Music: A Pathway to Success
It is a rather magnificent aspect of my job that I am fortunate to witness boys of diverse backgrounds working together and overcoming obstacles as a team. These boys are rowers, debaters, rugby players, chess champions, school prefects, footy players, instrumentalists and, above all, academic students.
They don’t join me for training, class or coaching – they join me for Choir.
In my role as a music educator in an all boys’ school, I regularly come across the mindset that music adds to a boy’s academic load, rather than complements it. It is also a nation-wide concern that boys are leaving their musical pathways in favour of other futures without enough balance, nor opportunity to express themselves creatively.
I am a big fan of Dr Anita Collins and her research into the importance of boys continuing a music education throughout their junior and secondary studies. Earlier this year, Dr Collins’ work into the academic and personal benefits of a musical education culminated in a three part ABC series, Don’t Stop the Music. During the series, teachers monitored the literacy and numeracy results of a school that instigated a compulsory instrumental program.
“…the growth of life, social and emotional skills for these students was overwhelming.”
While the correlation between music and maths has previously been reported, interestingly the results of a relationship between literacy and music also proved to be positive. However, perhaps surprisingly it wasn’t necessarily Dr Collins’ academic research that hit home the most for me. Throughout the series, the growth of life, social and emotional skills for these students was overwhelming. Examples included a positive increase in confidence, self-discipline, cooperation, perseverance, organisation and behaviour in class. Dr Collins’ research also suggests that a music pathway leads to greater attention to detail and abilities to plan and strategise. In a time when entrepreneurship is the next major pathway for our students, I couldn’t think of a better list of skills for our boys to have.
I once read that a third of children learn an instrument, and over two thirds of adults wish they had. Parents – I salute you for investing in your son’s musical education. When your son has an early morning rehearsal, a concert at night, you’re arguing with them when there’s a lull in practice or you’ve just received the account for music lessons, remember the big picture: music is going to contribute to your son’s short and long term academic and personal development.Jared Furtado is Director of Music and Head of Choral at Brighton Grammar, an all-boys school in Melbourne. He is also an actor and singer, about to embark on a role in the Australian production of Chicago. This article is about Education
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Art Educators of the Future
And Concordia’s Lack of Sustainable Art Education
Not all artists are concerned with the environment. But some are.
Catherine Racicot, a fourth-year art education student at Concordia University, is one of these artists.
These days, it seems that everyone and their grandma are concerned about being green. In fact, even Concordia University claims to be a leader in sustainability. However, there are currently no required courses in environmentalism as part of the art education program. This, Racicot says, is a problem.
“Art is almost entirely a material manifestation. These artworks are created by artist mediums that are simply viewed as neutral mediums and tools to create with. But I don’t think they are,” she said.
“They have histories and impacts of their own, beyond the painting or artwork. But in this program there are no courses about this. You can graduate as an art educator and go out into your community and teach and use all these materials over your lifetime, without any understanding about where the materials come from and their impact on the surrounding ecologies. This is not sustainable,” she said.
“This really struck me, especially at Concordia University, which attempts to be a leader in sustainability.
“The environment matters in everything. We aren’t anything without it. It’s everywhere and it’s always here,” continued Racicot.
Ecological art, or eco art, is a form of art created by artists who are concerned about local and global environmental issues. The idea is to create works with the intention of not doing any harm to the environment, or to raise awareness about environmental issues.
Racicot said that she has watched piles of art being thrown out in trash bins at the end of the term. Lots of the works created in these programs are “experimental,” and not all experiments work out.
Concordia’s lack of sustainable education is not due to the lack of professors that specialize in these topics, said Racicot.
John Grande, a local art historian who specializes in environmental art topics and a professor at the University of Sherbrooke approached Concordia University’s fine arts department more than once with suggestions of adding more environmental-based art courses. Each time his recommendations “fell on deaf ears,” according to Racicot.
Last year, she added, there was only one environmental art course that was offered as a temporary special topic course.
“The professor [who taught the class] had done her Ph.D thesis at Concordia on art education and environmentalism a few years ago. She tried applying to become a faculty member in the Concordia Fine Arts program last year, but they selected another candidate.
“For me, that choice just defined fine arts at Concordia. I have much less experience to know what is going on and why [but] I am still trying to navigate my ideas about environmentalism and art. Many universities are now offering this [type of] curriculum.”
Racicot also noted that the Concordia libraries have a very limited selection of books on the subject.
“I believe there should always be sustainable art education available on campus, either through courses, or through organizing visiting artists, speakers series, or an eco-art resource centre/library.”
So what does one do when their university isn’t fulfilling their expectations? Fulfill it themselves. Racicot holds weekly experimental workshops that deal with issues of sustainable art.
“How-to Create Your Own Natural House Paint,” led by Catherine Racicot / Concordia Greenhouse / Rooftop of the Hall Building / Wed. April 6 / 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Spring Fling Plant Sale / Concordia Greenhouse / Rooftop of the Hall Building / March 28–March 31 / 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.


Makhaza branch had an opportunity to pilot a project with Education with Borders (EwB) who aims to provide improved educational opportunities and facilities in disadvantaged regions of the world. EwB focussed on our Grade 8s as the program helps lower grade learners understand basic maths principles.
The Education without Boarders (EwB) program highlights the simplicity of mathematics and emphasises the critical importance of foundational skills while acknowledging the complicated challenges and circumstances of life, which many of IkamvaYouth learners are coping with. This is has been fantastic program that promises to make a profound difference not only in learners’ maths results but also in other areas such as boosting their confidence in their existing abilities. This allows learners to approach new learning experiences with a much more confident focus on learning. And that makes them much easier to tutor.
The two dedicated tutors who gave all their tutoring time to the EwB programme, Nicholas Mei and Braam Daniels say from their experience that while they are essentially tutoring maths they noticed a huge improvement in the confidence and attitude of the learners toward their school work. The environment and culture of IkamvaYouth and the EWB programme creates a holistic approach which rather than just “teaching” learners it enables them to become aware of their inner ability to teach and learn for themselves. So while the focus has been on maths, the deeper things the learners have learned have manifested in all academic areas as it provides these learners with everything they need.
To determine the impact of the program, the class average of maths results achieved by the learners during the year was compared to the average maths result achieved by the entire grade of the two dominant local schools (i.e. Chris Hani High and Harry Gwala High). The comparison is shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Comparison of the average EWB Grade 8 learner result to the local schools’ average grade result.
Figure 1 shows that not only did the EwB program learners consistently outperform their local schools but they also showed a greater overall improvement in their maths mark when comparing the 1st and 3rd term results. The EWB class’s school maths average improved by 19.6% while the local school only showed a 4.75% improvement.
The EwB programme has played a huge role in helping learners improve academically, not only in mathematics, but it has also trained the learners to be able to approach any kind of question without them struggling. It has helped them gain confidence in approaching maths questions and most of all it has taught them on how to work as a group.
So while sharpening basic math foundation skills with the EwB content and challenging the learners as cooperative groups with basic algebra problems, in a consequence-free learning. The program has already begun to be implemented with the next group of grade 8s in 2012, as well as implementing an English language component and looking to expand to other branched.
Well done to our learners for these amazing results and to EwB


Leadership for Our Children
In celebration of Presidents’ Day, we highlight the ways leaders raise up, reach out, reimagine, relate, and reinforce when engaging with families.
Presidents’ Day is an opportunity to reflect on leadership. At the Global Family Research Project, we want to highlight the work of those leading family-engagement efforts in the variety of settings in which children learn and interact with family members.
Each day, we see examples of how leaders are removing barriers to learning experiences for families and serving as living examples of the five Rs—“raising” up their voices, “reaching” out to families, “reimagining” partnerships with community organizations to support families, fostering “relationships” between families, and “reinforcing” families’ knowledge and skills.
In early childhood education, these leaders include people such as Sandra Gutierrez, the founder and national director of Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, which helps to raise up parents’ voices in advocating for quality early-education programs, promoting learning at home, and helping their children make the transition into kindergarten with confidence. In just 10 years, the program has grown from Los Angeles to almost 400 sites in more than 30 states and Puerto Rico.
Library leaders include Joyce Johnson and Sharon Morris of the Colorado State Library, who oversee Growing Readers Together, an effort to reach out to family members, friends, neighbors (FFN), and other informal providers who care for young children. Through this program, libraries are going beyond their walls and connecting with caregivers through health clinics, farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and other places in the community. The program gives FFN providers knowledge of ways they can support early language and literacy development as well as access to books, games, and other learning materials.
In California, Jennifer Hicks, the director of HousED at the Partnership for Children and Youth, is leading efforts to reimagine the role of affordable housing developments in providing on-site afterschool programs for children. These programs not only provide families with assurance that their children are in a safe place for learning during the afterschool hours, but also help to bridge the distance that sometimes exists between low-income parents and educators. Some housing communities have even hosted events that bring families and educators together in a setting that is comfortable for the parents.
Families need opportunities to form relationships so they can support and share ideas with each other—especially those who might not feel confident speaking with educators about their children’s progress. That’s what elementary principals Diane Bresson and Shawn Williams, in Georgia’s Barrow County School System, are providing families by implementing Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT) at their schools. Developed by San Francisco–based WestEd, APTT is a family engagement process in which teachers and parents co-create action steps to strengthen students’ reading and math skills. The program, Bresson says, not only improves student performance, but helps parents have positive experiences at their children’s schools.
Finally, at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Executive Director Jane Werner is providing a setting in which families can reinforce their knowledge and skills as they work together at the MAKESHOP, a space for children and families to make, play, and design using a variety of materials and tools. Intended to engage children beyond the early years, the MAKESHOP moves “away from the concept of families coming to the museum expecting to be provided with an experience, toward the notion of families and children creating their own experiences together,” Werner wrote in a blog post when the program began.
The words of President Abraham Lincoln, spoken in 1862, serve as a reminder of why leadership in family engagement is important: “May our children and our children’s children to a thousand generations, continue to enjoy the benefits conferred upon us by a united country, and have cause yet to rejoice under those glorious institutions bequeathed us by Washington and his compeers.”


"Jose Antonio Abreu founded El Sistema ("the system") in 1975 to help poor Venezuelan kids learn to play a musical instrument and be part of an orchestra. 30 years on, El Sistema has seeded 102 youth orchestras — and many happy lives.
The gulf between the rich and the poor in Venezuela is one of the worst in the world. Jose Antonio Abreu, an economist, musician, and reformer, founded El Sistema ("the system") in 1975 to help Venezuelan kids take part in classical music. After 30 years (and 10 political administrations), El Sistema is a nationwide organization of 102 youth orchestras, 55 children's orchestras, and 270 music centers -- and close to 250,000 young musicians.
El Sistema uses music education to help kids from impoverished circumstances achieve their full potential and learn values that favor their growth. The talented musicians have become a source of national pride. Several El Sistema students have gone on to major international careers, including Gustavo Dudamel, soon to be the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the bassist Edicson Ruiz, who at 17 became the youngest musician ever to join the Berlin Philharmonic.
There is a simple concept behind Abreu's work: for him an orchestra is first and foremost about togetherness, a place where children learn to listen to each other and to respect one another." (Ted Talks Website)
“Music has to be recognized as an ... agent of social development in the highest sense, because it transmits the highest values -- solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community and to express sublime feelings.” — José Antonio Abreu


It is no secret that education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle, but for some of the most vulnerable members of society, the children of migrant workers, household financial pressures often mean that dreams of higher achievements in life remain out of reach.
While the Thailand government is committed to ensuring all children have access to free education, some estimates put the number of migrant worker children out of school as high as 50 per cent.
A multi-partner pilot programme driven by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Thailand and involving the Thailand government, Posco, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, plus local communications carrier True Corporation, is proving so successful at helping keep the dreams of migrant worker children alive that it is being rolled out to additional locations.
The Learning Coin initiative, implemented through the Foundation for Rural Youth (FRY), utilises a multi-language mobile app, LearnBig, to provide students with access to a range of textbooks and reference sources designed to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills.
The students’ results are stored in a database which teachers can access so that they can provide personal support, and every month the children’s efforts and achievements are analysed to calculate the learning index for each child. Parents receive cash transfers based on the index.
In the video above 14-year-old Pyo Ma Ma Soe, a Myanmar migrant girl, tells of her dream of becoming an oncologist. Initially raised by her grandparents in Myanmar, after they died she moved to Thailand where her parents struggle to make ends meet as contract seamstresses. As a result of the Learning Coin initiative she is completing her primary education and helping to “protect my parents through my education”.
|The Posco 1% Foundation committed to providing Unesco with $900,000 over three years in January 2018. Video 포스코1%나눔재단|
Despite the stresses and challenges, Pyo Ma’s mother, Daw Cho, is determined that her daughter receive the best education possible, saying education will build Pyo Ma’s self-esteem and enable her to have a brighter future. Learning Thai and Burmese will give her the ability to work in either country, she says.
At the FRY, deputy director Yaninee Khamkeeree, explains how the Learning Coin initiative has helped ease the problem of student absenteeism due to household financial stress, while at the same time fulfilling students’ needs of contributing to their household.
The pilot programme has been so successful that Unesco Thailand is expanding the project through the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) in four additional provinces.
In January 2018 South Korean steel giant Posco partnered with Unesco to provide $900,000 over three years to carry out projects in the fields of culture and education though the Posco 1% Foundation. Established in 2013 the Foundation is funded by a one per cent donation from the salary of Posco’s 20,000 employees, affiliate and outsourcing companies, to fund philanthropic projects focusing on local communities, rising generations, green planet issues, diversity, and cultural heritage.
Feature Video Unesco
- Bridging education systems for migrant children in Thailand and Myanmar (UNESCO Bangkok)
- Myanmar’s non-formal learners: Hard work, hard lessons, and hope through education (UNESCO Bangkok)
- Education initiative reaches over 1 million disadvantaged children in Myanmar (ReliefWeb)
After graduation she worked at the Philippine Broadcasting Service performing transcription and business news writing, before moving to Eagle Broadcasting Corporation where she worked as a news editor, translator and production assistant.
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Early childhood education is generally defined as educational programs for children from infancy through the age of eight. As a practical matter, the term is often assumed to refer to activities for pre-school children, from birth through kindergarten. While education professionals often assume the former, the general public may think that the term is basically referring to pre- schoolers. The result is occasional confusion.
Early childhood education jobs of all types require certification just as is the case for teachers at all other levels. There are several levels of certification available for those who wish to work in this field: teacher, teacher’s aide, day-care worker and others, depending upon the state in which you wish to qualify. In most states, to work as a teacher you will need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree plus course work in a training program for early childhood education. Often these credentials require course work focusing on a particular area, such as special needs children, pre-school or day care age group, and school-age children.
The online resources for early childhood education range from certification courses all the way through the range of higher education degrees. University of Phoenix Online offers a bachelor’s degree in education with a specialization in elementary education. They also have a master’s in education with a focus on early childhood education. University of Phoenix Online has an extensive list of continuing education classes for teachers, some of which are no doubt applicable to the requirements for an ECE certificate.
Ashford University offers a bachelor’s degree in organizational management with a specialty in child study. This degree would be an excellent foundation for a professional position that focuses on early childhood education. Course work includes, among others, cognitive development, family studies, childhood development and group behavior.
Associate’s degrees in early childhood education are available online. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs in education are also found online and some of them offer specialization in early childhood education. This area of focus differs from standard teaching programs in that it concentrates heavily on the psychology of dealing with young children. Group dynamics, child behavior and misbehavior, the use of objects such as puppets for educational purposes – this sort of study is the root of early childhood education. Mathematics, science and English sometimes take a back seat to the classroom psychology issues that are critical to understanding children new to the environment.
Pre-school certification is another area of study that is available through the Internet. This area of early childhood education is as heavily monitored by most states as are the schools in general. Pre-school operators must meet standards for their facility and their employees must meet educational standards just as teachers in the school system. Pre-school early childhood education is a profession that works well with online study, except for any student teacher requirements that may exist. Often an online college will have made student teacher arrangements in some of the geographical areas where they are accredited.
Online early childhood education study requires some study on your part. Determine what area(s) you may wish to work in and explore the certification requirements in your state. Then turn to the internet for your degree.


At St Joseph’s we believe that homework helps students by complementing and reinforcing classroom learning, fostering good lifelong learning and study habits and providing an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning. Homework provides an opportunity for parents to participate in their child’s education. Parents in partnership with the school should encourage children to establish good homework patterns from early primary school.
- To develop sound, self-disciplined study habits
- To practise skills taught at school which will consolidate learning
- Teachers are to refer to the Catholic Education 2012 Homework Policy for general guidance
- Homework should be balanced with a range of recreational, family and cultural activities
- Teachers may request homework activities to be signed by a parent or caregiver
- St Joseph’s Homework Policy will be available to parents on the school website
- Teachers should be consistent when applying their homework routines.
- Homework will not be set to be completed over a weekend or holiday period
- Assessment tasks will not be given as homework.
- Homework should be appropriate to student’s skill level. Teachers are not required to individualise homework however should take into account the abilities of students with special needs when setting tasks and may alter the task accordingly.
- Early Stage 1 will not be expected to complete written homework activities, the students will be sent home ‘readers’ and/or sight words which require that their reading be listened to and practised each week night.
- Stage 1 students may on occasions be set some limited written work. However most homework at this stage is primarily practising reading and spelling skills. The students will be sent home ‘readers’, which require that their reading be listened to each weeknight.
- Week 7 each term will be designated as “Family Week”, when no homework will be issued.
Types of Effective Homework
Homework should pertain to one or more of the following categories:
- Practise and review of literacy and numeracy skills.
- Activities that help to establish study habits and learning skills
- Planning activities for tasks to be done in class
Early Stage 1 10 - 15 minutes approximately Monday - Thursday
Stage 1 10 - 15 minutes approximately Monday - Thursday
Stage 2 20 minutes approximately Monday - Thursday
Stage 3 30 minutes approximately Monday- Thursday
The Homework Policy will be reviewed in 2020.


The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a educator support firm to improve the training standards of mathematics and ensuring equitable access to quality mathematics teaching and learning, the organization is focused on analysis, professional creation, advocacy, equity and programs instruction and assessment. The council developed ten criteria based on the mathematical articles and procedures, according to Bassarear, (2007), those based on mathematical content include Amount and Functions, Algebra, Angles, Measurement, and Data Research and Likelihood, while the specifications based on operations are Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Communication, Connections, and Representation.
The strands can be applied in different amounts of elementary education. The hair strands developed happen to be founded on the six principles of Curriculum, Equity, Learning, Assessment, Educating and Technology and state that Number and Operations which can be concerned with creating and increasing the size of understanding of whole numbers since this is elemental required in math concepts. Geometry is involved with spotting shapes and recounting space relationships that exist, it works with analyzing features and attributes of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, angles also is worried about creating statistical opinions concerning geometric human relationships, such as locations, symmetry, changes, visualization and coordinate geometry.
Measurement is another standard which can be concerned with terms of finding assessable attributes and assessing objects by using these features. Data research and likelihood is concerned with application of info management and probability methods, such as info collection, corporation, data analyses, sorting and using inferences.
The additional standards are problem solving in which students should be able to derive solutions of concerns, Reasoning and Proof in which the answers to the problems may be verified simply by mathematical means, Communication in terms of conversing the answers extracted and method used, Cable connections in establishing relationship between different statistical techniques and representation exactly where students will be able to represent the problems and the alternatives. While the recommended standards have been completely faced with techniques, they have backed immensely the regulation of general schools math in Usa and Canada. References Bassarear, Tom. (2007).
Mathematics to get Elementary School Professors. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning.Get your custom Essay


Primary Education And Schools
Primary education is compulsory and provided free of cost in Trinidad and Tobago. There are over 483 schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago that have been approved by the Ministry of Education to provide primary-level education.
What is the primary school curriculum?
All primary schools follow the national curriculum for Infants Years 1 and 2 and Standards 1 through 5. Basic subjects include Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, and Geography and in some cases Religious Instruction. Each school may choose to offer additional subjects, as well as extra-curricular activities.
Who can enrol in a primary school?
Most parents first enrol their children in primary school in September of the year in which they turn five. Enrolment is compulsory for all children age six to 11.
How do I enrol my child in a primary school?
Each primary school has its own enrolment process. Review the list of approved primary schools using the link below and then contact the schools in which you are interested to find out about their enrolment process.
If your child is not a Trinidad and Tobago citizen, you will be required to complete an "Application for Enrolment in a School in Trinidad and Tobago" form as part of the enrolment process. The application form can be downloaded using the link below or picked up from the school.
What is the calendar for the current school year?
Please contact the Ministry of Education for the current school year calendar and a list of official school holidays.
Where can I obtain more information about primary education and schools?
More information about primary education, schools and initiatives can be obtained from the Ministry of Education through the Primary Education Section or the Communications Unit. You may contact either office from Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, except public holidays. If you are a resident of Tobago, you may also obtain additional information from the THA's Department of Education.
Ministry of Education
18 Alexandra Street
Port of Spain
Trinidad, West Indies
Primary Education Section Tel. (868) 622-6842
Communications Unit Tel. (868) 628-2519/1581
Department of Education
Division of Education, Sport and Youth Affairs
ANSA Mc Al Building
Tobago, West Indies
Tel./Fax. (868) 635-2219 or (868) 639-3105 / 5680
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 4:15 pm, Monday through Friday, except public holidays
You can also visit the Ministry of Education's website by following the link below.
Forms and Other Downloads


Your Child's Language Development Starts in the Womb
I spent most of my time feeling like a beached whale in the third trimester and the only type of activity that I could do with skillful precision was surfing the Internet. I was looking for topics on giving children an early start in literacy development and one of the most important starting points, I discovered, was cultivating in them the interest to read, and that interest is first planted before the baby is even born! I was tickled at the prospect of reading to my tummy and wondered how I would sound like to him from inside.
From 25 weeks onwards, fetuses are able to discriminate between different voices, languages, and even individual speech sounds. While there hasn't been any strong scientific proof of long-term benefits from reading to a child in utero, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that babies can recognize words after birth. So, with this knowledge forming the basis of my new belief, I proceeded to talk to my belly and feeling a tad silly in the process. On the third day of the retelling of The Three Little Pigs I got a clear reaction from my unborn child. He would stir – with what I like to think is in excitement – every time I get to the "huff-and-I-puff" part. Now that I have gotten a response, I wanted to know if there are any books out there that experts would recommend over a story of architectural integrity. Turned out that fetuses couldn’t discern apple from banana and you could read off a phonebook and it would be just as entertaining for your unborn child.
However, fetuses can recognize rhythm and sounds. This forms the early foundation of language development. According to an article in WebMD, speech pathologists Melissa Wexler Gurfein states that infants acquire speech patterns of their mothers’ native tongue faster than any other languages. This suggests that infants may have started language development while still in the womb. The secret is: repetition. So I thought to myself, if I am going to have to read the same story every-single-night, then it better be a book that I would enjoy reading ad nauseam.
The following is a list of popular books recommended by other mothers.
- Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go!: A Book to be Read in Utero by Dr. Seuss
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
- I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
- The Best Daddy in the World by Eleni Zabini and Susanne Lutje
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
- Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read book by Karen Katz
- It's a little book by Lane Smith
- The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- How do I love you by Marion Dane Bauer
- Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton
If you have any personal favourites, please let us know by using the comment box below or send us an email at email@example.com and share with us the books that worked for you.
In my next article, we’ll be looking at reading tips for newborn babies.Written by Grace Chai, mother of a newborn baby boy.
Grace is a new mom and currently undergoing intensive On-The-Job Training for her new role. Between pumping milk, changing diapers and taking selfies with her baby, Grace manages stress by writing about her motherhood experience for ParentTown.


P-5 THE EARLY YEARS
In years PF5 there is a focus and commitment to establish firm foundations for learning, with a concerted effort to develop sound independent Literacy and Numeracy skills. Parental involvement is a key component of this strategy. Individual Learning Plans are written for students who require them, and Literacy Interventions is available for students.
Special events are part of the P-5 program, including a F-5 productions, visiting shows, and interacting with the local community, such as visiting the Mortlake library. Excursions and camps are incorporated into our programs. Transition programs allow for Kindergarten students to become familiar with our school through regular visits during the year


The Bayat Foundation has spent a great deal of time in recent months focusing on COVID-19 relief efforts. However, it has not lost sight of its other ambitious projects planned for the post-pandemic future. Among these is the Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub, an exciting new initiative that aims to advance science and technology education in Afghanistan. Read on to learn more.
What is the Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub?
The Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub is a classroom for the 21st century located on the grounds of Michelle Bayat High School in Kabul. Currently under construction—the project was launched at a special groundbreaking ceremony on October 10, 2020—the Hub will serve as a state-of-the-art education center that will provide students with an inventive, practical, and accessible learning environment.
What will be the focus of the Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub?
The Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub will offer a curriculum focusing on STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering, and math. The broad goal of the Hub’s educational programs is to help students understand and maximize the potential of today’s technology and—at the same time—to think creatively about the role that technology can play in solving the problems of the future. In order to encourage critical thinking, inventiveness, and leadership development, the Hub will immerse students in the curriculum using the latest app-based learning initiatives. For example, coding skills will be taught via robotic balls, drones, and physical and virtual coding blocks.
Why is STEM education important?
We are currently living in an age of constant scientific discovery and technological transformation. In order for people and countries alike to keep up with the pace of change, stay competitive in a global economy, make valuable contributions to the future of society, and address our planet’s most pressing challenges, STEM literacy is absolutely essential. Through a STEM education, young people can develop vital skills such as critical and creative thinking, gathering and evaluating evidence, and information-based problem solving and decision-making that will help them—as well as the organizations and countries that they will eventually represent—to succeed in a complex world.
How does the Hub advance the Bayat Foundation’s mission?
Education has always been one of the central pillars of the Bayat Foundation’s mission, which is to nourish the lives of all Afghans. Throughout Afghanistan’s history, a significant portion of the population has lacked access to any kind of formal education. This not only impacts individuals and families, many of whom have difficulty improving their circumstances due to a lack of education, but also the country itself, which has been deprived of societal, business, and government leaders.
In response to this challenging education gap, the Bayat Foundation has worked hard to develop, implement, and support initiatives that aim to provide Afghans with valuable learning opportunities. The foundation’s efforts in this area focus on two important groups: vulnerable and at-risk Afghans, such as orphaned children and refugees who lack literacy skills; and post-secondary students, who need an enhanced standard of learning in order to help Afghanistan to compete on the world stage. In recent years, the Bayat Foundation has been involved with the launch of the Faryab Orphanage and Learning Center in Maimana Province and has provided support for the reconstruction of the American University of Afghanistan.
What other organizations are involved in developing the Hub?
The following organizations are partnering with the Bayat Foundation on the construction and operation of the Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub:
The Afghan Red Crescent Society—The Michelle Bayat High School, which will house the new Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub, is located in Kabul on the grounds of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (the acting managing director and the secretary general of the society both participated in the October 10 groundbreaking ceremony for the Bayat Foundation Innovation Hub alongside the Bayat Foundation’s chairman, Ehsan Bayat). The Afghan affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Afghan Red Crescent Society has conducted wide-ranging humanitarian and relief work throughout Afghanistan since the 1930s.
MATTER—A global nonprofit organization, MATTER envisions a world in which every person is able to lead a full and healthy life. A movement of people, businesses, and organizations, MATTER is dedicated to overcoming one of our biggest contemporary challenges: a lack of access to healthcare, education, and other resources that are necessary to enable people to lead healthy and fulfilled lives.
Teach for Afghanistan—For many years, one of the main barriers to improving education in Afghanistan has been a lack of qualified teachers. Teach for Afghanistan works to address this problem by placing the country’s most promising university graduates in two-year teaching positions at Afghan schools. To date, over 200 university graduates—who teach at 69 schools—have helped more than 60,000 young students.


We all know that reading fluency is an important part of becoming a good reader, but there are many components to fluency. One of those important pieces of reading fluency is accuracy. Having good accuracy is the ability to read the text with very few or no mistakes. Accuracy truly is the most essential skill of reading fluency. If a child is “reading” a passage quickly, but they are skipping over or changing every other word, they are not getting the full meaning and will not be able to comprehend what they have read, which is the main purpose of reading.
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There are many factors that go into improving accuracy.
First and foremost, students need to be able to decode and read words quickly. Explicit phonics instruction is so important in improving accuracy when reading. If students cannot quickly decode words, they will continue to struggle while reading. Students also need to be able to quickly read undecodable sight words in order to improve their accuracy.
- Develop letter-sound fluency. Students must know letter sounds quickly.
- After students are fluent with letter sounds, they need to know how to blend them together to read decodable words.
- Students need to be able to quickly recognize and read sight words.
Strategies and Tips for Improving Accuracy
- Use letter sound timing sheets and word timing sheets to help students increase their fluency. Grab these FREE Letter & Word Timing Sheets.
- Practice sight word fluency.
- Use fun pointers, finger highlighters, highlighter strips, etc. to help students stay focused on the word they are reading.
- Encourage students to look for parts they know in a word.
- Do not let students practice reading words incorrectly. If you are focusing on accuracy, immediately stop a student when they mispronounce a word. Say the word correctly. Then, have the student repeat that word before continuing.
- Teacher Tap Method – While listening to a student read, tap a pencil or your finger on the table when the student makes a mistake. When they hear the tap, they will go back and reread to fix their error. Praise the student for the correction.
- Students need to listen to themselves read. If they do not know that they are making mistakes, they will not be able to fix them. Whisper Phones are great for letting students hear themselves read. It’s also very helpful to record them reading and have them listen to it.
Here are some materials that I use in my classroom to help students with improving accuracy in their reading.
As students become stronger at reading sight words and phonetically spelled words, they will not have to invest all of their thinking into decoding. They will be able to transition into improving their reading comprehension.


The art of choral singing with its centuries-old traditions and deep spiritual content strongly influenced both the performers’ and the audience’ moral and intellectual mood. It is considered a manifestation of the vocal and musical culture which increases and forms the music education and general cultural understanding of the students. The university Department of Music teaches choral culture and the development of music reading skills to musically and vocally talented students. Much emphasis is placed on masterful execution of the collective singing of the chorus, including correct breathing during singing, knowledge of chorus-related terminology, and solfege.
Choir classes are organized with the goal of developing and preserving a rich choir culture, awakening students’ interest in choir arts, and activating and motivating the creative activities of choirmasters.


When exactly can babies sit in a stroller? Are there signs to look for that will guide you in determining if your baby is better off sitting by himself in a stroller or not? Read along to learn more about the answer to this common question parents ask among themselves.
1.Learning to Sit.
In terms of sitting, there are several areas of development that are involved. For instance, the gross motor skills of your child should be well developed to achieve better control over other movements. Keep in mind that for babies to be able to sit up independently, muscles in the hips, back, shoulders, neck and stomach should be strong enough. After your baby becomes more efficient in controlling these areas of the body, fine motor skills are soon enhanced. Hence, you will start noticing your baby being capable of grabbing, touching and using her fingers in interacting with others.
2.When Can Babies Sit in a Stroller.
Generally, babies start to experiment on sitting up as they reach as early as 4 months old, while it may be a bit delayed for some at around 7 months of age. If you are concerned that your child is still not learning how to sit, then you may consider assisting her in developing this skill. You may do so by supporting her arms whenever she is lying on her back, then gently guide her to a sitting position. Eventually, babies sit in a stroller by themselves as they become more confident about mastering this new skill they have learned.
Your baby will have an amazing time with the back-and-forth movement while sitting with support, as this is a new position to explore on. Just remember that solid and strong head control is necessary for your child to sit up, and meanwhile, you can provide her with some enjoyable time resting on the tummy during the process of learning how to sit. You may also begin to notice her looking up if you try to place some toys in front of her, which she could reach while lying on her stomach. Once the head becomes steadier, you can help your little one sit up for at least 5 to 10 minutes daily. This habit will further strengthen all muscles necessary for sitting up in a stroller.
Babies stroller for infant and toddler the moment they have stronger control of their muscles and gross motor skill development. So, during the process that your child is still attempting to sit up, just be supportive of her and be patient. Children master several skills at varying ages, so with time and daily practice, your baby should be able to sit up independently and gain more confidence as she do so.


Segments is test of general phonological processing abilities requiring deletion of segments of words. For example, ‘butterfly’ without the syllable ‘ter’ would be pronounced ‘buh´fly’ (strictly: not ‘but´fly’, unless one was using knowledge that the word was spelt with a double ‘t’, rather than relying on the sounds of the syllables).
As children learn to talk they develop increasingly sophisticated cognitive representations for phonological aspects of speech. They become aware that words can be segmented into syllables (e.g. that ‘wigwam’ is composed of ‘wig’ and ‘wam’), and that different words can contain similar elements (i.e. similar onsets like w-ig and w-am, or similar rimes like w-ig and pig). The importance of this phonological awareness for early literacy development has been very well demonstrated in research carried out all over the world in the past twenty years (for reviews and discussion of issues, see Snowling, 1995; Goswami, 1994, 1999, 2001; Goswami and Bryant, 1990; Rack, 1994; Savage, 2001). Phonological awareness in very young students is often assessed by means of an ‘oddity task’ in which the student has to pick out the one which is different from of list of similar sounding words, e.g. ‘mop, hop, tap, lop’; ‘ham, tap, had, hat’ (Bradley and Bryant, 1983; Bradley, 1980). However, phonological deletion tasks, such as Segments, have been found to be more sensitive measures for use with older students (Snowling, 2000).
Dyslexic students are known generally to have poor phonological skills (Rack, Snowling and Olson, 1992; Holligan and Johnston, 1988). In the phonological deficit model of dyslexia (Hulme and Snowling, 1991; Snowling, 1995, 2000) it has been hypothesised that the status of students’ underlying phonological representations determines the ease with which they learn to read, and that the poorly developed phonological representations of dyslexic students are the fundamental cause of their literacy difficulties. In the CoPS research the Rhymes test was found to be a highly significant predictor of later literacy skill (Singleton, Thomas and Horne, 2000).
There is good evidence that individuals of all ages with dyslexia have persistent difficulties with phonological deletion tasks (Bruck, 1990, 1992; Gottardo, Siegel and Stanovich, 1997; Snowling, 2000). Low performance on Segments is therefore a good indication of dyslexia. However, like Nonwords, teachers should be aware that students with hearing problems may also have low scores on Segments. By inspecting the data pages for the module, the assessor can examine the student’s results in detail. This will help to determine whether the problem is mainly one of hearing – in which case errors will usually be scattered throughout the test – rather than phonological processing, in which case errors will tend to increase as the test gets more difficult.


Duration: 01/10/2004 – 30/09/2007
Coordinators: Ecsite (the European network of science centres and museums) and EUN (European School Net)
Funding: Sixth Framework Programme/Structuring the European Research Area
Pencil is the recipient of the European Commission’s single largest financial contribution in the area of “Science and Society” and combines field programmes and academic research with the aim of identifying the keys of success that transform informal science activities into innovative quality tools for science teaching.
14 science centres/museums had the task of creating mini-networks involving schools, pupils, teachers associations, research laboratories, educational authorities, and education and science communication specialists to run “pilot projects” on new science teaching methods.
At the same time, an academic “Resource Centre” was created in order to provide state-of-the-art education research, science communication, formal/informal learning, and best practices. Moreover, the Resource Centre assessed and monitored the pilot projects in order to disseminate the results and identify the criteria of innovation and quality that should become the standards for setting up future science teaching efforts.
The European Science Educational Portal (ESEP) is the tool for managing the project, setting up exchanges between partners and enabling diffusion of project results to the science teacher community.
The Institute and Museum of the History of Science was the leader of the pilot project “Online Access to History of Science Museum Objects” which anticipated the development of educational multimedia applications about objects preserved in the museum through the use of new technologies and with particular attention to e-learning. An innovative didactic laboratory was created: “Galileo and Experimental Science”. It was devoted to schools and focused on the evolution of Galileo’s experimental research as he came to master the elementary laws of motion.
Explore Galileo at the Museum of the History of Science With a Virtual Visit
This application was developed with the aim of offering, primarily for students, an exploration of various aspects of the life and work of Galileo Galilei.
The application was created with the technological support of the Laboratorio Percro of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa as part of the European project Pencil (Permanent European Network for Informal Learning).


Hobbies Playing Music The Parts of an Acoustic Guitar Share PINTEREST Email Print Tetra Images / Getty Images Playing Music Music Education Basics Music History Music Lessons Music Theory Playing Guitar Playing Piano Home Recording By Espie Estrella Espie Estrella is a lyricist, songwriter, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. our editorial process Espie Estrella Updated February 01, 2019 01 of 07 Parts of the Guitar Parts of the Guitar. Espie Estrella Let's look at the different parts of the guitar and the function of each part through this image gallery. Guitars are very popular and versatile. This instrument which belongs to the string family is enjoyable to learn for both children and adults. Guitars are also easy to transport and very much in demand. Here's an overview of the parts of an acoustic guitar. Let's look at each part and its function more closely. 02 of 07 Head and Tuning Keys Head and Tuning Keys of the Guitar. Espie Estrella The head or the "headstock" is the uppermost part of the guitar. The tuning keys are turned either left or right to adjust the pitch of a guitar string. 03 of 07 Nut and Neck Nut and Neck of the Guitar. Espie Estrella That small piece you see in between the head and the neck of the guitar is called the nut. Grooves are etched onto it to keep the string in position as it goes up to the tuning keys. The neck is the long part of the guitar you place your fingers on as you play it. 04 of 07 Fingerboard, Frets, Strings and Position Markers Fingerboard, Frets, Strings and Position Markers. Espie Estrella The fingerboard is the front part of the guitar, it is also called "fretboard." The small piece that divides the fingerboard is called frets. The fret holds the strings in different lengths so that when you press it and strum the strings, different pitches are produced. The string is what you strum or pluck in order to generate sound. Position markers are the small circles you see on the fingerboard that help guide the players. 05 of 07 The Body The Body of the Guitar. Espie Estrella The body is the "hollowed" part of the guitar. It is here where you will find the soundhole, pickguard, saddle, and bridge. The body is the part of the guitar you place on your knee as you play it. 06 of 07 Soundhole and Pick Guard Soundhole and Pick Guard. Espie Estrella The soundhole is the part of the guitar which helps project the sound. The dark, flat and smooth piece of material placed near the soundhole is called the pickguard. The pickguard is the area where your hand will travel as you strum the guitar and serves to protect the body from scratches. 07 of 07 Saddle and Bridge Saddle and Bridge. Espie Estrella The saddle is the small piece of material which holds up the strings at a certain distance from the body. The bridge is placed under the saddle and helps keep the strings in the correct position.


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Engaging with Linguistic Diversity describes an innovative and highly successful approach to inclusive plurilingual education at primary level. The approach was developed by Scoil Bhríde (Cailíní), Blanchardstown, as a way of converting extreme linguistic diversity – more than 50 home languages in a school of 320 pupils – into educational capital. The central feature of the approach is the inclusion of home languages in classroom communication. After describing the national context, the book traces the development of Scoil Bhríde's approach and explores in detail its impact on classroom discourse, pupils' plurilingual literacy development, and their capacity for autonomous learning. The authors illustrate their arguments with a wealth of practical evidence drawn from a variety of sources; pupils' and teachers' voices are especially prominent. The concluding chapter considers issues of sustainability and replication and the implications of the approach for teacher education. The book refers to a wide range of relevant research findings and theories, including translanguaging, plurilingual and intercultural education, language awareness and language learner autonomy. It is essential reading for researchers and policy-makers in the field of linguistically inclusive education.
David Little was formerly Director of the Centre f…
Déirdre Kirwan was principal of Scoil Bhríde (Cail…
Little and Kirwan make alive the processes through which children construct knowledge and develop literacy and learner autonomy in a school which includes the languages of school, as well as the many home languages of the increasing number of immigrant students. Besides the rich descriptions of classroom practices, the book is significant because it demonstrates the importance of school leadership and teacher collaboration to transform instruction, as well as the ways in which different language practices can be leveraged to learn to transform language education policy.
Ofelia García, Professor, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA
The book I have been waiting for for a long time! It is a compelling must read for teacher educators and educational researchers engaged in rethinking language education in multilingual classrooms. Highly readable, it describes how a dynamic and integrated language policy implemented in an Irish primary school where 50 different languages were spoken by children from immigrant background, led them to academic success and to their integration into Irish society. All teachers and future teachers should read it: they will understand that it is possible to work with languages they do not know, and therefore to transform the learning journey of their multilingual students.
Christine Hélot, Professor, University of Strasbourg, France
Provides wonderful concrete activities to bring plurilingual and pluricultural inclusion into schools of the 21st century. Besides engaging teachers with linguistic diversity, the book will help them become more inclusive with all the pupils in their classrooms.
Nathalie Auger, Professor, Paul Valéry University of Montpellier, France
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Sending your child to school before kindergarten has many benefits for your child’s future. Evidence shows a person’s life success, health, and emotional well being are rooted in a child having a proper education when they are young.
Studies show children who go to kindergarten without having preschool beforehand are likely to remain behind through their time in school and even afterwards. This gap is called the achievement gap, and it has been growing across the country. But one way to close this gap is by sending children to early learning programs so they are prepared to enter kindergarten, and thus have the tools to become successful adults.
Why is this? Well, the early years of a child’s life builds the foundation for their future development by forming their intelligence, personality, social behaviour, capacity to learn, and their ability to nurture themselves as an adult.
Children are naturally creative and curious, and they start learning on their own at a very young age. But the best way for your child to gain the foundational skills they need for future success in school is by providing an environment where your child can develop cognitive skills, with early learning centres prepared to capitalise on this time when learning happens much faster.
In fact, studies have found early childhood education increases cognitive and achievement scores in children.
Emotional and social development
Sending your child to an early learning program provides a place for children to express their emotions with people who are not family members. This is an important way to help young kids learn how to interact with their peers, develop social skills, and learn how to manage their feelings by sharing toys and playing with other kids.
A proper education before kindergarten can set your child up for success throughout their life. Here are some of the ways:
- Higher earnings: Studies have shown early childhood education can boost a child’s earnings later in life from 1.3 to 3.5 percent.
- Lower the chances of committing a crime: Research shows improving cognitive and social development early in life reduces a person’s involvement with the criminal justice system.
- Reduces the need for remedial education: Studies have found early childhood education may reduce the need for special education placements and remedial education.


It was a very sunny afternoon in Dawakin Tofa in Kano State. A Kano Literacy and Maths Accelerator (KaLMA) mentoring training was taking place and the KaLMA/Nigeria team was on the ground to support. At that moment, the information reached us—“schools are to be closed across the nation in two days due to the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The ‘social distancing’ and ‘stay at home’ orders present the opportunity to involve parents in children’s continuous learning at home while schools are closed. The KaLMA team (a partnership between TaRL Africa and the British Council) began working on a Home-Based Learning (HBL) plan to support learning remotely, through carefully designed learning activities.
The first step was to make sure we could reach children and families at home: the team set out to get as many phone numbers of parents as possible, working closely with the school headteachers and teachers. Initially, we collected over 2,500 phone numbers and are working to collect 19,000 numbers over the next few months.
Developing engaging home-based activities
Working closely with the central content team from Pratham, we set out to design very engaging and action-driven content which does not rely on smartphones. Some examples of the activity instructions we send to parents:
Reaching all families
We provide a variety of HBL activities, focusing on foundational skills in Hausa, English, and Mathematics. We use three different methods to share. This is to ensure that the HBL activities and guidelines are accessible for families:
- Text messages (SMS) – content sent via SMS ensures that families without smartphones could access them.
- Automated calls – pre-recorded audio versions of the text messages are sent to parents’ phones, ensuring that parents who are not able to read receive the messages.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) – parents can call a toll-free line for a variety of pre-recorded audio instructions for activities. The interactive element allows parents to select different learning skills to address (for example, choosing activities appropriate for learners who are able to read 1-digit numbers but not 2-digit numbers). The interactive nature of this platform allows parents to navigate to appropriate activities and to revisit the same activity when needed.
In addition, we set up a toll-free line for parents and children to share their feedback or questions. We send sensitization messages to parents, highlighting their role in children’s continuous learning and how our HBL plan supports that role. We also encourage parents to set aside a dedicated time of the day to support children’s learning at home. Content is designed in the local language of the community to make it accessible to all parents.
To spread the message in communities, we reached out to a few active mentors to kickstart a chain of informal sensitisation in their communities. We encouraged them to tell as many people as possible about the HBL programme and ask community members to spread the word. Through this community action, we are reaching more parents.
We have also started receiving interesting feedback from parents and children. Recently, a little girl called in – she curiously asked, “are you sending us activities today?” She was eager to receive more activities. This shows us how engaging the activities are for this little girl and is a great encouragement for the team.
Lessons from implementing an HBL programme
Some of the lessons I have learned about home-based learning so far are:
- With the right support, parents/care givers are willing to support the continuous learning of their children at home.
- To successfully engage parents in learning activities with their children at home, the messages sent out should be clear, use simple language, and should suggest specific actions for parents as they support the children to learn.
- Widespread sensitisation is useful for parents’ full engagement in children’s learning at home, as some of the platforms used and the activities involved may be new to parents/caregivers.
- We’ve found that, when the community is well sensitized, it will make it possible to get community buy-in and the intervention will go smoothly.
- Periodic tracking of the nature of engagement with the learning content shared with parents will help the programme team understand how appropriate the content is and will help the content development team to modify the learning content to suit families.
- It is important to send messages to parents when they are most likely to be available to support children at home.


On July 26, 2010, the U. S. House of Representatives passed a resolution designating the second week of September as Arts in Education Week to promote and showcase the immense role arts education has in producing engaged, successful, and college- and career-ready students. The resolution states:
Arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students.
Arts Education Partnership has created a hub site for sharing information about National Arts in Education Week – links to partner sites who are planning activities and finding out about arts education policy and practice in states and communities. To learn more, visit Arts Education Partnership.
To help you celebrate the arts in your classroom this week and throughout the year, we offer the following resources:
The Art and Science of Impressionist Color
Students will learn about the Impressionist painters’ use of color and how it connected to early-19th-century scientific theories about color. They will explore combinations of primary and secondary colors, experiment creating secondary colors, and create a landscape using complementary colors.
Creating Comic Strips
Starting with the familiar Peanuts comic strip characters in the form of video and print media, students explore comic strips as a form of communication of both fiction and nonfiction. In this lesson, each student creates an original comic strip to convey a mathematical concept to share with a younger student.
21st Century Skills Map ( PDF, 2.5 MB, 17 pgs.)
This Skills Map from the Partnership of 21st Century Skills (P21) presents just a few of the many ways that children acquire 21st Century Learning Skills through arts study.
Articles – NEA on the Arts in Education
- Discipline Tips from Drama Teachers
[Enter, stage left]: The discipline pro! That would be your school’s drama teacher, who shares her strategies for classroom management and student engagement. Ta-da! (August 2009)
- Yo! From Tupac to the Bard
Educators are stepping to a new beat, making use of hip-hop music to engage their students. (November 2008)
- Dance of the Trapezoid
Educators use the power of the arts to teach math and science (May 2008)
- State of the Arts
When tap shoes are silenced and paintbrush bristles left to harden, student achievement suffers—often at the schools where the arts are needed the most. (January 2007)
Americans for the Arts Research that makes a case for arts education and its economic, social, and educational value.
National Art Education Association Links to journals; articles on issues in aesthetics, arts education, art theory, and visual arts; statistics; and assorted databases.
- Ezra Jack Keats Minigrants (Pre-K and Elementary School)
Public school libraries and public libraries that host programs encouraging literacy and creativity in children can apply for an Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant of $500.
- Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest
States hold competitions on memorizing and reciting poetry by mid-March.


Music Lessons for Toddlers are the best way to teach your toddler to understand basic sounds and develop a musical ear. Music Lessons are great for all youngsters and are often used as a type of therapy for many medical conditions. And music lessons are also just as helpful to their learning as physical games.
Music Lessons for Toddlers
Your little one will love having their very own music room where they can learn and play music as often as they want. Your little one will learn to count in both left and right positions, and be able to read musical notes on their own.
Music lessons for toddlers should start the minute you bring them into the house so that you can begin to teach them the basics of music, like naming the different musical instruments. It is important that young children recognize and use the musical instruments that are familiar to them.
If your little one doesn’t have a favorite instrument, try to introduce them to the ones that they are interested in and begin teaching them from there https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/violin-tuning-tips.html. You may also want to have a little musical set up in your child’s room so that they can learn some simple songs at home to help them enjoy playing and having their own music lesson.
Music Lessons for Toddlers provide an excellent environment for learning and development. It is a fun environment for social skills and brain development and will continue to benefit your son or daughter well into adulthood. The overall benefits of music education for young children far outweigh the cost, which is usually minimal.


Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. We use Read, Write, Inc to teach phonics daily. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible. More Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is available through the link below.
Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
Children count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20, place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing.
Shape, space and measures:
Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns. They explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them. More Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is available through the link below.
Expressive arts and design:
Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role- play, and design and technology.
Exploring and using media and materials:
Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories. More Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is available through the link below.
Understanding the world:
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
People and communities:
Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.
Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.
Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes. More Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is available through the link below.
Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Moving and handling:
Moving and handling: children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Health and self-care:
Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently. More Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is available through the link below.


A captivating Community and Family Studies activity resource outlining the evolution of information and communications technology!
Students will advance their literacy and numeracy skills by examining data from the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics), matching timeline, and through an engaging class survey.
In what ways does technology impact on my life and lifestyle?
How have scientific and technological advances in communication, entertainment, leisure activities and travel affected my life?
Resource Type: Activity, Literacy, Numeracy.
Digital File Type: PDF (Acrobat) Document Files
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Integrating Texas History is a must.
We are all being told to spend more time on reading and writing foundational skills, This means social studies get pushed to the back burner, or off the stove altogether.
Not anymore though! By integrating Texas History with your ELAR block you can make sure you are hitting the TEKS and educating your students on the important history of their state! I mean, what else are they going to talk about at slumber parties?
I don’t know about you, but when I hear integration of curriculum it gives me the chills. Not because I don’t like it, but because it means more work for me. I am not against doing the work to provide a quality lesson for my students, but sometimes it feels like I am spinning my wheels.
Over the last few months, I have been hearing from A LOT of you that are looking for a way to make sure your students are getting Texas History, and oh, can you make it digital as well? I have listened.
Integrating Texas History with ELAR
What this looks like is using informational reading about the Texas History standards to teach reading, writing, and language skills. Sounds easy enough, huh?
The trouble comes when it is time to find the passages with the content. There is a lot of awesome content out there for Texas History, but almost none of it is written for fourth graders.
You know this though, you have been telling me.
I wanted to work on a solution for you, because I know it is important, and I think I finally have one!
Introducing Texas History Passages
The name is a little bit of a misnomer because they aren’t just passages. Each unit pack includes multiple genres of writing plus maps, infographics, graphic organizers, and text features.
These packs with their passages and questions were created to help you integrate Texas History into your ELAR block. I know classrooms are short on time, and this resource will give you twice the learning!
Each passage and set of questions takes up a single page and includes an optional extension activity for further learning. The topic of each passage was chosen to meet the streamlined social studies TEKS for 4th grade. Multiple genres are used including graphic organizers and maps.
For example, I might include a historical fiction piece, an information/nonfiction passage, a photograph analysis, an infographic, and a Venn diagram for students to read and answer questions over. The questions included cover both the content and the process of reading and thinking about the reading.
These passages could be completed together in a small group setting, individually, or used for a station or center activity. The possibilities are endless!
This resource has both printable and digital formats to meet the needs of all classrooms. This also means these passages are perfect for distance learning. They are Google Classroom ready and contain all the information your students need. So, you don’t have to worry about textbooks and other resources.
For our extra motivated students, the optional extension activities provide a way to stretch their thinking and encourage them to research the topic further.
Want to Try Them Out For Yourself?
Check out the box below and sign up to receive three example passages with a Weird Texas theme. Then, once you are hooked on them, find the bundle here!


The East Willoughby Preschool educational program is based on “Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Framework for Australia” (EYLF) and “Early Childhood Literacy and Numeracy: Building good practice” through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments.
The EYLF program aims to extend and enrich children’s learning from their early years through the transition to school whilst experiencing the concepts of belonging, being and becoming.
The teachers developed this rich educational program to promote the children’s learning through:
- Adapting holistic approaches in teaching (valuing the children’s physical, personal, social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing as well as the cognitive aspect of learning)
- Being responsive to children’s strengths, abilities and interests
- Planning and implementing learning through play
- Teaching through challenging experiences and interactions
- Creating positive physical and social learning
- Valuing the cultural and social contexts of all the children and their families
- Providing educational experiences and monitoring learning in order to enable the children to experience successful transitions to school
Through the School Readiness Program the teachers support the children’s concept formation and learning aspects of literacy and numeracy. Some important numeracy concepts include: shapes, positions and directions, grouping things together, concepts of same and different, sorting (classification), number patterns, sharing and measurements.
Development of literacy skills is interrelated through the development of language. Therefore children’s language and literacy development is stimulated through carefully planned everyday activities. Some important literacy concepts include: sharing books and learning how to read them, playing with rhymes and letter sounds, telling stories and news, re-enacting and re-telling stories, looking at ‘signs’ and ‘logos’, reading advertisements and thinking critically about print, drawing and marking as leading to writing.
The preschool program is flexible and dynamic. It includes free and guided activities utilising indoor and outdoor spaces, construction, music provided by a professional music teacher, rhythm, games and drama. Weekly or fortnightly learning themes and activities are communicated to parents and carers so that you may be involved in your child’s preschool learning.
Children bring along a bag with a nutritious morning tea, lunch, a drink and a hat. The preschool currently has a nut and egg free policy. There is a rest/relaxation period after lunch.


August 17, 2020 2 min read
Alia Sabur had a deep interest in science and math starting from a young age. Through her hard work and passion for the field, she set a world record in the STEM field.
Alia Sabur, from New York City, is a child prodigy and mathematician. With her dedication and intelligence, she defied the expectations for women in science and pursued her love for the field.
Sabur is most well known for breaking the record of being the "world’s youngest professor." When she was only eighteen, she was appointed to the position of an International Professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. This achievement beat the previous record held by Colin Maclaurin, one of Isaac Newton’s students, who became a professor at the age of 19 in 1717.
Sabur was admitted to Stony Brook University at ten years old, one of the youngest college students ever. When she was 14, she graduated from universitysumma cum laude with a degree in applied mathematics.Later on, Sabur received her M.Sc and Ph.D. degree at Drexel University in materials science and engineering.
At a young age, Alia Sabur’s family knew she was gifted. Sabur learned to read when she was only eight months old and had already completed the primary school curriculum by the age of five. When she was in first grade, she “tested off the IQ scale,” and in fourth grade, Sabur left regular public school to attend college instead.
Now, Sabur is 31 years old and continues to put her skills towards helping others. After her position as a professor, she worked on developing tools for medical research as well as creating non-invasive devices for people with diabetes. More recently, she became an attorney for the US patent and trademark office, where she works on intellectual property disputes.
Sabur is dedicated to encouraging more young people to pursue a career in science. She is especially committed to acting as a role model for young girls and breaking stereotypes for women in STEM.
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January 25, 2021 1 min read
Celebrate your bridal party this Galentine's Day with our ultimate skincare and jewelry gift guide!
It is never too early to start prepping for your big day. Unpause your wedding planning by gifting you (and your bridal party) a healthy, glowing complexion that shines (almost) as bright as you do.
January 25, 2021 2 min read
There's always an occasion that requires the perfect gift—find one with our bride-to-be approved gift guide!
Between the holidays and weddings (including your own), thoughts about all of the gifts you need to buy are likely running through your mind. This time of year is already stressful, making being a bride-to-be prepping for your big day that much harder. We are sharing one bride-to-be's advice on selecting and buying the perfect gifts with our ultimate gift guide. Discover Devon's top picks for powerful skincare—choices that can be used on the big day (or every day).
January 25, 2021 2 min read
Every bride wants to look and feel her best on her wedding day!
Leaders and experts in skincare and beauty are working to make the world a better place by empowering, evolving, and embracing, all brides and their loved ones to experience, value, and share the impact of nature's ingredients and true craftsmanship at an affordable price.


A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchestras for young students have the primary purpose of music education, often led by a conductor who is also a music teacher. Some youth orchestras have been set up by professional symphony orchestras, both as a training ground for future players, and as part of their community outreach program. This is particularly common in the United States, examples including the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the New York Youth Symphony.
While a professional orchestra will receive the parts and have a few days of rehearsal, and then play several performances, youth orchestras will typically rehearse the concert program over several months. This additional time gives the conductor to coach the orchestra and teach them how to learn the many skills required of an orchestral player, including instrumental techniques and ensemble playing.
National youth orchestrasEdit
In contrast to local youth orchestras, which include players from a city or region and thus can meet regularly, national youth orchestras are composed of musicians from all over a country. Therefore, national youth orchestras are usually organized in short-term residencies, followed by a national or international tour. For example, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States organizes a two-week residency in New York each year, before embarking on an international tour.
Depending on the cultural tradition of classical music in a country, national youth orchestras can carry significant prestige, often being led by renowned career conductors. Therefore, they are usually quite selective, requiring applications to audition and recruiting only a fraction of them. For example, the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) selects only around 120 members from 2,000 to 3,000 auditionees each year.
National youth orchestras often serve as a stepping stone in the career of young musicians. As the required artistic prowess in national youth orchestras is quite high, many former members go on to become professional musicians.
Notable youth orchestras include:
- Lawson, Colin (2003). The Cambridge companion to the orchestra. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80658-5. OCLC 50301467.
- "NYO-USA: Frequently Asked Questions". Carnegie Hall. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- European Expert Network on Culture and Audiovisual (14 October 2017). "Assessment of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO)". www.eenca.com. Retrieved 16 December 2020.


`Everything co-ordinators need on policy development, implementation and evaluation in English, language and literacy' - Junior Education
High quality teaching in English language and literacy is a central part of the primary school curriculum. The coordinator has a key role to play in building on good practice, introducing new ways of working and monitoring their effectiveness. This book is written for coordinators and for those who are intending to take on the subject leadership, and addresses the issues of policy development, implementation and evaluation in primary English.
By drawing on background theory and research, the authors provide clear guidance on the central tasks of subject co-ordination. Case study material is used to illustrate development work in English language and literacy in primary schools. The authors give up-to-date and practical advice on how to understand the processes of change.


Mrs. Grady's English Language Arts
4 - Student exceeds grade level standards for this marking period.
3 - Student shows proficiency in grade level standards for this marking period.
2 - Student is approaching grade level standards for this marking period.
1 - Student is performing below grade level standards for this marking period.
Secure - the student consistently demonstrates an understanding of the skill and can apply with minimal guidance.
Developing - the student is working towards proficiency of the skill but requires support.
Read Write Think Speak Listen Explore Discover
2nd graders will develop word reading skills and reading comprehension strategies in order to read appropriately complex literary and informational text.
Key Ideas and Supporting Details in a Text
Text Craft and Structure
Integration of Knowledge through Story Elements, Author's Point of View and Text Connections
Know and apply phonics and word analysis in decoding words.
Read grade-level text with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension
Knowledge of language, Grammar and Vocabulary
Opinion, Informative/Explanatory, Narratives, Written Response and Research
Speaking and Listening:
Collaborative Conversations with peers
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas


Music theory: counterpoint 2
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Course Code: MG427B
Duration: 11 sessions (over 12 weeks)
What is the course about?
Counterpoint is the art of writing two or more independent melodic lines that combine to create effective music. This course explores the principles of contrapuntal technique, providing students with both an insight into this compositional style and practical skills in composition. The course will combine analysis of scores from a variety of musical periods, and practical exercises which will be reviewed and discussed in class.
- Weelkes The Nightingale, the Organ of Delight
- Byrd Fantasia No.1
- Bach French Suite No.2 (Minuet)
- Bach Passacaglia in C minor (extract)
- Monteverdi Lamento D’Arianna.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
• Melodic analysis
• Developing skills in melody writing
• Furthering knowledge of scales and modes
• Develop understanding of rhythmic ratios between melodic lines
• Detailed score analysis
• Develop compositional skills in contrapuntal technique.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Identify the mechanics of contrapuntal music
• Analyse contrapuntal music in two or more parts
• Develop greater understanding of rhythmic, melodic and harmonic practice in a contrapuntal context.
• Apply contrapuntal techniques in practical exercises and own compositions.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course requires a good understanding of music theory (equivalent Grade 6 level or above) and some skills with performing on an instrument or voice. A familiarity with contrapuntal repertoire will be helpful.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Your tutor will use a variety of techniques:
- tutor explanation and demonstration via webcam / shared screen
- short revision videos and/or audio files (posted in Google Classroom)
- worksheets (posted in Google Classroom)
- group performing and individual demonstration tasks (e.g. clapping rhythms).
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Manuscript paper, notebook, pen, pencil and eraser.
Other materials will be supplied by the tutor.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Music theory: counterpoint 3 follows in the same time slot next term.
For more details about musicianship and music theory please visit our blog: Musicianship and music theory at City lit which lists our full sequence of musicianship and music theory classes.
Selena began her musical career as a composer, gaining a Dutch Government scholarship to study at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague with Louis Andriessen. As a student she won numerous prizes including BBC Young Composers, resulting in a commission for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. She has wide musical interests ranging from Renaissance counterpoint and the origins of tonality to twentieth-century composition techniques and electronic music. Selena performs in an experimental electronic music duo KOGG with Cerys Hogg. They create music by sampling vocals, sound objects, and home-made instruments, combining composed and improvised material. They have performed live and are producing an album. Selena has a keen interest in music pedagogy, particularly the social and cognitive benefits of music education, and is a specialist Kodály practitioner. She is also advisor in further education for the British Kodály Academy. Selena holds BMus (Hons), MMus and PGCE degrees, has held positions at Goldsmiths and Middlesex University and currently teaches at City Lit and Morley College.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.


Preschool Teacher Requirements
Preschool teachers work in public and private schools, childcare centers and community organizations. They provide care and age-appropriate education to kids ages three to five. They teach a variety of developmental skills to prepare kids for kindergarten, including social skills and what is expected of them in school. Preschool teachers also provide academic instruction in math, reading, writing and science.
TIP: Nationwide, preschool teachers earned a median salary of $30,520 as of May 2019.
Preschool Teacher Job Description
Communication is a huge component of working with children, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on preschool teachers. Preschool teachers interact with kids by offering hands-on lessons in working through social issues and behavioral challenges. Teachers also explain classroom rules and reinforce discipline. During academic lessons, preschool teachers provide instruction and need good communication to help kids learn and to recognize struggles. Preschool teachers must also communicate well with parents to understand their children, discuss any issues or problems and to maintain a good level of rapport.
Preschool teachers need a lot of energy to keep up with the natural enthusiasm of small children. They spend as much time teaching kids how to listen and act as they do providing actual content instruction. Along with mental and emotional energy, preschool instructors need physical energy to lead and participate in games and outdoor activities. Small children are notoriously challenging learners. Some require constant repetition and training to understand and follow basic classroom rules and requests. Preschool teachers must be patient to follow logical steps in communicating and enforcing discipline constructively and fairly. This helps them correct behavior with through natural consequences or timeouts, as opposed to punitively through anger.
An important requirement in some preschool settings is artistic ability and interest. Arts, crafts and projects are commonly used to help kids learn motor skills and express their creativity. Musical or artistic talents help the teacher offer good examples and perform better in this area of preschool curriculum. Delivering more dramatic interpretations of stories also helps get kids excited about stories and teaches them various nonverbal expressions that convey feelings and attitudes.
Preschool Teacher Education and Certification
Preschool teacher requirements by state can vary substantially, as each state sets its own regulations and standards on education and training requirements for preschool teachers. Years ago preschool teachers needed only a high school degree and perhaps a few courses on teaching young children; today, while a few states require a minimum of an associate degree in early childhood education (ECE), most states require a bachelor's degree in ECE or a related field like elementary education or child psychology. Centers that focus more on academic curriculum over general care usually have higher education requirements.
In addition to a college degree, many states require preschool teacher certification such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential offered by the Council for Professional Recognition. Earning the CDA requires getting a bachelor's degree in ECE or similar major, 480 hours of work experience with preschool children, showing a portfolio of your work with preschoolers, being evaluated by a CDA mentor, and passing an exam demonstrating your expertise in ECE. Some states have their own exam or require a different credential than the CDA, so check with your state's Board of Education or PreSchoolTeacher.org for a comparison between states.
Preschool Teacher Salaries
Nationwide, the BLS reported that preschool teachers earned a median salary of $30,520 as of May 2019, with overall preschool teacher salaries ranging from less than $21,140 to over $55,050. A median salary is the midpoint in a list of salaries for an occupation, where half earned more and half earned less.The BLS estimates the need for preschool teachers to grow by 2 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is slower than the growth rate for other jobs. Teachers with at least a bachelor's degree in ECE and the CDA credential will be most competitive for job openings.


At Bridge School, we believe in holistic education. We believe that emotional learning, and social learning are essential components of an elementary education in the 21st century.
We use intentional curriculum to teach students emotional intelligence and social skills. They then practice these skills through exploring and playing in our mixed-age classes with a wide range of students. Our small class sizes allow teachers to observe students interactions, and provide guidance and feedback organically. For example, we actively teach topics such as consent, honesty, and responsibility.
We teach mindfulness and Restorative Practices throughout the school day. Twice a week, we start our day with a guided mindfulness practice. Students practice specific breathing and mindfulness strategies daily. We use Restorative Practices to build our community, and to mediate conflicts when they arise
Our holistic approach to education emphasizes building relationships and personal integrity.