Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) / Dyslexia Initiative
Specific Learning Disability (SLD) as defined by IDEA means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.
SERC's Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)/Dyslexia Initiative was established in January 2015 at the request of the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) in response to Connecticut Public Act 14-39 which added SLD/Dyslexia as a primary disability category. This legislation was crafted to support the unique educational needs of students in Connecticut who have a learning disability, some of whom may not be appropriately identified or receiving specialized "structured" literacy instruction because of dyslexia.
SERC's Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)/Dyslexia Initiative seeks to inform educators and families about issues and best practices related to the needs of students with all types of learning disabilities, including dyslexia.
SLD/Dyslexia Free Online Modules and Courses
2018-2019 online modules are now available!
Increasing Awareness of SLD/Dyslexia: Implications for CT Educators
Available on demand!
- A 2-hour archived webinar that traces CSDE's response to the Connecticut's SLD/Dyslexia legislation, explores issues related to identification, presents an overview of evidence-based practices for structured literacy instruction, and offers a systematic method for school teams to conduct special education file reviews.
Using Literacy Screening Data to Support Students with Reading Difficulties
Available on demand!
- A 2-hour archived webinar that explores different patterns of reading difficulty based on screening data derived from the curriculum-based assessments in Connecticut's Approved Menu of Research-based Grades K-3 Universal Screening Reading Assessments.
Remediating and Accommodating Students with SLD/Dyslexia at the Secondary Level
Available on demand!
- A 2-hour archived webinar that focuses on secondary-level specialized reading and writing instruction and assistive technology (AT) that supports access to general education.
Identifying Students with SLD/Dyslexia: An Online Course
- A 6.5-hour self-paced online course that uses a case-study comprehensive approach to understanding reading difficulties, supporting literacy development via tiers of general education support, and appropriately identifying students with SLD/Dyslexia.
It's Never Too Late: How to Motivate and Teach Older Struggling Readers with SLD/Dyslexia
- A 2Â¼-hour online learning module that discusses setting priorities for older students with SLD/Dyslexia and providing evidence-based instructional approaches most effective for his population of students.
Case Study Review of a Connecticut Student with SLD/Dyslexia
- A 2-hour online learning module that describes the educational profile of a Connecticut public school student identified with SLD/Dyslexia and follows the student's trajectory of learning to read in the early elementary grades through high school.
SLD/Dyslexia: Connecting Research to Practice in Connecticut
- An advanced-level 12-hour course that addresses the foundations of reading acquisition, identification of SLD/Dyslexia, and evidence-based structured literacy instructional practices.
Identifying Students who are Gifted and Talented and Have SLD or SLD/Dyslexia
- An awareness-level 1-hour online module that discusses principles of giftedness and how to use data from curriculum-based assessments and standardized measures of cognitive and reading ability to identify students who are Gifted-SLD.
Distinguishing Between Typically Developing English Learners (ELs) and Students with Reading Difficulties
- An awareness-level 2-hour online module that explores the factors related to distinguishing between below-level linguistic proficiency and a reading disability in ELs.
Assistant Director, SERC
(860) 632-1485 ext.322
Education Consultant, CT State Department of Education at
Learning Resources in SLD/Dyslexia
The SLD/Dyslexia initiative has collected a large curated collection of Learning Resources. They are arranged in collections, below:


First Words Valentine is a free app for iPhone/iPad providing basic vocabulary for Valentines Day. Learning Touch âs First Words Valentine is one of more than 10 other First Words apps providing interaction with vocabulary words for iDevices.
First Words Valentine provides 8 holiday words users can match the letter tiles to create the word. Words are spoken out loud after tiles are matched correctly. A short animation of images about the word is provided to engage the user.
Although words can not be customized in this app, options are available allowing change of word order, how long the longest word can be, speech on/off, spelling speed and more as shown in the settings image below:
No verbal feed back is provided when letters are incorrectly matched (there are definitely pros and cons to that!). Letters can only be correctly matched to complete the word and move to the next word. If you are interested in a app with a valentines theme for students who love to work with letters and words, First Words Valentine might be the app for you for free.
Remember all those words on conversation candies you got on Valentines Day?
With the Little Speller app (there are at least 3 to choose from), you can choose words or create your own word list with in the app by going into the settings and choose âCustomize Items > select the â+â> Create New List> name the list and add your words. You must choose your list to play your newly created list.
If you are looking to add a phrase, such as âBe Trueâ, consider using Grasshopper Appâs Sentence Maker to create a sentence or phrase. An earlier post describes how to customize Sentence Maker app and can be found here: http://wp.me/p1w0d0-m8 .
The Grasshopper apps mentioned above are .99 and sometimes free. If you join their Free the Apps, they will alert you of new apps you can download for a limited period for free. The Grasshopper apps folks are developing new emergent literacy apps all the time which are very useable for young children as well as older students who benefit from literacy development tools. As customizeable apps they are well worth adding to your mTool Kit!


Music is a natural vehicle for language acquisition. Itâs easy to remember new words when theyâre set to music and paired in rhymes. And studies show that music education has a profound impact on phonemic awareness (the ability to recognize and distinguish between phonemes, the smallest units of sound in oral language), and on phonological awareness (a more general skill that involves the ability to recognize and manipulate all the structural units of oral languageâsounds, words, syllables, etc.). Both phonemic and phonological awareness are absolutely vital to reading.
Kindermusik classes are chock-full of language learning. Silly rhymes and catchy songs offer opportunities for vocal development, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary building, and storytime strengthens pre-reading skills such as print awareness and auditory discrimination. Through musical activities and interactions with their teacher and peers, children also develop conversation skills and the ability to speak rhythmically and expressively. And, results from a recent independent research study showed that preschoolers who participated in the Kindermusik curriculum for as little as 30 minutes each week showed a 32% greater gain in their phonological awareness than the control group.
Hello! Bonjour! Buenos dÃas! Researchers often cite the power of music as a tool for teaching a second language. Music has been shown to help second language learners acquire vocabulary and grammar and develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
All Kindermusik classes provide a fun, natural, and non-threatening way for non-native speakers to learn English through music and movement. Our ABC English & Me curriculum is designed to introduce English as a foreign language in international preschools and schools. We also offer supplementary support and materials for U.S.-based classes with students learning English as a second language. Our EFL and ESL offerings are rooted in research on second language acquisition and utilize methods such as repetition and Total Physical Response (TPR), a language teaching system based on the coordination of language and physical movement.


- Medical experts are traditionally list eight clinical symptoms, see them not in all cases.
- Tone muscle s tension when the body alone
- Reflections, the speed at which someone does a physical response to stimuli
- Balance ability to remain upright and steadfast
- Movement control and coordination of appropriate member response
- Posture position during the sitting or standing body
- Gross motor skills tasks, with which the large muscles of the body, such as arms and legs
- Fine motor skills tasks, with which the small muscles of the body such as fingers
- Oral-motor skills control of mouth and tongue
Cerebral palsy is condition which occur due to some damages in brain. The complete cure of cerebral palsy is not possible but specialist or doctor can gives better improvement in the behaviour of cerebral palsy children. But diagnosis of this condition are very critical to know, is their child is affected from cerebral palsy problem or not? Before diagnosis appropriately child first need to know about medical background of child mother because in some cases motherâs medical background can gives some causes of cerebral palsy. Doctor check child motor functions, reflexes and other baby behaviours. After that physician can test child body effectively to know which part of body affected by cerebral palsy. Those part of body affected by cerebral palsy is weak compared to other body part.
Doctor or specialist may go through x-rays, ct scan, MRI, and magnetic resonance imaging to determine the possible causes and for complete diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Weakness, abnormal gesture, delayed or impaired speech, irritability, early hand performance, feeding problem, feeble or excessive crying, slow or failure in motor skill development are some sign and symptom cerebral palsy to justify that cp is present in children or not.
Approaches for cerebral palsy treatment
When child diagnosed with cerebral palsy problem then it need different type of treatment require according to condition of CP. Firstly, Physical Therapy cerebral palsy treatment is helpful to provide better strength in body, keep walking and it helps to make better body balance. Second is Speech & language therapy helps child to make better communication among people and pronounce word accurately. In speech & language therapy child learn to understand language and know how to talk to each other. Third, Occupational therapy, which helps cerebral palsy child to complete its daily routine work independently. In occupational therapy cp children learn how to take bath, how to feed yourself, dressing etc.


If your topic isn't assigned, ask yourself these questions to get going:
Consider the scope of your assignment - writing about World War II in general is too broad; there's no way to effectively write about all of WWII in a standard sized research paper and make a coherent point. Instead, move to a specific aspect of WWII. For instance, how about focusing on the Battle of Midway, and then going to a specific focus of that battle - the role of communications intelligence in the U.S. victory in the battle.
Stating your topic as a question and then turning it into a hypothesis can also help you focus your topic and find supportive research data. A hypothesis is a statement of what you anticipate your research will show. Just like a thesis statement, a hypothesis must be manageable, interesting and specific, and it must be arguable - a debatable proposition that can be proved or disproved by research data.
For example, say you're interested in the effect of music education in grades K-8 on academic achievement, then you might come up with a question such as, "What effect does participation in music education programs in grades K-8 have on individual student achievement in U.S. public schools today?" Once you have a question, then you can do some preliminary reading to learn more about your topic, and then you may propose this hypothesis: "Participation in a music program during grades K-8 can have a positive affect on individual student achievement for students attending public school in the U.S. today."
Here's another example of narrowing and focusing by finding a research question and hypothesis:
Topic: Frida Kahlo's art
Issue: Influences on Kahlo's art
Research Question: What were the major influences on Kahlo's work?
Hypothesis: The events of her own life were the central influence on Kahlo's work.


The Music and Literacy Program at West Side Montessori!
The Music/Literacy Program for the Childrenâs House students is unique to West Side Montessori. It is an integrated curriculum that incorporates music, movement, and literacy. The program enriches all Childrenâs House students (aged 3-6 years old) with multidisciplinary literacy instruction and blends seamlessly into the Montessori curricula.
The Music/Literacy program is comprised of two parts: whole group music and movement lessons and related small group Literacy lessons. Once a week, each Childrenâs House class engages in 30 minutes of music and movement: songs, games, dances, silliness, fun, and mindful silence. Then during the work time, literacy lessons are given in small groups. The literacy lessons are related to the music and movement circles. Songs are often written in large print on chart paper for shared reading: interactive âchoralâ reading experiences in which all the children read the text under the teacherâs guidance. Even the youngest students can be successful in this reading environment because they have already sung the song and they have the support of their classmates and the teacher. The integrated curriculum allows for not only students with high verbal-linguistic intelligence to be successful, but also those with high musical, bodily-kinesthetic, or interpersonal intelligence. After shared reading, children have often said, âI didnât even know I could read!â
While shared reading is the keystone of the Music/Literacy program, other components of balanced literacy are utilized in the program as well. Kindergartners practice independent reading in personalized folders that contain songs they have learned. They enjoy reading their folders repeatedly and feel rightfully proud of their reading abilities. Filling in the blanks in songs allows for opportunities for modeled writing, interactive writing, and independent writing. Child-drawn Illustrations provide opportunities for reading comprehension.
The Montessori method is evident throughout the program. Each whole group class begins with an original song that expresses Montessori values: âBe peaceful with our things. Be peaceful with each other. Be peaceful with yourselves. Letâs have a peaceful day.â Maria Montessori said, âThe child who concentrates is immensely happy.â Children in West Sideâs Music/Literacy program are concentrating, learning, and immensely happy.
By, Risa Cohen
Risa is a passionate progressive educator. She teaches an integrated curriculum of Music and Literacy and has been called âa Literacy teacher in disguise.â She holds an M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Bank Street College, has been teaching since 1994, and has been âsneakingâ Literacy into Music at West Side Montessori since 2010.
West Side Montessori is an independent, accredited Montessori school educating children 13 months through 8th grade (preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school) with locations at 13587 Roachton Rd in Perrysburg, Ohio, and 7115 W. Bancroft Street in Toledo, Ohio.


Kindergarten-Animals in Action 4
1st Grade-Setting the Scene 3
After listening to or reading a familiar fairy tale, the students chose one scene from the story to recreate in ScratchJr. They were responsible for creating the scene with backgrounds, characters, action, and voice recordings.
2nd Grade-Computer Science Explorers 3
The students worked on a program that will keep score as they play a math game. Using ScratchJr, the students used functions and conditions to move a soccer ball toward the net. Each time a player scored in a card game, the ball got closer to the corresponding goal.
3rd Grade-Variables Rule 3
Using Hopscotch ( a coding app on the iPad), the students built an interactive program that responds to new events like tilting, shaking, and tapping the tablet. The students learned how to move characters around the x-y grid and learned how to create a variable to track score, lives, and a timer.
4th Grade-Brain in Action 2
With this activity, students investigated how the brain processes sensory information to store it as memory and how it effects their reaction times. The students participated in a memory card game, a reaction test on the iPad, and "remember the objects." After completing these initial investigations, the students came up with their own investigations using the scientific inquiry process.
5A & 5B-Create a Toy 2
Teams worked collaboratively to create a prototype of toy using the engineering design process and VEX IQÂ® components. The criteria for this problem was that the toy had to have at least one moving part, but could not use the robot brain, motors, or sensors. Each team designed, sketched, built, and presented the prototype to the rest of the class.
5C & 5D-Reaction Test 1
Using the Tynker app, the students followed step-by-step directions to create a game that allowed the player to test their reaction time. The students chose a background and actors that would randomly move around the screen. Each time the player tapped the character, a score would be recorded with a reaction time (fast, medium, slow) displayed at the end of the game.
Welcome to the STEAM Studio Blog for Jamestown Upper & Lower Elementary Schools in Hudsonville, MI. Here you will find the latest projects and concepts we've been working on in class.
comes to Hudsonville with 17 years of teaching information and technology skills to elementary students. After earning a BA in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and a Masterâs degree from the University of Iowa in 2000, she drew a circle on the map and chose Southwest Michigan.


Every day in the car, Julie Donnison plays spelling and times tables games with her granddaughter after picking her up from school. The daily activity brings them closer together and helps her granddaughter to learn in a fun way.
Earlier this year, Julie along with 30 others parents attended Parents Victoria's forum to discuss the role of parents in literary and numeracy.
The forum was an opportunity to talk openly about topics important to them.
Many parents said they are often so busy doing multiple activities with their kids that it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in education.
'Any way families support their children with their learning, attendance, and engagement makes a huge, positive impact on the whole school experience,' says Gail McHardy from Parents Victoria.
'Successful engagement starts with respectful and effective communication.'
Colleen Coath also attended the forum with her colleagues from the Parents and Friends Association (PFA) for Meadows Primary School. She said she found it to be informative and a chance to meet other parents and share stories.
One of the ways Meadows Primary School engages with parents is by holding the Maths Expo. It's an opportunity for kids to show their work and play maths games with their parents and families.
'We all want the best for our kids and to succeed in life,' Colleen says.
'School and home provide the skills they need to achieve their goals.'
Parents lead the future of education
Parents and carers said they supported developing further supports and resources for schools and independently by families. They provided suggestion on resources parents and carers would want and use.
Importantly, the message was clear parents and carers can be partners in learning and education when it comes to literacy and numeracy.
'Sharing ideas and unpacking common concerns with Department representatives was greatly valued and gave parent participants an opportunity for a discussion,' Gail says.
Parents Victoria looks forward to continuing the conversation on family engagement at their upcoming two-day conference.
Literacy and numeracy strategy
Strong literacy and numeracy outcomes for all children and young people are a key part of the Education State targets.
Phase 2 of the
Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was released this year, focusing on providing resources and professional learning to teachers, improving literacy and numeracy for primary and secondary students.
Research shows that families are the most significant influence on their children's learning, development, health, safety and wellbeing. Family can play a key role in helping a child prepare for school, and then succeed when they reach school.
Through everyday activities at home parents can also help them develop their numeracy skills, such as calculating and using numbers, recognising patterns, and using language to develop mathematical understanding.
A guide for parents of children aged 0-12 is available in
Literacy and numeracy tips to help your child every day.
Parents Victoria 2018 Conference: Shedding light on family engagement
Parents Victoria provides practical help for school leaders to work with families and create great outcomes together.
The organisation is hosting a two-day conference on family engagement. A key focus is building better relationships with families to improve outcomes for students and the school.
- 20 and 21 August 2018
- Pullman Melbourne on the Park
Further information see:
For School Leaders â the benefits and why it matters


21st Century Career Exploration
|According to the standards set forth by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), the career domain allows students to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed decisions. In the Student Services Office, it is our hope that students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction. We aim to help students understand the relationship between personal qualities, education training and the world of work. Below are some helpful resources and tools for students to explore interests, careers and post-secondary education.
Students at Whitewater High School are encouraged to explore careers of interest and related educational programs through the Career Cruising Internet based computer program.
User Name: wwusd
|Other Career Exploration Resources:
Career One Stop - Explores the fastest growing and highest paying occupations in the U.S., as well as the ability to compare local wages with other areas. Provides employment trends, declining employment and what jobs currently have the most openings.
O*Net - A research tool that has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, and researchers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics - The official site of the U.S. Department of Labor. It has great information and statistics on various careers. See what careers are on the decline and which ones are on the rise. It also provides information on the nationâs labor market as a whole and projections/predictions for 10 years into the future.
UW Help - A tool from the UW School System that provides a wide varietyof career-related resources including self-assessments, career planning guides, tools for comparing occupations with schools, universities, and colleges, and more. Free access to WISCareers, along with our other resources, can help answer many of your questions about potential careers.
WISCareers - This is another great resource for checking out future jobs. It also can show you colleges and university that specialize in a studentâs area of interest, cost of those schools and requirements needed to get into those schools.
ASVAB - The ASVAB was originally designed to predict future academic and occupational success in military occupations. Since its introduction in 1968, the ASVAB has been the subject of extensive research. Numerous validation studies indicate the ASVAB assesses academic ability and predicts success in a wide variety of occupations.
My Next Move - Helps students explore various careers by allowing them to search by keywords, browse careers by industry or by answering questions based on their interests. Supported by the American Job Center Network and O*Net.
The Princeton Review - Match your personal interests and skills to different careers that could be best suited for you. It's free, but creating an account is required. There are only 24 questions.
Institute of Museum and Library Services - This site offers a comprehensive list of the skills and qualities employers are looking for when hiring candidates. Explore the foundational skills that are required in a high-performance workplace.
The Career Key - There are 17 foundational skills required of all 21st century workers and they are grouped into four clusters: Basic Skills, Thinking Skills, People Skills and Personal Qualities. The Career Key provides a PDF that lists the different skills and qualities employers are looking for in the workplace.
CareerBuilder.com - Provides a list of the 20 best paying jobs of the 21st century.
Wisconsin Health Careers Information Center - This website is specifically for those interested in going into the health field. It has over 60 health careers and links to explore relevant to Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin School System - Information about the UW School System, its policies and various campuses.
Wisconsin Technical Colleges - Information about the various technical colleges in Wisconsin, their policies and various campuses.


MA Reading Education
Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Education
College of Education
Motivation in education; Language arts (Elementary)
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this study is to determine the type of mindsets held by first graders and to determine what happens when they are exposed to ways to have a growth mindset. The goal is to see what happens when children use a growth mindset when asked to engage in challenging literacy activities. First graders were first evaluated using a mindset survey and reading levels were determined. Logic puzzles were given and timed to determine if work effort matched that of the mindset survey. Students showed a change in mindset and growth in reading abilities. Implications for future research are discussed.
Saia, Katherine, "Impact of mindset on literacy: what happens to literacy skills when a growth mindset is taught to first graders" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 2346.


False Bay TVET College recently piloted a reading intervention programme to boost independent reading among first year students.
"Illiteracy is one of the major challenges that African countries grapple with and South Africa is no exception "says Carol Dwyer, E-learning Manager and Russell Chisango Open Learning Centre Co-ordinator at False Bay.
"In 2016 South Africa was ranked last in the International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) survey. The study found that 78% of South African pupils at Grade 4 could not read for meaning."
Reading is recognized as the foundation of all learning and research shows that most learning difficulties stem from poor reading skills.
"Reading proficiency is one of the most fundamental predictors of academic achievement" ,explains Dwyer and Chisango.
Strong literacy skills lead to academic and career opportunities, yet many students don't have the necessary foundations for success.
In an effort to fight this epidemic False Bay TVET College launched an online reading programme known as Accelerated Reader(AR).
The programme developed by the UK based Renaissance Learning Company was a "whole-group reading management and monitoring programme that aims to stimulate the habit of independent reading among primary and secondary age pupils."
The programme was piloted at False Bay on a trial basis over an 8 month period with the aim of exploring the link between reading skills and academic performance.
"The evidence gathered in this study recognises that literacy is a key issue regardless of the subject taught."
The study called for reading interventions to be implemented in TVET institutions in order to assist first-year students.
"The campus administration needs to envisage ways of integrating Literacy Development programmes for incoming learners into the curricula as the data presented has showed that 18% of the participants achieved a lower reading age average which is between 5-8 years."
The report also stated that the onus fore developing literacy skills rests with educational leaders.
"Academic institutions need to equip learners with the skills needed to immerse themselves in factual information, to internalise this new information into their current body of knowledge and argue and engage with new facts. This encourages flexibility and adaptability in critical thinking skills."
Click link to see the full report


The Three âRâs of Extraordinary Education
Weâre known for our strong academic program but we believe that elementary education should go far beyond.
Our 3 'R's are Reach, Relatability and Readiness.
Because our teachers are focused on these innovative goals for their students, they plan activities that will take kids beyond basic memorization.
Reach - The Sky's The Limit For Learning
There is no limit to kidsâ curiosity so we want to ensure that the experiences we give them stretch to meet their insatiable appetite for learning!
On a field trip to New River beach, we arranged to have marine biologists from the University of New Brunswick explore this amazing ecosystem with the kids, to provide expert answers to all their questions, like the ones that Thomas asked about the European Green Crab that he found in a rock pool.
Although Thomas is in Kindergarten, he was not too young to learn and understand why this invasive species can be found on a New Brunswick beach.
Relatability: Connecting The Curriculum To Real World Experiences
Teaching moments often occur in everyday conversations because Touchstone classrooms are fun and friendly spaces where children comfortably share stories and observations in a warm, home-like atmosphere.
In his Junior Kindergarten class, Eben created a tower from blocks and related it to something he had recently seen on a trip with his family. "Look, Ms. Kelsey, I made the CN Tower!"
This flowed beautifully into a math-rich conversation about the way simple shapes combine in the real world around us to make new shapes.
Readiness - Learning Designed For Long Term Success
A childâs development in elementary school creates a strong foundation for future academic success, career readiness, engaged citizenship and lifelong learning.
Learning should develop the abilities of the whole child â encouraging their cognitive, linguistic, social-emotional, and physical growth.
In the Learning Buddies program, older students are paired with younger students for weekly sessions. In this math activity, Grade 5 student Abbie compares notes with James, a first grader, on the transportation survey they designed and conducted together.
Learning how to work with partners who have different abilities and skills is an essential life skill and a wonderful habit to start developing right from the start of every childâs learning journey.


Specific disorders and broader phenotypes: the case of dyslexia.
Two studies investigating the cognitive phenotype of dyslexia are described. Study 1 compared three groups of English and Italian children on speed of processing tasks: (a) children with dyslexia, (b) generally delayed poor readers and (c) CA-controls. In tests of simple and choice reaction time and two visual scanning tasks, children with dyslexia performed like controls and significantly faster than generally delayed poor readers. A second prospective longitudinal investigation of children at family risk of dyslexia showed that problems of literacy development were less circumscribed, with affected children showing phonological deficits in the context of more general oral language difficulties. An important finding was that the risk of dyslexia was continuous in this sample; among at-risk children with normal literacy development, mild impairments of phonological skills were apparent early in development, and subtle difficulties with reading fluency and spelling emerged in early adolescence. A case series extended these findings to show that phonological deficits alone are insufficient to explain literacy difficulties, and it is children with multiple deficits (including language problems) that are more likely to succumb to reading failure.


We pay special attention to talent support. We tailor our programme to the child's individual needs, which includes the development of moral, social and intellectual skills. For us every child is an individual and we take care of them according to their interests and personality
Children reaching school age receive individually appropriate development beyond morning micro group activities. We pay special attention to language skills, Mathematics and sports.
Children are in daily contact with English since one of the group teachers speaks only English to them so they acquire the language during everyday situations just like their mother tongue. Teaching happens through circle times and controlled play.
Through our micro group activities we focus on the development of basic numeracy skills, which is an essential step towards a successful start of the first year in school. Children have an opportunity to develop interest in Maths through these playful activities and they gain an optimal level of numeracy skills. It will also form a foundation of logical thinking, which will help them greatly benefit them in many ways later in life.
One of the favourite activities in our pre-K and kindergarten year groups is the vocabulary and language games, which will help children in school with their reading and writing. We find time for these activities almost every day. The speech and auditory perception exercises and word games are very popular activities with our children.
Micro group activities
Children can explore the world around them and gain basic experience in Maths in free and controlled activities. Through art (music, literature and Arts&Crafts) activities their creativity will also develop. It is important to us to spend as much time as possible with children on a one-to-one basis. In addition to that we hold micro group sessions.


The reading courses are taught by Barbara Pickard
Reading With Phonics Course Overview
These reading courses use phonics to teach children to read. The first grade course consists of 180 lessons which equates 5 lessons per week for 36 weeks. You can watch and use the first 40 lessons of Reading 1 for free and then purchase the remaining 140 lessons. The Reading 2 course has an additional 180 lessons for teaching reading to 2nd grade homeschoolers.
The videos do the heavy lifting. All you have to do is go to the daily lesson, click the videoâs PLAY button, and observe how your child does. Also, you must print out the work sheets or answer sheets, and hand them to your child. Then grade them with your studentâs assistance.
Youâll be listening to Dr. Gary North, Director of Curriculum, interview Barbara Pickard about the reading program of the Ron Paul Curriculum.
About the Instructor
Barbara Pickard was a first grade teacher for 9 years. She presently serves as the Archivist/Librarian at the Ludwig Von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. Mrs. Pickard earned her bachelors degree in Psychology/Religion at Randolph-Macon College and her masters degree in Elementary Education from Auburn University at Montgomery.
Barbara Pickard teaches first grade and second grade reading for the Ron Paul Curriculum.
Subscribe now so you wonât miss a single episode!
If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the show and its ranking in iTunes immensely. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the show!


For this discussion, please choose either a focus on fostering fine motor or gross motor skill development. Develop a curriculum/activity plan designed to foster either fine motor or gross motor development in two (2) year old children. Include your implementation plan and assessment plan for the activity and an analysis of how the plan supports learning standards.Â© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com October 25, 2018, 7:55 am ad1c9bdddf
"Vaida takes the point of view that any movement of the human body requires motor skills. If it is developed correctly, motor skills will combine (Vaida, 2010). The study looked at factors, which contribute to the development of motor skill strength (Vaida, 2010). Vaida looks at strength as less influential from a genetic point of view (Vaida, 2010). The researcher looks upon strength as being important to any movement the body can make (Vaida, 2010). Vaida refers to age, sex, and daily rhythms that have as an objective to the development and muscular contraction (Vaida, 2010). Capacity for this begins at the age of seven (Vaida, 2010)."
Physical exercises, which developed this capacity, take into account body weight exercises with external resistance, the resistance of the partner exerciser or static exercises (Vaida, 2010). Specialist in this area recommended, depending on the age of the child, lifting weights, power training, and isometric exercises. Prior to the age of 10, strength is developed based on improvement of coordination (Vaida, 2010). She does advocate isometric exercise because it can put a strain of the child's heart (Vadia, 2010). Also ...
The physical development standards are examined.
Describe the professional Ethics standards regarding medical law of torts and obligations to provide care.
As a new member of the Institutional Policy Review Team, you are seeking information about institutional, unique ethical dilemmas and professional Ethics - law of torts and obligations to provide care.
Describe the professional standards that exist to address these dilemmas, as well as specific steps that management at Tri-state can take to model and uphold these standard.View Full Posting Details


Although every child learns differently, there are commonalities. Children and adults alike need review and repetition when learning new skills. We have to practice to gain mastery, whether weâre learning to ice skate, learning a new language, or learning to read.
At HOMER, we do therefore weave review and repetition throughout our HOMER Reading program. Review and repetition seem similar, and the content sometimes is similar, but they are in fact different teaching tools. Review is a reminder of how you do something youâve learned before but might not have practiced recently or fully mastered. Repetition is used for initial skill building.
We know that children need repeated exposure to skills before they become automatic. We create lessons that are short but that target a particular skill, and then we give repeated practice with that skill to move a child toward mastery. We know that sometimes this seems repetitive, but it is repetition with a clear purpose: making sure that HOMER kids master the foundational skills to become strong, independent readers!
Was this article helpful?
0 out of 0 found this helpful Have more questions? Submit a request


Education is one of the most effective agents of change in society. When a child is able to go to school today, he or she sets off a cycle of positive change. But, thousands of children in India lack access to education and canât even write their own names. Moreover, underprivileged children between the ages of 11 to 14 years are hugely vulnerable to dropping out of schools. An educated child stays away from an early marriage and is empowered to stand up against exploitation. As children grow, they are able to make better choices for themselves and influence the communities they live in. This transforms their present life and ensures a secure future for them.
But even today, one of the major problems is rampant illiteracy in India. The literacy rate in the country stands at 74.04% (according to the National Census, 2011). When it comes to children, the effects of illiteracy are manifold.
While the goal of universal elementary education is a long way from being achieved, and affects the condition of education for children, even adult illiteracy has effects on them. Statistics have shown that children of uneducated mothers are more prone to problems like malnutrition and anaemia. Illiterate adults are also less likely to send their children to school. Education is, in all probability, the most influential tool required to break the vicious intergenerational cycle of abuse, malnutrition, poverty and oppression. Literacy thus requires a lot of attention.
In addition to this, about 35% children in India with disabilities remain out of Elementary school (District Information System for Education â DISE, 2011-12) and the National Dropout Rate at the Elementary Level is over 40% (DISE, 2011-12).
Despite the Right to Education (RTE) Act coming into force in 2010, access to education for every child remains a huge concern in the country. The following are statistics that portray the seriousness of the situation:
- 1 in 4 children of school-going age is out of school in our country â 99 million children in total have dropped out of school (Census 2011)
- Out of every 100 children, only 32 children finish their school education age-appropriately (District Information System for Education (DISE) 2014-15)
- Only 2% of the schools offer complete school education from Class 1 to Class 12 (District Information System for Education (DISE) 2014-15)
- There are 10.13 million child labourers between 5-14 years in India (Census 2011)
- India has 33 million working children between the ages of 5-18 years. In parts of the country, more than half the child population is engaged in labour (Census 2011)
- 42% of married women in India were married as children (District Information System for Education (DISE 3)
- 1 in every 3 child brides in the world is a girl in India (UNICEF)
- India has more than 45 lakh girls under 15 years of age who are married with children. Out of these, 70% of the girls have 2 children (Census 2011)
Unless these underlying causes are dealt with, the situation for children will not change. CRY, along with its partner organisations are working at the grassroots level to make sure that children do not have to face these barriers and can fully exercise their right to education.
Donate now so that children can enjoy a future full of opportunities because of the quality education they receive today.


Help the child learn to deal with the right way generally. The youngster might need to be followed up periodically whenever the problem is seen to be stable and there are not any other complications. The children wind up sharing educational material and although that isnât ideal they do learn. When you own a child with a visual impairment in your classroom, you have to be organized.
Children are wonderful in lots of ways. Itâs crucial that you look out for your youngsterâs vision from a young stage, particularly if thereâs a strong family history of ocular conditions, as the visual system is thought to have matured by age 7. It isnât always simple to recognize that a kid may be visually impaired. Children that have a visual impairment in both eyes because of congenital condition may sometimes have other difficulties, including learning difficulties or behavior issues.
Whispered Partially Sighted Child In Classroom Secrets
The kid will learn to create a mental mapinformation linking one portion of the room or building to anotherof an area. If he or she does not cooperate, the doctor may prescribe eye drops in an attempt to help the child adjust to the glasses. No kid is too young to have an eye examination and an authentic strabismus doesnât disappear. Sometimes young children who donât walk well actually have difficulties with their vision. At length, encouraging children to advocate for themselves is perhaps the one most important thing a teacher can do in order to enable a student. Since each kid differs, the age once the kid is prepared for a prosthetic eye varies. Anisometropia Some children can have a different prescription in every eye.
What Everybody Dislikes About Partially Sighted Child In Classroom and Why
Some of your daughterâs teachers may wish to be more lenient with her due to her visual impairment. In a perfect situation the teacher isnât alone. There are several talented exceptional needs teachers who have made wonderful inventions and donât have any manner of sharing them with other folks.
Students will generally have a preference for taking tests. As a result, they can suffer from lower self-confidence which can have a negative impact on learning. Blind students canât view teacher song gestures that are often utilized in elementary education music class. Some blind students utilize guide dogs which are specifically trained and usually well disciplined. Provided that the blind student understands whatâs happening, audio-visual materials can genuinely help the learning approach. Some blind students with just central vision loss do not need a guide dog or cane.
The next thing to do is to step back and see the way the student implements her or his action program. Actually, some partially sighted students have the ability to receive driverâs licenses. They will usually need extra time on their test, especially if they are reading the test themselves. A student whoâs legally blind may retain an excellent quantity of vision. Students with visual impairments might feel self-conscious about their problem. They often need to learn special skills such as how to use a walking cane and how to use special computer applications.
Students have to be encouraged to make an effort to locate things before asking for help from others. With the appropriate support, visually impaired students may receive all the advantages of an extensive education. Most visually impaired students will have the ability to get a normal high school diploma and keep on with higher education.


How Educators Can Infuse STEAM Topics Together
One of the largest educational initiatives over the past decade has been the STEM movement which seeks to increase studentsâ knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematic related subjects. Recently, there has been a push to include art and design within this initiative, extending the name from STEM to STEAM. While the STEAM movement has been gaining substantial momentum, itâs still relatively young, so its important for educators to have a solid understanding of the various components and benefits of the STEAM movement, as well as how teachers can infuse STEAM topics together in the classroom.
Introducing the STEAM Movement
The STEAM movement was originally started by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) when the prestigious design school noticed a dire lack of art and design within the STEM movement that was dominating the educational scene in the early 2010s. The key objectives of the STEAM movement are:
- encourage the placement of art & design with the STEM movement
- promote research that signifies the equal importance of art and design alongside STEM subjects
- support the inclusion of art and design within the k-12 and university level curriculum
- stimulate the hiring of artists and designers for creativity and innovation
Benefits of the STEAM Movement
The STEAM movement has quickly rose in popularity thanks to its promotion from many major universities and corporations, as well as its major educational benefits. One of the most important of these benefits is that a STEAM curriculum provides students with a more holistic educational environment. For example, with a STEAM curriculum, students will not only understand how STEM principles connect together, but they will also have knowledge on how these technical skills connect with more artistic sensibilities.
Likewise, art and design have been a key factor of a number of our leading science, engineering and technology companies. Take Apple for instance, a company whose CEO, Steve Jobs, went through excruciating lengths to ensure that Apple products were aesthetically-pleasing pieces of art. In fact, Jobs so well understood the impact and importance of art that he would often handpick the music featured on Apple commercials. Another great example is the websites and applications that we use on an almost daily basis â all of these leverage art and design to not only create innovative products and services, but also design brand logos that attract and connect with a fan base.
Tips for Infusing STEAM Topics in the Music Classroom
Given the breadth and volume of content, music teachers have an almost endless amount of opportunities to infuse STEAM topics together in the classroom. One of the most logical examples is using music to teach mathematics, or vice versa. This can easily be done through the analysis of the circle of fifths, wave lengths and frequencies within individual notes or chords.
Another option would be analyzing music instruments from the perspective of each STEAM component. So, for example, for one 10-minute segment, you may observe a piano from an engineering perspective, then a design perspective, then a technical, etc. Or, from a more traditional academic perspective, you could highlight the various STEAM components and then discuss as a class how each industry has relied upon another in order to advance. For example, whether its instruments, amplification or music listening products, music has greatly aided in the advancement of the electrical engineering industry. Likewise, technology has continuously helped music elevate to new platforms.
Ways to Aid with the STEAM Movement
If teachers are interested in aiding the STEAM movement, there are a number of steps that they can take. To start, simply incorporating STEAM projects into the curriculum can not only be extremely helpful for the movement, and also for studentsâ education as well. Teachers could also set up a STEAM student club, or if there already is a STEM club they could slowly incorporate some art and design elements into club meetings. Lastly, if teachers are interested in learning more about the STEAM movement and networking with peers, they can attend STEAM Conferences â such as the US STEAM Conference Strand â or explore STEAM research and databases online.
Are you passionate about music education? Well, why not share your passion with others by becoming the next graduate of Kent Stateâs online Master of Music in music education program. You can study entirely online and graduate in as few as 23 months â find out more today!
Image source: https://nvbots.com/wp-content/uploads/A53AF5EC-0056-45BF-A593-87A43C3841C4.png


Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and Informational Text
- Reading 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- Reading 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
College and Career Readiness Writing Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 in English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
- Writing 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12
- Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Social Studies â National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 3: People, Places, and Environments
- Theme 4: Individual Development and Identity
National Standards for Music Education
Core Music Standard: Responding
- Select: Choose music appropriate for a specific purpose or context.
- Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
- Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creatorsâ and/or performersâ expressive intent.
- Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Core Music Standard: Connecting
- Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.


In common, classrooms have the same kids and the exact same teachers each day. Although implementing the intervention, activities has been taken like, Identification of CWSN, Medical Assessment and Rehabilitation Assistance Solutions, Educational Help Services and so on. Therefore sex education is essentially a warning and a caution for such youngsters who are stepping into the phase of life exactly where they would need to know all this.
People who claim that sex education in schools have much more cons than pros, often come up with the statements suggesting that sex education in classroom must be avoided because the most efficient tool for supplying sex education, according to them is Television, films, magazines and media.
Standard of education to either passing or failing of external examinations like WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, JAMB,(NOW UTME) among others. Home and family members has never and will in no way play an integral part in conveying sex education to teenagers, therefore to rely on the alternative of house, is to deceive your personal self from the expected exigency in the future. These learners are taken through various drawing lessons that serve as a foundation for specialization into various elements of visual art education. While covering the full spectrum of education policy, Education Commission of the States dives deeply into important problems impacting all states. These students by means of many encouragements are capable to pave their own creative paths in various parts of visual art education.
Technology plays an increasingly substantial role in enhancing access to education for people living in impoverished places and building nations Charities like One Laptop per Child are committed to offering infrastructures by means of which the disadvantaged may access educational materials.
He also use written and spoken English as a yardstick for measuring regular of education which University of London conducted a research in West Africa and the outcome showed that teachers educated by colonial masters had been much better of than those trained by indigenous teachers.


Showing all 11 results
Learning Language and Loving It Guidebook -(Second Edition Weitzman & Greenberg 2002) ISBN: 0-921145-18-7$86.00
A Guide to Promoting Childrenâs Social, Language, & Literacy Development in Early Childhood Settings
Promoting Childrenâs Social, Language, and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Settings
Learning Language and Loving It DVD plus DVD User Guidebook â The Learning Language and Loving Itâ¢ guidebook and DVD offer a comprehensive, step-by-step learning experience for educators who work in early childhood settings.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Adjust the way you talk â The way you talk to children is quite different from the way you talk to adults.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Encourage interaction in group situations â Encouraging all children to get involved in interactions begins with you and a small group of children.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Extend the Topic â When you extend the topic, you provide additional information that increases a childâs understanding.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Follow the childâs lead â When you follow the childâs lead, you pick up on her interests and go with them.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Keep the conversation going with questions & comments- Asking genuine questions that build on what the children have said and making comments that show your interested provide the kind of conversations that are the building blocks of childrenâs language development.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Make turn taking easy in social routines â Infants and children who are inexperienced turn-takers learn a great deal from familiar, repetitive, predictable interactions that contain clear cues as to when to take a turn.
Learning Language and Loving It Poster â Step in set up & fade out
Drawn from Hanenâs Learning Language and Loving It Program, these delightful posters provide teachers, SLP/Ts and early childhood educators with a colourful tool to help support young childrenâs learning in classroom and child care settings.


Videos are listed chronologically by date added, beginning with the most recent
Supporting the Troops. Episode 6
The video investigates the importance of supporting the fighting forces through the merchant marine that transported many resources required to fight the enemy in the Second World War.
Training and Preparing for War. Episode 1
The video explores the challenges, sense of duty and loyalty that veterans experienced as they trained and prepared for the Second World War.
Understanding Ratio and Proportion
This video assists students to develop their proportional reasoning skills. Ideas that are introduced in the program include: 1. concept of ratios and proportions, 2. correct way to express and write rations and proportions, 3. ratios and proportions in their simplest form and 4. comparing ratios...
Two of Everything
In this video, Mr. Haktak digs up a brass pot and takes it home. He puts his purse that contains his last five gold coins in the pot for safekeeping. Mrs. Haktak puts her hair pin into the pot. They discover that the brass pot is magical as their possessions double. Mr. and Mrs. Haktak try other ...
Teaching for Numeracy
Series: Teaching and Learning
This video shows educators how to encourage students to learn and develop their numeracy skills. The activities are designed with a clear purpose, helping students to explore and think for themselves, show strategies and gain understanding. Opportunities are presented for students to share their ...
Naming and Measuring Angles
Key concepts of angles are introduced such as defining and writing information about an angle, mathematical notation for rays, line segments and lines. Other topics introduced include obtuse angles, acute angles and congruent angles.
A teen girl creates a mobile to hang above a baby's crib by using the following: bisecting an angle, perpendicular bisector of a line, construct a triangle, determine the centre of gravity, determine the inscribed circle of a triangle and determine the circumcircle of a triangle.
Linear Functions: An Introduction
This video introduces linear functions. The presenter, Sharpie, outlines the different forms of linear functions: tables, graphs and equations. The students explore the concept of the y-intercept and learn how to determine the slope of a line given any two points on the line. As students plot lin...
Blockhead. The Life of Fibonacci
In this video, the life of Leonardo Fibonacci is examined. Living in medieval Italy, Leonardo constantly thought about numbers. People called him blockhead because he daydreamed about numbers. As Fibonacci grew older and travelled the world, he studied how other countries use numbers and how they...
Betsy Franco explores birdsongs and behaviour. Counting backwards, the woodpecker pecks ten times as he searches for food. The hummingbird is the last bird presented with its one high-pitched peep. The second part of the video, called Feathery Facts, features facts about the birds found in the st...


Students are advanced to a higher-level class that covers material more suited to their abilities and preparedness.
This program does not require prior teaching credentials or experience. Student characteristics include self-confidence, tendency to dominate and ability to adapt to new situations.
Micaela Bracamonte is the principal and founder of The Lang Schoola New York City private school designed exclusively for twice-exceptional students.
Gifted education teachers are not limited to the traditional classroom, and they are able to work within a number of learning environments. The National Association for Gifted Children NAGC compiled a nationwide database of all colleges and universities that offer coursework, certification and degree programs in Kâ12 gifted education.
Successfully direct individuals or groups to a common goal or decision and capable of negotiating in difficult situations. All teachers should understand, plan and implement a range of evidence-based strategies to assess gifted and talented students, to differentiate instruction, content and assignments for them including use of higher-order critical and creative-thinking skillsand to nominate them for advanced programs or acceleration as needed.
To become a certified gifted education teacher, most programs require students with prior teaching certification.
Gifted students are assigned to a class with a special curricular focus outside the regular classroom for two to six hours per week.
Gifted students are taught full time in a separate class or independent school, such as Long Island School for the Gifted. Evidence of a discrepancy between expected and actual achievement Evidence of an outstanding talent or ability Coincident evidence of a processing deficit Return to Top Equal Rights and Advocacy There are over 3 million academically gifted students in the United States alone, yet there are no federally mandated requirements for gifted and talented students.
Return to Top Gifted and Talented Education Standards for All Teachers All teachers should understand the issues in definitions, theories and identification of gifted and talented students, including those from diverse backgrounds. This program does not establish rights for gifted children as IDEA does for Special Education ; instead, it focuses on research and advocacy for gifted children in underserved populations.
It is important for all educators connected to gifted education to familiarize themselves with the research, curriculum strategies, pedagogy theories and educational practices in place to enhance learning in high ability students.
Demonstrate special talents in art, music, dance, drama and similar studies Psychomotor Ability: Return to Top Curriculum and Teaching Standards for Gifted Education Teachers Whether you are a general education teacher or a teacher for the gifted, it is the responsibility of classroom teachers to both identify and serve gifted and talented students.
Student characteristics include preference for complexity, positive self-image and openness to experience Leadership Ability: High IQ scores, a wide-range of general knowledge and high levels of vocabulary, memory and abstract reasoning Specific Academic Aptitude: A number of schools across the country offer coursework, certification and degree programs in gifted education.
Synthesize new ideas by bringing together seemingly abstract, independent or dissimilar elements. Visual and Performing Arts: NAGC identifies those areas of giftedness into the following six domains: On the other hand, they tend to simultaneously perform very poorly on one or more of the local, state, or national standardized assessments used to measure individual student progress.School-age children are typically tested using group testing methods through their school's gifted and talented screening program.
It is rare that any individual test of ability or achievement will be offered to gifted students by their school or district. Did You Know? Quantitative Research Methods National Association for Gifted Children Research and Evaluation Network Given the differing viewpoints on the effectiveness of identification methods in identifying Black, Hispanic, and Native American gifted students and the number of studies that have been conducted in the field of gifted education, a meta-analysis was appropriate to synthesize the wide range of studies.
The System of Music Education for Gifted Children in Russia: Evaluation and Explication Damilya Nadyrova1 Abstract Recent researches in psychology and.
Education and parenting articles offer expert tips and information on raising kids. Read educational articles, parenting articles, & more Kindergarten Intellectual Development Kindergarten marks a year of huge intellectual growth in children. Educational articles are an excellent resource for parents who are interested in learning about.
Gabriela Kelemen â¢ Identification of highly gifted children Skills, Methods, Education Introduction Brilliant intelligence is rare and human abilities to identify it are rather limited. Most Gabriela Kelemen â¢ Identification of highly gifted children.
Gifted Education International.Download


ERIC Number: ED193113
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1980
Reference Count: 0
Key Competencies: Art Education, Elementary Schools.
Philadelphia School District, PA. Office of Curriculum and Instruction.
This booklet outlines key competencies for art education in kindergarten through grade six in the Philadelphia school system. The goal of art education is to provide an understanding of elements and principles of composition and design such as color, line, shape, mass, and texture. Art education should involve students in creating, analyzing, and evaluating works of art in terms of art history and the contributions of various cultural groups. Art education activities are stressed as an interdisciplinary experience. The competencies listed in this document are specific to each grade level: grades one through six have 10 competencies each, and kindergarten has one. Each competency is followed by numerous behavioral objectives, or activities by which mastery can be evaluated. For example, a fourth grade competency is that students will explore the realms of fantasy and imagination in art. A related behavioral objective is to contrast the two painting styles of surrealism and realism. Other competencies include becoming familiar with art material (kindergarten); creating forms that are recognizable, sturdy, and attractive using self-hardening clay (grade two); and considering texture as an art element (grade five). (AV)
Descriptors: Aesthetic Education, Art Activities, Art Appreciation, Art Education, Art History, Art Materials, Behavioral Objectives, Competency Based Education, Course Objectives, Creative Art, Educational Objectives, Elementary Education, Interdisciplinary Approach, Learning Activities, Minimum Competencies, Sequential Learning, Skill Development, Visual Arts
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: Philadelphia School District, PA. Office of Curriculum and Instruction.
Note: For related documents, see SO 012 813-821.


The Anthropology Department offers this combined major in partnership with Western's Woodring College of Education. Anthropology is particularly valuable for teachers, because it provides a broad understanding of human behavior, cultural diversity, and learning as a process of social interaction. Teachers today work with students of various cultural backgrounds and awareness of specific cultural learning influences, attitudes, motivations, and patterns of interaction is an integral part of working effectively and respectfully in diverse communities.
Through the required basic courses in Anthropology, majors will acquire an understanding of cultural context, the evolution of contemporary institutions, and both similarities and differences that are both the heritage and potential of humanity. With faculty Advisement, Anthropology â Elementary students will identify topics for advanced coursework, including:
- Diverse Cultures and Ethnic communities in the Pacific Northwest
- The relationship of cultural and political realities to civic engagement
- Linkages between cultural expectations and learning processes
This major satisfies the academic major requirement for teacher certification with an endorsement in elementary education and must be accompanied by the professional preparation program in Elementary Education offered through Woodring College of Education.


The Ofsted report into music education in schools in the United Kingdom, published November 2013, reported that good music education âreaches only a minority of pupilsâ with the headline on their homepage reading âmusic hubs failâ. In this age of austerity with funding cuts hitting the arts particularly hard and with less money in parents pockets it is important to look at how beneficial a good music education is to our children and society as a whole.
The Ofsted report comes two years after the Department of Education published The Importance of Music â A National Plan for Music Education in which plans were laid out (albeit alongside funding cuts) pledging that music education was of great importance and replacing local authority with so called âmusic hubsâ. In doing this it seemed to recognise the 36 recommendations set out in Darren Henleyâs report on music education in England, promising a shake-up to help music education move forwards.
The government is sending [a] message: the arts are secondary and expendable in an age of austerityâ¦
A key quote from the plan is that music and instrumental lessons should be âavailable and affordable to all young peopleâ. Music lessons are primarily paid for by parents and are anything but cheap. With the global financial crisis taking hold many parents have been rendered unable to pay the bills for music tuition. Speaking with instrumental tutors it is evident that the amount of pupils taking instrumental lessons has dwindled and the consensus is that not enough has been done to prevent this.
In times gone by music was an important part of everyday life with most people able to play at least some rudimentary piano. Today the application for GCSE Music courses are low compared to many other subjects. Most older pupils in one of the secondary schools visited by Ofsted were not involved in any school musical activity at all and the students who had chosen GCSE Music almost always had additional experience of playing instruments or singing engraved by their home lives.
Research has shown a direct link between music and improved reading ability in children as well as improved Maths and Science results. The study of an instrument promotes the rewards of hard work and discipline, teamwork from playing in various ensembles and can increase childrenâs health and well-being, not to mention the practical benefits of increased creativity and self-confidence.
Music is part of the United Kingdomâs cultural heritage; from Benjamin Britten to Gustav Holst and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The arts are part of what makes our country great. The music industry is a big contributor to our economy and should be held in high regard as such.
â¦instrumental lessons should be available and affordable to all young people [but] are primarily paid for by parents and are anything but cheapâ¦
The Ofsted report reads that most pupils reach the age of fourteen without being able to understand the basics of music with teachers shying away from the subject as they think it too difficult. It also states that the introduction of music hubs has done little to improve on support previously given by local authorities.
The plan asks each music hub to produce a âschool music education planâ to address the issues raised. The report also makes recommendations to schools asking them to make better use of provisions and funding provided through hubs with accurate evaluation of spending and results.
The government is sending the message that the arts are secondary and expendable in an age of austerity. Unless this attitude to music education changes then the shackles are firmly fitted as to what the music hubs and schools can achieve. The shake-up of the music education system has clearly failed to make the significant improvements needed and it is time to re-think again before another generation misses the chance to experience the joys that music can bring.


Education is a universal right for all children between 6 and 16 years. It is compulsory and free for everyone living in the town and registered at the Town Hall.
In Spain there are three types of schools: public schools, private schools and concerted schools. Public education is free of charge for families (except for tuition, books, room, bus service ...). The private education implies a cost that can be higher or lower depending on the chosen school (the books are extra, also the dining room and transport ...). Concerted education corresponds to private schools with public funding, so the monthly cost has a subsidized part.
To access a public school must be registered in that population. You can apply for a vacancy in a public school in another town, but the scoring system to access gives preference to those registered in the municipality ahead of other applicants. It also takes into account the proximity of the student's home and school, among other criteria. Therefore, if the demand exceeds the supply of places and not being registered in the municipality, it will be very difficult to reach a school. Then be allocated a place at a school in the municipality of residence.
To enroll a child in school, you have to take into account the educational stage:
- 0-3 years: First early childhood education - 3-6 years: Child Education - 6-12 years: Elementary Education - 12-16 years: compulsory secondary education. - 16-18 years: Baccalaureate school and vocational training intermediate level - More than 18 years University studies, higher level vocational training.
To enroll a child in a school in Sitges:
(during the pre-registration period, around March, this office moves to OAC).
The documentation required is: - If you are over age student ID card (original and photocopy) or residence where has the NIE if the student is abroad) - If you are a minor: family book or other documents relating to the affiliation (original and photocopy) and ID Card (original and photocopy) of the applicant, who must be the father, or mother, or guardian or in fact, or in case of foreigners, the NIE. The vaccination card and health card must be provided too.


Strong leadership, engaged parents and teachers who want to learn have been identified as key characteristics of NSW public schools that create a culture of excellence.
Research by the departmentâs Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) identified five schools that excelled in education delivery all shared the quality practices of:
- Providing students with additional learning support and involving parents in student learning to ensure it continued outside of school
- A strong emphasis on staff learning, development and evaluation to improve teaching practice
- Strong, effective principals who modelled leadership within and beyond their schools, and who mentor and build leadership capacity in staff.
The schools â Lansvale Public School, Rooty Hill High School, Sefton High School, Taree West Public School and Woonona High School â were selected based on their effective implementation of the 14 elements underpinning quality learning, teaching and leading, known as the School Excellence Framework (SEF).
Lansvale Public School principal Mark Diamond said it was gratifying for the school to receive recognition for innovation in the CESE research study, âCreating a culture of excellenceâ, given that students had to overcome barriers to succeed.
Around 94 per cent of students at the school come from a non-English-speaking background and the schoolâs population has a higher than average level of economic disadvantage.
Mr Diamond said the school had worked hard at creating a partnership with parents in their childrenâs learning. This started in the early years, with a preschool on site and playgroups for toddlers run by the school.
âWe have a really strong emphasis on early intervention and our preschool and playgroups allow us to develop very early on partnerships in lifelong learning with our parents,â Mr Diamond said.
Other parent-focused initiatives were PaTCH (parents as teachers and classroom helpers) where parents learn how to assist their children with literacy and numeracy skills, and forums to help parents better understand teaching practices.
Mr Diamond said the school was adaptive to studentsâ individual learning, with teachers working to a fortnightly learning cycle so modifications could be made based on student feedback and teacher observation.
âOur focus is on engagement â we really do believe in teaching our students to learn how to learn,â he said.
Like Lansvale Public, Rooty Hill High School has a high level of disadvantage, yet embraced a philosophy of high expectations of staff and students.
To take pressure off parents, the school had introduced junior and senior learning centres where students could drop in and get support with assignments and homework.
Principal Christine Cawsey said the initiative recognised that many parents could not support their childrenâs learning either as a result of work commitments or a lack of confidence.
The school also had a strong emphasis on leadership with all teachers expected to take on a leadership role from their second year in the school.
Ms Cawsey, who has led the school for 20 years, said the school also focused on engaging with the local community.
The school had reimagined its Year 10 work experience program into a social enterprise program that aimed to solve problems in the local community.
Ms Cawsey said the new approach was a form of âradical localismâ where students could develop the skills they would need to help build the community in which they wanted to live.


Starting high school is an exciting time--you'll have many new opportunities and new challenges. Throughout high school, you'll be working with your parents and teachers to help you make your course selections. Based on your interests and career aspirations, you will choose the courses that you need to progress towards your diploma and your future goals.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
18 compulsory credits
Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
- 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)*
- 3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
- 2 credits in science
- 1 credit in Canadian history
- 1 credit in Canadian geography
- 1 credit in the arts
- 1 credit in health and physical education
- 1 credit in French as a second language
- 0.5 credit in career studies
- 0.5 credit in civics
Plus one credit from each of the following groups:
- 1 additional credit (group 1): additional credit in English, or French as a second language,** or a Native language, or a classical or an international language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education***
- 1 additional credit (group 2): additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or French as a second language,** or cooperative education***
- 1 additional credit (group 3): additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education, or French as a second language,** or computer studies, or cooperative education***
In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:
- 12 optional creditsâ
- 40 hours of community involvement activities
- the provincial literacy requirement
* A maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.
** In groups 1, 2, and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.
***A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits.
â  The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.


IB PYP Early Years Curricula at OWIS:
Inquiry-led, Play-based Learning
At One World International School, we welcome our youngest learners into our Early Childhood environment from the age of 3 years. OWIS follows the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), a curriculum framework designed for students aged 3 to 12 years. PYP includes an âEarly Yearsâ component tailored to the academic, social and emotional needs for pre-primary school age children. At OWIS, our youngest learners participate in the PYP Early Years curriculum, benefitting from the programmeâs special focus on inquiry-led and play-based learning. To further support early childhood development, OWIS offers rich and stimulating indoor-outdoor learning environments that integrate the natural world into the classroom. While our young students are encouraged to initiate their own inquiry, we also use the early learning goals and developmental milestones from the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures high standards of learning and allows teachers to accurately assess their young students' academic, social and personal progress.
PYP and Reggio Emilia: Similar Philosophies Emphasize Self-Directed Learning and Rich Learning Environments
While OWIS does not formally follow the Reggio Emilia approach, many educators consider the PYP Early Years programme to be aligned with the goals of Reggio Emilia. Reggio Emilia is an educational philosophy focused on student-centered, self-directed, and experiential learning. Core tenants, like the belief that children need control over the direction of their learning and need to learn through a variety of experiences (touch, movement, listening, observation), is reflected in both Reggio Emilia and PYP. Both curricula seek to create a rich and appropriate classroom learning environment, which is considered to be a âthird teacherâ for young children. Parents searching for an Early Years curriculum that prepares students for IB PYP success and values the Reggio Emilia philosophy may find both at OWIS.
PYP Teaches Valuable Pre-Numeracy and Pre-Literacy Skills
In addition to honoring the importance of inquiry-led, play-based learning, PYP Early Years teachers at OWIS skillfully support the development of critical pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills. The PYP Early Years curriculum emphasizes the importance of building a strong pre-literacy and pre-numeracy foundation so young learners are prepared to succeed in the IB PYP curriculum in their primary school years.


What are the race-related struggles that African-American students experience throughout their school years? Here's the story of Tyrone.
Police in schools are being asked to deal with a range of issues, such as being a mental health counselor for a traumatized child. It is unfair to the police and can be harmful for children.
On the 20th anniversary of Bill Clinton's promise to "end welfare as we know it," a social work scholar asks why child poverty is still such a problem in the U.S. and what race has to do with it.
The learning loss that occurs over the summer for poor students can lead to a growing academic achievement gap in subsequent years. What are community schools and how do they help low-income students?
Summer is not an idyllic time for all. Two researchers who are black and are parents to two black children describe why they feel the weight of the summer.
A 'leaky STEM pipeline' keeps many women, racial and ethnic minorities as well as adults from low-income families from pursuing STEM careers. How early do these leaks begin?
The majority of music education teachers in American schools are white, and education focuses on Western classical music. What impact does it have?
Two students -- one black and one white -- with the same math and reading achievement could have very different likelihoods of being identified as gifted.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is replacing No Child Left Behind (NCLB). How much of an improvement is it over the earlier law?
What happens when kids are put through harsh disciplinary measures?


Curriculum News (Issue 1 2016)
Written on the 11 February 2016
Testing - The Australian Curriculum has been developed to enable all young Australians to develop the personal qualities and skills required for them to function as active individuals and citizens in the 21st century. This development is guided by a commitment by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to the '2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians'.
The goals of the Declaration are:
The Melbourne Declaration emphasises the importance of knowledge, skills and understandings as students engage in learning in the 21st century. The general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities which underpin this include a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills as a cornerstone for learning. The Australian Curriculum describes a learning entitlement for all students and includes core knowledge, understandings, skills, capabilities and priorities.
Further Information and Resources for Parents/Caregivers
I invite parents/caregivers to peruse these documents. Should you have any questions about the Australian Curriculum or teaching and learning matters regarding your children, please contact the relevant Senior School or Middle School teaching staff for assistance.


The Kodaly Approach.
What is it that is so distinctive about a KodÃ¡ly-based approach? KodÃ¡ly left us a philosophy â a set of guidelines â about his thoughts on music education. There is no âmethodâ. Some of his ideas are as follows:
- Singing is the best instrument and the starting point for music education.
- Music education should start as early as possible
- Unaccompanied singing is best for children.
- Children should engage in Singing Games and movement Only the best is good enough for children â itâs up to us to be the best we can be, and to use the best material we can find. Music belongs to everyone The sound should come before the symbol â in other words that children absorb musical sounds and experience sounds before being introduced to notation. Just like learning to read. All children can be taught to read and write music.
- Music should be taught in a joyful way âTeach music and singing at school in such a way that it is not a torture, but a joy for the pupil; instill a thirst for finer music in him, a thirst which will last for a lifetimeâ ZoltÃ¡n KodÃ¡ly For more information about KodÃ¡ly. In other words, the acquisition of vital music skills happens naturally through singingâ¦â¦
Key Principles â Musical components break down into a few simple elements which can be creatively combined in an infinite number of ways. Children learn by moving and doing, (which largely holds true for adults too!), and the best way to learn about music is through active participation in musical games and activities. All that is needed for this is the voice and movement. Our bodies are essentially wind instruments, with added percussive potential. KodÃ¡ly-based musical pedagogy is built on the following sequence :
Preparation â just sing and play the games! The children will be subconsciously experiencing music, and will be building a song bank from which concepts can be introduced later. The preparation stage can take a long time but is a crucial stage in ensuring that the child understands. Just like learning to read, the child catches the language before reading it.
Presentation â this happens only when the children are secure with a particular aspect of the activities â then is the time to give the concept a name!
Practice â open to a life-time of creative uses of a skill â eg âfeeling the beatâ â counting people in to the beginning of a phrase or song, being able to identify whether a piece of music is in 3:4 or 4:4, making up dance steps or lyrics to the music.


- When we think about the future of workâand all the jobs that will have to be created for Indiaâs expanding youth populationâwe should hold one thought above all in mind: most children who are currently in primary school will be earning their living in employment that donât yet exist.
A work sector that did not exist:
- today India is home to 4 million app developersâa work sector that did not exist less than three decades ago.
- In the same space of time, the word âAmazonâ has gone from meaning a mighty river in South America to one of the largest online retailers in the world. These transformations in society are the result of technological progress.
Digital technologies are changing the shape of work:
- Digital technologies are changing the shape of work before our eyes. Yes, they are enabling firms to automate and this will reduce employment in some old, typically low- and medium-skill sectors. But they also help firms to increase productivity, to innovate, and subsequently to create new products and sectors.
- Emerging markets like India stand to gainâbut they need to have the right skills at the ready.
The demand for certain skills is going up:
- complex problem-solving and analysis, and social skills such as teamwork and relationship management. Reasoning and self-efficacy are also increasingly important, particularly as they improve adaptability.
- Building these skills requires strong human capital foundationsâand building these foundations is especially important in early childhood development
- Most of these traits are learnt by infants up to the age of 5-6
- If children miss out during this period in life, it is hard to catch up
- These foundations can be established through effective early childhood development programmes and basic education
- Investments in nutrition, health and stimulation in the first thousand days of life build stronger brains
Need for education sector reform
- India needs to focus even more strongly on the quality of education it offers to its greatest assetâits citizens- its human capital
- For most children, skill foundations are formed through primary and secondary education
- Yet, the acquisition of foundational skills that one would expect to happen in schools is not occurring
Impact of investments in human capital
- Through investments in foundational human capitalâIndia can prepare its people for the coming shifts in jobs, skills and market structures
- Lack of investments, instead, will leave future generationsâespecially the poorestâat a severe disadvantage, amplifying inequalities that already exist
- In the worst-case scenario, this might create instability when rising aspirations are met with frustration instead of an opportunity
Indiaâs efforts at building human capital
- A lot of investments in human capital have already begun in India and are likely to have a positive impact in the coming years
- The shift in the education sector towards more competitive federalism and results-based financing is expected to improve accountability and learning outcomes
- Indiaâs agreement to participate in PISA is a major step forward in its policy landscape that will help rank India with global peers based on education outcomes
- PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) is a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to test education systems by comparing the test performance of 15-year-old pupils
- The two-hour test not only evaluates the cognitive skills of students in science, math, and reading but also assesses their ability to solve problems in new and unfamiliar conditions
Reforms required in the tertiary education sector
- Indiaâs tertiary education system is the second largest in the world, after China
- It is home to more than 35 million students and over 50,000 institutions\
- The most prestigious institutions within this system have global standing and are responsible for making India a world leader in the high-tech sector
For this success to be taken to the next level, Indiaâs tertiary education system needs three sets of reforms
- It requires more flexibility between the general and technical tracks
- More focus on building the skills
- Ensuring that specific universities become effective innovation clusters
- Investing in human capital now and over the long term is an investment with profound implications for peopleâs future prosperity and for national economic growth.


Benjamin WestIn a time when we can push a button on a remote control and see the sparkling colour images of history being made at six o'clock every evening, it is difficult for us to realise what it must have been like when the only visual chronicler of history was the highly skilled "history painter" with his contrived, painted strokes of pigment and binder on a massive framed canvas displayed at an annual salon. Not exactly Tom Brokaw with the Nightly News. When one reads about the strong governmental domination of the art academies in France, England, and many other European countries, we may ask ourselves, in light of our twentieth-century art scene, "Why would the government care much what artists painted?" The answer of course is that history painting was deemed the highest realm to which an artist could aspire, and what these painters put on canvas, to a great extent, determined how people viewed history. In other words, history painters were something on the order of today's "spin doctors". Governments have always had a stake in how history is recorded, thus, you better believe, they "cared" what these artists painted.
One such history painter was the American-born, Benjamin West. West lived from 1738-1820 and though he began his art education in Philadelphia he studied mostly abroad, in Italy and England where he lived most of his life. West didn't forget his American roots however. Though a founder of the Royal Academy, his studio in London was a haven for Colonial artists studying there. His friendship and encouragement benefited American artists such as Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley, among others, who studied at what was in effect, an "American Academy"
West's most famous history painting was the Death of General Wolfe painted in 1770. By history painting standards, the work is not all that large, measuring some 5' x 7'. It depicts a scene from the French and Indian War and is formal, yet stark, noble, yet human. Even while the painting was still a "work in progress", King George III let it be known he would not purchase a painting wherein British heroes were depicted in modern dress. No less than the godlike Sir Joshua Reynolds, then president of the Royal Academy, tried to prevail upon West not to continue such an "aberration of taste". Undaunted, West did continue. When it was displayed at the 1770 Salon, the painting was met with great critical acclaim. Reynolds apologised for his "error of judgement" and in effect, so did the king. He ordered a copy for the royal collection, inasmuch as the original had quickly sold. In fact, West actually painted four replicas of the original. Added to that, he also collected royalties from hundreds of engravings based upon the painting. It wasn't the "evening news" perhaps, but the pay was still pretty good.
Contributed by Lane, Jim
13 May 1998