Each year, our annual art exhibition is one of the highlights of our social calendar – and despite this year being a little different to our usual set-up, it was certainly no exception. We were delighted to see so many parents, friends and relatives join us via Zoom to celebrate some of the incredible artwork that our pupils have produced.
Unleashing creativity is at the very heart of our curriculum, whether it be through music, dance, drama or free play. Over time, the children start to build their confidence and self-esteem, and will begin to develop preferences for different mediums and forms of expression. And, with Children’s Art Week now in full swing, there’s no better time to delve into some of the other benefits of letting our inner artist run wild and free.
An alternative way to communicate
Young children can often be unsure of how to accurately communicate their thoughts and feelings, and art can be a useful prop to help them do so. Many parents are eager to find out how their child’s literacy and numeracy skills are developing, but visual communication is equally important – and perhaps the one that might come most naturally to them.
‘When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play, and it is play that stimulates creativity’ – Linda Naiman
As we grow up, we tend to develop preferences towards the form of communication that we feel most comfortable with – and you may be surprised at how often this eventually influences our career choices too. There’s often a stark division between the arts and the sciences, yet the skills required to excel in each are so closely interlinked.
When a child begins to explore their artistic side, their problem-solving skills improve too. Let’s take mixing different colours of paint, for example. Encourage your child to experiment, then carefully observe what they see. Did they produce the colour that they expected to? How could it be altered by trying something new? Regularly flexing these observation skills can enhance all aspects of their learning.
Fuel for the imagination
Creativity cannot be taught. It can be encouraged, nurtured and explored – but never taught. It’s something that’s instinctual, and it plays a key part in cognitive and social development. Some of the world’s greatest scientists, inventors and mathematicians famously thought outside of the box. Without their relentless experimentation and the courage to try something new, so many remarkable discoveries may have never been made.
‘The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create’ – Barack Obama
While activities such as drawing, painting, collaging and sculpting can ignite our senses and free our minds, they also exercise our focus and concentration skills. It takes a certain level of hand-eye coordination to produce any piece of artwork, and the more we practise, the more we can refine this skill too.
Over the last few months, we’ve all spent more time cooped up indoors than we usually would, and we’ve been so proud to see all of the ways in which our parents and pupils have been making the most of the materials that are available to them. From stick men made from twigs and pipe cleaners, to portraits made from newspaper, their imagination seems limitless!


At Falcons School for Girls we consider mathematics to be a vital part of school life, and we integrate it into the daily programme throughout each year group.
Mathematics teaches pupils how to make sense of the world around them through developing their ability to calculate, reason and solve problems. It enables them to understand relationships and patterns in numbers and space within their day to day lives. As their knowledge and understanding grows, pupils will learn to appreciate and apply mathematics to a variety of contexts.
We have excellent resources and we make good use of our interactive whiteboards and IT facilities, in addition to a wide range of practical mathematics equipment. All pupils have access to the online resource Mathletics and we encourage the use of this at home as well as in school.
In Early Years, maths develops through process and exploration. We provide firm grounding in the basic concepts of number, shape and measure, taught through practical, interactive activities. Our pupils begin to develop a sense of number and the concepts that underpin it.
In Key Stage 1, our pupils concentrate on developing high levels of numeracy, performing and recording calculations, as well as collating and presenting data. Numeracy skills such as times tables are practised and consolidated, in order to ensure that the more complex and challenging mathematical tasks undertaken in Key Stage 2 are supported by a thorough understanding of number and swift recall of key number facts.
In Key Stage 2 we continue to lay the groundwork for more formal written methods, and we use kinaesthetic activities to support the more abstract concepts such as time. The 11+ preparation is in full flow by Year 5. The provision of maths is rigorous and highly structured, whilst still incorporating the flexibility needed to deliver lessons effectively to all pupils. Our curriculum aims to cover all of the 11+ maths topics by the end of Year 5.
Girls in Year 5 and 6 take part in the annual Primary Mathematics Challenge which is a UK wide event. We find that this encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in the subject and shows the girls many different ways in which questions may be asked. We also have various visiting companies run workshops in school for our pupils, focusing on problem solving and application of mathematical skills.
At Falcons School for Girls we run a yearly STEAM week, which provides opportunities for our pupils to apply their knowledge and skills into other areas of the curriculum. They also enjoy the opportunity to consider how we use these skills in the wider world.


Music possesses unique qualities that can promote a child’s affective and cognitive development.
The mission of the music education program of the Chesapeake Public Schools is to empower students to experience music as a source of personal enrichment, as a vehicle for the constructive expression of emotion, and as a complex intellectual discipline.
Inherent in that goal is the development of skills in the areas of music literacy, music performance, and critical thinking, as well as the fostering of life-long enjoyment and appreciation of music. Music education is an integral part of the overall curriculum of the Chesapeake Public Schools.
With this in mind, a structured, sequenced program of instruction has been developed.
The Chesapeake Public Schools music curriculum is aligned with the National Standards for Music Education as well as the Virginia Music Standards of Learning which are organized in four content strands:
Perform, Create, Investigate, and Connect.
The Perform content strand includes activities in which students demonstrate their mastery of musical concepts through singing, playing instruments, and moving to music.
The Create content strand highlights self-expression and use of notational tools in creating original compositions as well as improvising, both vocally and instrumentally.
The Investigate content strand involves theoretical skills such as notating, reading, and analyzing music, as well as historical perspective and evaluative tools.
The Connect content strand explores the commonalities between music and other disciplines.
Although presented separately for organizational purposes, the content strands are integrated throughout music instruction at all grade levels. They provide the framework that guides the instructional process and shapes the activity or experience.
All elementary students in the first through fifth grades receive weekly instruction in music. Fifth-grade students may choose to participate in beginning string orchestra classes. An elective, performance-based program of study in band, chorus, and orchestra is provided in grades 6 through 12. In addition, non-performance music electives, including music theory, music survey, and beginning guitar, are offered at the high school level. Each year, computer technology plays an increasing role as a valuable tutorial and instructional resource in all music classes.


A review of the new guidance from the Department of Education on study skills
On Tuesday, the Department said that while it still recommends that students learn to read, write, and think, the guidelines do not offer a set of skills for reading, writing, and thinking in 4th grade.
“The Department has been working on this issue for many years,” said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in a statement.
“While we appreciate that teachers have the tools they need to teach these skills, the department is making the recommendation that students do not need to take the same level of study to learn to write, read, or think.”
The guidance also states that students should be able to take their study skills to a different level, but this does not require them to study on their own.
DeVos said that this guidance is “an important step forward in improving the literacy and numeracy skills of our students, and it’s an important first step toward addressing the problem of under-performing children in school.”
The American Federation of Teachers has been fighting for more than a year for the Obama administration to address the problem, and they are still waiting for the final rule to be finalized.
While the administration has said it is working on a final rule, it is unclear when the final decision will be made.
In June, the Obama Administration released a document that outlined how to help teachers in low-income schools prepare for the Common Core standards.
The plan includes some recommendations to address concerns raised by educators, including a new set of materials, a new curriculum, and an additional assessment tool to measure students’ readiness to learn.
DeVos also stated that her administration is “reviewing the Common Standards standards” and will continue to work with states to ensure that they have all the necessary tools for students to meet the standards.
“There is a lot of work to be done,” DeVos said.
“We need to be sure that we’re making sure we’re providing the resources that are needed to prepare our children for the standards.”


Tracy Tina June 12, 2020 Worksheets
Subtraction worksheets help a child learn the skills required for subtraction. It also gives you, as a parent or teacher, an opportunity to understand how much he has grasped and what the best way of making him learn more will be. Subtraction is integral in math and it is something children will be using all their lives. There are various levels of subtraction worksheets available which match the skill levels of different children.
Once downloaded, you can customize the math worksheet to suit your kid. The level of the child in school will determine the look and content of the worksheet. Use the school textbook that your child uses at school as a reference guide to help you in the creation of the math worksheet. This will ensure that the worksheet is totally relevant to the kid and will help the child improve his or her grades in school.
This can be done only if the child gets the basics right. Worksheets are a great way of testing a child with him having fun at the same time. Subtraction worksheets are necessary to be solved by a child regularly so that he understands the subject well.
Worksheets are now being used in our day to day lives. A large proportion of people use worksheets to teach or impart certain lessons to their children. There are various kinds of worksheets for kids, which are nowadays used in schools for easy learning. Worksheets for kids which are particularly used in schools are basically to write letters, joining dots, numerical and so on. Students in kindergarten school and under that uses free worksheets for learning the basics. These worksheets for kids are even used to draw out shapes and differentiate them from the other one. Free worksheets are even easily available from the internet.
There are numerous online resources that offer online worksheets that you can download and use for your children`s homeschooling for free. They cover practically all subjects under the sun. Different homeschool worksheets are available that are suitable for all types of curriculums, and they can help enhance what you are teaching.
The next step is learning to write numbers, and this is where mathematics worksheets become almost a necessity. Unless you have great handwriting, lots of spare time and a fair amount of patience, writing worksheets will help you teach this valuable skill to your child. Dot-to-dot, tracing, following the lines and other writing exercises will help your child learn how to write numbers. A good set of worksheets will include practice sheets with various methods to help your child learn to write numbers.
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Helping Kids with Autism Make Friends
February 27, 2020
February 27, 2020
Having a buddy to share a laugh with, someone to turn to when they reach a new milestone, a shoulder to cry on when they’re sad, or even an Anna to their Elsa when they’re dreaming up snowmen in ice castles… Friendship is something all parents want for their children.
For parents of children on the autism spectrum, this desire can be even more intense, but also often feels distant. Socialization and communication can be difficult for individuals with autism and the preference of alone time is strong for many, especially at a young age. The good news is, even with some challenges, friendships in the autism community are not only possible, they can be as lovely and fulfilling as parents could hope for them, even if they appear differently than others would expect.
It is important for parents to keep in mind that children with communication barriers and behavioral challenges typically need help building certain skills before engaging in productive peer play.
“Peer play seems simple on the surface, but it actually requires a lot of prerequisite skills,” Hopebridge Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Kelsey Coffelt reminds us.
If a child with autism seems disinterested in interacting with others or wants to do so, but has difficulties connecting, there are a few skills parents and therapy teams may first want to address:
Like other areas of communication and socialization, applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) can support families who want to target these skills and more in order to give children the foundation they need to create relationships throughout a lifetime. Once children have learned the prerequisite skills – whether they acquired them on their own or have been taught them in ABA therapy – there are other areas therapists and parents can focus in order to encourage budding friendships.
Kelsey gave us a BCBA’s inside look at five steps we may take during Hopebridge’s autism therapy when setting out for goals around peer play:
Even with the right skills, the scenario may not always play out this smoothly, but working on these small goals over time can help children learn to interact with each other and enjoy it at the same time! One of the benefits of Hopebridge’s center-based therapy is we can easily bring children together to work on these skills in a shared space, once they are ready.
Early intervention is significant in building these foundational skills, so if you have a child on the spectrum who could benefit from ABA therapy, don’t wait. Contact us to learn more about how Hopebridge can help your kiddo make lasting friendships, while also increasing his or her overall independence.
*Informed consent was obtained from the participants in this article. This information should not be captured and reused without express permission from Hopebridge, LLC.


As with any kind of work that involves working with individuals of differing skill levels, ages, challenges, innate abilities, and support systems(to mention only a few), there is no one umbrella answer or prescription to cover all possibilities.
In the case of this high school student who made a pretty significant pencil grip transformation the month previously, there was a one month gap between his last session and the day when I took this video. Over the course of the month, he had AP exams, school field trips, absences, and final exams which made it so that I could not see him for his regular weekly sessions in his school.
So approximately one month after I had worked with him, I saw him and we did some brain gym and I had him write again, and his handwriting grip had actually improved without any additional support.
The basic foundational skills in his hands were improved, therefore when he was using his hands for his daily life tasks such as typing on his computer, dressing himself, eating, playing basketball, the new patterns were getting reinforced and strengthened.
As you can see in the video below, his hands have increased in ease and his non dominant hand has relaxed and become more supportive without working harder.
It does not always happen like this in every case, however these kinds of results happen more often than not. When you break down the activity you're trying to master whether it be pencil grip or learning a new language, down into its component parts and assess and work on the skills that that activity entails, dramatic changes can happen in a short time.


What Every Musican Needs to Know About the Body, revised edition
The Practical Application of Body Mapping to Making Music
Written by Barbara Conable
Designed by Benjamin Conable
Published by GIA
This book is also the name of a six-hour course for musicians.
About this Book:
This book is a primer by the classic definition, a small book of elementary principles. In this book, the principles (the funadmental, primary, or general truths) are those principles on which a musician may reliably base a lifetime of playing. These principles will protect a musician from injury, promote the physical freedom and sensitivity for technical mastery, and secure the embodied intelligence that grounds musical power and subtlety. The principles in this primer are the elemental foundation of music education. Musicians teaching from these principles will see thier students thrive. Students studying and restudying these pages will find delight in their enhanced performance.
Information About this Book
Head and Neck
The Brain and Movement
Supporting the Instrument


Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning
VT.RF.4. Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
RF.4.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RF.4.4(c) Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
VT.L.4. Language Standards
Conventions of Standard English
L.4.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.4.1(d) Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.4.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.4.4(a) Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.4.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.4.5(c) Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).


Mathematics Program @ SKPS
Our Mathematics Program focuses on developing students’ understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning skills across three content strands: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Students develop useful mathematical and numeracy skills for everyday life, work and as active and critical citizens in a technological world.
The junior levels lay the foundation for learning Mathematics. Students have the opportunity to access mathematical ideas relevant to their current lives and learn the language of Mathematics. They learn to pose basic mathematical questions about their world, to identify simple strategies to investigate solutions, and to strengthen their reasoning to solve personally meaningful problems.
During the junior years of schooling, Maths lessons are designed to provide students the opportunity to explore Mathematics on their own, with a partner, with the teacher and through a variety of problems, games, songs, tasks and hands-on experiences.
As students transition to the senior school, Mathematics begins to expand from the concrete to the abstract. Students are scaffolded to develop increasingly sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning, modelling and problem-solving. These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by applying mathematics to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.
Students begin to see connections and apply mathematical concepts, skills and processes to pose and solve problems in a variety of contexts. They develop a greater understanding and appreciation for mathematics as a discipline – its history, ideas, problems and applications, aesthetics and philosophy.
Additionally to our classroom Mathematics Program, we provide opportunities for students in Year 4 to Year 6 to participate in our Extension Mathematics Program. This is a select program for up to 12 students who demonstrate a passion, aptitude and growth mindset to learning mathematics.


Art and education: Arts in education
Arts education has been cut from the curriculum over the last several years. School boards cut arts from the curriculum because art is considered useless and a waste of time. Arts comprises of music,art, theatre, etc.
However, arts education is not useless, as some of these schools may have thought. It has come to be known that arts play a vital role in young learners’ studies. Some tutors have started using theatre to teach some subjects, and it has proven to work.
It is no doubt that with the implementation of arts in education, learning will be fun. There are many other things that the implementation of arts in education would teach in the learners.
Comparing mathematics and the science lessons that are offered in schools, it is only arts education that gives students the chance to express themselves. Through art education lessons or programs, the learner can recite a monologue in different ways.
However, for a student to recite the monologue in different ways, then the aspect of creativity must be present. In other words, students must be creative for him or her to find the different ways to recite the monologue. Besides that, the student also becomes creative after reciting several monologues.
Improving Academic Scores
Arts education not only improves the creativity of the learner but also improves their academic scores. Art education plays a role in simplifying the studies, which makes it easy for the students to understand.
Since it also improves the memory of the students, they can store things they study for a longer period. This translates to better academic performance and a possibility of the students never using their resources again to buy essay online.
Research shows that children who take part in artistic activities have higher chances of performing better academically as compared to their counterparts who do not take part in such.
This applies to young learners who take part in instrument playing. Some of the simple and easy tasks such as paintbrush holding and crayon scribbling play an important role in developing the motor skills of the children.
A report from the National Institute of Health shows that the milestones of development at the age of three comprises of circle drawing and the use of safety scissors. From the age of four, the child will be in a position to cut straight and almost perfect lines using the scissors and drawing squares.
Art lessons and programs in schools build on the student’s confidence. Theatre involves acting, and in the process of acting, the learner would develop confidence as he or she will be required to perform in the presence of others. It ensures that the learner steps out of his or her comfort zones.
Arts education is quite a challenging program. Sometimes in the process of learning art, one may get frustrated quit. However, if one is interested in the vice, then he or she will keep on pushing until he or she makes it.
In the process of pushing for success, one will develop the spirit of determination or endurance. This is very important for the learners as it will inculcate the art of not giving up on their studies and any other endeavors. Also, in the process of enduring the challenges, the learner will develop a sense of focus.
Art education also plays a role in building critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, where one is singing or dancing, he or she would try to engage in critical thinking skills.
This can be through singing or dancing to portray a certain image or to pass certain information. What the learner will come up with in such a situation and implement will be the decision. If leaners participate in such arts, they are likely to develop and improve their decision-making process.
Conclusively, art education plays a central role in improving students’ performances. It builds creativity in ways that enable them to develop unique means of handling an unusual situation. Art in education also ensures that learners develop persistence in their studies and remain focused.
It is also through art education that learners can develop the ability to make better and informed decisions. In the process of presenting or making live performances, the learner is always required to live up to the script and be confident enough to face the crowd.
He or she has to come up with several ways to present the information correctly, meaning that he or she will go for the best alternative, which is decision-making and critical thinking.
*Please take note that upon submitting your comment the team at OLM will need to verify it before it shows up below.


- Art, Food & Technology
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Our Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent: Our purpose and ambition
The Music Department seeks to facilitate the personal and musical development of our students. We aim to provide students with excellent opportunities to become confident musicians, and diverse musical experiences that enable them to better understand the world they live in.
We have strong links with various music industries and strive to provide our students with the qualifications necessary for their chosen career paths. Gateacre Music Department have a proud history of producing students who have gone on to make their career from music, or used it a springboard for a plethora of different avenues of work.
The Music Department believes that demanding and challenging work is an entitlement to all students, rather than something that is an ‘addition’ or an ‘enrichment’. It is our intent to push and challenge all students both practically and academically as a matter of course. Access to difficult material will be secured within lessons through scaffolding, modelling, feedback and independent practice. It is our intent that teaching and learning will be routed in the science of learning and evidence-informed.
We also believe that it is essential that our students acquire the educational, cultural and social capital to which they are entitled: quality music education and extra-curricular experiences should be open to all regardless of background.
Implementation: Design, Pedagogy and Assessment
There is significant thought and consideration into the order that topics (and supporting lessons) are taught. Knowledge is delivered and accumulated in a logical, cumulative progression.
Key strands and recurring themes are identified within each of the faculty’s domains. The big ideas are made explicit to students and built on what Willingham calls ‘the unifying ideas of each discipline’.
All lessons are delivered using the TEEP cycle and the underpinning elements of good instruction. The latest research and principles that form part of the science of learning are bolted on to this model.
Students are given the opportunity to revisit academic content and practical skills: this is essential for music. Strategies such as interleaving, dual coding, low stakes quizzes and knowledge organisers are incorporated.
Differentiation & Challenge
All students are challenged. Differentiation does not take the form of ‘bespoke’ worksheets. Students are continually challenged to improved practical skills through an array of scaffolded music.
Assessment & Feedback
Assessment is clearly focused and varies depending on purpose. Assessments are planned to ensure high validity and reliability. They feedback into teaching where appropriate. Feedback is focused and often verbal for practical skills.
Literacy & Numeracy
Disciplinary literacy techniques are used to explicitly develop students tier one and tier two vocabulary. Opportunities to develop numeracy are taken where appropriate.
Cultural Capital and SMSC
Opportunities are planned within schemes of work for students to advance their cultural and social capital and develop as individuals on a spiritual and moral level. This is explicit to students.
Linking Curriculum to Careers
Students are to be given the opportunity to look at careers linked to Music. The department has several links with industry and the world of work that it regularly exploits for the benefit of our students.
IMPACT: Attainment, Progress, Knowledge, Skills and Destinations
The impact of our curriculum will be assessed each year in accordance with school policy, and using the different types of data available to us. This data will include exams results analysis, examiners reports, emerging research, QA, student voice and staff voice. Data in Music will include a great deal more teacher observation/listening than many other subjects, particularly at KS3. As such the Assessment Skills booklet is an important tool for teachers and students as a way of monitoring progression.
As mentioned above, our students go on to a variety of destinations, and the department is proud of its industry links, and on the numbers of students who go on to make music their chosen career path. We will endeavour to maintain links with students (many of whom are on our destinations display board) in order to provide role models for current students.


Music and Cooperation
Cooperative processes fostering dependence, accountability, participation, and interaction are intrinsic to musical performance. They manifest themselves in orchestras, chamber ensembles, choruses or bands, and in collective endeavors such as operas and ballets. (1,2,3,9)
The study of music allows students to experience meaningful affirmation through teamwork, which can be of particular significance to at-risk and challenged youth. (4,5,6,8)
In addition, music education can strengthen relationships in schools by creating multiple opportunities for collaboration among students, teachers, parents, artists and the community. (7)
- Heath, S. & Roach, A. (1999). Imaginative actuality: Learning in the arts during nonschool hours. Chapter in E. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of change: The impact of the arts on learning (pp. 19-34). Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership and Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
- Stevenson, L. (2011). Youth, arts and social change. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Stanford University.
- Skyllstad, Kjell. (2007). Music in Peace Education and Conflict Transformation: Nordic Perspectives. In L. Bresler’s (Ed.), International Handbook of Research in Arts Education (p. 1053). Dordrecht: Springer.
- Horowitz, R. & Webb-Dempsey, J. (2002). Promising signs of positive effects: Lessons from the multi-arts studies. In R.Deasy (Ed.), Critical links: Learning in the arts and student academic and social development. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership.
- Deasy, R. (Ed.) (2002). Critical links: Learning in the arts and student academic and social development. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership.
- Wolf, D.P. (2000). Why the arts matter in education or just what do children learn when they create an opera. In E. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of Change: The impact of arts on learning. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
- Burton J., Horowitz, R., & Abeles, H. (2000). Learning in and through the arts: The question of transfer. Studies in Art Education, 41(3), 228-257.
- Malin, H. (2012). Creating a children’s art world: negotiating participation, identity, and meaning in the elementary school art room. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 13.
- Sward. R. Band is a family. Today’s Music Educator, pp.26-27, Winter 1989


|Pre-1992 - List of 42 ERIC Digests
File Name File Title
Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools.
To Enhance Self-Esteem.
for Later Life.
Heart of Education: Three Exemplary Approaches.
Scope of Practice of the Secondary School Counselor.
Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge.
Strategies for At-Risk Youth.
Achievement in a Second Language.
Language Minority Students to Special Education.
Studies for the 21st Century: Recommendations of the National Commission
on Social Studies in the Schools.
of Knowledge by High School Students in Core Subjects of the Social Studies.
Art From a Global Perspective.
in Art Education: A Look Toward Implementation.
Transition: Its Role in Achieving Universal Literacy.
and the Adult Education Act: 25 Years of Collaboration.
Work and Family Life.
and the English Language Arts.
on CD-ROM: Update 1990.
Role of Libraries in Literacy Education.
Children and Schools.
Happening to American Families?
and Alcohol Prevention Education.
Knowledge Base for Teaching.
Teachers' Leadership Skills.
and Writing in a Kindergarten Classroom.
Role of Schools in Sexual Abuse Prevention and Intervention.
Schools: Programs, Policies and Prospects.
Uses in Secondary Science Education.
Library and the Latchkey.
Technology and the Informed Citizen: New Challenges for Government and
Locating Practice-Oriented Materials in ERIC.
the Consumer about Advertising: Some Issues.
Budgeting for Higher Education at the State Level: Enigma, Paradox, and
the Responsibilities of Citizenship.
Achievement in Core Subjects of the School Curriculum.
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to any Federal agency or ERIC unit. Further, this site is using a
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This site exists to provide the text of the public domain ERIC Documents
previously produced by ERIC. No new content will ever appear here
that would in any way challenge the ERIC Service Mark of the U.S. Government.


Understanding vowels is the foundation for reading and writing the English language. Try stringing a line of consonants together and ask your child or students to make sense of what they see. They will soon realize that vowels give meaning to words and create patterns that assist their ability to read correctly.
It is essential for young children to be exposed to the power of vowels from the earliest stages of their reading development. Research has demonstrated that confusion with vowel sounds, or a lack of knowledge for the importance of vowels in words, serves to create much of the reading problems we see in literacy support classes at school.
For instance it is not uncommon for young children to confuse the vowels “i” and “e”. One way to overcome this problem is to focus on these vowels independently in the first instance and then to participate in classification activities so students learn to differentiate between the two vowels sound. Following is a sequence of a few simple tasks to teach children to decode words which contain the “i” or “e” vowel sounds.
1) Make large cut outs of both sounds. Display and discuss the difference in the shape of the letters.
2) Display word list that contain “i” and “e” as beginning and medial sounds. Colour code vowels to assist young readers with their visual perception of the sound.
3) Make picture cards of relevant words and their name and have children classify them according to the vowel sound. (Visual example would be good here)
4) Make mixed up silly sentence activities which focus on one of the vowel sounds for children to cut and paste in the correct order.
A similar problem can also emerge with the vowels “a” and “o” as the shape of these letters is similar. The same activities above can be adapted to these vowels as well as the following activity which is more specific to the “a” and “o” sounds.
1) Give children a worksheet that demonstrates the shape of both letters.
Ask them to make a smiley face on the “o” letter to show how Mr “o” looks straight ahead. Next draw an ear on the right side of the “a” and a nose on the left to demonstrates how Mr “a” looks to the side.
When children have a strong grasp for the first four vowels, and are competent with identifying them in print at the beginning and medial junctions of a word, introduce the “u” sound.
When you sense children are ready to work with the five vowels together, construct simple tasks that assist you to assess their understandings for reading the five vowels. Classification of activities using words with medial vowels is powerful indicators for children’s understandings for example. Below is a list of words that could be made into a cut and paste activity as an enjoyable, yet accurate form of assessment.
This task can be different to meet differing stages of understanding, at a teacher or parent’s discretion as follows:
Take vowels seriously when teaching young children the basic of reading. Lack of understanding can be evident for reading and spelling problems in later stages of literacy development. Let your creativity reign and HAVE FUN!


Printable CVC Words Activity for Kids
CVC and CCVC words are one of the first words read by kids so they are the building blocks to a wonderful world of literacy. We have an easy CVC words activity to share with
Colorful 100 Sight Words Chart
Convenient, useful learning tools that decorate as they educate! The Colorful 100 Sight Words chart measures 17" by 22". Related lessons and activities are provided on the back of the chart.
Pumpkin Volcano Activities for Preschoolers - Freebie Finding Mom
Want something fun, educational and autumn appropriate to do with the kids? Well if you aren't afraid of a little mess, try this 7 step pumpkin volcano project!
Easy Alphabet Activity: Post-It Match - Busy Toddler
Ready to work on the alphabet? Try this Post-It Match activity! A hands-on, play-based approach to learning the alphabet. A great indoor activity from Busy Toddler.
Paper Plate Muffin - Kid Craft Idea For Story Time
Paper Plate Muffin - Kid Craft Idea For Story Time Hi friends! Continuing on with the theme of children’s books and kid crafts that go along with them –
Free Uppercase Letter Writing Worksheet - Free4Classrooms
Free Uppercase Letter Writing Worksheet. Students look at each sample letter and copy it neatly on the lines. An alternative use of this page would be to ask students to write the lowercase letters next to each uppercase letter.
Handprint Hermit Crab Craft
This handprint hermit crab craft is a great extension of the Eric Carle book, A House for Hermit Crab and makes a great classroom display!
Ideas for Revving Up Sight Words Practice - Lessons for Little Ones by Tina O'Block
Since sight words are so critical to reading success because they are used so often and can not easily beContinue reading
15 Circle Time Lessons with Favorite Children's Books
Enhance your circle time lessons with these activities tailored to some of our very favorite children's books.
Sight Words Games - Planning Playtime
Looking for fun Sight Words Games and Worksheets? Our Kindergarten Literacy Unit 8 is all about Frys third set of 25 sight words. Kids will get to work on decoding and reading words in different ways. Over 100 Pages in this set!! Activities include pages for an interactive sight words binder as well as hands-on engaging sight word centers. Children will get to practice reading and spelling their sight words in a variety of ways. This unit also includes 25 No-Prep Sight Word find, build and…
Word Building Activity Travel Kit
My family has a few long road trips planned this summer and let’s face it… the kids get bored! Although we allow the luxury of some electronics during long
Word Work Centers & Phonics Instruction - Simply Creative Teaching
When setting up your word work centers, there’s lots of things you need to consider. In my classroom, I want my word work centers to match the phonics skills we are working on. I also think it’s important that my students can do these activities independently! That’s why I keep the activities VERY similar, but ... Read more
The skill of rhyming is so important for children in preschool and kindergarten! I love to read rhyming books to help children develop an ear for rhymes. This is the ultimate list of rhyming books! #rhyming #phonologicalawareness #booklist #booksforkids


Forces : physical science for kids / Andi Diehn ; illustrated by Shululu.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Sage Library System. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Hood River County Library District.
0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Summary:What keeps us stuck on the ground? What makes magnets come together? What makes one team win during a game of tug of war? Forces!
Search for related items by series
|Location||Call Number / Copy Notes||Barcode||Shelving Location||Circulation Modifier||Age Hold Protection||Active/Create Date||Status||Due Date|
|Hood River County Library||J EARLY 531.6 DIE (Text)||33892100594713||Children's Early Non-Fiction||Book||None||03/12/2019||Available||-|
- ISBN: 9781619306363
- ISBN: 1619306360
- ISBN: 9781619306387
- ISBN: 1619306387
- Physical Description: 28 pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm.
- Publisher: White River Junction, VT : Nomad Press,
- Copyright: ©2018
What keeps us stuck on the ground? What makes magnets come together? What makes one team win during a game of tug of war? Forces!
|Target Audience Note:||
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|Subject:||Force and energy > Juvenile literature.
Physical sciences > Juvenile literature.
Force and energy.


Learn how to make a kaleidoscope in this fun STEM/science activity and craft for kids. It’s such a fun way to explore light, reflections, and symmetry!
Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board!
*This post was originally published 2/2/16 and has since been updated.
Last week I made these super fun kaleidoscopes with my after school science class (which is composed of 1st and 2nd graders). They loved exploring how their own designs reflected in the kaleidoscopes- such a fun STEAM activity for elementary students! (This post contains affiliate links.)
Meets Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
- Grade 1: Light and Sound PS 4 -2 and PS 4-3
- Grade 4: PS 4-2
SEE IT IN ACTION HERE
STEAM for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope
Materials for Homemade Kaleidoscope
- Empty toilet paper roll
- Mylar sheets (thicker sheets, not rolls of thin paper) or mirrored sheets
- Scissors and/or paper cutter (This is the paper cutter I keep at home. It’s come in super handy!)
- White cardstock
- Bendy straw
- Markers, stickers, or other materials for decorating your spinning circle
- Optional: Paint for decorating your cardboard tube
Directions for Homemade Kaleidoscope
1. If you are planning on painting your cardboard tube, do that first. We used our favorite tempera paint. Set it aside to dry.
2. Next, you’ll need to cut your mylar sheets or mirrored sheets into three equal strips. You’ll want the size to be just right so the finished kaleidoscope insert fits snuggly in your cardboard tube and won’t fall out.
We used cardboard tubes from an empty Cottonelle toilet paper roll. I’m not sure if different brands of toilet paper use different sizes of cardboard tubes, but these are the exact sizes that worked with our Cottonelle tubes. You might need to adjust yours depending on the size of your tube. (Since you won’t want to waste any mylar, practice sizing yours using cardstock first.)
We cut our mylar into strips that measured 9.7cm x 3.5 cm.
3. Line up your mylar strips, leave a tiny space between each one. (Place the shiniest/least scratched sides face down.) Tape them together over the spaces.
4. Fold the taped mylar into a triangular prism and tape along the top to hold in place.
5. This should fit snuggly inside your cardboard tube.
6. Cut off the bendy end of a flexible straw.
7. Tape it along the top of your tube with the flexible part of the straw hanging over the edge.
9. Poke a hole in the center of your circle. (I used a sharp pencil.)
10. Decorate the circle using markers, stickers, crayons etc. Try out different designs, shapes, and letters!
11. Place the circle onto your straw with the design facing the kaleidoscope. You want the hole to fit over the flexible portion of the straw so it will turn easily.
12. Look into your kaleidoscope and explore all the reflections created by your design!
- If you have trouble getting your triangular prism to fit snuggly into your cardboard tube, it will work on its own. Simply tape the straw directly on top of the prism rather than using a tube.
- Make as many cardstock circles as you want and try them all out!
Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!


Square Panda is a multi-sensory learning system that includes interactive learning games with your tablet (IPad or Android) and a set of 45 tactile smart letters to help children learn to read. Twin brothers who were diagnosed with Dyslexia and struggled with learning while they were young developed Square Panda.
The device comes with 14 levels of phonics instruction and a cloud tracking system so that parents and teachers can measure each child’s individual progress, challenges, and preferences for game types. Square Panda offers phonic-based learning (sound to letter relationship) so it is suitable for Pre-k, kindergarten, special education, and children in an ESL program.
Quick Demo of Square Panda Phonics Multi-Sensory Playset
YouTube video posted by Clarence Dunn
Director of Business Development, Square Panda
Margaret Byrd Rawson, a former President of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) said, “Dyslexic students need a different approach to learning language from that employed in most classrooms. They need to be taught, slowly and thoroughly, the basic elements of their language—the sounds and the letters which represent them—and how to put these together and take them apart. They have to have lots of practice in having their writing hands, eyes, ears, and voices working together for conscious organization and retention of their learning.”
Some children may have difficulties in their vision with tracking or visual processing. Other children may find their auditory processing skills are not strong. However, each child may have a special area of sensory learning strength. The use of more of the child’s senses, especially the use of touch (tactile) and movement (kinetic) may help their leaning.
A learning system like Square Pad, which offers games on iPad (or Android Tablet) combined with the tactile letters’ activities, may help children overcome challenges in phonics and reading.


Our fast-paced webcast series engages middle school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) topics in just 30 minutes. We bring in Museum curators, astronauts, and experts in the field to connect classrooms with real-world, relevant content. Shows combine animations, interviews with experts, and unique locations to show students that science extends beyond the walls of their school.
The shows are interactive. Students respond to polls and submit questions that are answered online or during the live broadcast. Educators are provided with additional content and follow-up activities to extend the experience beyond the live webcast. Each show meets Next Generation Science Standards. See the full schedule.
How It Works
- We release an episode on the first Thursday of each month.
- You can watch it on-demand as your class schedule allows.
- We host a live video chat with our hosts and experts from the episode the second Thursday of each month.*
- You bring the burning questions that came up when you watched the episode and dive even deeper on each month’s topic
*Exact date of live chat subject to change.
Connect With Us
Meet the Hosts
Beth Wilson has been an educator at the National Air and Space Museum since 2004. She has more than 20 years of museum education experience and has worked at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, and the Capital Children's Museum in Washington, DC. Before entering informal education, Beth taught at The George Washington University.
Marty Kelsey is a lifelong educator. He holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education, two Masters in education, and is National Board Certified. He taught elementary school for nine years and middle school Science and Broadcasting for seven years in Liberty, Missouri, the district he graduated from
Have questions about how to use STEM in 30 in your classroom? Need technical advice? Have ideas for new topics? Don't hesitate to contact us.
Join Us On Set
STEM in 30 webcasts are online learning experiences, but are sometimes filmed in front of a live audience. If you are interested in bringing your school group to a filming of STEM in 30, please contact us.


I remember at some point during my educational training, thematic units went OUT… and so many teachers seemed relieved. At that point, with my lack of experience I didn’t really mind either way. All I knew was that it made it easier for me to submit my subject units when they weren’t really tied together.
I heard teachers saying things like “Thank goodness I don’t have to go out and find worksheets with seashells on them for ocean week anymore.” Before I began creating my own themed resources, I was worried about the exact same thing. After all, did the seashells on the page actually provide students with opportunities for deeper learning?
Then something happened… I began teaching. It became my job to engage young learners. It became my job to light them up to learning and get them excited about all there was to know and discover in the world.
This was also around the implementation of the common core and teachers were wondering how to ever include informational text and learning in the classroom, particularly at the kindergarten and first grade levels. What did all this mean, and how would we manage to teach all these new units to our students? The wonderful team I was working with at the time had never really let thematic units go, and that sure was a gift at this time in our teaching journeys!
The key for my students was… you guessed it… thematic units! I am definitely talking about old school topics, penguins, cats, pumpkins etc.
Here are the reasons I love thematic units
Students are excited to learn and explore stories about different topics. They are bursting with anticipation to discover the theme of the week (or sometimes two).
2. More authentic reading, research, and writing experiences-
When we read about, wrote about, or watched about a certain topic, students were invested in this topic. They wanted to learn all they could about it and they wanted to share it orally and in writing.
3. Opportunities for spiraled practice in a cohesive way-
The great thing about organizing our units within themes, helped students to continue to do all sorts of reading and writing throughout the year, rather than having one trimester of the year all about narrative writing, one quarter about procedural writing, and another all about informational writing. This approach offered real opportunities to practice writing all about the theme, writing a story about the theme (or exploring stories within the theme), answering opinion questions.
4. The connections are real-
Exposing students to informational and narrative text and writing in the same time period surrounding a common theme really helped my students to make meaningful connections. One of my favorite examples was during a “bat week” fall unit, students learned all about bats. They wrote bat books… and then we read Night Song (which is such a beautiful story) and their eyes lit up! They had the science vocabulary and knowledge do make real inferences about the text… what was the night song anyway?
5. Builds background knowledge-
Not only is the gaining of background knowledge amazing for students as young learners, but even just short term within the week, if students are exposed to informational text and opportunities to share, when they write to share an opinion or to make an inference, they are operating with some background knowledge on the topi.
6. Facilitates the incorporation of text evidence-
Even very young students can do a great job finding text evidence to support their opinions when they’ve had a chance to engage with text in an authentic way and to draw their own conclusions.
7. Keeps skill practice fresh!
Kids, especially young learners, are acquiring many beginning and foundational skills which require repeated practice. Skills such as sight word practice, math fact practice, number and letter identification can all become tedious and even boring for students. When you can make that small connection between the theme and this practice (yes even just with clip art) it renews their excitement and engagement with basic skill practice.
What are some of the other reasons you love thematic units?


Each week, students focus on a letter and number of the week. We encourage creativity in thinking and learning about the letters we introduce, with activities like the Teddy Bear Tea Party for the letter T, a Pirates and Princesses dress-up day for the letter P, or the “wedding” to join the letters Q and U together forever.
Creativity combined with curriculum creates not only a fun learning environment but also the foundation for eager, happy, excited students.
Every day includes a balance of teacher-directed and child-selected activities that follow an age-appropriate kindergarten readiness curriculum. Teacher-directed activities might include story time, circle time, and sharing time along with phonics, pre-literacy, and pre-numeracy activities. Student-directed play may include any one of our hands-on learning centers that encourage fine motor skill development, creativity, and skill building.
Whole Child Development
We encourage artistic expression at every level through musical opportunities, drawing and painting, and dramatic play.
Of course, stimulating outdoor play, which encourages the development of gross motor skills and includes time to run, climb, slide, jump rope, and exercise growing bodies, is a key part of our daily schedule. Nap time is a vital part of our day because growing bodies need a chance to rest.
The combination of these activities and our focus on the development of the whole child provides them with key skills which help them succeed.
Social Skill Building
We encourage students to play, work, solve problems, and learn together. Our students work in groups regularly and participate in activities that encourage cooperation, learning the rules of fair play, and successful social interaction.
Classes stay stable from academic year to academic year, building bonds of friendship and encouraging social stability.


The education system in the United Arab Emirates is a relatively well-performing institution. The current formal schooling system began with the union of the previously independent emirates, to form a single country. The union enabled the new country to generate wealth to support a new advanced learning environment. In the beginning of the revolution in the education sector, the government founded the United Arab Emirates University in Abu Dhabi. At the same time, the government established a ministry dedicated to education. The event marked the beginning of the provision of high quality education to the citizens of the country. The University of the United Arab Emirates, which was the first institution of higher learning, was founded in 1977, and has modernised its facilities and improved its standards to above average since then (Gaad, 2011). Recently, the country has increased the number of public institutions of higher learning to three through the creation of the University of Zayed and the Higher Colleges of Technology. All the higher learning institutions in the United Arab Emirates have a higher proportion of female students as compared to the male ones. This is a peculiar characteristic, particularly for an Islamic country. Several other private institutions also offer higher education (Augustin, 2002).
In the UAE, the level of illiteracy among adults is below ten percents of the population. Throughout the 1990s, the UAE established adult education centres throughout the country in an effort to eradicate poverty. Special attention is directed towards adult illiterate women and children with special needs, such as those with disabilities and impaired intelligence (Baker, 2005). The government policy is that all children should obtain equal education opportunities. In this regard, it ensures that children with special needs do not drop out of school due to the hiking of fees by school administration to cater for their special needs. Moreover, the government is in the process of establishing learning facilities for disabled children in every school. Currently, several schools have undergone a transformation into learning centres for children with special needs (Gokulan, 2012).
The provision of elementary education in UAE is considerably appropriate. The policy for basic education dictates that all children must attend school up to the ninth grade. The first six years of schooling are the primary education. During this period, learning process is realised in segregated schools. However, the rate of enrolment is high. Over 90 percent of the population acquires the primary education. Despite the high proportion of individuals undertaking primary education, enrolment in the secondary education is relatively dismal with less than 70 percent completing their secondary education (Wand, 2010).
When Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ascended to power in 1971, he set on modernizing the newly formed federation. Among his major agendas was the provision of education for all. Despite his Islamic background, the prince had a moderate and rational approach. He endeavored to provide education for both women and men, and instituted true liberalism. A formal system of education facilitated the country’s education system transformation into a remarkable internationally acknowledged institution. The royal prince set precedence for the current cosmopolitan education system, which cooperates with foreign and international universities in the provision of quality education (Kirk, 2010).
The UAE government is impartial in implementing policies. Notably, its efforts in developing a quality education system for people with special needs are prominent. Above all, the equality between men and women in all education sectors is eminent. Although a greater percentage of males than females are educated, only a minimal margin exists between the figures. This margin results from the population imbalance between men and women. At all stages of education in the country, the number of women attending school is higher than the number of men.


Aistear is the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland. It gives information to help plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences so that all children can grow and develop as competent and confident learners.
The Aistear framework is based on 12 broad principles – many of which are similar to the aims and objectives of the primary school curriculum.
Practically speaking this means that teachers will deliver the curriculum in an integrated / thematic way using play as a methodology.
How does this work in the classroom?
We have a series of play stations and we divide the children into groups. During the course of a week, each child has an opportunity to play at each of the stations.
Play gives children the chance to experiment and practice what they are learning in a safe space. It helps with their physical, emotional, educational and intellectual development. Play is a vehicle to explore, think, invent and create meaning.


Curriculum and Instruction
QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS: Our teachers are qualified, competent Christian teachers who have expressed their love and concern for children. They have demonstrated their teaching effectiveness. All teachers K-5th grade must have a minimum of a BA in Education.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION : Our faculty members use a variety of teaching methods and styles. They recognize that individuals have different learning styles. The most effective instruction and learning methods are selected, while taking into consideration the subjects and individuals being taught.
CURRICULUM MATERIALS: The learning materials used in our religion classes are published by our Lutheran publishing house and the Christian faith is integrated into all subject areas by the classroom teachers. All of the other materials are selected from national publishers and are Georgia State adopted
EVALUATION MATERIALS: The academic progress of students is monitored in many ways. Teachers use daily assignments, portfolios, tests, and other classroom activities to access students progress. These are used to determine grades placed on quarterly report cards. The purpose of this evaluation is to help students experience success, not to provide negative feedback.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Faith Lutheran School strives to accommodate children with varying abilities, whose potential achievement is not incapacitated by specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, or physical impairments. In this regard, FLS is limited in professional staff prepared to give assistance to children with the aforementioned conditions. Children with these impairments are not automatically excluded; rather, it must be determined through the application and screening process if the staff and programs of FLS can meet the child’s educational and developmental needs.
Our accrediting institution approves the scope and sequence of the courses of study. Textbooks are selected on the basis of how well they serve the curriculum and meet the required goals and academic competencies as set by our faculty and School Ministry Board (SMB). The textbooks (curriculum) are reviewed by the staff and SMB on a six-year rotating basis.
The curriculum of Faith Lutheran School seeks to provide excellence in all academic areas. While great emphasis is placed on the foundational basics of education, our curriculum provides opportunity for challenge to the student.
RELIGION is taught at every grade level. It includes memory work, Bible history, and important Bible stories. The emphasis of religion at FLS is to share with the child the unconditional love and acceptance Jesus has given.
LANGUAGE ARTS consist of reading, literature, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. Mastery of oral and written use of the English language holds a very high priority among the subjects.
MATHEMATICS includes place-value, time, money, number concepts, arithmetic, pre-algebra, algebra and geometry. Computation of numbers and problem solving are stressed.
SOCIAL STUDIES is a study in the areas of geography, history, civics, economics and current events of our community, state, country, and world. Critical thinking skills are developed as issues in social studies are discussed.
SCIENCE has units that cover the fields of earth, life, physical, and general science. The study of nutrition, organs of the body and their function, and proper habits vital to being and remaining healthy also are studied.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION represents another area of study and development in regard to body, mind and spirit. Life-long attitudes toward physical exercise, sportsmanship, healthy competition, and skill development are emphasized as a major part of the Faith P.E. program.
MUSIC education incorporates formal instruction in music and music appreciation. Sacred music and more contemporary Christian music receive equal attention. Choir and Chime Choir programs are available depending on the grade. Instrumental music is offered as an extra-curricular activity.
COMPUTER EDUCATION incorporates basic knowledge of hardware, software operations for use in enrichment, supplemental, and remedial programs.
SPANISH – Sequentially taught, students expand their understanding of the Spanish language, including the use of greetings, commands, phrases, numbers, colors, and other daily-use vocabulary. Students speak, count, and sing in the Spanish language. This well-rounded approach to acquiring another language includes singing Spanish traditional, popular, and Christian songs; learning about traditions and holidays of Spanish speaking countries; hearing Hispanic folk tales; and playing Hispanic games.


About Habitats: Rivers and Streams
Part of About Habitats
An educator favorite for first conversations about waterways and conservation. From Cathryn and John Sill, creators of the award-winning About Habitats and About… series.
“This powerful conservation message is both accessible and lovely.” —Kirkus Reviews
In this addition to the About Habitats series, author and illustrator team Cathryn and John Sill offer an accessible introduction to rivers and streams, their major attributes, the animals and plants that live there, and their remarkable global diversity.
Former educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what rivers and streams are and explain how various species of animals and plants have adapted to life in or along these waterways. Noted wildlife illustrator John Sill provides detailed, full-color art to show the characteristics of the world’s different rivers and streams―from the mountain streams of the Alps to the mighty Amazon River in South America. A glossary and afterword provide further details. Great for casual exploration and for early childhood and elementary education units on nature, environment, earth sciences, and ecosystems.
The About Habitats series introduces children to specific habitats and their living and nonliving components. Each book in the series provides information about the nature and characteristics of the habitat while the full-page illustrations expand on that information.
Also available by Cathryn and John Sill:
About Habitats: Deserts
About Habitats: Forests
About Habitats: Grasslands
About Habitats: Mountains
About Habitats: Oceans
About Habitats: Polar Regions
About Habitats: Seashores
About Habitats: Wetlands
Publication Date: 8/1/2019
Page Count: 48
Size: 10″ x 8-1/2″
Age Range: 3 – 7
Themes: Rivers and Streams, Biomes (Habitats), Waterways, Adaptations, Animals, Diversity, Ecosystems, Environment, Organisms, Plants
BISAC 1: JNF037070 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Science & Nature / Earth Sciences / Water (Oceans, Lakes, etc.)
BISAC 2: JNF051100 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Science & Nature / Environmental Science & Ecosystems
BISAC 3: JNF051180 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Science & Nature / Earth Science
“The watercolors are quietly exquisite… This powerful conservation message is both accessible and lovely.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The book’s design gives equal weight to the words and pictures, which work together very well…. Beautiful in their composition, color, and sense of motion, these paintings portray scenes on six continents, helping viewers visualize common elements of rivers and streams in different habitats worldwide…. Well suited for classroom use, the book provides a handsome introduction to the topic.”—Booklist
North Carolina Author Awards (Nominee, AAUW Award for Juvenile Literature) —North Carolina Literary & Historical Association, 2019
You May Also Like
Meet the Author
Cathryn Sill, a graduate of Western Carolina University, was an elementary school teacher for thirty years. She lives in North Carolina.
Meet the Illustrator
John Sill holds a BS in wildlife biology from North Carolina State University. Combining his knowledge of wildlife and artistic skill, John has achieved an impressive reputation as a wildlife artist and received several awards. He lives in North Carolina. You can visit his website here.


5 Ways to Teach Kids to Sound Out Words
Cracking the reading code takes practice and repetition. Decoding words, or sounding them out, is the ability to apply existing knowledge of letter‑sound relationships to correctly pronounce printed words.
Many children develop the ability to decode words over time with regular reading practice. But children may also benefit from explicit instruction. Phonics instruction is an essential component of learning to read, and involves teaching your child how to decode words by correlating sounds with letters. Here are five helpful ways you can help your child sound out words.
1. Explain the “how” of decoding words
When your child comes across a word they are unfamiliar with, show them how they can sound out the word themselves by breaking it up into smaller parts (e.g. /c/…/a/…/t/). Help your child identify the phonemes – the single units of sound that distinguish one word from another – in words (e.g. /b/…/ur/…/n/). There are 44 phonemes in the English language. Phonemes charts can be found online.
The English language also contains many irregular spelling rules which can make sounding out particular words confusing. For example the letter combination /ch/ in the words ‘chef’, ‘choir’ and ‘cheese’ has three different pronunciations. Take time to help your child learn the pronunciation of every new word along with its meaning, in order to help them identify ‘irregular’ words by sight.
2. Teach blending
Blending is a crucial step in becoming a fluent reader. Put simply, blending is the ability to smoothly combine individual sounds together in words. For example, an early reader may read out each individual sound in the word ‘fast’ like /f/…/a/…/s/…/t/, while smooth blending would be sounding the word out as /faasst/.
3. Write it down
When helping your child sound out words, consider the following:
- Say it slowly – stretch out words so that it's easier to hear the sounds. Vowel sounds are usually the easiest to stretch out.
- Hold the sound – Starting with the first sound, hold it and stop.
- Find the letter – Help your child identify the letter whose sound matches the sound they have identified.
- Write it down – Write that letter down straight away, without waiting until the entire word has been sounded out. Help your child write a letter or letter combination for each sound as soon as the sound is identified.
Writing each sound as you go will help your child remember early sounds in a word by the time they figure out later sounds.
4. Play with rimes and onsets
A rime refers to the string of letters that follow an onset, which is the first phonological unit of any word. You can play with rimes and onsets by cutting out pieces of cards and writing a phoneme on each one, for example, b c f p r s m and h. Write the word at on a separate piece of paper. Ask your child to look at the rime at and decide if they have a phoneme that would correctly complete the word (e.g. b + at = bat).
5. Read aloud
When children hear words read aloud, they begin seeing how printed words are closely connected to spoken words. Reading aloud with your child helps them associate individual sounds with printed letters and letter combinations. Set aside regular reading time with your child and allow them to hear you read aloud slowly while watching your finger identify each sound. Programs like ABC Reading Eggs include read aloud options with e‑books for early readers, highlighting individual sounds as they are being read out.


Stanley (2016) BMC Phys Activity.pdf (1.51 MB)
Increasing physical activity among young children from disadvantaged communities: study protocol of a group randomised controlled effectiveness trial
journal contributionposted on 22.01.2021, 01:23 by RM Stanley, RA Jones, DP Cliff, SG Trost, D Berthelsen, J Salmon, M Batterham, S Eckermann, JJ Reilly, N Brown, Karen Mickle, SJ Howard, T Hinkley, X Janssen, P Chandler, P Cross, F Gowers, AD Okely
© 2016 The Author(s). Background: Participation in regular physical activity (PA) during the early years helps children achieve healthy body weight and can substantially improve motor development, bone health, psychosocial health and cognitive development. Despite common assumptions that young children are naturally active, evidence shows that they are insufficiently active for health and developmental benefits. Exploring strategies to increase physical activity in young children is a public health and research priority. Methods: Jump Start is a multi-component, multi-setting PA and gross motor skill intervention for young children aged 3-5 years in disadvantaged areas of New South Wales, Australia. The intervention will be evaluated using a two-arm, parallel group, randomised cluster trial. The Jump Start protocol was based on Social Cognitive Theory and includes five components: a structured gross motor skill lesson (Jump In); unstructured outdoor PA and gross motor skill time (Jump Out); energy breaks (Jump Up); activities connecting movement to learning experiences (Jump Through); and a home-based family component to promote PA and gross motor skill (Jump Home). Early childhood education and care centres will be demographically matched and randomised to Jump Start (intervention) or usual practice (comparison) group. The intervention group receive Jump Start professional development, program resources, monthly newsletters and ongoing intervention support. Outcomes include change in total PA (accelerometers) within centre hours, gross motor skill development (Test of Gross Motor Development-2), weight status (body mass index), bone strength (Sunlight MiniOmni Ultrasound Bone Sonometer), self-regulation (Heads-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, executive function tasks, and proxy-report Temperament and Approaches to learning scales), and educator and parent self-efficacy. Extensive quantitative and qualitative process evaluation and a cost-effectiveness evaluation will be conducted. Discussion: The Jump Start intervention is a unique program to address low levels of PA and gross motor skill proficiency, and support healthy lifestyle behaviours among young children in disadvantaged communities. If shown to be efficacious, the Jump Start approach can be expected to have implications for early childhood education and care policies and practices, and ultimately a positive effect on the health and development across the life course. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry No: ACTRN12614000597695, first received: June 5, 2014.
This study is supported by a National health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant (2014-2017; ID1062433). DPC is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE140101588). JS is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council principal Research Fellowship (APP1026216). TH is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (APP1070571). ADO is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Career Development Fellowship (CR11S 6099). The funding body played no role in the study design; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
JournalBMC Public Health
Pagination13p. (p. 1-13)
Rights StatementThe Author reserves all moral rights over the deposited text and must be credited if any re-use occurs. Documents deposited in OPAL are the Open Access versions of outputs published elsewhere. Changes resulting from the publishing process may therefore not be reflected in this document. The final published version may be obtained via the publisher’s DOI. Please note that additional copyright and access restrictions may apply to the published version.
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePublic, Environmental & Occupational HealthPreschoolEarly yearsPhysical activityMotor skillProfessional developmentCluster randomised controlled trialEARLY-CHILDHOOD SETTINGSAGED 0-4 YEARSPRESCHOOL-CHILDRENACTIVITY GUIDELINESEXECUTIVE FUNCTIONSEDENTARY TIMEHEALTHCAREACCELEROMETERINTERVENTIONSBone and BonesHumansBody WeightBody Mass IndexTreatment OutcomeExerciseChild DevelopmentTemperamentParentsCognitionMotor SkillsPublic HealthResearch DesignSocioeconomic FactorsChild, PreschoolVulnerable PopulationsHealth PromotionNew South WalesFemaleMaleExecutive FunctionChild Health


What kinds of works written for the piano are well suited to helping young players discover the world of contemporary music? What are the technical boundaries within which one can compose innovative piano pieces of pedagogical value that are realisable in lessons and still embody convincing compositions in their own right?
Since the beginning of the 20th century, at the latest, answering these and a slew of other relevant questions has posed a recurrent challenge to piano teachers who consider it important to teach in a way that does justice to their own times.
Precisely these questions are the focus of the Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition, which the mdw’s Ludwig van Beethoven Department of Piano in Music Education has been putting on for a decade now and whose fifth edition is slated to take place this year. Its naming had to do with another Ludwig van Beethoven Department event series: in 1995, Mauricio Kagel was a guest at the 3rd Vienna Days of Contemporary Piano Music. A renewed visit by Kagel had been planned but was precluded by his death in 2008. It was therefore decided to name the thematically related competition in this important composer’s memory.
The competition’s purpose is to encourage composers to take on the challenge of creating works for the piano in a contemporary musical idiom that have didactic potential and can be played by children or adolescents. Such works should employ the piano with all of its possibilities in the context of contemporary music’s diversity. The submitted works, which should be no shorter than 6 minutes and no longer than 15, need to be notated in a clearly comprehensible manner.
With respect to its conduct, this competition stands out for its transparency and its mode of decision-making, which differs starkly from that of other composing competitions: in the interest of ensuring the highest possible degree of fairness, even the jury only learns the identities of the prizewinners at the very end of the competition. During the final round, the jurors—all of them internationally renowned composers—engage in open discussion of the works from the field of submissions that they have selected for nomination.
Over the course of the previous four competitions, nearly 800 works from over 60 countries on all the world’s continents have been submitted. The prize-winning works from previous years have been published by Universal Edition in its volumes K2010, K2013, K2016, and K2019. And for the Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition’s upcoming fifth edition, Universal has once again agreed to publish the winning works.
The Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition is among those events that have been doing more and more justice to the current trend towards digitisation on various levels. The competition’s final rounds have been streamed live ever since its second edition in 2013. What’s more, the audio recordings of the prize-winning works produced following the competition have been put out as digital releases since the third edition in 2016 (mediathek.mdw.ac.at/K2016 and mediathek.mdw.ac.at/K2019).
Due in no small measure to the experiences of the past year, the competition’s organisers have now decided to expand upon the existing digital components: submissions to the upcoming competition will no longer be made by postal mail, as in the past, but via a digital submission portal. And to ensure broad awareness of the call for entries, the associated publicity efforts now feature increased use of a wide range of social media channels.
The jurors will make their personal selections out of the entire field of works that arrive by 3 September 2021. The competitions thus nominated for the final round will then be performed by students of the Ludwig Van Beethoven Department at the mdw’s Fanny Hensel-Saal between 1 and 4 February 2022. It goes without saying that the presentations and jury discussions will once again be streamed live, this time exclusively in English in view of the stream’s international audience.
The jury of the 5th Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition once again features prominent names: we look forward to greeting Michael Jarrell, Elena Mendoza, Isabel Mundry, Miroslav Srnka, and Marco Stroppa.
Call for Compositions!
5th Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition
Open to composers under age 40
Submission deadline: 3 September 2021
Final Round: 1–4 February 2022
For more information visit: mauricio-kagel-kompositionswettbewerb.com
Organisational team: Johannes Marian, Clara Murnig, Albert Sassmann


P.E. & ATHLETICS
The Physical Education Program stresses participation and involvement for all children preschool through eighth grade. The program is designed so that children can learn to develop and incorporate the knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead physically active and healthy lifestyles. Children are taught that physical health and wellness are lessons for life, and not just school years.
The curriculum provides a program to meet the needs of various age and skill levels. Movement education and balance activities are the main focus in the lower grades. Space awareness and tag games help improve children’s peripheral vision while moving in space. Students benefit from these tag games while playing team sports in later grades. Refinement of motor skills, hand-eye coordination and physical fitness activities are stressed in the intermediate grades.
Athletics is an important part of Sullins’s physical education program. Throughout the physical education, athletic, and rec programs, the emphasis is on skills development, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
Primary School curriculum focuses on movement, balance, depth perception, and spatial awareness.
These skills are taught through age appropriate obstacle courses and tag games. Hand-eye coordination are practiced through throwing and catching games.
Lower School curriculum focuses on team sports, cooperation, team-building, and individual skills.
Sports include volleyball, soccer, baseball, tennis, football, basketball, and hockey. Students participate in bi-annual fitness testing, single and team jump ropes, and seasonal tag games. Fourth and fifth grade students complete the PE Central Challenge. As a culmination of Heart Health Awareness month, students participate in the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart.
Middle school curriculum focuses on team sports, cooperation, team-building, and individual skills.
Sports include volleyball, soccer, baseball, tennis, football, basketball, and hockey. Middle school students play hockey on rollerblades. Students participate in bi-annual fitness testing. Cross curricular projects include anti-tobacco posters in art and a language arts based research paper on famous athletes and their educations.


Children Need Music
Music is that international language of love that we all understand. Unlike spoken words which can be arranged into thoughtful sentences framing poignant messages, songs hit your heart first and you feel the words before you comprehend them. This is perhaps the one common thread that we humans have, aside from the need to breathe, sleep and eat, that binds us as one people living on a vast planet.
Musical introduction to children at young ages has been shown to provide a number of remarkable benefits. The intuition that parents have to play soothing music to calm a baby, or as a distraction, comes easily. We naturally sing words in drawn out high-pitched measures meant to grasp their attention. And how cute is it watching a diapered wee one bop to the beat of a catchy tune, dancing when they can barely walk? Studies show that while all of this is certainly endearing, music also has the potential to greatly affect a child’s growth and development.
According to Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, “Language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.” Additional studies indicate nursery rhymes help children with memorization skills providing the foundation for good study habits later on. According to a 2004 study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto, after just nine months of piano and music introduction, a small increase of the IQ in six-year-old children who were participating was observed. The study also included children who were exposed to drama lessons and children who were not participating in music or drama. Even though the two latter groups did not score as high on the IQ test as the musical children, the study confirmed that any introduction to the arts is better than none, as the drama students did exhibit improved social behaviors after participating in acting classes.
The plight to keep the arts alive and thriving in the schools continues as music, art and theater programs are constantly placed on the chopping block to trim budgets with dwindling funds. There are always private music lessons and options that parents with means can provide to their children. It’s sad, though, to think of kids who have a special aptitude toward the piano or drums, those kids who are tapping out rhythms and putting chords together by ear, will miss out on music education because their schools no longer offer the programs. And if music is the fabric that binds us, then it’s not just the talented kids missing out, it’s a significant portion of today’s youth who, by all accounts, need outlets for understanding more than ever.
Growing up in a small town and attending a Class D school, which basically meant I was going to graduate with less than 30 people in my class, also meant we missed out on some of the extra-curricular activities larger schools had. But what we did have was a music program headed by somewhat of a rock star when it came to band teachers. Year after year our band director churned out bands that won the highest ratings possible and soloists whose fine musical reputation still resonates today. In hindsight, I think of the impact musical education had on so many of us who learned to win gracefully (we rarely lost to competing school bands), learned how a complicated piece of music could be broken down one note at a time so it was manageable. We saw how working hard independently made us stronger as a group. It gave us somewhere to be on a Friday night, marching on the field at halftime, rather than getting into trouble in other ways.
So the next time your young neighbor comes around selling candles or magazines so they can attend a band competition, consider opening your wallet. And when it comes time for school board elections all the way up the line, be sure to see where the candidates lie on educational matters, particularly the arts. Here’s to the music makers, music teachers and the music lovers in all of us.
Photo credits: First Notes by Pedrobonatto on Flickr, commercial use allowed
Southern California Division, Jr Music Camp 2012 by Salvation Army USA West on Flickr, commercial use allowed


LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT
Literacy refers to the reading and writing skills that allow children to communicate with the world around them, enjoy stories and poems, and achieve what is expected of them at school. Language focuses on the oral aspects of communication: listening, speaking and interpreting non-verbal cues to communication.
The focus is on developing language as well as literacy skills. Children are provided with opportunities to express self, participate in conversations, ask questions and use their emerging reading skills to make meaning from print. Language is one of the most important areas of child development. Our communication skills set us apart and it unites us with each other.
Physical development includes fine motor and gross motor development.
Fine motor development: Children engage in activities such as threading beads, puzzles, sorting, etc. which provide opportunities for hands-on reinforcement of concepts and skills that have been introduced in a whole-group setting.
Gross motor development: Active play is important for health and well-being and for the development of emotional, social, language and thinking skills. This centre involves activities that lead to gross motor development – balance and laterality and eye-foot coordination.
Children are encouraged to explore the different interdisciplinary themes such as Physical Science, Social Science, Earth and Environmental Science and Life Science. They observe objects with curiosity, explore cause and effect relationships and apply this knowledge to a new context.
Theme teaching enhances children’s concept development because it integrates learning from many different curriculum areas simultaneously. We integrate learning with life, through the use of 'themes'. Thus, the brain is stimulated to make connections to 'create'. As they participate in reading, math, science activities; they break the boundaries of traditional subject matter.
At Kangaroo Kids, assessment and observation is closely associated to the curriculum goals and learning objectives (that are stated in the plans), rubrics on the worksheets and report cards. There are three steps - collecting facts by observing, analyzing and evaluating the facts and using this data for future learning.
In our curriculum, instruction and assessment is based on the Multiple Intelligences Theory to ensure that it is fair and authentic. This also completes the teaching – learning cycle.
Kangaroo Kids focuses on strengthening parent-child relationships. A child in a Toddler Programme is mandatorily accompanied by a parent who actively participates during the sessions whereas; a child in a Toddler Transition Programme may be accompanied by an adult who only guides them when they exhibit challenges in performing a task.
The Enriched Curriculum abounds in creativity since it is based on modern educational research and theories.
Kangaroo Kids has over two decades of experience in nurturing preschool children. We have now extended our expertise to daycare as a response to the society trends. Our daycare structure creates a responsive environment for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. The predictable sequence of events provides a sense of order for children, teachers and families. Young children need a schedule that is regular, predictable yet flexible to meet their individual needs. Our curriculum is a blend of freedom and structure that caters to children’s unique interests.


Last week (15th May) was National Numeracy Day , a campaign set up to widen the discussion about poor numeracy in the UK and to promote the message that ‘everyone is a numbers person’.
National Numeracy exists to help people across the UK grow in confidence and competence in numeracy. The charity was set up because data showed that more than half the working-age population has the numeracy level expected of a primary school child and estimates indicate that poor numeracy costs the UK economy £20 billion each year. These are worrying statistics BUT there is hope!
It is never too late to improve your numeracy skills, whatever your age or background. National Numeracy is working with individuals, employers and schools to support people improve their numeracy skills in a variety of projects and resources.
One of their great resources is the National Numeracy Challenge , which is a free online training tool that helps people improve their numeracy skills at their own pace. Why not give it a try if you think you’re not a numbers person? Or if you know someone who says this, tell them about the National Numeracy Challenge. It could change their life!
If you want to find out more about what National Numeracy does check out episode 5 of the podcast I co-host, Maths Appeal, where we interview Mike Ellicock the CEO of National Numeracy. You can listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or SoundCloud.
Here are some of the National Numeracy Ambassadors sharing why they believe everyone is a numbers person. Spread the word!
Martin Lewis (Money Saving Expert)


Learner Journey Summary - S3 English
Short novel study: I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
- Critical evaluation of a short novel: take a closer look at plot, characters and literary techniques of crime / comic novel.
Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
- Use reading strategies to understand, analyse and evaluate texts.
Media Study: Local Hero
- Use film as stimulus for group discussion on environmental issues.
Longer novel study: City of Ember
- Engage with a more complex text.
- Continue to develop an understanding of literary techniques and features.
Play: Macbeth by Shakespeare
- Engage with another complex text.
Reading and Literacy Development
- On-going throughout session according to the pupil’s needs.
- Developing and applying knowledge and understanding of language.
- No downloads


Studies have extended the understanding of English phonological awareness and other oral language and metalinguistic skills in learning English as a second language (ESL) in the context of English speaking cultures to learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in the context of non-English speaking cultures, including Chinese societies. Chinese societies share a language that differs strongly in various features, both oral and written, from those of English. One issue that is sometimes neglected in the literature is the difference between the teaching of ESL and EFL in different social and cultural contexts. Indeed, in the teaching of very young children who are developing their first language proficiency at the same time they are learning a foreign language, oral language ability and literacy skills in English are often assumed to develop concurrently and even to facilitate one another. At the same time, however, developmentally, young children's oral language provides the strongest base for literacy development, with print being introduced only years later, in the native language. Few studies have considered possible differences in approaches to language and literacy in teaching very young Chinese children English as a foreign language in the EFL context. Thus, in this chapter, we suggest ways to teach young Chinese EFL children, beginning first with a focus on oral language skills and only later moving onto literacy skills that build on the oral language base. Copyright © 2011 Nova Science Publishers.
|Title of host publication||Language teaching: Techniques, developments and effectiveness|
|Editors||Carmine A. HERNANDEZ|
|Place of Publication||New York|
|Publisher||Nova Science Publishers, Inc|
|Publication status||Published - 2011|


Critical Reading & Writing Level 3 | G4-5
Skills for Succeeding on Standardized Tests & in College
*By completing the enrollment process, the student acknowledges the receipt of the 7EDU Class Policy and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions included therein as defined by 7EDU.
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Please contact our academic advisor prior to enrolling Honors classes
[1/12 - 5/25]
4 - 5 PM
The Critical Reading and Writing series is a long-term course plan targeted towards students ranging from grades 3 to 9. The aim of this course is to instruct students in the foundational skills needed to succeed on both standardized tests and collegiate-level writing courses. Students will participate in weekly reading and writing courses. Of the former, students will cover a variety of passage types, ranging from Literature to Science, and learn how to read efficiently, accurately, and draw reasonable interpretations from the text. Of the latter, students will complete grammar lessons before transitioning to completing expository and argumentative essays, thus honing their analytical skills. Students will progress through three different levels, engaging with texts that increase in complexity and difficulty, ultimately achieving mastery over foundational reading and writing abilities.
Moreover, students will learn and read from a malleable source that is capable of adjusting to the student’s reading levels. This mitigates the risk of students engaging with texts that are far above or far below their reading comprehension level. By the end of the series, students should be fully equipped with the foundational skills necessary to succeed in the SAT and upper-level writing courses.
Level 3 (G4 - 5)
Readers at this level will focus on reading for the main argument and making reasonable interpretations from the passages. We will also focus on reading for function (or purpose) and inferences from the passages. Articles will be briefer and simpler in structure. Readers will also build their vocabulary during each reading session.
For writers at this level, the course will focus on crafting expository essays.