Peter Paul Rubens
Flemish Baroque Era Painter, 1577-1640
Peter Paul Rubens (June 28, 1577 ?C May 30, 1640) was a prolific seventeenth-century Flemish Baroque painter, and a proponent of an exuberant Baroque style that emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. He is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.
In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp which produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically-educated humanist scholar, art collector, and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, king of Spain, and Charles I, king of England.
Rubens was a prolific artist. His commissioned works were mostly religious subjects, "history" paintings, which included mythological subjects, and hunt scenes. He painted portraits, especially of friends, and self-portraits, and in later life painted several landscapes. Rubens designed tapestries and prints, as well as his own house. He also oversaw the ephemeral decorations of the Joyous Entry into Antwerp by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand in 1635.
His drawings are mostly extremely forceful but not detailed; he also made great use of oil sketches as preparatory studies. He was one of the last major artists to make consistent use of wooden panels as a support medium, even for very large works, but he used canvas as well, especially when the work needed to be sent a long distance. For altarpieces he sometimes painted on slate to reduce reflection problems.
His fondness of painting full-figured women gave rise to the terms 'Rubensian' or 'Rubenesque' for plus-sized women. The term 'Rubensiaans' is also commonly used in Dutch to denote such women. Related Paintings of Peter Paul Rubens :. | The Village Wedding | Portrait of Heleini | The Statue of Ceres | Reiterbidnis of the duke of Lerma | nicolas de respaigne,c |
Related Artists:Philippe Jacques
1740-1812Alden J Weir
Painter, printmaker and teacher, son of (1) Robert Walter Weir. His art education began in the studio of his father. There he and his half-brother (2) John Ferguson Weir acquired an appreciation for the Old Masters, particularly of the Italian Renaissance and of the 17th-century Dutch schools. While Weir pursued in his art a course very different from that of his father and half-brother, his personality as well as his artistic attitudes were shaped by them. In the winters of 1870-71 and 1871-2, he continued his studies at the National Academy of Design in New York, where his instructor was Lemuel Wilmarth (1835-1918).
(14 August 1840 C 1920) was an Irish artist born in London, England.
His father, William Riviere, was for some years drawing-master at Cheltenham College, and afterwards an art teacher at Oxford University. He was educated at Cheltenham College and at Oxford, where he took his degree in 1867. For his art training he was indebted almost entirely to his father, and early in life made for himself a place of importance among the artists of his time.
His first pictures appeared at the British Institution, and in 1857 he exhibited three works at the Royal Academy, but it was not until 1863 that he became a regular contributor to the Academy exhibitions. In that year he was represented by "The Eve of the Spanish Armada", and in 1864 by a "Romeo and Juliet". Subjects of this kind did not, however, attract him long, for in 1865 he began, with a picture of a "Sleeping Deer-hound", a series of paintings of animal-subjects which later occupied him almost exclusively.


21st Century Musicianship
This module focuses on integrating the expanding ways people engage with music in the 21st century in PreK-12 music programs. We work to better understand how people are engaging with music through digital, popular, and participatory culture and how this might inform music teaching and learning. Whether developing an understanding of the potential for video games in music classrooms or the skills and knowledge needed to remix music in a sophisticated manner, this module seeks to broaden the ways that music education frames musicianship and what it means to be musical in the 21st century.
Current Projects Include:
Hybrid Music Courses for Secondary Music Programs
Several CDPPCME partners are in the process of developing and implementing new courses for students who do not traditionally enroll in traditional large ensembles. One district is working with the CDPPCME to develop a flexible curricular framework with several music teachers implementing courses organized around long-term units and projects that investigate what it means to engage with music in the 21st century. An other partner will be implementing a hybrid course including students focusing on vocal music education and others focusing on creating and remixing music with laptops, instruments, and a variety of music software.
The CDPPCME and affiliates are involved in a variety of curricular and pedagogical initiatives that address popular music. Whether exploring the potential of Hip Hop music in schools or building connections between Hip Hop communities, academia, and music education, our Focus on Hip Hop looks to provide musicians and music educators with resources to address Hip Hop as a social force, culture, and art form. More information and related projects. . .
The CDPPCME is currently researching the affordances, constraints, and implications of integrating games (on computers, console systems, and mobile devices) in music education. We are looking at both music-focused games and the music in games that are not music-specific. We are also looking at a range of interfaces used in conjunction with video games systems and how people interact with the games and music. More information and related projects. . .
Given a growing interest in schools addressing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), the CDPPCME is assisting music educators integrate STEM into music education and music education into STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). A key aspect of this work is combining musicianship, musical understanding, and musical learning with principles and core concepts related to STEM ranging from physics to computational thinking. This work is taking place in music education courses at ASU and is starting to occur in local schools with music educators partnering with the CDPPCME. Contact us if you are interested in partnering with the CDPPCME to address STEM, STEAM, and music education in your school.
This content is published under the Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.


ARTS IN EDUCATION. We know the arts are beneficial when they are included in the traditional education setting. Why? Is it happening enough? Is there support for more? First we must determine what factors are key to seeing it happen. WHERE is it happening? HOW is it happening?
WHERE is it happening?
HOW is it happening?
WHEN is it happening?
WHO is making it happen?And WHAT makes it happen?
Widely considered the leading theorist on art education and aesthetics in the United States.
Dance Educators (Ann Green Gilbert, Rima Faber, Sandra Minton, for e.g.), Elementary/Secondary Teachers, Professional Dance Companies, Community arts organizations, . . .
How can I make a difference?
“The arts are cognitive activities, guided by human intelligence, that make unique forms of meaning possible. The interaction of the senses enriches meaning”.
“The arts are not mere diversions from the important business of education, but essential resources.”Elliot W Eisner, “The Role of the Arts in
Cognition and Curriculum” (2001)
What does it mean to be cognitively aware?
Awareness in turn employs the functions of the senses.Cognitive knowledge has to be attained with the senses engaged.To know something is to know it in many forms.
Ndeo. Current National Initiatives, 2012. Web. March, 2012


October is here, and we are enjoying the season change. Beautiful colors are all around; squirrels are hopping through the yard gathering acorns, the smell of apple cider fills the house, and little ones are tossing leaves in the air. Don’t you just love this time of year? It seemed like the perfect time to learn about pumpkins and enjoy a few fun pumpkin activities.
The Perfect Pumpkin Activities for Kids
Does a pumpkin sink or float Science Experiment?
Pumpkin Science just wouldn’t be complete without a little investigation. So we spent time using our senses to explore our pumpkin.
Every child had their own pumpkin to learn about. We measured, we inspected, and we jotted down our findings on the pumpkin investigation sheet. (You can grab a set of free pumpkin activities printables below)
We learned about the parts of a pumpkin and the pumpkin life cycle. The children seem to really enjoy learning about life cycles
The Pumpkin Runner is a wonderful book based on a true story about a sheep rancher that loved to run with his yellow dog and got all of his energy from pumpkin. The ending is the best so pick it up at your library or add it to your wish list it’s a great addition to your fall reading.
More Pumpkin Sensory and Science for Kids
Do you have favorite fall books to read? I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to leave a comment below.
Sign Up Here for Free Printables. Enjoy!
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For centuries, humans have used games and play as a means of helping others understanding a variety of topics. In the Middle Ages, the game of chess was used to teach noblemen the strategies of war. However, it was not until the mid-twentieth century that the public began to make the connection between play and learning.
Last week, we held an exciting and informative online class, expertly and passionately presented by Carol Moritz, the Director of NY Preschool and generously sponsored by the NY Kids Club, to discuss the importance of play inside – and outside – the classroom.
In case you missed it, you’ll find a link to the recorded class HERE.
Carol discussed the history of play and how it is – and is not – new to the classroom, as well as what types of play are important to different areas of development – specifically social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. The class also touched on the link between motor skills and cognition.
Here are some excellent articles and resources on play and child development that Carol would like to share with you:
- Debunking the Play vs. Learning Dichotomy
- Links between Motor Skills and Indicators of School Readiness at Kindergarten Entry in Urban Disadvantaged Children
- Better Motor Skills Linked to Higher Academic Scores
- Gross Motor Milestones and Subsequent Development
- The cognitive benefits of play: Effects on the learning brain
Generously sponsored by
Carol Moritz, mother of ten, has a 35 year career in teaching. Carol has degrees in early childhood education and elementary education, with an emphasis in psychology. She has worked with children from birth to college. Carol especially cherishes her time as part of an international staff in Germany. When she is not spending her time being Director of the NY Preschool, she enjoys playing rugby, kayaking, weight lifting and doing all things “Martha Stewart.”


Welcome to Cambugs! We now have 2 apps available to download. Cambugs letter sounds teaches children initial letter sounds whilst Cambugs Phonics teaches rest of the phonemes that children need to become confident fluent readers.
Who are we?
Cambugs Apps have been developed by educational psychologists in partntership with the University of Cambridge and are based on research into what really works to help children develop their phonics skills and ultimately learn to read fluently and confidently. As educational psychologists these are the techniques that we use and train others to use because we see the difference they make, not only to literacy development but also to a children’s confidence in literacy.
Why you need to use Cambugs apps
Cambugs Apps are designed to develop your child’s reading skills starting with phonics, the building blocks of reading. We use instructional psychology and interleaved learning where new sounds are learned alongside known sounds to develop mastery, confidence and fluency.
You will notice in the app that your child is reviewing sounds that they already know. This is a really good thing! This technique of over-learning is essential when teaching something new. By following this method children are more likely to remember information and more able to generalise their skills to different reading situations. Too often children are taught new skills so quickly that they have not gained mastery before moving on to the next thing. The way our apps are designed and developed ensures that this does not happen.
In order to develop into a confident reader, your child needs to develop reading fluency, i.e. not only do they need to recognise phonemes/words they need to recall them quickly. Imagine sounding out a word really slowly…… by the time you have got to the end you are very likely to have forgotten the beginning. That is why our Apps have a timed test function which ensures that your child only moves on to the next stage when they are completely ready. On the App you will notice that some words that your child has already learned are
reintroduced to learn again and that is because they are not yet fluent.
We believe that Cambugs Apps are unique in that they are designed as a teaching aid where adults and children work together, this means that you are able to provide additional motivation through specific praise and discussion. Cambugs Apps are designed to be used twice a day, and during this time your child will be spending ‘quality’ time with you and you will be providing the intellectual stimulation that we know has a positive impact on school outcomes.


P.O. Box 607 ~ Buena Vista, VA 24416
The Buena Vista Colored School is a one story, brick structure with a hipped, standing-
seam metal roof. The oldest part, to the west, dates from 1914 and is a four bay, tworoom
section with a brick foundation, a brick water table, and segmental arches over its two front
doors. Two 6 over 6 windows flank the two doors. Due to increased enrollment, a second
room, almost identical to the first, was added to the east in 1926. The brick division
between the two sections is clearly evident in the facades. The 1926 brick section added
one room and changed the front, south facade from four bays to seven with the addition of
a central door and two flanking windows. The building served as the only local school for
African American children in grades 1-7 from 1914 to 1957. It is in generally good condition,
although the roof, guttering, and the inside flooring in the newer section needs attention.
Located at the northern edge of the Buena Vista community, the original schoolhouse,
which was built in 1891 but burned in 1914, shared the site with an African American Baptist
church. The church was moved in 1902, and a new schoolhouse replaced the original
soon after it burned, in 1914. A brick coal and wood storage shed were built out back of the
school and a wooden outhouse was built a short distance away. An indoor water fountain,
a sink and electric lights were eventually installed in the building, but indoor toilets were
The school was officially opened January 25, 1892 with 30 pupils in attendance. Mr. John
E. J. Moore was the principal and head teacher from 1896-1924. Professor Moore taught
for 25 consecutive terms without missing a day or being a minute late for school. In
September 1915, an assistant teacher was hired at a salary of $30.00 per month. Mrs.
Frances Price Ragsdale was hired for the teacher/principal position in 1935 and taught
there until 1957. From the onset of her tenure, students in the first through fifth grades were
taught together in one room of the old building. The two room school was finally closed in
1957 and the building was then used for community purposes until 1992.
The little school served the city's African American school population in grades 1-7 for 44
years. When its doors closed in 1957 and a more modern facility was erected closer to the
center of the African American community, three generations of African American children
had received their elementary education at the Buena Vista Colored School. The building
remains a monument to the past, evoking joyful childhood memories of school friends,
strict but loving and caring teachers, and the 3 R's, but also recalling less joyful days of a
segregated society with a second-class citizenship.
The school has seen only very limited use since its closing in 1957. The Total Action
against Poverty program utilized the original room as a clothing distribution center for a
brief period. The local Office of Civilian Defense used the second room during the 1960s to
provide training for local civil defense volunteers, and the American Red Cross has stored
a field hospital there for emergency use, particularly during times of flooding in the city.


Landing a job as a school band director requires preparation. You must learn how to arrange and compose music, the theory of music and you must have teaching skills. You must learn how to play all of the musical instruments and how to teach others how to play those instruments. There are different levels of band directors, including elementary and secondary level and the university level. The exact qualifications you will need depend upon the level you desire to teach.
Elementary and Secondary
Anyone desiring to teach band on the elementary and secondary levels must have a bachelor's of music education, or BME, degree or a bachelor of arts in music from an accredited college or university. Some school districts require a master's degree. With a BME degree, your college curriculum includes foundational education classes. In these foundational classes you learn how to teach others in a classroom setting. With a B.A. in music, you take the same classes required for a music education degree, minus the foundational education classes.
When teaching band at the university level, you no longer have the title “band director.” You use the title “Professor of Music.” To direct a university band, you need a master's degree or higher in music education. You also need five or more years of experience teaching band at colleges and universities. The more experienced the band director candidate has, the greater his chances of being hired as a university band director.
School band directors have a load of responsibilities, and they need skills and expertise to handle them. For instance, the band director is responsible for choosing the musical repertoire for the band to play. He is responsible for organizing and running rehearsals in a manner that is efficient and effective. He needs patience, especially if he is teaching beginner band. The band director must be personable, as he regularly communicates with the parents of band members. Fund-raising skills are also important, since the band director is often responsible for projects to help raise money for band trips.
In order to teach band at the elementary, secondary or post-secondary level, you must have the appropriate state licensing. Most states require teachers, including band directors, to possess a degree in education. If the individual's degree is in music performance instead of music education, he can apply for an alternative teaching license. The exact protocol to an alternative teaching license varies by state. However, it generally requires the individual to take continuing education and professional development classes and to receive guidance from a professional mentor.
- Thinkstock Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images


In 4th grade we strive to provide hands-on opportunities to learn and explore. Due to our small class size, we are able to focus on the individual needs of each student. We focus on providing each student with a good foundation for life-long learning.
The students will be learning the States and their Capitals, the Presidents, and where places are in the World. Students will learn a lot about nature and the world that God created. They will dive into English, learning the parts of speech and how to compose narratives and strong essays. They will also participate in class novel-reading as well as individual AR reading. In Math, students will learn everything from common factors to simple geometry. Computer time will be spent working on keyboarding skills and furthering their research abilities. In Bible class, 4th graders will learn life lessons and more about their Creator each day.
Students will be sent home with a weekly homework guide. It is their responsibility to complete the assignments and turn them in on time.
Daily School Schedule
8:30 – 9:00 ———————————————————– Bible (Danner)
9:00 – 9:45 ———————————————————– Reading/Composition (Danner)
9:45 – 10:30 ——————————————————— Math (Goodman)
10:30 – 11:00 ——————————————————– Break
11:00 – 11:45 ——————————————————- Shurley English (Laino)
11:45 – 12:15 ——————————————————- Spelling (Danner)
12:15 – 1:00 ——————————————————— Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 ———————————————————– History (Goodman)
1:45 – 2:30 ———————————————————– Science (Goodman)
2:30 – 3:00 ———————————————————– Computer (Goodman)
Meet the Teachers
Mrs. Linda Goodman
Subjects: Math, Science, History
Mrs. Linda Goodman is entering her 9th year at NHCS. She lives in Flat Rock, IL, with her husband Phil. They have two children, Tom – a sophomore at the University of Illinois – and Emma who is a junior at Robinson High School. Both are alumni of NHCS. Mrs. Goodman has a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Mathematics with teacher certification from Eastern Illinois University. She attends Flat Rock United Methodist Church where she plays the organ and teaches Sunday School. She enjoys reading, reducing fractions, and spending time with her family.
Mrs. Goodman can be reached during school hours through the school secretary at (618) 544-7619 or anytime via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Mrs. Katie Danner
Subjects: Bible, Reading/Composition, Spelling
Mrs. Katie Danner is entering her 2nd year teaching at NHCS. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Education from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. Mrs. Danner currently resides in Robinson with her husband and 18-month-old daughter. She enjoys reading, camping, and spending time with her little family.
Mrs. Danner attended New Hebron, preschool through 8th Grade, and participated in basketball, quiz bowl, and cross country. She is a member of Pleasant Ridge Christian Church, where she leads worship, directs VBS, and helps out with the children’s ministry.
Mrs. Danner can be reached during school hours through the school secretary at (618) 544-7619 or anytime via email at email@example.com.
Mrs. Kelly Laino
Subjects: Shurley English
Mrs. Kelly Laino received her Associate Degree from Lincoln Trail College. She obtained her BS in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from Eastern Illinois University. She taught for 5 years in 1st grade, 2nd grade, and Preschool. She then decided to devote more time to her family, as her two children: Zander and Nyah, were growing up, and substitute taught for 10 years. She has most recently taught at NHCS for the past 4 years. Mrs. Laino sponsors STEM Club and offers private tutoring throughout the school year.
Mrs. Laino can be reached during school hours through the school secretary at (618) 544-7619 or anytime via email at Mrs.Laino@yahoo.com.


Sound it Out!: Phonics in a Comprehensive Reading Program
Sound it Out! answers the questions, "Why is phonics important?" and "How can phonics help children learn to read?" as well as others, showing how phonics fits into the overall process of a child's learning to read, and how phonics can be integrated successfully into a classroom reading program. The text includes a wealth of suggestions for practical classroom applications and a solid research knowledge base so readers will understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and why it works.
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The Place of Phonics in Learning
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ability alphabet books alphabet training alphabetic principle approach beginning reading cards chil child children's literature classroom components compound words comprehensive consonant consonant digraphs context curriculum decoding digraphs discrete phonics elements dren educational emphasis English orthography example explicit focus focuses grade graphemes helping children learn homophones identify initial sound International Reading Association invented spelling involves language arts learning phonics learning to read letter names letter-sound literacy long vowel meaning National Reading Panel onsets and rimes patterns phon phonemic awareness phonics instruction phonics programs phonological awareness place of phonics practice readers reading activities reading and writing reading instruction reading program Reading Teacher recognize rhyming words schwa segmentation sentences shared reading short vowel skills sound-symbol relationships sounds in words story strategies suprasegmental syllables taught teaching children teaching phonics teaching reading Teaching Suggestions vocabulary vowel sounds whole language word families written language Yopp York young children


Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music : A Social and Cultural History
Üye Girişi yapın, temin süresi ve fiyatını size bildirelim.
Üye Girişi yapın, sizi bu ürün stoklarımıza girdiğinde bilgilendirelim.
Temin süremiz 28 - 42 iş günü
Yayıncı Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music ( 01 / 2013 ) ISBN 9781848495791 | 15,39x23,19x2,21 cm. | İngilizce | 278 Sayfa | Türler Müzik
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, better known as the ABRSM, has influenced the musical lives and tastes of millions of people since it conducted its first exams in 1890. This ground-breaking history explores how the ABRSM became such a formative influence and looks at some of the consequences resulting from its pre-eminent position in British musical life. Particular emphasis is given to how free the ABRSM has been to impose its musical view of things and to what extent its exams respond to the circumstances and musical preferences of its customers. The book's exploration of how the ABRSM has negotiated music's changing social, educational and cultural landscape casts fresh light on the challenges facing music education today. David Wright's comprehensive history of the ABRSM, covering the entire period from 1890 to the present day, represents a significant and original investigation.


When the AID FOR AIDS Panama team went looking for outside help to provide higher-level teaching assistance to youngsters in its Children’s Program, they requested quotes from several local companies.
One of those firms was ILVEM (a Spanish-language acronym for the Institute of Speed Reading and Memory), which offers learning improvement programs in 24 countries on three continents. Founded in Argentina in the late 1960’s, ILVEM today is one of the most respected firms in its field.
When the request for a price quote reached Jorge Gonzalez, the company’s proprietor in Panama, he wasted no time in responding. “We will not give a quotation to AID FOR AIDS,” replied Gonzalez. “We will provide you with our services for free, which is the least we can do after all you do for these children.”
And, with that, ILVEM and the Panama Children’s Program, which serves 300 youngsters (3 to 15 years of age) living with HIV, embarked on a long-term partnership to improve the children’s reading and writing skills and enhance their full learning potential.
Under the cooperation agreement between the parties signed in the spring of 2010, two ILVEM teachers were assigned to the Children and Teens Center located at Panama Children’s Hospital. The teachers come every Monday during the school season and put the students through a routine of practical and creative techniques aimed at improving their comprehension, memorization, association and summarizing skills.
The students were divided into two groups according to their skill levels. Those teens and pre-teens who could read and write fluently were placed in the Study Techniques group with Professor Domingo, and those children with limited or no reading and writing skills were put into the Reading and Writing Skills group with Professor Angela.
“The children and teens spent Monday afternoons tracing letters, composing sentences, reading stories and solving memory challenges,” explains Rita Banus, Psychologist for AFA Panama’s Children and Teens Center “The teaching made excellent use of computer programs, as well as these written and mental exercises.”
Despite the fact that current Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy lowers the probability of cognitive, motor, language, and psychological developmental deficits associated to HIV in children, these kids still need to receive as much stimulation as possible to develop their skills and intelligence. “Most children living with HIV in Panama come from impoverished families. Factors such as malnutrition, substandard living conditions and lack of developmental stimulation at home make these children more likely to fall behind in their developmental milestones” says Banus.
In 2010, approximately 60 percent of the pre-teens and teens who attended a majority of the Study Techniques classes graduated from that program, having passed a test requiring them to use the memory and association techniques they learned in the course. Similarly, two-thirds of the children in the Reading and Writing Skills group who attended classes regularly learned the use of new letters, and several students accomplished their goal of improving their reading comprehension.
Both groups have continued making progress through 2011, with a growing number of graduates moving on to other educational workshops, where they are still receiving support from AFA personnel when they need to do research on the web to complete their school assignments.
Nevertheless, the ILVEM-AFA partnership has not been without its challenges. Chief among those, says Banus, is overcoming the problems caused by the socioeconomic needs of the children’s families.
“Getting the kids to attend the weekly classes regularly is not easy … many families have a hard time affording the cost of transportation to the center. AFA however, helps out by providing financial assistance for bus fare to several families,” notes Banus.
“Some family members don’t seem to understand how important it is for their children to receive this kind of stimulation. Others do recognize its importance, but they get tied up with their jobs or caring for other children at home, and they can’t make it to the classes.” Banus continues. “Also, it’s a problem getting the children to practice their reading and writing skills at home. Most families don’t help with this, most likely because the caretakers themselves barely completed elementary education.”
However, these challenges have only increased the motivation of AID FOR AIDS Panama and its partners to make the relationship work.
“We remain overwhelmed by ILVEM’s gesture of solidarity and generosity,” says Trina María Aguais, Director of AFA Panama. “We were well aware at the time of the value of what they were offering us. We knew it was an offer we could not afford to waste. I’m pleased to say that we didn’t.”


The Singing Alphabet
This ever-popular resource is used in many schools and preschools across Australia.
It's a the perfect resource for introducing young children to letters and sounds.
Use it in the preschool setting, the school classroom or at home.
* 29 full colour A4-sized cards that show a fun picture that help children link each sound to a letter.The teacher holds up the card and together the corresponding song is sung. For example, "Ugly Uncles u-u-u..."
*A music CD - containing 29 songs on separate tracks. The songs are repetitive and interactive, encouraging children to make the sound and try and write the letter.
* A CD-ROM containing the 29 newly illustrated cards as blackline masters, so they can be printed, photocopied and coloured in.
*A 4 page instruction booklet.
USES: The cards are an excellent pre or early literacy resource suitable for a whole class or for individuals.
SUITABLE FOR: The Singing Alphabet is suitable for children in the early stages of literacy development and some older children in need of revision, depending on developmental levels, needs and interest. It is a great resource for parents to use with preschool-aged children.
PRICE: $72 (including GST) Following many requests, you can now add an extra set of coloured cards to use as a wall frieze at checkout.
VISIT STORE: Here


Parents often come to my office worrying about phonics instruction – occasionally because teachers do not completely explain the mechanics and at times because of myths that permeate the world of education.
Before I go into the effects of phonics on spelling, first let me explain what reading instruction through phonics is. Phonics is the system of relationships between letters and sounds in a language. When a kindergartener learns that the letter D has the sound of /d/ and a second-grader learns that “tion” sounds like /shun/, they are learning phonics.
The National Reading Panel, composed of experts in fields of literacy, was asked by the United States Congress to examine the research on the teaching of reading. The panel found that phonics instruction is essential to beginning reading instruction. They also found that phonics most benefits children who are experiencing difficulty learning to read.
Because written language can be compared to a code, knowing the sounds of letters and letter combinations helps children decode words as they read. Knowing phonics will also help students know which letters to use as they write words.
Children generally learn phonics in kindergarten through second grade. In kindergarten, children usually learn the sounds of the consonant letters (all letters except the vowels a, e, i, o, and u). First- and second-graders typically learn the sounds of all letters, letter combinations, and word parts (such as “ing” and “ed”). They practice reading and spelling words containing those letters and patterns. Second-graders typically review and practice the phonics skills they have learned to make spelling and reading smooth and automatic.
If students do not master the different phonemes, they will be unable to attain fluency, comprehension, higher vocabulary, or appropriate spelling (four essential skills developed in later levels of reading). When the rest of the class moves onto these later skills, your child might be lost if he has not mastered the phonemes appropriate for each grade level.
There are several different types of phonics instruction based on the explicitness by which the phonic elements are taught and practiced in the reading of text. Among those different types of instruction are:
Analogy phonics: This form of phonics instruction includes teaching unfamiliar words by analogy to known words – for instance, recognizing the section “ick” in the word “kick” and applying it to the word “brick.”
Embedded phonics: In this implicit form of instruction, students read texts and learn the phonic skills through words they encounter in the texts.
Phonics through spelling: This method teaches students to segment words into phonemes and select letters for those phonemes.
Synthetic phonics: Perhaps the most common form of phonics instruction, this method teaches students to explicitly convert letters into sounds then blend the sounds to form recognizable words.
One of the myths that accompanies phonics instruction is that it affects spelling later in life. In reality, studies have shown that children who study reading through phonics have significantly better spelling scores than those who study using the whole language approach. When taught in a systematic and consistent way, phonics can greatly improve not only spelling, but comprehension and fluency as well.
But, what is fluency and why is it important? The speed with which you read and understand the text is an important indication of your proficiency in a language. Reading fluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly. Fluency bridges word decoding and comprehension — this set of skills allows readers to rapidly decode text while maintaining a high level of comprehension. Reading fluency encompasses rate of words read per minute and the ability to read with expression.
With fluency, as with most reading skills, practice makes perfect. Once children master phonics, reading books and poems both aloud and to themselves will ensure their fluency increases. One great poem that encourages fluency (and also always makes children laugh) is Janet Wong’s “Noodles:”
Noodles for breakfast,
Noodles for lunch,
Noodles for dinner,
Noodles that crunch,
Noodles to twirl,
Noodles to slurp–
I could eat
Noodles all day! Burp!
Poems are a great way to show children that sometimes words are grouped together in phrases and need not always be decoded separately.
Comprehension or “understanding” is perhaps the trickiest part of teaching students to read in any language. There are multiple levels of comprehension:


- slide 1 of 5
Beyond Art Education
Visual communication has become as important as linguistic types. High school was traditionally a place where messages were crafted in papers and essays, stories and articles. Today it is important to integrate all kinds of elements from networking to web development so that students will be able to enter the changing world. Digital photography lessons for high school students is increasingly important, both because of the need for the average worker to have the ability to capture professional images and because professional photographic technology has become more economically practical for the average consumer. Here is a look at how you may put together high school photography lessons that will help your students succeed.
- slide 2 of 5
Professional education is based on the digital SLR camera model, which is the technologically evolved version of the more standard SLR form. The only other option would be point and shoot digital cameras, but these would only be good for learning image framing and would not give them the fundamentals of how professional photography should work. Your digital photography lessons should be fundamentally based around how to work with the technology of the camera and how to express their vision through it.
To do this you should alternate assignments that will first give them an understanding of different imaging functions as well as different visual elements. For example, one of the best high school photography lessons you can do is to give them an assignment that will show them what different shutter speeds will do. You can ask them to photograph like images or scenarios with different shutter speeds, aperture settings, and ISO numbers. This will give them a concrete understanding of how these different elements will work together.
Beyond these you can move into different general schools of photographic thought. You can assign portrait work, abstract photographic images, constructed image, photojournalism, and other elements that require them to think and then create their own interpretation of that tradition. It is best if it is then brought into the class and critiqued with the elements that have been taught in mind.
- slide 3 of 5
Photo editing is no longer an extra process put on top of the work in a professional photography lab. Today it is an essential part of the photography process, and understanding a photographic workflow is going to mean putting the photos through one of these programs. Learning Adobe Photoshop is going to be a fundamental part of digital photography lessons for high school students as it is part of how they will consider their images and the vision for how they will look in the end. These will also end up being one of the most clearly demonstrated skills they can use in a professional or high end academic environment.
A computer lab used for multimedia or publishing of some form, such as for the yearbook or student newspaper, will likely be the best place to run students through the process. The use of free tutorials for digital photography will help here more than they would in the field since they can work along with them as they do their regular photo editing. Since high school photography lessons are not going to be at a fully professional level, and instead much more of an overview, you do not have to worry about doing through every area of this process.
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The best way to teach anybody anything creative is with a hands on approach at all times. You will want to have demonstrations at some level, and free digital photography tutorials if you can find some that are useful, but the students will learn best if they are actually working with the camera. This means what is best is to get lower grade DSLR cameras so that you will have a larger number of them. They have to be a reasonable enough quality so students will get high quality images and will know how to work with professional cameras, but you do not need to go with the highest end available. You will also want to make sure that you have enough money to use multiple lenses as this is going to be crucial for the students' developments.


A high school visual art educator, along with 20 students enrolled in this teacher/researcher's Advanced Placement (AP) studio course, investigated the processes involved in creating artwork. Understanding artistic processes beyond skills and techniques is significant for curriculum development, but it is also key in conceptualizing art as a way of knowing. The arts based research strategy utilized in this study was a/r/tography, which focuses on the interconnectedness between artist, researcher, and teacher/learner. This highly reflective form of action research allowed the researcher and students to uncover new understandings of what it means to be an artist-researcher through a combination of knowing, doing, and making. Student-researchers learned several arts based forms of inquiry by analyzing the processes of contemporary artists. They were invited to record and reflect upon their own processes in a research journal as they generated artworks. The teacher-researcher also kept an intensive reflective journal concerning artmaking, but also included pedagogical concerns, questions, observations, and insights. At the conclusion of the semester, students were taught to analyze their own artistic process via their sketchbook entries by creating two visualizations: a mind map and an artwork as a data visualization of their process. Several important understandings are drawn from this study that transform this educator's practice as an artist-educator. These include the following concepts: not knowing as an artist, researcher, student and teacher; anxiety may be a necessary factor in artistic creation and pedagogy; and pretending is a strategy that allows one to productively move through uncertainty, ambiguity, and anxiety.
College and Department
Fine Arts and Communications; Visual Arts
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Francis, Bart Andrus, "Mapping Creativity: An A/r/tographic Look at the Artistic Process of High School Students" (2012). All Theses and Dissertations. 3260.
art education, A/r/tography, creative process, artistic process, creativity, Advanced Placement, arts based research


|Sofonisba Anguissola Self Portrait|
Sofonisba was born in 1532 in Lombardia. She had five sisters and one brother. Her parents, Amilcare Anguissola and Bianca Ponzone were minor nobility. Four of Sofoniba's sisters became painters. Amilcare encouraged his children to pursue their interests and develop their talents. All of the children were well educated and a few of the sisters, including Sofonisba, were apprenticed to fairly famous artists of the area.
In 1544 Sofonisba went to Rome to continue her art education. While there, she was introduced to Michelangelo. The great artist recognized her talent and she got informal training and advice from him for the next two years.
Because she was a woman, Sofonisba did not have the same privileges or had the same opportunities as the male artists of her time. For example, as a woman she was not allowed to draw from life nudes, which inhibited full understanding of the human anatomy. She concentrated on portraits, especially portraits of her family and of herself.
|Portrait of the artist's mother|
After painting the Duke of Milan in 1558, she was recommended to the Spanish court. She was 27 when she became the Spanish court painter and lady in waiting to the Spanish Queen, Elizabeth of Valois. Elizabeth took special interest in Sofonisba and they became close companions. In 1571, after the death of Elizabeth and following special wishes of king Phillip II, who paid her dowry, she married Don Francisco de Moncada. Her husband was supportive of her artistic life. They moved to Palermo but Don Francisco died in 1579. The next year, Sofonisba married a much younger captain, Orazio Lomellino. They moved to Genoa, where they happily lived for many years. Again, her second husband supported her art.
|Queen Elizabeth of Valois, Spanish Queen|
Another famous artist, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, visited her in her later years and recorded her advice to him on painting. He also noted that her sight was weakening. With her sight failing, Sofonisba was forced to give up painting but became a generous patron of arts. She died in 1625, at the age of 93, in Palermo. A few years later, her husband added the following inscription on her tomb: ""To Sofonisba, my wife ... who is recorded among the illustrious women of the world, outstanding in portraying the images of man ... Orazio Lomellino, in sorrow for the loss of his great love, in 1632, dedicated this little tribute to such a great woman."
|Sofonisba Anuissola Self-Portrait in later years|


Language Proficiency Benchmarks for English Language Learners with Limited Formal Schooling have been developed to support teachers to set learning goals, determine appropriate programming and report progress. The LFS Benchmarks align with the conceptual framework of the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks with learning indicators for the strands of listening, speaking, reading and writing based on four communicative competencies: discourse, linguistic (vocabulary/grammar), strategic and socio-linguistic. The LFS Benchmarks identify in more detail, early foundational skills that are precursors to the “Beginning” indicators of Levels 1 and 2 of the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks. View Alberta Education’s
Benchmarks, Strategies and Resources for Teachers of English Language Learners.
Open the links below to view the Benchmarks indicators for Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.


The Government of Canada has identified nine essential skills needed for the workplace. These skills are used in every job to varying degrees and at different levels of complexity. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.
1. Reading - The ability to understand reading materials in the form of sentences or paragraphs. We use this skill to scan for information, skim overall meaning, evaluate what we read and integrate information from multiple sources.
Jobs in community advocacy, such as social workers, use reading skills. A social worker may read clinical assessments and medical reports to learn about clients' medical diagnoses, psychiatric conditions and behavioural problems.
2. Document use - The ability to perform tasks that involve a variety of information displays in which words, numbers, symbols and other visual characteristics are given meaning by their spatial relationship. We use this skill when we read and interpret signs, labels, lists, graphs and charts.
In the hospitality industry, line cooks use their document use skills when they read and enter data on the freezer temperature-recording chart or check off items and quantities on delivery checklists.
3. Numeracy - The ability to use numbers and think in quantitative terms. We use this skill when doing numerical estimating, money math, scheduling or budgeting math and analyzing measurements or data.
In the medical field, workers such as nurse aides and orderlies, use numeracy skills in their occupation. A nurse aide may plot patient temperatures on a chart to show deviations from normal ranges.
4. Writing - The ability to write text and documents; it also includes non paper-based writing such as typing on a computer. We use this skill when we organize, record, document, provide information to persuade, request information from others and justify a request.
Labourers in manufacturing jobs, such as in a paper mill plant, use writing skills. They may write changes on worksheets, such as recording the substitution of materials.
5. Oral communication - The ability to use speech to give and exchange thoughts and information. We use this skill to greet people, take messages, reassure, persuade, seek information and resolve conflicts.
In the field of finance, an accountant will use oral communication to speak with customers to follow up on overdue accounts, arrange payments, answer customer enquiries and discuss disagreements about accounts.
6. Working with others - The ability to work with other workers to carry out tasks. We use this skill when we work as a member of a team or jointly with a partner, and when we engage in supervisory or leadership activities.
Working with others is a skill used often by teachers and educators. They speak with parents, psychologists, social workers and speech-language therapists to share information about students and discuss intervention plans.
7. Thinking - The ability to engage in the process of evaluating ideas or information to reach a rational decision. We use this skill when we solve problems, make decisions, think critically and plan and organize job tasks.
Public relations professionals employ their thinking skills to judge the significance of topics in the media to determine whether and how to respond. They consider the risks associated with action and inaction, recent misunderstandings that could resurface, and ramifications and implications for the organization's image.
8. Computer use - The ability to use different kinds of computer applications and other related technical tools. We use this skill when we operate cash registers, use word processing software, send emails and create and modify spreadsheets.
Trade helpers and labourers such as roofers, welders and carpenters need to use computer applications. For example, surveyor helpers use electronic field notebooks to complete topographical surveys, specifying details of sites to create computer-generated diagrams.
9. Continuous learning - The ability to participate in an ongoing process of acquiring skills and knowledge. We use this skill when we learn as part of regular work or from co-workers and when we access training in the workplace or off-site.
Retail associates and salespeople may cross-train with personnel in other stores, sections or other product lines to obtain the big picture. They may take marketing courses or attend supplier seminars to learn more about products.


Sent to the Wall Street Journal, Oct 22
As is the case in the US, China thinks that literacy is declining and that part of the solution is a TV spelling bee in Chinese ("Chinese TV's Latest Hit Features a Character-Driven Plot: Show Aimed at Reviving the Country's Written Language Explodes."October 20).
There is no evidence of a decline of literacy in China and no evidence of a decline in the US. The fact that only 30% of the adults in the audience of the TV show could spell spell "toad" correctly in Chinese characters suggests that there has been no decline: even adult Chinese speakers make mistakes.
It is interesting that the winner of the spelling bee attributes her success to extensive reading for pleasure. This agrees with research in both Chinese and English showing that pleasure reading is the major source of literacy development: those who read more read better, write better, spell better, have larger vocabularies, and better grammar.
The way to prevent a decline in literacy is through more access to interesting reading materials: libraries, not game shows.
No evidence of a decline: Krashen, S. 1993. How well do people spell? Reading Improvement 30: 9-20.
Pleasure reading and development:
Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Portsmouth: Heinemann and Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Krashen, S. 2010. Does the power of reading apply to all languages? Language Magazine 9 (9): 24-27.
original article: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304410204579141422985199050?mod=djemITP_h


2nd grade lesson by Jennifer Butler, Northwoods Fine Arts Academy
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
2nd grade students will be learning about the Battle at Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key, and the composition of The Star-Spangled Banner through music, art, and dance. Students will study paintings about the Battle at Fort McHenry in art class, learn about Francis Scott Key and the story of The Star-Spangled Banner and to sing the song in music class, and learn a colonial dance from 1814 in physical education class.
1. To learn about the Battle at Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key and the writing of the song The Star-Spangled Banner through multiple methods.
2. To prepare the singing of Patriotic songs for the Star-Spangled Banner Day school assembly on 9/12/14.
3. To learn and perform a colonial dance from 1814.
Visual Arts lesson-Studying paintings of the Battle at Fort McHenry
Physical Education lesson-Learning a Colonial dance
Music lesson-Learning about Francis Scott Key and the song The Star-Spangled Banner
Jennifer Butler, email@example.com
Jennifer has taught band, general and vocal music K-12 in public schools for 14 years. She started her teaching career in New York State and has taught general music for the last four years in Oklahoma. She has a Bachelors degree in music performance from Oklahoma State University, Masters degree in music performance from University of Minnesota, and Masters degree in music education from Syracuse University.
About Banner Moments
Made available as part of the 2014 Banner Moments K-12 Institute—a project of the American Music Institute of the University of Michigan and the Star Spangled Music Foundation, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities


In this project, it composed of 5 tool talks that is related to the Bloom’s Taxonomy Pyramid (Six Levels of Learning). In each tool talk, it demonstrates why the tool I picked is useful for my future career (elementary education).
Tool talk #1 (Remembering and Understanding)
Youtube.com : Youtube is an American worldwide video-sharing website that has over a billion user today.
Tool talk #2 (Applying)
Kahoot: Kahoot is a collection of questions on specific topics created by educators, business people and social users with a main purpose to produce a game like environment.
Tool talk #3 (Analyzing)
Excel is a software program from Microsoft that is a part of Microsoft Office.
Tool talk #4 (Evaluating)
Brainpop: Brainpop creates animated resources that support educators and engage students in school, at home and on mobile devices.
Tool talk #5 (Creating)
Google slides is an online presentation tool, embedded its form similarly to Microsoft Powerpoint which is well- known to many of us.


Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Research has shown art affects the fundamental sense of self.Continue Reading
Painting, sculpture, music, literature and the other arts are often considered to be the repository of a society’s collective memory. Art preserves what fact-based historical records cannot: how it felt to exist in a particular place at a particular time.
Art in this sense is communication; it allows people from different cultures and different times to communicate with each other via images, sounds and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change. It can give voice to the politically or socially disenfranchised. A song, film or novel can rouse emotions in those who encounter it, inspiring them to rally for change.
Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between art and the human brain. For example, in 2013, researchers from Newcastle University found that viewing contemporary visual art had positive effects on the personal lives of nursing home-bound elders.
Art also has utilitarian influences on society. There is a demonstrable, positive correlation between schoolchildren's grades in math and literacy, and their involvement with drama or music activities.
As the National Art Education Association points out, art is beneficial for the artist as an outlet for work. Art not only fosters the human need for self-expression and fulfillment; it is also economically viable. The creation, management and distribution of art employs many.Learn more about Logic & Reasoning


Royal Conservatory of Music National Historic Site of Canada
Royal Conservatory of Music
Royal Conservatory of Music
Toronto Conservatory of Music (1886-1947)
Conservatoire de musique de Toronto (1886-1947)
Links and documents
1880/01/01 to 1881/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Royal Conservatory of Music National Historic Site of Canada faces a busy street in downtown Toronto. Since 1963, this influential and distinguished school of music has resided in a large, richly ornamented four-storey building of eclectic late-Victorian design. This older building forms the central element amongst a cluster of later, large additions that now form a small complex. Its symmetrically disposed façade features boldly handled detailing including rock-faced masonry, decorative brickwork, projecting bays, stringcourses and a lively, complex roofline that contrasts with the materials and treatment. Official recognition refers to the building on its footprint at the time of designation (1995).
The Royal Conservatory of Music was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1995 because of:
- its influence on the musical life of Canada over the last century;
- its graduates included some of the most prominent musicians and music teachers in Canada;
- it has a far-reaching influence on music education in Canada because of its system of graded examinations which are taken by music teachers across the country;
- the systems of music education, which it pioneered in Canada.
Founded in 1886, the Royal Conservatory of Music is a rare survivor of the many conservatories founded in Canada in the 19th century. Its longevity may be partly ascribed to the excellence of its instruction, the caliber of its graduates, its adherence to high standards and its sound administration. From its inception it was a large-scale enterprise, with a large number of students and substantial funding. Remarkable growth in the early years resulted in a purpose-built structure with the later addition of further facilities and the opening of branches in residential areas. The current building, McMaster Hall, formerly the Toronto Baptist College, was purchased by the University of Toronto from the government in 1936, and has served as the main teaching and rehearsal facility for the Royal Conservatory of Music since 1963. Affiliated with the University of Toronto until 1991, the Royal Conservatory of Music is now an independent institution.
Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, November 1974.
The key elements that contribute to the heritage character of this site include:
- its prominent location in Toronto;
- its design, purpose-built as an educational establishment, also, the essential elements of the exterior and interior plans, and the various adaptations and extensions, constructed in stages, which continue to facilitate and enhance the Conservatory’s operational requirements regarding performance, rehearsal and administrative needs and which speak to the Conservatory’s important ongoing role in the development of a system music education in Canada.
Government of Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Act
National Historic Site of Canada
1963/01/01 to 1963/01/01
Theme - Category and Type
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Learning and the Arts
Function - Category and Type
- Post-Secondary Institution
- Special or Training School
Architect / Designer
Langley, Langley and Burke
Location of Supporting Documentation
National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec
Cross-Reference to Collection


On Wednesday, September 21st, our Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers alongside several of our teachers who instruct multi-age small groups began a year-long journey toward earning Orton-Gillingham Certification.
What exactly is Orton-Gillingham?
An APPROACH that prepares a teacher to individualize instruction to meet the specific needs of a learner.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a multi-sensory approach to teaching phonics: reading words, spelling words, writing words, and being able to fluently decode words to ensure reading comprehension. In non edu-speak, this means that our teachers are learning how to understand and share rules to reading and spelling with our students in a way that best fits their learning style: as visual learners (who learn best when they see the information – often writing paired with a picture or symbol); auditory learners (who learn best when they hear information – again often paired with some kind of visual symbol or “trick” explained in words), and kinesthetic learners (who learn best by doing, moving, and engaging muscle memory).
Professional learning for our teachers in explicit phonics instruction is in direct alignment with our Superintendent’s Priority: Simplify the foundations of learning to prepare for innovation.
Who is conducting the training?
We are working with REAP: Reading is Essential for All People, a group passionate about helping educators receive the best training possible.
Our instructor, Joan Gerken, is an Orton-Gillingham fellow, advisor, and master teacher. Joan is providing the research, the background to the methodology, and the theory behind the OG Approach. We are fortunate, also, to have Lisa Glickman, Literacy Coach, provide practical application and coaching for our teachers so they can use the knowledge immediately with their students.
What happens during training?
Simulations, direct instruction, guided practice, and time to collaborate/practice!
Our own Katie Walker led one simulation – where participants tried decoding and comprehending a passage that was in a difficult font and appeared to be written backwards. This gave us the understanding of how students feel when they exert so much effort on physically trying to read the words. For many, the meaning was lost in the effort exerted to just read each word.
Lisa Glickman led a group through a simulation to understand how new or struggling writers feel. I can personally say that I found it frustrating – and interesting – as our successful and smart staff began to employ techniques we see with students in the classroom. Adults had verbal outbursts, began joking around, were off task, cheated, and gave up. This insight to how some of our students feel when presented with difficult tasks was invaluable!
Joan Gerken led a group through a simulation with advanced vocabulary – that was written so that it was difficult for participants to read. We experienced what a reading group feels like when early learners are exerting effort to decode words – and the true theme of the story is lost. We also learned about Elkonin Boxes and how this strategy can help with reading and spelling – and increase reading comprehension.
Is this a big deal?
Our teachers receiving exemplary training on Orton-Gillingham Methodology is a HUGE DEAL! Our school is working not only to apply this approach to benefit struggling learners, but also to ensure DIFFERENTIATION in our K/1 classrooms in regard to reading and spelling. The gift of reading is a gift that lasts a person an entire lifetime – and if we can work to ensure that all Mt. Bethel students are reading at or above grade level by the end of fifth grade – through exemplary reading instruction – we have helped charter a course for success for each of our Buccaneers!
Why is this happening at such a large scale at Mt. Bethel and not other schools?
Through the support of our Foundation! Our Foundation is providing funding – and this would not be possible without the donations our parents make during The Patron Drive! Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me or any of our Mt. Bethel Foundation Trustees if you have any questions about how each dollar you donate impacts students.


At Altura Elementary, visual arts are essential to every child’s education. As in other core content areas, arts education is based upon specific and comprehensive achievement standards at the local, state, and national levels. In Art class we challenge every student to construct meaning through creating works of art. In addition to studying art, experiencing and creating works of art benefit students’ intellectual, personal, and social development. Research indicates that there are strong relationships among learning in the arts, fundamental cognitive skills, and capacities used to master other core subjects. Art is a powerful means of communication (both verbal and nonverbal) among individuals, generations, and cultures. Through Art people celebrate and understand themselves, others, and the world in which they live. All students benefit from art education for the reason that it develops the whole person while integrating and expanding learning across multiple areas of study.


It is essential to put some light on the historical background of education in order to have a better understanding of the present and the future.
The Ancient education system in India can be broadly divided into 5 eras.
1.Vedic period : In Vedic era, education occupied an important place in the society. Acquiring education brought prosperity for the people in different fields. Education brought discipline and culture into the lives of people and this is what distinguished man from beasts. Education was considered as a means to help people attain salvation. It helped people realize the supreme truth that during this period education was regarded as true and through education only a man can get rid from the debt of the Guru. In other words, education was given utmost importance in this era.
2.Buddhist education system : The Indian society was divided into four social caste of whom the Brahmans were the superior. They enjoyed the right to education and other superior amenities by the virtue of being born into a Brahman family. Whereas people from other castes were denied religious and educational rights. It was in this background that a religious revolution started in India and a new doctrine was developed called the Buddhist Doctrine. Buddhism played a crucial role in the development of education system in India. The main objective of Buddhist doctrine was to attain wisdom. Under Buddhism colleges were opened for people from all castes. Entry to these educational institutions was not just restricted to the Brahmans. Buddhist education helped attract students from distant countries and helped in the development of Hindu logic and philosophy.
3.Islamic System : According to Islam every human activity starts with education. Islam places a lot of importance on the process of teaching and learning knowledge. Education is essential for one’s development. Islam also states that all the factors which are necessary for acquiring knowledge are provided by God. One of these factors is ‘freedom of research’.
Education under East India Company
The East India Company was interested in educating the Indians from the outset of the company’s rule in Bengal. In the last two decades of 18th century and 19th century, the company’s officials pursued a series of policies to establish their dominance. Most of the policies were in relation to the education policy. The three goals of the policy were:
i) To sponsor Indians in their own culture
ii) to advance knowledge of India
iii) to employ that knowledge in government
The first goal was supported by administers. Vernacular learning also benefited it. In 1781, Madras ‘Aliya, and institution in Calcutta was founded for the study of Arabic and Persian languages and Islamic Law.
The second goal was motivated by the concerns that the company officials were seen as foreign rulers. So if the company wanted to maintain its dominance and win the trust of its subjects it had to outdo the regions previous rulers and do something better in the indigenous system of education. As a result, in 1971, the Benares Sanskrit College was founded in Varanasi.
The company officials believed that they would make better administrators if they are well versed with the language and culture of India, and that is how the third goal grew. It led to the establishment of College of Fort William, in Calcutta in 1880. The college played an important role in the development of modern Indian languages and the Bengal renaissance.
English was increasingly used as a medium of instruction. Therefore Persian was abolished as the official language of the East India Company. Bilingual Education Institutions were established, such as the Poona Sanskrit College taught both Sanskrit and English. Sir Robert Grant, was appointed Governor of the Bombay Presidency in 1834, played an essential role in the establishment of the first medical college, which was named Grant Medical College when it was established in 1854. During 1852-53, citizens of Bombay appealed the British officials to establish and fund University education in India. This resulted in Education dispatch of July 1854. The state-sponsored education for India as outlined by dispatch:
i) Establishing a Department of Public Instruction in each presidency or province of British India.
ii) Establishing universities modeled on the University of London, in each of the Presidency towns (i.e.Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta)
iii)Establishing teachers-training schools for all levels of instruction
iv)Maintaining existing Government colleges and high-schools and increasing their number when necessary.
v)Increasing vernacular schools for elementary education
vi)Introducing a system of grants-in-aid for private schools
1855 : Department for Public Instruction
January, 1857 : University of Calcutta was established
June, 1857 : University of Bombay was established
September, 1857 : University of Madras was established
Elphinstone institution,Grant medical College, and Poona Sanskrit College, were affiliated to University of Bombay.
High-schools in different provinces and presidencies were founded by the Company.


Sen. Bill Cassidy introduced dyslexia amendments on April 15th during Committee markup of #ESEA. The original amendment sought to allow title II $ in ESEA to be used to provide professional development about #dyslexia to teachers.
Teachers do not receive college prep to identify or address dyslexia in public schools. By the time public schools recognize reading failure the student is usually in 3rd grade and is too far behind to easily catch up. Many struggling readers can be identified early through Response to Intervention dyslexia screeners and provided effective instruction that meets the Knowledge & Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.
Unfortunately, many public schools can't identify dyslexia and reading disabilities and don't provide effective, structured literacy programs. Students who struggle to read often pay for tutoring, leave the public system or graduate with inferior literacy skills.
THE CASSIDY AMENDMENTS
Senator Cassidy (R-LA) attempted to address the injustice of students with dyslexia who are never identified in public schools and, even when identified, are not provided appropriate interventions. The amendment allowed Title II money to be used for teacher education on identification and interventions for dyslexia so that children would not fail to read.
OPPONENTS & PROPONENTS
54 organizations supported the Cassidy amendment, including IDA, Eye to Eye, Decoding Dyslexia, Dyslexic Advantage and 3,000 people signed the NCLD online petition and over 5,000 people signed the Dyslexic Advantage petition.
Sen Patty Murray (WA), the co-chair of the HELP committee had a list of 49 organizations that opposed the Cassidy amendment. Among them were NEA, PTA, Easter Seals, COPAA.
Opponents did not want to "single out" one disability over another for funding in Title II of ESEA.
Proponents pointed out that all persons with disabilities can struggle with reading failure and dyslexia. Persons with dyslexia can also have ADHD, Autism, Dysgraphia and other disabilities. Proponents also pointed out that reading failure is not limited to persons identified under IDEA as a person with a disability of dyslexia. Many people are NOT identified with a disability but still struggle to read OR they are protected under Section 504 and receive accommodations, but not interventions to teach them to read.
They also pointed out that dyslexia is the most prevalent of all learning disabilties and has a huge impact on our society. Literacy issues, as noted by the Department of Education in this study, are pervasive.
SEE Making Skills Everyone's Business
According to the US Department of Education, one in six adults (54 Million) has low literacy skills. One in three has low numeracy skills and low skills are just as prevalent now as they were 20 years ago.
Source: Making Skills Everyone's Business, p. 3, USDOE, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, February 2015.
People with learning disabilities are twice as likely to have low literacy skills. The MAJORITY of those with low skills (more than 60%) have completed high school.
Incidence of Dyslexia in US Student Population
Notes Regarding Calculations: while the above calculations are approximate even if they are off by 10%, it is still an egregious injustice.


What we received
- LOGICO Piccolo - The board is made of durable plastic with ten movable pegs. The pegs are coloured: green, red, blue, orange, yellow and a second set with a white dot in the center. The board is user friendly and compact. It has no loose parts, is portable (about the size of an iPad) and can be used on the go. The buttons are made of a durable material and are easy to grip and move.
- Geometry 2 - This set contains 16 cards covering: left and right orientation, mapping skills, comprehension, symmetry, spacial relations, logical thinking and imagination skills.
- Math Paths 2 - This set contains 16 cards covering: addition and subtraction up to 20, mental arithmetic (addition and subtraction), problem solving strategies and comprehension skills.
- Each of the card sets come in a plastic coated cardboard folder.
- The right inside flap has a contents list, listing each card and it's subject matter.
- The right hand side contains a pocket for the cards to be stored in and the right hand flap has a pictorial guide on how to use the cards.
- Each card is numbered from 1 to 16. Each one is printed in colour on quality card stock and plastic coated for durability and ease of keeping clean.
- The cards are clearly printed and visually appealing. They are not busy and the use of colour enhances the experience.
- As the difficulty level increases so does the amount of text increase per card.
|Working on a problem|
- Visual Discrimination
- Logical Thinking and Reasoning
- Spatial and Geometrical skills
- Mathematical concepts and operations
- Literacy development
- Problem Solving
- Independent learning
- Self Confidence
How does the system work?
LOGICO Piccolo is an educational hands on game for children in the primary school age bracket.
Before beginning a new card all the pegs need to be placed along the bottom edge in their slots. Select a card from which ever set you are working on and slide it into the card slot in the Piccolo Board. The instructions for completing the task are contained in the yellow bar along the top of each card. Each question is colour coded to correspond with a peg. Once the student/child has worked out the answer they move the answer peg to the corresponding answer along the right hand edge. Upon completing the ten questions the card is removed from the slot, turned over and reinserted to check the answers.
You can view a short YouTube clip on how Logico works here: YouTube LOGICO
- LOGICO Primo (board with 6 moveable buttons for pre-school ages 3 - 5)
- Concentration & perception
- Logical thinking
- Colours & Shapes
- Reading Readiness
- Sorting and classifying
- Language development
- LOGICO Piccolo (board with 10 moveable buttons for primary school ages 5 - 10)
- School Readiness
- Reading Readiness
- Natural Science
|Checking the Answers|
Play, learn and grow together!Awards
Play is joyful, educational, creative and inspiring.
Our educational toys are creative, innovative and imaginative. We believe in the power of play.
- 1996 WORLDDIDAC Award
- 2000 Netherlands Game of the Year award
- 2001 is recommended by the Pedagogical University of Lisbon, Portugal.
- 2005 USA Distinguished Achievement Award
- 2006 USA Teachers’ Choice Award
- 2006 Poland “Innovative Product” award
- 2007 Star Award for Design by the China Toy Association
Overall I thought
When LOGICO Piccolo arrived I was taken back to my childhood of quality hands on learning that is robust enough for children to use without me worrying about. I couldn't wait for Nathaniel to use it. I'm impressed with the quality and simplicity of the system. I love that the learning cards are categorised into different topics across the curriculum.
LOGICO fulfills its mission to assist children in developing observation, comparison, analysis and reasoning skills. It is ideal for independent learning skill/task development. It is portable and can be used when hands and minds need quiet activities. I love the self-checking aspect of the system as it means that I am not constantly needed to check the answers before Nathaniel can go onto the next card he can do it all himself.
LOGICO learning is the perfect tool to enhance and support your child's learning.
Be sure to check the full range of cards and let me know what your children think of their LOGICO experience.
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Transcript of Saving Music and Art Education
Saving Music and Art Education: Failure is Not An Option Benefiting the Brain Benefiting Test Scores Benefiting Our Future Research completed by the university of Michigan states, "It has been shown to enhance abstract and spatia-temproal reasoning skills; enhance aural, visual, memory and language skills; develop quick and decisive thinking and could possibly raise IQ scores" (Murphy). Studying music and the arts transforms immature students into impressive pupils. Music education also makes students more responsible outside of the educational setting by encouraging good morals and social bonds. As a result, students will be positively affected for the rest of their educational career and life. A curriculum with music and arts as its' foundation has shown to improve scores dramtically. Over a period of 5 years, a school in Texas increased test scores, "215% in math, 71% in reading, and 39% in writing"("Arts and Ecuation"). Data shows that in 2006, students studying fine arts scored almost 2,000 points higher on the SAT's then those who hadn't taken fine arts study. It is said that music and art education, ".. can bridge the performance gap that exists between different socioeconomic groups" ("Arts and Education"). No Child Left Behind Legislation The No Child Left Behind legislation enacted in 2001 has since limited the presence of music and art education throughout the country. President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, Robert Lynch states, "Since the passage of NCLB, 22 percent of elementart school leaders surveyed reported a decline in their art and music instruction" ("The No Child Left Behind Act and Arts Programs"). "In California, for example, participation in music courses dropped 46 percent from 1999-2000 through 2000-2004.." (Smith). Importance 23 out of 30 students at CASH state they have participated in music for over 7 years. Out of these 23 students, fifteen, over half, classified themselves as "A" students with a high GPA. 22 out of the 23 students said they participated in Honors and AP courses. In our own school, music and art education proves its' positive effects on students and their achievments. Why is this education disappearing? Budget NCLB and Several schools blame the lack of music and art education on the ever shrinking budget of schools throughout the United States. Funds for music and art education can be easily obtained through fundraising. At CASH, the music program recieves the income from both the home and away concession stand. Also, the money invested in things insubordinate to music and arts education can easily be cut. No, the football team does not need an indoor practice field. Although the No Child Left Behind legislation mandates art as one of the core subject areas, these courses are disappearing before our eyes. Since music and arts are incapable of being evaluated by state testing, these classes are often completely cut out of the curriculum. Officials need to recognize the positive impact music and art education bring to state test scores. National SAT scores :Full transcript
students with fine arts vs. students without fine arts As shown in the graph, the impact of music and art education is astronomical. Why are these coursing disappearing? Destroying the Gap Music and art education assists in filling that seperation upper class and lower class children experience in the classroom. Upper class children take trips to educational places like the theatre and museums more often than those children in the lower class. As a result, upper class students have an advantage in the classroom. By giving the lower class an oppurtunity to be exposed to music and art, inequality in the classroom would no longer exist. Music education presents everyone with the oppurtunity to truly meet their full potential if they are willing. Without Music Education? Grades would slip Students would Backfire The final hope for some students, will be taken. Overall, Keep music and art education Benefit YOUR Brain! Benefit YOUR Test Scores! Benefit YOUR Future!


Although there have been major strides in education enrolment over the past 15 years, about 250 million children of primary school age are still unable to recognize basic letters and numbers. Worryingly, 130 million of these children attend 4 years or more of school and still leave without basic foundational skills.
Evidence supports the role of books in improving learning and reading acquisition. Over the past few decades, donors, including bilateral organizations and private foundations, have therefore provided millions of dollars in funding and programmatic support to improve the provision and usage of books. Despite these efforts, millions of children lack access to reading books and textbooks in the languages they speak and understand.
The Global Digital Library will expand access to mother tongue (MT) content by providing openly licensed, downloadable materials that allow sharing, electronic use and large scale printing, as well as linking to other sources for those materials.
The GDL will be a reliable source for high-quality MT books and other learning resources. This reliable supply, in concert with outreach, advocacy, and training could increase the use of MT books in schools and communities and improve literacy outcomes worldwide. The GDL will be a web-based platform. It will initially facilitate the identification of and access to high-quality, early grade reading educational materials in MT languages, whereas other types of learning resources are expected to be included later. The GDL content will be accessible in a print ready format as well as other relevant formats for web and mobile platforms.
The GDL platform will hold digital copies of Creative Commons or otherwise openly licensed, publicly accessible materials in print-ready formats. The primary licenses for the GDL will be CC BY and CC BY-SA. These licenses drive innovation and creativity, including commercial reuse. They also support the overall goal of sharing, translation and re-contextualization of early grade reading educational materials, open textbooks and other open educational resources.
The target audiences for the GDL include ministries of education, school managers, teachers, donor agencies and their implementing partners, international and national non-governmental organizations, local publishers and households in developing countries. The platform will be open for all users, including end users with access to mobile devices and internet. The GDL’s initial purpose is to support access to early-grade reading materials in children’s mother tongues. Other types of learning resources are expected to be included at a later stage.
The GDL will be set up to ensure continuous quality assurance and «guiding» of content providers, technology developers, and other contributors. In establishing the GDL, the project team will extract a number of MT books from existing digital libraries. In this process it will be ensured that metadata are accurate and that GDL quality assurance support is provided.Back


Volunteers placed papier mache, clay or plaster “bones” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to call attention to genocides and mass atrocities around the world.
Organizers of the project, who have been collecting handcrafted bones from around the country for the past three years, called the three-day art installation a “collaborative site of conscience to honor victims and survivors.” They also said it will serve as a “visual petition against ongoing conflicts” in places like Sudan, Somalia and Burma in addition to being a call for action.
Top photo credit: Teru Kuwayama
A massive art installation took place on the National Mall on June 8th known as One Million Bones. The public piece welcomed the hands of young and old to fill the grassy areas with handmade “bones.” Matthew Remington, a Masters candidate in art education at the University of Texas in Austin, describes the project as “a social action art installation designed to increase awareness about ongoing genocides and human rights violations that are still going on in the world today.”
Photo credit: pauls95blazer
The visually impactful piece features one million bone-shaped structures that are made out of clay, plaster, paper, and other sculpting materials as a symbolic mass grave, referencing the lives that have been lost at the hand of violent atrocities. The project, led by artist Naomi Natale, is a collaborative effort amongst artists, activists, and students from around the globe. Thousands of volunteers have made it possible and the project proudly states that “over 250,000 people in all 50 states and the District of Colombia as well as over 30 countries have participated.”
Photo credit: Davo Muttiah


Download our Early Literacy Library Resources Bookmark
Websites and Mobile Apps for Kids Support early literacy development and school readiness
Reading Rainbow This mobile app for kids offers a trusted library of books and video field trips to visit fascinating people and places. New books and videos are added every week expanding the collection.
PBSKids Island Together, you and your child can visit PBSKids Island and play learning games for kids that feature PBS favorites such as Sesame Street, Martha Speaks and Super WHY! These educational activities support early literacy development through letter recognition, rhyming and even spelling challenges.
Backyard Phonics Adventure This mobile app for kids uses letters and pictures to teach letter recognition and beginning phonics. Children match a beginning sound to a letter or a beginning sound to another picture with the same beginning sound.
Starfall Many preschools and elementary schools use Starfall.com as a supplement to an early childhood or early literacy curriculum. This free website includes learning games for kids that teach letter recognition and the corresponding sounds, phonics and more.
Kindermusik Kindermusik provides educational activities for kids that support early literacy development, such as eBooks and active listening games. The activities connect what happens in the classroom to the everyday routines and rituals of families.


Down At the Station is one of the great train songs because it combines the passion that many small children have for trains with some useful counting practice at the same time. Here is a great way to bring the song to life – whilst learning some numbers!
Down at the station early in the morning,
See the little puffa trains all in a row,
See the engine driver turn the little handle,
Puff, puff, chuff, chuff, off we go!
*Please note, this post contains affiliate links*
Down at the Station Train Song Activity ideas
Line the trains up, counting as you go. As you sing the song, one train moves off down the track. Ask the children how many are left, and repeat the song in this way until all the trains have gone.
Use fingers to help with the counting as well as an exaggerated action of turning the engine handle, which is lots of fun. Encourage plenty of puffing and chuffing and a few high pitched toot-toots!
Free Sheet Music for Down At The Station (Easy Piano)
To continue the train themed activity, you can play these lovely classic train songs; Puffin Billy and Chattanooga Choo Choo and actually pretend to be the trains. If you have a few children you can get them to link up behind each over, conga style. Choose two people to be a bridge and the others can go through it.
If you’re looking for more train songs for kids, or classical music for train-loving kids, visit this great post on Classical Train Music from Play Trains!
If you’re looking for more transport themed activities, check out our Buses & Trains lesson plan for a 30 minute, structured and lively lesson!
Counting songs are an excellent way to develop early numeracy skills. Check out our Pinterest board full of counting songs here:
If you enjoyed this post, come and join us on Facebook, Pinterest and Google + or subscribe to our free bi-weekly newsletter for many more musical ideas!
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The right to education is guaranteed in Inter-American human rights instruments. Key information is provided for each instrument listed below.
For a more complete overview of international and regional legal instruments that guarantee the right to education, see International Instruments - The Right to Education
The Charter of the Organization of American States (1948) promotes social justice in inter-American relations and the integral development of all people as a means to achieving lasting peace and security. It pledges equality of opportunity and the rapid eradication of illiteracy and expansion of educational opportunities for all. According to Article 49, states have to ensure the effective exercise of the right to education, including free compulsory elementary education. Article 50 refers to the special attention to be given to the eradication of illiteracy.
- Adoption: 30 April 1948
- Entry into force: 13 December 1951
- Ratifications: 35
- Interpretation: no
- Monitoring mechanism: no
- Complaint mechanism: no
The Protocol of San Salvador (1988) guarantees the right to education in Article 13. It defines the aims of education and provides that primary education should be compulsory and accessible to all without cost; secondary education (including technical and vocational secondary education) as well as higher education should be made generally available and accessible to all by the progressive introduction of free education. It prescribes for life-long learning and special education. It also recognises the right of parents to choose the type of education they want for their children and the freedom to establish educational institutions. Article 16 reiterates the right to education of every child, particularly free and compulsory elementary education.
- Adoption: 17 November 1988
- Entry into force: 16 November 1999
- Ratifications: 16
- Interpretation: There is no general interpretation on the right to education, but the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court have interpreted this right through its case-law
- Monitoring mechanism: yes (Article 19 of the Protocol)
- Complaint mechanism: yes, through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights


Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
What are we learning and creating in the art class?
We are off to a great start in the art room! During the first art rotation, we focused on color in art.
Kindergarteners learned about using color for emphasis in art while creating a black and white collage. They learned about the primary colors and explored what happens when primary colors mix...secondary colors! They put their color mixing skills to the test while creating string paintings.
First graders worked with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors while creating Juan Miro inspired pieces.
Second graders worked with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. They also stained paper with warm and cool colors to create paper weavings.
Third graders continued working with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. They also used colors and lines to create a sun catcher.
Fourth graders created a Helen Frankenthaler inspired drip painting. They mixed colors while creating abstract pieces. They also worked on using line, color, and space to create a name jumble.
Fifth graders created a Marcel Duchamp inspired piece focusing on the idea of movement in art as well as color mixing. They also created a black and white handprint using lines and shape.
Be sure to check out our hallway art displays next time you’re at Harmony. We have some phenomenal artists!!!
Important announcements from your art teachers:
*Move Over Famous Artists! Harmony Elementary School artists are taking over the spotlight! Mrs. Connell and Mrs. Anderson, the school's Art Teachers, have teamed up with Artsonia, www.artsonia.com -- the world's largest online kid's art museum -- to display the students' artwork. Anyone can view the school gallery online at: www.artsonia.com/schools/Harmony786. Visitors can browse the artwork in the school gallery by grade level, or by specific exhibits. This program is a wonderful way to get parents and family members more involved in Art Education! Artsonia provides several online features such as fan clubs and personal guestbooks, as a way for families to encourage the creativity and imaginations of their young artists. In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with the child's artwork, with Artsonia donating 20 percent of their annual product revenue back to school art programs. Be sure to take a look! We will continue to update your child’s gallery throughout the year.
*Be sure to check out our Harmony Art Blog at www.harmonyartblog.blogspot.com ! Here you will find pictures of what we are creating in the art room.
*Be sure to find and follow us on Facebook, too! www.facebook.com/HarmonyElementaryArt
*Are you able to help with supplies for the art room? Here are a few things on our wish list that we can put to great use:
-small toys or prizes for the Mystery Item game
Posted by Allison Connell at 1:37 PM


By: C.Q. Wilder, M. Ed
June 9, 2014
Noted in Herrera et al., (2010), in the word recognition view of reading, Freeman and Freeman (2004) claim that phonics instruction fits into the following sequence of skills that have to be learned and mastered:
- Words are made up of individual sounds which is defined by the term phonological awareness
- Names of letters of the alphabet
- The sounds or phonemes of each of these letters
- Understanding the relationship between sounds and letters which is the definition of phonics.
The best way for students and children to learn these skills is by learning, practicing, and showing mastery level understanding of the rule(s).
For practice with phonics, one can teach multiple ideas within a lesson. First, teach your child or student
- The letters of the alphabet and then the sounds
- I recommend no more than 3 letters at a time.
- practice writing that letter
- practice the sound
- practice each letter until the child knows it by being able to:
- identify the letter, then the sound, and be able to do this in any random order
- If your child is struggling with learning 3 letters at one time, begin with one.
- If your child has mastered phonics, then:
- extension – either provide or ask the child if they know any words that begin with that letter or can point to a word or visual that begins with that letter.
- upper extension – either provide or ask the child if they know any words that end with that letter or sound or can point to a word or visual that ends with that letter.
Make sure to always model first!
- example – The letter /t/ makes the /t/ sound…Here is a tree. Tree begins with the /t/ sound.
- example – The letter /t/ makes the /t/ sound….Here is a cart. Cart ends with the /t/ sound.
Herrera, S.G., Perez, D.R., & Escamilla, K. (2010). Teaching reading to English language learners: Differentiated literacies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.


Kindergarten is off to a great start! In Language Arts, we will continue to focus on phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. We will be working on letter recognition, identifying letter sounds, rhyming, clapping syllables, and doing Daily Five. Everyone has come a long way since the beginning of school. We are so proud of them.
Our goal in mathematics is to build number sense through hands on manipulatives. It is extremely important your child has a solid grasp of what a number looks like, what it represents, and how to write it. Play simple matching the number games at home for extra practice.
We have been very busy with Science and Social Studies projects. The children enjoy all the hands on experiments to make for a better understanding. The pumpkin patch was a fun filled day of laughter and learning.
Since the first day your child walked through our classroom door, their journey of learning began. The journey of expanding their knowledge of learning, and supporting their love and growth in God. I will say, “That is the best feeling in the world”.
Peace and love,