If you have followed education-related news and discussions lately, you have more than likely heard about the Common Core State Standards. Essentially, it is an education reform initiative that has been spearheaded with the goal of aligning the curricula of all states across the nation. The basic idea is that it would be useful and beneficial for education in this country if all students had the same (or very similar) educational expectations, particularly as related to required skill sets. We’d like to spend some time talking about the Common Core State Standards (referred to going forward as simply “Common Core” for the sake of simplicity), since it is an important topic not only for CSD but for schools in almost every state in the country.
Common Core—which will result in a number of significant changes in curriculum, instruction, and assessment—will ultimately replace our current statewide assessment, the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). Ideally, the new standards will be universally adopted by all fifty states, but whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. Currently, the Common Core has been formally adopted by forty-seven states in the union, Vermont being among them. Using the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), Vermont will assess Common Core, which must be fully implemented by the spring of 2015.
The scope of this task is vast, and it has far-reaching implications for the way we approach education going forward. As such, regional curriculum coordinators and superintendents in Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties are collaborating to learn about Common Core, developing and planning for the changes in curriculum that Common Core will necessitate.
Specifically, educators must comprehend the standards in order to develop the changes in curriculum and instruction, and they must also examine the assessment in order to understand the ways in which they must prepare the students for it by 2015. The local curricula must be revised in order to reflect the new standards, instructional strategies will need to be developed, and our teachers must be trained in those new instructional strategies. In addition to all of that, our community members need to be informed about the changes and about what the new educational expectations will be.
As we said, the scope of this task is vast.
As for some of the nuts and bolts of what will change as the result of Common Core, it is important to first note that Common Core is academically more rigorous and requires more critical thinking from students.
For a summary of key changes to the standards for English Language Arts (ELA), including reading, writing, speaking and listening, language, and media and technology, click here. To put it succinctly, however, Common Core expects ELA skills to fully integrate with all other areas of study, including those in the sciences and in technical areas.
And for a summary of key changes to the standards in mathematics, click here. At its essence, Common Core spells out specific areas and concepts upon which students should focus through grade 5, after which time, the expectation is that students will expand upon those foundational skills to learn and understand increasingly complex material.
The standards for social studies and science are currently in development.
Suffice it to say that, similar to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Common Core will have a resounding impact upon the ways in which our educators formulate and present material to our students going forward, and preparing for this initiative is a monumental undertaking.
For more information about Common Core, please contact Gwen Carmolli, CSD’s director of curriculum and instruction, at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Keep current with CSD’s news and other education-related information by subscribing to CSD Spotlight. Enter an e-mail address into the field under E-mail Subscriptions in the upper right-hand side of this screen and click “Sign me up!”


March is National Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art and art education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. Established in 1961, YAM provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are not possible in other subjects. The Council for Art Education (CFAE), a sponsor of Youth Art Month, adopted the national theme, “Start With Art, Learn for Life.” Art Education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking skills. All of these skills are vital to the success of our future leaders–our children.
Youth Art Month’s Purposes Are:
1. To direct attention to the value of art education which develops divergent and critical thinking; multicultural awareness; and technical, communication, and expressive skills.
2. To increase community, business and governmental support for art education.
3. To recognize that art is a necessity for the full development of better quality of life for all people.
4. To expand art programs in schools and stimulate new ones.
5. To increase community understanding and interest in art and art education through involvement in art exhibits, workshops, and other creative venues.
6. To provide additional opportunities for individuals of all ages to participate in creative art learning.
7. To encourage commitment to the arts by students, community organizations, and individuals everywhere.
8. To recognize art education as a viable component in the total education curricula that develops citizens of a global society.


The View from Two Cabins
Carr and Thoreau: Literature and the Expression of Nature
Lydia Harrington 2013
Terry Parker High School
Interdisciplinary, Grade 10 and 11
The View from Two Cabins is an instructional unit designed to explore the work of Dr. Archie Carr, eminent researcher, teacher, writer, and pioneer in the field of conservation biology. Using the Carr Family Cabin, an historic preservation site located in Florida, as a symbolic link to Thoreau’s cabin in Walden Woods, the unit also creates a bridge between the ideas and philosophies of these two influential naturalists.
The curriculum portion of the website will provide lessons targeted for secondary level students aligned to the Common Core Standards for English and Language Arts (ELA). Designed for national implementation with emphasis on cross-curricular literacy development, the Common Core Standards are well suited for developing lesson materials for reading in history and the natural sciences. While much of Dr. Carr’s work took place in Florida, his scientific legacy is international in scope. Use of the Common Core Standards is intentional, affording access to standards-based lesson plans for a broad audience. However, Florida and many other states offer frameworks showing the alignment of regional standards to the Common Core. Alignment links will be provided to assist teachers in their documentation.
Section One: The Carr Cabin
Curriculum materials will focus on the restoration of the Carr Family Cabin and its significance as a model of environmental stewardship balancing rigorous science with the intangible inspiration of the Florida landscape.
Section Two: The Carr Family
The recently restored Carr Family Cabin is a symbol of one family’s commitment to understanding and preserving Florida’s intricate and complex environment for future generations. Beyond that, it served as an oasis and inspiration for a uniquely gifted family that embraced environmental stewardship as a calling. Lessons on the Carr Cabin will foster an understanding of the sense of place which made such a profound impact in shaping the work of this brilliant family of scientists, writers, and activists while keeping them grounded in the source of their vision. Additional lessons will include biographical studies of individual family members and their influence in shaping a responsible conservation ethic for an increasingly complicated and fragile world.
Section Three: The Writings of Archie Carr
Beyond the persona of Dr. Archie Carr the eminent scientist, there was a second celebrated persona of Archie Carr, the writer. Curriculum materials in this portion will provide a series of lessons using his essays on natural history as centerpieces, including: “The Bird and the Behemoth,” “Armadillo Dilemma,” “Vignettes,” “Hound Magic,” “Wewa Pond,” “A Dubious Future,” and “Eden Changes.” Archie Carr’s writing was as multifaceted as his personality, and lessons will also showcase his irrepressible sense of humor through “A Subjective Key to the Fishes” and his mastery of the short story form in “The Black Beach,” which earned him the recognition of the O. Henry Memorial Award. Each lesson will be designed as an interdisciplinary exploration, utilizing Carr’s writing as a center branching outward toward links in other core areas of study including science, history, math, and the arts.
– Lydia Harrington, Curriculum Specialist, Duval County Schools


Early Childhood Education Today, by Morrison, George S.
- ISBN: 9780133436501 | 0133436500
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 3/27/2014
Note: This is the bound book only and does not include access to the Enhanced Pearson eText. To order the Enhanced Pearson eText packaged with a bound book, use ISBN 013383087X.
George Morrison’s goal in creating the Thirteenth Edition of Early Childhood Education Today was to collect the most current, researched-based information available on providing the high-quality early education all children need to be successful in school and in life.
The new edition integrates thirteen critical themes that are foundational to the field today: the importance of children’s literacy development, teaching in increasingly diverse classrooms, applying developmentally appropriate practice, closing the achievement gaps between children in poverty and those that are more economically advantaged, integrating special education and early childhood education, teaching in an inclusive classroom, closing school readiness gaps, meeting the challenges of teacher accountability, integrating STEM subjects into the curriculum, providing for children’s mental health, using technology to support learners, developing as a professional, and guiding children’s behavior to promote personal responsibility.
The new edition retains the engaging style that has made the book so popular and provides practical examples of authentic teaching practices used by master teachers around the country. Its strong coverage of development in the age-specific chapters and its emphasis on diversity make it the leading book in the field. The Enhanced Pearson eText features embedded video, video analysis exercises, and assessments.
Improve mastery and retention with the Enhanced Pearson eText*
The Enhanced Pearson eText provides a rich, interactive learning environment designed to improve student mastery of content. The Enhanced Pearson eText is:
- Engaging. The new interactive, multimedia learning features were developed by the authors and other subject-matter experts to deepen and enrich the learning experience.
- Convenient. Enjoy instant online access from your computer or download the Pearson eText App to read on or offline on your iPad® and Android® tablet.*
- Affordable. The Enhanced Pearson eText may be purchased stand-alone or with a loose-leaf version of the text for 40-65% less than a print bound book.
*The Enhanced eText features are only available in the Pearson eText format. They are not available in third-party eTexts or downloads.
*The Pearson eText App is available on Google Play and in the App Store. It requires Android OS 3.1-4, a 7” or 10” tablet, or iPad iOS 5.0 or later.


Depending on your child's birthday, he or she may qualify for Transitional Kindergarten, an exciting new grade taught by a select group of passionate teachers.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.
TK and K students will receive a similar curriculum, which will be differentiated to meet each individual student’s needs. TK also provides additional socialization to meet the needs of our younger learners.
2016-17 School Year-Student’s whose fifth birthday is on September 2nd through December 2, 2017 are eligible to attend Transitional Kindergarten. Classes begin on August 16, 2017.
TK and Kindergarten pre-assessment will be scheduled for your child in the spring prior to the start of the school year. The purpose of this assessment is for our teachers to gain general knowledge of your child’s developmental and academic readiness. You will receive further information about this assessment once you have completed the registration process.
After you have registered for Transitional Kindergarten or Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year, you will be receiving a letter outlining our TK/ Kindergarten Roundup for your home school giving you directions on when to arrive and what to expect. The Roundup is a way for us to get to know our incoming TK/ Kindergarten students through a short assessment and interview. If you do not receive a letter prior to a week before the roundup dates listed below, please give your home school a call.
Transitional Kindergarten: The Kindergarten Readiness Act, signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2010, is a historic reform to kindergarten education. To ensure our young learners are prepared to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, the Act created Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK is a program especially designed for students who are born between September and December to address developmental readiness. The Act changed the kindergarten entry date from December 2 to September 1, so children enter kindergarten at age 5. The TK year will provide a modified kindergarten program aligned to kindergarten standards and integrated across subject areas, but with a bigger emphasis on socialization and developmentally appropriate readiness skills including social-emotional development, self-regulation & approaches to learning, physical-motor development, cognitive development, and oral language and literacy development. Both Kindergarten and TK will cover skills from the California Standard or all subjects, using the adopted core curriculum. The standards are designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student.


The campus is somber, with a slight hint of tension hanging in the air. Students seek a quiet place of concentration, from the packed-out Starbucks at the student center to the quiet corners of the library. Dining hall doors stay open around the clock, providing coffee and snacks to those late night studiers who need re-fueled.
It’s almost finals week at William Woods University.
Everyone has his or her own preferences when it comes to studying, from the locations we work to the mechanisms we use. But the question is, what study techniques are the most effective for bachelors in education students?
A study conducted by psychological researchers at Kent State University and published by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) tested the ten most commonly used study techniques and evaluated each to identify the most effective from the least.
Findings indicated that the most successful study methods include:
- Practice testing — whether it is self-testing through flashcards or taking a practice test at the end of your textbook chapter
- Distributed practice — creating a schedule of practice that spreads your studying out over time
When we think of finals, or any big test, the first thought that comes to many of our minds is, “time to cram”. This study, however, suggests just the opposite.
“Although cramming is better than not studying at all in the short term, given the same amount of time for study, would students be better off spreading out their study of content?” asks psychology researcher and lead of this study, John Dunlosky. “The answer to this question is a resounding ‘yes’.”
Surprisingly, the techniques found to be least effective were also the methods most commonly practiced by students. These included summarization, highlighting, underling and rereading.
The remaining study practices were deemed semi-effective, and all practices, of course, can vary in effectiveness based on your area of study and what type of learner you are.
Education students can use these tips in their own studies, as well as impart them on to their future students. For bachelors in elementary education majors, and specifically those middle-level education and secondary education majors, knowing how to test what your students have learned and teach them the best ways to learn, study and retain information, is essential.


Amy Marcy Beach was the first successful American female composer of large-scale musical works. A child prodigy who was originally trained as a concert pianist, she took up composition after her husband asked her to limit her performing activities to one public recital per year. Her first major success was her Mass in E-flat Major, which premiered in 1892 and was performed by Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society. The performance immediately put her at the forefront of American composers at the time. In addition to her career as composer and concert pianist, she was also a great advocate of music education. She is particularly well-known for her “Ten Commandments for Young Composers” and also served as the first president of the Society of American Women Composers. Needless to say, Amy Beach enjoyed a fantastic career as one of America’s first “leading ladies” in the field of composition.


Japanese musician, educator and philosopher and the creator of Suzuki method of music education Shinichi Suzuki once said that music talent is not natural in children, but it is developed in them just like they learn mother tongue in their childhood. Voice lessons is a biggest gift, parents can give to their children. The singing appreciation will become most valuable and a cherished asset for them. It will become a medium for their kids a platform for personal achievement and the source of entertainment.
The Singing classes increase focus, concentration and memory power of a person. If you live in Los Angeles and feel that your kid or you have that singing talent and that cherish inside for learning singing, then take singing lessons from the biggest singing sensations of the city. Singing lessons in Los Angeles is for people like you who have that urge to become a singer.
Benefits of singing lessons for the learner
The purpose of joining singing classes is not only to make you a singer. There are plenty of other benefits of joining singing classes. S0 learn to Sing Los Angeles, it has tremendous health, psychological and personality benefits.
Some of its tangible and intangible benefits are as follows:
- It fosters self worth and self esteem in the learner by making them believe that they will gain tremendous personal attention and other will believe in their success.
- It increases memory power of a student which makes them successful in life and school.
- They will be able to discover their own learning style, thus gives them a confidence of thinking independently which prepares them for more advanced academics.
- Through the regular practice session and voice lessons, the concentration level in the student increases. He/she leans self discipline, determination and responsibility to reach near as well as far distant goals. These personality traits prepare them for success in other areas of life.
- If your child is weak in Mathematics, singing classes can be of a great benefit for them. Their counting, geometry, sequences, time keeping, recall and pattern recognition skills enhance
Singing can have several health benefits for the learners. Some of its health benefits are as follows:
- Studies have proved that singing lessons help increase the growth of brain.
- Some studies claim that singing lessons reduce stress, relieves anxiety and increases endorphin secretion.
- It prevents drug de addiction by releasing dopamine.
- Singing lessons improve cardiovascular function and the emotional regulation.
- Some studies have proved that singing instructions develop hand to hand, hand to eye right left brain coordination in individuals.
- It increases multi-task ability, fine motor skilled activities and spatial cognition like typing and writing.
Sum and substance
For novices in Los Angeles who have that cherish inside to become a singer can join singing lessons in Los Angeles and learn singing. So join singing classes and learn to sing Los Angeles. Take Sessions is one of the popular schools in Los Angeles where you can learn singing. You can get lessons on singing and songwriting in Los Angeles.


Teachers often face challenges when it comes to how to teach children about three dimensional shapes. This article provides tips and suggestions for fun and creative ways to help students differentiate between flat and three-dimensional objects.
Flat Versus 3D
The biggest hurdle in figuring out how to teach children about three dimensional shapes is getting them to think beyond the flat surface of a two-dimensional figure. From before children are even in school they are taught the shapes of circles, squares, triangles and rectangles, but much less time is spent on spheres, cones, pyramids and cubes. In fact, some of the tools used to teach the basic 2D shapes are in fact three dimensional objects. Toddler toy shape sorters, for instance, use three dimensional shapes such as cylinders in an effort to teach basic two dimensional shapes like circles. This confusion continues through early elementary education for many students as the terms and definitions of 3D shapes are nearly foreign to them.
3D Shape Grab Bag
A fun way to introduce the various three dimensional shapes to a class is through the use of mystery bags. In preparation for this lesson, teachers should find examples of different three dimensional shapes and place them inside paper bags. Ideally, one bag per student helps to reinforce this lesson with the entire class, but a sample selection can work well, too. Here are some ordinary household items that can be used to demonstrate three dimensional shapes.
- a wooden letter block for a cube
- an individual cereal box for a rectangle
- a rubber ball for a sphere
- a soup can for a cylinder
As each child opens their bag they should identify the item by its three dimensional shape, ie. a soup can would be identified as a cylinder.
Most kids love activities which include food, especially if they get to eat it. For this activity, teachers will need to be very open-minded and creative in how to teach children about three dimensional shapes as they will need to shop for foods that match this lesson. Here are some possible suggestions for 3D Food:
- Pretzel Combos, marshmallows, or cheese sticks for cylinders
- Donut holes or ball-shaped yogurt snacks for spheres
- Cheese cubes for cubes
- Toblerone candy bars as a possible three dimensional triangular shape
Getting Active with 3D Shapes
Another approach to teaching students three-dimensional shapes is to use large items that demonstrate shapes such as spheres and cubes. Large paper building bricks are available at many teacher supply stores and serve as a great demonstration for cubes. Students can stack and build these to construct various spaces throughout the classroom. Giving students time to work with the bricks will allow them to feel and consider the nature of three dimensional shapes. Requiring that they call the bricks "cubes" rather than bricks will help reinforce the new terminology of the three dimensional lesson. As for spheres, balls of different sizes can be used in a variety of outdoor games. Students can be given time to play with a large beach ball or small bouncy balls while requiring that they call the balls "spheres" to help reinforce the idea that these familiar objects are also three-dimensional shapes.
The Common Point to these Tips
The one common theme among these different suggestions is object lessons. Students should be given an opportunity to literally get their hands around familiar three dimensional forms to best see and understand the difference between 2D and 3D shapes.


Lodge Primary School Curriculum Statement
At Lodge, we encourage our pupils to share and value others because of their uniqueness, whilst celebrating and appreciating difference in our school community. Our children are encouraged to be active, responsible thinkers who care about each other and all members of our society. Through our curriculum, they are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and be active, fully engaged children with a lifelong love of learning.
Our curriculum has been designed to address all of the key components that underpin an understanding of British Values.
The PSHE coverage includes an understanding of the law, individual liberty and related responsibilities, acceptance and tolerance resulting in mutual respect and a deeper understanding of diversity and how this impacts society for the greater good. We teach and foster a culture of tolerance and acceptance in all aspects of school life but specifically through RE and collective worship.
We examine democracy and encourage the pupils to articulate their views and beliefs through debate and discussion using our school council model as a vehicle. We promote a programme of self-awareness and responsibility. We expose pupils to a wide range of social and cultural events that are celebrated by our diverse communities in Sandwell. Lodge is a positive learning environment where all members of our community are valued.
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 1 Summer 2017)
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 2 Summer 2017)
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 3 Summer 2017)
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 4 Summer 2017)
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 5 Summer 2017)
Curriculum Newsletters (Year 6 Summer 2017)
Curriculum (Reception Summer 2017)


In the 21st century, teaching cursive writing is increasingly becoming more of the exception than the rule. With computers emerging as the primary source for writing, many administrators feel teaching cursive writing is not necessary and believe the time would be better spent teaching keyboard skills.
Many students and parents, however, believe that teaching cursive writing is still very relevant and should not be so quickly dismissed.
And cursive writing may be making a comeback, at least in some states. As of 2016, 14 states require cursive instruction. The nation’s largest public school district, New York City schools, began encouraging cursive writing instruction in the fall of 2016.
Maggie Wells from Parenting Squad polled teachers to uncover reasons cursive should be taught in school:
Develops motor skills
Cursive writing requires a very different skill set from print writing. It involves using the hand muscles in a different way. Additionally, it activates a different part of the brain than regular writing does. At the age cursive is taught, around 7 or 8 years old, these skills can be very beneficial in furthering motor skill development.
In turn, many other skills will benefit. Some administrators argue that the time teaching cursive writing would be better spent teaching keyboard skills. In this case, students do not actually have to use their hands to create the letters, lowering retention rates and risking motor skills development altogether.
When students are taught the English language in only one form, print writing, they get only one chance to learn and memorize the letters. By having to learn cursive as well, students get another opportunity to fully comprehend the alphabet. Learning cursive also gives students a clearer understanding of how letters are formed, which will improve their print writing as well.
Working with legal documents
Being comfortable with cursive writing will guarantee students will be confident when writing and signing legal documentation. A cursive signature is most commonly required to endorse legal documents, accompanied by a printed version of their name too.
Writing and signing checks is another reason for learning cursive. Cursive writing has historically been the standard style when writing authorized checks for payment. Students risk being confident and successful when working with basic legal documents if they don’t learn cursive.
Helps students with disabilities
Students with learning disabilities, specifically dyslexia, can have a very hard time with writing in print because many of the letters look similar, particularly b and d. Cursive letters, however, look very different from print letters. This gives dyslexic students another option — an option that can decrease their dyslexic tendencies and make them more confident in their abilities.
Cursive is a lost art form
More and more school districts are cutting art from their budgets. This can be detrimental to the full development of students. However, cursive writing can be considered an art form all its own.
It is one more way for students to develop the side of their brain that is not developed by basic reading and writing skills. The more diverse a teaching curriculum is, the better.
Connects students to the past
Without being able to read cursive writing, students will undoubtedly be kept from many opportunities to read important documents. Many historical documents are written in cursive. While some of these documents are readily available online in print form, not all of them are.
Not only will students miss out on a part of history, they may very well miss out on reading important letters and cards from their grandparents or great-grandparents. The older generation still writes in cursive on a daily basis. Kids often rely on their parents to translate these letters and cards for them because they simply cannot read the cursive writing. Forty years from now, when these grandparents have passed on, kids may want to look back on these letters, and they should be able to read them.
So, should cursive be taught in school?
We think a resounding “Yes!” If teaching cursive writing is eliminated from schools, children will miss out on a lot. Though the world is becoming more and more technology dependent, there is something to be said for retaining a part of classic writing skills in the curriculum. Cursive reinforces the mantra that learning should simply be for learning — not just to pass a test.Learn More: Click to view related resources.
- Maggie Wells, "Teacher's Poll: Cursive Writing," Parenting Squad


Music Education has a whimsical side to it. Music teachers and student musicians get to see the funny in class and rehearsals. Cello There takes all of this and puts it in one place where we can see a new set of Music Education Funnies every weekday by Gregory Pavliv and MusicTeachingGuru.com
These online music trivia games for kids can be assigned as homework, completed in music class or used as part of a technology lab / computer lab class period. All are safe for school and most have links to additional quizzes. But as always, it’s always a good idea to test them yourself before unleashing your music students onto them.
This free journey goes from the 1100's today and is inteded for Music Teachers to share with their students (works great on a Smart Board!). It includes audio samples and an AMAZING music video with the Pentatonix. It's perfect for a fun overview of the history of music. If you DO have a SmartBoard, then make sure your speakers are on because you can start it right now and simply navigate forward and backward. All audio and video samples start automatically as your presentation navigates itself in what looks like 3D. If you don't have a Smart Board in your music room, don't worry. You can use this presentation (via the same link that's below) to guide your students through a computer lab session.
This entire activity can be a great opening year activity for music class. Start with the overview discussion, share the music and use the video if you wish to expand. This is a wonderful opportunity for music teachers to complete a cross-curricular lesson. And if you add a five minute writing prompt such as ‘my musical choices for the real Labor Day’, it’s meeting all your requirements. TIP: start at the bottom of this page and watch the Smithsonian video on the music of the American Labor Movement which gives the perspective needed to lead the discussion with your music students. Here are talking points to serve as the basis of a discussion regarding the origin of Labor Day.
Looking for some quick online piano games for music class? These are safe for classroom use and each page has a bunch of other games on their pages that are definitely worth exploring! These can be used as homework assignments, in class reinforcements or as materials to use during a music technology portion of your program incorporated in either a computer lab or your music room.


The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is looking into Adult Literacy and Numeracy and we want your help by telling us your experiences. Watch Caroline Dinenage MP explain more about the Committee’s inquiry in our video.
What we need to know
Are you an adult who finds it difficult to read, write or do sums?
- How has it affected you in your life?
- Do you feel supported if you want to increase your skills?
Are you an organisation that helps adults improve their reading, writing or maths?
- Do you have effective support from the government?
- What are the best ways to help adults learn how to read, write and do maths—through formal education or in a different way?
How to send us your views
You can make a video and post it up on YouTube or you can make an audio file and post it on SoundCloud. Please make your videos or audio files no longer than 3 minutes long.
Once your content is online you can send it to us in 2 ways:
- Post your content on Twitter and include our twitter handle in your tweet: @CommonsBIS
- Send us a link to your content via email to [email protected] - please make sure you tell us who you are when you email us.
Deadline for submissions: Tuesday 25 March 2014.
How we will use your content
The MPs on the Committee will try and watch or listen to all suitable submitted content - your experiences will inform the MPs about the impacts of low literacy and numeracy skills on peoples’ daily lives. We can use this valuable information when writing a report to the government recommending how they should help teach and train adults in maths, reading and writing.
Terms and Conditions for user-generated content
By sending us your audio-visual content you agree and accept our terms and conditions:
- You will own your content and can continue to use it as you wish. However, by sending this content to us, you allow us to use your content online or to reference it in printed material at any time without further accountability to you
- You must have the consent of all people featured in your video or audio and everyone must be over 16 years of age
- Your video or audio must be your own work and not copied from anyone else, or feature anyone else's material - such as music - unless you have got their permission
- Your content will not be covered by Parliamentary Privilege so be careful about what you say
- You must not say untrue things about people or companies, or mention any court cases or arrests
- You must not reveal any private information about yourself or anyone else, such as contact details in your video or audio clip
- You must not include anything that is obscene, indecent or offensive
- If we reference your material this does not mean official approval of your company, charity, or group by Parliament or the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee
- The Committee cannot look into individual cases raised by members of the public through their video or audio content
- This inquiry is not investigating English for Speakers of Other Languages
Parliament is not responsible for content on third party websites.
Image/ video: Parliamentary copyright


ASPECTS OF AMERICAN MUSICAL LIFE AS REFLECTED IN THE NEW MUSIC REVIEW AND CHURCH MUSIC REVIEW, 1901-1935
Fitts, Elizabeth Crouch
Cohen, H. Robert
MetadataShow full item record
The early twentieth century was a time of growth and important change in American musical life. However, many aspects of our national musical culture during this period remain largely unexplored. Among these is The New Music Review and Church Music Review (NMR) which from 1901 to 1935 offered a detailed chronicle of American musical life in some 404 issues and in over 16,000 pages. During its thirty-year publication run, the NMR was one of the most important music journals published in the United States and one that enjoyed "a high reputation for its able editorials and the excellence of its contributed articles." This dissertation examines the central and, in the main, previously unexplored topics treated in the journal's feature articles including attempts to define an American musical identity, the promotion of American music and composers, and the history and development of the organ and its music in the United States -- i.e., efforts to standardize the organ console, the controversy over unification of organ pipes, transcriptions, service playing, programs, and accompaniment for motion pictures and choirs. The journal also treats the history and accomplishments of the American Guild of Organists, problems relating to early twentieth-century American sacred music, the purposes of church music, musical reforms in the Episcopal and Roman Catholic Churches, the education of the clergy, congregation, choirmaster and organists in their responsibilities for the implementation of sacred music, and the selection of church repertory, especially hymns and anthems. There are four appendices: the first summarizes the NMR's articles on choral music, the second summarizes the NMR's articles on music education, the third lists the NMR's biographical sketches, and the fourth provides a descriptive list of the journal's contributors.


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Our brains are significant things that have a world of potential and so much that have yet to be understood. The brain can take a quarter of your life still developing and maturing. It will continue to learn new things even in old age. The capacity of our brains and its potential power is still being revealed to us today. It’s an amazing thing. Let’s dive into the child’s brain development and what doctors understand about brain development thus far.
From the fetus growing in their mother bellies to the first few years of life, the brain is hard at work creating it’s basic functionalities at a very quick pace. By age four the primary senses, vision, and motor skills are fully developed. Walking, feeding themselves, etc.
At age six, language is still being matured and it won’t be fully matured for years to come. The brain is constantly learning and “pruning”, eliminating redundant neural links. During this process, the brain uses it to learn their language and will continue to grow fast in the later years then slow as the child gets older. This is the reason why children can learn so much about speaking and understanding a language at a young age and why adults have such a difficult time learning new languages.
Reasoning at this age is still very immature. Abstract thinking, emotional maturity, and reasoning skills have yet to fully develop. This is the reason why when children get frustrated with too much information or have to juggle too many things at once, they may throw tantrums, etc.
Expect a boost of motor skill development by age eight or nine. By age five these skills are well developed but it is fine tuned at this later age. The parietal lobes start to mature. The learning at this age is enhanced greatly and at a much faster pace.
Reaching thirteen is wonderful. In certain areas, things mature greatly. Whereas at this age children lack the ability to correctly judge risk and make long term plans. The capacity for creating emotions is greatly increased. Unfortunately, this capacity is unrestrained by the prefrontal cortex which lags behind. This is the reason why you may notice your teen emotionally lashing out at times? A thirteen-year-olds intelligence and analytical abilities are expanding rapidly at this age.
At around the age of fifteen, an abundance of neural links are continually discarded and underused connections die down. At this stage for the child, their brains are becoming more specialized and efficient.
At seventeen the prefrontal cortex is maturing nicely, allowing the teenager to deal with far more complexity than a young child. Older teens overcome a heap of new social interactions and emotions. Risk taking, future planning, and self-control become more evident and possible.
We’ve now reached the age of twenty-one where your child is at a very legal age. It may seem the brain is fully developed but there is much room for fine tuning. There is the potential for tremendous gains in impulse control, emotional maturity, and decision making. Give it a few more years for its full maturity in these areas. But do not think the brain will stop there. It will always be learning new things.


Without a doubt, the art education program of the legendary “Bauhaus” was decisive for the redevelopment of design and architecture in the 20th century.
The philosophy of interlocking artistic, manufacturing and social dimensions is considered the fundamental turning point towards “Industrial Design.” Like many other pieces of Bauhaus, the chess set’s clear lines make it absolutely timeless and it has consequently become a true design classic. Not least because of its checked, reduced chessboard, it already looks like a Bauhaus design. Josef Hartwig's pieces, designed in 1923, stand out with their reduced shapes. Cubes and spheres lead you through the game’s moves all the way to chess mate. The shapes of the pieces are no longer inspired by historical examples, but rather by their function in the game.
The goal is to make the rules more easily understandable even for beginners. "The new pieces are made of stereometric basic forms: Spheres and cubes. Individually or combined, their shape specifies their movements, while their volume indicates their worth. The pawn and the rook move orthogonally to the board, which is indicated by the cube. The knight moves at a right-angle in a shape of a hook, thus indicated by the right angled cube formation. The bishop moves diagonally to the board and is represented by a saltire carved out of a cube. The king moves at a right angle and diagonally and is represented by a small cube on top of a bigger one.
The queen, the most mobile figure, is made of cube and ball," Hartwig explains. The Naef Spiele AG creates the Bauhaus toys according to their original designs.
- Design: Josef Hartwig
- 32 figurines in a wooden box: 44 x 7,5 x 4,5 cm
- Chess board: 36 x 36 x 1,2 cm
- Material: wood


Education in Ireland at primary and secondary level has traditionally been the preserve of the main religious denominations in the country and one in particular. That was not quite the intention of the prime movers back when a formal education system was first established in this country in 1831. That year £30,000 was allocated to establish a national system of elementary education in Ireland.
There is a myth that prior to this date Irish children were largely taught in what were known as ‘hedge schools’. While such informal and occasionally al fresco establishments did exist in the 1700s education had become rather more professionalized by the 19th century. The Society for Promoting Elementary Education among the Irish Poor, better known in its much shorter form as the Kildare Street Society was in receipt of government funds from 1812 and ran almost fifteen hundred schools with over one hundred thousand students by 1825.
Despite the fact that there were allegations made against the Society of proselytism the influential Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, James Doyle – an ally of Daniel O’Connell – saw nothing objectionable to Catholics in the schools. Doyle was more concerned with low educational standards elsewhere than he was with any perception that the Kildare Street institutions might be trying to convert Catholics to Protestantism.
Others were not quite so sanguine and deprecated the practice in Kildare Street schools of scripture reading or ‘unaided private interpretation of the Sacred volume’ which was ‘peculiarly obnoxious’ to other members of the Catholic hierarchy.
It was, in part at least, to, as he put it himself, ‘banish … even the suspicion of proselytism’ that in October 1831 the Chief Secretary Earl Stanley – later British Prime Minister Lord Derby – wrote a letter to the Duke of Leinster outlining a system of education more closely associated with the state than the looser regime that prevailed at the time. The government, the Chief Secretary informed the Duke, would fund the building of schools (with a small amount of local financial input), and would pay the salaries of teachers. Stanley’s letter was meant to convey to the Duke and to the Kildare Street Society that the government was no longer prepared to farm out education to an organization that was, in part, privately funded. It then proceeded to do just that all over again.
The main object of the new regime was to ‘unite in one system children of different creeds.’ The Board of National Education was told to look most favourably on applications for assistance from schools jointly managed by Roman Catholics and Protestants. But the policy of introducing a system of non-denominational, religiously integrated education was quickly abandoned as the Commissioners of Education caved in to demands from the main churches for rigidly denominational, segregated education. Within twenty years only 4% of national schools were not associated with a single religious denomination. The Dublin Castle administration didn’t always buckle to the realities of Irish life but in this instance it opted for pragmatism over principle.
The sum of £30,000 was allocated for the development of a new system of national education one hundred and eighty five years ago, on this day.


How to Read Aloud with Your Children
Reading aloud is the foundation for literacy development. It provides children with a demonstration of phrased, fluent reading, as well as fueling the desire to have a love for reading. In addition, a read-aloud can introduce new vocabulary, concepts, and text structures in context, allowing children to experience the joys of reading. Effective read-aloud experiences contribute to literacy development, by exposing students to the power of language.
- Choose books appropriate to children’s interests
By selecting books that cater to your children’s specific interests like soccer, horses, or dinosaurs, you can help them become engaged in reading. They will also be more likely to explore similarly themed books independently. In that sense, reading might not seem like a chore, but could be viewed as a tool that can help your children gain more understanding about a specific subject or hobby.
- Read books that are relevant to your children’s developmental, emotional and social levels
Children need to be exposed to a wide range of stories and books in order to see how characters handle fears, interests, and concerns that are similar to their own.
Reading stories that your children can relate to helps them make connections to their own life experiences, other books they have read, and universal concepts such as bullying, friendship, and achieving goals.
- Stop periodically to ask thoughtful questions
Keep your children engaged while reading aloud by occasionally stopping to ask open-ended questions about what is happening in the story. Be sure to follow-up on their answers by asking, “Why do you think that?” as an additional way to create a continual dialogue about the books that you are reading together.
- Read with animation and expression
You can help bring the story alive when reading aloud to your children when you read with animation. Using voices to differentiate between different characters and reading in a lively and animated tone can help your children become more interested in the story and continue reading stories in the future.
- Connect the read-aloud to your children’s school and independent reading
In your children’s academic career, they may be asked to connect and relate ideas from one story to another. Reading stories around a specific topic that your children are studying in school can help them begin the process of comparing and contrasting stories.
What are some additional tips that you recommend when reading aloud to your children?


1.) Shehan, P. (1987). Effects of rote versus note presentation of rhythm learning and retention. Journal Of Research In Music Education, 35(2), 117-26.
This source compares how well second- and sixth-grade students can learn and retain musical rhythms presented either visually or aurally. It compares the differences in how well these children of different ages can learn a rhythm and which style of presentation is easiest to pick up.
2.) Silverman, M. (2010). The effect of pitch, rhythm, and familiarity on working memory and anxiety as measured by digit recall performance. Journal Of Music Therapy, 47(1), 70-83.
This source is useful in dissecting the difference of roles of rhythm and pitch in recalling a musical pattern. It also compares results of musicians versus non-musicians, which is a point of interest in my topic.
3.) Cao, E., Lotstein, M., & Johnson-Laird, P. (2014). Similarity and families of musical rhythms. Music Perception, 31(5), 444-469.
This source is helpful in determining what aspects make certain rhythms similar to others. This is useful in my discussion of how familiarity of a rhythm may determine how well one can pick it up, since one presumably would be more familiar with a rhythm similar to other familiar rhythms.
4.) Krumhansl, C. (2000). Rhythm and pitch in music cognition. Psychological Bulletin, 126(1), 159-179.
This source focuses on how rhythm and pitch are perceived and remembered. It looks at different scales of remembering musical phrases and attempts to link musical structure with cognitive processes. This is useful in understanding the mechanisms that occur in the brain when rhythms are trying to be recalled.
5.) Huss, M., Verney, J., Fosker, T., Mead, N., & Goswami, U. (2011). Music, rhythm, rise time perception and developmental dyslexia: Perception of musical meter predicts reading and phonology. Cortex, 47(6), 674-689.
In this article, the authors hypothesize that ability to detect a musical rhythm is related to literacy development in children. This source is helpful in connecting how skilled one is in recognizing a rhythm with non-musical tasks.
6.) Hébert, S., & Peretz, I. (1997). Recognition of music in long-term memory: Are melodic and temporal patterns equal partners? Memory and Cognition, 25(4), 518-533.
This article examines the role that rhythm and melody play in recalling a piece of music. Results showed that a combination of the two is the most effective in retrieving music from long-term memory. This is useful for my topic in showing the relationship that rhythm and memory have.
7.) Brower, C. (1993). Memory and the Perception of Rhythm. Music Theory Spectrum, 15(1), 19-35.
This article analyzes the roles of three different types of memory and how they interact with a hierarchy of rhythmic levels. This is useful in my examination of how the brain remembers certain rhythms and what aspects make it easier or harder to retain.
8.) Habibi, A., Wirantana, V., & Starr, A. (2014). Cortical Activity During Perception of Musical Rhythm: Comparing Musicians and Nonmusicians. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind & Brain, 24(2), 125-135.
This article studies the brain activities in musicians and non-musicians when exposed to differing rhythm patterns. This is helpful in my comparison of musicians and non-musicians in rhythm recognition and retrieval. If different mechanisms are working in the brain between these two groups when hearing a certain type of rhythm, this is significant.
9.) Phillips-Silver, J., Toiviainen, P., Gosselin, N., & Peretz, I. (2013). Amusic does not mean unmusical: Beat perception and synchronization ability despite pitch deafness. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 30(5), 311-331.
This article reveals that amusic individuals are able to recognize meter when presented nonpitched musical excerpts. It concludes that rhythm perception is spared in deafness. This is useful in learning about which parts of the brain are necessary and which are not needed for rhythmic perception.
10.) Bhide, A., Power, A., & Goswami, U. (2013). A rhythmic musical intervention for poor readers: A comparison of efficacy with a letter-based intervention. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(2), 113-123.
This source tries to determine whether rhythmic musical intervention would help children with reading difficulties improve their literacy. This is important in that is shows whether we can use rhythm and the brain’s role in recognizing rhythm for the purpose of helping those with problems unrelated to music.


Cappadocia – The Natural Wonder in Turkey
Visiting Cappadocia in Turkey is like going to another planet. Hundreds of volcanic rock formations look like fairy houses. Tall columns are topped with domed roofs. Some of the formations go straight up, resembling chimneys.
People have lived in Cappadocia for thousands of years. Greeks and Romans invaded this country, but the Cappadocians survived. Many were early Christians who spread the gospel. They built underground cities to hide from invaders. They built traps in their underground cities. Large boulders hid doors. They built holes in the ceilings to drop spears on their enemies. They made small passageways through their cities.
Fun Facts about Cappadocia for Kids
- Today you can see houses, churches and temples, cut into the rocks.
- Even regular houses are made out of rock.
- It is hot in the summer here and cold during the winter.
- The ancient people had homes above ground. Each home was connected to the underground city by a tunnel. If invaders came, the people hurried through the tunnels to hide underground.
- The underground cities had everything needed to live, including pipes for fresh air, toilets, rooms to store food and wine and even places to keep animals.
- Formation: structure
- Columns: pillars
- Invade: enter and take over
- Survive: endure, live through
- Boulder: large rocks
Learn More All About Cappadocia, Natural Wonder in Turkey
Check out this awesome video all about Cappadocia:
A video trip to Cappadocia, a rocky landscape created by 3 volcanoes.
Question: How long have people lived here?
Answer: The Hittites first settled here about 3,800 years ago.
Question: When did people build the underground cities?
Answer: Early Christians began building the cities 400 years after Christ’s death because the Romans persecuted them.
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Cappadocia info? Take the FREE & fun all about Cappadocia quiz and download FREE Cappadocia worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
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This packet targets the following Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
•Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
•Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels.
This packet includes resources to review and practice the short sound of the vowel O.
•Students will circle and color pictures for short vowel O.
•Students will write short vowel O words and color pictures.
•Students will find short vowel words in a word find puzzle.
•Sound Puzzles-Students will find the puzzle pieces to spell short O words.
•Sound Puzzles-Students will find matching words and pictures to put the puzzles together. These puzzles have one picture for each word.
•Tic Tac Toe Game-students will draw picture cards to match to short O words on Tic Tac Toe game boards
•Short Vowel O Word and Picture Cards- The cards may be used to introduce or review the consonant sounds. You may use them for sorting or with games such as solitaire.


Have you ever wondered what somebody with a Ph.D. in Education thinks about music education? Well I'm here to tell you--your wait is over!
Okay, even if you've never wondered that in your life, my brother recently passed his dissertation defense and received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Irvine. If you want proof, to the left is a picture of him making his presentation in for the professors. As you will see, his writing is a lot more research-y than my blog posts, enjoy :)
What can music do for you?
If you are reading this, you are probably interested in learning something about music. To many people, namely parents, music holds this magical power that produces more benefits than just getting better at music. A popular marketing slogan from Taiwan says, “kids who learn music will not behave badly.” Let’s overlook the fact that this slogan doesn’t actually say your kids will turn out good, but merely not be bad. The selling point of this slogan is the added moral and behavioral benefits of music--as if learning music itself is not enough. You rarely hear people talk about how learning math can “make you smarter”, yet people do talk about taking music lessons as a way to “get smarter.” What exactly can music do for you? What are the facts and fictions about music? This post hopes to answer some of your questions.
The Mozart Effect
I, a music lover, take no pleasure in bursting the bubble that attracts so many into listening to Mozart, but regardless of what 1,733 products on Amazon.com tell you, listening to Mozart does not make you or your babies smarter. From the original study, the little benefit of listening to classical music only lasts 10-15 minutes, and it was only for college students completing one specific task. To my knowledge, there has never been a Mozart effect study done on babies. Parents and parents-to-be, instead of playing Mozart to your children, your children will appreciate you more if you just talk to them.
Music training, however, does help in other capacities. Researchers compared 32 children between 4 and 6 years old who received visual-art training to 32 children who received music training in rhythm, pitch, melody, voice, and basic musical concepts. They found that after only 20 days of training, the music group children showed better verbal intelligence. They reasoned that the effects of music training on verbal performance were products of enhanced attention and verbal memory (Moreno, Bialystok, Barac, Schellenberg, Cepeda, & Chau, 2011)
Auditory information processing
Another study published this year showed that music enhances children’s capacity to process auditory information. For this study researchers divided fifty 7-8 years old children into music or natural science group and gave them 45 minutes of weekly training over a period of 18 months. The researchers suggested that children in the music group might develop a greater storage capacity for sounds and more efficient rehearsal strategies to remember words (Roden, Grube, Bongard, & Kreutz, 2013). Both of these abilities are vital when it comes to language learning.
When I first moved to the U.S., I didn’t speak much English. Fortunately for me, I knew how to play the trumpet, so I joined the school band. I used music as a way to express and establish my identity at school. Music can be participated across all cultures, ages, gender, and abilities, and thus, positively influence children self-development. Indeed, a study by Costa-Giomi (2004) indicated that children with three years of piano instruction improved their self-esteem significantly more than children who did not receive instruction.
What is music good for?
Music can improve various areas of your life. Beside the cognitive benefits that were mentioned here, there is still much research to be done to empirically understand the side benefits of music. Yes, side benefits. Study music for the sake of music. Music is a beautiful instrument for people to communicate and express themselves. For once, instead of asking what can music do for you? Do more music, for yourself.
Want to contribute to the discussion?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. I'm always looking to learn and share more information with others and would love to hear from you!
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FreshStart Piano Studio in Irvine offers piano lessons for beginners between the ages of 4-adults and a fresh start for intermediate & advanced students. Enroll in piano lessons now!


Crystal Bridges’ Education Department offers art education not only for K-12 students and the public at large, but also for a variety of educators: from public and private K-12 teachers, to homeschool educators, to college instructors. Our educators specialize in pedagogical methods that are based on using works of art as teaching tools for subjects ranging from social studies to literature to science. Today’s blog post is based on a statement of Crystal Bridges’ teaching methodology that Museum Educator Amanda Driver prepared for an upcoming Open House event for homeschool educators. It provides a nice, concise look at the basic starting point for teaching from works of art: deep, guided looking. This is a fun and interesting guide that anyone can use to get them started looking at, thinking about, and discussing the artworks at Crystal Bridges. So come in and do some looking of your own soon! — LD
Art is the stuff of life, infused with the vitality and vision of the artist and the influence of time periods, technology, cultures and other factors. Learning from works of art is an excellent way to study across disciplines as artworks demonstrate intersections within the arts, sciences, math, social studies, and literacy. Teaching from works of art can enhance student outcomes in many areas including communication, critical thinking skills, inference, visual literacy, and knowledge acquisition.
School and Community Programs utilizes a dialogical model to teach from works of art, outlined by Rika Burnham and Elliott Kai-Kee in Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience. This model ensures that all interpretations are respected and everyone feels comfortable to share their ideas in a conversational format. Instead of imparting knowledge as the authoritative voice or figure, educators encourage a student-driven approach by inviting participants to share their observations, ideas and interpretations with the group. Educators weave in content and background information when appropriate to extend the conversation. They use open-ended questions to expand the discussion and allow further analysis of the work so viewers can push deeper to make meaning and connections with the artwork and with others. Group members learn from each other by sharing their background knowledge and interpretations and leave the experience feeling a sense of ownership and connection with the artwork.
As you explore the galleries, use works of art to uncover new ideas and reinforce lessons already studied. Here are some tips when looking at works of art with your children:
o Why do you think the artist may have made this choice in the work (color, shape, etc.)? o What do you think the artist may be trying to tell or show us? o What do you feel is the mood of this artwork? o What may be the beginning, middle or end of this artwork’s story? o If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be? o What do you like about this artwork? What do you dislike? Why?


Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and Informational Text
- 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 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- Writing 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12:
- Speaking and Listening 4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 8: Science, Technology and Society
Music – 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 creators’ and/or performers’ 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.


It’s easy, right? Just set up a study space for your child to do homework. Now don’t forget the basics: make it fun, organized, child-sized, accessible and filled with kid-friendly, inviting items. Wow! That’s a lot to consider, isn’t it? Now, to get really overwhelmed, just search out homework spaces or homework stations. There are so many great ideas and beautiful spaces out there, but …. let’s be realistic.
As a mother, I knew there was no way I could afford these spaces or even create them. Not only did I not have the financial resources, I also simply did not have the space. Instead I needed to create a space which could and would work for many different things. I chose my kitchen table. Why? Because the kitchen in my home is the inviting space where everyone wants to be. It is also a good space because I could fix snacks and dinner while my children were working.
I made a portable homework station. It was simple. Before the kids came home from school, I made sure the kitchen table was cleared off and set up. There were snacks within easy reach and drinks. As they were finishing with their snacks, the homework basket would appear.
What should you put in your portable homework station? Start with some basics:
- pencils and sharpener
- ballpoint pens
- hole punch
- colored pencils
- eraser -lots of them!
- glue/glue stick
In a document box which I stored under the basket, the kids could find lined paper, graph paper, and construction paper.
What other things have your children needed in their homework station?
By Tracy Harrington-Atkinson
Tracy Harrington-Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Midwest with her husband. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education, a master’s in higher education and continued on to a PhD in curriculum design. She has published several titles, including Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.


In the adult education field, we know that while "virtually everyone needs a high level of literacy in both print and digital media to negotiate most aspects of 21st century life — succeeding in a competitive job market, supporting a family, navigating health information, and participating in civic activities," millions of adults in the United States "lack the literacy skills needed for fully productive and secure lives."
Here is research to help us work with this reality.
At the request of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Research Council "convened a committee of experts from many disciplines to synthesize research on literacy and learning in order to improve instruction" for adult education learners in the United States.
The 2012 result, Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research:
- "Synthesizes the research on literacy and learning" for "individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education"
- "Identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population"
- "Discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment, and accommodations for learning"
- "Recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school"
"The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies." However, it is also 504 pages long. Thankfully, the National Academies Press produced two booklets based on the original report, available to read online or as free printable PDFs:
- Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Developing Reading and Writing (28 pages)
- Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Supporting Learning and Motivation (35 pages)
The above text is quoted or adapted from the National Academies Press description of Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research, at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13242/improving-adult-literacy-instruction-options-for-practice-and-research.
About the National Academies Press (from https://www.nap.edu/content/about-the-national-academies-press):
"The National Academies Press was created by the National Academy of Sciences to publish the reports of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, operating under a charter granted by the Congress of the United States. The NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative information on important matters in science and health policy. The institutions served by the NAP are unique in their ability to attract leading experts in many fields to join panels and committees charged with providing policy advice on some of the nation’s most pressing scientific, technical, and health-related issues."


Mini-Mozarts ( for ages 1-4)
Mini Mozarts is an 11-week organic program, influenced by Orff and Suzuki methodologies, that provides sequential music education focused on the rudiments of music: beat, rhythm, and pitch-matching. Through age appropriate mediums such as song, rhyme, chant, movement, and child-friendly instruments, children internalize these concepts while developing a love for music. Children develop important life skills including listening, following directions, and social interaction. Parents and their children learn music together while bonding in these fun and nurturing classes.
Bilingual Mini-Mozarts: English and Spanish
Using the same methodologies and educational elements that our original Mini-Mozarts class utilizes, our 45-minute bilingual class engages students ages 2-4 through song, chant and rhyme in English and Spanish. Emergent literacy is also addressed in this class through use of age-appropriate books. Use of movements, props, and instruments make the class come to life. Snacks/beverages from Spanish-speaking cultures provided at the end of some classes.
Budding Beethovens (for ages 4-6)
Have a child who is too young or not quite ready to begin instrument lessons? Budding Beethovens (Orff) classes are for you! Activities for this 30-minute weekly class are based on things that children naturally like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance and play. Use of pitched instruments (xylophones, glockenspiels, metallophones) and unpitched percussion instruments (claves, sand blocks, maracas, triangle, drums, etc.) make the class even more fun for the kids. Concepts such as beat, rhythm and pitch-matching are intellectualized in this class. Class size is limited to 5 students.


Teacher support for English
Hamilton has a range of additional reference and advice materials for English.
New Curriculum English Support
Hamilton Grammar Structured Scheme of Work
Older Spelling and Grammar Materials
Grammar for Writing
Support for Spelling
Homework support documents
Hamilton Education sells hard copy teaching resources that support Hamilton plans at very low cost. Group Readers, phonics books, number lines and 'Five Minute Fillers' can help you teach literacy and numeracy skills in your classroom.
Hamilton's Y2 English plans cover all of the statutory objectives of the National Curriculum for England for Year 2. The Coverage Chart shows you where. Medium and Long Term Plans summarise books used and grammar taught.
The children are introduced to The Dragon Machine by Helen Ward and other well-known dragon stories, George and the Dragon by Chris Wormell, and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. They create a dragon and write similes to describe it. They then write dragon stories with a focus on using conjunctions to write longer sentences.
Read and compare Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne, and Baba Yaga and the Stolen Baby by Alison Lurie, Francis Lincoln, and Baba Yaga by Tony Bradman using drama and story maps. Discuss joining sentences using or, and or but. Children write witch stories using story pegs to plan. Introduce some 'story language' and encourage interesting endings. Hamilton Group Reader, Why Not Me?, is used to build confidence in reading aloud.
Use Instructions by Neil Gaiman to introduce children to writing instructions. Explore features of instructions including bossy verbs. Identify exciting tricky words and discuss how to decode them. Children write instructions using stimulus of map of Fairy-tale Land.
This plan is a unique twist of a recount plan. Based on the lovely story Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, children use conjunctions to expand sentences before writing their own recounts in a diary form about an English animal. Children read either The dog who wouldn't stop barking, The Owl and the moon or Chicken's bad dream (Hamilton Group Readers).
Explore the senses through poetry, The Works chosen by Paul Cookson, and Raps, Riddles and Concrete by Pie Corbett. Read a range of different poems and learn some by heart. Go on a poetry walk to the playground or nature area to collect some wonderful describing words. Write simple poems using adjectives and adjectival phrases.
This unit is based around the wonderful poem, Aliens Stole My Underpants by Brian Moses (Cat Message by Roger Stevens). Children will memorise and perform this poem, describe objects to aliens using adjectives before finally writing their own alien poems.
I don't know my password


Librarians like handouts. To make a handout for this lesson, adapt/print from http://data-lessons.github.io/data-intro-archives/reference/.
Requirements for this task are:
The purpose of this task is threefold. First, it is an icebreaker. Second, it helps learners find their confidence level and situate their experience and knowledge in the context of fellow learners. Third, it helps manage expectation as the instructor can explain to learners which terms, phrases, or ideas will be covered by this Library Carpentry workshop, which terms, phrases, or ideas are covered by other Library Carpentry lessons, and which terms, phrases, or ideas are covered elsewhere.
When collating feedback on the whiteboard, one strategy is to organise the board from sad (on the left) to happy (on the right), then to locate the terms, phrases, or ideas offered by learners on that spectrum. This performs three functions. First, it opens space to discuss which terms, phrases, or ideas people find or perceive to be easy to understand and what they find or perceive to be hard to understand. Second, it helps identify expertise in the room that learners may turn to for questions during breaks. Third, the instructor can return to the board at the end of the workshop to judge whether learners are more or less confident with some of the terms, phrases, or ideas identified at the outset.
The material in this episode is intended as a guide. Instructors are recommended to use this section as an opportunity to discuss foundational skills that they think are relevant.
The purpose of the section is to situate a Library Carpentry workshop in a wider landscape of practice and to demonstrate the value of commonsense approaches to software and data.
You may find it useful to use slides to work through episode four (see below for potential slides). Before starting the exercise, encourage learners to work with pen and paper, explain that with regex there are sometimes multiple answers to the same question (that is, some regex is perfect and some does the job given the likely data structures we use) and point them towards places to test their regex: for example regex101 https://regex101.com/, rexegper http://regexper.com/, myregexp http://myregexp.com/, or whichever service you prefer. Also point them towards the quiz (episode five and six) as something they may move onto if they they finish the exercises early or look at after the workshop.
Two sets of sticky notes (ideally one red and one blue) are required to run a Library Carpentry workshop. Learners should be encouraged to put a red sticky note on the back of their laptop (raised like a flag) if they need help, and to put the blue sticky note on the back of their laptop if they don’t need help.
At each break, ask learners to provide feedback on their learning experience since the last break. They should do this by writing one thing that didn’t go well on their red sticky note and and one thing that did go well on their white sticky note. Collect these sticky notes, keep them organised so you know which section of the lesson their pertain to, and collate them after the workshop. Matters arising should be raised as Github issues for the relevant lesson.


M.S. in Collaborative Education
Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education
College of Education
Bullying in schools; Third grade (Education)
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this study is to investigate students' views regarding a variety of topics related to bullying. Different methods were used to gather information regarding the students' opinions. The students shared their ideas through the use of surveys, writing samples, and interviews. This study's results determined students' beliefs about bullying as well as their awareness of its occurrence. Students were able to provide accurate definitions of bullying. Students were also able to discuss several appropriate ways to react to bullying. Results of this study contribute more to the understanding of students' perspectives about the topic of bullying in the school setting.
Burns, Laura N., "An exploratory investigation of third graders' perceptions of bullying" (2007). Theses and Dissertations. 796.


What are Planes?
How do I see planes?
In this blog you will heighten your art education by learning how to see planes. Students often can’t decipher separate planes on a subject, which weakens the structural strength of their work. It is important to be aware of planes and to see them clearly. If students want to learn how to paint, then understanding the logic behind planes and light is vital. Most art students do not look for how light defines planes, so their art work lacks dimension.
Planes – Planes happen when forms turn. Forms that belong to a single plane share similar values. Keeping values together in a plane is how an artist creates dimension on a flat surface. Planes help create dimension.
A box has six sides–a front, a back, two sides, a top and a bottom. Being aware of planes and their value shifts will help you describe form.
Planes as They Relate to the Human Figure (excerpts from the Language of Drawing by Sherrie McGraw)
“Though the human figure does not have the configuration of a box, it has the qualities of a box– the torso has a top, two sides, a front, a back and a bottom. The limbs individually echo the same planes. I don’t teach methods because ultimately they separate the artist from his or her subject. Simply looking with the idea of a box or a cylinder creates a new way of seeing the subject, and it will help maintain the connection with your subject. The result is sensitive work that continues to improve.
When a form makes a definite turn, a new plane begins. Students should study the planes of the largest form, and then later, focus on the smaller forms that are particular to that model. Though each person’s form is individual, there are similar qualities that make people more alike than different.
Planes alter value depending on their angle to the light. Planes directly opposite the light are the lightest value; those angled away from the light are darker light; while those turned completely away from the light source are in shadow. This phenomenon plays out subtly and beautifully on the intricacies of the human form.”


The Global Read Aloud project has not only allowed us to connect with classes around the world but also with classes right in our own school. We have been pairing up with other 1st grade classrooms at Fuller Meadow to read The Year of Billy Miller and practice our reading comprehension strategies. We made connections based on the chapters we read with Ms. Flynn and Mrs. Scharffenberg's classes. Lots of students connected to having an annoying sibling just like Billy's sister Sal.
We practiced visualizing with Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Thomson's 1st graders by focusing in on one paragraph from the story. Visualizing helps readers paint a picture in their minds and understand the story better.
Students then spread out across the classroom to create their visualizations in their read and respond journal. We shared and saw what other readers pictured while reading-of course they were all a little different. What did you visualize from the above paragraph?
Retelling has been a focus during reader's workshop so we used our Global Read Aloud book to help. As a class we worked on retelling the Sister section of the book remembering to tell about the characters, the setting, and important events in order with transition words.
Yesterday, we took advantage of the beautiful November weather and read a chapter outside with Mrs. Higgins' and Mrs. Thomson's 1st graders. We were inspired by Billy so we headed inside to write poems about our family members-just like Billy.
As you can tell 1st graders have learned so many reading comprehension strategies and are becoming wonderful readers while staying connected to many teachers, classes and students!
First Grade Common Core Standards: RL 1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message. RL 1.3- Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL 1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or event


Check out these curriculum resources for teaching the history and meaning behind the “Stars & Stripes.”
History of the Stars & Stripes
- Flag Day Celebrated
A brief description of Flag Day for students in grades K-5 with images and audio files.
- Today in History: June 14th: Flag Day
Text, images, songs, and links to additional resources for grades 6-12.
- Our Flag ( PDF, 11.4 MB, 56 pgs.)
A background resource with history and images of the flags of the United States and other historical flags, proportions and anatomy of the flag, flag laws and regulations, flag etiquette, images of state and territory flags, brief history of Flag Day, and more.
- Flag Timeline
An illustrated timeline of flags for 1775 to a proposed flag with 51 stars.
Get active, stay fit, and have fun doing it with sports, games, and activities described in the following lesson plans and resources.
Celebrate National Poetry Month with these lessons, activities, and video/audio readings.
Earth Day is April 22. Explore new and review familiar ways to live responsibly with these lessons, projects, activities, and games.
Now, when some public school music programs can face budget cuts, is a critical time to support music in our schools. March is Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM), and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) website provides ideas for how to participate in MIOSM and promote support for school music. A menu offers downloadable MIOSM logos for web and print use, and activity ideas. Read more
Suffrage envoys from San Francisco greeted in New Jersey on their way to Washington to present a petition to Congress containing more than 500,000 signatures. New Jersey United States, 1915. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
The March 2017 theme for National Women’s History Month is “Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business.” Examine the changing cultural perceptions of women in society and honor their contributions with the following lessons and activities.
Photo by LizMarie_AK via Flickr.
To help you integrate Black History Month into your classroom, here is a selection of lesson plans that cover a variety subjects and that can be adapted to fit multiple grade levels.
On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow—or not. Explore light and shadow in math, science, and art lessons and have fun with the following collection of groundhog games and activities.
Sky 2: Shadows
Students in grades K-2 investigate shadows by discussing stories and manipulating shadows.
What Makes Shadows? Observing and Drawing Shadows
Students in grades 1-3 observe and draw the shadow of a classmate, and in an extension activity, they observe and discuss shadows changing over time.
Light and shadows
Students in grades K-4 discover that light travels from a source and that shadows are formed when an object blocks light.
Exploring Rembrandt’s Chiaroscuro Technique through Mosaic Design
Students in grades 6-12 observe and discuss works of Rembrandt and other artists explore chiaroscuro by creating paper mosaic designs. Read more
This collection of K-12 activities offers historical information, interactives, printables, and videos to highlight this national event that symbolizes the peaceful transition of power in our country.
Activities & Resources


- In 1906, the first Benedictine Missionary Sisters from Tutzing, Germany arrived in Manila and established St. Scholastica’s College.
- The nuns conducted piano lessons, noting the innate musicality of the Filipinos.
- Sr. Baptista Battig, an established concert pianist before she entered the order, noting the innate musicality of the Filipinos, startedgiving lessons almost immediately on a second-hand piano given to the nuns by a friend.
- The growth of the school was rapid, particularly after the apostolic delegate gave Sr. Baptista Battig permission to give two public recitals.
- These concerts brought fame to Sr. Baptista Battig and, as a result, more studentsenrolled at St. Scholastica’s College.
- St. Scholastica’s College School of Music was founded in 1907 by Sr. Baptista Battig, OSB – the pioneer of music education in the Philippines.
- Her curricula became the pattern for music studies for most, if not all, private studios and music schools in the Philippines.
- The School of Music produced many piano graduates who all took composition classes under Lucio San Pedro (National Artist). The students were required to perform their own compositions during their respective recitals.
- More course offerings were added and the Sr. Baptista Battig Memorial Scholarship was instituted for deserving students.
The 60’s a time of social and political unrest
- A new course, Bachelor of Music, Major in Music Education, was offered in order to cater to the demand for well-trained classroom music teachers.
- The success of this program meant that graduates were immediately employed the moment they left the school.
- The alumnae of the School of Music marshaled themselves into various groups providing scholarships for budding musicians, intent on giving the disadvantaged the benefit of the education that they themselves had.
70’s – The Martial Law years
- Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, OSB assumed the deanship after her doctoral studies in the United States in the 70’s.
- With missionary zeal, Sr. Mary Placid started an outreach program with the street boys and girls near St. Scholastica’s College, first gathering them for Catechism lessons and then starting them on singing and playing the guitar.
- The Rotarians of Bagumbayan discovered what she was doing and the group became a Rondalla that played for the functions of the Rotary Club.
- Soon, Sr. Mary Placid and the Rotarians started projects to help the youth in the area through music training, scholarships, feeding programs and livelihood projects.
- Most attendees went to college in different schools as scholars by playing in the schools’ bands and finding gainful employment.
Now and what lies ahead
- Inspired by the stories of these Benedictine nuns’ efforts to improve the lives of young Filipinos through music, the Sr.Baptista Battig Music Foundation, Inc. was formally established in 1991 to administer music scholarship funds and source outreach programs as well as to establish a legacy and perpetual support for the commitment of the School of Music in spreading excellence in music education and helping deserving Filipino youth to become young musicians.
- In 2006, the Sr. Baptista Battig Music Foundation, Inc. was accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC), making donations to the foundation fully tax-deductible. PCNC is the mandated accrediting body that recognizes NGO’s (Non- Government Organizations) of “Good Standing” that funding donors may consider in their choice of organizations to support.
Sister Baptista Battig Music Foundation (SBBSF)
Board of Directors:
|President:||Sister Mary Placid Abejo|
|Vice-president:||Ms. Leonor G. Berroya|
|Chief Finance Officer:||Ms. Tita Rose L. Tan|
|Treasurer:||Ms. Leonila Cabrera|
|Corporate Secretary:||Ms. Carina dela Cruz|
|Chief Finance Officer:||Tita Rose L. Tan|
|Auditor:||Sr. Imelda Halili, OSB|
The term of office is one year renewable.


A 1993 study of college students showed them performing better on spatial reasoning tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. That led to claims that listening to Mozart temporarily increases IQs — and to a raft of products purporting to provide all sorts of benefits to the brain.
In 1998, Zell Miller, then the governor of Georgia, even proposed
providing every newborn in his state with a CD of classical music.
But subsequent research has cast doubt on the claims.
Ani Patel, an associate professor of psychology at Tufts University and the author of “Music, Language, and the Brain,”
says that while listening to music can be relaxing and contemplative,
the idea that simply plugging in your iPod is going to make you more
intelligent doesn’t quite hold up to scientific scrutiny.
“On the other hand,” Patel says, “there’s now a growing body of work
that suggests that actually learning to play a musical instrument does
have impacts on other abilities.” These include speech perception, the
ability to understand emotions in the voice and the ability to handle
multiple tasks simultaneously.
Patel says this is a relatively new field of scientific study.
“The whole field of music neuroscience really began to take off
around 2000,” he says. “These studies where we take people, often
children, and give them training in music and then measure how their
cognition changes and how their brain changes both in terms of its
processing [and] its structure, are very few and still just emerging.”
Patel says that music neuroscience, which draws on cognitive science,
music education and neuroscience, can help answer basic questions about
the workings of the human brain.
“How do we process sequences with complex hierarchical structure and
make sense of them?” he asks. “How do we integrate sensation and action?
How do we remember long and difficult sequences of information? These
are fundamental neuroscience questions, and music can help us answer
some of these questions, because it’s in some ways simpler than
language, but it’s still of sufficient complexity that it can address
these very deep and important aspects of human brain function.”
In addition, Patel says music neuroscience research has important
implications about the role of music in the lives of young children.
“If we know how and why music changes the brain in ways that affect
other cognitive abilities,” he says, “this could have a real impact on
the value we put on it as an activity in the schools, not to mention all
the impact it has on emotional development, emotional maturity, social
skills, stick-to-itiveness, things we typically don’t measure in school
but which are hugely important in a child’s ultimate success.”
At the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, every student receives music instruction.
“It doesn’t matter whether they have had music instruction before or not,” says Diana Lam, the head of the school.
The school, which accepts new students by lottery, is bucking a
national trend, as more and more cash-strapped school districts pare
down or eliminate music programs.
Lam says music is part of her school’s core curriculum because it
teaches students to strive for quality in all areas of their lives — and
because it gets results.
“Music addresses some of the behaviors and skills that are necessary
for academic success,” she says. “Since we started implementing El Sistema, the Venezuelan music program, as well as project-based learning, our test scores have increased dramatically.”
STRONGER EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
But what does the latest scientific research
tell us? The question, according to neuropsychologist Nadine Gaab, is
not simply whether music instruction has beneficial effects on young
“There’s a lot of evidence,” Gaab says, “that if you play a musical
instrument, especially if you start early in life, that you have better
reading skills, better math skills, et cetera. The question is, what is
the underlying mechanism?”
At her lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, Gaab leads a team of
researchers studying children’s brain development, recently identifying
signs in the brain that might indicate dyslexia before kids learn to read. Gaab and her colleagues are also looking for connections between musical training and language development.
You can read more about this fascinating article at KQED News.
Related Articles: Whole Brain Rules-Music Style!


Presentation on theme: "1 Investigating the Standards: K-12 English Language Arts Bruce Bufe, Ann Craig, Kathy Learn, Leigh McEwen, Nicole Peterson, Pat Upchurch, Martha Yerington."— Presentation transcript:
Agenda Introduction to ELA Core Standards Investigating the Standards: o Reading- Foundational Skills (K-5) o Reading -- Literature o Reading- Informational Text o Writing o Speaking and Listening o Language o Literacy - ELA Standards for History/SS, Science and Technical Subjects Determining Implications and Action Steps 2 Iowa Department of Education grants permission to copy and disseminate these materials for use with Iowa Educators.
Investigation #12: What is the purpose of these Standards? Discussion Questions for Part A/B: – What are the most important ideas in these sections? – What do these ideas mean for classroom teachers? Discussion Question for Part C: – What types of support might teachers need?
What does College & Career Readiness mean? Return to your original response on Investigation #1. Table Talk: What in your thinking has been validated? What in your thinking has changed? 18