addition to acting as a mega-vitamin for a healthier brain, playing music can enhance your and your loved ones’ overall well being and quality of life.
Benefits of Playing Music
The benefits of playing music could fill several books, but here are a few key points that might encourage you to dust off that favorite old instrument and enjoy a little time communing with music, to support music education programs – starting with ones for your own children, or to begin taking those lessons you have been promising yourself for years. Playing music can contribute to:
• Refined motor control skills
• Greater ability to focus
• Increased sense of balance and relaxation
• Stronger pattern recognition
• Improved spacial organization
• Better memory of sequential movements
• Stimulate multiple areas of the brain
• Enhanced cognitive abilities
• Improved verbal intelligence & executive function
• New treatments for neurodevelopmental disabilities
Playing for Inner Peace
I find playing music to be one of my strongest personal therapies, not only from the state of being I can achieve while playing, but also from the energetic balancing and mood enhancing effect on my mind, body and spirit throughout the day. Playing with other musicians and for appreciative audiences has become one of my most fulfilling ways to connect to and reap the benefits of community. I have even come to include my instruments as an integral part of my spiritual practice, starting by interweaving my guitar playing and singing voice into my morning meditations.
View this article on Huffington Post.


Jules François Camille Ferry Facts
The French statesman Jules François Camille Ferry (1832-1893) was a major political leader during the first 2 decades of the Third Republic. He played a key role in expanding public education and in developing France's colonial empire.
Jules Ferry was born at Saint-Dié, Vosges Department, on April 5, 1832. On receiving his law degree in 1851, he was admitted to the Paris bar, but he first made his name in journalism as one of the most vigorous critics of the Second Empire. His successes led him into more active politics, and in 1869 he was elected to the legislature from Paris.
Entering the Government of National Defense after the fall of the Empire, Ferry became the top civil administrator for Paris and had to struggle with the difficult problems caused by the siege. His stringent but necessary measures earned him an unpopularity in the capital that lasted throughout his career.
Ferry became minister of public instruction in 1879 and initiated a number of reforms, the most controversial being those aimed at reducing the influence of the Church on education. The state recovered its monopoly in the awarding of degrees, but his proposal to prohibit teaching by members of religious orders (the famous Article 7) was defeated in the Senate. In 1880 he took administrative measures to dissolve unauthorized religious orders. More important was his introduction of legislation to make elementary education compulsory, free, and laic. In September 1880 he became premier and was able to further his program by decrees, but lack of funds and personnel prevented his ambitious plans from being implemented at once.
An ardent colonial expansionist when most republican politicians saw foreign questions only in terms of Alsace-Lorraine and the German menace, Ferry was charged with diverting attention—and troops—away from the Continent. His first ministry ended in November 1881 as a result of criticism of the Tunisian expedition which led to the French protectorate.
Ferry returned to the Ministry of Public Instruction in January 1882. In February 1883 he was again premier and carried out a purge of antirepublican elements in the judiciary. Although his power and prestige seemed as great as ever, this time the opposition to his foreign policy proved fatal to Ferry's career. He supported French involvement in Indochina, but news of a minor defeat there, much exaggerated in the first report, compelled his resignation on March 30, 1885. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency in 1887 and never again played a leading role in government. Shot by an Alsatian fanatic on Dec. 10, 1892, Ferry died in Paris on March 17, 1893.
Further Reading on Jules François Camille Ferry
For an important aspect of Ferry's career see Thomas F. Power, Jr., Jules Ferry and the Renaissance of French Imperialism (1944).
Additional Biography Sources
Guilhaume, Philippe, Jules Ferry, Paris: Encre, 1980.


Under one virtual roof and in the comfort of your home, Playapy provides support for parents and educators of young children particularly between the ages of 3-9 years old. Playapy presents ways to enhance play interactions and the learning of developmental milestones and skills. Check out the blog regularly for articles and tips. Review the listed resources for activities, videos, and additional links and information. Learn how to receive training and therapy services. Lastly, shop for Playapy publications and additional tools recommended by pediatric therapists.
Foundational skills are built in the home and school environment. Here’s how Playapy can help!
Increase independence in children that need extra help
Help children have fun while learning faster and more efficiently
Increase a child’s strength, confidence, and creativity
Decrease emotional stress from behavioral concerns
Improve school performance
Decrease delays caused by demanding school curriculum
Decrease financial stress from therapy costs
Prevent escalation of developmental delays
As schools put more pressure on young students to read and write at earlier ages, children are fighting a battle to maintain a lifestyle of learning through play. The preschool years are now cutting back on the playtime necessary to develop the sensory and motor skills
In recent decades yoga has become increasingly more mainstream as a form of exercise. Most fitness centers offer a variety of classes, and more often parents are allowing their children to participate with them. It may seem strange to think a child would have the discip
playapyplatform: Recent reported estimates in the news have stated as many as 1 in every 68 children in the United States has autism, a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and


Use the Standards to Teach Skills in Elementary School!
The elementary perspective regarding the Common Core State Standards and teaching history is unique, because there are no specific Common Core Standards for social studies content at the elementary level. Instead these standards are addressed, rather vaguely, in the Reading and Writing standards. Because there is no specific, prescribed content for American History teaching at the elementary level, it is difficult to interpret the intent of the CCSS regarding this particular subject area.
Traditionally the role of elementary education is to meet the foundational educational needs of students. They must gain the skills base for reading, writing, and math in order to expound their knowledge base. The idea of what is attainable and the efficiency of instructional approaches appropriate for this age has long been in dispute. However, elementary education is designed so content knowledge is acquired through skills-based instruction. The fact that the Common Core Standards are internationally benchmarked, and the elementary reading and writing standards contain provisions for analyzing historical documents provides a degree of structure that most educators at the elementary level will find advantageous. The existing 6th-grade Common Core history content standards can also be utilized to determine the foundational knowledge necessary for students to acquire by the end of 5th grade.
In the state of Colorado where I teach 5th grade, the state standard for social studies includes teaching American History (1491 to Revolutionary War). Following the provisions outlined in the Common Core Standards, primary sources are ideal materials for enhancing content knowledge, meeting language arts requirements, and encouraging an investigative instructional approach that also supports teaching 21st-century Learning skills. Because this approach is not a strict memorization of facts and dates, it also encourages the rigor and relevance so extensively promoted in current educational trends. I recently taught a unit on Christopher Columbus beginning with the essential question of whether or not we should continue to honor and celebrate this explorer. Utilizing both primary and secondary documents, students were able to analyze text and write an opinion essay supported by this documentation. The end result was not only an in-depth understanding of Christopher Columbus, but also the realization that history is perspective-based, and that historical stories change as more or revised documentation becomes accessible.
Quality education is about balance, and when teaching children we must give them the opportunity to stretch their understanding, challenging them to analyze, experiment, and make mistakes, while at the same time maintaining age-appropriate parameters. I appreciate that the CCSS is a fluid document, investigative by designempowering students and encouraging higher order thinking. I believe that the standardized testing movement born from No Child Left Behind (NCLB), although well intentioned, has unwittingly resulted in such a narrow instructional focus as to mimic a factory assembly line regarding grade-level knowledge. In my view, the Common Core Standards maintain this balance while encouraging a broader base for instructional methodology than NCLB provides.


From the Publisher
A well-written, easy, step-by-step method for learning tinwhistle. Contains big notes, illustrations, and a wealth of wonderful children's songs carefully scored and graded for the D tinwhistle. Written partially in easy-play notation, where the letter names of the notes are written inside the note heads, and partially in large standard notation. The play-along recordings contains every song in the book and serves as a guide to insure accuracy of interpretation and ease of learning. All record examples include solo whistle with multi-instrumental back-up.
About the Authors
Mizzy McCaskill received her Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College and her Master's and Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Kentucky, Lexington. She is a specialist in curriculum design and has written numerous publications concerning folk flutes, the modern Boehm flute, and flute pedagogy. She performs and records as both a flutist and vocalist in folk and classical genres.
Flutist and composer Dona Gilliam received her Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and her masters in Music Composition from the University of Kentucky, Lexington where she also received her Juris Doctorate of Law degree. Dona performs and composes in both folk and classical genres. She is currently a Professor in the School of Music and School of Media Arts and Design at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. With Mizzy McCaskill, she has co-authored numerous Mel Bay books addressing the flute, tinwhistle, fife, and clarinet.
|Format||Book & CD|
|Publisher / Record Label||Mel Bay|
|Author(s)||Mizzy McCaskill & Dona Gilliam|


The following resources have been developed by the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development to provide Kentucky's educators, legislators, policymakers, curriculum designers, researchers, and administrators with comprehensive research and decision making tools.
The legislation responsible for the inception of the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development outlined a number of charges, one particular mandate was that CCLD would research, develop, and maintain a clearinghouse of literacy resources that can be accessed by educators. The clearinghouse includes a search engine whereby users can input keywords to identify resources. CCLD continues to investigate and compile resources to add to the clearinghouse, ensuring continual viability and growth of the clearinghouse.
Download past annual reports from 2007-2015.
Reflections and interviews from literacy researchers and professionals.
CCLD has developed a web-based tools that educators can use to help make decisions about commercially-produced literacy assessments.
Although not developed in house, the resource above contains links to outside websites that align with the mission of CCLD to promote literacy and address the needs of learners across the commonwealth.


Art and Nationalism in Colonial India
1850-1922 Occidental Orientations Edited by PARTHA MITTER
Partha Mitter's book is a pioneering study of modem art (1850-1922) on the Indian subcontinent. The author tells the story of Indian art during the Raj, set against the interplay of colonialism and nationalism. The work addresses the tensions and contradictions that attended the advent of European naturalism in India, as part of
the imperial design for the westernisation of the elite and traces the artistic evolution from unquestioning westernisation to the construction of Hindu national identity. It seeks to go beyond both conventional art history, which portrays the western influences on Indian art in terms of a superior culture dominating a passive one, and the alternative view that condemns western cultural dominance but fails to allow any form of indigenous expression.
(1) The Phenomenon: Occidental Orientations (2) Art Education ^d Raj Patronage (3) Salon Artists and the Rise of the Indian Public (4) The Power of the Printed Image (5) The Artist as Charismatic Individual: Raja Ravi Varma (6) Bengali Patriots and Art for the Nation (7) Ideology of Swadeshi Art (8) How the Past was Salvaged by Swadeshi Artists (9) Westemisers and Orientalists: Public Battle of Styles (10) The Passing of the Age of Oriental Art.
Trimmed pages 246x189 mm. Extent c.505pp
30 colour plates 200 halftones. Hardcover
ISBN 0 521 44354 7 Special Price for India Rs 1250
2/19 Ansari Road, New Delhi 110 002 Tel 328585 (sales)/3274196 Fax 3267224


Fine Arts: Music Standards
Teachers and students need explicit statements of the results expected from a music education, not only for pedagogical reasons, but to be able to allocate instructional resources and to provide a basis for assessing student achievement and progress. Individual standards should be understood as a statement of what students should know and be able to do. They may, of course, acquire the competency at any time within the specified period, but they will be expected to have acquired it before they move on.
Presented within each of the music standards are the specific competencies that DoDEA believes are essential for every student.
The division of the Standards into special competencies does not indicate that each is, or should be given the same weight, time, or emphasis at any point in the K-12 sequence, or over the student's entire school career. The mixture and balance will vary with grade level, by course, by instructional unit, and from school to school.
Two different types of Standards are used to guide student assessment in each of the competence areas:
- Content Standards specify what students should know and be able to do in the discipline.
- Achievement Standards specify the understandings and levels of achievement that students are expected to attain in the competencies.
In grades 9-12, two levels of achievement standards- "Proficient" and "Advanced" are offered for each of the music standards. Two or more standards may be offered in each of these two categories. In grades 9-12, the "Advanced" level of achievement is more likely to be attained by students who have elected specialized courses than by students who have not. All students, however, are expected to achieve at the "Proficient" level.
These standards are designed to reflect a national consensus concerning the highest priority skills and knowledge young people should have acquired upon exiting grades 4, 8, and 12. They apply to every student through grade 8 and to every student enrolled in music beyond grade 8. Although music instruction in school is important in the development of those students who are talented in music, its primary purpose is to improve the quality of life for all students by developing their capacities to participate fully in their musical culture.
Within each grade level, content standards identify the broad subject matter. Within each content standard, several achievement standards specify desired levels of attainment or state how students will demonstrate their attainment of the desired level.
Content Standards by Grade
DoDEA Standards Referenced Posters
DoDEA Music Coordinator
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria VA 22350-1400


Learning mathematics in mainstream secondary schools:experiences of students with Down’s syndrome
Monari Martinez, E. and Benedetti, N., 2011. Learning mathematics in mainstream secondary schools:experiences of students with Down’s syndrome. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26 (4), pp. 531-540.
Related documents:This repository does not currently have the full-text of this item.
You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided below. (Contact Author)
The key questions are: is it true that persons with Down’s syndrome can study mathematics only at a very elementary level? Might it be possible that their difficulties are mainly restricted to some fields, such as numeracy and mental computation, but do not encompass the entire domain of mathematics? Is the use of a calculator recommended? Is non-elementary mathematics accessible at most for the brightest students with Down’s syndrome? Our experience with about 30 students with Down’s syndrome, attending Italian mainstream secondary schools, is that these students can solve mathematical problems, using simple algebraic equations, though they may have very poor numeracy skills and need to use the calculator even with the simplest computations. Moreover, a familiarity with more advanced topics, as algebraic computation and analytic geometry, can help to raise their self-esteem and improve their numeracy too. Surprisingly, these students can learn and apply mathematical procedures in a variety of other different contexts. For instance, Francesca, an Italian student attending a secondary mainstream school, with a mild impairment in numeracy and relatively good linguistic skills, started with algebra and then learned to solve problems in the areas of nutritional science and of business administration. In the same way, Martina, a student in a mainstream secondary school with severe linguistic and numerical impairments, learned to work with Cartesian coordinates and formulas in analytic geometry. She began connecting points on a Cartesian plane, given their coordinates, and colouring in the shapes, such as flowers and animals, that they define. Applying the two points distance formula and verifying the result, she learned to measure the distance of two points with a ruler and to understand the concept of ‘millimetres’. The role of the inclusion in mainstream Italian schools of every disabled student, regardless the severity of the disability, has been crucial for these results.
|Creators||Monari Martinez, E.and Benedetti, N.|
|Departments||Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > Psychology|
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The kindergarten years are vitally important in the Christian nurture of children. It is at this time that basic values are instilled and reinforced. Most importantly, a love for learning about God and His world needs to be instilled in the students to help motivate them through the rest of their lives. Cherokee Christian Academy (CCA) emphasizes the centrality of faithful, loving obedience to the Word of our Lord. Daily classroom devotions are one key element of this training. In addition, teachers apply the Word of God to classroom and interpersonal situations throughout the day, demonstrating how God’s people are to live before Him. Kindergarten students mature and learn at many different rates. One five-year-old student may have mastered the basic elements of phonics and be reading short stories by Christmas, while another five-year-old may still be working on learning the letters of the alphabet. Students also have individual spiritual and behavioral needs. Therefore, each kindergarten class is staffed with a full time Teacher’s Assistant who enables the students at CCA to receive the individual attention required.
CCA offers both a half-day (8:30-1:00) and full-day (8:30-3:00) kindergarten class. Each class can accommodate up to twenty students. The full-day program includes a lunch and nap period as well as additional enrichment activities that correlate with the curriculum. Both classes cover similar academics as outlined below:
- Bible – To acquaint children with the record of God’s work throughout the pages of Scripture, Bible is taught in a survey format beginning at creation and going through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
- Language Arts – Essential skills for reading are emphasized through a well-rounded program of phonics instruction. Learning letters and sounds, phonemic awareness and blending activities all combine to enable the kindergarten child to read well by the end of the year.
- Math – Foundational math concepts provide a firm base for further learning and are presented in interesting, “hands-on” activities and include instruction in simple addition and subtraction as well as principles of place value, measurement, time, money, calendar, and graphing.
- History – History is taught using a curriculum that focuses the child on what is occurring in God’s world and that He is sovereign over all.
- Science – Science is taught using teacher-created unit studies covering trees, leaves, birds, and various other aspects of God’s creation.
- Technology– students visit the technology center so they can begin to learn how to use computers.
First Grade through Fourth Grade
Our lower school grades place an emphasis on developing sound foundations for academic studies and excellence. It is a time when basic skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values are instilled and reinforced. Digital projectors and screens have been installed in every classroom. The projectors are connected to the internet via the teacher’s computer and bring all of the resources of the World Wide Web to the classroom’s horizontally measured 120 inch screen. Our Technology Center features 24 computers so even in a full class, every student has their own workstation. This is a 21st century academic environment where technology significantly enhances the level of learning.
Essential study skills are emphasized through the following coursework: Bible, language arts (reading, handwriting, comprehension, vocabulary, pronunciations, word usage, grammar and more), literature, history, mathematics, and science. Students also enjoy participating in special subjects such as, music, art, Spanish, computer, and physical education classes. Chapel is held once a week.
Various field trips are included to show the students how their learning applies in the world. Field trips are varied both in terms of venue and focus. A few examples: Cobb County Library (research), Art of the Season (how various cultures celebrate Christmas), Georgia Aquarium (God’s creation), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (the gift of music), MUST Ministries (service opportunity), and Georgia State Capitol (civic involvement).
Our lower school begins at 8:30 a.m. and finishes at 3:00 p.m.. Each classroom is designed to accommodate up to 24 students, however, average class sizes have historically been less than 20 students. Teachers are provided with assistants to help carry the load and attend to individual needs when required.


An Interview With Edward Kame'enui
Note: You'll need the
free RealOne Player (www.real.com) to see the video clips below.
Fluency and comprehension…
The reason we want children to be fluent with the code, with reading, is that they spend a great deal of energy. They spend a
great deal of time focusing on the individual letter/sound correspondences, the words and so on. They won't be able to get
through the text and comprehend the text.
We know there is a robust, a high, correlation between reading fluency and
reading comprehension. In fact, the correlation is in .80+. If reading comprehension fails, typically it fails because
children are not able to do the kind of reading of words, word recognition is in jeopardy. They're not familiar with the
sounds of the language. They don't have the phonological awareness that they should have. They're not familiar with the
writing system in such a way that they can read fluently.
So what we want to do is make sure that all the basic foundational skills with word reading, with phonological awareness, with alphabetic understanding are intact before we move into getting kids to be fluent with the text. So we want to build on those foundational skills.
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Fluent reading vs. reading well…
There are children who may read very fluently but in their fluent reading may not comprehend the text they're reading. I think
it's important to understand that the percentage of children who are not able to comprehend text when they read text fluently
is a very small percentage. Sometimes we refer to those children as hyperlexic children. They're able to read fluently,
but not able to comprehend the text.
For the most part, though, kids who read fluently are able to comprehend the text because
they can take the cognitive resources and really focus on the apprehension of the language, the comprehension of the language.
But for the most part, fluent reading and focusing on the fluent reading is very important. And it's important that we
understand how to structure that. For example, we expect kids at the end of first grade to read about 60 correct words
per minute. That's kind of the 50th percentile norm that we expect kids to do. Which means that if kids are reading at
about 60 words a minute they comprehend the text.
In second grade we expect kids to read about 90 words per minute.
At the end of third grade we expect them to read 120 words per minute. All these fluent reading rates tell us when kids are
meeting those standards they're likely comprehending the text. And so, that's an important test of standards that we use
to make sure kids are reading fluently.
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Something to strive for…
Fluency is both a way of indexing, of getting a sense for how kids are reading and whether or not they're being successful, but it's also an outcome, it's also something we want to strive for. And the way to think about it is think about kids
doing a motor test, think about kids riding a bike.
And once you start riding a bike you need enough momentum
on that bike to be able to gain speed. And once you gain speed then you're off and you're rolling, assuming you can do all
the other things that are necessary to riding a bike.
So fluency is no different. You have to have some momentum with the text that carries you along. If you're not facile with the text, if you're not reading the text in a way that you can move through the individual letters and so on, then you're not going to be fluent and most likely you're not going to comprehend.
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NASA Aerospace Scholars – A collection of outstanding programs including the Middle School Aerospace Scholars, the High School Aerospace Scholars, National Community College Aerospace Scholars, Texas Community Aerospace Scholars, and Texas Aerospace Scholars Internship program.
NASA Educators Online Network – A professional learning community, open to present and future K-12 STEM educators, scientists, engineers, and other professionals who want to support STEM teachers in their important work.
NASA INSPIRE – The Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, or INSPIRE, is a multi tier year-round program designed for students in ninth to 12th grade who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education and careers.
The Pre-Service Teacher Institute – The Pre-Service Teacher Institute is a summer residential session for Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Middle School Education (K-8) majors preparing to teach in an elementary or middle school classroom.
NASA Summer of Innovation – This new NASA project is designed to improve the skills and enhance the engagement of American students in STEM.
NASA WISH – NASA wants you to become the engineers, scientists, researchers and innovators of tomorrow. This program immerses female high school juniors in learning as they become members of the interactive online community WISH.
Career Girls – Career guidance and inspirational videos to help girls of all income levels and ethnic backgrounds to think big about their futures.
Girl Scouts – Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouting helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.
Girl Up – Girl Up envisions a world where all girls around the world, have the opportunity to become educated, healthy, safe, counted and positioned to be the next generation of leaders.
Girls Inc. – Girls Incorporated is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and boldSM through a network of local organizations in the United States and Canada. Girls Inc develops research-based informal education programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges.
10 x 10 – 10×10 is a global movement for girls’ education – a film and social action campaign. People working together to change girls’ lives. Educating girls breaks the cycle of poverty and changes the world. We’ll give you easy, interesting ways to stay involved.
Sally Ride Science – Sally Ride Science™ is an innovative science education company. Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, founded the company to educate, engage, and inspire all students. The company brings science to life through pioneering professional development, instructional solutions, and real-science investigations for grades 4-8.
Society of Women Engineers – SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders.
Like the information above? Want to use it as a flyer for an event? Click here or on the QR Code below to find a PDF flyer with all the info needed to get you to “Aspire to Inspire”! Click here to get the printer friendly black and white copy of the same document.


Indigenous languages are under attack yet again. The federal budget, released on May 13, includes a substantial reduction of A$9.5 million over four years for the Indigenous Languages Support Programme (ILS), which will now be funded at A$11.1 million a year. The ILS assists language-related initiatives across Australia and provides important employment opportunities for Indigenous communities.
The Review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory, released the day after the budget, also has as one of its principle recommendations that the primary school curriculum be delivered (only) in English.
That’s despite the many submissions to the review process arguing for the benefits of bilingual education for children whose first language is not English. Research shows clearly that bilingual education, which combines a first language and English, is the best way to teach Indigenous children how to be literate and competent in English – a view also held by indigenous educators.
The most recent blows for Indigenous languages come despite the fact that an enormous body of evidence, as outlined below, highlights the importance of Indigenous languages for the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people.
The 2012 federal government inquiry into language learning in Indigenous communities produced the Our Land, Our Languages report, which has as its first recommendation that:
the Commonwealth government include in the Closing the Gap framework acknowledgement of the fundamental role and importance of Indigenous languages in preserving heritage and improving outcomes for Indigenous people.
This is supported by recent studies showing that Indigenous youth who speak an Indigenous language have substantially better physical and emotional wellbeing, engage far less in risky drug and alcohol use, and have lower rates of suicide.
But if Indigenous languages are so central to improving outcomes for Indigenous people, and can have such significant impacts on health and wellbeing, why are they not supported by government and educational policy?
The answer lies in the monolingual mindset that grips much of mainstream Australia (and, indeed, most of the English-speaking world). This mindset sees monolingualism, in English, as the norm and the ideal.
Comments along these lines are easy to find on any website that talks about Indigenous or minority languages, including the following two, prompted by an excellent buzzfeed post about languages in Australia:
I personally think the world should try to blend eventually to a single language. Wouldn’t everything be so much easier? It makes perfect sense for all of us worldwide to speak together … I don’t understand why people are so against the idea. (Tommy Holland, 18/2/2014)
I don’t find it inherently bad that most people can communicate in English in Australia. Speaking a common language promotes mutual understanding and harmony. (Sage Stone, 18/2/2014)
What this common view misses is that people can communicate in the same language without it being their only language. Speaking multiple languages is a common human condition, and one that the human brain is very well-equipped to handle. Across the world, speaking multiple languages is the norm.
Monolingual English speakers (such as many of us in Australia) are in the overwhelming minority: there are now significantly more people who speak English as a second, third or fourth language, than as a first (and only) language.
The misplaced monolingual bias of mainstream Australia drives a devaluing of Indigenous languages in public policy. It assumes Indigenous people need to make a choice between speaking an Indigenous language and engaging with mainstream Australia.
Speaking an Indigenous language is seen as a deficit; a problem to be fixed, and an impediment to interacting with English-speaking Australians. This then leads policy makers to attribute failings in the education of Indigenous children to the languages they speak, or to treat language-related programs as expendable despite the well-established benefits to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people.
Putting Indigenous Australians in this position threatens their cultural safety, challenges their sense of identity and belonging, and reinforces a feeling of isolation from mainstream Australian society and culture.
The best way to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages have the opportunity to participate in mainstream Australia is to support their traditional languages.
English for Indigenous Australians needs to be seen as an addition rather than a replacement. Indigenous Australians don’t need to make a choice between speaking their own languages and engaging with mainstream Australian society: it is possible for them – as with anyone – to do both.
Children who grow up speaking an Indigenous language are more likely to learn English and English literacy in a bilingual educational program than an English-only program. Supporting Indigenous communities to continue to speak their own languages, while also providing opportunities to learn English as an additional language, will ultimately lead to more equitable outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
The first step is to change the monolingual mindset of policy makers and the Australian community. Only then will we be able to truly close the gap.


Were you a parent who played your favorite music while your baby was in the womb, hoping they’d come into the world with an appreciation of the recording artists, musicians, and singers you love?
You’ve probably heard about the studies that show the many benefits of music education for youngsters. Music seems to help with language comprehension (lyrics), math concepts (rhythm and beats), motor skills (moving hands, arms and feet to the music), and confidence for young and old alike.
When, then, is “the best time” to start music lessons for your kids? At Musicians in Motion in Charlotte, we’d say you’re never too young to start.
One of the main ways little kids gain exposure to music is through their parents singing to them, rocking them back and forth to the beat, and showing them different instruments in person. When your child is in their first year of life, it’s a great time to initially expose them to music.
Since children develop at different speeds, you’ll generally have an idea when your child is ready for lessons. Does little Bobby bang pots and pans all the time? Does little Suzie sit at your piano and play with the keys? When you play an instrument, are your child’s eyes transfixed on it? If so, chances are your child will gravitate to a lifetime of music appreciation.
Ideally, if your child shows interest in music, you can start them in music lessons when they’re 3-years-old. Typically, at that age, they can handle about a half hour of “instruction.”
Most parents seem to start their children’s music lessons between ages 5 and 12. They can have one-on-one instruction or group lessons, and oftentimes teachers make “a game of it,” to hold their attention. Some songs little kids can master singing or playing (on an instrument) include “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The older they get, the more apt they are to expand their musical repertoire, and before long they’ll be in high school marching bands, musicals, and rock bands.
If you think your child seems destined to play a certain musical instrument, it’s a good idea to start them with lessons for that instrument at age 7 or 8. That is “prime learning time,” when kids pick up new skills quickly.
While elementary schools often teach basic music education, it’s a good idea to supplement their learning with individual lessons. At Musicians in Motion, our teachers give lessons in the comfort of your own home. Children look forward to their teacher coming over and showing them new songs to sing and play.
Sometimes kids try learning an instrument only to discover they hate it. That’s fine and normal. They usually discover a different instrument soon after, and attempt to play that one. By the time high school comes around, your child will be somewhat set on what they want to accomplish musically.
One of the best things about music lessons at an early age is this: your child will have a lifetime of enjoyment, being able to join music groups and bands when they’re older. We even have a local popular band that performs solely at Senior Homes. Playing music can be the highlight of your child’s life for years to come.
While it’s great to “start ‘em young,” any age is a good age to take music lessons. If you live in the Charlotte area, contact Musicians in Motion to see what we offer.
Post by David Lebel


Keywords: behavior, function, harmonic analysis, kinship, notation, province, quality, roman numerals, Gregory Proctor, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Hugo Riemann
Abstract: Although the impact and pervasiveness of function in tonal theory today is undeniable, a single, unambiguous definition of the term has yet to be agreed upon. This is because function comprises at least four distinct aspects, which, when all called by the same name (function), create ambiguity, confusion and contradiction. In a response to David Kopp's challenge to "more clearly articulate and differentiate the myriad concepts which function has come to represent," a solution to this problem of ambiguity is proposed: the elimination of the term function. In place of function, four new terms—kinship, quality, province and behavior—are invoked, each uniquely corresponding to one of the four aspects of function identified in the article. The meanings of these new terms are elucidated by such harmonic topics as secondary dominants and six-four paradigms. An analytic notation is developed for behavior, in particular, which is used in conjunction with two standard types of harmonic analysis to form a three-fold system of analysis that yields a broader range of explanations for harmony characteristics.
Keywords: choral conductors, high school education, rehearsal techniques, vocal health, vocal modeling
Abstract: High school choral educators are prone to potential vocal fatigue and damage after rehearsing up to four hours each day. Through survey and research, the author focuses on three practices that may lead to problems in the vocal health of these conductors. This article provides suggestions for dealing with hydration, rehearsal space acoustics and vocal modeling.
Keywords: eurhythmics, movement, music classroom activities, music education, music education of young children, rhythm, Emile Jacques-Dalcroze
Abstract: This article explores Dalcroze Eurhythmics and its use in music theory education, both at a young age and at the college level. The author shares her own research and experiences as an instructor and presents Dalcroze activities that can be incorporated into the music classroom. The exercises discussed address visual, aural, and kinesthetic learning styles. Topics include solfege syllables, rhythmic solfege, interval training, active listening, phrasing, chord building and chord resolution.
Descriptive Terminology and Musical Elephants: A Critical Analysis of the Labels Non-chord Tone, Non-harmonic Tone, Melodic Embellishment, Rhythmic Embellishment, Embellishing Tone and Tone of Figuration; and a Proposal for a Three-part Framework for Discussing Elephants
Keywords: appoggiatura, embellishing tone, melodic embellishment, non-chord tone, non-harmonic tone, ornamentation, rhythmic embellishment, tone of figuration, Clendinning and Marvin, Kostka and Payne, Laitz, Piston, Ottman
Abstract: The labels used by textbook authors to describe non-harmonic tones, ornamentations, tone of figurations, etc. elevate a local description of a specific feature—rhythm, melody or harmony—to the status of a global descriptor in the same way that each blind man in the parable describes the whole elephant with an observation made upon a single body part. The labels non-chord tone and non-harmonic tone imply that elephants are harmonic events. Labels such as melodic embellishment or tone of figuration emphasize the melodic characteristics of elephants. The more obscure rhythmic embellishment elevates the rhythmic characteristics of an elephant. While these labels may function on a local level, their use as global labels for the totality of elephant behavior disregards two out of the following three musical frames: melody, harmony and rhythm. In this article I advance a methodology adapted from the approach to non-harmonic tones in Ottman's Elementary Harmony, in which elephants are discussed through a three-part framework of melody, harmony and rhythm.


The Contributions of Thomas Edison to Music Education
With the invention of the phonograph in 1877, Thomas Edison initiated an expansion of the musical experience. His device provided new learning opportunities for both amateur and professional musicians, in addition to people who claimed no musical background. Advertised as a musical educator, Edison’s phonograph instructed families in the home and children at school. As a result of the recording feature of Edison’s machine, distinct new methods of studying music emerged. Recordings, for example, were utilized to facilitate distance instruction, and the Edison School Phonograph offered music educators the ability to record their pupils. Recording at home, moreover, was marketed with publications that included detailed descriptions and instructive pictures of recording techniques.
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George F. Root (1820-1895) was one of the most successful American composers of the 19th century. He was well known for his patriotic songs written during the Civil War. "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (the boys are marching!") and “Battle Cry of Freedom” are two of his best known tunes. The tune of “Tramp!” was also used as "Jesus Loves the Little Children". “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” can be heard throughout Ken Burns’ film: The Civil War. Listen to both by clicking the links:
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! or Jesus Loves the Little Children
The Battle Cry of Freedom
Root was born in 1820 in Sheffield, Massachusetts and moved to North Reading when he was six years old. As a young teen he could play many instruments and dreamed of being a musician. At 18 he moved to Boston where he studied under George Webb, founder of the Boston Academy of Music and organist at Boston’s Old South Church for over 40 years. Mason was also very active in arranging music conventions and supporting normal institutes, through which he trained countless public school music teachers and perpetuated his philosophy of teaching and music.
In 1850 Root made a music study tour of Europe, staying in Vienna, Paris, and London. He returned to teach music in Boston, as an associate of Lowell Mason at Boston’s Academy of Music. In 1851, Root began composing. By the early 1850s musical conventions had become established features in all parts of the country. Mr. Root conducted several such enterprises, including convening one at the Smithsonian Institution at Washington.
Root helped organize the first Normal Musical Institute, held in New York in 1853, and quickly became a leader in raising the standards of music education. In late 1855or early 1856, Root and his family moved back to Willow Farm in North Reading, where he continued his writing and convention activities. In 1856 Root developed a more permanent organization known as the ‘Normal Musical Institute”. With the assistance of Dr. Mason and J.G. Webb the North Reading Institute was created and became known far and wide. It was held in the Third Meeting House on the Common through 1859. Guests attending concerts included Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher.
An autograph album of the Normal Music Institute (North Reading, Mass.) was kept by Emory L. Smith, probably a student, during a music convention held there in August, 1861. A fine example of a musical autograph album, Smith had the teachers and selected students sign the book, and many provided brief musical quotations. Smith pasted photographs of five participants onto the pages with their signatures: the composers Lowell Mason, George F. Root, and George B. Loomis, and two fellow students, James H. Lansley and Lewis Story.
Besides his popular songs, he also composed gospel songs, and collected and edited volumes of choral music for singing schools, Sunday schools, church choirs and musical institutes. He also composed various sacred and secular cantatas which were popular on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 19th century.
In the 1880s and 1890s Root wrote as series of dramatic cantatas for children, most with texts by his daughter, Clara Louise Burnham, all meant to be staged.
George Frederick Root died at his summer home on Bailey Island, Maine in 1895. He is interred in the Harmony Vale Cemetery, on Chestnut St., North Reading Massachusetts.
Click this link for my favorite of his hymns: Ring the Bells of Heaven
Cyber-hymnal George F. Root
Hall, J.H., Biography of Gospel. Song and Hymn Writers. New York. Fleming H. Revell Company 1900.
Smith, Emory L. Normal Music Institute (North Reading, Mass.) Autograph Album. 1861 August 14-20. William L. Clements Library. The University of Michigan. Photographs Division. A.1.33.
Hubbard. W.L. Editor. The American History and Encyclopedia of Music. Pp. 187-8 Google Books