When looking for a career path that ensures stability AND happiness, it can feel like an impossible task. If you’re unsure of your passions, you may as well check out career employment rates as a starting point. Careers with the lowest unemployment rates typically fall into niche categories of education and science. Here are some examples of careers that are in high demand after graduation:
1. Adult Education
Some schools may offer Adult Education as a concentration for Secondary Education majors. Most of the time, adult education classes occur in the evenings or on the weekends (considering most adults work day jobs during the week). If you enjoy teaching, but prefer helping adults, this may be the path for you!
Atsrophysics applies principles of physics and chemistry to study the structure, properties, and behavior of stars, galaxies, planets, and other things in the universe. Other sciences that are closely related to this subject include astronomy and cosmology.
Geology is the study of the Earth’s physical structures, substances, and processes. This includes fossils, gemstones, earthquakes, volcanoes, and more. Because this major covers so many different topics, you can see there is tons of room for specialization!
Nursing programs cover all different sciences including basic nutrition, chemistry, psychology, human anatomy, physiology, human development, microbiology, and more! There are also so many different TYPES of nurses out there… You can become a registered nurse, travel nurse, nurse practitioner, operating room nurse, and so on. All in all, you will learn techniques and procedures for promoting health, and providing care for all different individuals.
5. Elementary Education
Elementary education is typically the first step of formal education, coming after preschool and before secondary (middle and high) school. Elementary Education majors train and prepare to teach all subject matters to children in primary schools (Kindergarten to 8th grade, depending on the school and state regulations).
6. Communication Sciences and Disorders
Students who major in communication sciences and disorders prepare for careers that involve diagnosing and treating all kinds of hearing and speech disorders in children, elderly, or patients who have suffered from speech or hearing trauma. Communication sciences and disorders majors are needed in all different industries including health care, medicine, research, and education.
7. Exceptional Education
Exceptional education may be a possible concentration for both elementary education and secondary education majors depending on the age of students you hope to work with. This particular branch of education requires ample amounts of compassion and patience for students who have all different abilities.
8. Natural Resource Conservation
Calling all environmentalists! Natural resource conservation is all about helping our planet and conserving coal, oil, trees, and so on. You will learn to problem solve and come up with renewable resource solutions. Some of the classes you can expect to take include ecology, biology, forest resource measurement, climate change, plant resources, and more!
9. Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is all about planning, designing, and supervising construction and upkeep of building structures and infrastructure. This includes roads, bridges, railways, harbours, dams, airports, power plants, irrigation projects, and sewers. This can be a great direction for people interested in architecture, problem solving, and making lives easier for all people!
Pharmacists learn all about medication: preparing medication, providing assistance and instructions for taking medication, and managing pharmacy clinical and business operations. Pharmacy majors enroll in required science classes such as chemistry (both general and organic), laboratory classes, biology, statistics, microbiology, physiology, and physics.
11. Computer Science
Computer science majors understand the ins and outs of computers, can program them to do all kinds of useful stuff, and know how to troubleshoot errors. There are a lot of nuanced fields in CS like cybersecurity, software development, and so on.
If you excel at both biology and chemistry… hello, biochemistry! Biochemistry majors delve into the study of living systems and all the chemical processes that come with that. (Think: fundamental chemical substances and reactions, chemical pathways, and information transfer systems).
Of course, doing what you love is the most important factor to consider when choosing your path. But sometimes class registration deadlines are around the corner and our hearts don’t have a defined sense of direction. Knowing that your career path will have relevance to employers in the future may be all the direction you need to discover your passions. Happy exploring!


- The Oxford Handbook of Chinese Psychology
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Contributors
- Introduction Reaching this stage in studying the psychology of the Chinese people
- The continuing prospects for a Chinese psychology
- What is Chinese about Chinese psychology? Who are the Chinese in Chinese psychology?
- The cultured brain: interplay of genes, brain, and culture
- Socio-emotional development in Chinese children
- Parenting and child socialization in contemporary China
- Language and the brain: computational and neuroimaging evidence from Chinese
- Language and literacy development in Chinese children
- Understanding reading disability in the Chinese language: from basic research to intervention
- Chinese bilingualism
- Chinese children learning mathematics: from home to school
- The thinking styles of Chinese people
- Approaches to learning and teaching by the Chinese
- Chinese students' motivation and achievement
- How unique is Chinese emotion?
- Beliefs in Chinese culture
- The multiple frames of ‘Chinese’ values: from tradition to modernity and beyond
- What do we know about the Chinese self? Illustrations with self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-enhancement
- From indigenous to cross-cultural personality: the case of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory
- Psychology and aging in the land of the panda
- Chinese well-being
- The spirituality of the Chinese people: a critical review
- Psychiatric disorders in the Chinese
- Clinical neuropsychology in China
- The <i>Tao</i> (way) of Chinese coping
- Illness behaviors among the Chinese
- Community psychology in Chinese societies
- Psychotherapy with the Chinese: an update of the work in the last decade
- Face and morality in Confucian society
- Chinese cooperation and competition
- Interpersonal relationships in rapidly changing Chinese societies
- A gender perspective on Chinese social relationships and behavior
- Chinese cultural psychology and contemporary communication
- Chinese political psychology: political participation in Chinese societies
- Chinese social identity and inter-group relations: the influence of benevolent authority
- Developments in understanding Chinese leadership: paternalism and its elaborations, moderations, and alternatives
- Chinese consumer behavior: the effects of content, process, and language
- Sport psychology research and its application in China
- There are homes at the four corners of the seas: acculturation and adaptation of overseas Chinese
- Inter-cultural interactions: the Chinese context
- On the distinctiveness of Chinese psychology; or: Are we all Chinese?
- Moving the scientific study of Chinese psychology into our twenty-first century: some ways forward
Abstract and Keywords
Neuropsychology was first brought into China by young Chinese scholar-researchers trained in North America, who returned to their homeland in the mid-1990s. This group of young, Western-trained neuropsychologists, is still the main driving force in the development of the field today, and it has been very active in advancing clinical research and practice in China. This article outlines the history of clinical neuropsychology in China and reviews its latest developments, with specific reference to the three major Chinese populations of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. It traces the introduction of neuropsychology from the United States into China, and reviews its current developments, focusing on the areas of clinical training, certification, assessment, and instrumentation, highlighting some interesting research findings on Chinese patient populations. This review is based not only on the international literature, but also on research published locally in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Agnes S-Y.Chan, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Winni W. Leung, Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Mei-Chun Cheung, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.


P is for Parents
Date posted: January 26, 2018
Family literacy activities are based on parents and children together, but our attention is often focused on what parents are teaching and what children are learning. Parents are also learning. And, this year’s Family Literacy Week theme of healthy eating – “What’s on My Plate?” – provides examples of good practice in adult learning.
Adults want to learn things that are relevant. Feeding children to keep them healthy is a basic goal of parents. Encouraging tips, like the ones in Joel Barohn’s “Thank you, Sam-I-Am!” blog post, are practical and can solve problems.
For parents, learning about their child’s world and their child’s day is very relevant. Eating Together shows us that dinner time is a good time for parents to learn about their child’s interests, likes and dislikes, activities and more.
Adults have life experience and prior knowledge. Everyone is an expert in what they like to eat. And, most parents are experts at what their children like to eat. Joan Exley’s Alphabet Pretzels blog post shows how food and literacy can be combined and gives examples of how food provides an opportunity to share strengths and experiences. It can also provide an opportunity to address some of the concerns parents have around food.
Stories about Food reminds us that we all have stories to share. Food is a popular writing topic for that very reason. (Borrow Language is Served from the Decoda Library is you’re looking for writing prompts about food.)
Adults as well as children learn by doing. Did you see the videos in Lindsey Krabbenhoft’s Healthy Eatings Song and Rhymes blog post? What a fun and effective way to learn an activity to share with children.
Kitchen Science for Kids and Cooking Together describe activities that parents and children can do together. While parents may not be learning anything new about science or cooking, they will likely be learning something new about their child.
As well as supporting good practice in adult learning, “What’s on My Plate?” encompasses the diversity that is healthy eating. There are many ways to eat well for children and parents.
Enjoy the remainder of Family Literacy Week!
Reminder: P is also for Photo Contest. Don’t forget to enter. The deadline is January 28th.


Keywords: ELF Schooling; Early Language Learning; L2-acquisition; Nonnative Speakers.
In the last twenty years early foreign language learning has been implemented in Europe and almost all over the world as part of the primary school curriculum, usually from the age of six or according to each country school system. The primary school population in many European countries is composed of a growing number of migrant children who are in some cases being exposed to English as their third or fourth language including the language of schooling, e.g. the country's national language, and their family language. Since English lessons are almost always taught by specialist non-native (NN) teachers and the class is often made up of a polylingual population, the English learnt and used to communicate in the classroom is "de facto" a lingua franca. This paper describes the emerging features of ELF in classroom interactions, explores learners' attitudes towards English, investigates the acquisition processes activated and discusses implications for primary language teacher education and development of materials.


Metropolitan Youth Symphony believes in the power of the arts and the critical importance of music education in our schools. Every child should have the opportunity to learn an instrument regardless of socioeconomic status, racial or ethnic background, or geographical location. When young people participate in instrumental music, they are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and they have better school attendance, lower dropout rates, higher confidence, and stronger writing skills (the NAMM Foundation). Learning an instrument teaches discipline, focus, emotional expression, and collaboration. According to Dr. Sarah Wilson, Music Neuroscientist at the University of Melbourne, as little as one hour per week of structured musical practice is enough to see a change in the brain.
Yet funding for instrumental music education remains inconsistent across Oregon schools, and underserved communities often bear the greatest impact. Members of the MYS community can be powerful advocates for voicing the importance of school music programs to leaders at local, state, and national levels. We have compiled the resources below to help you as you share the importance of music education. Please contact Diana Scoggins at firstname.lastname@example.org if it would be helpful for someone from MYS to attend an event, help with communications, etc.
Helpful Links and Resources
“This is Your Brain on Music” by Daniel Levitin
“Musicophillia” by Oliver Sacks
“The Brain that Changes Itself” by Norman Doige
Arts Education Navigator


Written by: Hannah de Vries
Everyday interactions between caregivers and children build the foundation for children’s social-emotional and cognitive development. Research shows that when caregivers are responsive, warm and sensitive to children’s needs, children develop confidence, resilience and communication skills. These skills help to prepare children for interactions with others and to work through problems, manage stress and form healthy relationships. Caregivers who engage children in different opportunities and experiences help them to develop a love of learning. For example, caregivers might encourage shared book reading, constructive play, independent exploration and participation in decision making. Children also benefit academically when caregivers engage them in conversation, use new vocabulary words, provide a literacy rich environment and embed problem solving in everyday family activities.
What do high-quality interactions look like? Here are some simple and effective strategies to promote meaningful interactions:
Engage in responsive, warm and sensitive interactions.
• Attend carefully and listen actively when your child speaks to you by using eye contact, head nods, caring facial expressions and encouraging gestures that demonstrate empathy, engagement and validation. Allow enough time for your child to share, and avoid interrupting.
• Provide toys and activities that are appropriate for your child’s development and understanding. Check the labels on toys to see if they are age appropriate.
• Be available when your child needs support, and recognize that all children have different needs. Perhaps your child needs your help with a transition routine, or to get ready for bed time. Perhaps your child needs you to arrive a bit early for school pick-up so they do not wait nervously. As you consistently identify and meet your child’s needs, they learn to trust and respect you.
Follow your child’s lead.
Engaging in intentional number play with your child can help them to learn numeracy skills and get excited about learning more! Research shows that number play is more effective for a child’s skill-building when an adult guides the play.
• Let your child take the lead in conversations and play by supporting their ideas. Avoid the temptation to direct all interactions, but instead show acceptance. For instance, if your child is pretending that stuffed animals are alive or wooden blocks are food, that is okay.
• Notice your child’s interests and play preferences. Suggest doing what your child enjoys and have fun together!
Engage in turn-taking.
• Establish predictable, back and forth verbal and social interactions with your child to enhance their language and cognitive abilities.
• Be patient and provide time for your child to take a turn. For instance, if you are working on a puzzle together, give your child enough time to explore how to place a puzzle piece in a space before helping. Talk your child through the interaction by modeling and prompting with statements like, “First it’s my turn to place a puzzle piece. Now it’s your turn.”
Challenge and support your child’s learning.
• Try elaborating on your child’s communicative attempts by repeating, rephrasing and expanding on your child’s words and non-verbal cues.
• Use phrases that build on what your child is thinking about and contribute to what they want to investigate. Support your children’s language development by introducing and defining new vocabulary.
• Ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” When you ask children to provide detailed responses, you support their developing thinking and comprehension skills.
• Model, encourage and build trust with your child to develop their independence. Practice different skills with them. For example, model how to tie a shoe, brush teeth or fold a shirt and then say, “Now you try by yourself.”
• Encourage and comment on your child’s interests. For instance, if your child is pretending a cardboard box is a car, ask “Where are you driving?” or “Should we draw wheels on your car?”
Be a good role model.
• Be aware of your own emotions because children look to you for ways to express and regulate their emotions. For example, if you model self-talk for calming yourself when you are angry, you will model for your child how they can use the same technique. If you control your voice volume when you are excited, you will show your child how to experience intense emotion and use self control at the same time.
• Children attend to everything you say and do and may imitate words and actions – try to be your best self. However, it is okay to make mistakes. Consider it an opportunity for modeling. If you make a choice you regret, take responsibility and help your child understand what you wish you had done instead.
These strategies can be used anytime and anywhere. You can create high quality interactions during transitions, travel time, daily routines, meals, bath time and play time. Everyday interactions matter!


Art is a diverse range of activities, creations, and expressions that are appealing or attractive to the senses or have some significance to the mind of an individual. As a school for pupils with ‘complex needs’ many of our pupils have low self-esteem and find it difficult to express themselves. The Arts are a valuable means of developing confidence, communication skills and facilitating expression, ideas and feelings. In addition, through purposeful, imaginative and creative activities pupils learn to
take managed risks, trying out new ideas and new ways of working without fear of failure. Art & Design encourages the exploration of design ideas. Pupils can express what they know, understand and can do, through a variety of media and various forms of presentation. Pupils will learn about the place and role of art, craft and design in life today, as well as in different times and cultures.
Ravenshall provides opportunities to be aware of their own and others’ work, describing what they think and feel. At Ravenshall we value the contribution art makes to our quality of life and believe that providing a range of experiences is essential for life beyond school.
All pupils have an entitlement to access the programmes of
‘teachers should teach the knowledge, skills
This may mean choosing knowledge, skills
Art education aims to:
Summer Virtual WackyREAD MORE
Here you will find interesting and informative developments from within school brought to you by the Leadership Team.READ MORE


Free Printable Math Worksheets for Grade 4 This is a comprehensive collection of free printable math worksheets for grade 4, organized by topics such as addition, subtraction, mental math, place value, multiplication, division, long division, factors, measurement, fractions, and decimals.
The real challenging work begins in fourth grade, where concepts such as multi-digit multiplication and complex word problems are introduced. There’s no doubt that fourth grade math can get a bit overwhelming, so help your child get a leg up on this new arithmetic adventure with our fourth grade math worksheets.
This 4th Grade math spiral review resource can easily be used as math HOMEWORK, MORNING WORK, or a DAILY MATH REVIEW! This resource was designed to keep math concepts fresh all year and to help you easily track student progress.
Learn and practice fourth grade math online for free. Check 4th Grade Math Games and Fun Math Worksheets Full Curriculum Interactive Learning. SplashLearn is an award winning math learning program used by more than 30 Million kids for fun math practice.
Clicking the links will list these worksheets. The worksheets include arithmetic operations, (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, place value, integers, and more. Practicing math with the help of these worksheets will be a valuable homework activity.
Math Worksheets 4 Kids offers free printable K-12 worksheets in English, Math, Science and Social Studies with PDFs drafted for children and teachers.
Build foundational skills and conceptual knowledge with this enormous collection of printable math worksheets drafted for students of elementary school, middle school and high school. Aligned with the CCSS, the practice worksheets cover all the key math topics like number sense, measurement, statistics, geometry, pre-algebra and algebra.
Grade 4 math worksheets from K5 Learning. Our grade 4 math worksheets emphasize building mastery in computations with the 4 basic operations. They delve deeper into the use of fractions and decimals and introduce the concept of factors. Our measurement worksheets focus on conversion between units of the same measurement system (metric or customary).
In fourth grade, students are expected to perform more complex conversion and comparison operations. Math Games is here to make that process more enjoyable for pupils, parents and teachers alike, by integrating learning and reviewing math into visually stimulating games!
Math-Drills.com includes over 50 thousand free math worksheets that may be used to help students learn math. Our PDF math worksheets are available on a broad range of topics including number sense, arithmetic, pre-algebra, geometry, measurement, money concepts and much more.
Learn fourth grade math—arithmetic, measurement, geometry, fractions, and more. This course is aligned with Common Core standards.
Fourth Grade Math Worksheets Fourth grade made is a transitional stage where focus shifts from many of the basic math facts towards applications. There is still a strong focus on more complex arithmetic such as long division and longer multiplication problems, and you will find plenty of math worksheets in this section for those topics.
This is a package of 10 fourth grade math reviews that follow the Virginia Standards of Learning math Objectives (or the SOLs). They are great to review a variety of 10 different 4th grade math skills! They can be used as homework each week, weekly assessments, or classwork.
Looking for math homework or extra practice for your upper elementary students? This 4th Grade Math Homework for the Year Bundle has you covered for the entire year!By purchasing this bundle, you are saving 50% off the price of the individual packets.Click HERE to test drive this bundle with the FRE.
Grade 4 Mathematics Start - Grade 4 Mathematics Module 1 In order to assist educators with the implementation of the Common Core, the New York State Education Department provides curricular modules in P-12 English Language Arts and Mathematics that schools and districts can adopt or adapt for local purposes.Grade 4 Homework Practice FL. Grade 4 Homework FL. Select from a variety of school and library books to prepare for the end of year common core upcoming math test. Recently Added Tests ( see all. View hundreds more test and work sheets browseable by curriculum category. The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in.What’s 4th Grade math all about? Grade 4 focuses on three key advancements from previous years: (1) developing understanding with multi-digit multiplication and division; (2) developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, and certain cases of fraction addition, subtraction, and multiplication; and (3) understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their.


In West and Central Africa, we help to provide quality education to every child.
Millions of children in West and Central Africa are still denied an education.
The region accounts for one-third of the global total of primary school age children and one-fifth of lower secondary age children who are out of school. Children and adolescents caught up in humanitarian emergencies are especially vulnerable to missing out on schooling or dropping out of school permanently.
The region also lags behind in gender equality in education: for every ten boys enrolled in primary school, there are only nine girls. These differences get bigger as children progress through the school system.
Many children do not get the best start in life. Only one in four children in the region has access to early childhood learning, care, and stimulation. This means that they start first grade at a disadvantage, not ready to tackle the demands of primary education.
Another challenge is the quality of education. Even pupils who complete basic education face a slim chance of high-quality learning. This is despite the need for quality education to help prepare children with the skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes required for success in the 21st century.
Access to Education
Quality education for all children lies at the heart of social and economic development. UNICEF supports countries to improve educational access through inclusive education, expansion of early learning programmes, Koranic education, vocational training and national data production.
When it comes to education, quality is a must if we want to build a better future for the next generation. UNICEF and its partners work to improve teaching skills, quality standards, life skills programmes and early learning assessments.
Educated girls are vital for the health and prosperity of families, communities and countries. UNICEF helps countries to develop and implement programmes that support girls’ achievements in and through education.
Education in Emergencies
In the midst of conflict and disaster, education can be both life-sustaining and life-saving. UNICEF works alongside other partners on risk-informed education programming, school safety, psychosocial support in the classroom and information management in emergencies.


Rural schools in Guatemala function with the bare necessities…a chalkboard, wooden desks, miniature chairs and dusty shelves. School supplies are scarce and books are nearly non-existent.
For those students who are lucky enough to attend public school in rural Guatemala, most will learn to read. However, very few will learn to enjoy a good story or experience the pleasure of having adventures in reading. In Guatemala reading is taught via phonetics, and grammar is presented in rote exercises. Few students will have the opportunity to actually read a book, explore literary terms, and connect with novels during their elementary education. Even fewer will be encouraged to develop their critical thinking and comprehension skills through reading.
La Puerta Abierta strives to cultivate a culture of readers in the community of Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. 96% of our students are Indigenous Tzu’tuhil Maya and are bilingual (Spanish-Tzu’tuhil). Many are first generation readers. We believe that all children deserve to have access to books, more specifically, books that they desire to read. In addition, we believe that students need to have time to read during the school day to ensure a positive experience with reading. La Puerta Abierta is soliciting funding to launch a reading circle program for our
3rd-6th grade students that will provide a guided reading experience for our children. The reading circle model allows for individual students in a reading group to each have a loaned copy of the same title of a novel and to read the book together, while accompanied by an adult mentor. Via reading the story as a group, students will have the opportunity to communally discuss literature, make personal connections with a novel, delve deeper into understanding the story, explore literary terms, expand vocabulary, create community, and build confidence in speaking in public.
Early contact with books and story telling is crucial to developing a student’s imagination, critical thinking and literacy skills. We hope that via access to books and reading circles, we can empower children become innovative problem solvers. Through developing their individual talents and confidence, we will prepare our students to become future agents of change and leaders in their community and the world at large.


Co-ordinator: Miss V Argent
Music Teachers: Mrs J Bolam & Mrs A Kelly
The music curriculum is designed by the music teachers, curriculum co-ordinator, management team and governors to allow pupils to transfer key knowledge to their long-term memory. Music is taught by a specialist music teacher, with a focus on specific instruments in Year 3. Music is concerned with the creative, aesthetic and emotional response to rhythmic combinations of sounds. Music education has two strands; creation and evaluation. The creative involves children using a variety of instruments for composing, improving and performing. The evaluative element enables pupils to develop skills in listening to and appraising their own work and that of other musicians and composers and to understand the value and significance of music in society. By teaching both strands, it ensures breadth, balance, continuity and progression. This results in building new skills and knowledge based upon what has been taught before, allowing all pupils to work towards clearly defined end points.
We develop children’s experiences and understanding of music through encompassing memorable learning opportunities for example, school productions (Christmas productions and Year 6 leavers plays), performances in assemblies, musicians in to teach music and singing at a variety of community events. The school provides a coherently planned curriculum, sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge, skills and cultural capital through informative teaching and learning activities and enhancement experiences.
We therefore intend that all pupils will:
- Enjoy music and develop a positive attitude to the importance and place of music within the curriculum.
- Understand the way their feelings work and that it is a means of self-expression.
- Participate in a range of situations, have the opportunities to develop their work and skills individually, in a group, as a class and as a school.
- Through a variety of musical activities develop skills on a personal level and also have the opportunity to work co-operatively.
- Develop their own tastes and opinions.
- Develop a feel for patterns, concentration and language development.
- Have the opportunity to reach their full potential by acquiring and using the skills they develop throughout their school life.
- Focus, build-upon and learn key vocabulary to develop understanding of concepts and musical knowledge.
- Build in memorable experiences to promote deep learning.


MindWare’s popular Dig It Up! line now features easy science projects for kids who are just getting started on their science adventure.
Unearth a surprise geologic artifact by chiseling through stone, just like a real scientist! Simply soak the clay stone in water and then carefully chisel away the material to reveal the fossil or mineral artifact inside. It’s a perfectly-sized introduction to science experiments for kids!
• Experience the thrill of discovery
• A hands-on lesson in science for kids
• One clay stone, chiseling tool, surprise artifact and instructional guide
Age Recommendation: Ages 4 and up


Let’s Play: Building Language and Literacy into Every Day…
is a Language/Literacy Resource Guide that will help parents know what to look for so they can see the beginning stages of language and literacy development in their young children, both with or without disabilities. Parents will learn how to balance an interest in the young child’s speech with opportunities to develop, use and strengthen the other language systems to support the expansion of early speech efforts.
An overwhelming amount of research now demonstrates that all language systems develop together (“Concurrent Model of Language/Literacy Development”). We cannot separate the literacy community from the social community. This packet of information shows how language, symbols and thinking or cognition develop in interaction. We regret that hard copies of the packet are no longer available however, all of the resources, in Spanish and in English, can be downloaded for free, by clicking on the links provided.
If you are interested in a copy, email [email protected].
Samples of CELL Practice guides:
Talking/Listening (PDFs): Babble On, Who’s Listening?, Listen Up
Reading/Stories (PDFs): Tell Me, Read Again, Being a Storyteller
Drawing/Writing (PDFs): Instant Finger Drawing, Write Right, Art of Writing
Rhymes/Sounds: Diaper Ch-Ch-Changes, Fun Finger Games, Movin’ and Groovin’ Nursery Rhymes
Gestures/Signing (PDFs): Infant Signing Dictionary, Sign a Song, Sign Me Up
This packet was produced with funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education through the State Personnel Development Grant, CDF 84.323A, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, Office of Special Education Programs.


Many studies have shown that early childhood learning has a significant impact on a child’s future. It is during a child’s early childhood years when you can make the biggest impression. Young children aged three to four years are the most malleable and receptive to learning.
Early learning at home prepares a child for primary school, the springboard from which the rest of your child’s life begins. Investing in early childhood education at home helps build your child’s social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
Nowadays, you can find many tools online to help you and your child accomplish early learning at home. You can find institutions that utilise technology advances as well as manual methods of teaching toddlers at home. With these guides and devices, you can give your child a learning boost, which will benefit in the long run.
Here are some of the benefits of investing in early learning at home for your child.
- Cultivate good habits and daily routine
Developing a daily routine and good habits is best done before your child heads off to kindergarten age. Early learning at home must include learning good practices, such as washing hands and brushing teeth. When children get older, advanced tasks can be taught as well, such as fixing the bed, dressing up by themselves, and tying their shoelaces. These tasks help make your child become a well-rounded individual, and your life as a family simpler.
- Teaches resilience
Early learning at home teaches your kid social skills, even if it is only you or the teacher in the videos of your online tools. Kids learn to answer basic questions and give their initial reactions to daily situations they encounter in their early learning at home. This is a good venue to teach the right values, such as patience, respect, and empathy, to name a few.
- Start literacy and numeracy skills
At toddler age, it is normal for your child to enjoy playing more than early learning at home. But instead of being a hindrance, it can be used to teach your child. Play must coincide with learning at an early age because it is during this period when a child develops imagination and uses creativity. Kids can start learning the alphabet and numbers to help brain development and give them a good head start for primary school.
- Develops a love for learning
When you invest time and resources for early learning at home, your child will develop a positive outlook towards learning. Early learning at home teaches your child social and cognitive skills and experiences that will become useful in the years to come.
- Gives a great head start for the future
Several studies show that children who had access to good-quality early childhood education have a higher chance of making it in the university and eventually getting stable jobs. The social, emotional, and cognitive skills learned earlier as a child will help them make better life choices when they grow into adulthood.
Providing your child with a fun, engaging, and high-quality early childhood education will give an edge not only in his/her academic growth but also in the social, cognitive, and emotional aspects.


Did you know magazines are a fun and engaging way to bring to life literacy in a classroom? Magazines can be used to supplement classroom lessons. Because magazines contain interactive content such as puzzles, games, poems, stories, crafts and many more, they are considered great support to the curriculum.
Learning and Magazines
Educational magazines are a great source of content that is good for the reader’s growth and literacy development. Young children can be encouraged to love reading by using colorful magazines that have great content for them. Magazines can be used to improve children’s learning, listening, reading and interaction with content skills. Children’s magazines help them develop their learning skills in a fun manner. For example, having kids in groups so they interact with each other and create social bonds while solving puzzles in the magazines.
Encourage Creativity and Imagination
Magazines are full of nonfiction content that can be used to spur children’s imagination and creativity and also teach them graphic features and text. Magazines can be used as research tools by children to help them understand topics such as technology, arts, science, math, history, and nature. A good example is giving children a topic from magazines and have them research on the topic by engaging their family members and doing online research to help them learn. Magazines are full of good creative content such as arts and crafts, recipes, games, and many more activities.
Magazines as writing inspirations
Teachers can use magazines to encourage students to become writers by having them respond to articles or features they read in magazines. Poetry in magazines can help children improve rhymes, similes, and metaphors in their own poems.
Magazine supplement classroom work
Teachers and parents can supplement what children learn in classrooms by pairing the additional content in magazines with classroom resources. To ensure they offer the best resources for the children, teachers, and parents are encouraged to check out magazine reviews to ensure they correlate with the curriculum. Magazines offer a lot of content that can get children excited and interested in learning even beyond the confines of the classroom.
How to build your classroom magazine collection
There are several ways you can build your classroom’s magazine collection. But before you start building you will have to understand not all magazines are suitable for children. Reading magazine reviews will help you in deciding which magazines go into the classroom library. Some of the ways to build a collection for children include:
Asking help to subscribe to children’s magazines that will build a class library from your head of academics. Always be on the lookout for sales from online stores, yard sales, and used bookstores. Asking your local library to donate their used merchandise they wish to clear out. Asking families for donations such as magazine subscriptions.
Remember to always keep magazines accessible to children by having bins all around the classroom. Magazines will impact different skills to the children each time they visit the classroom library and engage with the …


Amidst a global pandemic, proper hand-washing is more important than ever before. Preschool children often overlook this vital practice, exposing themselves and others to illnesses. While educating young children on the importance of hand-washing can help, there are additional steps you can take to ensure your child is cleaning their hands thoroughly and often.
How to Teach Young Children To Wash Their Hands
1. Lead By Example
Children tend to learn by example. Teach your children proper hygiene by washing your own hands before and after cooking, eating, using the bathroom, or after working and playing with your hands.
Show them how you wash the tops of your hands, in between fingers, around wrists, and under fingernails. Encourage them to wash their own hands while you demonstrate to them the proper technique. Before long, they'll be able to perform the same actions without help.
2. Make It Easy
If the sink, faucet, or hand soap are out of reach for your preschool child, they might feel intimidated and avoid hand-washing completely. Make the process easier by supplying a children's step stool. Get a lightweight one that they can move on their own to help them reach the sink while also giving them a sense of independence.
3. Make It Fun
Children are more inclined to participate in an activity if it's fun and rewarding. Make the process fun by choosing a child-friendly soap dispenser. You could even let them choose one at the store. Consider buying bar soaps with prizes inside. This will encourage them to wash more frequently to get to the toy within.
To ensure they're washing long enough, teach them a special hand-washing song. Have them time their hand-washing to coincide with singing the happy birthday song or the alphabet song. You can even provide a small sand timer to help them keep track of time.
The knowledgable and caring staff at World of Knowledge Child Development Center in Lincoln, NE, works closely with little ones of all ages, from toddlers and preschool-aged children to school-aged kids. They offer educational programs, and use early childhood learning techniques that teach behaviors like manners, active listening, and proper hand-washing. Their unique approach to child development ensures active and well-rounded children, and they are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment. To schedule a tour of their school, call (402) 483-4769. Visit them online to learn more about their programs.


Check out cool science kits and toys: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
Do you know what a voltaic battery is? You probably do! Voltaic batteries come in all shapes and sizes, turning chemical energy into the electrical energy we need to power our cell phones, iPods, tablets, cars… you name it! These batteries seem pretty complicated, but you can make a real voltaic battery right at home! Grab some vinegar, nails, copper wire, and an ice tray… you’re in for a lesson in circuits you’ll never forget.
Want more experiments like this? Check out http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/naked-eggs-and-flying-potatoes
Sick Science™ is a trademark of Steve Spangler, inc.
© 2014 Steve Spangler Science all rights reserved
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Clip makes it super easy to turn any public video into a formative assessment activity in your classroom.
Add multiple choice quizzes, questions and browse hundreds of approved, video lesson ideas for Clip
Make YouTube one of your teaching aids - Works perfectly with lesson micro-teaching plans
1. Students enter a simple code
2. You play the video
3. The students comment
4. You review and reflect
* Whiteboard required for teacher-paced activities
With four apps, each designed around existing classroom activities, Spiral gives you the power to do formative assessment with anything you teach.
Carry out a quickfire formative assessment to see what the whole class is thinking
Create interactive presentations to spark creativity in class
Student teams can create and share collaborative presentations from linked devices
Turn any public video into a live chat with questions and quizzes


Circuit workouts are an effective way to train your body and reach your fitness goals. The variety of exercises you can rotate in and out of your circuit keeps your workout fresh while helping you lose or manage weight and build muscle tissue. You can perform circuit training routines at home or the gym in accordance with whichever suits you best and helps you progress toward your goals.
One of the primary components of circuit routine workouts is that you move through intervals of cardiovascular and strength training. Depending on your fitness level and goals, you can plan short spurts of cardio exercises or longer segments. These segments are followed by a set amount of time in which you perform a different strength-training exercise during each interval. Between the cardio and strength-training segments, it's common to rest for 15 to 30 seconds.
During your circuit routine training session, engage in cardiovascular exercise for one to four minutes per interval. A four-minute cardio segment places more emphasis on heart health exercises, while a one-minute cardio segment gives nearly equal time to aerobic and strength-training exercise. Perform cardio exercises you can enjoy and accomplish wherever you're at. The local health club may have more cardio options, such as using a treadmill, elliptical or rowing machine. But you can also perform cardio at home by marching or jogging in place, jumping rope or riding your stationary bike.
Building muscle through your circuit routine's strength-training session will help your body to become more efficient at burning calories. The result is a leaner, stronger body. Between each cardio segment you'll perform a specific strength-training exercise for 45 seconds. Include exercises that work the muscles of your upper and lower body, as well as your core, for a total-body workout. Strength-training moves such as shoulder presses, arm raises, biceps curls and triceps kickbacks will tone your upper-body muscles. Trunk rotations and wood chops work the core, and squats, lunges, calf raises and leg raises engage the lower-body muscles.
Before you start your circuit training session, spend five to 10 minutes warming up your body. Warming up increases the blood and oxygen flow throughout your body, raises your body's temperature and gradually prepares your cardiovascular system for more exertion. After you finish your workout, cool down with a five-minute walk, and then perform some light stretches to prevent muscle soreness. Circuit training is effective for improving heart health while also toning muscles, but see your doctor to get health clearance before you begin.
Mary Ylisela is a former teacher with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and mathematics. She has been a writer since 1996, specializing in business, fitness and education. Prior to teaching, Ylisela worked as a certified fitness instructor and a small-business owner.
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Standardized testing is a part of every child’s life. From state testing to SATs, ACTs, GMATs and GREs, the longer a student pursues education the more testing he or she will have to complete. Some students become very anxious when asked to perform on an important assessment. Here are some basic tips for parents to help their children relax and do their best, but we’d love to hear your ideas as well:
- Early preparation is better than cramming the night before. Younger children who practice math facts and reading comprehension strategies can face testing with a solid plan in place. Older students who take practice exams well before the big day will feel more confident with both the format and content of their test.
- Healthy routines reap rewards. If a child has a regular, reasonable bedtime, then there is no benefit to altering it the night before a test. Trying to put him/her to bed early might cause unnecessary anxiety and actually postpone sleep longer. Likewise, a healthy breakfast is always the best start for a day of learning. Feeding your child significantly more than he or she is accustomed to eating can cause sluggishness.
- Most importantly, stay positive. Encouraging your child to do his/her best and exuding confidence are the best tools for success.
However, many of our most practical suggestions come from parents and teachers. What works for you? Please reply to this blog with your comments and ideas.


Visual Arts Department
-School District of the Chathams-
Danielle Romero Dagounis
The essential intent of the School District of the Chathams is to discover and grow the gifts within each child. The Visual Arts Department accomplishes this intent by providing students with the opportunity to build upon their existing artistic and collaborative skills in a supportive, enriching, and inspirational environment.
Primary Visual Art:
Over a three year experience, every student in grade one, two, and three receives weekly sequential learning experiences in an early childhood Visual Art education program that encompasses art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and production. Art concepts are reinforced and strengthened through activities based on the elements of art and principles of design. Throughout the program, students actively engage in various forms of communication, utilizing a rich art vocabulary and variety of technological resources.
Intermediate Visual Art:
Over a two year experience, every student in grades four and five will build upon the sequential learning experiences of the early childhood program. Students will meet once every six school days. Visual Art concepts are reinforced and strengthened through activities based on the elements of art and principles of design. Students analyze each component of their art education, in addition to their own personal growth, and make connections between Visual Art and other curricular disciplines. Through an exploration of a variety of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles and sculpture, students build on the basic art-making skills learned at the lower elementary level, while developing critical and creative thinking skills.
Middle School Visual Art:
Over a three year experience, students can select from a Cycle Art class and/or a Studio Art class in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The Cycle Art class meets seven out of every eight school days for one marking period, while the Studio Art class meets approximately every other day for two marking periods. Students continue to expand their knowledge of visual art concepts, as well as historical and cultural implications of the art experience. A variety of mediums are utilized including ceramic, paper mache, plaster, acrylic, watercolor, printmaking, collage, pencil, charcoal, pastels, marker, amd mixed-media.
High School Visual Art:
The high school visual art education program strengthens student learning by engaging students in critical thinking, problem solving and higher order thinking. Beginning with Experiencing Fine Art, students are introduced to the elements and principles of design, which serve as the building blocks for future high school visual art courses. Projects are designed to teach concrete skills and technique, while allowing for the development of divergent solutions that enable students to infuse their own personal aesthetics and preference into the design. The high school course offerings utilize a variety of materials/mediums to allow each student to develop their own artist language. Students progress by taking sequential 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional classes and students who choose to do so can culminate their learning with Advanced Placement (AP) 2-D or 3-D Studio Art during their senior year.


What fictions do we tell ourselves in order to teach? How do our stories as educators impact how we see our learners? Building from auto-ethnography research I begin with the personal and then invite co-participants to further illuminate a shared experience (Chang, 2008). In this example, I highlight the self-reflective work toward revealing and concealing identities associated with “teacher.” Using collage pedagogy (Garoian & Gaudelius, 2008), students in a pre-service art education class, created paper doll narratives marking and unmarking themselves through collaged backdrops and clothing choices which performed identities that would impact their role of teacher. Future teachers also “undressed” themselves from fashions that impeded their abilities to see their students beyond stereotypes. Through the design of the dolls and reflexivity, we examined the frictions of identity and representation within the larger social, political, or institutional landscapes of what it means to be “teacher/student” in the 21st century school sphere.


THIS IS THE PROGRAM WE EXPECT TO RESUME IN 2021-22. For details about the program we are implementing in 2020-21, please go here.
First-Second Grade Classroom
Jennifer Tschirky teaches the 1st and 2nd grade classroom and is assisted by Rosie Perez. The class meets from 8:40 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., except on Wednesdays, when students are dismissed at 1:00 p.m.
Goals and Expectations
First and Second grade is an exciting time to begin to read. By teaching foundational skills in language arts, children will learn to read, write, and express themselves among their peers and adults. By using resources from their environment, they can become life-long learners who contribute to the community. We are using English Language Arts and Development materials from Benchmark.
Our Classroom Agreements
1. Be an active listener
2. Have a peaceful body
I am available after school at 2:45 if you would like to talk about your child. You may also send a note for me in your child's plastic folder. In addition, feel free to call the school telephone and leave a message for me with the Office Staff. In the Fall and Spring we will have Parent Teacher Conferences where we will discuss your child's growth. Between those times I will send Progress Reports home in order for you to stay informed.
Homework is given on a weekly basis. It is given out on Friday and is due the following Friday. For each week's worth of homework, your child is expected to do math, reading, writing, and spelling. Reading is the most important part of your child's homework. Each 1st grader is expected to read for 10 minutes every night and each 2nd grader is expected to read for 20 minutes every night.
Each child is given a plastic folder. This folder is used to transport materials, homework and books between home and school. Please check your child's folder each week, as this is where you will find important notes from school as well.


Stages is a seven-level developmental framework that describes a learner's cognitive and language abilities. Stages helps schools comply with alternate assessment mandates by providing an accessible way to assess learners with special needs. Stages also serves as a selection guide for curriculum activities (including both software and off-computer activities). The sequence of seven Stages is based on the work of Madalaine Pugliese, a nationally recognized authority in the fields of assistive and instructional technologies.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Grade Level: birth to preschool, early elementary, intermediate elementary, middle school, secondary, transition
IDEA Disability Category: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, major-other health impairment, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury
English Language Arts: Reading: Foundational Skills


Parent Tip: How to Make Coloured Playdough
There are a variety of benefits achieved from playdough play including fine motor skill development as the playdough is great for strengthening muscle tone in little hands – squishing, squashing, rolling, flattening playdough all develops the children’s muscles and encourage prewriting and other skills such as cutting with a scissors, using a tweezers, holding a pencil and more. Children can also work their stress out through their hands, so playdough is not only loads of fun, but can be another useful way to help your children to release stress.
You will need the following materials to be able to make your own playdough at home:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- food colouring
- 1 cup flour
- measuring spoon and cup
Step-by-step directions to make your own coloured playdough:
- In your saucepan, combine; water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food colouring.
- Heat until warm.
- Remove from heat and add flour.
- Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last six (6) months or longer. Dust the covered countertop with a little flour and turn out the dough on top of the flour. Knead the play dough for about ten (10) minutes to make it smooth and soft. Add a little more flour if your dough still feels sticky after 10 minutes, and continue kneading until the playdough no longer feels sticky.
- Store the completed cooled dough in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.
- To restore the softness to playdough, try adding water one drop at a time and working it in to moisten the playdough. You can also try wrapping the playdough in a damp paper towel, returning it to the container and replacing the cover. Let it sit overnight.
AMouseWithAHouse Toy Store has many different toys where playdough can be used together or as part of the play scenario and enhance the creative play possibilities. Try these NIC – Mini Cookie Cutter Set – 6 Assorted Animals. Children delight in making their favourite biscuits with these cute and practical mini cookie cutters. Includes elephant horse sitting rabbit pig butterfly and flying bird. To keep playdough from sticking to the cutter dip in flour before cutting. These cutters measure between 3 – 6 cm. Part of the Nic – Gluckskafer range of high quality kitchen play products – suitable for imaginative play at home pre-schools and schools.


JEAN SÉBASTIEN VALLÉE, Canada
Audiation: a new approach to conducting
Audiation is to sound what image is to imagination. Coined by music education researcher Edwin Gordon, audiation refers to mentally hearing and comprehending music without the presence of physical sound. Traditionally, the cognitive act of audiating has been used in the musical training of children and young musicians. However, this key concept is not limited to music education and is a necessary skill for conductors and choristers of all levels. Conductors must have a clear audition prior to conducting a musical score. By doing so, they can find appropriate gestures to communicate their musical intentions to the ensemble. This interactive session will include a lecture and a masterclass section using the assembled-audience as demonstration choir to explore the different levels of audiation and its communication from the conductor’s imagination to the singer’s mind. This presentation aims to shed new light on the act of conducting by bringing the musical score and its mental representation to the center of music making.
Jean Sebastien Vallee, conductor, scholar, clinician, and adjudicator, Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a rapidly rising conductor on today’s concert music stage. Mr. Vallée is Director of Choral Studies and Chair of the Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal. Prior to his appointment at McGill University, he served as Director of Choral Studies at California State University in Los ActiveAngeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Maestro Vallée is also founder and director of INSPIRAVI, a 20-voice Los Angeles based professional chamber choir, director of the renowned choir of St. Andrew and St. Paul, and artistic director of the Ottawa Choral Society.
Bio en CAT


Australian International Islamic College (AIIC) aims to improve STEM education by lifting foundational skills in STEM learning areas, developing mathematical, scientific and technological literacy and promoting 21st century skills such as problem-solving, critical analysis and creative thinking. Our STEM learning initiatives through the Science, Technologies and Mathematics learning areas and through the General Capabilities. Our STEM program promoting targeted initiatives to lift our student’s performance in STEM, including scientific and mathematical literacy by
- implementing the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies, Mathematics and Science
- providing STEM-specific curriculum resources, through the Curriculum in the Classroom project, to develop students’ skills in literacy, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving
- engaging and challenging the best and brightest students from Years 4 to 10 through the STEM virtual academies.
Importance & benefits of STEM Program:
STEM is part of everyday life and an increasing part of every workplace. STEM education enables students to develop solutions to complex problems and provides them with literacies and capabilities that will help them succeed in a world of technological change. As future innovators, educators, researchers and leaders, it is important that students develop the skills required to compete on a global scale.
STEM education benefits students by providing them with:
- a deeper understanding of the STEM disciplines
- skills to be competitive in the workplace. There is a growing gap between
high-demand occupations and the skills required to fill them in fields like information technology
- 21st century skills, e.g. collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving
- STEM literacy for everyday use
- knowledge and confidence to learn.
It is our aim to promote students’ curiosity about STEM from the early years to Year 12 by integrating STEM education into their learning programs.


A History of Innovation
The Reading Plus story began in the 1930s with pioneering research and groundbreaking inventions that have helped millions of students become more fluent readers. The foundation of our company is based on identifying eye movement patterns and inefficiencies. In 1985, the Visagraph 1 device was the first system invented that automatically measured both reading efficiency and proficiency through computer analysis. In 1995, the company was founded as an online product, and the current web-based version was launched in 2013. Today, Reading Plus continues to rapidly improve students’ reading achievement with advanced efficacy research, professional development and support services for teachers and administrators, and new product enhancements for 2020 and beyond. We believe that better readers spark brighter futures, and we are so honored that you are here on this literacy development journey with us.
In 1933 Earl, James, and Carl Taylor developed the Metronoscope and the Opthalmograph at Educational Laboratories of Brownwood, TX. In 1935, the Taylors developed the VisaScope, a visual screening device that tested distance and nearpoint vision as well as accommodation, and the Audiometer, which tested hearing.
In 1956, the Reading Eye tabletop eye-movement camera was developed by Stanford Taylor and produced by Educational Development Laboratories (EDL) of Huntington, NY. During the same time period, the Controlled Reader and Tach-X Tachistoscope were developed by Stanford Taylor.
In the mid-1960s the Aud-X Sound/Sight device was developed by Stanford Taylor to provide synchronized aural/visual sound and sight lessons to develop word recognition, phonics capability, and listening proficiency. In 1966 the Prism Reader, an adaptation of the Guided Reader, was released. It was equipped with Risley rotary prisms and was used by vision specialists to develop competence in binocular vergence and accommodation.
In the 1970s, Stanford Taylor released the Guided Reader and Tach-Mate Tachistoscope. These 35 millimeter filmstrip devices provided scan and flash training to develop fluency in silent reading. In 1971, the Reading Eye II (previously known as the Eye-Trac) was released. This device recorded eye movements through infrared sensors and the data was then recorded onto heat-sensitive paper.
In early 1985, Stanford Taylor developed the Visagraph I system of recording eye movements through a viewer containing infrared emitters and sensors with data input to a Macintosh computer. This system was the first to automatically evaluate both reading efficiency and visual/functional proficiency through computer analysis.
In the mid-1990s, silent reading fluency development migrated to MS-DOS computer programs. Reading Plus was introduced during this time. This new system provided fluency in silent reading development, vocabulary improvement through contextual analysis, decoding practice, extensive reading, and comprehension enhancement.
In early 2003, Mark Taylor developed a web-based version of Reading Plus. The new version offered the potential for online delivery as well as LAN and WAN use options. During the same year, Visagraph III, designed by Taylor Associates, became an integral diagnostic component of the Reading Plus program.
In the summer of 2013, Reading Plus released version 4.0, a completely redesigned program developed under the direction of leading reading researchers. Reading Plus 4.0 met the lofty goal of creating an assessment and instruction that changed not only a student’s reading capacity and efficiency, but also a student’s motivation for reading. It is the first and only program to assess and address the affective domains that impact student success.
Reading Plus began an initiative in 2020 to double the number of texts in the program’s content library, with a particular focus on diversity of content for Black students and students of color. Reading Plus partnered with some of the most well-respected names in children's and young adult publishing to provide students with engaging texts that reflect their reading interests.


In this clip, Tyson Lewis, Associate Professor & Art Education Program Coordinator/Visual Art Studies at North Texas University, answers the question: What is philosophy of education?
The above video clip (2:08 – 3:09) was trimmed from a video published on YouTube by Sam Rocha, Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Education at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada.
Rocha, S. [Sam Rocha]. (2013, June 21). Eduardo Duarte, Tyson Lewis, & Troy Richardson on philosophy of education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/BvEp2O0m2X8


Help students recognize the sounds of language with phonological awareness resources that focus on word awareness, onset and rime awareness, rhyme awareness, syllable awareness, and phonemic awareness.
Why Use Phonological Awareness
Phonological Awareness begins with word awareness and being able to recognize, for example, the number of words that make up a spoken sentence. Secondary mastery of these skills includes recognizing rhyme and syllables. At the most detailed level, the phoneme level, students can discern the sounds that make up a word. They can segment the sounds within a word, blend sounds together to make a word, and substitute sounds to make new words. All of which are key foundational skills for reading and writing.
How to Use Phonological Awareness Resources
Reading A-Z provides specific Phonological Awareness Lessons for focused practice on phonological awareness skills. The most effective instruction moves students quickly from the awareness of sounds to their associated symbols. Use our Phonological Awareness Lessons, Read-Aloud Books, Alphabet Books, Sound/Symbol Books, and Decodable Books in combination to support students learning of both phonemes and graphemes in English.
Other Phonological Awareness Resources
Reading A-Z offers many resources for teaching word awareness. Materials that are well suited for "read-aloud" or "read to" instruction include alliterative Read-Aloud Books, Alphabet Chants, High-Frequency Word Books, Alphabet Books, and Shared Reading Books.
Onset and Rime Awareness
Strategic lessons that teach word families (phonograms) are part of Reading A-Z's systematic phonics lessons. Blending and substitution activities are included in these lessons. Phonogram Flashcards can be used in word manipulation/building activities.
Reading A-Z offers Poetry Books & Nursery Rhymes for teaching rhyme—and some Leveled Books focus on rhyme awareness for an after-reading activity. Alphabet Chants are excellent resources for teaching rhyme awareness.
Lessons in selected Leveled Books provide strategies for teaching syllable awareness.
Each phonics lesson includes phonemic awareness activities. Strategies include listening to alliterative passages, blending and segmenting sounds, and manipulating sounds in words through substitution, deletion, and addition of phonemes. Each Leveled Book lesson from levels aa through J contains a specific strategy for teaching a targeted phoneme. Read-Aloud Books have a high occurrence of words that contain the targeted phoneme. Reading A-Z provides books for major phonemes.


When most of us think of science for kids we think chemistry and biology projects, but why not incorporate a little engineering for kids in there instead? I actually think building structures with kids is one of the most engaging science activities you can do together; kids love building things and they won’t even realize they are doing a fun science project at the same time! Plus this project takes just minutes to set up using materials you probably have on hand (did you save those packing peanuts from all your online purchases this year?). And be sure to scroll to the end of the post where we of course DESTROY said structures with a simple trick!
This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers, plus it keeps this little blog o’mine afloat! Thank you!
Science for Kids: Packing Peanut & Toothpick Structures
- Biodegradable Packing Peanuts
- Spray Bottle filled with Water
- Step One Set up the invitation to play. Put out a bowl of peanuts, a handful of toothpicks, and a shallow tray for the kids to build their structure on.
- Step Two Start building! My kids loved sticking the peanuts on the toothpicks to make all kinds of “sculptures” for lack of a better word. I know there were some swords and bugs in there…. Depending on the age of your child you might need to begin the base of a peanut structure so they can see how it works and stands up.
- Step Three Destroy it! Okay now that you and the kids have built a structure it’s time to knock it down! There is nothing kids love more than taking things apart, am I right? Take out a spray bottle filled with water and let your kids spray the packing peanuts! The biodegradable peanuts will start “melting.” If you are building this over a tray, you can simply empty the dissolved peanuts and toothpicks into the trash. No mess. Or do your eco duty and save the toothpicks for another project!
You’re done! This is a very easy science activity for kids you can throw together in minutes. And a perfect little break from all the Xbox playing my son has been doing since Santa brought us that fine treasure of a toy…you can’t see the grimace on my face, can you?
Antonio Gaudi. I could have picked any number of structural engineers and architects to feature in this post but by far one of the most inventive architects who used structures in unique ways was Antonio Gaudi, a Spanish architect from the 19th century. His major masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona began construction in 1882 and is still being built today. That’s right you heard that correctly, it is expected to be finished in 2026! Gaudi based many of his buildings and particularly parts of the Sagrada Familia on hyberbolic geometry. Okay we’re not building hyperbolic structures here with toothpicks, but we are exposing kids to the wonders of structural geometry, and they won’t even know it!
If your kids enjoyed building structures don’t miss our Paper Building Blocks. They passed the two Oreo test, can they hold more? You can also explore balance and dynamics by making a Recycled Bird Feeder Mobile! And if you have a budding architect on your hands be sure to read this post by my friend Jeanette at Artchoo about the power of Legos to inspire young architects.
Moral of this post….science for kids does not have to be complicated! Setting up a simple structures project is an easy way to sneak a little engineering for kids into their day, without them even knowing it! And the best part? Destroying said structures! Who doesn’t like watching your hard work dissolve into a puddle of gooey slime?
And don’t miss out on more science for kids here on Babble Dabble Do! Your child’s inner Antonio Gaudi thanks you! Subscribe below or like us on FB!


The Sombrero Galaxy is an unusual looking barred spiral galaxy with a large central bulge. It means that at the central part of the galaxy is a structure that looks like a bar. This bar is made of stars.
It has a bright nucleus, and its spiral’s arms pass through a thick dust lane. The estimated distance of this galaxy from the earth is 29 million light years. It was formally added to the Messier Catalogue in 1921.
Quick Facts: –
- The Sombrero Galaxy has a central supermassive black hole at its heart. It is the largest of any black hole found so far at the heart of a galaxy.
- French astronomer and comet hunter Pierre Mechain is credited with the original discovery of the Sombrero Galaxy back in 1781.
- NASA has studied this galaxy using Spitzer Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope.
- This galaxy is not a part of a formal galaxy group, but could be a member of a string of galaxies extending away from the Virgo Cluster.
- During a dark and clear sky, this galaxy can be seen through ordinary binoculars easily.
- The galaxy is about 30% the size of the Milky Way galaxy and has a very bright nucleus.
- According to NASA, it is actually a very large elliptical galaxy, which has a disk galaxy embedded in it.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Fun Sombrero Galaxy Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Nov 2020. Web. 27 Nov 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/sombrero-galaxy/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Sombrero Galaxy Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/sombrero-galaxy/
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Magic Milk Science Experiment
This post may contain affiliate links, read our Disclosure Policy for more information. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, thank you! Here's a super EASY and fast science experiment to do with the kiddos...magic milk! Watch it in action... All you need to do is fill a dish with about an inch ... Read More about Magic Milk Science Experiment
Glowing Fireworks Experiment
Wow the kids this summer and make fireworks in-a-jar ! We have tried this experiment before, but this time we wanted to see if we could make it GLOW ! …
Snowstorm in a Jar Winter Science Experiment
This snowstorm in a jar is such a fun winter science experiment! It's really easy to put together and it looks so cool when it starts "snowing"! It uses simple materials and it's a great way to learn about weather, density and other cool science topics!
Science for Kids: Magic Dancing Rice Experiment - Green Kid Crafts
Dancing rice experiment for kids. Make rice dance like magic in this super simple kitchen science experiment from Green Kid Crafts...
Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids with Video - Montessori Science - Natural Beach Living
The Magic Milk Science Experiment is a fun and simple experiment for Kids of all ages. It's a great Science idea for preschoolers and Kindergarten as an introduction to learning Chemistry. This color changing milk experiment is guaranteed to become one of your favorite Science activities for preschoolers and kitchen science experiments.
Color Changing Flowers Science Experiment
I just love this color changing flowers science experiment! It's a fun spring science activity for kids in preschool and elementary. Free printable recording sheets too!
How to Make Bouncy Balls - The Stem Laboratory
Looking for a fun and simple science activity that’s sure to entertain the kids?! In this quick, five minute experiment, little chemists mix up their own homemade bouncy balls. Making bouncy balls is a hands-down science favorite for kids! Check out the simple step-by-step below and then join The Plato Pack so you can access DOZENS more jaw […]
Awesome Science Experiment: Make Hot Ice with Baking Soda and Vinegar - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls
Here’s a fun science experiment that will definitely get a “wow” from the kids. Combine baking soda and vinegar to make sodium acetate, or hot ice! It crystalizes instantly when you pour it, allowing you to create a tower of crystals. Since the process of crystallization is exothermic, the “ice” that forms will be hot […]
Rainbow baking soda science experiment for kids
You are going to love this baking soda science experiment. Science experiments for kids are always fun and this rainbow science experiement will definitely catch the kids attention. Children as young as toddlers and preschoolers will love this erupting rainbow activity!
Fun with Science: 27 Sensory Science Experiments for Kids
27 Science Experiments for Kids | Whether you’re looking for sensory science experiments for kids to do at home, or science project ideas for kids in elementary school to teach kids about the scientific method and chemical reactions, this collection of simple, easy, and fun STEM activities and ideas will inspire you! #sensoryscience #scienceexperimentskids #scienceexperimentsforkids #stemactivities
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Adorable musical notes help kids learn to enjoy music and develop their ear for sound in LAMI find notes, an ear training app. As kids move through the app, they’re introduced to new musical sounds and combinations of notes. Throughout the app, they’re encouraged to earn stars and complete challenges. They can also compose their own tunes with a fun “Play Music” section which helps them understand the notes even more.
Three Modes of Play
Increasing Levels of Difficulty
Adorable Singing Notes
Beautiful Background Music
From the moment kids open the app, they’re exposed to the adorable cartoon notes who immediately break out into a song of “la”s. They dance and laugh as they sing, getting kids excited about the app. Across the top kids can see the three modes of play: Find Notes, Play Music, and Scoring Game. To access the scoring game, kids must first complete all of the Find Notes section. On the bottom of the main screen, kids will also find a short credits screen and an icon that leads to an explanation of the characters within the app. The sound in the app is crisp and clear, but kids may want to have the volume turned up as they play to help them clearly hear the notes and complete the challenges.
This app focuses on part music education and part memory. For most of challenges, kids hear notes as they appear on the screen. Then they hear a single note or series of notes and must repeat what they hear by tapping on the notes. The goal is to help kids learn to identify pitch in many different ways. The app does a good job with this by incorporating different series of sounds and different notes. Each note is also a different color which may also help kids, although most will be focused on listening to the sounds rather than noticing the colors of the notes.
It’s not the Find Notes challenges, Scoring Game, or Play Music option that make this app fun. It’s the cute notes that appear on the screen throughout the app. Kids are introduced to each note’s personality in a “meet the characters” section. They also get to see the notes interact with one another during short animations that play before each Find Notes section. In addition to the fun characters, kids also get to enjoy silly sounds. For example, they hear the notes as cows, cats, and xylophones.
LAMI find notes is a quality app that has clearly been carefully designed to help children learn to distinguish pitch. Its price is comparable to the other ear training apps for kids, but its a lot more playful than some of the other apps out there.
Parents won’t find any in-app purchases, ads, or social media. The app does contain two inactive links to developer websites in the credit section. It also connects with your Game Center account to help encourage kids with challenges.


Bananas are one of the most popular fruits. Worldwide, about 15 million tons of bananas are exported every year. Bananas grow in masses on shrubby plants. The banana-growing industry provides a livelihood for many people living in warm climates.
- Bananas are related to ginger.
- More than 1,000 varieties of bananas grow in 150 countries. They have exotic names, such as Blue Java, which has blue skin; the Macabu, a black banana; and the lemon-flavored Burro banana.
- Health experts disagree on bananas’ nutrition benefits. While they’re low in calories and fat and they’re a good source of potassium, they’re also high in sugars and carbohydrates. Best bet: eat them as part of a varied diet.
- Bananas are healthy and delicious, but their skins are pretty awesome too. Rub a banana skin on an insect bite to sooth it. Rub it over a DVD or cd to fill scratches. Use it to remove stains from clothing, polish shoes, and even whiten teeth.
- One study found that eating green bananas can help control diarrhea and lower blood pressure. Another study found that a banana’s nutrition content rises as it ripens.
- Variety: a specific type
- Ginger: a spicy-tasting root that is used fresh, dried, or powdered
Questions and Answers
Question: Are banana peels poisonous?
Answer: This is a common belief that is unfounded. In many parts of the world, people eat banana peels boiled, fried, or baked. Banana peels are very nutritious. Banana peels should be carefully washed to remove any dirt or pesticides.
Find out how bananas are grown, harvested, and shipped.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Fun Banana Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Nov 2020. Web. 30 Nov 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/banana/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Banana Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/banana/
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Bette Cléo November 1, 2020 worksheets
There are also worksheets that teach how to read. It includes the basic sounds each letter produce. Kids try to read the words displayed before them. In the First Alphabet worksheet, kids learn how to write the alphabet. And in the First Animals worksheet, kids try to recognize the animals in the picture and learn the names of these animals.There are many more worksheets available. They vary in complexity of the activity depending on the age and grade level of a child.
I have said ”Don’t Use Worksheets” about every way there is to say it, and each time I have included solid brain-based, researched reasons for this statement; and yet, I know that many people will ignore the science in favor of the convenience. It is very difficult to fight the tide when there are so many internet sites pushing worksheets at parents, and so many reputable textbook companies doing likewise. It is difficult to remember the reasons to avoid them when one has very little time to devote to working with math. Worksheets just seem so much easier than doing things any other way. Can they really cause harm?
There are other sources for worksheets also. You can find many public schools and private schools which will provide free worksheets for you if you buy textbooks from the school. Or you can usually find textbooks and workbooks at the public library, where you can also copy any worksheets that you want to use.So what kinds of worksheets should you get? Anything where you feel that your child needs further drill. We often have this notion that worksheets are just for math. This, of course, is not true. While they are excellent tools for reviewing math facts such as the multiplication tables and division facts, they are just as useful for reviewing parts of speech or the states in the union.
Homeschool worksheets are a vital part of the student’s homeschool experience. They allow the child to test his or her knowledge, and they offer them a practical application for their learning. Worksheets also, when used properly, provide both the students and parent / tutor immediate feedback as to the child’s progress. This means they can be used to point out areas where the student needs further reinforcement.
1. Education vs Time Filler
Even the youngest students–kindergarteners–will benefit from printable worksheets. They will help your little one learn and master basic concepts in way that will capture and hold their attention. Remember that small kids enjoy doing things rather than simply reading or listening. For this reason, attractive, well-illustrated worksheets with something to do will make learning fun for them. What’s more, completing your worksheet will give the child a tremendous sense of fulfillment.
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Our main goal is to help you understand how a college essay is written, what is consists of and how to conduct a research for it.
Though we cannot write your essay for you, we will supply you with the necessary knowledge and skills for you to do it yourself.
The guides and manuals listed below have been created by our in-house team of freelance essay writer who work for top custom writing companies in the industry.
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Not everybody can be an artist and, ultimately, not everybody should be an artist. Those who want this though will have to face important challenges throughout their lives and especially at the beginning of their careers. Talent does matter and that is definitely not up to any kind of debate. Also, everybody agrees on the fact that you do need to put some considerable amount of effort into realizing something really great in the field of arts. As a matter of fact, many of the people out there advise on the 90-10 “golden rule” (90% effort and 10% talent). However, how important is art education for an artist? Do those who want to follow a career in this field have to obtain a diploma in the field or should they not worry about such matters? What is it that art education (at its official level) can bring into the life of a young artist, in the end? Wouldn’t a young artist be able to learn the things he/she needs on his/her own, without having to pay for the college tuition?
The truth is that yes, people can learn anything they put their minds to if they really want it even without the help of “official education”. However, college education can bring other things into one’s life. College education in the field of arts can definitely offer the students with a structured way of learning the most important things they have to know about the field in which they will be experts.
Even more, art education helps people receive valuable feedback both from their teachers/professors and from the classmates. This way, the student can permanently grow into something better and he/she can permanently improve his/her techniques. In art, same as with everything else, constructive criticism should be more than welcomed.
Last, but not least, college education in the field of art may help one create the connections necessary for the future. These relationships can be important both in the art world and outside of it and they can definitely help a young professional or artist make his/her way up into this world.
At the same time though, there may not be other things college art education offers its students with. In the end, the education itself (or the diploma for that matter) will not prepare anyone for the actual real-life in the art world, but it does increase the chances that it will be a better life.


Face coverings, masks specifically, have certainly proven to be a challenge through the COVID pandemic. How many times do you finish a sentence to realize you aren’t even sure what you said… because your mask smushed your lips into your teeth, making your words incoherent? Or did you respond to a request from another masked person with “huh?” because you didn’t catch each word in their question?
Now, imagine facing these same problems as a young child whose speech and language skills are still developing. For young kids developing spoken language skills, any disruption in what they hear or how they are understood by others can affect their language development. Language development affects literacy development and literacy development affects… well, just about everything.
We know that all adults who interact with children have an impact on the development of these language skills and that wearing masks can affect their ability to be a skilled language user. So, what does that mean for children spending time and interacting with both immediate and extended families around the holidays?
First, you may want to check out the CDC’s guidance page Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings to help inform and guide you through this challenging holiday season. If you and your loved ones choose to gather in person, wearing masks should be one of the precautions you take.
So, how do we ensure that our children are heard AND can hear us, while protecting ourselves and our families?
Tips For Clear Communication
There are a range of things you can do in social situations to help navigate the “new normal.”1 While the tips below are designed to help you communicate with children while masked, the same strategies can apply to communicating with anyone who has hearing loss.
- Speak slowly and articulate – this can help reduce the amount of misunderstanding.
- Use visual support and images – showing pictures or using gestures and other body language.
- Reduce environmental noise and keep the child’s attention when speaking – always make eye contact.
- Consider using a portable microphone with your mask – there are many types available online2.
- Ask children to repeat the instructions received – ensure the child heard correctly and understands.
- Repeat instructions or rephrase your speech if the child is not understanding – this may be a time to use the visual supports discussed above.
- Check for understanding – not just when giving directions, but in regular conversation too.
- Do not speak loudly, overemphasize, or exaggerate your words – this may lead to incorrect speech.
- Avoid using flashy masks – they can compete for the child’s attention.
When your goal is ensuring that each sound of speech reaches your child, you support their developing brain. While of course the same tactics can be applied in any back-and-forth conversation, clarity is especially critical for young children – for whom clear and engaging communication while developing language is vital.
Share these tips with family and friends to promote clear communication these holidays and every day!
- How face masks can affect school performance, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 138, 2020, 110328, ISSN 0165-5876, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110328.
- While we don’t endorse any specific device, this post has some great suggestions. Not just for teachers, these sets can be used anywhere clear communication is needed!
The Cox Campus is committed to ensuring literacy and justice for all. Through impactful strategies and learning experiences, families, educators, and anyone who works with children can make a difference by bringing the science of reading within reach for each child.


Dr Suzuki, the founder of Suzuki method, started learning violin only when he was 17. With the devastation that the end of World War II brought upon Japan, he was determined that the future generations of Japanese children should never have to through that again and devoted the rest of his life into music education for young children.
He believed that every child with the ability to learn music, would be able to learn life skills and appreciate the beauty and finer things in life and eventually be a useful person to the society. In that way, society would be more harmonious. As Dr Suzuki would say, character first, ability second.
"Beautiful tone, beautiful heart" Having a beautiful heart and beautiful tone, is most important.
Inner beauty of the heart is more lasting than excellent playing technique.
"Man is a child of his environment."
To him, every child can learn an instrument with the right environment and parental support. Hence the method is also called the "mother tongue" method as the way to learn a language can be applied to learning an instrument for young children.
As he said: when love is deep, much can be accomplished. Parents and teachers ,who have deep love for their students and children, will do their best to nurture and educate them at the best they can. Together, this love and combined efforts will be able to achieve much.