Love to Learn, Learn to Love
At Mereside CE Primary Academy, we aim to provide a high-quality art curriculum that fosters pupils’ autonomy, creativity, imagination and resilience. Art lessons will provide pupils’ opportunities to learn about the history of art, how this has evolved and those involved with these changes. Additionally, it will provided openings to other cultures. Opportunities to appreciate and reflect will support our children in viewing themselves as global citizens who celebrate and value diversity. Lessons will be closely linked to other curriculum areas to help reinforce and enhance learning, whilst acquiring techniques and skills to apply to their final pieces and reflections. Art should enable the children to communicate what they see, feel and think. Our art education will promote discussion, sense of expression and questioning with the aim to motivate our children to continue to thrive in our fast-changing world as artists beyond primary education.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso
At Mereside CE Primary Academy, we use Access Art to support our decision-making.
We aim to cover the seven main elements of Art: line, colour, texture, form, shape, value and space. This will be achieved through, drawing, painting, printing, sculpting, textiles and collage. From EYFS to year 6 the children will look at complex skills isolated to build technical control, automaticity and proficiency. The units will develop, build and challenge pupils by re-encountering knowledge.
We will guide and help children feel confident to take creative risks and express their identity through art. The children will have the option to choose the medium they use in their work, especially for their final piece. There might be specific tasks or technical work, which requires one medium to be used but this would be during the beginning of the session.
Elements of lessons and units:
Media and materials.
Methods and techniques.
Formal elements and principles of Art.
Drawing representationally, (drawing/making something look exactly like the real object).
Drawing expressively (taking ideas/inspiration from artists to create work).
Drawing outside of expectations.
Mark making – warm up exercises, technical skills.
Apply to object/subject then own choice of object/ subject.
Theory and artists – concepts page/ideas, annotations.
Final piece – apply ideas and techniques.
Artist study is a very important part of our art curriculum. The children will study a range of artists that show progression through history, different genders, celebrate local achievements and most importantly from different cultures. When studying artists (KS2), two or more will be looked at in each unit, one for KS1. The artists will be compared (similarities and differences) the children will discuss the connections, meanings and interpretations of their work.


Carson Dellosa Big Skills for Little Hands® Cut and Paste Workbook―PreK-Kindergarten Pasting Practice, Cutting Shapes and Lines, Counting, Puzzles, and Alphabet Activities (192 pgs)
The Big Skills for Little Hands series features fun activity pages that teach your child the fine motor and foundational skills necessary for kindergarten. Your child will have fun cutting, pasting, tracing, drawing, coloring, folding, counting, and writing his or her way to school success! Each book supports fine motor development while increasing exposure to early concepts like letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. Plus, perforated pages allow your child to proudly display his or her work as soon as it’s done! Big Skills for Little Hands: Cut & Paste features colorful, engaging pages that support early learning guidelines; activities to create puppets, props, puzzles, and fun animal characters; and essential practice for cutting along lines and aligning shapes before pasting.


Well said, “It is with music that you never stop learning.” Just like including sports in education helps in physical growth of children, art helps them increase their creativity; music helps them grow from head to toe, their insights and imagination.
Schools must value music as a critical learning tool to help keep their students engaged in school. It will also help develop them as a well-rounded individual and additionally encourage skills that are vital for success in the 21st century.
Take a look at some extensive benefits of the music education in schools:
- A mastery of memorization: In a formal experiment done on students where they were asked to listen to music while studying, it was found that the level of dopamine (a feel good neurotransmitter) increased in them. Other researches also showed that dopamine promotes learning to approach rewards, and its deficiency promotes learning of punishments. The skill of memorization tends to serve students well in education.
- A sense of achievement: Music builds a sense of achievement in students. This is because when the students learn to play pieces of music on a new instrument, they feel proud of their achievement, even when they master the smallest piece.
- Increased coordination: Students practicing with musical instruments tends to improve their hand-eye coordination. This helps them learn to make coordination in all other aspects of life.
- Emotional development: MusicStudents can be more emotionally developed, with compassion towards other cultures. It also helps them build higher self-esteem and become better in coping with anxiety.
- Music builds intellectual curiosity: Introducing music in early childhood can help foster a positive attitude and curiosity towards learning in children.
- Musical instruments can teach discipline: Students who learn to play an instrument develops a tendency to learn a valuable lesson in discipline. Setting time aside to practice and rising to the challenge of learning with discipline is required to master playing their instrument. With this practice, they can become more disciplined in life.
- Benefits the brain:When a child plays a musical instrument, the key brain functions are developed, which not only enhances musical learning but also academic and social skills. It also strengthens connections between brain cells.
Music is the fabric of our society. Incorporating music into education can help in shaping abilities and character of students. Hence, musical education can greatly contribute to your child’s mental, physical, social and intellectual development as well.


By: Karla Manning, PhD
School Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Consultant
The viewpoints expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect the position and viewpoint of XanEdu, Inc, but instead are shared to promote healthy and productive debate and consideration.
Dr. Karla Manning, a School Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion consultant, introduces the many personal and social lifelong benefits that incorporating equity and inclusion into classrooms can provide. An important element to doing that often includes the customization of students’ learning materials to ensure that the content they’re studying represents diverse perspectives, is culturally relevant, and takes every students’ own experiences into account.
XanEdu works hand-in-hand with districts and schools across the country to develop curriculum materials that reflect their values, closes curricula gaps, and addresses critical areas of focus. By utilizing our full spectrum of solutions - from curriculum development consulting, content authoring and sourcing - to print and digital delivery of your customized content, you can create materials that are designed to address the needs of your district’s diverse student population.
Early Childhood Education is a vital foundation for children of tender age. Not only are they introduced to various experiences, but they are also taught how to form and maintain positive social relationships, a sense of belonging, and developing specific skills to reach their full potential.
We see regular acts of racism, sexism, and prejudice being displayed among people of all ages in society. The need for greater diversity, inclusion, and equity is becoming more evident, from videos we see on social media to news headlines.
Raising a tolerant, accepting, fair and empathetic child should start from an early age. Incorporating equity and inclusion into the early childhood curriculum is one of the best ways to do this.
Equity is simply displaying the quality of being fair and partial. On the other hand, inclusion is incorporating people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups.
Educators incorporating equity and inclusion in the classroom will help them to combat prejudice and racial discord by supporting positive behaviors among students, fostering a sense of belonging for all students and their families, and teaching respect for everyone.
How Do Children Benefit from Incorporating Inclusion and Equity in Early Childhood Curriculum?
The benefits of inclusion and equity are numerous for all children. Schools including these vital lessons into their curriculum can help children to reach their developmental potential. We have compiled a list of some of the many benefits of successfully incorporating inclusion and equity.
1. Improved problem-solving skills
2. Develop positive self-image
3. Respect for others
5. Improved communication
6. Being accepting of differences
7. Being more understanding
8. Having perspective
9. Promotes tolerance
10. May reduce bullying
11. Being able to recognize unfair and discriminatory scenarios
How Can your School Incorporate Inclusion and Equity in Early Childhood Curriculums?
It is no secret that children are more comfortable, grounded, and able to learn more when their school, classmates, and instructors respect their diversity.
Strategies that schools can use to successfully incorporate and promote inclusion and equity in early childhood curriculums include:
1. Use a multi-tiered system of support.
Using this strategy involves Collaborating with early childhood special educators and other allied education and health professionals when needed. Facilitate each professional establishing a relationship with each child to maximize potential.
2. Provide high-quality early childhood learning resources that demonstrate a commitment to equitable outcomes for all children.
Schools can arrange budgets within their means to equitably meet the needs of children and staff. Recognize that high-quality programs will positively reflect the values, beliefs, and practices of specific children, families, and communities.
3. Develop opportunities for multiple voices with different perspectives to participate in decision-making.
Recognize that unspoken biases have often resulted in limited opportunities for members of marginalized groups.
4. Prepare current and prospective early childhood educators to provide equitable learning opportunities to all children.
Schools can ensure that educators understand the historical and systemic issues that have created structural inequities in society, including in early childhood education.
5. Involve children, families, and the community in the design and implementation of learning activities.
Involving children, families, and the community in learning activities will help children to embrace the idea of inclusion and equity. This will also help to build a sense of belonging with those involved.
Introducing and incorporating equity and inclusion into early childhood curriculums will benefit children and the instructors, family, and the wider community. This strategy will also help build a better future where people will practice more accepting and respectful lifestyles.


Elementary English Language Arts
Announcement: Participate in the PK-5 Language Arts Core Curriculum Adoption
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is committed to ensuring equitable outcomes for all students. In service of this mission, SFUSD is seeking research and standards-aligned elementary Language Arts core curricular materials to support teachers in facilitating a strong foundation in literacy for all SFUSD students for years to come.
ELA Common Core State Standards
Foundational Skills Block
Foundational Skills Block:
The foundational skills block in Kindergarten - Second grade classrooms includes daily instruction in the following:
- Explicit phonics instruction
- Phonemic and phonological awareness routines
- Reading and writing using phonics skills in decodable text and writing dictation
Students are engaged in rigorous, grade level complex text during whole class read aloud, shared reading and close reading that supports comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and critical thinking skills.
Students have access to informational books and literature that is culturally relevant and affirming. Opportunities for students to read and apply strategies occurs in the classroom daily.
Student learn and engage in the writing process. They write in a variety of forms and genres throughout the year which include the following:
Opinion/ Argument Writing
Students are assessed three times a year in foundational skills, reading accuracy, reading fluency and comprehension. Assessment data is used to inform and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of different learners.
Universal screeners are also used to determine intervention and identify students with possible phonological processing challenges.
For more information on assessments go to https://www.sfusd.edu/rpa-dept/assessing-student-learning
ELA Response to Intervention (RTI)
SFUSD is committed to providing high quality instruction to all students. When students exhibit challenges with meeting grade level benchmarks, the Academic Response to Intervention (RTI) framework helps identify areas of need and the specific supports which will help students advance their learning.
These Family Guides provide parents and caregivers with the tools and information they need to support their student academically in literacy. The guides include:
- What your student should know and be able to do
- Everyday activities to support learning
- Tips for talking with teachers
- Tools and resources to help
Mission and Vision
We partner with schools and educators to develop and apply student-centered literacy learning as a force for equity, empowering students to use language and literacy as a tool to express themselves, learn about others, and create change.
We strive to co-create healing spaces for literacy teaching and learning; a space where curiosity and joy are fostered in authentic partnerships to provide equitable access and cognitive demand for all educators and students.
Grade Level At a Glance
This page was last updated on December 6, 2022


The early learning standards define the key aspects of development and learning that are the foundation for a child’s school and life-long success. While the progress of children toward the standards will vary depending on a number of factors, the standards act as a guide for educational and programmatic decisions by child care providers, Pre-K-Grade 2 teachers, and public school administrators.
Maryland’s Early Learning Standards come from two different sources:
- Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth to Three Years of Age
- Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards for the Pre-K through Grade 2 portion of the Pre-K to 12 Standards
The domains of learning included within the Maryland Early Learning Standards include Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Health, Physical Education, Fine Arts, and Social Foundations.
Learn more about the Maryland Early Learning Standards and where they come from:
How many of Maryland’s young children are ready for kindergarten?
Nearly half of entering kindergarteners (47%) in school year 2018-2019 demonstrate the foundational skills and behaviors that show they are prepared for a kindergarten curriculum based on Maryland’s rigorous standards.
You can dive deeper into the data in The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Report (PDF) and The Comprehensive Assessment System Report (PDF).


Phonics instruction is on its way back into the mainstream, but the ineffective “sight” method has dominated public education for decades.
The “sight” method was designed for deaf children.
The method of reading instruction that dominates American schools began in the 1930s as a well-intentioned experiment. Based on a method used to teach deaf children, the new system of instruction was promoted as a less tedious way of teaching hearing children to read.
Although classroom teachers quickly found the new method to be ineffective and detrimental, the new education professionals like Horace Mann, John Dewey, and Arthur Gates, embraced it as a symbol of Progress. Future teachers at the University of Chicago, Columbia Teachers College, and the many normal schools that were being established all over the country in those days, were trained in its use.
The old method, which had been used effectively for hundreds of years, was dismissed as old-fashioned and unprogressive. The stone had begun its long, disastrous roll downhill.
The “sight” method creates unnecessary expense and failure.
The new method quickly produced large-scale reading failure, but instead of questioning the method, the Education Professionals opened reading clinics, as if the problem lay in some deficiency that could be diagnosed in the child.
The new method required special reading materials. When the old method had been in use, children were taught the sounds that went with letters and then went on to practice by reading from books that were already available.
Under various names, the progressive method still dominates American elementary classrooms.
“Sight” instruction handicaps hearing children.
A six-year-old child can have quite a large speaking vocabulary, 24,000 words by some estimates. Any newspaper can serve as reading practice for a child taught to sound out words.
With the “whole word method, children are not taught to read all the words they know. Instead, words are doled out like food in a Dickensian orphanage: 349 by the end of the first grade, 1,094 by the end of the second; 1,216 by the end of the third, and 1,554 by the end of the fourth grade.
When reading is taught in this way, special reading materials are a must. Lots of them.
A more efficient method would create a larger reading population
Training teachers to teach reading with a program like the Spalding method would save schools millions of dollars because they wouldn’t need basal readers, consumable peripherals, or wide-scale remediation for the children who inevitably fail with the “whole word” method.
A spin-off effect of trashing the basal readers would be to infuse new life into the publishing industry outside the textbook loop:
1) students would require real books for their reading
2) schools would produce graduates who could read well enough to find pleasure in books for the rest of their lives.
My child learned with “whole word.”


Daycare, childcare, and preschool are all essential components of early childhood education. While the primary purpose of these programs is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for young children while their parents are at work, there are many social advantages that children can gain from attending daycare, childcare, or preschool from as early as 18 months. In this essay, I will discuss some of the social advantages of these programs and how they can benefit both children and their parents.
One of the most significant social advantages of daycare, childcare, and preschool is that it provides children with the opportunity to learn and practice important social skills. Even the simplest of activities, such as learning to sit still, learning to take turns, and learning to get in line with other children during lunch, can teach foundational skills that will help make kindergarten or first grade more efficacious. Children learn to interact with others, share, communicate, and work in groups, which are essential skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. By providing children with the opportunity to develop these skills early on, they will be better equipped to succeed academically and socially in the future. Our programs in Pleasant Hill, California, seek to use age appropriate techniques to help children learn these foundational skills as early and as successfully as possible.
Moreover, attending daycare, childcare, or preschool can help children to develop their independence and self-confidence. Children who attend these programs learn to become more self-reliant and independent, as they are given opportunities to make decisions and solve problems on their own. By providing children with a safe and nurturing environment where they can explore and learn independently, they develop a sense of self-confidence that will serve them well throughout their lives.
In addition to benefiting children, daycare, childcare, and preschool can also be beneficial for parents. Busy moms and dads can benefit from a “break” from their children, allowing them some time away from their parenting responsibilities. This can provide parents with some much-needed rest and relaxation, which can help them to better manage their own stress levels and recharge their batteries. By having some time away from their children, parents can also come back to their parenting responsibilities feeling refreshed and energized, which can lead to higher quality time spent together.
Furthermore, parents who live or work in Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, or Pacheco, can also benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their children are being well-cared for while they are at work. This can help to alleviate the stress and anxiety that many working parents feel about leaving their children in the care of others. By providing parents with the reassurance that their children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing environment, daycare, childcare, and preschool can help to reduce parental stress and anxiety.
In conclusion, daycare, childcare, and preschool are essential components of early childhood education that provide many social advantages for young children. These programs offer children the opportunity to learn and practice important social skills, develop their independence and self-confidence, and prepare them for success academically and socially in the future. Moreover, daycare, childcare, and preschool can also benefit parents by providing them with some time away from their parenting responsibilities and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their children are being well-cared for while they are at work. By recognizing the importance of these programs, we can help to ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive and succeed both in and out of the classroom.
If you’re looking for a top-rated preschool program in Pleasant Hill, please reach out to us for a school tour, today!


At Lincoln Christs Hospital School we believe that Numeracy should not just be delivered in a Mathematics lessons. Subjects across curricular can contribute to the development and enhancement of students numeracy skills.
The importance of whole school numeracy at Lincoln Christs Hospital School:
- Many subjects depend on students having competence in basic numeracy skills.
- Numeracy skills enable students to understand and interpret numerical and analytical information. This facilitates improvement in students' abilities to make their own judgments and to draw sensible conclusions from information.
- If students' numeracy skills are not developed and used they could miss out on the opportunity to develop the level of understanding of some topics or subjects at the level expected for their age.
- Without basic numeracy skills, students can lack both personal and social adequacy which is a recipe for failure and low esteem.
Follow the link for more help with Numeracy


ARTEDUCATION POTENTIAL OF THE EXHIBITION NAMED THE FLOOR
[VYTVARNO-PEDAGOGICKA POTENCIONALITA VYSTAVY PODLAHA]
A contribution deals with an exhibition project named The Floor. It approaches teacher-trainer strategies during teaching students and preparing them for their future careers. Teaching methods and strategies are described through the process of preparation and creation of an exhibition of art works by students of the Art education study program. The exhibition The Floor was created in mutual student-teacher cooperation and it analyzes the features of the work and its creation, which uses repetition as a principle of artefact construction. The closing analysis deals with some of intermedia and interdisciplinary overlaps which exist in artistic creation.
art education, repetition, painting, stencil
Pages: 152 - 163


Learning God's Story First Grade Curriculum
Early in our nation’s history, the primary reason for education was to allow each person to read the Bible for himself. In the same spirit comes this complete first grade curriculum. While it incorporates history, science, art, and math, the heart of the program is phonics-based reading instruction with Biblical emphasis. Revised in 2013, this program has a new title, changes to the teacher’s manual and new resources.
Phonics instruction begins with a quick review of letter names and sounds using full-color alphabet flash cards, then follows with in-depth, step-by-step teaching of all phonics constructs. Phonics lesson plans teach new skills while reviewing previously-learned skills. By Lesson 31, students are able to read Bible stories in a special beginning Bible Reader. The reader uses a thematic approach to teach Bible history in chronological order from Genesis to Revelation. Students are expected to retell the Bible story, and then create a keepsake Bible notebook in which they summarize and illustrate Bible stories. (Linda used a similar approach years ago to teach Bible to our older children, and they enjoyed it very much.) Weekly memory verses selected from Proverbs help to develop character and handwriting at the same time. Hands-on projects are designed to help children understand the world of the Bible. These include creating timelines using the included figures, making Bible times costumes, and celebrating a Sabbath meal. Science focuses on the wonders of God’s creation, and uses three Usborne books (Things Outdoors, Science with Water, and Science with Plants), which are included with the curriculum. Math incorporates hands-on activities, math manipulatives and a math workbook (Complete Book of Math Gr. 1-2). If you prefer a more serious approach to math (as we do), you can add another math program.


School of Music
Master of Arts in Music Education (MA)
David K. Schmal
Curriculum, Kodaly, Music Education, Music Values, Orff, Suzuki
Education | Music | Music Education
Angeli, Michelle M., "Music Education Transformation: How Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki Promote Academic Success" (2020). Masters Theses. 642.
We all need Music in our lives. Music education is valued less in the education system, but present data from these literature sources of articles, books, and research, tells us another story. For decades school systems have struggled with whether or not to include Music in the education system. There are many values for Music, including individual growth and development. In this research study, I intend to showcase the central benefits of Music to help show there is a need for these programs and to help promote music programs based on their own merits and not just because of academic success. A change also needs to occur in how to teach Music to the young. We need to preserve music education in schools and create a new music curriculum to help promote Music. The research on the main aspects of the Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki approaches show that Music engages school children on both a personal and social level, as well as impacting their academic growth. I will then analyze this data, collected from journal articles and books about the values of music and learning approaches, to answer my research questions. I will then use this analytical data in my thesis to explain the significance of Music, the importance of these approaches in music education, and layout guidelines and ideas for a new curriculum. In completing my research, I hope to create more awareness of the values of Music and what it brings to the educational system. I will explain the different teaching approaches and how they promote Music and lead to success in personal, social, and academic areas while generating ideas and guidelines for a new curriculum for young children.


Do you know about the Black Canadian inventor whose innovations were associated with the phrase “the real McCoy?”
How about the Black Canadian vocalist who became an international star decades before Celine Dion ever set foot on a stage? Or the Black hockey league that was founded in Nova Scotia in the late 19th century, comprising a dozen teams and 400 players at its peak?
These sorts of historical facts often get mentioned during Black History Month, but Kathy Robinson, a professor in the Department of Elementary Education at the University of Alberta, said she wants to see them become part of the Canadian history taught in classrooms all year long.
Putting educational resources in the hands of future elementary teachers seemed like a good way to start, so Robinson drew on the talents of fellow professors, sessional instructors, grad students and non-academic staff in the Faculty of Education to create a series of brief profiles featuring key figures and events in Black Canadian history.
“It’s appropriate in any month to commemorate contributions Black Canadians have made to our country,” Robinson said. “This gets us started. Hopefully we won’t just have a month, we will have these people and their literary works and music and all kinds of things integrated into our curriculum.”
Born in the United States, Robinson said February has always been Black History Month to her, but she was surprised that Alberta didn’t officially proclaim it until 2017. That’s the year she started asking colleagues to research stories of Black Canadians in their areas of interest to share with her undergraduate students, in hopes that the aspiring teachers would carry the stories into classrooms.
The profiles range from well-known figures like jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and activist Viola Desmond, who is depicted on Canadian currency, to names that are less well known today, like operatic contralto Portia White, a worldwide singing sensation in her time, and inventor Elijah McCoy. McCoy held more than 57 patents in his life, including a locomotive lubrication system patented in 1872 that prevented overheating. By some accounts, the invention spawned numerous lesser imitations, prompting railroad engineers to ask for “the real McCoy,” though this etymology is disputed.
Robinson said it wasn’t just her students who were surprised by some of the history detailed in the profiles.
“I got many comments from faculty and instructors who had no idea about these people and the contributions they have made,” she said. “Many people know the name Viola Desmond, but do they know Portia White, who was the first Canadian singer of international stature? Even my music education colleagues said they had never heard of her.”
As someone with expertise in music education, Robinson said she’d also like to see music curriculum expanded to embrace greater cultural diversity. One of Robinson’s graduate students, Stephanie Schuurman-Olson, analyzed the list of songs proposed for inclusion in Alberta’s kindergarten to Grade 2 music curriculum and found a number of racially problematic selections – an investigation that began in one of Robinson’s courses. Robinson said many popular songs for children have questionable origins, racially derogatory content and other inappropriate subject matter – songs that became part of the canon and have been passed down to North American music teachers through the years.
“These decisions to really scrutinize our song repertoire are difficult because we realize we have to leave some songs behind,” she said. “Some of these songs are in our hearts, so it’s a bit of a mourning process. But that makes room for new songs.”
As with history curriculum, Robinson said a modern music curriculum should include songs that more closely mirror the cultural makeup found in Canadian schools for the benefit of all students, no matter their background.
“I think everyone should see themselves reflected in the curriculum. If you’re learning things and have no reference point to your culture, something you can connect with what’s going on in your life, you feel disengaged,” Robinson said.
“I think it’s essential we have much more diversity in the music we bring to our children to reflect the diversity we have in our classrooms. Children are going to have to interact with people who think and act differently than they do, so it’s preparation for being an Albertan citizen or a Canadian citizen or a citizen of the world.”
| By Scott Lingley for Troy Media
This article first appeared in Folio, published by the University of Alberta. Folio is a Troy Media Editorial Content Provider Partner.
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Education serves as the foundation for a child’s success, unfortunately there is strong evidence suggesting that many public schools have unsatisfactory standards for success due to budget expenses, overcrowding, and a lack of funding. This demand for higher education standards is what drives the 30,861 private schools in the United States that teaches a total of 5.3 million students between preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Since private schools account for a total of 24% of all the nation’s schools and enroll just 10% of all students in the U.S. many families consider the smaller class sizes a major reason to consider private schools — here are some other reasons why a private school education could help set the bar higher so that your child will always be driven to meet their own unique potential.
On average, private schools have smaller class sizes with ratios of 12.5 students per teacher compared to public schools with an average class ratio of 15.4 students per teacher. This allows educators to focus more attention on each individual student; in fact many private preschools and early childhood learning centers cater to each child’s unique difficulties and strengths to help prepare the child for future learning. Statistically, children who attended preschool do 21% better on math and reading tests in kindergarten than peers who did not attend a preschool; when compared to those students however, four out of every five private school attendees were shown to outperform their peers who did not participate in a high quality early childhood learning program or preschool. During this critical learning time, many private schools are starting to teach foreign languages — if reinforced regularly the children may one day distinguish themselves on a resume as a bilingual job candidate.
A private elementary school likewise maintains the low ratio numbers of a private preschool along with a curriculum that is not set by government standards. This means that children learn more diverse curriculum that varies based on the philosophical learning approach of the school. There are a number of religious private schools that reinforce a child’s education with religious and moral principles to live by; 80% of parents with children enrolled in a religious private school between 2011 and 2012 said that they were very satisfied with their child’s school and approved of the role of religion in education. Of course, there are private schools that are not aligned with a religious group but instead offer diverse approaches to education not found in the public school system. Many parents feel that private schools have a level of safety not found in public schools as well with up to 80% of parents agreeing that their children’s school was a safe place.
For many children, middle school is an awkward time rife with hormones, physical changes, and plenty of distractions. Private middle schools keep their students focused by continuing to provide the benefits of private elementary schools. With education standards as diverse as the schools themselves, parents have the freedom to select a middle school with a curriculum that will engage and challenge their child to prepare them to handle many of life’s challenges. In a survey of private middle school parents, up to 80% said that they are happy with the academic standards set by the school.
Private high schools help to equip students with the tools they need to succeed. The average national SAT scores were 497 in reading, 514 in math, and 489 in writing; students in private schools however had higher scores of 541, 579, and 550 respectively. Studies show that private school students are just more motivated generally with data showing that 88% of private high school students apply to college compared to the 57% of public high school students who choose to do so. Moreover, of 305,842 private high school graduates between 2010 and 2011, some 64% went on to attend college by the fall of 2011. Consider giving your child the gift of higher quality education.


Arts and Design Education for Character Building
Available Online February 2019.
- 10.2991/icade-18.2019.38How to use a DOI?
- art education; character building; industry era 4.0
Education to build the character of the nation has become a necessity for the Indonesian people who have 540 ethnicities with their respective local wisdom. Cultural diversity is both a force and a challenge to face the era of globalization and industry era 4.0. Deep understanding of local wisdom in each ethnicity will build the character of Indonesian students who have cultural awareness, intelligence and resilience.
- © 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
- Open Access
- This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
Cite this article
TY - CONF AU - Tati Narawati PY - 2019/02 DA - 2019/02 TI - Arts and Design Education for Character Building BT - Proceedings of the International Conference on Arts and Design Education (ICADE 2018) PB - Atlantis Press SP - 165 EP - 168 SN - 2352-5398 UR - https://doi.org/10.2991/icade-18.2019.38 DO - 10.2991/icade-18.2019.38 ID - Narawati2019/02 ER -


About the book
By the winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature
In Seventeen, the story of a lonely seventeen year old who turns to a right-wing group for self-esteem, and J, the story of a spoiled, young, drifter son of a Japanese executive, Ōe shows us a world where the values that had regulated life had been blown to smithereens along with Hiroshima and Nagasaki: what confronts his heroes now is a gaping emptiness.
Seventeen’s lost young man is in the throes of becoming a right wing activist and assassin. He feels his identity for the first time in the enervating rush of murderous violence. The story has enormous topicality and vibrancy for today. In J, our protagonist’s erotic excitement comes as a “chikan” who rubs himself against women on crowded trains. He refuses to otherwise participate in the drab, everyday world, which he feels would only be self-deceptive. He can only feel complete while attaining “the absolute ecstasy of total action.” Of course this action of sexual assault can bring arrest, disgrace, and imprisonment. As always, Ōe treats his subjects not with pity or disdain, but with sympathy.
Kenzaburō Ōe was born in 1935 on a remote part of Japan’s Shikoku island. He is credited in part with the modernization and internationalization of Japanese intellectual tradition in the latter half of the twentieth century. Storytelling played a prominent role in Ōe’s childhood. In particular, his grandmother provided an early, defiant framework for the novellas for which he gained recognition early in his career, including Seventeen and The Death of a Political Youth. Her stories were an antidote to the strong imperial influence of his elementary education—crucially, during the period of Japan’s descent into the Second World War. Propelled by his belief in democracy’s viability and necessity following the war, he left for Tokyo to study Rabelais and quickly became enmeshed in the cultural life of the city. He began publishing while still a student and gained a name as a stylist even more accomplished than Yukio Mishima, ten years his senior. In 1994, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Ōe’s distinguishing quality in Tokyo’s literary landscape is his internationalism: his preoccupation with French and American theory; his travels to meet luminaries including Sartre and Mao Zedong. Preoccupation with oppositions is manifest in his work as well—commitment and disavowal, action and inaction, imperial and democratic, political and personal (particularly sexual) life, to name a few—but equally recurrent is his explicit faith in the healing power of the practice of art, and his conviction in writing as a means to survive personal hardship. Politically engaged, he has consistently spoken out over the years on behalf of pacifism and against nuclear power.
198 pages • Paperback ISBN 978-1-682190-15-9 • E-book 978-1-682190-16-6


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⭐Recommended for Grades 3-5
⭐Math: Multiplication and Division
⭐History: Ojibwe (Chippewa), Great Plains
⭐ELA: Idioms, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homophones
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In this Great Plains-themed game, players practice multiplication and division skills while learning math problem-solving strategies. They’ll also be introduced to Native American history.
Customize your virtual wigwam by earning points solving math problems, learning English language arts, and exploring social studies in this village-building simulation game.
Educators, are you located in any of these 6 states? Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, or South Dakota? If you are, you can get this game for free with participation in our Growing Math project. Read more details on getting started by visiting our website and then sign up for Growing Math training.
📌Choose from several hands-on activities where problems are randomly generated, so you can play them again and again.
📌Learn and earn by selecting from a dozen videos on math and social studies.
📌Customize our own virtual world, building and filling up your wigwam with 20 different interactive items.
📌All math items are aligned to state and national standards. Meets Common Core aligned standards for grades 3-5.
📌Check out our new Word Challenges section to learn ELA content (Idioms, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homophones).
📌Learn English, language arts, and explore social studies in this village-building simulation game.
🌲Customize your virtual wigwam by earning points solving math problems, learning English language arts, and exploring social studies in this village-building simulation game.
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💝NOTE TO PARENTS:
This video game has been created by 7 Generation Games, an independent video game studio making immersive educational games and interactive apps aimed at grades 3 through 8 with a mission of breaking down barriers to success one math problem at a time.
Making Camp Lakota draws from 7 Generation Games award-winning work, which backed published academic research that shows students who played our games saw math scores on in-game skills improve 30% in 10 weeks – 3x over the control group.


School of Education
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Primary Subject Area
Education, General; Education, Art; Education, Music; Education, Secondary; Education, Educational Psychology; Psychology, General; Theater
Arts Education, Life Skills, Psychological Needs, Theatre Education
Art Education | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Psychology | Psychology | School Psychology | Theatre and Performance Studies
Cowart, Tia, "Former Students' Perceptions of How Theatre Impacted Life Skills and Psychological Needs" (2013). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 709.
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate former high school theatre students' perceptions of how theatre education addressed their psychological needs and impacted life skills. Participants were graduates of a large metropolitan high school, located near Atlanta, GA. A focus group, individual semi-structured interviews and collection of artifacts were the data collection procedures utilized to discover students' perceptions. Pseudonyms were used to protect the identities of the participants. The data analysis process included initial coding, axial coding and memo writing. Based on the information from the interviews, this case study showed the benefits of offering youth opportunities to engage in theatre education and supported research that indicates the positive outcomes of arts education. The findings of the study indicate that theatre education impacts students' life skills and psychological needs. Participants report gaining life skills, such as, hard-work, social skills, perseverance and career training. The data also revealed that participants experienced psychological benefits, such as, confidence, sense of belongingness, accomplishment and cognitive abilities.
Art Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, School Psychology Commons, Theatre and Performance Studies Commons


The importance of STEAM education at the Jubilee Institute
At the jubilee institute, students are able to explore their subjects at length. Allowing them to build the foundations necessary to master their subjects – from sciences and mathematics to art and humanities
We introduce STEAM education in the new paradigm shift of education where learners should learn real-life scenarios and solve real-life problems that require using the knowledge of integrated disciplines. jubilee institute Support students education to be decision makers, problem solvers, lifelong learners, creators and innovators. jubilee institute offers developed series of age-appropriate programs designed to enhance 21st century skills such as teamwork, coding, problem solving and analytical skills.
A popular term we’ve heard a lot about in education recently is STEM. An acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math, an update in recent years highlighting the importance of art education as well. This “STEAM education” is becoming an increasingly important part of a modern curriculum. With the growing development of technology, we’re seeing more jobs emerge in the industry and with that, more students are preparing for careers as engineers, developers, or analysts.
While students with aspirations towards a career in tech obviously benefit from this academic focus, students from all areas of study benefit from STEAM education. An emphasis on these subjects helps to establish what are called the “Four Cs” and make them a priority for students of all ages.
One of the most valuable aspects of STEAM education is how it encourages students to learn “soft skills“. These are skills that deal more with emotional intelligence and how a person is able to interact with other people. Chief among these skills is the ability to communicate clearly. Through STEAM education, students are encouraged to do several things in their daily life that establish communication skills like critiquing art, presenting research, collaborating with peers for group projects, and communicating results in research papers.
knowing something is just one part of the information’s value. The simple act of acquiring information often isn’t as important as knowing what to do once you have it. Being able to think critically means you know how to apply what you’re learning. You’re understanding how to filter effectively, allowing you to sort through life’s determining factors – Whether that’s through unexpected challenges or in navigating something as definable and understood as academic goals.
Whether in your future career or personal life, you’re going to have so many important problems to solve over time. This is a crucial skill that’s brought us through the ages, and it’s especially important as we navigate the 21st century.
Along with creative thinking, creativity is one of the most vital skills of the 21st century. Unlike collaboration or communication, creativity isn’t something that can be taught specifically. But STEAM education creates an environment where students can learn to express themselves. With you have that supportive and accepting climate in the classroom, students get the chance to explore more of who they are. This helps students to put aside biases and allows them to think outside of the box on a variety of subjects.
Collaboration is a crucial part of any STEAM role. Everything from the apps and devices you use each day to the vehicle you commute to school in is a result of a team of people coming together to do their best work. Even discoveries and inventions are rarely the work of one person, but rather a team that allowed each party member to do their best work, setting the stage for the team member to discover something important.
The best teams are those that allow each member to shine and bring their own unique contributions to the table without undervaluing each other’s contributions. STEAM education encourages this, bringing a collaborative spirit to the classroom rather than a competitive one. As students work on chemistry reactions together or learn to see the value in their classmate’s artistic expressions, they are able to learn how to cooperate and how to appreciate their peers.


This may look like just a bit of old rope and, OK yes, it is a bit of old rope. But it’s an important bit.
Researchers say the six-millimetre-long cord fragment discovered in Abri du Maras, France, is the oldest known direct evidence of fibre technology – using natural fibres to create yarn – and furthers our understanding of the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals during the Middle Palaeolithic period.
Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, Bruce Hardy, from Kenyon College, US, and colleagues dated it to between 41,000 and 52,000 years ago.
The previous oldest reported discovery was of fibre fragments from the Ohalo II site in Israel, dating back to around 19,000 years ago.
The new find comprises three bundles of fibres twisted together and stuck to a 60-millimetre-long, thin stone tool. The fibres were likely taken from the inner bark of a non-flowering tree such as a conifer.
The authors suggest that production of the cord would have required extensive knowledge of the growth and seasonality of the trees used. They also speculate that Neanderthals may have needed an understanding of mathematical concepts and basic numeracy skills to create three-ply cord and rope from multiple cords.
Originally published by Cosmos as Fibre fragment strikes a chord
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.


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Knowing how to prepare for college can be challenging.
Especially these days, understanding what colleges are looking for and how a student can best prepare isn't easy. We've talked to our contacts in postsecondary education to learn how the universities you care about most are assessing new applications.
What do colleges look at in applications?
Colleges will look at many different things in an application, including letters of recommendation and a student's extracurricular activities, but the two most important considerations are standardized test scores and the high school transcript.
Building a better transcript
When evaluating a transcript, university admissions departments are looking at more than just a student's GPA. If a student seems to have been successful in school, these departments will dig deeper, looking at the specific classes that a student has taken.
Colleges want to see that students have pushed themselves academically. Breezing through unchallenging classes is less impressive than proving one's skill and dedication in more rigorous honors or AP courses, even if students don't ace these harder classes. If a student wants their application to stand out, they should challenge themselves to step outside of their comfort zone. Not only does this look good on an application, but the experience will better prepare students for college coursework.
Supplemental instruction, like the tutoring offered at GRT, can help students to succeed when taking more challenging classes. Starting early will ensure that students don't fall behind, setting them up for long-term success.
Standardized testing: SAT and ACT
Standardized test scores aren't everything, but they are one of the first things colleges will see when evaluating applicants. If a student wants to make a good first impression, they should strive for a test score that sets them apart from their peers.
Tests like the SAT and ACT are general knowledge assessments, meaning that they test a student's foundational skills in math, reading, and other topics rather than specific knowledge.
The benefit of this is that students won't need to learn brand-new topics before taking the exam.
However, this broad focus also means that effectively cramming for these tests is nearly impossible. If students want to study to improve their score, they need to work on developing their skills over time.
We can help students to prepare for standardized tests. After meeting with each student, we develop a plan combining tutoring and independent study to help a student achieve their best possible score on the test they are taking.
When preparing for a standardized test, it's always best to start early. Students in 9th or 10th grade can benefit from test prep as much as 11th or 12th graders, and , while preparing for these exams, students will also be practicing the skills they need to succeed in their high school classes.
How does COVID-19 change things?
With the emergence of COVID-19, many colleges waived standardized testing requirements in response to cancelled exams. Now that the SAT and ACT are being offered again, how are colleges responding?
For the time being, most colleges are still designating standardized tests as optional, but this doesn't mean that you should pass up your chance to take an exam. Some colleges are reinstating standardized test requirements, and even those that don't require scores will use them if available to evaluate applications. Leaving a standardized test score off your application may cause schools to assume the worst.
The bottom line: if you are applying to college and have the ability to take the SAT or ACT, you should.
ASVAB, Keystone exams, and more
The SAT and ACT aren't the only standardized tests out there. No matter what exam a student is practicing for, we are ready to help them prepare and achieve the best score that they can.
All Pennsylvania students need to pass Keystone exams in Algebra, Biology, and Literature before they can graduate from high school. We offer support to help ensure that students pass this hurdle to graduation.
Students looking at a career in the military will need to take the ASVAB to be admitted; placement within the military depends on these scores. We can help students see where they stand and practice the specific skills they need to succeed on this exam.
Want to prepare for your test with GRT?
and we will make a plan to help you succeed.
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The Interlock program, designed for preschool and kindergarten, studies Genesis 1-10. The program includes manipulatives, visual aids, a music tape, math, and a writing program. This is a low-key approach, covering social studies, science, language arts, arithmetic, observation projects, art, physical education, health, memory work, music, and penmanship. It is designed to meet the developmental needs of the young child, so lessons are provided for only three days per week.
Volumes One - Five
Each volume of The Weaver Curriculum comes in a large softcover book. Any of the five volumes can be used for any number of students in first through sixth grades, and each volume should take about one year to complete. (The Weaver can be expanded to cover grades 7-12 with Supplement volumes.)
Each chapter is divided into subject areas, and each subject area is divided into grade levels. Assignments for each grade level are printed on a specific color of paper so you can quickly identify those you need. This makes it easy to organize your own lesson plans according to the learning level of each child.
Bible, health and safety, and art are offered as group lessons rather than on individual grade levels. Many language arts activities are included. Wisdom Words (another companion resource for The Weaver that is reviewed under Language Arts) provides a foundation for a complete language program when used in conjunction with The Weaver. You must still supplement with basic math and phonics instruction, except at kindergarten level.
Each volume of The Weaver gives recommendations for specific books that can be found at the library to be used as supplements. They also offer supplemental resource books that we can purchase. These resource books are from the Usborne line, and also include titles from Milliken Publishing Company that are easier to use as teaching tools. The Milliken books also contain higher-grade-level material that makes them usable with other Weaver volumes and for older children.
The Weaver provides much information within the program itself for parents to present to the child orally. It uses less hands-on, activity-based learning than KONOS, although there should be plenty of hands-on ideas for most families. The Weaver should appeal most to Sociable Sues and others who like creative approaches to learning but who do not need as much activity as Wiggly Willys.
Volume One uses Genesis 1:11-50, following the Scriptural chronology, as the underlying organizational theme with topics including cities, archaeology, and transportation for unit organization. The Scriptural emphasis is stronger than in KONOS. Daily lesson plan guides for all five Weaver volumes, called Day by Day ($50-55 each), help make using The Weaver very easy. Each volume lists the needed materials and sequence for the objectives for each level, harmonizes the objectives with the Bible lessons, lists pages of the Resource Section that go with the lessons, and lists selections from Wisdom Words to be used for language arts. This should cut preparation time to a minimum.
Volume One and Wisdom Words come with a cassette tape to walk us through the program as we begin.
Volume Two is based upon Exodus and the Books of the Law. Although it is recommended as a sequel to Volume One, it can be our starting point. Examples of topics are royalty and respect, families and responsibility, and deserts and humility.
Volume Three covers Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and I Samuel through verse 10. Topics covered are exploration and navigation, espionage and communication, recording of history, fortifications, music, thinking skills, United States history from 1789-1860, time, social structures and the family, and service.
Volume Four covers the period of the Kings and Prophets. Topics are spiritual giants; civil war; the wisdom of Solomon (includes an introduction to biology); the temple; ancient civilizations of Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Greece; and introduction to the Roman Empire.
Volume Five studies the Life of Christ through the gospels and in relation to the Old Testament. Topics covered are World and American History from 1865 to the present, the concept of covenant, government, ancient Rome, families, reproduction, the solar system, stars, the human body, miracles, biographies of men and women of faith, agriculture and stewardship, geology, map making, the temple.
Alpha Omega also sells a complete phonics program, 1-2-3 Read!, that was written as a companion to The Weaver


Comprehensive Music Education
An extensive music education begins early, in early childhood. A music education must contain not just repertoire understanding, but theory, composition, history, and individuals. Professor Zoltan Kodaly, a Hungarian composer and teacher in early 1900s, discovered that youthful Hungarian children were not aware of methods to read music fluently, as well as not aware of the musical heritage (Chosky, 1999). To understand Hungary now, you might not realize that it was the situation within the 1900s. Hungary lives and breathes music. Presently, Hungary has 800 adult choruses, and various professional orchestras (Chosky, 1999). Hungary is really a country about how big Indiana (Chosky, 1999), so music penetrates the nation. Kodaly introduced a technique, the Kodaly Method, which systematically teaches children, or beginning adults, music. The training relies in folk music, of a person’s country of origin, and uses the background music to educate theory, composition, and history (Chosky, 1999). This process has infiltrated the planet with it’s not hard to understand concepts and time lines.
Within the U . s . States music is trained in many schools. However, as funding and music teachers have grown to be unavailable, music programs happen to be cut. This insufficient education within the public school system leaves music education to the parents, which regrettably many parents don’t have the understanding or tools (instruments and music) to educate their kids appropriately, not to mention fluently. In Hungary children get the eight year program devoted particularly to music that is outside of the kids regular studies (Chosky, 1999). In The United States, schools have music once, or possibly two times each week, if. Although music programs in The United States aren’t as intense as other nations, an extensive teaching method, like the Kodaly Method, enables children to get the fundamental skills of music literacy.
Jerome Hines in the book “Great Singers on Great Singing” notes that lots of individuals misconceive the brilliance of [musicians]. These people appear to consider that [musicians] needn’t be very vibrant they simply do music (Hines, 1982, 2006). Hines (1982, 2006) writes of his interview encounters with famous singers and claims that through his interviews discovered that [musicians] are intelligent in general. Another misconception that lots of people have is the fact that musical education matters not. Music education is extremely different and can instruct individuals in lots of areas. Particularly the piano mandates that individuals learn rhythm, notes, and elegance. These 3 things require math skills, studying skills, and historic understanding. Exactly the same could be stated of other instruments and also the voice. While not everyone can master or perhaps play essentially a musical instrument or sing, learn the fundamentals of music while increasing their understanding of culture, math, and history. This appreciation consequently helps individuals improve their knowledge of people and may increase positive telecomutting saves gas.
To make sure that children get a comprehensive music education, a couple of steps must occur. First, take a look at child’s music enter in the college. Will a music program exist? Otherwise, what’s the child’s teacher doing instead? Most teachers required music education classes when receiving their degree, so most know the significance of music and also the essential skills it may educate children. Second, enroll your son or daughter in music training of some type. Many piano teachers will require children as youthful as 6 years of age. This can be a prime method to introduce children to rehearse skills, precision and skill, types of music form and elegance, as well as creativeness. And finally, show your son or daughter that music skills are essential by attending concerts and recitals, showing excitement and support of the music interest, or perhaps taking classes yourself. These steps, enhanced with parent support, will make sure that youngsters will gain important existence skills as well as an appreciation of music.
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Constitution has 4 reading specialists. The reading team focuses on increasing literacy by supporting students, parents and teachers. Reading specialists utilize data to guide instruction to meet the needs of all students. They provide support by working with students in small groups, co-teaching, providing professional development for teachers, and serving as a source of information for parents.
Currently we are using SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words). It is a research-based decoding intervention program proven to help new and struggling readers in grades (K-12) build skills and confidence for fluent and independent readers.
The SIPPS program provides a structured literacy approach to foundational skills instruction through explicit instructional routines focused on phonological awareness, spelling-sounds, and sight words.


The Kashmere Gardens Elementary Library Mission Statement:
Kashmere Gardens Elementary Students will:
- Understand purposes for reading.
- Access and read independent reading books at their level.
- Engage in more guided reading withnonfiction text.
- Make connections between literacy and all other subjects.
- Read independently with more fluency and comprehension.
- Use reading comprehension strategies whenever they read.
- Increase stamina in practicing literacy skills in both reading and writing.
- Respond to various texts orallyand in writing.
- Write fluently to communicate their feelings, thoughts, and ideas.
- Write for various purposes.
- Integrate technology into all areas of literacy.


Entrepreneurship is often considered as either an art or a science, but in reality, it is a practice.
To truly succeed in the world of entrepreneurship, one must develop a mindset and approach that is rooted in action, iteration, and adaptation. At its core, entrepreneurship is about creating value by identifying and solving problems.
While there is certainly an element of creativity and innovation involved in this process, it is ultimately a pragmatic and results-driven endeavor. Entrepreneurs must be willing to experiment, take risks, and learn from their mistakes in order to refine their ideas and build scalable businesses.
One of the defining features of the entrepreneurial mindset is a bias towards action. Unlike traditional business leaders who may spend months or even years planning and strategizing, entrepreneurs are constantly testing and iterating on their ideas. This approach allows them to quickly identify what works and what doesn’t, and make the necessary adjustments to stay ahead of the competition.
Another key aspect of entrepreneurship as a practice is a willingness to embrace failure. In fact, failure is often seen as an essential part of the learning process, and successful entrepreneurs are those who are able to bounce back from setbacks and use them as opportunities to grow and improve.
This resilience is a critical component of the entrepreneurial mindset, and is what allows entrepreneurs to keep pushing forward even in the face of adversity.
Of course, building a successful business also requires a strong foundation of skills and knowledge.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to entrepreneurship, there are certain principles and best practices that can help guide entrepreneurs on their journey. These might include things like market research, product development, branding, marketing, and financial management, among others.
Ultimately, what sets successful entrepreneurs apart is their ability to combine these foundational skills with the mindset and approach of a true practitioner.
By taking a proactive, iterative, and resilient approach to problem-solving, entrepreneurs are able to create value in the world and build successful businesses that make a real impact.
Whether you are just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or are looking to take your existing business to the next level, the principles of entrepreneurship as a practice can help guide your path. By focusing on action, experimentation, and adaptation, you can build a business that is both profitable and sustainable, while also making a positive impact on the world around you.


Orton-Gillingham is a hot buzzword in education right now. The Science of Reading, Orton-Gillingham Approach and curriculums that use those methods in their products are all over the internet and social media. I have been lucky to have some training in the OG method, and I can confirm that it is pure magic in the classroom!
The Orton-Gillingham approach to multi-sensory learning is a research-based way to explicitly teach elementary students and or students with special needs, specifically dyslexia, phonological awareness skills. These task boxes will allow students to practice their decoding skills within centers, 1:1 time with a teacher, or independently.
I have had the opportunity to be trained in a specific curriculum that utilizes the OG method, however, it can be a bit dry. Sometimes I need materials for independent learning or even when I have a sub, so the students have meaningful phonics instruction daily. NO MATTER WHAT!
I created the OG File Folders and the OG Task Boxes to give students the opportunity to work on previously taught skills at the drop of a hat! You can find the File Folders Here and the Task Boxes Here! Don’t forget to check out my Free Resource Library by signing up for my email list! Sign up here!


I can explain the key factors that contributed to the fall of the Inca Empire.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
In this lesson, students learn about Fernando Pizarro and Spanish exploration, including their motivations for taking over the Inca empire. Students learn why the arrival of Fernando Pizarro was so devastating for the Inca civilization as well as the effects of the civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar. The lesson also includes a printable “note catcher” where students keep track of what they’ve learned.
Students will be able to describe the factors that led to the fall of the Inca empire, including disease, civil war, and Spanish conquest.
Ask students what they already know about the Inca empire. Who were they? Where did they live? Briefly review what students have learned and introduce the three main factors that led to the fall of the Inca empire.
First, explain how disease contributed to the demise of the Incas. A large portion of the population was killed by diseases. This weakened the working class and the government, setting the stage for the civil war. Have students take notes in their note catcher. Next, introduce the two brothers, Atahualpa and Huáscar. Explain why the two entered into a civil war that divided the civilization, making it easier for Francisco Pizarro and his army to take over. After this, introduce Francisco Pizarro and go over his motives for taking over the Inca civilization. Explain how they were able to conquer the Incas with an ambush and how they kidnapped and later killed Atahualpa. Students will then watch a video and jot down any additional information they learned.
Check student understanding with ten multiple-choice and true or false questions.
Students write a short paragraph to explain how the Inca Empire came to an end. Then they will write a journal entry from the perspective of either an Inca native or from the point of view of a Spanish conquistador. You may choose to have students draw a picture as well.
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


Is there anyone who does not enjoy some form of music? From our mother’s first lullabies, and accompanying us through holidays, celebrations, sports events, and rituals, music has added beauty, grace, vitality and expression to our lives.
Music can be enjoyed alone and with others. It can be a space for solitary meditation. It can provide an opportunity to connect with various like-minded groups of people, from garage band pals to “Sing-Along-Messiah” casts of thousands. It is a portal to our self-expression and an opportunity to appreciate others in new ways. The music experience can be active performing or passive listening. As the poet Sidney Lanier wrote, “Music is love in search of a word.”
In addition to the pure joy of music listening or participation, music study helps us in other real and substantial ways. The National Association for Music Education groups the benefits of music education into four categories:
Success in Society
Every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals. Music study provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. Performing helps us to conquer fear and to take risks. The U.S. Department of Education stated "Many colleges view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them. It is also widely recognized that the arts contribute significantly to children’s intellectual development." The arts in general create jobs, boost tourism, spur growth in related businesses (hotels, restaurants, printing, etc.) and improve the overall quality of life for our cities and towns.
Success in School
Skills learned through the discipline of music transfer to study, communication, and cognitive skills useful in every part of a child’s school curriculum. The discipline of music study—particularly through participation in ensembles—helps students learn to work effectively in the school environment without resorting to violent or inappropriate behavior. Recent studies show that students who study the arts achieve higher grades in high school and are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT.
Success in Developing Intelligence
Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). Music students learn to think creatively and to solve problems in imaginative ways.
Success in Life
Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace, such as teamwork and discipline. It focuses on “doing,” as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Music students learn craftsmanship and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. Former President, Bill Clinton, who enjoyed playing jazz on the tenor saxophone, came first-hand to this conclusion, ”Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.”


EDU 452 Theories and Methods of Language Learning
This course starts with the fundamentals of the first and second language acquisition, and differences between child, adolescent, and adult language acquisition. Students will learn and demonstrate strategies to develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing across the K-12 curriculum. Other topics are: differences between literacy development in the first language and the second language and implications for teaching English learners; and communication techniques that enhance student learning. Students will become familiar with a variety of methods, approaches, techniques, and programs; and will investigate issues related to the full inclusion of English learners in the school setting; and that both language learning and subject matter learning are essential to student success. The teaching of reading and writing across the curriculum will be emphasized, as well as the use of technology. Urban field experience in grades K-12 is part of the course requirements.
3 Undergraduate credits
Effective August 22, 2009 to present
- Compare the similarities and differences between child, adolescent, and adult language acquisition.
- Demonstrate an understanding of communication instruction in a second language context.
- Demonstrate the use of communication techniques and the ability to use verbal, nonverbal, and multimedia and other technology based resources that enhance student learning.
- Implement strategies that develop communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing across the curriculum in grades K-12.
- Investigate the differences between literacy development in the first language and the second language, and the implications for teaching English language learners.
- Learn how to develop communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as an important contributor to academic success across the curriculum.
- Learn the fundamentals of the first and second language acquisition processes and their similarities and differences.
- Understand how cultural, linguistic, ethnic, regional, and gender differences affect communication in the classroom.
- Understand the processes of first and second language acquisition.
|01||Theories and Methods of Language Learning||Tanghe, Shannon||Books||Course details|


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If you are in the UK and you want to take up teaching adults as a career path, you should be aware that there are a specific requirement for qualifications to do so. There are a few reasons for this. If you think about it, the way that the mind of child would learn is quite different compared to that of how an adult will learn. Therefore, there are different methods that you should use to grab the attention of an adult class and help them understand things in a way that is effective for them.
Not necessarily if you employ the correct methods of teaching. However most educators that train and teach adults will tell you that they have observed, usually, that children would pick up things faster than adults would. The fascinating reason behind this, as studies have shown is that because in adults the prefrontal cortex of the brain is developed, something called a functional fixedness is present. This makes an adult see everything as it exactly is. The prefrontal cortex in a developing child will give them more creativity and flexibility. It will make them a lot more inventive too. Essentially, in the world of science, children have minds that are designed to learn and grow while adults have minds that are designed to perform.
You can easily get your adult classroom to learn effectively by using teaching strategies for adult students. This is one of the reason why you are required to learn specifically for adult teaching and training in the UK. A normal teaching course that would work for teaching children, may not be effective on adults.
One of the many reason you would need specific qualifications to teach adults would also be because you may come across adults who are learning disabled and need help. Just like how you have to undergo specific training to teach kids with learning impairments, you have to apply the same rule to adults too. How to teach and adult to read if they have a learning disability? How can you get them to focus? How can you communicate with them without making them feel disrespected? All these are things that you will be able to learn with your adult teaching qualification.
Ideally, in the UK you will be required to have a Level 3 qualification that is accredited in the subject that you want to teach. You will also need a teaching qualification that is relevant to the level of teaching responsibility of your job role. Remember that employers can ask for either more or less requirements at their own discretion. Usually teaching qualifications will keep changing yearly or sometimes once in a few years and you need to stay updated on any changes. Typically they would ask for;
You will usually be expected to have good English, ICT and numeracy skills and according to the education provider that you choose, you may be tested to see which level you are at.
Yes, it completely is, if you are genuinely interested in teaching adults. It can have a lot of room for you to grow and explore. It also brings in good money and is a good service overall that will give you a lot of satisfaction. Take it as a challenge and go with confidence into your classroom.


“Why Do You Sing to Me?”: A Case Study of Form and Function of Children's Songs in the Caribbean Diaspora Culture in South Florida
Worship and Music - Ethnomusicology
Master of Arts (MA)
Caribbean, Children, Culture, Diaspora, Florida, Songs
Anthropology | Ethnomusicology | Music | Music Education | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Walker, Finley, "“Why Do You Sing to Me?”: A Case Study of Form and Function of Children's Songs in the Caribbean Diaspora Culture in South Florida" (2014). Masters Theses. 325.
How does a child gain a musical identity? Music resides in the depths of personhood. Even before birth we are all touched by its power. Music is a language in that it communicates--thoughts, feelings, desires, information, and more. As children grow physically and mentally, they also grow musically. A person's musical development will be directly influenced by their culture and family. The following qualitative study looks at the form and function of children's songs, specifically children's songs from the diasporic Caribbean culture in South Florida. Twenty-one interviews, including 53 participants, were conducted to see how children's songs might play a significant role in preserving and developing culture. The data is grounded in the views of the participants, and the individual families and their experiences were prioritized in the final analysis. The purpose of this study was to understand the motivation of children's songs from various culture groups and the importance that these songs played in the lives of the children. The nuances within a family unit can be extraordinarily diverse, and therefore, the research to follow may be the beginnings of a theory for family and music. Families use children's songs for multiple purposes including: preserving cultural heritage, comforting their child, teaching skills and knowledge, and expressing affection. When speaking exclusively of parental motivations for sharing and teaching songs with children, the following classifications have been given: to teach, to affect emotions (including entertainment), to preserve tradition/culture, and to bond or show affection. Family motivations for teaching songs to children appear trans-cultural. Although the styles of music and the language of various cultures may be different, the messages and purposes are often the same. Ultimately, the role of family and society in a child's life are incalculable. In teaching their children's songs, parents not only pass on their culture, but they also pass on a part of themselves. Families attempt to preserve a legacy within their progeny, and parents display their love for their children by filling in the spaces of childhood with fragrant musical repertoires.
Ethnomusicology Commons, Music Education Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons


Chinese New Year Digital Reading Comprehension Google Classroom
or 6 weekly interest-free payments from NZ$1.25 with what's this?
Go paperless with our Google Slides Chinese New Year digital reading comprehension activity – great for digital guided reading! Get your fireworks ready and celebrate the Chinese New Year with our digital close reading comprehension activities. This activity pack includes THREE Year Five and Six (Grade 4 and 5) non-fiction passages with at least six slides of unique and engaging text-dependent questions and higher-order thinking tasks. Gain context with our bonus Chinese New Year PowerPoint.
Chinese New Year in 2023 is January 22. This product is updated each year to reflect the differences in dates and the Chinese zodiac animals. 2023 is the Year of the Tiger.
Both US and British English are used throughout this resource. Choose what suits you. This resource can be used on Chromebooks, iPads, Android Tablets, and other devices!
In this Chinese New Year digital reading resource you will receive:
1. Three texts – all with an extended and scaffold version:
What is Chinese New Year?
Preparing For The New Year.
Chinese New Year Celebrations
2. 21 unique Higher Order Thinking Activities based on Blooms Taxonomy and aligned with the CCSS and the NZ Curriculum
Reading Comprehension Strategies included:
Find Facts and Details
Identify the Text Structure
Identify the Author’s Purpose
Use Prior Knowledge
Understand and Use Vocabulary
3. Full instructions on how to use this Google Slides resource, and how to share it with your students.
4. Tips for using Google Slides for teachers AND students
5. Teacher Answer Key for applicable questions and a link to the Google Slides Interactive Answers
Why Go Digital and Paperless?
Many classroom are now 1:1, BYOD, or improving the access of technological devices to students. This resource uses these devices to engage and enhance learning!
Further benefits include:
– High student engagement and motivation
– Access and share learning from anywhere
– Build a skill base with 21st-century learning tools
– Save on paper and printing!
– Accessible on a range of devices including Chromebooks, iPads, tablets and more!


THE GLOBAL LEARNING CRISIS
Over the past decade, there has been a large investment in improving children’s access to education. However, the resultant expansion in children’s school enrolment has strained the capacity of education systems to ensure quality learning. Globally, 250 million children – including many of the most vulnerable – are not learning basic literacy and numeracy skills even though half have attended school for at least four years.
THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LITERACY
World Vision and Save the Children are working together to improve children’s learning outcomes by providing early grade learners with quality literacy programmes – in school and out of school – that significantly improve reading skills acquisition and reading comprehension.
Literacy Boost is a proven literacy programme that supports the development of reading skills in young children. There are three steps in the Literacy Boost programme:
Reading Assessments – Baseline and endline reading assessments measure children’s reading levels, evaluate their literacy learning needs, and help schools and ministries of education track student progress.
Teacher Training – Training teachers to incorporate the five core reading skills into their regularly scheduled curricula in order to ensure that children are learning to read and remain motivated to learn while in the classroom.
Community Action – Mobilising parents and communities to support children as they learn to read through fun out-of-school literacy activities and through the creation of locally relevant reading materials.
These steps address the ways children learn to read, how teachers and parents can help, and create an environment for that to happen anywhere: in school, in the community and at home.
Learn more about how Literacy Boost is helping parents and teachers in Burundi inspire a love of reading in children. Watch the video.
- Literacy Boost: Creating strong literacy foundations for early grade learners
- Literacy Boost reading assessments key to measuring impact on students
- Training teachers enables student learning in the classroom
- GALLERY: What does a reading camp look like?
1 UNESCO Global Monitoring Report 2013/2014 pg. 18
2 Literacy Boost is a copyrighted tool designed, developed, and owned by Save the Children.


Music is an important part of our lives, providing a way lrtrading to express ourselves and connect with others. It is also an essential component of a well-rounded education. In this article, we will explore the importance of music education and its many benefits for students.
Studies have shown that music education can have a positive impact on cognitive development, including improvements in memory, spatial-temporal skills, and language processing. Learning to play an instrument, for example, requires students to engage in complex tasks that involve reading music notation, recognizing patterns, and using multiple senses simultaneously.
Music is a powerful tool for emotional expression, and ifsptv music education can help students develop their emotional intelligence. By learning to play and appreciate music, students can learn to identify and regulate their own emotions, as well as recognize and empathize with the emotions of others.
Music education can also promote social development by providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork. Whether students are participating in a band, orchestra, or choir, they learn to work together toward a common goal, which can help them develop important social skills such as communication, cooperation, and leadership.
Music is a universal language that can help giveme5 students develop an appreciation for different cultures and traditions. Through music education, students can learn about different styles of music from around the world, as well as the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created. This can help promote cultural awareness and understanding, which is increasingly important in our globalized world.
Perhaps most importantly, music education can provide students with a sense of personal enrichment and fulfillment. Learning to play an instrument or sing in a choir can be a deeply rewarding experience, allowing students to express themselves creatively 123chill and develop their own unique talents and interests.
Despite the many benefits of music education, it is often one of the first programs to be cut in schools facing budget constraints. This is unfortunate, as music education can play an important role in promoting student success and well-being. To ensure that music education remains a part of the curriculum, it is important for parents, educators, and policymakers to advocate for its importance and support programs that provide students with access to quality music education.
In conclusion, music education is an essential component manytoons of a well-rounded education. It can promote cognitive, emotional, and social development, foster cultural awareness, and provide students with a sense of personal enrichment and fulfillment. By supporting music education in our schools, we can help ensure that all students have the opportunity to experience the many benefits that music has to offer.


Are you thinking of ways to entertain and or home school your child(ren) at home?
LOOK NO FURTHER..
Below are some of our favorite fun online resources/activities for today!
The National Council for Special Education is providing
online resources for children and young people with Special Educational Needs who are at home as a result of the schools closure due to Covid-19. The resources are designed to assist parents, teachers and students in special schools, special class placements and mainstream classes.
You can access the resources here.
New York Times Best Selling Author, Kelly Yang is providing
free Instagram live writing classes for teens during Covid-19 on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays 5:00p.m. Irish time. This class is said to get Kids Creative Juices Flowing!
Click here to follow Kelly Yang on Instagram.
Séideán Sí – This
activity-based online site complements the approach set out for Irish in the primary school curriculum. It is based on the communicative approach and integrates the four skills: listen, speak, reading and writing.
Click here for your free access to the website.


Art is an important part of a child’s education; exploring art can spark a child’s creativity and foster a passion that will last a lifetime. Thomas Merton once said, “art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” This is especially true for young artists. An art room should be a safe and familiar place where young artists can explore their creativity and lose themselves in their art. A welcoming and engaging environment, led by a teacher is entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing and helping each child to grow and develop their artistic skills, allows students to explore and experiment with color, shape, and textures, and form to gain a better understanding of what art really is about; self-expression,. The following resources and activities will help your young artist to grow and develop their artistic skills and build a lasting appreciation for the arts.
Art for Kids
- NGA Kids – The National Gallery of Art’s Art Zone has creative and artistic games for learners of all ages.
- MOWA Kids – The Museum of Web Art offers educational art activities for younger children.
- Picassohead – Explore your creativity, make your own Picasso-inspired work of art.
- Coloring and Drawing Activities – Practice drawing skills with these simple activities for young artists.
- Lizzy Visits the Sculpture Garden – Go along with Lizzy to visit this virtual sculpture garden.
- Great Buildings Collection – Architecture is an important part of the art world, and art education; use this website to broaden your knowledge of great architecture.
- World Art Resources – Art education resources from different regions around the world.
- The Imagination Factory – and award-winning art education site, including art lessons, resources, and teaching materials.
- Artcyclopedia – An all-inclusive art encyclopedia; find information about individual artists, art movements, techniques, and vocabulary.
- Art Games – Educational and artistic games for kids ages four to twelve.
- The Art Detective – An interactive art mystery game for kids.
- World Art Treasures – Explore different artwork from around the world with virtual tour.
- Inside Art – A virtual tour through impressionist art.
- Art Dictionary – A directory of art vocabulary and terminology with in-depth detail.
- Coloring – Color Projects that can be colored on the computer, or printed out.
- Crayola – The Official Crayola website offers fun, art-based activities for kids.
- Shapes Coloring Pages – A simple art activity for young children to help practice and recognize shapes.
- Kaleidoscope Art – An interactive Kaleidoscope art activity.
- The Color – Coloring and act activities for young artists.
- Behind the Art – Learn about how art is created and different art concepts.
- Arts & Crafts Links – Projects and fun art activities for different age groups and skill levels.
- Art Recipes – Easy recipes for fun art projects, including peanut butter play dough and homemade crayons.
- What is Art? – A simple lesson for young artists to get a better understanding of what art is.
- Art Projects for Kids – Incorporate fun and dynamic art lessons into your elementary art class, includes drawing, painting, and general art lessons and activities
- Model Art Curricula – Links to examples of art class plans and standards from many different schools.
- Museum of Children’s Art – Encourage children’s creativity with this website dedicated to art appreciation and exploration.
- Achieves of American Art – Art education resources from the Smithsonian Institute.
- Art Junction – Art education resources for teachers and K12 art students.
- NaeA – The National Art Education Association offers art information, resources, and tool for art educators and teachers.
- Art Teacher Resources – Art resources for teachers working with younger age groups, including printable projects, seasonal art, and art lessons.
- Famous Artists – Short artist biographies and examples of the artist’s work.
- Artist Quotes – A collection of quotes from famous artists.
- The Impressionists – Biographical and art information on some of the world’s greatest impressionist artists.
- Virtual Met Tour – Take a virtual tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and explore the beautiful and unique art collections at The Met
- Web Gallery of Art – Take a virtual tour of with this online art gallery.