CONNECT is a center for research and
innovation in elementary education.
Conducting Research at UCLA Lab School
An essential element in the CONNECT network is UCLA Lab School, part of UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. The school’s classrooms, offices and playgrounds serve as dynamic sites for teachers, administrators and researchers to explore topics and issues relevant to children’s education and development.
The goals of CONNECT and the school are to stimulate innovative research that has implications for educational practices in schools serving diverse populations of children, and to encourage the exchange of ideas among scholars, practitioners and others concerned with child development and school reform.
CONNECT and UCLA Lab School encourage programmatic research projects that are relevant to educational issues and help to foster a strong community of researchers and teachers who work cooperatively on a long-term basis. Priority is given to proposals consistent with and supportive of these goals and to researchers who are committed to participating in Center activities, including publishing articles about their work, and making presentations about their work to school faculty and the greater educational community through outreach locally, and at national and international conferences. Because participation by many disciplines is crucial to the success of this initiative, we welcome unsolicited proposals that mesh with Center objectives from researchers with varied disciplinary affiliations. The Center is designed to encompass a broad range of research topics from many different disciplines. Although priority will be given to proposals that are consistent with the Center’s goals, we do not discourage other kinds of proposals.
Researchers interested in conducting projects at UCLA Lab School must complete and submit the application, available by registering and submitting proposal here.
Megan Franke PhD, Interim Director
Megan Franke is a Professor of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Franke’s research focuses on understanding and supporting teacher learning for both preservice and inservice teachers. She studies how teachers making use of research based information about the development of children’s mathematical thinking support students to learn mathematics. She is particularly interested in how teaching mathematics with attention to students’ mathematical thinking can create opportunities for low-income students of color to learn mathematics with understanding. In addition, Dr. Franke designs, prepares and studies the preparation of early childhood to 6th grade mathematics teachers. She is currently engaged in a study of teacher educator practice across three universities focused on implementation of particular teacher educator pedagogies and approximations of practice. The study addresses how the university and school contexts shape the practice and learning opportunities for teacher educators and preservice teachers. Her research work to support teachers, schools and communities was recognized with the 2012 AERA Research into Practice Award. In addition, Franke was the co-PI of the Center for Diversity in Mathematics Education (DiME) and worked across universities to support fellows active in studying equity issues in mathematics education. DiME was awarded the AERA Division G Henry Trueba Award. Dr. Franke was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2017.
Sandra Smith, MBA, Assistant Director
Sandra is charged with the ongoing administration, documentation and operations for research projects at the UCLA Lab School. She manages the Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight for all Lab School projects, and leads the secondary review committee (consisting of UCLA & Lab School faculty and parents) appointed bi-annually to ensure the educational mission of the school and the research projects are in alignment. Onsite at the Lab School Research office, she provides orientations, validates training and certification of the researchers, visiting scholars and Lab School faculty, along with supportive monitoring for ongoing research.


Think of a truly terrifying dinosaur. Chances are, the one in your mind is an allosaurus. The allosaurus is one of the most well-known dinosaurs and the one most of us imagine ripping through a jungle destroying everything in sight.
- Allosaurus was first discovered in the U.S. in 1877. Its name means other lizard.
- It lived during the Late Jurassic Period—between 155 and 150 million years ago— and it’s a member of the Theropoda group.
- The Allosaurus was huge—almost 40 feet long—with serrated, razor-sharp teeth that could grow 12 inches or longer. These teeth could rip through prey like a chainsaw.
- Allosaurus had muscular back legs that allowed it to run quickly, as well as strong arms and sharp, hooked claws.
- It had a flexible jaw, similar to a snake, allowing it to open its mouth even wider when eating prey. Its teeth were actually smaller than many meat-eating dinosaurs of its size, but its wide jaws gave it an advantage. Scientists aren’t sure if it killed live animals or lived mostly by scavenging carcasses.
- Allosaurus bones have been found in Portugal, the western U.S., and parts of Africa.
- Scientists have discovered numerous Allosaurus bones, which tells us that this dinosaur was probably a very successful predator during its time.
- This dinosaur lived with other commonly known dinosaurs, such as the stegosaurus, diplodocus, and brontosaurus.
- The Allosaurus had hollow bones and bones with holes in them. It was probably lightweight for its size. It also had an advanced respiratory system that allowed it to cool itself, useful since it probably lived in a hot, dry climate.
Find out more about Allosaurus.
Cite This Page
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " All Facts for Kids about Allosaurus Dinosaur ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 30 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/allosaurus/ >.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). All Facts for Kids about Allosaurus Dinosaur. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/allosaurus/
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Upskilling gives people training to build foundational skills, such as math, reading, spoken English or digital skills, and occupational skills. Thirty-six million people in the U.S. have foundational skill needs, and 25 million are already employed. States can adopt upskilling policies to provide opportunities for more workers to upgrade their skills and move into better-paying careers while at the same time helping businesses fully tap the talents of these workers.
- Upskilling Adult Learners with Disabilities l February 2019
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Jolly NotesThis preschool music program is a fun, group class for children between ages 3 and 4 designed to introduce children to music. Through musical games and active interaction with a teacher and each other, kids learn basic musical concepts such as: rhythm, melody, percussion instruments, and singing. “Jolly Notes” helps children develop general learning skills that they can use beyond musical studies: focus and concentration, cognitive abilities, motor skills, social skills and hand-eye coordination. The children are asked to bring their favorite short story books that can be set to music. At the end of the session the students will have a short musical presentation to perform informally for their parents. The gaol of the class is to instill a love of music so that the children could start music lessons next year. This course consists of 12 45 minutes weekly classes and is conducted by the Orff certified instructor. For more information about this program please read Jolly Notes Brochure. Register for Jolly Notes Program.
Jolly Keys"Jolly Keys" program is created as a comprehensive introduction to piano and gives children between ages 4 and 5 and their parents a taste what music can bring into their lives and prepares children for private music lessons. Children learn to understand musical "vocabulary", develop imagination as well as their own relationship with the music. The classes involve: singing, elementary note reading, introduction to the basics of the keyboard, music history and rhythm development. The course also focuses on general coordination and refining motor skills necessary for playing any instrument. The classes are 45 minutes long and are held once a week. For more information about this program please read Jolly Keys Brochure. Register for Jolly Keys Program.
"Pre-Twinklers" Suzuki ViolinThis is a group lesson course for children between ages 4 and 5 , who are not ready for private lessons. Students of this age, parents with a violin teacher known as the "Suzuki Triangle," learn to play the violin through the use of games, listening to music and visuals. At the end of the session, the students will have an informal recital. The students are known as "Pre-Twinklers", because they are learning musical concepts to be able to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." It is the hope that this introduction to violin playing will become a life-long adventure to the study of the violin. Parents are encouraged to read "Nurtured By Love" by Suzuki to find out more about the violin method. Register for Suzuki Program. Register for Preschool Music Programs online or contact us if you have any questions.
Benefits of Early Music Education
It’s sure to be music to parents’ ears: After nine months of weekly training in piano or voice, new research shows young students’ IQs rose nearly three points more than their untrained peers – Forbes Magazine
Our experience supports these findings published in Forbes Magazine. Additionally, we strongly believe and emphasize that how you teach music is even more important for students’ brain development. Scientific research encourages starting the study of music from a young age. Young children benefit the most from music lessons as they are the most receptive and impressionable.
If a child is not ready yet for private lessons he/she can still greatly benefit from group music programs.


Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process of acquiring the competencies to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations effectively. In short, SEL competencies comprise the foundational skills for positive health practices and interpersonal relationships, engaged citizenship, and school success. SEL is sometimes called “the missing piece,” because it represents a part of education that is inextricably linked to school success, but has not been explicitly stated or given much attention until recently. SEL emphasizes active learning approaches in which skills can be generalized across curriculum areas and contexts when opportunities are provided to practice the skills that foster positive attitudes, behaviours, and thinking processes.
We have created a SEL concentration option in the HDLC M.A. program for students with an interest in learning more about theories, research, and practice in the area of social and emotional learning and development. This concentration will be offered in the HDLC Master’s programs or as a “sub-specialization” for graduate students from other programs at UBC (e.g., Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Human Kinetics) who have an interest in developing a greater understanding of SEL.
Social and Emotional Learning Concentration Information (33 credits)
PGS form can be found on HDLC Forms & Resources page.


Math 1201 (Number Sense and Open-Ended Problem Solving):
The proposal is to change the list of topics in Math 1201.
Primarily for students in the elementary education curriculum. Cardinality and integers; decimal representation and the number line; exploratory data analysis; number sense; open-ended problem solving strategies; written communication of mathematics.
Proposed new list:
Primarily for students in the early childhood education PK-3 teacher certification curriculum or the elementary grades education curriculum. Cardinality and integers; decimal representation and the number line; number sense; open-ended problem solving strategies; expressions and equation solving; primes, factors, and proofs; ratio and proportion; written communication of mathematics.
Justification of the proposed changes:
Several math faculty have a Board of Regents Grant titled "The Mathematics College & Career Readiness and Retention Program." One of the activities of the grant is to hold a workshop to set the stage to align all LSU math courses that are relevant to teacher preparation with the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). These new standards have been adopted by 48 states including Louisiana, and will be used to guide the curriculum in K-12. In the process of preparing for this workshop, it became apparent that the catalog description of Math 1201 needed to be updated based on current topic coverage and to include changes now being made to reflect alignment with the new CCSS.


This pack includes 8 skills required to perform fine motor functions. Examples: How to: Color Between the Lines, Writing Numbers, Writing Upper and Lowercase Letters, etc. This curriculum was created by Dr. Lindsay Hilsen, Ed. D, BCBA-D, the director of Sunny Days Sunshine Center New Jersey. As Director of the Sunny Days Sunshine Center, Inc., Dr. Lindsay Hilsen brings over 15 years of experience with early childhood intervention and autism to the position. Previously, she worked as the Sunshine Center’s Autism Coordinator and the Autism Clinical Educator for Sunny Days Early Childhood Developmental Services, Inc. Among the many duties involved with running the Sunshine Center, Lindsay supervises all ABA practitioners and therapists, conducts all ABA evaluations, handles insurance and billing, coordinates social skills groups, and trains and supervises BCBA candidates. She is dedicated to training other specialists properly. Lindsay received her Doctorate in Special Education through Nova Southeastern University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D) who holds two masters in Special Education and Education, as well as a certified NJ special education teacher and elementary education teacher. She is also the author of two Autism Curriculums: A Step-By-Step Curriculum for Early Learners with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and A Step-By-Step ABA Curriculum for Young Learners (ages 3-10) with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ever since she was old enough to volunteer, Lindsay has had a passion for the field of special education. She believes that all children can make progress, regardless of their different abilities and styles of learning, and seeing that progress is her favorite part of her job. Because Lindsay’s oldest daughter has single-sided deafness, she knows firsthand that each and every child is capable and can overcome any challenge.


Effective intervention to support oral language skills in English as an additional language in the early years
Keywords:EAL, Early Years, Vocabulary, Intervention
Increasingly, children enter Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings with English as an additional language (EAL) and for many of these linguistically diverse children, their knowledge and skills in the English language is less-well developed than native-speaking (NS) peers. Much research over the past few decades has indicated how important early language and emergent literacy development is within ECEC settings, as children’s skills in these domains underpins later literacy development and academic achievement. Furthermore, many children from linguistically diverse backgrounds tend to have less well-developed vocabulary knowledge and struggle with aspects of literacy later on. In this paper we present the findings of a Professional Development (PD) intervention study aimed at helping teachers to develop and implement effective strategies that support oral language skills in both EAL and NS pupils. We discuss these findings in relation to two other oral language interventions where the focus was on working directly with pupils. We argue that whereas evidence suggests interventions working directly with pupils can be more effective on improved child language outcomes, we need to focus more energy on developing good PD for Early Years Practitioners to support them in their critical roles in children’s educational development.


Introduction to NCEA
NCEA stands for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement, and is part of the National Qualification Framework.
How do students gain an NCEA?
The NCEA will be awarded at Levels 1, 2 and 3. Level 1 is normally done in Year 11, Level 2 in Year 12 and Level 3 in Year 13. High achieving Year 13 students will also be able to enter the Scholarship examinations.
Each subject is divided into standards, each standard being worth a number of credits with most subjects offering about 20 credits. The standards may be achievement standards or unit standards.
The results for achievement standards are given as:
? Not Achieved
[Please note: The number of credits available for an achievement standard is fixed. Students are encouraged to strive for Excellence and Merit results even though these do not earn students extra credit.]
All unit standards are internally assessed. The results for unit standards are given as:
? Not achieved
To gain NCEA at Level 1, Year 11 students will need to earn at least 80 credits. These can come from:
- external assessment against achievement standards (NZQA examinations at the end of the year - Novbember)
- internal assessment against achievement standards or unit standards (assessed by the classroom teacher in school throughout the year)
An NCEA Level 1 certificate will be issued to learners who have achieved 80 credits at Level 1 or higher, which must include 10 credits showing literacy skills and 10 credits showing numeracy skills.
An NCEA certificate will be endorsed with Merit if the student gains 50 credits at Merit or Excellence at the Level they are studying or higher. An NCEA certificate will be endorsed with Excellence if the student gains 50 credits at Excellence.
ENDORSED SUBJECT CERTIFICATES
At all three NCEA levels, students will be able to gain a Merit or Excellence Endorsement in a course (subject). A student must gain 14 credits or more in a course, in the school year, to get the endorsement. A Merit Endorsement can be made up of Excellence credits, i.e. 8 Excellence credits and 6 Merit credits will equal a Merit Endorsement.
At least 3 of the 14 credits must be from internally assessed standards and 3 from externally assessed standards (national exams). PE, and Level 3 Visual Arts will be exempt from this rule.
Students can study at different year levels in a course, but the standards being used towards an endorsement can only be used once, and will be awarded at the lower level course


Tuesday, 14 November 2017
Researchers are concerned about a growing app gap where digital-savvy toddlers with access to educational apps may be more school-ready than their counterparts.
But rather than divided along class or socio-economic lines, this study shows that the gap may be due to some parents encouraging their young children to use educational apps, while others restrict their child’s screen time.
Research by Edith Cowan University’s (ECU’s) Dr Donell Holloway is exploring the consequence of the ‘app gap’ and how app-affluent children may be entering school with enhanced readiness in literacy, numeracy and technology skills.
Dr Holloway said children are using the internet and digital technologies at increasingly younger ages. It is now commonplace for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers to use internet connected devices, especially touch screen tablets.
“Somewhere around the age of 10 to fourteen months a baby learns to point with his or her forefinger and is ready to tap and swipe a touchscreen,” Dr Holloway said.
What is the app gap?
Dr Holloway said the app gap is an emerging trend where some very young children are accessing quality educational apps at a greater rate than others. She said this is occurring because there are two conflicting conversations in the public domain regarding the usefulness of digital media to toddlers and pre-schoolers.
“Some parents have run with the idea portrayed in advertising about the educational value of apps. Our research found that parents who were allowing their children to use apps tried to give them not just entertainment but some educational value in their app diet,” she said.
“However, some parents felt guilty about allowing their young children to use apps because of the opposing argument relating to screen time, childhood obesity or lack of children’s physical and imaginative play.”
Enhancing children’s learning
Dr Holloway said her analysis found that parents can enhance their children’s learning by using educational apps with their very young children.
“Our analysis found that when parents co-use learning apps with their very young children, they add a layer of learning to the inbuilt tools that exist within the app to help navigate it.
“There are many good apps available that families can consider, for example Reading Eggs. ABC Online also has some really great pre-reading and writing apps for young kids from about two years of age,” she said.
Dr Holloway, from ECU’s School of Arts and Humanities, presented her research paper ‘The app gap: Scaffolding early childhood learning through app use in the family home’ at Queensland University of Technology recently. It forms part of her Australian Discovery Grant Research Project ‘Toddlers and tablets: exploring the risks and benefits 0-5s face online’.
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In addition to advocating for learning experiences that involve stimulating students’ creativity, engaging them in experimentation, and activating their creativity (see last week’s blog post), coplanning and coteaching inquiry learning are also ways to increase students’ opportunities for diverse final products. If our message to students is that all roads lead to the same outcome, many will not see the relevance of their learning experiences to their lives. They will not experience learning as a complex activity that results in diverse creative expressions of learning. Too many will disengage or simply be lost or derailed along the way.
Supporting Classroom Teachers and Specialists
During coplanning, classroom teachers and specialists may express reservations about students taking curriculum into individual or unexpected pathways. Secondary educators, in particular, who may be responsible for learning outcomes for 75 middle school or as many as 150 high school students may shudder to think that they alone will be responsible for guiding and assessing students’ learning.
School librarians who coplan, coimplement, AND coassess student learning outcomes can ease classroom teachers’ and specialists’ concerns about giving students “free rein” to explore in many different directions and in producing many different final products. Collaboration can also ensure that educators create flexible assessment tools that accurately reflect students’ achievement in terms of learning objectives as well as their creativity.
Two (or more) educators working as a team can better monitor and guide individual student’s learning as well as small group work. Inquiry circles as described in the guided inquiry require check-ins from educators (Kuhlthau, Maniotes, and Caspari 2015, 32–36). It is through check-ins that educators push students’ thinking, offer resource support, identify stumbling blocks, and opportunities for reteaching specific subskills to the students who need them to move forward.
One of my all-time favorite teaching memories involved working with a second-grade teacher (in the late 1990s) who structured her classroom around inquiry. Students identified areas of interest, pitched their ideas to the class, and formed small groups to pursue meaningful questions. As their school librarian, I often worked with more or more groups as they sought information through the library’s resources.
One of the questions for the “frog and other amphibians” group was about dissecting frogs to learn more about their body parts and functions. I helped the group contact a biology professor at the University of Arizona. The students posed their questions to him and organized a field trip to his lab where he led them in dissecting and learning about frogs. I had the distinct pleasure of accompanying them on their adventure. Years later, two students from that group remembered that learning experience as one of the most powerful in their elementary education.
The Underlying Message
Learning is complex and expressions of knowledge can (and should?) be unique. When classmates share their learning processes and final products, students (and educators) should be amazed at the divergent thinking and variety of expressions of learning. When students are given the opportunity to pursue learning that is personally meaningful, use resources they have discovered on their own, selected and employed tools that helped them meet their individual (or their group’s) goals for sharing, they are enacting the skills and dispositions of lifelong learners.
Inquiry Learning = Preparation for Life!
Questions for Discussion and Reflection
- What strategies have you used for supporting students’ diverse creative expressions of their learning?
- Describe the assessment tools you have used to guide students’ learning while giving them opportunities to express their learning in diverse and creative ways?
Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. Caspari. 2015. Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.


Students learn to incorporate text and graphics in electronic documents, for creative and instructional purposes. They produce computer animation and multimedia documents with the use of application software. The software is used as a communication tool, a creative medium and a professional resource.
Students learn applications of digital technologies in the field of art and art education. The technology can also be used for aesthetic, ethical and legal issues related to the use of digital technology in the visual arts and art education. There are a variety of instructional methods including, lectures, demonstrations, mutual learning and projects. Computer art education enables students to get actively involved in the learning process.
When we talk of computers, topics usually range from desktops, laptops and notebooks. Sometimes, our ideas and discussions about computers seem to go on forever. However, we seldom hear talk about single board computers. We may not be familiar with the term, though many of us have used single board computer at one time or another.
Computers are being used in various educational fields. People consider them fine mediums to impart knowledge. Computers are successfully applied in art education. There are many art institutes related to fashion, culinary skills, design and media arts that totally depend on the use of computers. Instructors consider them to be convenient, economical and interesting mediums.
There are colleges and institutes that offer courses to introduce students to computer applications in the field of art education. They emphasize on the use of the Internet as a communication and learning tool. Internet is also considered a creative art medium and a professional resource. Computer art education helps them to explore the use of digital-imaging hardware and software for individual creative expression. There are courses that teach ways to integrate the Internet and computer technology into school art programs.


By Teachers, For Teachers
In traditional classrooms, the most effective way for students to learn has always been through reading and writing. While this method has proven to be effective, we’re now learning that it’s not the only way that students learn best. Today’s research is now showing that students can learn and retain information better through a variety of different methods. Studies show that students learn best when learning is active, when they are engaged in hands-on classroom activities, and involved in what they are learning. In fact, scientists believe that when children use all of their senses, it helps the brain create pathways that make it easier and quicker to retain information. Brain scans show that students who took a hands-on approach to learning had activation in sensory and motor-related parts of the brain. This research shows that students of all ages can benefit from adding hands-on classroom activities to their learning. Whether you’re learning about history or language arts, math or science, hands-on activities can be added to any curriculum. Here are a few ideas on how you can add hands-on classroom activities across the curriculum.
It’s easy to incorporate hands-on activities into any subject. Here are a few ways that you can use the hands-on approach to learning in each subject.
When it comes to adding hands-on activities to English Language Arts, there are endless possibilities. Here’s a few ways that you can engage students.
Social studies involves learning about many subtopics, such as history and other cultures, geography and government, civic ideals and society, among many other topics. Any social studies sub-topic that students are learning about can be turned into a hands-on activity. For instance, during a geography lesson, a great interactive activity would be to have students create a salt map. When learning about other cultures, students can prepare a traditional meal, dress up in costume, or learn a traditional dance and present it to the class. If they are learning about ancient civilizations, they can create a model of a civilization, write their own play and present it, or recreate an artifact for that time period. As long as students are physically learning by doing, they’ll be more engaged as well as activating their brains to help them retain information better.
Hands-on science experiments are fun way to keep students actively engaged. Hands-on activities for science can entail students observing, predicting, setting up experiments, etc. Here are two simple hands-on experiments.
Sink or Float
For this experiment, all you need is a bowl of water, a cork, a stone, a coin, and a grape. Have students first predict what items will float and what items will sink in the water. Then have groups of students observe as they place the items in the water one by one.
Using a string, have students hang two plastic cups off of a hanger that’s hanging from a doorknob. Have them place items into each cup to learn about balance and see which one is heavier and why.
Teachers have used manipulatives (hands-on tools) to help students learn mathematics since the ancient times. Tools like the abacus, tallies, stones, beads, and wooden counting boards were just a few of the tools people used to help them learn math back in the day. Today’s teachers like to use them too. Here are a few hands-on activities you can try when teaching math.
Any manipulative that you use will actively engage students. You can even manipulate a worksheet by cutting into strips to make it hands-on.
Hands-on classroom activities are just one component to help improve student learning. When you couple that with active learning, students will be become more effective and efficient learners.
Do you use hands-on activities to improve student learning? What are your favorite go-to classroom activities? Please share with us in the comment section below, We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds Masters of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com, TeachHUB Magazine, and Hey Teach. She was also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com for five years. You can follow her on Twitter @empoweringed, on Facebook at Empowering K12 Educators, or contact her at Janellecox78@yahoo.com.


Video modeling (VM) is the main teaching method used in the Speech Blubs app. This blog will explain what it is, why it works, and if there is science that supports its use.
Video modeling (VM) is a relatively recent phenomenon in teaching. A study by Creer and Miklich (1970) is believed to be the first to explore its use. The website researchautism.net reports that “The first reported evidence for the use of video modeling as a treatment for a child with autism spectrum disorder was reported in 1982 by Steinborn and Knapp. They used a behavioral training program and a classroom-based model of a traffic environment in order to teach a child on the autism spectrum pedestrian skills.” Since then, video modeling has been a go-to method used for teaching kids with autism social skills, as well as speech delay.
VM became even more popular with the discovery of ‘mirror neurons.’ The Harvard University journal, Science in the News published “in 1992, a team of neuroscientists led by Giacomo Rizzolatti . . . monitored the activity of neurons, the cells that constitute the smallest processing units of the brain, analogous to microchips in computers . . . Rizzolatti’s team, examining neurons . . . expected to find neurons that fired specifically when the monkey performed particular actions, such as reaching for or grabbing something . . . some of these neurons also fired when the monkey observed an experimenter performing the same action (in this case, bringing food to one’s mouth). In short: these neurons fired both when monkey see, and when monkey do.”
This same article reports that “they probably play a role in enabling imitation, given that there must be some mechanism in the brain that converts an observed action to a series of muscle commands.” This was just the beginning of using mirror neurons to teach kids.
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Combining mirror neurons and video modeling has resulted in an effective teaching method for children with autism and other kids who use Speech Blubs. The app takes it even one step further, and uses peer video modeling, where a child models behaviors or skills, like turn-taking, saying good morning, or brushing hair. Other skills that are common in speech therapy sessions include communication, social, behaviour, daily living, and play skills. The child watches the peer in the video and then copies the behavior. The goal is for the child to improve that behavior or skill so they have the confidence to perform it in real life.
Speech Blubs uses kid “experts” (or peers) to model behaviors. This is because studies show that kids learn faster when using peer video modeling than when they see those same behaviors modeled by therapists in a therapy session (Charlop-Christy, Le, & Freeman, 2000). There’s just something more appealing and memorable about seeing other kids perform the behaviors that make kids improve faster. Speech Blubs uses this method in all of its activities and games.
Studies show that kids learn faster when using peer video modeling.
To give more proof of the importance of video modeling, (Seok et al., 2018) concluded that “overall, an analysis of the eight studies revealed that VM can have a positive and significant effect” and that “. . . these findings suggest that VM is an effective evidence-based practice for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).”
Video modeling has become so popular that publishing companies are beating the bushes to find and publish the latest studies, including: “Using an iPad-based Video Modeling Package to Teach Numeracy Skills to a Child with an ASD.” If you click this link you will find an entire list of titles about VM, and that’s just one publisher!
So, this blog attempts to: present what video modeling is, give its background, explain how it’s used for kids with speech delay and autism, and provide proof of experts who have tried and recommend its use. Speech Blubs feels confident that the science behind our app holds up to scrutiny, and should give parents some confidence that we really do have your child’s best interests in mind when we talk about the app.
Leave them in the comments or send them to


Our curriculum objectives for learning and development are divided into nine areas of child growth and development. The first four describe major areas of child growth and development: social-emotional, physical, language and cognitive. The other five areas are described as outcomes in early learning standards; Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies, and The Arts. Attention is given to the different needs, interests and developmental levels of the individual children and each child’s family and community cultures when planning curriculum.
Areas of Development and Learning:
- Social-Emotional Development
Young children’s social-emotional development involves learning how to understand their own and other’s feelings, regulate and express their emotions appropriately, build relationships with others, and interact in groups.
- Physical Development
Physical development includes children’s gross (large muscle) and fine (small muscle) motor skills. Balance; coordination; and locomotion, or traveling, are part of gross-motor development. Grabbing an object; picking up a small object; cutting; drawing; and writing, are part of fine-motor development.
- Language Development
Language is the principal tool for establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and other children. Children’s desire to communicate their thoughts, ideas, needs, and feelings with others motivates them to develop language. Language also involves learning about the structure and sequence of speech sounds, vocabulary, grammar, and the rules for engaging in appropriate and effective conversation.
- Cognitive Development
Cognitive development, also called intellectual development, is influenced by the child’s approaches to learning as well as his or her biological makeup and the environment. Cognitive skills include information processing, memory, classification, problem solving, language acquisition, and reading and mathematics learning.
Outcome Areas in Early Learning Standards:
- Literacy Development
- Mathematics Development
- Science and Technology Development
- Social Studies Development
- The Arts


‘To inspire pupils in how to develop their creativity and ideas through a range of techniques / media and increase their proficiency in their execution and handling of different materials’
At St Matthew’s, we want to teach students about the history of art and inspire them to analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others in order to strengthen the visual impact or application of their own outcomes.
To allow students opportunities to learn through practical activities, using a range of different mediums and introducing them to a range of successful artists who have influenced art movements through the ages.
Through a range of projects in Key Stage 3 we aim to ensure that pupils understand how to respond to briefs looking at and using the style and content of related Artists to influence their own interpretation. Projects are designed to teach pupils how to use different tools, materials and techniques to reach an outcome that shows their skills and development in the subject.
At the end of his/her Art education at St Matthew's, we hope to inspire each student to:
Become confident in their abilities as Artists
- Use the work of traditional and contemporary artists to inspire and influence their work
- Develop a range of images through the application of techniques in different mediums
- Be able to develop and improve their work through feedback from staff and peers
- Have a greater understanding of Art movements and their influences on society
Homework / Assessment
Each project has a number of assessment points where work is graded and an overall average grade is given during assessment points. In Key Stage 4 assessments are carried out regularly on key pieces of coursework. Catch up sessions for key stage 4 are on offer each week
Homework is set regularly in all year groups to support and extend in-class learning. Homework may be independent research, designing, revision or written tasks. Homework tasks are also assessed as part of the final grade outcome so it is important that they are completed on a regular basis.
Rewards and recognition:
Regular updates of displays around school and the classrooms demonstrate students work. Postcards and texts are sent home to inform parents of any outstanding progress by good workers. Celebrations of success, as well as key information, are regularly posted on the department’s Twitter feed @smrchs_art_tech


The Department of Basic Education, working alongside Unicef, has developed a new multi-language concept paper to encourage the use of mother-tongue languages at the country’s schools.
Answering in a recent parliamentary Q&A, minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said that her department now intends to introduce African languages as mother tongue incrementally beyond the foundation phase (Grade R – Grade 3).
Motshekga said that this change follows a successful ‘Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education pilot’ run by the Eastern Cape Department of Education.
As part of the pilot, 2,015 schools are using IsiXhosa and Sesotho as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) beyond the foundation phase.
Motshekga said that learners in these schools are taught Mathematics, Natural Science and Technology in their home languages IsiXhosa and Sesotho.
“This initiative was started in 72 Cofimvaba (Eastern Cape) schools in Grade 4 in 2012 and incrementally in subsequent grades – the cohort is in Grade 12 in 2020.
“The province is working with other stakeholders such as the Rhodes University, University of Fort Hare, Oxford University Press, Pearson, and PanSALB.”
Motshekga added that learners in the pilot outperformed those not in the cohort in the June examinations on 17 out of 18 questions.
“The National Curriculum Statement encourages learners to learn through their home language, particularly in lower grades where learners learn the critical foundational skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
“English and Afrikaans are used as LoLT throughout the system, although just 23% of South Africans identify English and Afrikaans as their Home Languages. African Home Languages are used as LoLT mainly in the foundation phase, and thereafter transit to English.”
Motshekga said that there are 8,096 single-medium schools in South Africa. The majority of schools are English (6,483) followed by Afrikaans (1,261) and IsiXhosa (163).
The table below details all of the single-medium schools in South Africa:
|Languages||Number of single-medium schools|
|South African Sign Language||6|


Source:New York, NY :, United States, p.xiii, 205 pages : (2019)
Keywords:Instruction and study., Music, Youth development.
Includes bibliographical references and index.Framing the conversation about music and human development. Introduction / Brian Kaufman and Lawrence Scripp ; Human development through music / Lawrence Scripp and Josh Gilbert -- Exploring music learning as youth development. Making music, promoting development : the power of practice / Dennie Palmer Wolf, Steven Holochwost, and Judith Hill Bose ; Musical futures : informal group music-making in schools as a context for youth development / Susan Hallam and Andrea Creech ; A national orchestra for all : an ethos of inclusiveness within music-making for positive youth development / Andrea Creech and Lina Tsaklagkanou ; From problem to progression : [re]conceptualizing a young people's music program in the UK / Ruth Currie and Lee Higgins ; Cultural expression as creative youth development : experiences with the Palestine National Music Conservatory / Carol Frierson-Campbell -- The future of music learning as youth and human development. The leader of the band : exploring a framework for music learning as youth development / Michael Raiber -- Higher education music programs as youth development / Brian Kaufman -- Changing the ecology of music learning : lessons from creative youth development / Erik Holmgren -- Music learning as youth development : comments, reflections, conclusions / Lawrence Scripp and Brian Kaufman.Music Learning as Youth Development explores how music education programs can contribute to young people's social, emotional, cognitive, and artistic capacities in the context of life-long musical development. International scholars argue that MLYD programs should focus in particular on the curiosity, energy and views of young people affecting the teachers, musicians, pedagogy, programs, and music with which young people interact. From fields of progressive music education, authors share their perspectives on approaches that can lead to new ways of enabling youth learners as they transition to adulthood. A vast range of possible outcomes arising from in-school, afterschool, and community-based music programs are examined in order to highlight the aspects of youth development that music learning is particularly well-suited to support. Following an introductory essay that provides new perspectives on pursuing lifelong musical development, the volume is features two primary sections. The first focuses on case studies exploring several programs through the lens of the transitional stages of music learning as youth development, helping the reader understand key concepts and explore challenges for creating music learning as youth development programs. The second section addresses the broad implications and policy issues of programs described, including discussing why music learning should be conceived of as critical to formative stages of youth development that can lead to a productive and fulfilling life. The conclusion synthesizes the range of perspectives provided by eight contributors and offers implications for life-long human development through music in the 21st century.


Northern Marianas Quiz – FREE General Knowledge Quiz with Answers
Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Northern Marianas Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this FREE online interactive quiz on Northern Marianas. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun Northern Marianas quiz again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about the Northern Marianas.
Northern Marianas Quiz – FREE Geography Quizzes
Our general knowledge quizzes are a free general Earth Science quiz resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Northern Marianas Geography quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about Northern Marianas while enjoying this FREE general quiz questions for kids.
If your kid is being home-schooled, or is in a special education program, then this is a fun yet educational activity, with reading comprehension benefits for kids in grade 1-5.
Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who scores highest, doing this fun online Earth Science quiz on Northern Marianas.
As a reading comprehension training for kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension faster and better, or limit the number of times your kids can read about the Northern Marianas quiz topic, before they do the actual general knowledge quiz with answers.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing this quiz about Northern Marianas and our other fun online quizzes, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the geography quiz questions and answers.
You will select the Northern Marianas quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the quiz score.
Your child can try unlimited times doing the Northern Marianas quiz, till gets the perfect score faster, as your kid learns to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
Enjoyed doing this free online quiz about the Northern Marianas? Check out all our other fun Easy Science Quizzes for Kids and other EASY scienceForKids.com. Visit our Earth Science for Kids all about the Northern Marianas page. Get lengthy info here.
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To Do This, You Must Know How: Music Pedagogy in the Black Gospel Quartet Tradition
To Do This, You Must Know How traces black vocal music instruction and inspiration from the halls of Fisk University to the mining camps of Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama, and on to Chicago and New Orleans. In the 1870s, the Original Fisk University Jubilee Singers successfully combined Negro spirituals with formal choral music disciplines, and established a permanent bond between spiritual singing and music education. Early in the twentieth century there were countless initiatives in support of black vocal music training conducted on both national and local levels. The surge in black religious quartet singing that occurred in the 1920s owed much to this vocal music education movement.
In Bessemer, Alabama, the effect of school music instruction was magnified by the emergence of community-based quartet trainers who translated the spirit and substance of the music education movement for the inhabitants of working-class neighborhoods. These trainers adapted standard musical precepts, traditional folk practices, and popular music conventions to create something new and vital
Bessemer's musical values directly influenced the early development of gospel quartet singing in Chicago and New Orleans through the authority of emigrant trainers whose efforts bear witness to the effectiveness of "trickle down" black music education. A cappella gospel quartets remained prominent well into the 1950s, but by the end of the century the close harmony aesthetic had fallen out of practice, and the community-based trainers who were its champions had virtually disappeared, foreshadowing the end of this remarkable musical tradition.
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About the AuthorDoug Seroff is an independent scholar living in Greenbrier, TN. His work has appeared in American Music, Black Music Research Newsletter, Blues Unlimited, and Record Exchanger, among others. A leading expert on black gospel quartet singing for twenty-five years, he has written chapters published in anthologies and many scholarly essays for a wide variety of journals.
Lynn Abbott is an independent scholar living in New Orleans. His work has been published in American Music, 78 Quarterly, American Music Research Center Journal, and The Jazz Archivist.


Executive functioning challenges can often be overlooked as children are otherwise labeled as lazy or unmotivated. If a child has difficulties with executive functioning he or she may present with behaviors of avoidance, emotional outbursts, or not even acknowledging the task at hand. This is probably because they are feeling overwhelmed and do not have the foundational skills needed to problem solve through organizational tasks. Helping your child to develop these skills can support their independent success and can increase future task initiation toward personal organization.
What Can Parents Do to Help an Unorganized Child?
Support them, assist in their growth of skills, and praise any small triumph! The general idea is to have the child learn the problem solving skills required to think through tasks that are seemingly overwhelming. First you always, ALWAYS start small, then tackle bigger projects as they can manage. Then as they make achievements, don’t forget to recognize their hard work! Praise moments of follow through and self-initiated tasks with recognition and/or rewards.
5 Tips to Help Organize Their Life:
- Establish a place to write it all down- daily planners and a family calendar are great tools to keep track of their time.
- Introduce Responsibility- Create a Chore chart and a To-Do list as a family. Don’t forget to keep their age and time needed for completion of these activities in mind when choosing the appropriate task(s).
- Acknowledge that the time is ticking- Visual timers are great for those children who tend to take more time than necessary on simple tasks. Timers can also help to keep a child focused and engaged in the activity.
- Create a place for all items to have a specific home- Designate places for items and stick to it. Growing up with the golden rule ‘Always place an item back in its original place, in its same or better condition’ may help keep the house cleaner. Utilizing organizational tools, such as visual prompts (numbering, color coding) and charts can help too.
- Check in- They will need a little help! Have the children show you their completed work, planner, clean space, etc. Make them feel accomplished and help them problem solve solutions to existing problems.
5 Activity Ideas to Facilitate their Organizational Skills:
- Tackle a junk drawer, pantry shelf, or game closet- Have them help a parent problem solve through the organization of a messy place. Starting in a small place is key so there are no overwhelming moments too big for the child. Have the child think through the task with the parent facilitating only when needed.
- Cook with your child- A successful meal requires significant planning, working memory, organization, and time management. See how much they can lead the cooking activity and help when needed. This can be fun for the child while having a great learning experience!
- Have them set up the family’s calendar for the next week or month- Give them the tools to place all of the activities on the calendar and check their work when done. Have the child help recognize and problem solve through time conflicts.
- Create an annual family night with board games- Board games are great for independent thinking and problem solving. Their success within a board game can greatly depend on their ability to organize themselves and materials within the game.
- Assist with putting together new things- Following written or verbal directions can be very difficult. With supervision and help, have the child responsible for constructing and/or setting up new purchased items.
NSPT offers services in Bucktown, Evanston, Highland Park, Lincolnwood, Glenview, Lake Bluff, Des Plaines, Hinsdale and Milwaukee. If you have questions or concerns about your child, we would love to help! Give us a call at (877) 486-4140 and speak to one of our Family Child Advocates!


Creativity exercises and games are activities designed to quickly engage students with a new medium, skill, or concept. They are ideal for classroom teachers looking to energize lessons. I use them with students ranging from kindergarten through college, often as a warm-up, sometimes to mix things up mid-lesson, and sometimes as an enjoyable ending to the day. I have found this practice to be especially useful with clay.
This article will give some background information on benefits and challenges of using clay in the classroom, show how creativity exercises and games can support or negate challenges of working with clay while enhancing benefits, and finally, it will describe four creativity exercises and three games that can all be done with clay. The activity descriptions will provide directions for use, and list some benefits that I have observed in the classroom.
Benefits and Challenges Clay is a versatile material that can take on nearly any shape or texture. It can be used to create 2-D or 3-D work, and can be shaped into organic, free-flowing forms, or hard-edged, geometric forms. The tactile nature of this medium makes it especially useful for kinesthetic learners. I have seen many students who had difficulty with flat media really shine when they were given the chance to work with clay. And with an average 25-lb bag of clay costing between $7 and $12, the material is literally dirt-cheap.
Despite its benefits, teachers are sometimes hesitant to use clay in the classroom because of its technical challenges. Even when used properly, there is always the risk that works will crack, break, and even fall apart completely if accidentally bumped or dropped. Clay work is messy and takes time. In many cases, projects must be done in stages to allow for hardening and drying of the material. In order to turn fragile raw pieces into durable and finished artwork, they must be fired in a kiln, an expensive piece of equipment that many schools don’t have on site. Creativity exercises and games can help to support or negate these challenges.
Enhance Clay Instruction Creativity exercises and games can positively engage students with clay, whether or not a kiln is available. These activities need not be fired to be effective. Clay can be re-hydrated and used again and again for these activities. As an added bonus, re-using clay helps students to be less attached to each individual thing they make. When each piece is less precious, students are more willing to experiment and push limits. When time is short, exercises and games can be fun and easy ways to get kids involved with clay. In combination with longer projects, these can work well as introductory activities. When starting out with a new medium or technique, a quick activity is not nearly as intimidating as a long-term (often graded) assignment. Many exercises and games involve collaboration and help students to get to know one another and to be more comfortable working together. This encourages a classroom atmosphere that is more open and engaged.
Creativity exercises and games can help engage students with clay, to teach them through experience how the material reacts to different techniques, and to support a positive and collaborative classroom environment. These activities are adaptable for different learners and effective with almost any age. Regardless of classroom circumstance, creativity exercises and games with clay are a wonderful addition to any curriculum.
K–12 students will …
• experiment with clay through the use of creativity exercises and games.
NATIONAL ART STANDARDS
• enduring understanding: Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be developed.
• enduring understanding: Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and art-making approaches.
• Creating: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
• Creating: Organize and Develop artistic ideas and work.
• Clay (any firing range)
• Water, soap, paper towels
• Paper bags, plastic bags
Tara Carpenter is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Art Education area, at Brigham Young University, Provo Utah.


Music is fantastic! There is a whole world of music out there – it is easy to get involved and it challenges us to draw upon a huge range of skills.
Encouraging music-making as part of your child’s life is important. Here’s some information that will help every parent answer the question ‘Why music?’ with confidence!#LearnMusicLDN
There are opportunities to learn all sorts of music in and out of school (reggae, jazz, classical, grime, etc). The world of music is rich, varied and surprising and the component parts of pitch, time, tone, shape and performance are the same for all.
As of 2015, the O2 Arena is the busiest music arena in the world in terms of ticket sales, handling 1,819,487 tickets over the course of the year.
Music is about singing, playing an instrument, performing, listening, being an audience member, creator, composer, DJ, mixer or producer.
In 2015 there were over 17,000 people employed full time in the music industry in the UK – the vast majority of whom were individuals composing, creating, recording and shaping the future of music.
There are lots of opportunities and many are free. Check out your local Music Education Hub.
Over 8,000 free tickets are available for school children at the London Primary Prom concerts organised by Music for Youth at the Royal Albert Hall, providing children aged 4-11 with the opportunity to experience live music making in one of the world’s most famous concert halls. The charity Music for All gave 12,000 free lessons in 2015.
Like anything else, getting good at music can be hard work. It takes time, patience and perseverance, and it’s rewarding.
Laura Mvula, award-winning singer-songwriter, began her career studying classical piano and violin as a child (progressing from Grade 1 through to Grade 8). Skepta’s 4th album, Konnechiwa, took two years to produce and won him a Mercury Prize. His debut album was in 2007, 9 years earlier.
Music helps with confidence and self-esteem, playing an important part in a positive attitude to life.
After 15 months of musical training in early childhood, structural brain changes associated with motor and auditory improvements begin to appear.
It’s not just about the music. Music helps with learning in lots of other subject areas. Music also helps develop team and organisation skills as well as qualities such as commitment, resilience and reliability.
Children who learn music are 18% more likely to attend university than those who don’t.
You can listen to, learn about and make music at any time of life. Depending on what you want to do, this guide will help connect you with the right people at the right time—nice!
In 2015, the charity Music for All had over 129 venues put on events enabling people who have never played (and people who used to play) a chance to try an instrument.
Show an interest, encourage your child and create space —as you would with any subject. For fun you could have a go at learning an instrument yourself—music is a great family activity.
None of the Beatles could read music.
Getting involved in music helps you to meet new people, and makes it likely you’ll see new places—in and out of school.
Each year, 40,000 young musicians perform at 50 different festivals to their peers and supporters as part of the Music for Youth Regional Festival Series. In July each year, 10,000 young musicians gather in Birmingham for the incredible five day Music for Youth National Festival.


For many parents, technology and screen time are a constant source of frustration between them and their kids. With smartphones, gaming, and social media platforms taking so much time and attention from today’s kids, it makes sense why many view tech as a dreaded nemesis when it comes to parenting. But the truth is that screens are facilitating incredible music education experiences in homes around the world today. From fun remote music lessons to smartphone apps that teach kids about music theory, music-oriented technology helps kids learn and have fun.
Online music lessons
Most parents know that working one-on-one with an expert music teacher delivers phenomenal results for young music students. Private music lessons give kids the personal attention and plan they need to learn an instrument, perform, and master basic musical skills and knowledge. But with busy family schedules, it can be difficult for many parents to commit to driving their kids to lessons every week. Online music lessons are perfect for busy families because they allow kids to receive expert music instruction right from their homes during whatever weekly time that works for them. And because these lessons are taught through computers, both teacher and student have instant access to digital tools designed to help kids learn like metronomes, learning apps, and recording software. If you’re looking for a convenient and powerful way to bring music to your child, online lessons are the way to go.
From developing rhythm skills to teaching music theory and logging practice time, there’s a universe of helpful music education apps out there designed for students. There are countless free and easy-to-use metronome apps that let students customize tempos so they can practice along to the beat. Many metronome features are included within other apps. Modacity helps kids organize students’ practice sessions and track progress. Ear Trainer Lite builds crucial listening skills for musicians, like interval, scale, and chord identification. When it comes to introducing kids to rhythm-reading, Rhythm Cat does a great job in helping students learn through fun games and challenges. If your promising student musician is learning how to play guitar, they’ll need a tuning app to help them play in tune. Fender Tune is a great option.
Smartphone apps are not only educating kids, but are also helping them to create music and collaborate with one another. Owned by the Swedish music company Spotify, Soundtrap is a music creation platform, social media service, and music education network. Loopimal lets kids construct loops of melodies and rhythms by playing with fun animal characters. And if none of these have convinced you that smartphone apps can help your child learn and have fun with music, check out Bloom. Created by musician Brian Eno, this endlessly entertaining app allows kids to create music instantly by tapping the screen on their smartphone. The world of music education and creation apps is constantly evolving, and these are just a few of the great options out there.
While smartphone apps are great for introducing kids to music and helping them tune and create on the go, software programs for computers are able to deepen their relationships with music even further. Music notation platforms like PreSonus and Noteflight give kids tools to match orchestral sounds with notes and create their own musical scores. Ideal for musical experimentation, Reason and Native Instruments give kids a virtual endless array of sounds to create and experiment with, including loops, beats, synthesizers, and lifelike instruments. And for music students who are ready to record their own songs, Pro Tools is an easy-to-use recording platform used by everyone from professional audio engineers to musicians recording from home.
How to balance tech in music education
Technology gives today’s music students incredible tools they wouldn’t have had access to before, but that doesn’t mean kids should spend all their time staring into screens. Tech needs to be balanced with other parts of a student’s practice routine. Putting in the hard work of physically picking up an instrument and playing needs to come first, and anything tech-related should come second.
Online music lessons at Music & Arts
If you’re looking for phenomenal online music lessons for your child, Music & Arts has you covered. University-trained and background-checked, Music & Arts’ music teachers have the passion, expertise, and plan to help your child thrive through music no matter what their goals are. Sign up today!


Study In Serbia
Primary education is compulsory, takes eight years and is carried out in two educational cycles.
The first cycle covers the first four grades. All subjects in this stage are taught by class teachers, while some subjects, such as arts and foreign languages, may be taught by subject teachers, who teach these subjects in the second cycle. The second cycle covers 5th through 8th grade, where each subject is taught by subject teachers.
Children are admitted in the first grade of primary school when they are not less than 6.5 and not more than 7.5 years old, with the certificate of preschool programme attendance. Primary education is free of charge in state schools, while in private schools parents bear the costs of education.
Primary music education and primary ballet education
Besides the compulsory primary school, the system also includes primary music and primary ballet schools and schools for music and ballet talents. These schools are not compulsory. Their attendance is free of charge and funded at central and local levels. Primary music education takes 2 to 6 years and ballet education takes 4 years.
Primary adult education
Primary adult education takes from three to five years and is organized by grades, from first to eighth grade (as a rule, 2 grades are completed in 1 year). Students who turned 15 can be admitted to adult education. In Serbia there are only 14 schools for adult education, and regular primary schools can also implement programmes for primary adult education.


Robert Barclay Academy offers a curriculum that is both broad and balanced. It is tailored to meet the needs of all our students and underpinned by the desire ensure students enjoy learning whilst ensuring they maximise their achievement. In addition to providing enrichment and excitement, our curriculum also allows us to provide extra support for those who need it. We try to allow for flexibility so that students can play to their strengths.
Across the academic year we run several ‘LEAD’ days (Learning Enrichment Activity Days). This is where students have the opportunity to explore and develop a real enthusiasm for subjects by spending a whole day on exciting projects for which there might not otherwise be space in normal everyday lessons. These days also emphasise the links between subject areas to give a more holistic approach to learning and the world in which we live. ‘LEAD’ days also provide opportunities for students to go on a variety of school trips.
Key Stage 3 Curriculum
We operate a two-year Key Stage 3 curriculum (Year 7 and Year 8), which is where the foundations are laid for success at GCSE and A Level. As such, our curriculum includes a wide variety of subjects as well as the core building blocks. Subjects include: English, Maths, Science, Humanities, Languages, Arts, Technology, PE and Citizenship Skills. In KS3 students are not given levels or grades, in line with the new primary school curriculum model. We do, however, use a range of information to help us to ensure that all students are challenged and stretched to be the best that they can be.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
The Key Stage 4 is now taught over three years in order to fulfil the increasing demands for content and skills development at GCSE level.
All students follow a core offer which consists of:
- English Literature and Language
- Science (Double or Separate Sciences – Biology, Physics, Chemistry)
We guide students through the options process so that they can personalise their curriculum by choosing a number of academic, applied and vocational courses. For a complete list of subjects on offer visit our Options Process section to download the latest Year 9 Options booklet.
Key Stage 5 Curriculum
We offer a wide range of both academic A Levels and BTEC/Vocational courses in the Sixth Form according to the demands each year with a great deal of success. Students go on to successfully study a range of courses at University (including the very best ‘Russell Group’ universities), Apprenticeships and employment, using the knowledge and skills they have gained through their years at RBA.


Elementary - Language Arts
Language arts is a basic subject taught in school. It is usually linked with learning English, but the two were separated by the American National Council of Teachers of English to make language learning more focused on basic reading, writing, and linguistic communication skills.
Language arts includes learning the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral reading, and then reading comprehension strategies. It begins with phonemic awareness because this is where the ability to manipulate spoken words is taught through the understanding of sound that a spoken language can make.
Basic reading includes periods of silence-sustained reading that teach students to comprehend language through storytelling. Writing involves cursive writing and also learning to write based on a particular theme. This helps in developing vocabulary, which is interrelated to linguistics or communication skills. The main takeaways of these exercises are to develop a love for reading and writing in elementary, or at an early age. This is necessary knowledge that will equip elementary students to succeed in middle school and high school.
Middle school English curriculum eventually evolves to bring students to comprehend more challenging reading exercises such as works of fiction, poetry, and essays. Grammar also becomes a bit complicated with the inclusion of semantics as a focal point for lessons. Furthermore, students need to cross complex literary adventures in poetry, expository writing, and creative writing. There is also a bit of pressure to communicate properly through appropriate word choices that may make vocabulary learning more imperative.


Physics is probably the most badly taught and misunderstood subject of all. It is usually delivered by non-specialists who lack the deep conceptual knowledge needed to create clarity in the minds of learners. Many students are taught simply how to solve problems mathematically if their numeracy skills are good enough. This leads to the appearance of understanding, but a fragility in exams. With this approach, those students with weaker numeracy skills may be baffled by most of the subject and fail to answer correctly questions involving calculations.
This course ambitiously aims to provide students and/or teachers with the fundamental concepts and how they link together in a single day (or over a longer period if required)
Fundamental to most understanding and often poorly understood are Forces. What actually are they and their effects? We don’t start with Newton’s Laws and then how to apply them, we start with intuitive understanding (and misconceptions) and how this leads to Newton’s Laws. Formulae are presented as stories grounded in understanding, not simply mathematical relationships
When we understand Forces, then Electricity starts to make sense as most of it is simply the action of Forces on charged particles.
With the new model, Energy has gone from being one of the easiest topics taught, to one with considerable confusion. A lot of Energy is simply the action of Forces moving through a distance. It should be explicitly taught that energy allows us to calculate if something could happen, forces are used to explain what is happening.
This course is delivered by Neil Atkin who over the past nine years has taught thousands of teachers how to deliver physics. His approach is very engaging, realistic and above all clear.
This course is guaranteed to improve your teachers and/or students conceptual understanding. It can be delivered in many ways;
- To students about to sit exams as a rescue session or to boost the skills of underperforming groups
- To students who may have had a difficult experience of physics and are disengaged or lost
- As a precursor at the start of KS3 or KS4 to give fundamental understanding.
- To teachers either as a separate session or with the students
- Primary sessions are available – get in contact
Suitable for Ages 11 and up in groups of up to 100. The more students, obviously the less individual attention can be given.
Schools can collaborate with others in order to split the cost which is from £500 a day with a money back guarantee. Weekend or holiday sessions can be arranged so please get in contact with your needs.


Strategies for Career Advancement & Economic Opportunity
Many working Americans have low foundational skills that keep them from thriving in the workplace and attaining their educational and career goals (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2013), as employers increasingly need workers who can think critically, solve problems, and perform complex tasks (Executive Office of the President, 2009; Carnevale & Strohl, 2010). Since two-thirds of the labor force in 2020 will consist of people who are already over the age of 18 today, economic growth depends on the development of adults as well as young people.
Career pathway programs deliver the foundational and occupational skills that local employers value, and the supports that people need to access and succeed in opportunities for education and career advancement.
The NCTN guides the design and implementation of career pathway programs that prepare adults to enter and advance in occupations that provide a living wage. We provide tools and resources and facilitate essential partnerships across adult education, workforce development, postsecondary education, and business and industry to ensure that the pathways align with local employment opportunities.


By: Marissa Patel, Tess Kimura, Mabbey Avila
Inside the Classroom
There are many areas in our classrooms that promote different learning skills.
Language and Literacy Development:
- Writing center
- Classroom activities: story time, sing along/music time, stencil work, etc.
- Puzzles to develop problem solving skills
- Memory and Flash card games
- Sorting items into specific categories
Social and Emotional Development:
- Dress up
- Eating snack at one big table (family style)
- Partner work
- Teachers are always available to the students for any of their problems and emotional support
- Children are encouraged to play with others both in the classroom and outside the classroom during recess.
Accommodations for Children with Special Needs
- Trained therapists that are available to work with children
- Toys to accommodate for children with visual/hearing impairments
- Teachers aid
Come and take a tour!
We're open Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Call 555-555-5555 to schedule an appointment


Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving infants and toddlers collect a lot of data. These data are used to inform program planning and decision making at the child and program levels. This information sheet addresses why quality data is important and provides information about six characteristics of quality data. It also includes questions to consider in managing quality data. This resource is designed for use by federal staff, T/TA providers, and program administrators.
Children develop rapidly during the first three years of life. Families’ needs change just as rapidly. To ensure that programs are responsive to children’s and families’ evolving needs and that children and families are adequately supported in reaching their goals, staff collect and track a substantial amount of information (or “data”). These data are used to inform program planning and decision making at the child and program levels. (See 1304.51(a)(1) and (2) and 1307.3(b)(2)(i) and (ii).)
Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/Early%20Head%20Start/design-planning/program-planning/WhatIsQualityD.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Content%20E-blast%20for%20July&utm_content=New%20Content%20E-blast%20for%20July+CID_30ee5ad9937c9730611342af4be147d8&utm_source=CM%20Eblast&utm_term=What%20Is%20Quality%20Data%20for%20Programs%20Serving%20Infants%20and%20Toddlers


Foundation Phase : Grades 1 to 3
In Sarepta Primary all our subjects/ lessons are based on what the CAPS expect of us.
The CAPS Home Language document states the following:
In the Foundation Phase, the skills in the Home Language curriculum are:
Listening and speaking
Thinking and Reasoning and Language Structure and Use which are integrated into all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)
Reading and phonics
Writing and handwriting
The Languages programme is integrated into all other subject areas. Language is used across the curriculum in all oral work, reading and writing. Many of the Listening and Speaking Language skills will be developed within Mathematics and Life Skills, which is made up of many subjects such as Creative Arts and Beginning Knowledge including Personal and Social Well-being, Natural Sciences and Technology and the Social Sciences.
Die KABV Eerste Addisionele Taal dokument staat die volgende:
In die Grondslagfase is die belangrikste vaardighede in die kurrikulum vir Eerste Addisionele Taal die volgende:
Luister en praat
Dink en Redeneer en Taalstruktuur en -gebruik is in al vier die taalvaardighede (luister, praat, lees en skryfwerk) geïntegreer.
Lees en klanke
Skryf en handskrif
Wanneer leerders hul addisionele taal in Graad 1 aangeleer word, word dit op ‘n sterk mondelinge grondslag gebou.
The CAPS Mathematics document states the following:
What is Mathematics?
Mathematics is a language that makes use of symbols and notations for describing numerical, geometric and graphical relationships. It is a human activity that involves observing, representing and investigating patterns and qualitative relationships in physical and social phenomena and between mathematical objects themselves. It helps to develop mental processes that enhance logical and critical thinking, accuracy and problem-solving that will contribute to decision-making.
The teaching and learning of Mathematics aims to develop the following in the learner:
• critical awareness of how mathematical relationships are used in social, environmental, cultural and economic relations;
• confidence and competence to deal with any mathematical situation without being hindered by a fear of Mathematics;
• a spirit of curiosity and a love of Mathematics;
• appreciation for the beauty and elegance of Mathematics;
• recognition that Mathematics is a creative part of human activity;
• deep conceptual understanding in order to make sense of Mathematics; and
• acquisition of specific knowledge and skills necessary for:
- the application of Mathematics to physical, social and mathematical problems,;
- the study of related subject matter (e.g. other subjects); and
- further study in Mathematics
The CAPS Life Skills document states the following:
What is Life Skills?
The Life Skills subject is central to the holistic development of learners. It is concerned with the social, personal, intellectual, emotional and physical growth of learners, and with the way in which these are integrated.
Life Skills in the Foundation Phase (Grade R – 3) is organised into four study areas: Beginning Knowledge, Personal and Social Well-being, Creative Arts and Physical Education. It is organised in this way in order to ensure that the foundational skills, values and concepts of early childhood development and of the subjects offered in Grades 4 - 12 are taught and developed in Grades R-3.
The Life Skills subject is aimed at guiding and preparing learners for life and its possibilities, including equipping learners for meaningful and successful living in a rapidly changing and transforming society. Through Life Skills learners are exposed to a range of knowledge, skills and values that strengthen their
• physical, social, personal, emotional and cognitive development;
• creative and aesthetic skills and knowledge through engaging in dance, music, drama and visual art activities;
• knowledge of personal health and safety;
• understanding of the relationship between people and the environment;
• awareness of social relationships, technological processes and elementary science.


High School | Albrecht Dürer
For teenagers from 15 to 19 years
Albrecht Dürer is one of the best-known artists, and many of his works are world-famous! His graphic works are very sensitive to light and can be exhibited only every 10 years. But in this Dürer exhibition, which is the largest ever put on, we’ll be showing all of the originals: the Hare, the Large Piece of Turf, the Praying Hands, and many more. In an age-appropriate participatory tour, school students will get to know the biography and works of this unique genius.
In the 30-minute workshop, they’ll create a study in naturalistic proportions according to models by Dürer.
- 60 min. guided exhibition tour
90 min. guided exhibition tour including 30 min. workshop at the Formatwerk Studio
Admission | free
Fee for the guided tour per participant of the group:
60 min. guided exhibition tour
|90 min. guided exhibition tour||
Teachers and accompanying adults (max 2 per school class / group) visit the exhibition for free and bear responsibility for the group while at the museum.
Minimum number of participants: 13 children
We divide groups larger than 25 children.
Reservation inquiries & contact information
Albertina Museum Art Education Department
Weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at T: +43 1 534 83 540
or at E:
CONTACT US NOW


Try this experiment: fill a small tub with water. Gather a few materials from around your house like a paper clip, a penny and a wooden block. Which objects do you think will sink? Which will float? Will the bigger objects sink, while the smaller objects float? Place the objects on the water and...
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Its true- daily, systematic phonics instruction in early grades is highly recommended by the National Institute for Literacy. I think it goes without saying that students also benefit from daily practice with connected text– which means the student is reading passages containing the current phonics skills. So, what is next?
The value of teaching syllable types
My Orton-Gillingham training and tutoring taught me the value of teaching syllable types to help conquer our complicated English language. Thank goodness for that! I spent 16 years as a 3rd grade teacher, and I have worked with many readers trying to bridge the gap between 2nd grade and 3rd grade reading expectations. I have spent the last 8 years as a K-4 Reading Specialist in a Title I school, so I have definitely worked with my fair share of striving readers.
I teach the 6 Syllable Types because knowing them:
- makes it easy to break up multisyllabic words
- makes decoding and spelling words much easier
- helps students predict vowel sounds and word patterns
So, how do you know which syllable type to teach when?
This is the order I teach Syllable Types:
Closed Syllables (in 1st grade)
Open Syllables (in 1st grade)
Silent E (in 1st grade)
Vowel Team (in 1st grade- after short and long vowels are mastered)
R-Controlled (in 2nd grade)
Consonant-le (in 2nd grade)
Download the FREE Guide: 6 Syllable Types Guide
Stay tuned for more Syllable Types in the next blog post!


ABOUT CHILDCARE AS A SUBJECT
Early childhood care plays an important role in a child’s development through valuable educational and social experiences. It becomes important to understand the impact of these services and ensure the quality and accessibility. Child care involves offering programs that cover all aspects of child development such as physical, motor, emotional, social, language and cognitive development. Many institutes and universities offer various cost-effective solutions for child care. Various modules are covered by Child Care Courses such are explained below:
- History and Educational Aims: finds out the application of educational psychology and gets an overview of theories used to explain how people learn.
- Cognitive Perspectives in Psychology: explains the basic types of memories and examines problem-solving strategies for building up creativity amongst students.
- Behavioral Perspectives in Psychology: makes us understand through examples of classical and operant conditioning, reinforcement schedules and much more.
- Motivation in Learning: explains behavior related to motivation via various theories such as social-cognitive learning theory, attribution theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
- Individual Differences in Children: explains the impact of factors such as culture, parenting style and disabilities on student learning as well as identifying methods of measuring intelligence.
Various child care courses are offered online as well as through internships or a combination of both. Many of the courses chiefly focus on the importance of childhood education and understanding child psychology. However, the advanced courses in childcare specifically focus on research methodologies, classroom management, and early childhood learning environments.
WHY IS CHILDCARE THESIS AND ASSIGNMENT HELP NEEDED?
We understand the difficulties faced by students in Childcare Thesis, Assignments and Coursework. Various topics are covered by our expert team of Childcare writers such as child development and psychology, multicultural education, child guidance, working with parents, exceptional special-needs children and much more. Moreover, the work produced by our experts is absolutely original and plagiarism free. Our experts frame the best solutions for your thesis and assignments keeping in mind the guidelines and instructions given by the school, institute or the university. Most of the childcare programs focus on topics such as child psychology, child development, early childhood education, development of curriculum, parenting issues, social services, and others. The higher degree programs focus on classroom management, interventions for special needs children, learning environments for growing children, curriculum development for specific subjects and others. We make sure to submit your work as per the advanced experience of the writers in the field of child development of child care. So if you are stuck with any assignment of Child Care, do not worry anymore. Our experts are here to help you out at affordable prices. Send your thesis, assignment and coursework details NOW. We will review the details and assist you with the best quote.


Religious Education, the Law and the Courts in National and International Contexts
Virtual Special Issue Edition Editorial
It has long been recognised that education policy is generally a product and reflection of national cultural, economic, political and legal factors (see Bereday 1964). Here we focus exclusively on legal factors alone, as they have particular properties worthy of specific attention, through a Virtual Special Issue (VSI), which is also a call for papers for a Special Edition of new articles for 2022. This Virtual Special Edition curates previously published articles from over eight decades, illustrating some perennial issues and challenges, both in the UK and internationally, and thereby acts as a catalyst for new scholarship and research for a later Special Edition.
In the UK, the various Acts of 1870, 1944 and 1988 have been central in the creation and reform of religious education – in ways unlike any other curriculum subject. The courts have also been significant: most recently the arguments for including humanism in the subject have been bolstered by the Fox case. Around the world, in other countries, legislation and judicial judgements have impacted on what can be taught, such as the Scopes trial of 1925 in the US, prohibiting the teaching of evolution (Larson 1997), or the loi Ferry of 1882 in France, establishing the principle of laicité.
Abdurrahman Hendek and Nigel Fancourt
Summary of the articles
The first issue of ‘Religion in Education’, the original predecessor of ‘British Journal of Religious Education’, was published in 1934, sixty-four years after the Forster Act of 1870, which laid the basis of universal and compulsory elementary education in the UK and had clauses pertaining to religious education. In the very first issue of the journal, Lord Irwin, President of the Board of Education, 1932-1935, lamented that ‘the organisation of religious education’, referring to Forster and subsequent acts, ‘presented difficulties’ and ‘in fact made the subject the Cinderella of the schools’ (Irwin 1934, 4), which showed the uneasy relationship between religious education and legislation. In the early days of the Journal, legislation was not tackled directly, but this was about to change ten years after its first issue.
Please enjoy the articles below with free-access via this page only until December 31, 2020.


Success in Society Playing Guitar
Perhaps the basic reason that every child must have an education in music is that music is a part of the fabric of our society.
The intrinsic value of music for each individual is widely recognized in the many cultures that make up American life. Every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals.
The importance of music to our economy is without doubt. And the value of music in shaping individual abilities and character are attested in a number of places.
Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs). Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report. Reported in Houston Chronicle, January 1998.
“Music is a magical gift we must nourish and cultivate in our children, especially now as scientific evidence proves that an education in the arts makes better math and science students, enhances spatial intelligence in newborns, and let’s not forget that the arts are a compelling solution to teen violence, certainly not the cause of it!” Michael Greene, Recording Academy President and CEO at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, February 2000.
The U.S. Department of Education lists the arts as subjects that college-bound middle and junior high school students should take, stating “Many colleges view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them. It is also well-known and widely recognized that the arts contribute significantly to children’s intellectual development.”
In addition, one year of Visual and Performing Arts is recommended for college-bound high school students. Getting Ready for College Early: A Handbook for Parents of Students in the Middle and Junior High School Years, U.S. Department of Education, 1997
The College Board identifies the arts as one of the six basic academic subject areas students should study in order to succeed in college. Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do, 1983 [still in use], The College Board, New York.
The arts create jobs, increase the local tax base, boost tourism, spur growth in related businesses (hotels, restaurants, printing, etc.) and improve the overall quality of life for our cities and towns.
On a national level, nonprofit arts institutions and organizations generate an estimated $37 billion in economic activity and return $3.4 billion in federal income taxes to the U.S. Treasury each year. American Arts Alliance Fact Sheet, October 1996.
The very best engineers and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are, nearly without exception, practicing musicians. Grant Venerable, “The Paradox of the Silicon Savior,” as reported in “The Case for Sequential Music Education in the Core Curriculum of the Public Schools,” The Center for the Arts in the Basic Curriculum, New York, 1989.
To read the complete article, click here.