Music bulletin board ideas are great especially for elementary school and kids often love music too. Some great examples of this kind of bulletin board include the composer bulletin board, music appreciation board, sheet music board, as well as the concert board.
A great bulletin board is the educational equivalent of a catchy highway billboard: It grabs students’ attention. A well-designed bulletin board can create interest in a project or concept and inspire students. They can also be used to highlight student achievements, create a more engaging learning environment or provide a fun and interactive learning tool. Elementary music teachers can create musically themed bulletin boards to enhance their classrooms, highlight student work and reinforce music concepts.
Composer bulletin boards are a great way to introduce students to classical composers. A great bulletin board for the beginning of school is entitled “Welcome Bach!” Print out a large picture of J.S. Bach and then put facts about Bach around the picture. Alternatively, teachers can create a timeline of important events in Bach’s life along the bottom. Teachers can also create a bulletin board each month featuring a different composer. Create a spotlight and a movie marquee with the composer’s name. Then, create a movie poster with a composer’s picture and facts about that composer. This will introduce students to several different composers throughout the year.
Music appreciation bulletin boards can encourage students to appreciate and enjoy music education. A bulletin board entitled “Get Hooked on Music” is a great way to encourage students to participate in music activities over the summer. Create a fishing scene with blue construction paper, black yarn for fishing line and fish. Draw hooks on the end of each fishing line and place a fish on each hook. On each fish, write a fun musical activity that students can do over the summer, such as attending a concert or researching a composer.
You could also decorate the board to look like a large page of sheet music, with staffs and musical notes. Cut out lots of big notes from a few different patterns, which you can easily make by printing out a piece of clipart. Write class notes on your musical notes, and see if your students get the pun. You could print clefs and other musical symbols, too, and scatter them around the board to make it livelier. Alternatively, you could print blank pages of sheet music and write your class announcements on the lines, then post them on the board.
Dress up the bulletin board as a concert stage by attaching deep red curtains at the top and tying them off to the sides. Cut out figures of singers from construction paper, and tape them onto the board, drawing on faces. For a creative way to attach your notes, cut out big word bubbles and place them by the singers’ mouths.


This paper argues that Plato’s Socratic Dialogues can effectively model the process through which musical activism is understood by listeners. The Socratic Dialogues, as an abstract model, are first analyzed for advantages and disadvantages when using them to understand musical activism. This analysis breaks the dialogues into two stages: “Deconstruction” and “Collaboration.” The model is then applied to the song “Ebola is Real” by F. A., Soul Fresh, and DenG, a work that arose from the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia in March 2014. The song was supported by UNICEF and has a clear activist agenda. The song structure, lyrics and commentary on the song are examined with the Socratic Dialogues in mind. The paper concludes that Plato’s Socratic Dialogues offer a clear model for understanding the complex processes and relationships at work in musical activism.
Activism, Ebola, Plato, Liberia, Ontology
Slaney, Evan (2016) "Socratic Dialogue as a Framework for Understanding Activist Music during the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia," Nota Bene: Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Musicology: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 6. Available at: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/notabene/vol9/iss1/6
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, International Public Health Commons, Medical Education Commons, Music Education Commons, Musicology Commons, Music Performance Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Virus Diseases Commons


Teach your students about bucket filling with these bucket filler posters and activities! This easy to use, no prep, printable product incorporates the concept of filling buckets and makes it an easy to grasp the concept with 18 full-color posters (also in black and white), Bucket Filler certificates (also in black and white), and 5 bucket filler printables that require work ahead of time. The full color posters are PERFECT for a back to school or behavior expectation bulletin board!
Please check the preview for this product and send me a quick note if you have any questions! Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
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Kirsten has 18 years of experience in elementary education. She has been a homeroom teacher for first grade, third grade, and fourth grade, as well as ESL. She has also been a school counselor for grades PK-6, an ESL pullout teacher for K-6, and a Reading Recovery Teacher. She received her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and psychology from The University of Iowa and a Master’s of Education in school counseling from Sam Houston State University. She believes that students make the most progress when they are engaged in their hearts as well as their minds. Her resources offer relevant, rigorous, engaging content that nurtures the whole child.
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The Composition major in the Bachelor of Music degree trains students to be composers and versatile musicians. The curriculum includes a high level of performance in an applied area or areas. The program contains instruction in conducting, electronic music and improvisation. It also contains instruction in orchestration, theory and history courses. Areas of study include:
All students desiring to pursue a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, or Bachelor of Arts in Music degree must audition. Music faculty review auditions for acceptance into each music degree program.
The Composition program has a rigorous and broad curriculum. Graduates are well equipped to compose, perform, and teach. Many graduates also continue their education through graduate school.
The Bachelor of Music Education degree requires ensemble participation each semester. The Music School offers a variety of ensemble opportunities. These include Band, Choir, Early Music Ensemble, Handbells, Jazz, Opera Theater, Orchestra and Chamber Music. The School of Music presents more than 300 concerts every year.
For more information: Composition


Show your children that learning can be fun!
on December 13, 2010
Learning happens in many ways, at all ages every day. Parents can help improve their literacy skills, and those of their children, by making learning fun and engaging.
Family Literacy Day® is a perfect time to sit down with your family and do a fun literacy activity. Celebrated every January 27, the national initiative encourages Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes a day enjoying a learning activity as a family. This year’s theme is Play for Literacy!
Play for Literacy includes all types of play that encourages literacy and numeracy development as well as comprehension skills, such as board games, card games and word games. Games, and the carefree act of playing, provide a fun outlet in which individuals of all ages can engage in activities that inherently provide new learning or opportunities to improve one’s reading, writing, math and comprehension skills.
“Playing games not only has the ability to bring people together, it also provides a fun environment in which learning takes place,” explains Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada. “Card games help improve numeracy skills while board games, and even word association games, sharpen spelling, reading and comprehension skills.”
Research shows that literacy-enriched play settings can result in at least short-term gains in young children’s knowledge about the functions of writing, ability to recognize play-related print, and use of comprehension strategies such as self-checking and self-correction.
“Families, whether they recognize it or not, participate in literacy activities just through normal daily routines - talking, cooking or making grocery lists,” says Kim Chung, Program Director at the Centre for Family Literacy in Edmonton. “Play is another way that provides an easy, fun opportunity for parents and children to positively interact around learning.”
In honour of Family Literacy Day, ABC Life Literacy Canada and the Centre for Family Literacy are offering these fun play-based literacy activities that the whole family will enjoy:
- Host a family board game night where everyone is encouraged to read instructions, spell words and keep score. Invite another family over for a friendly competition!
- Driving in the car doesn’t have to be boring. Turn off the radio and play fun games involving signs, billboards and licence plates.
- Play an active game such as ‘Simon Says’, which improves comprehension skills.
- Open a book and make up a story using just the pictures.
- Rhymes, chants, songs and storytelling create a rich environment for language development.
- Make a batch of cookies and count how many there are.
- Card games like ‘Go Fish’ help children learn to articulate sounds and improve memory development.
- Go outside and be active! Count how many times they can hop or jump.
- When doing an outdoor activity, ask children to count items around them. For example, while playing hockey, ask them to count the number of goals scored by each team.
- Have a scavenger hunt! Give your kids a list of items that have been hidden around the house and ask them to find them.
To take part in Family Literacy Day, and to Play for Literacy, visit FamilyLiteracyDay.ca
to find a local event or access additional tips and activities to create your own celebration.


I offer professional private lessons to people of all levels and ages in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake, VA. Lesson includes a balance of piano playing, music theory, solfeggio and sight reading..
What are the benefits of playing piano?
Playing piano can benefit in different ways such as, increasing brain development, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, discipline, reducing anxiety, stress and depression and much more. Studies show that playing piano can improve or enhance people’s brains. This is because musical training can have major and long-term impact on the brain, creating additional neural connections in childhood that can last a lifetime, and thus help compensate for cognitive declines later in life.
Major benefits for kids
Piano lessons can increase children’s coordination. Students who play the piano have improved fine motor skills, and unlike other instruments, the piano requires both hands to work independently of each other, one moving fast while the other may be moving at a slower rate. All of these things help to increase a child’s coordination. Piano lessons help children to focus. You may wonder if playing piano is easy for beginners. Though reading a piece of music is not easy at all, with much practice the child will interpret a note and a rhythm, translate it into hand and finger movements on the piano, and then instantly go on to the next one. Reading and playing music allow children to think both critically and artistically, which are skills that children can use their entire life.
Studies show that time playing piano offers emotional rewards, as well. Those who play piano on a regular basis experience less anxiety, stress and depression.
Do I need theory in order to become a piano performer?
Absolutely! Music theory is the knowledge of basic music grammar which includes scale and interval singing. Music theory is taught at every level of music education, from primary through graduate level university study. It improves recognition of intervals (perfect fifths, minor sixths, diminished sevenths, etc.), and strengthens the understanding of music theory. Why is music theory so important? It is because, people who use some kind of solfeggio system (solmization), tend to improve fluency with pitch faster and more systematically than people who use no system.
Importance of sight-reading.
My lessons can help with sight-reading, which means the ability to read and play (or sing) at first sight. Learning to sight-read piano music is a similar discipline that will significantly develop your skills as a piano or keyboard player. Like learning to read words, it will take time and practice, but it’s a skill you will come to appreciate your entire life.
I teach a special technique which helps to improve your skills easier and much faster.
Russian Piano School is one of the best and very unique compared others. With the method I offer to all of my students, you will learn how to play the piano, and enjoy exceptional technique values. Here is one of the examples of how I teach to practice the scales, although it’s common to learn two-octave scales in Virginia area and US in general, I prefer teaching “Russian school” scales, which are four-octave ones, including contrary motions. This type of scales is the great way to improve the technique ability, not only for kids and beginners, but for advanced students or adults as well. We should not forget that one of the reasons pianists play the scales is because scales as fundamentals, are referred to various works of many composers, which make studying new pieces much easier. There are a huge variety of scales, chords and arpeggios for all levels, which I usually cover.
Where do you conduct the classes?
I offer in-home piano-lessons at your convenience, or at my studio conveniently located in Virginia Beach, VA. Online classes are also available; please contact me for more information. Although my lessons are fun, I do require dedication as a part of the whole educational process. I love when students are excited about learning and look forward to coming every week. My students are assigned to repertoire appropriate to their level and ability. The lesson duration can vary from 30 to 60 minutes per session, one or two times per week. Seeing my students conquer their challenges and accomplish their goals are my greatest reward.
|Location||30 Minutes||45 Minutes||60 Minutes|
|Teacher’s location in Virginia Beach||$40||$50||$60|
|Student’s location in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake||$70||$80||$90|


The new year is a great time to add music learning to your little one's schedule. Here are 5 fun and easy-to-follow tips to help young children maintain their music learning resolutions.
1. Plan a 15- to 30-minute “listen-to-music-with-my-child” session at least once a week.
- Listen to short musical compositions about 1 to 1½ minutes long. We offer a list of suggested songs and compositions called “The Young Child’s Personal Music ‘Playlist’ (Repertoire): A Context for Learning” on www.musicintelligenceproject.com.
- Be involved in the listening. Move to the beat, name instruments that are heard, and recognize changes in the music, such as loud or soft, fast or slow, higher or lower, and smooth or bouncy.
- Become very familiar with one classical composition by listening to it every week (e.g. Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” [first movement], or Haydn’s “Surprise Symphony” [second movement]). Mention the title of the composition and the composer’s name each time you listen. This familiar piece becomes an important benchmark in the young child’s music education.
2. Learn 5 to 10 songs to sing with your child at least once a week.
- At first, choose songs with simple melodies and easy lyrics (e.g. "Hot Cross Buns," "ABC Song," "Baa, Baa Black Sheep," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Ring Around the Rosie," "Itsy Bitsy Spider").
- Sing songs in a pitch range that's high enough to get children into the “singing” voice and out of the “talking” voice.
- Sing along with songs on recordings.
3. Engage your child in a substantive music learning program designed for young children.
- Choose a program that engages children in active participation through accurate models of musical performance.
- Choose a program that guides the development of increasingly complex concepts of the elements of music.
- Choose a program that develops rhythmic and singing performance skills.
- Choose a program that gains and holds the child’s attention with exciting music and attractive visual images.
4. Plan a family marching time for everyone to keep the beat while listening to music.
- Choose music with a strong beat (e.g. marches, songs with heavy accompaniments, easy rock style).
- Choose music with beats that move quickly. (Children have difficulty timing their movements to slow music.)
- Lift the knees when marching to make a clear step on each beat.
- Take turns with adults and children leading the parade.
5. Start building your child’s personal playlist.
- Choose recordings of 10 children’s songs that provide good vocal models for the child’s singing voice (e.g. “The Tuneables Music Box: I Love Music”).
- Choose recordings of 5 classical music compositions.
- Provide several opportunities a week for children to hear these recordings.
- Add one new song and classical music composition to the list each month.


The Targeted Programmes Coordinator is responsible for the management of Commonwealth Targeted Programmes and for developing programmes to improve the learning outcomes for all students.
There are two Learning Support Teachers, and two Teacher Aides (Special). There is also an Aboriginal Education Assistant employed for 25 hours per week who also supports students, both Indigenous and those with learning needs.
This programme has four goals:
- To provide early identification of students with disability while collecting baseline data.
- To ensure that the learning outcomes of students with disability improve over time, commensurate with their potential.
- To educate students with disability in mainstream classes using withdrawal only to achieve outcomes not achievable within those mainstream classes.
- To educate and assist staff in developing pedagogical, assessment and reporting strategies that best meet the needs of each student with disability.
Literacy and Numeracy
This programme has five goals:
- To improve organisation and school structures to maximise literacy and numeracy skills development for all students.
- To develop in all staff an understanding of literacy and numeracy, as they apply to their teaching areas. To use that understanding to implement a range of literacy and numeracy strategies in their classrooms.
- To improve the levels of literacy and numeracy across Key Learning Areas for all students especially for disadvantaged students.
- To maintain and develop the existing Parent Reading Tutor Programme.
- To conduct small group intense literacy (specifically reading,) and numeracy programmes enabling students, not yet achieving National Benchmarks, to do so.


One of the more challenging skills to learn as far as fine motor skills are concerned is something most of us probably do daily. For children, learning how to use buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles can be a huge learning curve. But that is were learning through play can be a huge help to them.
Learning How to Use Buttons, Snaps, Zippers, and Buckles Through Play
In the Montessori method that I also use with my children, these activities are often referred to as practical life skills. In Occupational Therapy we refer to them as Activities of Daily Living or ADLs. They really both mean the same thing.
There are so many great ways to encourage the skills needed for using buttons, snaps, zippers and buckles in just every day fun activities. It doesn't even need to be an activity that uses any of these items, as long as you are encouraging the use of specific skills children need in order to develop these important care of self skills.
So what skills does your child need in order to learn how to use buttons, snaps, zippers, or buckles?
- Bilateral Coordination (using both sides of the body, or in this case hands, together)
- Visual Motor Skills (includes visual discrimination, eye-hand coordination, and tracking)
- Fine motor Skills (specifically finger dexterity, pincer grasp,
- Motor Planning (being able to complete the activity from beginning to end in the correct sequence)
Any type of play activity that works with the skills above will help your child master these important activities of daily living (or practical life) skills.
Here are some fun ideas for each to get you started.
Play Activities to Work on Activities of Daily Living
These are some fun play or activity ideas that will help to improve all the skills needed for learning how to button, snap, zip, and buckle.
- Stringing beads (small, medium, or large beads depending on your child's age)
- Using scissors (holding the scissors with one hand, holding the paper with the other)
- Lacing cards
- Pealing Stickers
- Thread buttons
- Use clothes pins to pick up objects
- Use fine motor tweezers or tongs
- Use a hole punch to cut out designs
- Make a button snake (links to tutorials below)
There are also many fun products out there that can encourage your child to practice these ADLs. Some of them include:
- Basic Life Skills Learning to Dress Boards
- Nuts and Bolts Set
- Blast Off Zipper Trainer
- Mosaic Pegboards
- Basic Skills Board
- Egg and Spoon Game
Here are some fun activities from other bloggers:
- Zipper Activity from Sugar Aunts
- DIY Dressing Frames from Living Montessori Now
- Button Snake from MamaOT
- Button Snake with Lots of Buttons from Therapy Fun Zone
- DIY Toddler Buckle Toy from Swoodson Says
- DIY Wooden Snap Blocks from I Can Teach My Child
Be sure to check out all the other blog posts in this month's Functional Skills for Kids series on buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles.
When Can Kids Learn to Button and Zip? | Mama OT
Clothing Fasteners and Fine Motor Skill Development | Kids Play Space
Clothing Fasteners and Gross Motor Skill Development | Your Therapy Source Inc
How to Adapt Buttoning and Zipping for Your Child | Miss Jaime OT
Learning How To Use Buttons, Snaps, Zippers, and Buckles Through Play | Growing Hands-On Kids
Tips to Teach Kids to Zip and Button | The Inspired Treehouse
Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Processing | Sugar Aunts


FREE Interactive Warblers Quiz – Fun Quizzes for Kids Online
Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Warblers Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this FREE online interactive quiz on Warblers. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun quiz about warblers again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about warblers.
About the Warblers Quiz & our FREE Online Quizzes
Our fun easy science quizzes are a free of charge online resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Warbler quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about warblers while enjoying this FREE quiz for kids online.
If your kid is enjoying home-schooling, or is enrolled in some extra-curricular program, then this is a fun science activity, with reading comprehension benefits for kids in first to fifth grade. Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who scores better, doing this fun online quiz on warblers.
As a reading comprehension fun activity for your kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension activity better, while paying better attention to text they read, or set a limit on the number of times your kids can read about the Warblers quiz topic, before they do the actual fun quiz online.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing this and our other easy science quizzes, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the quiz question and answers. You will select the Warblers quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the Warblers quiz score. Your child can try doing the quiz multiple times, till gets the perfect score faster, as your kids learn to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " FREE Interactive Warblers Quiz – Fun Quizzes for Kids Online - ." Easy Science for Kids, Jul 2017. Web. 24 Jul 2017. < http://easyscienceforkids.com/free-interactive-warblers-quiz-fun-quizzes-for-kids-online/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2017). FREE Interactive Warblers Quiz – Fun Quizzes for Kids Online -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from http://easyscienceforkids.com/free-interactive-warblers-quiz-fun-quizzes-for-kids-online/
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Order #: RHPSET103
K, 1, 2, 3
Reading Level: K-3
Total Page: 181
Author: Vera Trembach
**THIS IS AN INSTANT DOWNLOAD**
Our Saskatchewan SET combines 3 titles in one bundle:
Reserve Community of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan: First 100 Years
About Saskatchewan Prairies:
An informative lesson on the Saskatchewan Prairies. Featuring a dictionary, hands-on sequencing, little book patterns, creative writing, making the big book, read the story, alphabetical elevators, hands-on patterns, and journal word cards. Students will recognize towns in rural Saskatchewan, develop mapping skills, develop vocabulary, develop numeracy skills, develop creative writing skills, and participate in a variety of independent learning activities. Additional reading includes "A Prairie Alphabet" by J. Cugnet-Ballatyne, with journal word cards, class dictionary, and word search activities; as well as "The Auction" by J. Andrews, with task cards and more stories activities.
About Reserve Community of Saskatchewan:
A Reserve Community is designed to supplement Saskatchewan Education's Grade Two Social Studies curriculum for classroom studies about the family and the community. The nucleus of this unit is the story, "Cody's Community". The story includes the concepts of identity, location, tradition, responsibility, transportation, occupation, community services and political structure. During the course of our unit, students will understand that a reserve is a community of First Nation's families; a reserve provides services to its residents; a reserve has a political structure; reserves have a history; and much more.
About Saskatchewan: First 100 Years:
September 1, 2005 was the 100th anniversary of the province of Saskatchewan. While learning about the first 100 years of the province, you'll find black line masters for poems, songs, rebus chants, activity sheets, student bookmaking, hands-on centre activities, and a storyboard story. See the Bibliography and Resources to find Web sites for pictures of the Saskatchewan flag and other provincial emblems and to find a list of great storybooks by Saskatchewan authors. Contents include: Sticker Sheets, Name Tags, and The Welcome Basket — Storyboard Story.
This Canada Set provides a teacher and student section with activities, big book assembly, sequencing activity, word cards, word search, task cards, storybooks, poetry, art activity, listening activity, rebus chant, creative writing, bookmaking, song, chant, hands-on activities, follow-up activities, and answer key to create a well-rounded lesson plan.


Kristine Hazzard: Investment in childhood literacy pays
D id you know that only 52 percent of Berkshire County third-graders are reading proficiently and that children living in homes where family income is at or below the poverty rate have even greater challenges to developing early literacy skills?
Research demonstrates that 74 percent of children who struggle with reading in third grade will continue to struggle in school, are less likely to attend school every day, are more likely to fall behind their proficient classmates during the summer, and are six times more likely to drop out of school.
High school dropouts have fewer options for securing a job and becoming financially stable. This impacts the workforce available locally and has a significant economic impact on our community.
The good news is Berkshire United Way knows what works and that by working together as a community we can change the trend on third-grade reading proficiency. We know that children from low-income homes start school with a vocabulary significantly below that of non-low-income students. We know that a quality preschool experience ensures children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. According to economist James Heckman, investing $8,000 in early childhood education saves approximately $800,000 over the life of a child.
With many community partners, Berkshire United Way has set a goal that by 2020, 90 percent of Berkshire County third-graders will read proficiently. This is an aggressive goal and our children deserve our commitment to it. Several partnerships are in place to help ensure success. Pittsfield Promise, a local coalition of more than 80 experts, business leaders, and educators, is focused on family engagement, school attendance, and reducing the summer slide -- a condition that occurs when children are not engaged in literacy-rich, quality summer programs.
Berkshire Health Systems has partnered with Berkshire United Way to provide every new parent delivering a baby at Berkshire Medical Center with a "literacy bag," which includes a book, resources on early literacy development, a Berkshire Athenaeum library card application and a family pass to the Berkshire Museum. The bag also includes hands-on tools parents can use to increase vocabulary and literacy skills through reading, singing, playing and talking with their children -- emphasizing that literacy begins at birth. Nurses at Berkshire Medical Center personally hand these bags to parents and discuss the importance of literacy.
It’s essential that children’s experiences outside of school include literacy and learning so we have partnered with many community organizations to address the need for more before and after school and summer programs. The "Word of the Day" calendar was created by Pittsfield Promise partners and is designed to energize and engage the community in early literacy activities during the summer. Berkshire United Way also partnered with Greylock Federal Credit Union, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Pittsfield Public Schools to leverage funds to expand and enrich summer learning programs at Conte, Crosby, and Morningside Schools.
In South County, Berkshire United Way partners with Berkshire Hills Regional School district to fund Project Connection at Muddy Brook Elementary, a before and after school program for more than 200 kids -- half of whom come from low-income families with little access to literacy activities or whose first language is not English. Berkshire South Community Center, Multicultural BRIDGE, Flying Cloud Institute, and IS183 are community organizations that participate in Project Connection -- to enrich curriculum and increase family engagement to improve educational outcomes for children.
As you can see, Berkshire United Way is partnering with organizations across the county to improve early childhood literacy. You can help make a difference -- you can give, advocate or volunteer. Find Berkshire United Way and the Pittsfield Promise on Facebook to learn more about our early literacy strategies and how you can help create sustainable change in the Berkshires.
Kristine Hazzard is president and CEO of Berkshire United Way, berkshireunitedway.org.
TALK TO US
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- Define the phases of word recognition development
- Recognize students’ word recognition phases and apply appropriate word level instruction
- Identify the four areas in the reading brain and understand reading activation patterns
- Teach phonics and spelling explicitly and systematically
- Match reading materials to student word level reading
- Build practice activities into phonics lessons
Part 1 - Introduction
This Tool will provide some current thinking about the purpose of phonics and spelling, why it is important, and how to best teach these skills as part of a complete reading program for all of our students.
Topic 1: Introduction to the Phonics Tool
- All teachers know those kids who, despite all of their efforts, aren’t moving forward with their reading skills. Teachers will strengthen an understanding of what they can do to make sure all students benefit from the teacher’s knowledge and instruction.
- All students benefit from instruction that reveals the secrets of the written code.
Topic 2: The Phases of Word Recognition Development
- L. Ehri’s phases of word recognition development provide a foundation for studying well documented phases students pass through as they learn the system of decoding.
Topic 2: Interpret the Phases
- The phases help teachers assess where students are in their development and provide the appropriate word level phonics instruction.
- Delightful videos and spelling samples help to make the phases come alive for teachers.
Part 2 - Research: How the Brain Reads
Topic 1: The Reading Brain
- Thanks to fMRI and other imaging technologies, we have answers to many questions about the reading brain to help us teach reading more effectively. Teachers explore some of those findings in this section.
Topic 2: Elements of Effective Phonics Instruction – How to Teach
- Explicit and systematic instruction is defined, explained, and many examples provided.
- Teachers are taken through samples of explicit and systematic instruction and asked to define the elements of both.
Topic 3: Bonus: Learn a Little More About English Orthography
- Teachers are introduced to many interesting explanations for English spelling. These bonus tips can be integrated into reading and spelling lessons to enhance student interest in why words are spelled the way they are.
- The Six Syllable Types are included in this Bonus section.
Part 3 - Practice: Phonics in the Classroom
Teachers experience the video lessons in this section. They will view whole phonics lessons with large groups, and also practice activities they can use with both small and whole groups. The activities are presented in both lower (K-2(3) and intermediate (3-6) classrooms. the lower grades present basic grapheme phoneme instruction and the upper grade lessons are based on vocabulary and spelling lessons to demonstrate advanced phonics.
Topic 1: Observe a Full Phonics Lesson
- Edited full phonics lessons are shown to demonstrate explicit and systematic phonics lessons for both lower and upper grades.
Topic 2: Learn Practice Routines
- The practice activities in these videos are meant to provide practice after teachers’ instruction because they do just that – provide practice with the elements teachers have taught them.
- Practice activities provide the additional time with the content necessary to build automaticity with decoding and word recognition.
Part 4 - Planning: Explicit and Systematic Lessons
This planning section provides guidance to help teachers plan and incorporate the content from Tool 4 into their daily phonics lessons for early alphabetic through consolidated phases of word recognition. Several downloads, forms and ideas, help teachers plan explicit and systematic lessons using their reading programs or if they do not have a reading program, how to create appropriate lessons for all grades, k-6.
Part 5 - Wrap Up
Topic 1: Summary
- All students benefit from instruction that teaches them how the written code works. The summary highlights the main content from Tool 4 to reinforce the importance of explicit and systematic instruction at the basic and advanced phonics levels.
Topic 2: Conversation with an Expert
- Dr. Susan Hall, of 95% Group, speaks to teachers about phonics and what to consider when teaching phonics lessons for all students.


Reading, writing and spelling and grammar skills can help you tell a story, share your ideas, write a letter and make sense of instructions. We use them everyday and they help us understand each other.
|Bitesize KS1 has a new website. Why not take a look.|
|Bitesize KS2 also has a new website. Why not take a look at that one too.|
|A fun site full of games and activities for KS2 children (Years 3 to 6). There is a section for children and parents|
This site has some excellent games to help you practice your Numeracy skills.
|Information for helping your child stay safe on the internet with the help of their favourite CBBC characters.|
|Learn to type using this fun website from the BBC. Be guided through step by step by a Liverpudlian goat and his friends!|
|Family Maths Toolkit||A useful website for parents to integrate maths at home.|


We believe the best way to support literacy development is to expose children to rich language and wordplay in context. We want children to find books irresistible! You will see plenty of print in our classrooms because exposure to a print-rich environment at an early age is a predictor of later vocabulary skills.
At For Kid’s Sake Early Learning Center, you will find:
- Classrooms stocked with beautiful, developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse books.Teachers reading aloud every day to small groups and individual children.
- Teachers using rhythm, rhyme, and song throughout the day to promote phonemic awareness, or the recognition of discrete sounds that form words.
- Activities that strengthen small muscle-groups and improve coordination, preparing children to print.
- Our Back Pack Lending Library Program that helps parents extend literature play with children at home.
How Children Learn to Read
- At around 1 year, they learn that objects can represent objects: a hairbrush can serve as a microphone, for example.
- Between 2-3 years, they learn that particular symbols represent particular objects: green light =go; golden arches=McDonald’s; bullseye=Target; circle with a line through it=no.
- Between 3-4 years, they learn to form symbols and letters by copying the shapes.
- They learn that words are made up of letters (i.e., the letters of their name or a STOP sign).
- They learn that particular sounds are attached to particular letters.
- They learn to decode the letters in words: differentiating P,B, D, E, F, A, H, etc.
- They learn to string together letters and sounds to spell words, and reverse this process to read them. (Early spelling is phonetic: girl=grl, please=pleez, etc. Children learn patterns first, then learn exceptions over time.)
- They synthesize information (sounds and meaning) to comprehend what they read. Children develop the cognitive skills necessary for reading at different rates and in different sequences. The average age most kids can read independently is between 6 and 8 years of age. The term “Language Arts” encompasses listening, speaking, decoding skills, and printing. We plan according to children’s actual development rather than expecting them to conform to an age-based standard. Our curriculum is cumulative, so older children might demonstrate many outcomes on this page.
- Select their own colored and sturdy board books and cloth books.
- Sing rhymes and fingerplays during transitions between activities and during circle time and walks.
- Play with real objects from books such as stuffed animals to help children make connections.
- Coo and babble with teachers during feeding, diapering, and other one-on-one moments.
- Pre-verbal children use “baby signs” to communicate their needs.
- Select their own hard– and soft cover books practice appropriate book-handling behaviors.
- Listen to story tapes during quiet time.
- Practice small-motor coordination using crayons, chalk, and markers, and while playing with manipulatives such as pegboards, Duplos®, and blocks.
- Use simple puzzles and pattern play to practice sequencing.
- Use photos and symbols for information.
- Relate math, science, outdoor, and creative activities to the books they read.
- Read alphabet books and play with alphabet toys to learn that shapes represent particular sounds.
- Trace, cut with scissors, and form shapes with string, play dough, and other manipulatives to gain fine motor control.
- Experiment with letter toys to create sound and letter combinations and practice problem-solving.
- Use print labels and signs in the classroom and on belongings to help children decode and attach meaning to particular combinations of letters.
- Use invented spelling or drawings to document activities or feelings in a journal.
- Practice appropriate tone of voice and language, in conversations.
- Articulate information and practice listening skills during Show-and-Tell.
- Dictate stories, caption their artwork, or transcribe their own stories for publication.
- Practice handwriting in context, using to-do lists, notes to parents and friends, menus, and other hands-on writing opportunities.
- Follow text in a book as they hear the words read aloud on story tapes.
- Share books with reading buddies or “read” to younger children, as appropriate..


This MAE program was created for artists who teach. Designed around a teacher's schedule, it's a studio-intensive degree that allows K-12 certified art teachers to beef up, recharge, refresh (and fulfill requirements for maintaining their teaching certification while they're at it). Develop an area of artistic expertise or explore a variety among drawing, painting, photography, or printmaking. Grow your critical and analytical skills. Learn progressive approaches to teaching visual arts. Discuss how technology enhances the classroom. Our goal is that you'll come away enriched, challenged, and energized to continue mentoring and inspiring the next generation of artists.Apply now!
Prepares students to begin the research and studio portions of their thesis paper or project. Provides instruction in the APA style of writing, research strategies, information access and retrieval, literature evaluation and thesis topic refinement.
Advanced analysis of art that explores the definition of and criteria for contemporary and historical art. Builds advanced critical assessment skills.
Exploration of advanced teaching strategies and methods for the purpose of expanding and invigorating personal artistic expression and classroom practice.
Assists the student in developing and evaluating new and innovative curriculum processes for middle and high school settings. The course will concentrate on aligning curriculum content to national regional, state and local standards and building teamwork for curriculum integration. In addition, it will increase the student's ability to use technology as a curriculum tool.
A seminar dealing with topics of special topics in art history, theory, and/or criticism.
Explores the current issues within the art world and the world of art and art education. Determines how these affect pedagogy and policy in art education.
Students demonstrate mastery level synthesis of the coursework they have completed by conducting an independent inquiry culminating in a studio thesis project. All studio projects have a required written component.
Examines nature/multiple causes of reading difficulties based on literacy research, language development, learning theories. Explores impact of social, cultural, emotional, physical, and environmental factors on students with reading difficulties. Identifies assessment principles/practices that inform and support literacy instruction. Focuses on methodologies, research-based programs, and best practices for prevention, intervention, and remediation of reading difficulties at all grade levels. Emphasizes creating partnerships with parents, families. Includes technology and classroom application components.
Download the catalog for the most recent course listings and prerequisites.


The teacher purposefully plans, models, and explicitly demonstrates the important cognitive strategies for comprehending and responding.
During a modelled read, the teacher may ‘think aloud’ to demonstrate the use of reading comprehension processes or word identification strategies. Selected texts can be brief, sharing as little as a sentence or a single paragraph, and can be revisited for multiple purposes.
The teacher looks for passages that:
• represent many viewpoints that reflect the perspectives, cultures, and ways of knowing of First Nations, Métis, and other cultures;
• include strong examples of cues and conventions or comprehension strategies to be highlighted; and
• reflect formative assessment data and incorporate curricular expectations across disciplines.
Modelled reading serves a variety of purposes, including:
• expanding content knowledge;
• promoting oral language and vocabulary development;
• modelling fluency;
• modelling before, during, and after strategies for comprehension (see Appendix A);
• developing motivation and appreciation for reading;
• modelling effective reading behaviours;
• introducing different genres, text structures and writing styles; and
• demonstrating reading for a purpose.
• Formative assessment of a student’s application of the skills and strategies explicitly demonstrated in a modelled read can be assessed through teacher observations, conversations with students, and student products.
School Division/First Nations Education Authorities Resources
• Types of Modelled Reading (pdf)
…..• Read Aloud (pdf)
…..• Think Aloud for Comprehension (pdf)
…..• Talk Aloud for Comprehension (pdf)
• Explicit chart (word)
• Modelled Reading-Text Structures vs. Features (word)
• Modelled Reading-Text Structures in expository text (word)
• Modelled Reading-Types of Text Structures for Expository Writing (word)
• The Super 7 Reading Comprehension Strategies (word)
• The Spring Celebration_Read_Aloud_Plan(1) (pdf)
• Four Ways of Responding Orally to Reading (word)
• Read Aloud Lesson Plan (word)
• Read Aloud Reflection Sheet (word)
• Read Aloud Module Handout 2014 – Sask Reads website (word)
• Modelled Reading in GSSD (pdf)
• Modelled Reading Look-fors _2014_11 (pdf)
• Modelled Reading Self-Reflection (pdf)


States Introduce New Measure of Accountability: Arts Education
As states revamp the systems they use to evaluate schools, at least five are considering using the arts as a measure of school quality.
The Every Student Succeeds Act opened the doors for states to rethink how they evaluated schools' quality. In addition to measures like English-language proficiency, graduation rates, and scores on standardized achievement tests, which are commonly used in current accountability systems, states are required to include one "additional indicator" of school quality in their system. That could include social-emotional indicators or access to certain courses —including the arts.
New Jersey was the first state to include arts in its accountability system. The state added student enrollment in arts classes as a measure on school report cards in 2014, before ESSA was finalized.
In an email, Dale Schmid, the state's content coordinator for visual and performing arts, said, "I think it's important to note that soon after the arts were included in the state accountability plan, school principals began to tout the strength of their districts' arts programs—IN WRITING and in the press!" He said that was evidence of the significance and impact of the new regulation.
Connecticut also includes arts access as part of its "Next Generation Accountability System" for schools.
Now, several additional states have considered adding arts access to their accountability systems, according to Lynn Tuttle, the content and policy director at the National Association for Music Education. In Colorado, the idea has been proposed in the state's legislature via a bill called "Rewarding Access to Arts Education in Public Schools" that recently passed in a Senate committee. In Arizona, the state's board is considering including arts in a new grading system for schools. Delaware, Michigan, and Massachusetts have included arts in drafts of their state plans for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act.
"It looks really different state to state," Tuttle said. Connecticut and New Jersey, for instance, measure how many students have access to and are participating in arts classes; Arizona would allow states to get "bonus points" on a state report card that ranks schools on a scale of A-F for arts programs, Tuttle said. The Colorado bill would create an additional performance indicator on its school quality system gauging how schools provide access to the arts.
Tuttle said the inclusion of arts in such plans is significant: "What's measured gets taught."
More states are collecting data on access to and participation in arts classes. Provisions like these would likely accelerate those efforts.
However, the future for states' accountability plans is uncertain: Republicans in both houses of Congress have introduced measures that would do away with regulations developed during the Obama administration to guide states' accountability systems. For more on that, check out my colleague Andrew Ujifusa's reporting on the Politics K-12 blog.
- Measure to Overturn ESSA Accountability Rules Introduced in Senate
- Arts Learning Keeps Toehold in ESSA
- States Prepare Expanded Toolkit in Assessment of School Quality
- Arts, Humanities Educators Fear Endowment Cuts
- Four Reasons Arts Are the Most Important Academic Discipline
For more news and information on curriculum and instruction: Follow @jzubrzycki
And sign up here to get alerts in your email inbox when stories are published on Curriculum Matters.


My children are very musical and I give all the credit to their music teachers. I tried to learn to play an instrument several times; I even pursued it as an adult. Yes, I enrolled in a “Community Adult Education” piano course. I thought maybe I needed a different instrument. Surely, if my own children can learn to play the trumpet, cello, flute, piccolo, and the piano, I certainly would be able as well. I found a clarinet on ebay and was excited to learn. However, it turned into an expensive duck call! Why couldn’t I learn to play an instrument? I began reflecting on my own music education or better yet, my lack of music education. I remember learning to play the recorder. I was actually very good! Then I moved to another state that lacked funding for music education. My “music class” was watching a once-a-week production on our closed caption tv. We sang along with a bouncing ball! I love music, I appreciate music, I just can’t play music. So why all these music musings? Simply put, teachers are an integral part in music education!
Music education provides many benefits for our students:
Builds self confidence
Builds Pattern Recognition Skills (helps with reading)
Builds motor skills
Here are some ideas and resources you can use to encourage the love of music in your schools this month since April is Jazz Appreciation Month.
Biographies– Adele is one of my favorites. In this biography she talks about her influences in becoming a singer. Jazz is one of the main reasons!
Read about Musical Instruments–M is for Musical Instruments. There are also instrument specific books as well. For older students, have them research the History of Jazz. Include Harlem renaissance found on Big Universe.
Make your own instruments-Read STEM jobs in Music. This would be a great addition to any STEM projects going on in your school.
Music related stories– Try reading Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band. It’s a fun read and your students will enjoy how the animals learn to work together to make music.
We love to hear from our readers, how do you encourage music in your schools?


A round-up of this year's Resource of the Week blog series
This academic year has been another great one for the TES Maths ROTW series. Each week, it has been a pleasure to search through the amazing resources that have been published by the TES Maths community to find that special one to feature.
I am often asked about my criteria for selecting the ROTW. I wish I had a sophisticated algorithm to share with you, but it is so much simpler than that. I choose to feature resources that I would use in my classroom. And, very often, a resource only makes it into a blog post if it has successfully survived a trial run with one or more of my classes.
In my videos and write-ups, I try to suggest modifications and extensions for each resource. This is something that I feel very strongly about, as it is rare that a resource written by someone else for their class will work perfectly for you and your students. Resources need to be adapted to fit your teaching style, your pupils, the time of the day and many other things that can determine the success of a lesson.
This year we have seen resources for starting lessons, making tests and spicing up compound area and a whole host of potentially painful topics. We have investigated Pythagoras, gone out of this world and solved the mystery of a missing dog. We have supported GCSE and A-level exam revision, developed key numeracy skills, worked out whether we are beautiful or not and much, much more.
Thank you to all of the teachers out there who share their resources and ideas. You are making a huge, positive difference to the teaching and learning of mathematics all over the world.
Roll on 2016 - 2017!
Craig is a secondary maths teacher in the North of England.
Keep up-to-date with the latest TES Maths blog posts in our dedicated maths area.


English Language Learners (ELL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) Programs and Services
Who is an English Language Learner?
English Language Learners (ELL) are students whose first language is a language other than English. This includes a variety of English that is significantly different from the language of instruction in Ontario's schools.
The students may be Canadian-born or may have come from other countries. They have diverse backgrounds and school experiences with a variety of strengths and needs. Educational supports are provided to help students improve their English skills.
The Halton District School Board's Welcome Centre in Milton is a central location for ELL students, newcomers to Canada and their families to visit to get more information about our schools.
After an initial assessment of the student, a school placement and programming is arranged.
The Ministry of Education provides important information for parents in many languages.


Reading Eggs on the iPad helps children learn to read while on the go
Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) September 24, 2013
Reading Eggs, the popular online reading program for 3–13 year olds, is now available on the iPad. Children can use the program anywhere on iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini with a minimum operating system of iOS 6.0.
Reading Eggs for iPad includes all the lessons and features that children love from the original version, including 120 reading lessons and over 1,000 ebooks. The iPad version of Reading Eggs adds a new hands-on dimension to the program, where children use the ‘tap’ and ‘touch and drag’ interactivity of the iPad to complete lessons and activities.
Launched in 2008, Reading Eggs provides a comprehensive range of online reading lessons and ebooks that teach 3–13 the literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success. Children progress through the one-on-one lessons at their own pace and parents can track their learning with regular progress reports and assessments.
There are also a range of Reading Eggs educational apps available for both iPad and Android devices. Mathseeds, the online math program for 3–6 year olds from the creators of Reading Eggs, is also available for use on iPad and Android devices.
Reading Eggs will be available for Android devices later in 2013.
Sign up for a FREE trial of Reading Eggs today at http://www.readingeggs.com.
About Reading Eggs
Developed by educators with over 25 years of experience, Reading Eggs online lessons instruct children in the five areas crucial to literacy development – phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Reading Eggs focuses on a core reading curriculum of skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success and is suitable for children aged 3 through 13. Since launching in the United States and Canada in 2011, Reading Eggs has signed on more than 500,000 subscribers and presented more than 15 million lessons in North America.


Education and HIV and AIDS in Malawi: The role of open, distance and flexible learning.
In a context in which HIV and AIDS is affecting many lives around the globe, education has been described as the most effective 'social vaccine' against this pandemic. Getting every child into school seems to be essential to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS. However, worldwide evidence suggests that HIV and AIDS have swamped education sectors with a range of challenges, especially in countries were education sectors were already weak. As a result, many children are not accessing education or are leaving school before achieving basic literacy and numeracy skills. This paper is one of the background documents developed as part of SOFIE research project funded by the Joint DFID-ESRC Scheme that explores the potential role of open, distance and flexible learning (ODFL) as a complement to conventional schooling in Malawi and Lesotho to overcome the barriers to education presented by HIV and AIDS. Drawing mostly on secondary data, the analysis of documents, reports and academic articles, as well as on primary data from interviews and discussions with key informants in Malawi, this paper reviews the way in which the education sector in Malawi is responding to support students' access to education and achievement in the context of the AIDS epidemic. It also identifies and analyses key ODFL initiatives and structures used to address challenges in the education system. Available research evidence suggests that ODFL should be supported alongside conventional schooling because it has the potential to alleviate the huge demands that the system is facing. The evidence also recommends the design of inclusive programmes that reach out to all vulnerable children, not only orphans, and particularly those from the lowest socio-economic quintiles. Some good practices are discussed.
SOFIE Opening Up Access Series No 3, SOFIE, London, ISBN 978-1-906648-02-2, 44 pp.


The music education degree at Friends University was designed by music educators to develop teachers with the best skills and techniques for teaching music. Students also have excellent performing and learning opportunities to grow as musicians.
Music education professors at Friends have diverse education and fine arts backgrounds, all contributing to the well-rounded curriculum enjoyed by students. Successful students have passion for music and for teaching others.
The music education program prepares students to teach vocal and instrumental music in grades prekindergarten – 12. It is a four-year program that includes student teaching at both elementary and secondary levels. Graduates are licensed to teach by the state of Kansas after successfully completing the degree and passing the Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam (PLT). Other requirements include a 2.75 grade point average with no “D” grades in the major, a piano proficiency test, and a recital. Students also connect to the professional world of music teaching through involvement in state, regional and national organizations like Kansas Music Educators association, Kansas Choral Directors Association and the Collegiate chapter of the National Association of Music Education.
I teach kids important life and academic lessons, and I’m lucky that I’m able to do that through music.Danny Darrington, Music Educator
- The teacher education candidate will demonstrate an appropriate level of content and pedagogical knowledge.
- Demonstrate knowledge of content to be taught.
- Demonstrate knowledge of students’ skills, knowledge and prerequisite relationships.
- Demonstrate knowledge of content-related pedagogy.
- Demonstrate the ability to design coherent instruction.
- Demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate student learning.
- Provide quality feedback to students and colleagues.
KSDE Standards 1, 2 and 3. KPTP Focus Area A: analysis of Contextual Information
- The teacher education candidate will develop and implement an appropriate learning environment where all students are engaged and on task.
- Recognize and implement factors related to development of a classroom environment of respect and rapport.
- Establish appropriate expectations for learning and achievement.
- Demonstrate the ability to manage common non-instructional duties.
- Demonstrate the ability to manage student behavior appropriately.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage all students in learning.
KSDE Standards 3, 4, 7, 11 and 12. KPTP Focus Area B: Analysis of Learning Environment Factors
- The teacher education candidate will appropriately implement and adapt instruction for diverse learners to ensure all learners meet expectations.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and accurately.
- Demonstrate the ability to use questioning and discussion techniques appropriately.
- Demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness toward a diverse population.
- Demonstrate knowledge of age group characteristics.
- Demonstrate knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of students’ interest and cultural heritage.
KSDE Standards 4, 11 and 12. KPTP Focus Area C: Instructional Implementation. KPTP Focus Area D: Analysis of Classroom Environment
- The teacher education candidate will demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors.
- Reflect on teaching and its effect on learners’ performance.
- Maintain accurate records of attendance, lesson completion, and student progress.
- Serve appropriately as student advocate.
- Communicate appropriately with families.
- Maintain cordial relationships with colleagues.
KSDE Standards 5, 6 and 8. KPTP Focus Area E: Analysis of Assessment Procedures. KPTP Focus Area F: Reflection and Self Evaluation
Select a Music Education, Bachelor of Music degree to see the required courses.
4-Year Career Plan
The path to your future career starts long before graduation. Learn what steps you need to take along the way to put you a step ahead.Read More
A degree in Music Education can be used in more ways than you may think. Take a look at some of the potential careers that can result from this area of study.Learn More
We’re here to help. Get in touch with our Career Services team to prepare and plan for your future profession.Get in Touch


In a blog published last month, we talked about a newborn named Sammy. As Sammy ages, he’ll move into other environments, one of which may be an early care and education classroom. Assuming that this classroom is high quality, with nurturing and well-informed educators, Sammy will continue to learn more vocabulary.
Hopefully, he’ll be exposed to an environment that is print-rich and filled with many different kinds of print from books to magazines, lists, charts and labels. Teachers will read a variety of genre from poetry to non-fiction and everything in between. These types of opportunities will inspire Sammy to become engaged in print and to learn new words, read books and explore the world around him. He’ll become a speaker, a reader, a writer, a scientist and even a mathematician! Everything he does is intentionally planned to pique his interest and to engage is natural curiosity in all that surrounds him.
One of my favorite sites for children’s literature is the International Children’s Digital Library. Here, parents can find books representing their culture and home language! This library is amazing, and they are constantly seeking volunteer translators and authors!
Choosing an appropriate early care and education site for your child requires care and preparation. No one knows your child better than you. While it is recommended that you chat with neighbors and family you trust, please know that the program that works for your niece may not work for your child. When parents select a program that matches their child’s interests and temperament, the child will thrive. Likewise, when the match between the child and the center are not aligned, the child may begin to demonstrate behaviors that are inappropriate. Child Care Aware is a great site for suggestions on choosing the right center.
Moreover, Sammy will also take part in early literacy activities that are developmentally appropriate. It is widely known that language development and literacy acquisition are mutually supportive. When a child improves his listening skills, his speaking will be enhanced. Likewise, when a child’s reading improves, so will his writing. Therefore, Sammy will actively participate in reading activities in small groups, shared reading activities that will introduce early literacy skills as well as letter, sound and word play. He’ll even look at books independently. He’ll learn that he can gather great information from books. For instance, when architectural books are in the block center, he’ll be transformed into an architect who creates and constructs castles and space stations! My children loved building with Legos and Duplo Blocks as well as Lincoln Logs and wooden blocks. Block play is very important and can be a fun way to help children develop terrific words.
I know these sound like very sophisticated activities for a child who is three or four years old. However, if the activities are presented using every day materials and in fun, non-stressful ways, Sammy will not even know that he is learning.
Finally, there is an organization solely dedicated to the needs of young children – it is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This organization sets the standards by which we create new programs for children and future teachers. NAEYC promotes parent involvement and provides generous tips for parents in a simple format entitled, Message in a Backpack. These ideas are easily completed and cover a variety of topics from “Playing Music at Home” to “Trying Yoga with Your Child.” Reading Rockets is another fabulous site that encourages all kinds of literacy activities for families.
I have been in the education field for over 40 years. I have never met a parent who doesn’t want the best for their child and/or children. If we give children a good start, they will thrive. Remember, relationships, interactions, play and fun are important ideas.
Talk! Read! Play! Have many great days!!
Deborah Watson is the Academic Program Manager for Post’s Early Childhood Education program. Watson has more than 35 years of experience in the field of education and has been teaching at the college level for 17 years. Watson has a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University. Watson has a sixth year in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford.


How do we define emerging technologies? George Veletsisanos defines emerging technologies as tools, innovations, and advancements utilized in diverse educational settings to serve varied education-related purposes (Veletsisanos, 2008). I say it is technology that could be new or old that is meant to help us in learning. It could be a tool, or a way of doing things, something that is not being used everywhere. Emerging technology has many faces; we see it in business, education, sports, and recreation. Veletsisanos writes that Individuals and corporations see a potential exists in technology, but that potential hasn’t been realized yet. But it seems everyone is trying to get their product out there and used by schools and teachers.
Saga Briggs writes for Innovation Excellence, and uses data from the NMC (New Media Consortium) who has been following emerging technologies in teaching and learning across the globe. One of their research efforts, The Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition listed ten emerging technologies that would impact the world of education within the next five years. Those technologies were: cloud computing, mobile learning, learning analytics, open content, 3D printing, MOOCs, virtual and remote laboratories, games and gamification, tablet computing, and wearable technology (Briggs, 2013).
Combining that list with the list of author Mariana Ashley from Online Colleges.net who had the top ten amazing emerging trends in elementary ed., there was really no match. Ashley had more hand held hardware, and materials that were or are already in classrooms.
The differences I see between the two are, one author is using actual data, and the other is trying to compile a list for parents and educators. The REMC Association of Michigan has a site with a link titled Keeping up with trends and emerging technologies, where they state right off the bat, “Your first step is to read the Horizon Report each year” (REMC.ORG).
I was trying so hard to find the actual technology to answer this question that I lost focus of the question, how do we define emerging technology. I guess the only simple answer is we need to understand what the technology is and how it is going to improve the learning process. The things that work and can be implemented on a larger scale and are backed by a reputable organization will be the emerging technology until the next big thing comes along.
Ashley, M. (2015). 10 Amazing, Emerging Tech Trends In Elementary Education. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecolleges.net/10-amazing-emerging-tech-trends-in-elementary-education/
Briggs, S. (2013, July 29). 10 Emerging Educational Technologies & How They Are Being Used Across the Globe (Web log comment). Retrieved from http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2013/07/29/10-emerging-educational-technologies-how-they-are-being-used-across-the-globe/#sthash.IrW7P0gb.dpuf
REMC (2015). 21 Things 4 Teachers, REMC Association of Michigan. Emerging Technologies, what’s next? Retrieved from http://www.21things4teachers.net/21-things/emerging-technologies/
Veletsianos, G. (2008, November 18). A definition of emerging technologies for education (Web log comment). Retrieved from http://www.veletsianos.com/2008/11/18/a-definition-of-emerging-technologies-for-education/


The Fillmore music curriculum for grades K-2 provides students the opportunity to explore the musical elements of beat, rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, dynamics, texture, tempo, and pitch across a wide range of hands on activities. To accomplish this students will participate in singing, instrument playing, movement activities, rhythmic games, and guided opportunities for improvisation.
The Fillmore music curriculum for grades 3-5 builds upon the foundational skills built in grade K-2. Students at this level can select from a range of activities that include orchestra, band, and guitar. These classes provide the opportunity to learn and develop skills necessary to play their chosen instruments and develop an enjoyment for playing and performing in a large ensemble. To achieve success students will require regular practice at home. All students in performing classes will have the opportunities to perform in winter and spring concerts. Additional performance opportunities, community events, and festivals may come up throughout the year.


The ability to play is so crucial to a child's development, that the United Nations has recognised playing to be the right of every child, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition to the emotional and cognitive development that playing offers, physical development is a large factor that influences how a child grows. Every type of activity contributes to a child's physical development in some way, whether your child is playing soccer or colouring a picture for a friend.
Help your child develop gross motor skills by engaging in activities like running and throwing a ball or frisbee. Gross motor development refers to building up large muscles in the legs and arms. You can help stimulate growth in babies by clapping their hands together and giving them "tummy time." Place a baby on his or her stomach for 5 to 10 minutes; this gives the infant a chance to practice rolling over and lifting up on his or her arms.
Promote small motor development by giving your toddler crayons for colouring a picture. Small motor development deals with the smaller muscles in the body, like the muscles used to smile or to grasp a spoon. Toddlers and preschool age children can practice fine motor skill development by lacing yarn through large wooden beads or tying shoes. A baby that is old enough for solid food can be given small pieces of food on a high-chair tray to practice grasping and self-feeding.
Get moving with your child. Loco-motor movement is the movement that gets your body from one place to another. Activities like skipping and playing hopscotch are examples of locomotor skills. Loco-motor movements play a role in gross motor development by working large muscles groups.
Twist and shout. Non-loco-motor movement works to "fine tune" the body. Non-loco-motor movements are the movements you do without moving from one place to another. Pulling a jacket on or twisting a cap to open it are examples of non-loco-motor movement. Development of non-loco-motor skills promotes coordination and balance.
Wave goodbye. Manipulative movements like waving or grasping an object work with small muscle groups to improve eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills in your child. An activity like rolling a ball to a child will help develop eye-hand coordination and work small muscles.
Encourage children to be active in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since childhood obesity is a concern in our current society, children who are involved in play are more likely to live a healthy life.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child's physical development, contact the child's paediatrician.
Never leave a baby unattended during play or while feeding.
Tips and warnings
- If you have any questions or concerns about your child's physical development, contact the child's paediatrician.
- Never leave a baby unattended during play or while feeding.
Things you need
- Skipping rope
- Small pieces of food
- Large beads
- Ribbon or thread
- "The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance"; How Play Influences Children's Development at Home and School; Diane Smith; 1995
- "Paediatrics"; The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds; Kenneth R. Ginsburg; 2007
- North Dakota State University: Understanding Physical Development in Young Children


New research says sharing voluntarily makes young children happy
Posted June 20
Good news, parents: Your kids actually enjoy sharing toys with their friends…provided you aren’t forcing them to do it. New research suggests that when preschool-age children share voluntarily with their peers, it actually makes them happy. Just more proof that kids are too pure for this world.
The research comes out of Tsinghua University in Beijing, where researchers examined a group of 3- and 5-year-old preschoolers in China. The researchers studied the children’s facial expressions for signs of positivity as a measure of happiness, and found that both age groups expressed greater happiness when they chose to share instead of being asked to do so.
The children were split into two groups: one that shared stickers voluntarily, and another that shared out of obligation. Both the 3- and 5-year-olds shared more of the stickers when they felt they had to share them (as opposed to when the sharing was voluntary). However, both age groups also showed greater signs of happiness when they shared stickers voluntarily.
“So, it seems that the motivation to give does count,” said study author Dr. Zhen Wu in a press release, “and it also suggests that it is unrealistic to expect a very young child to share under pressure and be happy about it!”
These results will be valuable to the parents of toddlers, as well as for preschool and elementary education teachers, in formulating class norms that will help children grow and become thoughtful in their relationships with their peers.
To be fair, however, Dr. Wu mentioned that it might not all be altruism.
“For instance, it is difficult to entirely rule out the influence of social norms even in the voluntary giving mode,” Wu said. “The giver might have felt pressure to give even when told they were not obliged to.”
Regardless, this is interesting research in whether or not generosity leads to happiness…and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true?


Australia's future depends upon each citizen having the knowledge, understanding, skills and values necessary to provide the basis for a productive and rewarding life for citizens in an educated, just and open society. High quality schooling is central to achieving this vision.
The National Assessment Program (NAP) is the measure through which governments, education authorities, schools and the community can determine whether or not young Australians are meeting important educational outcomes.
In a world where people are increasingly mobile, the majority of today’s students can be expected to live and work in a range of places in Australia and overseas. It is important that there be consistent and well understood measures of student achievement around the country, and that the outcomes of these assessments be used to inform future policy development, resource allocation, curriculum planning and, where necessary, intervention programs. The NAP provides useful nationally comparable evidence about student achievement. By participating in these assessments schools benefit not only their own students, but also the students in every state and territory.
Benefits of the NAP
Two benefits of the NAP are to help drive improvements in student outcomes and provide increased accountability for the community.
All Australian schools benefit from the outcomes of national testing. Schools can gain detailed information about how they are performing, and they can identify strengths and weaknesses which may warrant further attention. Aggregated results are made available through comprehensive reports at the national and school level. National level aggregated results are also available online. For more information on how results are reported, see Test Results.
At the system level, the NAP provides education ministers with information about the success of their policies and resourcing in priority curriculum areas. The NAP also provides ministers with the capacity to monitor the success of policies aimed at improving the achievement of different student groups, such as Indigenous students.
Without the nationally comparable data about student performance that the NAP provides, states and territories have only limited information about the achievement of their students in relation to their peers. NAP data provide an additional suite of information, thus enhancing the capacity for evidence-based decision making about policy, resourcing and systemic practices.
The NAP also performs an accountability function. Australians can expect education resources to be allocated in ways that ensure that all students achieve worthwhile learning during their time at school. The reported outcomes of the NAP enable the Australian public to develop a general national perspective on student achievement and, more specifically, an understanding of how their schools are performing.
In 1999, ministers of education released the Adelaide declaration on national goals for schooling in the 21st century (Adelaide Declaration). In this declaration, ministers agreed to report on progress towards the achievement of the national goals comparable by state and territory, using national key performance measures as the basis for reporting. In order to measure student achievement in relation to the national goals, ministers agreed to a program, called the National Assessment Program (NAP), to collect, analyse and report nationally comparable data on student achievement in literacy, numeracy, science, ICT and civics and citizenship.
Following the Adelaide Declaration, the NAP sample assessments started in 2003 with science literacy.
The Adelaide Declaration was superseded by the 2008 Melbourne declaration on educational goals for young Australians (Melbourne Declaration). The Melbourne Declaration, in contrast to the earlier declaration on schooling, has a broader frame and sets out educational goals for young Australians. These are:
Ministers agreed on eight actions to achieve these educational goals. One of these actions is to ‘promote world-class curriculum and assessment’.
The Melbourne Declaration states that:
assessment of student progress will be rigorous and comprehensive. It needs to reflect the curriculum, and draw on a combination of the professional judgement of teachers and testing, including national testing.
The Melbourne Declaration also states that the learning areas English and mathematics are fundamental in all years of schooling, placing emphasis on the literacy and numeracy skills assessed by NAPLAN tests.
The first NAPLAN tests took place in 2008 and were conducted by the then Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA, now Education Council). This was the first time all students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 were assessed in literacy and numeracy using the same year level tests. The national tests, which replaced a raft of tests administered by Australian states and territories, improved the comparability of students’ results across states and territories.


Many people view learning music as a nice goal, but fail to see it as beneficial to larger ideas and life skills. While musical education can be beneficial for its own merit and enjoyment, learning music provides positive influences for young men. Music education provides emotional, social, physical, and cognitive benefits. By getting Cadets involved in music, parents and educators can give them an opportunity to grow as people and gain skills they can carry for a lifetime.
- Playing music gives students the chance to learn and practice how to stick with a difficult project until the end. This skill is something a student can carry into other areas, such as learning other subjects or continuing their education.
- Students gain confidence by seeing progression in their skills. This confidence empowers young men to feel as if they can do more tasks and can accomplish more challenges.
- Music has been shown to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Music can be a vital means of self-expression and channeling of emotions.
- People who play music report increased feelings of relaxation and calmness.
- By learning music, students become more comfortable with taking safe risks and feeling fear. Learning about taking risks in a safe environment is a skill that can create a more thorough process of self-development, and is tied to leadership skill building.
- When young men learn music, they have a chance to meet people from a variety of backgrounds and learn about other cultures by playing different music styles.
- Students learn how to cooperate and participate as part of a team.
- By learning music, students practice trusting others, including authorities.
- Music instruction and performance teaches cadets about discipline by keeping commitments and completing their share of a project.
- Students playing music learn about the give and take of being in a group, such as having to adjust tempo or volume to better the performance. In this case, students learn about cooperation and teamwork.
- Playing music has been shown to lower heart rate, which lowers blood pressure.
- Learning music allows students to practice fine motor skills and spatial awareness.
Cognitive and Learning
- Playing music helps memory skills such as the abilities to remember and recall information.
- Studies have shown improvements in reading and math skills among students who study music.
- Students who are actively engaged in musical learning, especially in school-based programs, have been shown to be less likely to drop out of school.
- Learning music increases auditory awareness. This teaches students to pick up patterns within a noisy environment, which can help with language learning and understanding emotional cues in sounds.
- Some studies show that students who learn music have better skills in concentration and focus, which improves testing scores and other markers of academic success.
- Students studying music learn to think creatively to solve problems.
The Many Benefits of a Musical Education
There are many benefits to Cadets participating in musical education. As with any activity, it is important to ensure that each student is enjoying the activity and is actively engaged to truly benefit from the experience. By learning and studying music, students are able to benefit emotionally, physically, socially, and intellectually. These are the kinds of skills that students can use for the rest of their lives, even in areas that are not specifically tied to music.


Numeracy at UBHS
Here at UBHS we regard Maths as one of the most important subjects that your child studies at school as it develops their thinking and encourages them to solve problems independently. Children do benefit hugely when parents take a keen interest in their mathematical learning. As children progress each year at UBHS, they are shown different methods to solve mathematical problems.
As with all maths strategies, teachers demonstrate all of the standard written methods of problem solving. We encourage students to try a variety of methods and then decide on one that they feel confident using. This can be the difference between getting the answer right or wrong.
At UBHS we have numerous strategies of helping students succeed with their numeracy skills. During Maths lessons students follow a challenging and problem-solving enriched programme which is complemented by a numeracy skills focussed curriculum across the college. Every week students use their dedicated Aspire form time programme to practice essential Numeracy skills to help them improve with their learning for all their curriculum subjects.
How can Numeracy be improved?
Students can practice their Numeracy skills by using the MyMaths website: http://www.mymaths.co.uk/
Please support your child at home to practice these skills routinely during the week. Thank you for your continued support.


The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional grouping of 21 economies situated within the Pacific Rim. Its fundamental objective is the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment aim at accelerating economic growth and development among member economies. APEC ascribed to the idea that human resource development is fundamental to economic development. Without adequate human resources, the opportunities offered by trade and investment liberalization would diminished considerably. It was no less than former President Fidel V. Ramos who advance the idea that the greatest economic resource of APEC is its people.
APEC believes that skill shortages can constrain the expansion of output in the short-term and limit the possibility of diversifying productive structure in the long-term. APEC member economies expressed concern that the growth and development opportunities afforded by liberalization may be jeopardized by the gap between the skills needed by industry and the output of educational and training institutions.
In view of this, APEC spearheaded a study in 2001 focused on Multinational Corporations in selected economies. The research aimed to assess the nature and extent of skill shortages and training needs in eight selected APEC economies by focusing on the experiences of multinational corporations in four industries--manufacturing, banking and finance, insurance and business services. The MNCs were chosen as they can benchmark the skills of their workers against international standards with other MNCS.
KEY STUDY FINDINGS
The Philippine country paper that contains the results fo the survey highlights the following:
EXTENT OF SKILL SHORTAGES AND DEFICIENCIES
The survey utilized a number of variables to indicate the nature and extent of skill shortages faced by MNCs, namely: (1) perceived hurdles in recruiting personnel; (2) the extent of the use of subcontracting; and (3) the time required to recruit IT personnel. Skills deficiencies can be gleaned from the specific skills identified that would be needing improvement.
Skill Shortages. Firms were found out to experience recruitment difficulties for managers and professionals than recruiting clerical, sales, services and production personnel. The study results showed that looking for non-technical workers is simpler as they can be easily trained even if they are skills deficient upon entry. Recruitment for technical positions is another case as there are minimum levels of competencies required of the workers at the time of job entry. Hence firms tend to exercise greater selectivity.
The MNCs reported that they find it difficult to fill up technical positions especially in the field of IT. Dearth in the supply of communication and computer technicians, electronic and maintenance engineers/technicians and network technicians are common among surveyed MNCs as it takes them 4 to 7 weeks to fill up this technical positions. Supply of IT personnel is also wanting as it takes MNCs 12 to 15 weeks before finding out qualified applicants for the positions of project managers, program designers, system consultants and system analysts. This positions generally require experience, leadership and communication skills aside from technical proficiency.
This illustrates the "brain drain" the country is experiencing as the more capable and talented ones are being lured by the glitter of overseas employment.
Skills Deficiencies. Most of the MNCs indicated that the skills of their workers that needs to be improved pertained to:
In contrast, MNCs expressed satisfaction with the level of literacy and numeracy skills of Filipino workers.
HOW MNCs ARE COPING?
There are several ways by which MNCs deal with the problems of skill deficiencies and shortages. The most common ones are expatriation, recruitment, job outsourcing and training.
CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
The results of the survey showed that there are skills bottleneck in the supply of managerial, professional and technical labor. Abundant stock of production workers remains the country's comparative advantage. It also showed that the skill shortages reflect the existing mismatch between supply and demand in the production sector. This is well exemplified in the case of IT manpower where the huge turn out of graduates has failed to stem the growing shortage of qualified IT personnel.
Intensifying firm-level training should be encouraged to generate the right kind of skills required by companies. However, reforms should be instituted in the educational system as firm-level training cannot constitute for quality education. Firms are not expected to hone the workers' generic skills that should been developed by the educational system. Likewise, there are limits to which MNCs can be made to invest in human resource development. The study suggested that improving the quality of education is more compelling in resolving the twin malaise of unemployment and skill shortages than broadening education access at quality's expense.


Some topics covered in an elementary education include science, language arts, physical education, math, music, social studies and art, according to Great Kids. There's a heavy focus on reading, writing, critical thinking and problem solving, and state standards determine what is specifically taught in each grade level. Elementary school usually covers kindergarten through either fifth or eighth grade, depending on the school.Continue Reading
Some topics kindergartners might encounter include counting and identifying numbers, recognizing shapes, writing out short words, recognizing the letters of the alphabet with their sounds and identifying colors. First graders build on these skills to learn to write more complex words, read more challenging books, write sentences, tell the time, count money and do addition and subtraction problems, notes Great Kids.
Second graders might focus on improving their vocabularies, comparing and contrasting ideas, multiplying, reading more fluently and using a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words. Third graders might learn cursive writing and more complex multiplication and division, and they work on their reading comprehension and word recognition skills as they read books that are longer.
Some topics fourth graders encounter include performing research, doing math with decimals and fractions, writing full paragraphs, inferring meaning from texts and memorization. Fifth graders might learn to classify things, write essays, solve math word problems, find the volumes of shapes, improve their reading comprehension and fluency, write research papers and analyze stories, states Great Kids.Learn more about K-12 Curriculum


The Great Hall has been the majestic main entry of The Metropolitan Museum of Art for more than a century. When it opened to the public in December 1902, the Evening Post newspaper reported that at last New York had a neoclassical palace of art, "one of the finest in the world, and the only public building in recent years which approaches in dignity and grandeur the museums of the old world." Architect Richard Morris Hunt, who was one of the founding trustees of the Metropolitan and the most fashionable architect of his day, designed both the Museum's classical Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue façade and the Great Hall, which now greets more than five million visitors each year. Hunt did not live to see the project completed—after his death in 1895, his son Richard Howland Hunt carried out the final stages of work.
The monumental limestone façade's principal motif—an arch with flanking pairs of freestanding columns—is repeated three times across the central front. Inside, directly behind and echoing the arches of the façade, is the Great Hall, also in limestone, with its three immense saucer-shaped domes and eight dramatic arches springing from enormous masonry piers. The "mosaic" floor is an aggregate of bits of marble framed by strips of yellow marble. On the first level of the Great Hall, colonnades at the north, west, and south ends provide access to the galleries throughout the rest of the two-million-square-foot building. On the second level is a continuous balcony with vaulted ceiling.
Four large niches carved from the central piers, as well as the centrally located Information Desk, hold large starburst arrangements of fresh flowers, which are refreshed each week, thanks to an endowment provided by the late Lila Acheson Wallace, who was one of the Museum's largest single benefactors.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens—businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day—who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. It has been on its current site in Central Park along Fifth Avenue (from 80th to 84th Street) since 1880.