Supporting the classroom and beyond.
The education landscape is continually changing, from the way students learn, to how teachers share ideas with each other to improve the learning experience. We help leaders in education explore new ways to leverage technology that encourages students and educators to make better choices and improve outcomes.
Online opportunities for elementary education include learning libraries of project-based experiences and modules that are self-paced and offer variety and choice in activities and topics. Tools allow teachers and students to collaborate to create unique learnings experiences.
Online hubs for high school students and teachers are designed to engage innovation in education with a library of curriculum resources, professional learning modules, and tools for collaboration. Educators share and develop creative solutions to learning challenges and drive stronger outcomes.
Higher education portals help web visitors and registered users to navigate postsecondary school selection of colleges, universities, and associate degrees and find ways to pay for education in order to make informed decisions to reach educational and career goals.
Finding the Right Place to Learn
Sometimes the only thing holding someone back from a good education is knowing where to look. See how the Office of Higher Education points Minnesotans in the right direction.


Dilemma A: Medication
Mr. Garrison is a third-grade teacher in a local elementary school. One of the students he teaches in his classroom is Javier. Javier was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the first grade. Javier does not require the services of the special education teacher; however, at the time he was diagnosed, his doctor and parents decided to put Javier on medication to help with his ADHD. Javier’s parents are now divorced, and he lives with his mother during the week and stays with his father on the weekends. Javier’s father and doctor still believe the medication is essential to help him succeed in school. Javier’s mother and father disagree about everything. She has begun to withhold Javier’s medication. Javier’s father still gives his son the medication when he stays with him on the weekends. As a result of the inconsistent medication Javier has had difficulty paying attention in class, completing assignments, controlling aggressive behavior, and interacting with his peers. Mr. Garrison knows the importance of consistency in following medication protocols.
Dilemma B: Professional Behavior
Ms. Lina teaches ninth grade English. She gives the class directions for a writing assignment that is to be completed by the end of the period. Josh is not paying attention and missed the directions. He frequently bothers his classmates by humming, tapping his pen, reminding them of the rules or speaking out of turn. He asks for the directions to be repeated. The other students in the class begin to make fun of Josh and ridicule him for not paying attention once again. Ms. Linda, feeling
frustrated because she is asked to repeat the instructions once again, continues passing out materials and ignores Josh and the other students.
Dilemma C: Petty Behavior
Ms. Garcia and Ms. Ming are both sixth-grade English teachers. Ms. Garcia, a new teacher at the school, has additional certification in gifted education. Ms. Ming has been a certified English teacher for a number of years. Ms. Ming has been overheard making negative comments about Ms. Garcia’s teaching ability and about Ms. Garcia personally in the faculty lounge. Mr. Daniels, the sixth-grade history teacher, has heard Ms. Ming making negative comments about Ms. Garcia on more than one occasion, and he knows that these comments are false. He also knows that Ms. Ming has been angry that Ms. Garcia was asked to teach the advanced English class. This is a class Ms. Ming had expressed a desire to teach. He believes this contributes to her negativity toward Ms. Garcia.
Dilemma D: Possible Learning Disability
Mrs. Michaels has been a fourth-grade elementary education teacher for 5 years. She has just attended a meeting about one of her students with a parent, a special education teacher, and a special education coordinator. This student had been diagnosed years ago by a medical doctor as having several childhood illnesses and frequent ear infections. Mrs. Michaels is concerned that this student may also have a learning disability that affects her success in the fourth-grade classroom. She has spoken to this student’s parent a number of times, and the parent agrees that her child may need further testing. At this meeting, the special education coordinator informs the parent that while her child may in fact be having difficulty with school, she is not the lowest- achieving student in her class. She tells the parent that if she wants her child to be tested her best course of action would be to take the child to a private psychologist and pay for the testing herself. This would expedite the process. Additionally, the administrator informed the parent that if she elected to wait to have her daughter tested by the school district, they could not tell her when they could complete the testing and make an eligibility decision. Furthermore, the delay in testing could be as long as one year. Mrs. Michaels is aware of the laws and regulations supporting special education and the timelines that are to be followed.
Overview: You are requested to select one of the above mentioned dilemmas and to write your opinion about it.


Particular training refers to unconventional training services designed to cater to the wants of people suffering from bodily and psychological drawbacks similar to bodily handicaps, sensory (visible and listening to) impairments, mental capacity (psychological retardation and autism), learning disabilities (reading and writing expertise), speech impairment and people with conduct disorders. This might mean hiring a instructor certified in a subject apart from special schooling, an intern with just a few weeks of training, or—in the most excessive cases—a instructor on an emergency credential who has no training in anyway. Trainer Certification Levels receives a advertising and marketing fee from companies working with faculties and universities which can be introduced with our “Find Schools” buttons.
The Council for Exceptional Youngsters – An advocacy association for particular education, this website supplies information about skilled improvement, insurance policies and standards within the field, and different useful assets for special education teachers.
In addition they require completing a trainer preparation program and supervised experience in teaching. With the intention to begin the year with all vacancies crammed, she employed an intern to show a particular training class for college students with reasonable to extreme learning disabilities.
Compliance with laws requiring free public schooling for college kids with disabilities ought to end in some jobs. A few of these lecturers major in elementary education or a content space, corresponding to math or chemistry, and minor in special schooling. Some academics additionally use varied assistive know-how aids, comparable to Braille writers and laptop software program that helps them communicate with students.
Lecturers also meet with dad and mom, school directors, and counselors to discuss updates and adjustments to the IEPs. Nonetheless, total employment growth of particular schooling academics will rely on authorities funding. A special schooling instructor works with kids of various ages, selling and managing their development together with their special needs.


Students with ASD who have significant speech and language delays enter our school system each year. It is often challenging to determine how best to include them in typical learning activities in primary classrooms (Grades K – 3). We are frequently asked for advice on how best to address literacy development and have compiled the following tips you may find helpful:
“Readiness” may look different in the student with ASD than it does in typical students. We have seen students with no spoken language and a limited ability to follow verbal directions learn to read simple patterned books and follow written directions on worksheets. The “readiness” signals we saw in one of these students was an ability to recognize the DVD covers of his favourite videos and to enjoy copying the names of them on pieces of paper. Other readiness signals you might see could include being able to point to pictures in a book when they are named, showing an interest in (or obsession with!) the alphabet, or showing an ability to recognize logos (e.g. getting excited when seeing the “Golden Arches” symbol for McDonald’s in an advertisement). Being able to match pictures to real objects or to other pictures or being able to draw a representation of something he or she has seen, can also indicate readiness.
Top down and visual
Most readers with autism with whom we have worked, do better when the material being presented as a “literacy” activity is meaningful and motivating to them. Although some children are fascinated with letters and even letter sounds, they may not move beyond that stage if they are not shown how to combine these letters to make words. And they won’t be interested in doing that, unless the words themselves represent something that is meaningful and motivating to them. Several good reading programs for children with special needs, including Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome by Patricia Oelwein, recommend top down, visual approaches to literacy instruction. In other words, teaching sight words may be the place to start with your student. And, having him match the words to pictures may need to replace having him read the words aloud. Alphabet knowledge and phonemic awareness may need to come later.
As with most typical learners, instruction should be provided systematically. Create personal word dictionaries and review them regularly. Document the words the student can reliably recognize. Create simple patterned books using photographs (e.g. I can run. I can jump. I can swim., etc.). Add new words incrementally, using the child’s interests as much as possible. Create practice activities in motivating formats (e.g. Concentration, Go Fish). Label the environment and provide access to lots of interesting and functional reading activities to promote generalization. At some point, if reading and writing are to become fluent and generative the student will need to learn the sounds and letters of the alphabet. Olewein recommends starting with initial consonants and simple word families once the child has 50 to 100 sight words they reliably recognize.
Although not all students with autism will learn to read novels, many more students with minimal verbal skills can learn to read functional material than was previously thought. When we are creative and systematic, and when we make our literacy activities meaningful and motivating, we can be successful in teaching reading to very challenged students with ASD.
For more information:
You can also find some great tools and information at the following websites:
http://www.filefolderheaven.com has lots of free printables for literacy activities.
http://www.educateautism.com/ also lots of free printables and ideas.
http://tarheelreader.org/ On this site you can find free downloadable electronic books, some with voice output, and also some tools that allow you to create your own personalized books.
https://www.freereading.net/Free reading is a high quality, open source, free reading intervention program for grades Pre-K to 6.
http://www.senteacher.org/Print/ Games and activities… free and printable. Emotions and more.
Teaching Reading to Children With Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Teachers (Topics in Down Syndrome) Paperback – February 1, 1995
Joyful Learning: Active and Collaborative Learning in Inclusive Classrooms 1st Edition
Land We Can Share: Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism 1st Edition


This course is a history of the early Church, spanning from its origins to the Council of Chalcedon [kâl’-sĭ-dən] in A.D. 451. Along with a general overview, special attention will be paid to the notable people, movements, and traditions that have created a rich heritage for the modern day Church.
There will also be discussion of some notable fables that have emerged, such as “The DaVinci Code,” and other revisionist history.
Studying church history gives believers foundation, frees us from the limited view of the present, and helps us better understand the Lord Jesus Christ. Be enriched by one of our most popular courses: The History of the Early Church (HT510).
- Provide general knowledge of the growth and changes in the early Christian Church. (Knowledge)
- Cite examples of early Church beliefs, practices, and controversies in comparison to various modern day issues. (Application)
- Explain similarities and differences of notable people and movements. (Comprehension and Evaluation)
- Distinguish between the doctrines of the Eastern and Western Churches. (Analysis and Synthesis)
- Contrast factual history with revisionist fables. (Analysis and Synthesis)
- Categorize and evaluate the overriding motifs of the early Church. (Synthesis and Evaluation)
ABOUT DR. STANLEY FLEMING
Dr. Stanley Fleming has been in ministry for over 30 years as Christian educator, lead pastor, and mission’s pastor. Besides teaching on the history of the early church, he is the author of several apologetic books.
He is the president of Gate Breaker Ministries (GBM), a mobile ministry, through which he has ministered in dozens of countries. GBM has started two churches and eighteen schools in Pakistan. Six of the schools are for disadvantaged women and twelve are for slave children who are forced to work twelve hours a day in brick yards. GBM has also helped to start a Bible college for pastors in Kenya.
He earned a bachelor’s degree, majoring in Elementary Education, from the University of Nevada in Reno, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and a Doctorate of Practical Ministry from Northwest Graduate School of the Ministry in Kirkland, Washington. Besides being on our faculty, Dr. Fleming is also on the faculty of Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach, OR.
- Lectures 0
- Quizzes 0
- Duration 10 hours
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 0
- Assessments Yes


A Woman’s Place is in the House (and Senate!) by Annie McMahon Whitlock
Whether we like it or not, the 2016 election is already everywhere we look—and no doubt our students will have questions as they are inundated with information for the next year and a half. There is a need for resources that teachers can use to teach about government and the election process that is unbiased. Learning about the inspiring women who have served in Congress (both Democrats and Republicans) can be a great place to start.
This is why A Woman in the House (and Senate) by Ilene Cooper (published in 2014) is a great non-fiction book to have in a classroom library for upper elementary, middle, or high school students. The book consists of several short chapters that progress chronologically through time, highlighting important women elected to the House of Representatives and Senate in different decades. This includes amazing stories about such trailblazing women like Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first female representative in the country who was elected before women were given the right to vote in the Constitution. The book also features important women like Martha Wright Griffiths, who worked for equal pay for equal work; Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian representative; and Shirley Chrisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress. There’s information about famous “first” ladies like Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman on a presidential ticket; Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the House; and Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential candidate. Each chapter focuses on the challenges each woman faced relative to the context of how the world was viewing women in politics at that moment in time. It is inspiring to read their stories of how they overcame these challenges and fought hard to serve our country.
The short chapters make it easy to read this book with students in sections (either aloud or with small groups) rather than reading it cover to cover. One strength of the book is the extensive supporting information included. There is an Appendix with more short text on civics concepts like “how a bill is passed,” “impeachment,” and “women’s suffrage.” There is a complete list of all of the women who have ever been elected to Congress, and an extensive bibliography of sources for teachers and students to learn more about each person features. Bold photographs are on nearly every page. This is a great example of a book teachers could use to teach about the characteristics of non-fiction text, but they could (and should) use this for much more than that. A Woman in the House can be used as a resource for writing bibliographies of these amazing women, or to spur discussion about gender disparities that still exist today.
Hopefully in our students’ lifetimes there will be a female president. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to do. Only five current governors are female, and even today only 18.5% of Congress is female. A Woman in the House doesn’t shy away from this statistic, encouraging everyone who reads this to think about the lack of diversity in our government. In addition to inspiring, perhaps it can influence some students to think, speak, and act.
Annie McMahon Whitlock is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at the University of Michigan-Flint. She serves on the National Council for Social Studies’ Notable Trade Books Committee, who chooses the best books published each year that can be used for teaching social studies. She reviews these books on Twitter (@AnnieWhitlock) and on Goodreads.
Excellent! Thank you, Annie!
This would near have crossed my path if not for the Nerdy Book Club! That you!
Great. Thanks for sharing this Annie. I will defintely check it out.


Students learn estimated division with decimal numbers.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
The students learn estimated division with decimal numbers with 3 or more decimal places.
Students will be able to estimate quotients with decimal numbers with 3 or more decimal places.
You have the students practice rounding, by asking them which pond the swan should be dragged to. Also ask how they know this.
First you explain what the dividend, the divisor, and the approximately equals sign are. Then you tell the students that with estimated division you always look for a dividend that is divisible by the divisor. Next you show estimation step by step. Explain that you first think of which numbers are divisible by the divisor. Find the outcome that is the closest to the dividend. After that you can solve the problem. Explain that you need to stay as close as possible to the dividend. This way, you will be closer to the exact answer. After this the students practice choosing the correct estimated quotient. Also explain why certain estimated division problems are not possible, because they will not give a whole number (for example, you can't round 68.911 ÷ 6 to 70 ÷ 6, but you can round it is 66 ÷ 6). Next the students are going to estimate quotients on their own. For this, explain that sometimes you also need to round the divisor, if it is also a decimal number. For this, start by looking for a good estimated division problem. Show this step by step. After that, have the students estimate division problems on their own, and ask how they rounded. Next discuss whether the exact answers are more or less than the estimate. Have the students reason how you can know this. Then recall the meaning of the symbols < and >.
Check whether the students can estimate quotients by asking them the following question:
- What do you do with the decimal number if you want to estimate a quotient?
The students test their understanding of estimated division with decimal numbers with 3 or more decimal places, through ten exercises. In some of the exercises, they much choose the correct estimated division problem. In others, they must make an estimate of the answer.
You discuss once again with the students that it is important to be able to estimate quotients with decimal numbers, because then you quickly know approximately how much you can divide a number by. Check whether the students can estimate quotients by dragging the problems to the correct boxes.
When students have difficulty with estimated division with decimal numbers with 3 or more decimal places, first practice finding a good estimated division problem. To do this, have the students write down the outcomes of the table of the divisor.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


Are you searching for instructional materials to support foundational skills instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Sadlier’s From Phonics to Reading.
Sadlier’s From Phonics to Reading is a comprehensive phonics program, intended to supplement literacy instruction in Grades K-3. The core instructional material consists of teacher and student books, available in print or eBook format, and additional digital materials provided on the program platform.
The goal of the program is to support students as they become readers by providing explicit and systematic foundational skills instruction. The material provides explicit and systematic phonics instruction reflective of the Science of Teaching Reading. It employs consistent instructional routines and lesson sequences, beginning with alphabetic knowledge and progressing to more advanced foundational reading skills, such as encoding, compound words, and suffixes and prefixes.


For children turning 3 years old during year enrolled
Our Nursery 1 programmes are tailored for children between the ages of 3 and 4 years old. The main learning objectives of the programme include:
- Language and literacy development: Children learn to recognize letters, sounds, and words, and develop the skills they need to read and write.
- Numeracy: Children learn to recognize numbers, count, and understand basic concepts of math such as shapes, patterns and measurement.
- Social and emotional development: Children learn to interact with other children and adults, share, take turns, and express their emotions appropriately.
- Cognitive development: Children learn to explore their environment, solve problems, and develop their memory and attention skills.
- Physical development: Children learn to engage in gross and fine motor activities, such as climbing, jumping, running, and drawing.
- Self-care: Children learn to take care of themselves, such as dressing themselves, washing their hands, and brushing their teeth.
- Creativity and self-expression: Children learn to express themselves through art, music, and movement, and to engage in imaginative play.
- Early science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts: Children learn about the world around them through observation, experimentation, and inquiry-based activities.


Children and Music: Why Music is Important in Early Childhood Learning
Music brings out the best in people. It is the best way to express feelings and emotions. More than that, music is also one of the best tools in early childhood learning.
Napa School of Music offers music lessons for preschools called “Music Together”. As a private music school established with a strong foundation, they offer high-quality music lessons to families in Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, not just to teens and adults, but also to children of preschool ages. Their Music Together lesson believes that every child can learn to sing in tune and keep a beat.
Having second thoughts about engaging your children to learn music? Music, as a special tool in early childhood learning, has wonderful benefits to children’s learning abilities and skills.
Music Improves Intellect and Brain Functions
Music is more than just tune and beat. In fact, children who are musically-inclined have improved intellectual skills and brain functions. Music is the best way to improve language development and it can also improve the child’s memory because it has a rhythm that activates the brain’s ability to focus and retain memories, hence the “Mozart Effect”.
Music Helps Children Understand Teamwork and Discipline
Through Napa School of Music’s preschool lessons, children will know the value of discipline, friendship, and teamwork. Their music lessons require discipline when singing and playing instruments. Although they also have private lessons, they encourage you to let your children come to classes and improve their social skills, thus learning the essence of teamwork.
Music: A Source of Self-Confidence
If your children are enjoying their music and enjoying the friendship and teamwork they built with the other participants, they will gain self-confidence and self-esteem that will allow them to believe in themselves.
Help your children understand the importance of music. Enroll them now at Napa School of Music!


Academic Intervention Services
Academic Intervention Services are supplemental services provided through Title I funding to help students who are experiencing academic difficulties. The program provides identified, targeted students with additional instruction and services by a certified teacher as part of a regularly scheduled program. Students are identified based on multiple measures such as NYS ELA assessment scores, NWEA scores, the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment and/or daily classroom participation and performance.
Supplemental instruction is closely aligned with the district's reading program. Research-based strategies are used to teach and reinforce reading, writing, speaking, listening, as well as critical thinking skills.
Criteria for Academic Intervention Services
Each year schools are required by state law to test, identify, and remediate all students who score a one or a two on any of the New York State tests. These tests include English, social studies or science. Your child may also be recommended by the classroom teacher if the teacher is concerned about your child’s progress in any of these subjects.
The goal of the program is to help students acquire and apply foundational skills, comprehension strategies and writing skills that will enable them to be successful in the classroom. It is expected that each student will make a year’s growth in reading/writing as determined by standardized test scores at the end of the year. Students who continue to struggle or do not make sufficient progress throughout the year may be referred to the Response to Intervention Team to determine if the student may need additional support and/or testing.
Depending on your child’s needs, our program offers classes that range between one and five days a week. Each class is a minimum of thirty minutes long.
Exiting the Program
Services are discontinued when a student demonstrates growth in reading as determined by state exams, teacher recommendation, classwork and parent input. While most students participate for a minimum of a year, students who make rapid progress may exit at any time.


Join live or receive a link to the recording and earn a CE certificate
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Teaching Numeracy to Young Children: A Responsive and Differentiated Approach
Thursday, January 28, 2016 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
Presented by Brian Mowry, M.A., Early Childhood Mathematics Consultant and Specialist
Sponsored by Frog Street Press
This webinar presented a research-supported scope and sequence for teaching young children concepts related to number sense. Mathematics specialist Brian Mowry delivered practical tips for:
- small number recognition of quantities to 3
- small number recognition supported through meaningful counting with quantities up to 5
- synchronized and organized counting with sets up to 10
- conceptual subitizing of quantities to 10 and connection of numerals to quantities 1- 10
- comparison of quantities 1-10 via counting
- modeling the joining of sums to 10 and finding differences (separating) within 10
Mr. Mowry reviewed engaging whole group instructional content and activities appropriate for all developmental levels represented within one classroom. He discussed how to differentiate within small groups and individualize instruction following the scope and sequence presented in the above topics so that each child can practice at a level commensurate to their skill set and development.
Join the Early Childhood Learning Solutions community to participate in online discussions with peers, for invitations to upcoming webinars, to view past webinar recordings, to take a quiz and receive a CE certificate for a past webinar, and for access to more resources.
Brian Mowry has devoted the past 24 years of his professional career to the education of young children. In addition to teaching bilingual prekindergarten and kindergarten for 11 years in the Austin Independent School District, Mr. Mowry has served as a district level mathematics specialist for K-5th grade. He is currently working as the district’s early childhood preschool curriculum specialist– a position which allows him to write curriculum and deliver professional development for 350 full-day preschool teachers. Outside of public education, Mr. Mowry is the senior author of the Frog Street Mathematics Pre-K program and has presented at numerous state and national conferences, including NAEYC and NCTM. He has earned various awards, including Teacher of the Year, the Austin Association for the Education Of Young Children’s 2011 Teacher Educator of the Year, and Austin’s E3 Alliance 2015 Architect of Educational Change for his work in promoting kindergarten readiness in the Central Texas region. He is currently completing his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin where he has co-authored scholarly articles in professional journals such as Young Children and Principal.
A CE certificate will be emailed to live attendees within 24 hours of the live event.
If you miss the live session, a link to view the recording will be sent within 24 hours of the live event.
Frog Street is dedicated to continually improving programs and products based on current research and input from early childhood classroom educators and caregivers.


- 01/05/18 | Adjusted: 04/13/20 | 4 files
- Grades K-2
Foundational Skills Mini-Course: Module 7 - Assessment
The Foundational Skills Mini-Course dives into the content of literacy foundational skills, with an emphasis on phonological awareness, phonics, and how these connect to early reading. Instructional guidelines and concrete recommendations for teacher practice are also explored.
The goals for this module are to:
- Explain why assessment is critical to then teaching of foundational skills.
- Identify ways to assess daily and weekly that are swift and easy to implement in the classroom.
Please note: For any Schoology references made in the webinar video, refer to the Practice Tasks on this page.
A professional learning certificate is available for participating in this module. To receive this certificate, select the “Access On-Demand” option and complete the module as a registered participant.
The materials on this page are currently being revised to align with the Professional Learning Principles. For updates on these resources and other Achieve the Core resources, click here to subscribe.


Help Us Get One Book
Get One Book
The power of one book
Nourishing a child’s mind in the first 10 years of their life is as essential as feeding their body. New scientific research confirms that what happens to a child’s brain in their earliest years shapes the adults they become, the success they achieve, and the contributions they make to our economy and society. Unfortunately, too many of our kids today are not getting the nourishment they need.
Millions of kids are growing up in a Zip code where illiteracy is common and the ownership of a single book is rare.
At USA Reads, we want every child to have at least one book, so that they can begin to find the joy of reading.
6-year-old Juan is one of millions of children living in an underserved zip code in America and doesn’t own a single book. Actually,60 percent of children from low income backgrounds are facing illiteracy and a reading gap due to living in homes without a single book.
The evidence is clear. The ability to learn to read is the single most significant factor to allow a child to reach their full potential. At USA Reads, we strive to close the literacy gap and see kids discover a love and habit of reading. We are specifically focused on children from African American, Latino, ethnic minorities and low-income backgrounds.
Impact of COVID 19
We are all feeling the impact of COVID-19, and this is especially true for our children – particularly children living in poverty or in communities of color.
This pandemic affects low-income populations and communities of color the most, deepening existing inequalities and further polarizing early childhood literacy development.
Without school or their regular support systems, children around the world are struggling with fear, anxiety, and isolation unlike anything they have ever known – and experts agree that the emotional and psychological consequences of this will last far beyond the pandemic itself. As lifelong advocates for the social-emotional well-being of children, we at USA Reads are working harder than ever to make sure that our youngest and most vulnerable are not left behind during this crisis.
Get in touch
712 H Street NE Suite 2013
Phone number: 815-451-5561
North America World Literacy Foundation 501 (c) 3 EIN 46-1201100
USA Reads is a national initiative of the World Literacy Foundation, a peak international charitable organization operating in USA, Canada, Latin America, United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, and Australia. www.worldliteracyfoundation.org We are striving to eradicate illiteracy by 2040, one book at a time. North America World Literacy Foundation 501 (c) 3 EIN 46-1201100


Using Art in Education to Build Better Decision Making Skills
Parents want children to succeed in life – earn well, be happy, obtain a college degree. While the goal is clear, parents are often not sure how to foster the necessary skills in their children.
While most parents and educationalists agrees that core subjects such as English and Math are essential for children to succeed academically; they also realize that children need to learn other skills such as decision making, independent thinking, and so on. These skills will help the children become leaders, innovators, and become ready to live independently.
Art in Education to Help Children Develop Decision Making Skills
Much of the basic core subjects such as English and Math, taught to children at the elementary school level, involve the following rules and steps. They are taught and expected to follow the rules of English grammar and spelling. Similarly, in Math they are expected to follow the steps to arrive at the answer, whether they are adding, subtraction, or multiplying.
While these are essential skills, this emphasis on following rules and being obedient in class can also slowly wither away decision making skills. One way to ensure that children continue to develop their ability to make decisions on their own and think independently is to enable them to participate in art class.
Plenty of Leeway
Unlike the core subjects such as English and Math, parents and teachers can provide children with much more leeway in art class. Children can and should be encouraged to choose their subject, color, and interpretation in art.
While very young children might need some guidance, they should be praised for making independent decisions and interpretations. This allows the children to understand that they should and can make their own decisions in some areas of their lives.
Multiple Benefits in Encouraging Decision Making Skills
When children are encouraged to make their own decisions, they begin to lose their fear of thinking independently. They understand that they can innovate and interpret the world around them. These skills will make the child a leader instead of a follower, but there is nothing wrong with being a follower at times. Whatever field of study or career your child chooses as an adult―the leadership qualities will ensure that they become successful in the field of their choice.
Simply encouraging your child to pursue an art form – painting, clay modeling, music, or sculpture – will open up their imagination and ensure that they receive plenty of time to exercise their decision making skills. They might make mistakes but will learn to cope with them and move on from their failures. This will help the child develop the courage to make decisions without developing an unhealthy fear of failure.
While art classes also foster a sense of aesthetics, develop fine motor skills, and help children understand and interpret the world around them, they also ensure that the child will become an independent and creative thinker and innovator. This is essential for leaders and will help the child put the core skills they learn in school to better use for society, their family, and themselves.
Playing to the Gallery
While most people think of the plastic arts such as painting and sculpting when it comes to art education, you should also take into consideration other art forms such as music that also foster a creative and independent focus. Warren Buffet, the investor, founder, and CEO of the mighty investment firm Berkshire Hathaway still entertains audiences with his skill with a ukulele. His ability to make money from his investments arises directly from his willingness to take risks, something that learning and participating in artistic activities can certainly develop.


Assessment in Music Education: Relationships between Classroom Practice and Professional Publication Topics
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between actual current assessment practices of elementary music teachers and the assessment topics as published in the literature aimed at those teachers. Specifically, this study sought to: 1) identify the current assessment techniques utilized by elementary music teachers; 2) identify the types of assessment techniques included in the current music teacher literature, and 3) identify any relationships between the assessment techniques that are most frequently utilized by teachers and those that are most frequently included in teacher-focused music education publications.
The researchers first examined data collected from the 100 elementary general music educators from the Northwestern United States who participated in a survey designed to identify the assessment practices of elementary general music teachers. The researchers next reviewed ten years (1999 – 2009) of the national publications Teaching Music and Music Educators Journal searching for articles that addressed the topic of classroom music assessment. Finally, the researchers ranked both the classroom and literature assessment techniques by frequency of use and frequency of inclusion in the literature and then examined the results in order to identify possible relationships.
The researchers found that there is a possible disconnect between the assessment strategies reported as used by the classroom music educators participating in this study and the major professional publications in the music education field.
McQuarrie, Sarah H. and Sherwin, Ronald G.
"Assessment in Music Education: Relationships between Classroom Practice and Professional Publication Topics,"
Research & Issues in Music Education: Vol. 11:
1, Article 6.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rime/vol11/iss1/6


Entrance exams for an Master’s in Special Education degree represent one of the biggest components of admission to today’s most competitive programs. These exams help admissions committees determine which applicants to the program are more likely to be successful, largely by measuring their aptitude and their dedication to studying and preparing for the exam itself. In the vast majority of cases, applicants to a Master of Special Education program will be required to submit GRE scores from a test taken within the last five years. Generally, schools enforce several requirements and measurements that help applicants prepare for the test and evaluate their admission prospects prior to even submitting the formal application.<!- mfunc feat_school ->
- Online MSEd in Special Education (Ranked #11 Best Online Master’s in Special Education Program by U.S. News & World Report 2021)
- 100% online MS in Special Education Teaching
- M.Ed. in Elementary Education and Special Education (ITL); M.Ed. in Special Education: Moderate to Severe (ITL); M.Ed. in Special Education: Cross Categorical (Leads to initial teacher licensure)
- BA Special Education (Mild to Moerate) - Leads to single licensure in K - 12 special education; MA Teaching, Special Education (K-12)
- Few things are as important to our future as helping young people reach their potential. Build your character through masters-level education degree programs at Regis University.
- Special Education, MEd
Test Score Evaluation: How GRE Scores Factor into Program Admission
There are several metrics used to determine how a GRE score reflects the applicant’s chance of success in an Master’s in Special Education program. First and foremost, schools will look at the overall GRE score earned on the highest-scoring exam and then compare that to the current percentile tables for GRE scores. Students that score above the 50th percentile are typically deemed those most likely to succeed in the program, though scoring below this benchmark is certainly not a disqualification from admission to the program.<!- mfunc search_btn -> <!- /mfunc search_btn ->
Next, schools will break out a score into its individual verbal and quantitative components, comparing the applicant’s score on each section to the score of their peers both in the program and in the general GRE pool. This helps the school determine an applicant’s strengths, especially their communication skills. These skills are critical to becoming a successful educator.
Master’s Applicant Evaluation Goes Beyond the GRE Exam Result
A high GRE score will gain applicants a bit of extra attention from the admissions committee and open the door to further consideration. However, a high or low score is not the only factor used when determining admission to the program. Indeed, most schools proudly advertise that they consider the applicant’s full profile and all of the supporting documentation that they submit with their application. This includes their undergraduate performance, their professional and academic references, and relevant work experience. Some schools even use interviews to assess the nature of an applicant’s abilities and the role that their Special Education degree will play in their professional development.
Because more and more schools are requiring supporting documents from applicants, and more applicants are applying after achieving significant professional experience, the GRE should be considered just one part of the process. Furthermore, applicants can retake the exam as many times as they want, with universities typically recommending no more than 5 attempts at mastering the GRE for best results.<!- mfunc search_btn -> <!- /mfunc search_btn ->
The GRE is Just One of Many Application Requirements
With strong test preparation, an understanding that retaking the test may boost scores, and a robust selection of supporting documents and professional recommendations, even an entrance exam requirement can be overcome by prospective Master’s students. As students consider whether or not they should be fearing required entrance exams for an Master’s in Special Education program, they’d do themselves a favor to consider studying, supplementing, and interviewing, to gain the best shot at admission no matter what their GRE score is.


Proposing A Solution Essay Topic is one that is written to give a solution to a problem or talk about ways in which something can get better. In this article, you will be receiving 66 different proposing a solution essay topic ideas on this so continue reading!
Proposing A Solution Essay Topic Ideas
- How Can Homelessness Be Solved In The American Society?
- What Can Be Done To Eliminate Racial Discrimination In Workplaces and At Schools?
- How Humans Of All Races, Religion, and Nationalities Can Learn To Tolerate Each Other
- How Parents and Guardians Can Help Raise Responsible Children
- Is Punishment The Solution To Misbehaviour In Schools?
- What Roles Speeches Play In Preserving Cultures
- How The Fight For Gender Equality Can Be Achieved
- How Juvenile Centres Can Be More Effective In Helping Erring Young People
- Is Violence The Solution To Violence?
- How To Settle Disputes Peacefully
- How Can The Human Rights of Smokers Be Respected Despite The Bans on Smoking?
- In A World of Political Correctness, How Can One Help Obese or Overweight People Without Being Offensive?
- How Can The Abuse of Drugs Be Reduced Drastically In Today’s Society?
- How Can Alcohol Intake Be Controlled?
- How Can The Media Contribute To The Promotion of A Healthy Lifestyle?
- How Can The Rate of Abortion Be Reduced Among Teenage Girls?
- In What Ways Can Parents Contribute To Improving The Mental Wellbeing Of Their Children?
- How Can The Use of Antidepressants Be Regulated In Today’s Society?
- How Can The Spread of STDs Be Drastically Reduced In Today’s Society?
- What Can Pregnant Women Do To Reduce Birth Defects?
- How Can Democracy Become More Effective?
- How Can Manipulation of Votes Be Prevented?
- Why Prisoners Should Be Allowed To Vote
- How The Government Can Help Stop Racial Discrimination
- How The Government Can Help War Veterans Overcome PTSD
- How The Government Can Predict And Control Impending Economic Crisis
- How Electoral Malpractice Can Be Prevented
- How Government Workers Can Receive Their Pensions Without Any Troubles
- What Ways Politicians Can Become More Trusted By The People
- What Can Be Done To Improve Credit Systems
- How Can Cyber-bullying Be Reduced Amongst Teenagers?
- In What Ways Can Cybercrime Be Curbed?
- How Can Cyberloafing Be Reduced Amongst Tech Workers?
- How Can A User’s Privacy Be Protected On The Internet?
- What Security Measures Can Be Put In Place To Curb Data Theft?
- What Effects Does Technology Have On Mental Health And How Can That Be Curbed?
- How Social Media Can Be Used To Harmonize Human Relationships
- How Can A User Recognize and Report A Cyberstalker
- What Ways The Internet Can Improve Literacy In Today’s Society
- How Robots Can Make Human Living Easier
- The Contribution of E-books To Modern Art
- How Graffiti Help To Preserve Cultures
- How Body Art (Tattoos and Piercings) Tell A Person’s Emotions
- How Art Education In Schools Can Be Preserved
- How The Culture of Reading Can Be Encouraged In Today’s Digital Age
- How Colors Contribute To Modern Day Art
- What Are The Ways In Which The Minority Can Express Their Art
- How Technology Contributes To Art
- What Ways Artists Can Express Their Art
- The Place of Hard Copy Books In A Digital World
- How Misbehaviour Can Be Curbed In Schools
- The Role of Parents In Raising Responsible Children
- How Sex Education Can Help Reduce The Spread of STDs and Unwanted Pregnancies
- Effective Educational Methods For Teaching Special Needs Children
- How Teachers Can Contribute To Building Self-esteem In Students
- How Parents Can Work With Teachers To Raise Responsible Citizens
- How The Government Can Help Improve The Environment For Learning In Public Schools
- Effective Digital Learning Tools For Today’s Society
- How To Help Students Reduce Control Peer Pressure
- What Ways Bullying In Schools Can Be Stopped
- How A Learning Environment Can Be Suitable Both For Teachers and Students
- How Technology Can Help Improve Fashion
- The Different Ways In Which People Can Express Their Fashion Sense
- Why Fashion Critics Can Be Wrong
- In What Ways Can One Style Dresses
- How To Improve The Mental Health of Models In The Fashion Industry


Back-to-school: Good Grades, Bad Grades for Global Education
Addis Ababa (Sept. 7, 2015) – World Vision is celebrating International Literacy Day along with communities and partners around the world. For many countries, it is time of year when many children head back to school. Since 2000 great strides have been made towards universal education for children; however, this progress is posing challenges in terms of provision of quality learning for children.
In Ethiopia the government has set a target to achieve universal primary education for children aged 7-14 by 2015. The net enrolments in primary school have tripled over the last two decades, with 92 percent of primary age children attending primary school. WVE has contributed to this success, directly benefitting over 800,000 children in preschool and primary school as well as over 750,000 children through its literacy program in Ethiopia.
Today the world celebrates achievements in primary school net enrolment rates in developing regions, which now reach 91% (up from 83% in 2000). This is coupled with the improvements in literacy rates globally among youth aged 15 to 24 from 83% to 91% between 1990 and 2015. Similarly, the number of out-of-school children of primary school age worldwide has fallen by almost half, to an estimated 57 million in 2015, down from 100 million in 2000. However, globally there are still 250 million children – including many of the most vulnerable – who are not learning basic literacy and numeracy skills. Half of the out-of-school children live in countries affected by conflicts and war. In order to respond to this need, WVE provides Education in Emergencies (EiE) activities for 21,000 refugee children, particularly those from Somalia and South Sudan.
World Vision is committed to ensure children are protected and educated for life.. “WVE will continue scaling up its education program to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized children, “ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning,” This will be done in partnership with the Ministry of Education and communities themselves to improve child wellbeing.,” says Margaret Schuler, National Director, World Vision Ethiopia.
For more information, please contact: Meron Aberra, at firstname.lastname@example.org, 0911-221060
End Note: World Vision began its first intervention in Ethiopia in 1971 with relief and opened the Ethiopia office in 1975. During the 1984/85 drought, World Vision Ethiopia participated in a massive relief operation that saved the lives of millions of people. After an intensive relief and rehabilitation programme, the organization developed a new integrated development approach the objective of which was to ensure empowerment and transformational change. This approach led to the establishment of Area Development Programs (ADPs) in the 1990s that is still being implemented and continuously strengthened today.


Growth Trends for Related Jobs
What Are the Types of Architects and Their Salaries?
The word “architect” typically conjures an image of a worker who designs buildings, bridges and other types of infrastructure. While this is true in many cases, architects may also specialize in other fields, such as marine vessels, land areas and computer networks. The salaries architects earn depend heavily on their area of specialty.
Architects who design structures, such as residential and commercial buildings, factories, restaurants and theaters, earned an average salary of $78,530 per year as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Most states require that architects hold a degree in architecture and complete a three-year training period before taking a licensing exam. The great majority work in the industry of architectural services for an average salary of $78,040 a year; those who work for the government, earn an average of $88,980 from the federal executive branch and $74,500 from state governments.
Gardens, parks, playgrounds, campuses and golf courses are all examples of what landscape architects design. The average salary of a landscape architect was $66,880 per year as of 2010, according to the BLS. Most employers require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture, as well as a summer internship, and 49 states require landscape architects to obtain licensure by passing the Landscape Architect Registration Examination. The largest industry for landscape architects was architectural services, where the salary average was $67,600 a year. Local governments offered an average salary of $70,270 a year, and state governments offered an average of $82,900.
Naval architects design ships, boats, submarines and other marine equipment, a job which usually requires a bachelor’s degree for an entry-level position. Naval architects earned an average salary of $87,770 a year as of 2010, reports the BLS. The largest industry for naval architects was architectural services, where the average salary was $90,370 a year. Those working for the federal executive branch earned an average of $103,870 annually, while those working in the industry of ship and boat building earned an average of $68,800.
The BLS predicts an employment rate increase of 16 percent between 2008 and 2018 for building and construction architects, a rate which is faster than the average for all jobs in the U.S. Naval architects, which are classified as a type of engineer, are predicted to see an 11 percent increase in employment, while landscape architects will see the greatest growth at an increase of 20 percent. This growth is largely attributed to a growing population which requires more buildings, cultivated land space and transportation. As environmental issues become more of a concern, the bureau points out that employers are increasingly interested in architects with expertise in "green" design.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Architects, 2010-11
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Architects Wages, May 2010
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Landscape Architects, 2010-11
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Landscape Architects Wages, May 2010
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Engineers, 2010-11
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Wages, May 2010
Kara Page has been a freelance writer and editor since 2007. She maintains several blogs on travel, music, food and more. She is also a contributing writer for Suite101 and has articles published on eHow and Answerbag. Page holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas.


Grade Four Literacy Instruction
Click here to be redirected to: Mass DESE Grade Four Literacy Standards
Link for more explanation
What It Looks Like In Our Classrooms
Tips & Resources for Families
Phonemic awareness instruction occurs as needed in individual or small group lessons.Lessons include rhyming as well as isolating, segmenting, adding, deleting, substituting and blending sounds.
Phonics instruction becomes increasingly embedded in vocabulary development across all content areas. Instruction may include the construction, deconstruction and sorting of multisyllabic words. Increased complexity of word syllabication, affix and morphology becomes evident.
Fluency instruction occurs in a variety of settings throughout the school day, including whole group and small group lessons. Instruction incorporates read alouds, readers theater, repeated readings, partner reading and independent reading.
Vocabulary instruction is embedded throughout the school day, focusing on both oral and written language. Instruction involves the intentional use of increasingly complex academic language and content specific vocabulary.
Text comprehension instruction occurs whenever students interact with text. Instruction involves repeated readings of high interest text grounded in a variety of genres, cultures and perspectives. In addition, instruction involves continuous teacher modeling, opportunities to partner read, participation in book clubs and independent reading. Teachers work with students to expand higher level comprehension skills beyond and about the text.
Parent Strategies for Improving Their Child’s Reading and Writing
Writing instruction at the upper elementary grades involves direct, systematic instruction in responding to text and writing across a variety of genres throughout the day. As writing expectations become more demanding, writing instruction emphasizes student voice, dialogue, character development and the use of evidence to compare multiple texts.


In today’s fast-paced, technical business environment, numbers are everything especially in the Logistics Industry. Much of our success hinges on how well we can manage the data – statistics, planning, reporting – that we encounter on a daily basis. We learn how we are doing and discover our next course of action by studying numbers.
Excel is an incredibly powerful Microsoft spreadsheet application. In simple terms, it is like a massive calculator. Working with spreadsheets, you can display and analyse everything from simple numbers to complex financial data. Microsoft Excel is the standard spreadsheet application for both the business world and personal use.
In this basic introductory workshop the learner will acquire basic foundational skills to work with Excel.
- Understand basic functions of Excel
- Modify worksheet data
- Format a worksheet
- Formulate and perform basic calculations
- Printing workbook contents
- Graphically display data
Learners who have no previous experience in Excel
Learning Delivery Method
Stand-alone classroom-based accredited course
Unit Standard Alignment
SAQA ID: 116937 NQF Level: 2 Credits: 4
US Title: Use a Graphical User Interface (GUI)-based spreadsheet application to create and edit spreadsheets


- Brisa – Monarch Butterflies: Why do Monarchs migrate instead of staying in one place?
- Victoria – Bats and White Nose Syndrome
- Noelle – Girls Lacrosse in the USA
- Indigo – Marijuana Legalization and Motor Vehicle Accidents in Oregon and Idaho
- Emilee – Measles Outbreak 2019 in the USA
- Chase – Precipitation in provinces of Egypt and the correlation with population density
- Henry – If global warming becomes an issue, where would be the best places to grow bananas in the future?
- Isaiah – Conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea
- Jen – How much has the Florida Manatee population increased since conservation efforts along with synoptic surveys began in 1991?
- Tanner – Comcast coverage area in the Forest Grove school district
- Leonnie – Population development in Germany between 1995 and 2015
- Sarah – Percent of spending per pupil on music education
- Matt – Which countries have more cows than people?
- Colton – Are bigfoot sightings more common near large bodies of water in Oregon?
- Diego – Where to live
- Taylor – Priority sites for electrical engineers
- Tara – Does population density rise where ocean temperature is warmer?
“Geospatial Analysis is unlike any other topic I’ve studied before, it’s applicable to almost everything inside and outside of school. It gives you experience with cutting edge technology. It’s great!”
“When I signed up for this class, I thought I would be just another science class that our school would try to put a “fun” spin on, but this class is one of the most exciting classes I’ve ever taken. It makes you think, it challenges you to be innovative, but it’s something you can use. It makes the work more meaningful when you know you’re doing something that affects your life.”
“Geospatial Tools and Techniques provided me with great hands on experience both in and out of the classroom. Whether we were geocaching or working with the ArcMap software, the skills I learned could always be applicapable, making me a better student.”
Register for the workshop here


TOP PICKS | 56 TOOLS
Best Apps and Websites for Learning Programming and Coding
Computers intersect with every aspect of kids' lives, but most kids don't understand how they work. Through coding, students build essential literacy skills, gain an understanding of logic and sequence, and learn the mechanics of iteration. For beginners and those with intermediate skills, there are tons of choices that offer instruction, practice, and opportunities to apply skills. Though there's definitely overlap between many platforms, the tools for more advanced students require some prerequisite foundational skills. Plus, there are tools that are totally user-driven -- without teacher resources -- to recommend for students who are really motivated. Learning through games is a fun entry point, so you can check out some of those choices. And if students really want to see a published product as the fruit of their coding labor, there are tools that are really practical, with direct application of coding skills. If you have students who may or may not be into coding but are into other forms of self-expression, the tools for creativity beyond coding might work well. For tangible teachable moments, check out the tools that have hardware components. And older students using mobile devices might enjoy coding apps. Using these picks, kids can unlock the logic of code and the basics of programming, turning computers into tools to make new things.
If you're looking to begin coding lessons in your classroom, check out our teaching strategies for how to Get Started with Coding in the Classroom.


Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Art Room Update
It has been a while since my last classroom update. This quarter we concentrated a lot on art history, artists, and art from around the world.
5th Grade learned about the American artist Chuck Close. He is a portrait painter who not only paints using photo realism, but he also uses grids and other methods like fingerprints to make his unique art.
They learned how challenging fingerprint portraits can be when they created their own!
They also created value with our fingerprints.
Now, 5th grade is learning about Chinese New Year. 2014 is the year of the horse, so they are choosing to create either a dragon or a horse.
4th grade learned about North Carolina artist Minnie Evans. She used symmetry to create colored pencil art. Students created symmetrical drawings and used their knowledge of value to shade their art work.
They are now learning about Leonardo da Vinci and facial proportion. They are creating self-portraits and again using their knowledge of shading and value.
3rd grade finished their jungle paintings and moved on to weaving.
We looked at kente cloth in Africa, and students are using cardboard looms to create a project of their choice!
2nd grade learned about Vincent van Gogh's famous painting Starry Night. They created their own "starry nights" using warm and cool colors.
After that, second grade, first grade, and kindergarten created winter tree silhouettes.
Second grade is now working on dragons for Chinese New Year.
1st grade learned about the illustrator Charley Harper.
They learned about printmaking to create trees for their Charley Harper inspired cardinals.
They created winter tree silhouettes after that.
Now, they are creating a fish for Chinese New Year.
Kindergarten learned about the dessert artist Wayne Thiebaud and created dessert patterns.
They also learned about fairy tales in Germany and created gingerbread castles.
Kindergarten also created winter tree silhouettes and are working on fish for Chinese New Year as well.
Thanks for reading :)
Posted by Ashley @ 4:01 PM No comments:
Labels: art education, art history, charley harper, chinese new year, chuck close, da vinci, elementary art, elementary art lessons, fresh from the art room, minnie evans, painting, thiebaud, van gogh, weaving
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The ECE Program is based on the Creative Curriculum for Preschool model that focuses on understanding children’s development, meeting their individual needs, providing a supportive environment, facilitating developmentally appropriate experiences and partnering with families.
We strongly believe in supporting parents as their child’s first teacher. We actively involve them in different learning areas that support the child’s development in concert with the activity in the classroom. For example when the child is ready to be potty trained we create a plan for mom to practice in the home while the teacher reinforces the same techniques at school.
Our teachers provide appropriate content and encourage children’s development of curiosity, confidence, strength and coordination, self-direction, and values. This approach balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning, with an emphasis on responding to children’s learning styles and building on their strengths and interests. Our preschool classrooms are licensed and comply with all standards of the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services. Facility License number: 198014929
The Infants’ classroom is properly set for infants helping guide sensory and motor skill development in an environment full of love and encouragement. A variety of age-appropriate activities teach the children to control fine and gross motor skills and coordinate eye and hand movement. The infants are read to and talked to, rocked and played with in both indoor and outdoor environs.
Due to the specialized needs of children aged 2 and 3, this is a flexible classroom setting that shifts according to children’s needs. Activities are focused to complement preschoolers’ emerging verbal skills and literacy and to support development of early social skills. Teachers further work with the children to lay a foundation for academic learning that will be built upon and continue in the pre-kindergarten classroom. Children receive positive encouragement and direction from the staff and enjoy the outside playground area to encourage the development of fine and gross motor skills.
With the teachers’ guidance, the children increase their desire to learn, listen attentively, and acquire knowledge of colors, shapes, numbers and quantitative concepts, and an appreciation of reading and alphabet awareness that will help the children transition into elementary school. Part of the learning process is to understand how to work with and help others and use both English and Spanish as effective means of communication and self-expression. The pre-kindergarteners also learn good health habits, proper nutrition, body awareness, and health and safety skills.
This program provides a safe environment for children 5-12 years of age and includes enriching activities for school aged children such as homework support and promotes non-violent conflict resolution. This program is designed to facilitate attendance for adult participants who attend ESL and parenting classes, when their children are on vacation during the year-round school calendar. * Currently this program can only be provided with the assistance of volunteers. SC LAMP cannot guarantee that it will be available year round.


Winter Break is a great time to cuddle up with your kids and do some reading! Below we have a list of holiday reads for young children that celebrate holiday traditions from all over the world. Use these books to revisit holidays that you know and love or to learn about a new celebration.
Topics: Education, Parenting Tips, Preschool, Elementary Education
There’s no denying that reading is an essential skill for academic success, but the best part of my role as the librarian is showing students how much fun it is to immerse themselves in a good book. My strategies vary based on the age, reading level, and individual style of each student, but below are four of my favorite ways to get kids excited when they visit the library.
Topics: Parenting Tips, Elementary Education
Earlier this week, I had one of my weekly conversations with my sister. She has two teenage daughters and a younger son named William. Her girls have always been eager readers, impressing me with the conversations around the novels they have read. As she and I were talking, she mentioned that William was sitting right next to her reading a book.
“So,” I asked, “What is he reading?”
“Well,” she paused and answered, " all William reads is non-fiction about world history. I’m sort of alright with it, but shouldn’t he be reading fiction too? He is missing out on so many wonderful stories.”
I answered, “He’s interested in world history, that’s wonderful! Let him read whatever he wants. ”


I can punctuate items in a series using commas, colons, and semicolons.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Distinguishing between commas, semicolons, and colons can get confusing even for adults. It is a grammatical concept that is important to understand and constantly reference to ensure correct usage. This lesson lays out proper usage in a way that is clear and succinct. It begins with the foundational concept of using commas to separate items in a series and discusses the Oxford comma. A brief discussion of semicolons and colons is also included.
Students will be able to punctuate items in a series using commas, colons, and semicolons.
The lesson starts by asking students instances where they use commas in writing. It will explain how to use commas in a series.
Students are introduced to the Oxford comma and where to put the comma. They will add commas to a passage about basketball camp and rewrite the passage. They will also write sentences with a provided list of objects. When writing lists, colons and semicolons are also used. Students will drag colons and semicolons to the correct places in sentences. They will then take part in a fun Spin the Wheel activity where they will write sentences with the punctuation mark (i.e., commas, semicolons, colons) on which they land!
This lesson includes 10 questions reinforcing proper usage of punctuating items in a series.
The last slide contains an activity meant to be done in groups or pairs. Have one student write a paragraph that is 5-7 sentences long with no punctuation. Then, have their neighbor or other partners add correct punctuation.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


Smarter Decision Making through Psychology
Using what you have learned about the adolescent brain and social development in Chapter 3 of the webtext, answer the questions below to help Gloria understand why her son is making such poor choices, and pose some recommendations to help her solve her problem. (Use page 3.4 for brain development and page 3.6 for social development.)
For each question, you should write a paragraph-length response (5–7 sentences) to receive credit for this assignment. Use your Soomo webtext as a resource. When you paraphrase the ideas that you read in the webtext, be sure to provide an in-text citation using the Strayer Writing Standards.
Note: This assignment asks you to apply the information from your webtext to a scenario. It does not require research or use of additional sources. However, if you choose to use information from an outside source (including, but not limited to, information in Blackboard or videos) you must cite that source in the text and provide an SWS source list. You must also cite your webtext and enter it into your source list.
Question 1: What are three physical changes that happen to teen brains that make it difficult for someone like Gary to weigh risk and reward? Use your Soomo webtext to paraphrase how teen brain changes affect decision-making. Remember to provide an in-text citation for the ideas that you paraphrase.
Question 2: In addition to their brains changing, teens change socially. What do teens wrestle with as they develop socially? Why may Gary value his peers more than his mom? Use your Soomo webtext to paraphrase how teens develop socially and how this would influence Gary’s decision. Remember to provide an in-text citation for the ideas you paraphrase.
Question 3: What are two specific strategies or pieces of advice that you would recommend that Gloria can offer to help her son to make better decisions? Write a paragraph that offers advice that would help Gloria with her son’s development as he improves his decision-making skills.
Question 4: Place yourself in Gloria’s shoes. How do you think Gloria is feeling? How can understanding her feelings help you offer constructive advice? Write a paragraph where you describe how you think Gloria is feeling and explain why understanding her feelings allows you to offer more effective advice.
Elitewriterhelp.com is an online academic writing platform that provides essay and assignment solutions to students from all nations around the world. Based in the United States, Elitewriterhelp.com assists students from over 100 countries with their assignments and essays.
The countries that Elitewriterhelp serves are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom (UK), United States (USA), Ireland, South Africa, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland India Italy Japan Liechtenstein Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Uzbekistan Vietnam.
Elitewriterhelp specialists offer custom-written papers covering various topics on different academic levels, such as High School/College/ University/Master/ Ph.D., depending upon the requirements of the customer’s individual assignment or project type. Through our services, you can get help in any subject from math problem-solving to proofreading and editing essays for spelling errors or simply helping with English class assignments for those non-native English speakers out there who need some extra help translating their papers into perfect English!
Whether it be research papers or just essay writing for an exam preparation course – we have you covered! We also specialize in providing customized thesis and dissertation writing services which include literature review analysis & composing high-quality content within your given timeline so you do not miss any important deadlines set by your professor or instructor! Our experts guarantee top-quality papers no matter what type of academic level they may be written at; whether it’s a college freshman student looking to pass his first history class or a graduate school student trying to finish her Ph.D. dissertation – EliteWriterHelp has got them covered!
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At St John’s, our music curriculum engages and inspires pupils to develop both in musical knowledge and skill. Our curriculum is in line with the EYFS Early Learning Goals and the National Curriculum and through our curriculum, pupils develop a wealth of musical knowledge of influential composers and musicians; musical styles; instruments of the orchestra; the ability to read musical notation; as well an appreciation of how music developed over time. All pupils learn to play a tuned instrument and develop their skill and musicianship as they move through the school.
We aim to develop the children’s innate love of music, both through the curriculum and in our worship, where singing plays a vital role.
Performance and the requisite skills are a key part of our curriculum. Pupils learn to confidently sing or play in front of an audience and live performances are woven into their musical journey. Pupils are given opportunities to develop their own responses to music by listening to a variety of high-quality live and recorded pieces.
Our curriculum offers regular opportunities to compose with both tuned and untuned instruments, as well as voice and body percussion.
Ultimately, we want pupils to develop a love of music and to develop their talent as musicians.
What is a Music Mark School?
The Music Mark School nomination system allows music hubs and services across the UK to nominate schools who they believe have shown a commitment to providing high-quality music education. This could mean beginning to incorporate more music into the curriculum, starting an extra-curricular music group, or having a highly active music department; a nomination simply means that your local music service has recognised your school’s commitment to music and wants to celebrate it.


Paint the classic subjects that inspired ancient Chinese masters.
This book introduces the venerable art of painting with ink on rice paper using traditional techniques developed over a thousand years ago. It is ideal for a beginner hoping to practice a large variety of techniques and subjects.With this practical guide, you will learn to paint:
- Towering landscapes
- The elegant Four Gentlemen
- Plants like bamboo, orchids, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums
- Five animals from the Chinese Zodiac
- The basic strokes used in calligraphy
- And more!
Known as a "soft martial art," brush painting is as meditative as it is artistic. As you move through the lessons and exercises, you'll gain insight into and appreciation for the symbolism, historical context, techniques, and mindfulness associated with this ancient art form.About the Author:Caroline Self
has studied Asian brush painting for over thirty years. She holds a B. A. in bacteriology and public health, a teaching credential in art from UC Berkeley, and a master's degree in art education and sculpture from San Diego State University. She taught art in the San Diego City Schools for twenty-five years and taught Asian brush painting to children for six years at the San Diego Museum of Art. She has studied traditional brush painting with teachers in Southern California, Japan, China, and Taiwan. She also paints and exhibits her colorful watercolor and acrylic paintings.Susan Self
studied art in college and on trips to Europe and Asia, often accompanying her mother. She has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from UC San Diego, where she taught in writing programs. She worked as a technical writer documenting software development tools before transitioning into the wireless telecommunications industry, where she works as a writer and research consultant.


My own composing efforts began during my middle-school band classes in the early 1960s. Along with many other youngsters, I was given classes with a young composer named R. Murray Schafer, who documented our experiences and conversations in The composer in the classroom (1965). Here is a follow-up documentary of a similar program that Schafer offered in 1969 in a 7th grade classroom in Canada.
Although I was not aware of “democratic teaching-learning principles” then, this is what Schafer modeled (see, too, Schafer’s thoughts from 2006).
But he was not unique, by any means. Composing and arranging projects, with mutual teacher-learner respect, and dialogues, were also regular parts of my secondary school curricula (1963-1967), punctuated with occasional visits by professional composers.
What I valued then, and what I advocate and teach now, is that to learn composing effectively, intelligently, and joyfully, students need continuous opportunities to interact with their peers as fellow music makers and listeners, and to hear their efforts interpreted and performed musically (not merely “produced”).
In addition, Music Matters emphasizes opportunity-finding and formulating, rather than just carrying out musical assignments. By this I mean encouraging students to research and generate their own innovative pieces to perform on their own, or in peer ensembles; generate multiple approaches to interpretive, improvisational, and/or compositional problems; plan innovative interpretations; generate plans and sketches of musical arrangements; edit given compositions or arrangements—all of these in continuous relation to music listening so that students gain understandings of the style frameworks in which they are creating or “crossing over.” All of this can be done in relation to composing pieces about important moral, political, and ethical problems in students’ lives and in our contemporary world. Doing so is common in visual art and English literature classes where students create paintings, poems, and stories for these same reasons. I suggest that all these strategies align with James Mursell’s concept of democratic teaching and teaching for democratic citizenship.
Music education for musical creativity requires sustained periods for students to generate, select ideas, rework, and edit their interpretations and arrangements. During these processes, I state that we need to avoid undermining our students’ motivation, thinking, and enjoyment by gushing-over, hovering-over, or taking-over while students work at producing creative musical results. I state that guiding students toward creative achievements calls for a music teacher-as-coach, advisor, and informed critic; not teacher-as-proud-mother, stern father, or “know-it-all big brother.”
Teaching musical composition and creativity is worth doing for the sake of the self and others. As we say in Music Matters:
The internal goods and values of musicing are not abstractions. Through the progressive development of musical understanding with musical and educative teachers and facilitators, all students can achieve human flourishing, communal well-being, an empathetic sense of self-and-other, as well as a sense of meaningfulness, enjoyment, and a creative way of life.


Learning A-Z’s Raz Plus is a supplemental program that supports reading instruction in grades K-5. Resources are available online and may be downloaded and printed or displayed using classroom projection devices. Instruction focuses on developing proficient readers using texts that match students’ individual reading levels. Learning List has recently completed reviews of Learning A-Z’s Raz Plus grades K-5.
Reading A-Z content is organized in 27 reading levels (i.e., aa to Z2) that gradually increase in difficulty. Levels are identified using Learning A-Z’s proprietary “Text Leveling System.” This system considers qualitative indicators (e.g., author’s purpose), quantitative measures (e.g., word count), and reader and task considerations (e.g., student interest and skill) to provide a rounded measure of text complexity. Learning A-Z provides a “Level Correlation Chart” aligning its complexity levels with other widely used measures (e.g., Lexiles, Fountas & Pinnell).
At each level of text complexity, Reading A-Z provides two “Benchmark Books” that assess students’ readiness for instruction. Core instruction is presented through the use of more than 1,400 leveled texts and their associated “Guided Lessons.” Texts include a balance of fiction and non-fiction selections. Lessons address fluency, comprehension, writing, vocabulary and foundational skills, such as letter recognition, phonological awareness, and phonics. Each leveled reader is accompanied by a set of instructional resources, including worksheets and quizzes.
Teachers may enable individual students and/or classes to access the online “On Your Own Book Room.” The Book Room contains a variety of independent reading materials in eBook format, including Spanish-language books, poetry, and texts that emphasize high frequency vocabulary.
About Learning A-Z*
Learning A-Z is an education technology company dedicated to expanding literacy through thoughtfully designed resources. Learning A-Z provides research-based PreK-6 products that enhance instruction and improve learning.
This content is provided by or adapted from Learning A-Z.
Subscribe to Learning List for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.


Learning Disabilities Overview: Reading, Writing & Math Disorders
Learning disabilities come in many disguises, last a lifetime, and can’t be “cured.” The key to management is early detection and intervention. Parents, read this to know what you’re looking for — and how to best deal with it.
The term learning disabilities (LD) (also called learning differences) is used to describe a group of disorders that affect how someone learns. You may have difficulty in reading, writing, mathematics, listening, and/or speaking. There is usually a large difference between what is expected based on your intelligence and your actual performance.
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A Learning Disability Is Not...
A learning disability is not: an intellectual disability (you must have an IQ over 85 to be diagnosed with a learning disability), hearing loss, vision problems, a behavior or emotional disturbance, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), or autism.
These conditions must be ruled out before a learning disability can be diagnosed.
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Learning Disabilities Are Lifelong Conditions
Since many people learn to compensate for their learning differences as they mature, it can seem as if the learning disorder has disappeared. It is for this reason that it was once thought that LDs only impacted children. We now know that learning disabilities continue throughout a person’s life, even if they learn to compensate for the difficulty.
The term learning disability encompasses many different learning differences. The three main types of learning disabilities are: reading disabilities, written language disabilities, and math disabilities. Each type of LD can include several different disorders. There is not one “learning disability.” There are other, less common learning disorders that impact memory, social skills, and executive functioning.
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Reading disabilities are often referred to as dyslexia. Between 2% and 8% of school-aged children have a reading disability. Some of the common signs of a reading disability include: difficulty associating or recognizing sounds that go with letters and separating the sounds within words, difficulty sounding out words, trouble rhyming, problems understanding and using words and grammar, and poor spelling.
Writing disabilities, called dysgraphia, affect a person’s ability to express their thoughts in writing. Some of the common signs include: awkward or tight grip on a pencil, illegible handwriting, speaking the words out loud while writing, omitting words in sentences, difficulty with grammar and syntax structure, avoidance of writing tasks, problems articulating thoughts and ideas into written words, and difficulty organizing and planning thoughts when writing.
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Dyscalculia is a broad term for many different types of disorders that involve problems with math. Some signs include: slow to develop counting and math problem-solving skills, difficulty recalling number sequences, computing problems, problems with time concepts, poor sense of direction, and difficulty completing mental math. A child with math LDs might be able to complete math problems one day, but seem lost and confused when facing the same problems the next day.
If parents or teachers notice a child is struggling in school, in one area or in several areas, and their performance doesn’t match their intellectual level, an assessment is completed. There is no single test for learning disabilities. Instead, a series of assessments are done, which often include achievement tests, cognitive assessments (IQ tests), and tests related to reading, mathematics, and written expression abilities.
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Treatment for Learning Disabilities
There is no medication or medical treatment to help improve a learning disability but interventions are available. Manu children with comorbid ADHD and LDs see improvement in both when following a treatment plan that includes ADHD medication. In addition, educational strategies can be incorporated into your child’s classroom through an IEP or 504 Plan.
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Because each child with a learning disability is different and might struggle in specific areas, there are no “standard” academic interventions. Instead, the school district, along with the parents, should complete an Individualized Education Program (IEP) geared toward the child’s specific areas of difficulties. However, all students with LDs should benefit from organized and sequenced instruction, visual and verbal cues, help with planning and organization, differentiated instruction, and multi-sensory teaching techniques.
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LDs are a lifelong condition, but that doesn't mean a child with a learning disability can’t succeed. People with LDs can be found in every type of occupation. Famous people with LDs include: Cher, Agatha Christie, Tom Cruise, Richard Branson, Keira Knightly, Steven Spielberg, and Whoopi Goldberg. Many other people from history are thought to have had a learning disability, such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Thomas Jefferson, George Patton, and George Washington.


Curiosity is a natural part of childhood learning, but it can be extremely dangerous when it comes to electricity. ESFI is dedicated to reducing the number of childhood injuries and deaths from electrically-related accidents through education and awareness.
As the industry leader in electrical safety, ESFI has a firm commitment to electrical safety education. To effectively teach about safe practices with electricity, ESFI realizes that it is imperative to teach not only about electrical safety, but about electricity itself. By integrating electricity and electrical safety lessons, ESFI creates a one-stop resource for teachers, educators, parents, and students. By developing the lessons through a sound system of educational techniques, ESFI extends its high level of commitment to fostering safe practices in our increasingly electricity-dependent lives.
ESFI has designed our programs to satisfy the leading educational standards without the need for additional resources. The lessons are also designed to be used by all teachers, regardless of their background. Teachers do not need to be scientists or be scientifically proficient. Finally, the lessons are designed to be effective regardless of the socioeconomic status of student or school.
We invite you to use our free resources to assist you in your elementary education and awareness efforts.
What is Electricity? – The more students know about which things rely on electricity, the more aware of the potential dangers they’ll become, and the more likely they’ll be to use it safely. These lesson ideas and student printouts can be used to supplement science/electricity curricula.
It’s Electric! – These program materials, developed in accordance with the National Science Education standards, deliver critical electrical and fire safety information that will help students develop life-long safe habits.
Plug In to Holiday Safety – These holiday safety materials deliver critical holiday fire and electrical safety messages focused on decorating, cooking, space heaters, and smoke alarms.
Warm Up to Safety This Winter! – Program materials deliver critical electrical and fire safety information focused specifically on space heaters, smoke alarms, and safe heating practices.
What is Fire Safety? – Program materials teach students in grades 3-5 about the critical importance of smoke alarms, fire escape planning, and fire drills.
Visit the Kids’ Corner and Spanish-language Kids’ Corner for interactive learning games and animated safety videos that reinforce the key fire safety and electrical safety messages introduced in the classroom programs.
Comprehensive new program includes tips, lessons and activities that help students in grades 3-5 learn about basic fire and electricity concepts as they relate to common seasonal activities.


As a string player who works primarily in string groups, and who has happily spent decades of my musical life within that community, it might be assumed that I would advocate string teaching above all other musical instruction. However, when it comes to primary music education I feel that the emphasis should be on singing. Frequently – when tackling questions of musical phrasing or rhetoric, articulation or even intonation – I ask myself “how would you sing it?” Singing is arguably the fundamental music, to which all music refers and from which all musical adventures and adventurers might beneficially embark.
Violin teaching is much more fashionable; perhaps it is aspirational (the violin really is the top of the heap in the classical-music hierarchy). And I suspect that the materialistic disposition of our society leads us to value instrumental tuition over vocal because it employs sophisticated tools. I’m not arguing against instrumental tuition, but in favour of singing as the discipline to which children should first be introduced.
There are lots of well-documented rewards for schools where instruments are taught: increased discipline, self-confidence and general academic achievement. All of these are great of course; but it may be years before the average child can express themselves on a string instrument because the technique is very challenging. On the other hand, if young children are taught to sing, they can quickly attain a considerable level of musical facility, and can participate on a much higher plane. Having learned to sing – and to really engage with music – children who then learn instruments will find they are able to aim higher from the outset. And those who do not continue to sing nor subsequently take up instruments will have had a view of music from the inside that is much more intellectually and spiritually rewarding than had they spent a couple of years on the violin.
When we are built with such an extraordinary and versatile internal instrument, why favour a fiddly external alternative?


Ep. 134: Decodable Text Series: Small Group Instructional Time
In this episode, we talk with first grade teacher, April Evans, about how she uses Tier 1 foundational skills assessment data to make decisions about small group time, such as how students are grouped, what happens during small group instruction, and why all students have access to readable, knowledge building texts. She discusses structures and routines that support accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Both decodable and readable, knowledge building texts have a purpose and place in her classroom.
- Geodes readable, knowledge building texts
- Decodable Reader Protocol from Achieve the Core
- To Help Students Read and Write, Shower Some Love on the Sentence by Natalie Wexler
- The Writing Revolution by Dr. Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler
- Vocabulary Strategy: Concept Mapping
- Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Podcast Episode 92
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