The Summer Before Kindergarten
Create a summer of memories and inspire a lifelong love of learning
The summer before Kindergarten can be an exciting and nerve-racking time. We get it!
We are teachers and parents of young children.
The question we hear most is, “How do I prepare my child for Kindergarten?”
This book is an introduction of numbers, letters, and Kindergarten readiness skills. It includes short, fun, and hands-on learning experiences for parents to share with their child the summer before Kindergarten. These activities provide a recipe for Kindergarten success.
About the Authors
Ashlie Buresh taught Kindergarten for over 10 years. She now works as an instructional coach. Ashlie holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is a National Board-Certified teacher. She lives in Montana with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Emily Turner Hankins has spent more than 15 years in the classroom. She now works as an author and educational consultant. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Art Education from the University of Montana. She enjoys traveling with her husband and two children.
In The Press
All preschools should use this, along with parents. A very helpful tool for parents, especially in this crisis!
Parent & Former Teacher


ERIC Number: ED475315
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2003
Teaching Problem Solving through Children's Literature.
Forgan, James W.
This book helps general and special education teachers empower students in grades K-4 to independently solve problems by teaching them how characters in children's literature books solved similar problems. Students are also taught a problem solving strategy that they can apply to solve problems in any situation. The book contains ready-to-use lesson plans for 40 popular children's literature books. Each lesson plan includes: demographics on the book (author, illustrator, publication date, ISBN number, etc.); lesson goal(s); a concise book summary; points to consider prior to reading; discussion questions to consider during guided reading; post-reading discussion questions; applying the I SOLVE strategy to the character's problem; extended learning activities that include a Problem Solving Practice Scenario; and a detailed reproducible reinforcement activity. The book contains nine chapters including: (1) Introduction to Problem Solving; (2) Helping Students Respond to Bullies; (3) Helping Students Make and Keep Friends; (4) Helping Students Avoid Fighting; (5) Helping Students Understand Anger & Feelings; (6) Helping To Improve Student's Self-Concept; (7) Helping Students Understand Disabilities; (8) Helping Students Value Diversity; and (9) Helping Students Learn about Sharing and Selfishness. Author/title and subject indexes are included. (MES)
Descriptors: Childrens Literature, Elementary Education, Lesson Plans, Problem Solving, Student Problems
Libraries Unlimited, P.O. Box 6926, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926 ($25 plus shipping). Tel: 800-225-5800 (Toll Free); Fax: 603-431-2214; Web site: http://www.lu.com.
Publication Type: Books; Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Authoring Institution: N/A
Note: Illustrated by David Tripp.


A year-long pilot programme aimed at developing strategies for teaching numeracy across the school curriculum has been launched at the University of Limerick.
EPI∙STEM, the National Centre for STEM Education based in the University of Limerick, announced the new Numeracy Across the Curriculum (NAC) initiative this Monday.
The year-long research and development project aims to develop strategies for teaching numeracy across the curriculum and will be piloted in primary and secondary schools across Limerick and Clare from August.
Numeracy connects the mathematics learned at school with real-world situations that require problem-solving and critical judgment. For numeracy to be useful to students it needs to be learned in multiple contexts and in all school subjects – not just mathematics.
The initiative is based on ten years of research undertaken by Professor Merrilyn Goos (Director of EPISTEM) and her Australian colleagues Vince Geiger, Shelley Dole, Helen Forgasz and Anne Bennison. Pulling from their extensive research, Goos and her colleagues developed guidance for teachers on how to embed numeracy across all subjects within the curriculum and to support teachers in assessing numeracy learning and dealing with the challenges of working within the boundaries of specific subjects.
Goos and her colleagues have published their findings in the book “Numeracy Across the Curriculum: Research based strategies for enhancing teaching and learning” which was officially launched in Ireland at Monday’s announcement and is available now.
“The Numeracy Across the Curriculum initiative has had great success over the last number of years in my native Australia,” said Prof Goos at the announcement.
“Empowering teachers to help their students use mathematics to solve every day problems, or make evidence based judgements, can be transformational. It is about looking at maths not from a closed discipline /subject perspective but how it is applied in real life contexts.”
The book provides a practical guide for both pre service and in service teachers on understanding numeracy and its application in both primary and post primary secondary schools in Ireland. Seven schools across the Limerick/Clare region have been selected to take part in the pilot scheme, which starts in August.
“The programme will establish meaningful and beneficial connections between schools across the Limerick and Clare region and my team here in UL, while simultaneously addressing a national priority by developing schools of excellence in the area of numeracy and ensuring that teachers equipped with the skills to become Numeracy Ambassadors and Champions,” added Prof Goos.
The NAC project seeks to develop teachers’ understanding of numeracy, while also guiding teachers on how to recognise and embed numeracy opportunities within their subject area. It will provide teachers with ideas, classroom activities and resources that they can use to develop students’ numeracy skills and will offer practical guidance for both schools and teachers.
Jerry O’Sullivan, Deputy Chief Executive, ESB, welcomed the launch of the book and the initiative.
“The Numeracy Across The Curriculum project will provide teachers with ideas, classroom activities and resources that they can use to develop students’ numeracy skills and will offer practical guidance for both schools and teachers,” he said.
“ESB is committed to supporting STEAM education and learning as a way of empowering young people to fulfil their potential, and encouraging them to positively engage with the issues and challenges facing society. Initiatives like this project, with the goal of supporting positive dispositions towards the use of mathematics to solve problems encountered in day-to-day life, can only benefit young people and enable them to develop the skills necessary to critically assess the world around them and become the problem solvers and innovators of the future,” he added.


Q2. What Canadian award is considered an international symbol of creative excellence? (P33)
The Musical Genius of Glenn Gould
Celebrating one of our own great musicians of the 20th centuryBy Beth Parker
Glenn Gould (1932-1982), pianist, composer, musician, performer, conductor and recording artist, is hailed internationally as one of the great musicians of the 20th century. When you consider that musicians such as Beethoven, Brahms and Liszt were among the great musicians of the 18th century, it puts in perspective the extraordinary talent of our own, Toronto-born and Beaches-raised, Glenn Gould.
Growing up in the Beaches
Glenn Gould's childhood house was 32 Southwood Drive. This is where Gould lived with his father, Herbert (Bert), a furrier and amateur violinist and his mother, Florence. Today the house bears a plaque indicating its heritage and is designated an historical site. His distinguished neighbour next door was Canadian author, Robert Fulford.
From an early age, those around Gould could tell he had musical talent and interests unlike anyone else. Like many kids however, Gould had several pets named after famous composers. His goldfish were Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Haydn, and his bird, Mozart. He also had dogs, rabbits, turtles and a non-deodorized skunk!
By the time he was 3, it was apparent that Gould was one of the few people born with perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is the ability to identify tones in your head without externally having to hear them on an instrument like a piano. About 1 in 10,000 people have perfect pitch, although many lose it over time if it is not developed at a young age. By the age of five, Gould was composing his own music. He made modest public performance at church events, schools and even his own home in August of 1938. His first concert, however, took place at the former Eaton Auditorium when he was 13 where he played pieces on the organ and the piano.
Going to School
There were no special "arts" schools for Gould to attend, like we have today. Gould went to Williamson Road Public School up to grade eight. It was a short walk from his house, half a block down the hill, a right turn, and another half block. According to Geoffrey Payzant, Gould's biographer, Gould wasn't that fond of school, describing the experience this way:
'I found going to school a most unhappy experience and got along miserably with most of my teachers and all my fellow students.'
Gould also attended Malvern Collegiate from 1945 to 1951, but he didn't matriculate. By the time he was part way through high school, Gould was already becoming known as an exceptional musician and on a special program of musical studies through the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Music Education of a Child Prodigy
Glenn Gould's music education also took place in Toronto. At first his mother taught him piano, but his first formal teacher was Chilean-born pianist and conductor Alberto Guerrero. Guerrero was part of the Toronto Conservatory of Music (renamed later the Royal Conservatory of Music or RCM). Gould steadily worked his way through the grades and exams at the RCM, winning medals for his achievements.
A Legend is Born
At 15, Gould had his professional debut as a concert pianist, playing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He became firmly established internationally when he recorded his signature piece: Bach's Goldberg Variations when he was 23.
Now a celebrity performer, Gould toured Europe, the United States, Israel and the USSR, playing at the great concert halls. His performance in Moscow in May 1957, for example, made him the first North American pianist and the first Canadian musician to appear in the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
Gould, however, found that performing was extremely stressful. He stopped giving public concerts two years later in 1964 and reinvented his career as a recording artist with CBS Records, now Sony Classical. He later also worked on documentaries and as a conductor.
On October 4, 1982 just days after his 50th birthday, Gould died of a massive stroke. His legend as a true musical master is undisputed. His work has influenced every performer since because of the illuminating manner in which he interpreted the music of a variety of composers, in particular, of Bach. In January 1997, the Professional School section at RCM was renamed the Glenn Gould Professional School of Music after its most famous student. The Glenn Gould Foundation was established September 19, 1983, as a collective effort by Gould's friends and colleagues to memorialize a great artist and make sure that his extraordinary contributions to our culture would never be forgotten.
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How children have kept reading despite the pandemic’s challenges
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already struggling with a learning crisis. The World Bank estimates that 53 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries were living in Learning Poverty – unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10.
And this year, children’s experience of learning to read and write has been very different from years past. With schools closed, many parents and caregivers have had to take on the role of teacher by educating children at home. Teachers have also had to adapt dramatically – through remote teaching and managing the limitations of teaching through technology.
But we know how critical daily reading is for children – it’s the foundation upon which learning is built and it has a positive impact on their children’s well-being.
This International Literacy Day, we look at how teachers and parents are working through the disruptions, to keep children reading, writing and learning.
Home-learning support in the Solomon Islands
In the Solomon Islands Country Office, Save the Children has been supporting the development of emergent and foundational literacy skills for children in rural areas, both inside and outside the classroom, for years.
So, when the threat of COVID-19 emerged, we were well placed to support children to continue learning. We adapted our ‘Emergent Literacy and Maths at Home’ package for delivery over the radio. This package helps parents of pre-school aged children identify learning opportunities in a typical daily routine. It is designed to fit around parents and children’s daily lives at home, where most parents are farming or fishing during the day, and to accommodate the low adult literacy rates.
Teachers rise to the challenge
In Papua New Guinea, where adult and child literacy is low, we have been training teachers to develop literacy and numeracy among students using the school-based curriculum for English, vernacular (local language) and mathematics. We’re supporting them to make their own resources using natural objects and we’re creating storybooks in 30 different languages.
When COVID-19 hit earlier this year, Save the Children pushed our eLearning resources out to families so that those who could keep learning from home were able to. The resources include books are from the PNG national curriculum that are translated into 31 languages including English, Tok Pisin, Motu, and PNG Sign Language.
We also developed COVID-19 awareness materials for children from pre-school to secondary school. We created posters, stickers and fold out pocket guides. In PNG children are still attending school and staying safe by washing their hands and wearing masks.
Kids continue learning outdoors in PNG, staying safe by socially distancing, and wearing masks.
Photo: Joy Wong / Save the Children
Janet is from the Eastern Highlands in Papua New Guinea. In 2007, she started the Habanofi Elementary School with 80 students. Initially she relied on her experience as a community adult literacy teacher. In 2010 she graduated with a certificate in Elementary teaching.
She explains to teach the children, she’s had to teach herself first. “I was trained to be an elementary teacher, but I must tell the truth that my Literacy and Numeracy skills and knowledge were too shallow. I was struggling to deliver the curriculum content,” said Janet.
After receiving RISE training, she’s a lot more assured in her skills to teach the children. “I am now confident teaching phonics in English in line with the curriculum and assist children with different learning needs.”


From improved reading skills to securing successful communication skills and a passion for creativity, music education opens up a multitude of academic avenues for young learners.
Tied to a range of non-academic benefits, 21st century music education has also shown signs of increased student focus and connectivity to lessons.
Demonstrated by a recent four-year research project by national music charity Youth Music and Birmingham City University, Exchanging Notes deep dives into the advantages of integrating modern music education into lessons.
Today we launch our #ExchangingNotes research findings @MyBCU 4yr longitudinal study, secondary & special schools collaborating with music charities to co-design & deliver innovative curriculum with young people. Reimagining what music in schools could be https://t.co/CSJFE9XnnE
— Youth Music (@youthmusic) May 22, 2019
A four-year longitudinal research study, the project analysed the impact of bringing music genres such as grime and hip-hop into the classroom and integrating music industry professionals and local music-making projects.
By upgrading the curriculum from traditional genres and a steady fixation on classical artists, the study encouraged teachers, music leaders and young musicians to deconstruct their musical and educational identities, to break out of old habits and to have the freedom to think differently and to consider new possibilities.
Super proud of the Warren School crew talking very articulately about their experiences at today’s #ExchangingNotes report launch @MyBCU – and they smashed their performance too! pic.twitter.com/ueApl5qIcQ
— Drum Works (@drum_works) May 22, 2019
Key findings of the study
- Young people at risk of exclusion at the outset of the programme maintained higher levels of attendance (over 95 percent) throughout the project.
- Exchanging Notes helped to open the door for learning. Music was used as an engagement hook, and the strong social connections that were developed helped to re-engage young people in education, develop their confidence and self-belief and create a more positive attitude to learning.
- Two-thirds of the young musicians maintained or improved their attainment in English across the four years of Exchanging Notes and three-quarters of young musicians maintained or improved their attainment in Maths.
- Exchanging Notes led to emotional, psychological and social well-being outcomes. The social outcomes were particularly marked – joining in with peers, making friends, developing teamwork and empathy.
— Victoria Kinsella (@DrToriKinsella) May 22, 2019
“One of the significant findings from the Exchanging Notes projects is that schools gain from working with community and industry-based partners and the children and young musicians involved benefit from joined-up provision that makes a difference not only to their music making and music creating, but significantly to the development of them as people and as useful and contributing members of society,” the study concludes.
Therefore, to combat student exclusion and to promote student inclusivity, modern music education must be up-to-date, relevant and relatable in order to involve all generations.
Even if that means altering the curriculum, switching up the modules and endorsing today’s music to better a students’ education, it’s a step in the right direction and an excellent way for students to begin synthesising with their studies.


FIRST ® Robotics Comes to St. Francis High School
FIRST = For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
The fall of 2017, SFHS joined over 200 Minnesota schools as FIRST Robotics became available to our high school students. In May 2017, students and faculty petitioned the District 15 School Board for a team and they unanimously approved funding to incubate this new activity. FIRST Robotics will engage our youth in learning more about science and technology as they learn to build a robot for competitions beginning in the Spring of 2018.
What is FIRST Robotics?
Dubbed a varsity Sport for the Mind,™ FIRST® Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Teams of 10 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Professional Mentors volunteer their time and talents to guide each team.
Students work alongside professional engineers to build and compete with a robot of their own design. They learn and use sophisticated hardware and software. It’s more than just building a robot. As students develop their design, manage the project, program they learn teamwork, strategic thinking, and Coopertition® skills. Each year, SFHS hopes to earn a place in the FIRST® Championship and students hope to qualify for scholarships at nearly 200 colleges/universities.
Why is this important?
Careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are among the highest sought-after jobs for students, and this program provides an opportunity to learn some foundational skills to make our students competitive. Students will get hands-on learning in STEM and they will gain important experience in problem solving, time management, conflict resolution, and communication skills as well.
FIRST Robotics operates under the guidelines of Coopertition® which is the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete. St. Francis is fortunate to have help from neighboring teams who have set up similar programs in their schools or organizations.
There is something for every student in FIRST Robotics. While the focus is on engineering and building a robot, many talents are needed on the team. Other areas include marketing, finance, fundraising, communications, graphics, management, and more. Parents and community volunteers are needed to mentor in all these areas.


Presentation on theme: "Week of Dec. 3-7 Vocabulary and Building Background."— Presentation transcript:
Week of Dec. 3-7 Vocabulary and Building Background
Summary of the Findings of the National Reading Panel research: “What Works in Comprehension Instruction” By: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
First, reading comprehension is a complex cognitive process that cannot be understood without a clear description of the role that vocabulary development and vocabulary instruction play in the understanding of what has been read.vocabulary instruction Second, comprehension is an active process that requires an intentional and thoughtful interaction between the reader and the text.interaction between the reader and the text. Third, the preparation of teachers to better equip students to develop and apply reading comprehension strategies to enhance understanding is intimately linked to students' achievement in this area.preparation of teachers In carrying out its analysis of the extant research in reading comprehension, the NRP noted three predominant themes in the research on the development of reading comprehension skills.
Activity 1) Use the information in the article “Introducing New Vocabulary Teacher Resource” to sort the words in your envelope into groups of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. 2) Check your answers with the key in the envelope when you are done.
As you watch the video, create a list of tier 2 words that we all should teach. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MByd3 HYWwRE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MByd3 HYWwRE From your experience with these words, why are they vital to instruction?
Findings and determinations: The studies reviewed suggest that vocabulary instruction does lead to gains in comprehension, but that methods must be appropriate to the age and ability of the reader.
A Vocabulary can be learned incidentally in the context of storybook reading or in listening to others Learning words before reading a text also is helpful Techniques such as task restructuring and repeated exposure (including having the student encounter words in various contexts) appear to enhance vocabulary development.
B In addition, substituting easy words for more difficult words can assist low- achieving students. Repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items are important. Learning in rich contexts, incidental learning, and use of computer technology all enhance the acquisition of vocabulary.
C Direct instruction should include task restructuring as necessary and should actively engage the student. Finally, dependence on a single vocabulary instruction method will not result in optimal learning
Content Objective TLW apply characteristics of effective vocabulary strategies to choose the most appropriate for my content Language objective: I will read and discuss an article using the reciprocal teaching strategy. I will read descriptions of vocab strategies and chose one to apply to my classroom
Inside Outside Circle Form two circles like this and face the person in the other circle. When we switch, move one person to your left!
1. Inside circle…tell your partner everything you know about vocabulary instruction for the next 20 seconds, Now switch roles! 2. Inside circle-Move one partner to your left. Repeat step one. 3. Outside circle move one partner to your left. Repeat step one.
Article Read the article using the reciprocal teaching method as outlined on your table.
Reciprocal Teaching Directions 1. Decide on which job each group member will complete as they start reading the text. Questioner/Connector Predictor Clarifier Summarizer 1. Divide the text into manageable parts. Read the first section of text. On the recording sheet, write down notes that relate to the assigned skill. 1. After everyone in your group has finished reading and responding to the chunk of text, take turns sharing and discussing. Proceed in the following order: Clarifier, questioner/connecter, summarizer, and finally predictor 1. Discuss additional thoughts related to the text. 1. Pass the card to the right, read the text, and repeat the process based on the newly assigned job.
Jigsaw for next time: Explore the strategies from your SIOP binder listed one the half sheet. Pick one or more of the strategies to apply to words from your content area or test taking vocab words… Consider the following: What cognitive level/levels does it engage? Where might it fit in the Marzano framework? What strategies might best fit into your content area or other areas?
Think About…For Next Time: 2. Bring back ides for implementing words across the curriculum. In what ways might we approach academic and test taking vocabulary? How can we support each other to provide the most meaningful experiences for students?


The Confined space entry course conducted by SETS enterprises is a nationally accredited course that is designed to provide students with the essential knowledge and skills to enter
and work in confined spaces in the Resources and Infrastructure Industries.
This unit is appropriate for those working in operational roles undertaking work in confined spaces.
- Assess confined space for entry
- Use safety equipment and clothing (PPE)
- Conclude confined space operations
- Define, identify and recognise a confined space in the workplace
- Identify hazards associated with confined space entry, as well as hazard identification and risk assessment processes relevant to confined space work
- Identify the site/enterprise’s specific incident response and rescue requirements
Students who attend and successfully meet all assessment requirements of the course will receive a nationally recognised statement of attainment with the following unit of competency: RIIWHS202D – Enter and work in confined spaces.
There is a maximum number of 10 participants per program.
To meet the course requirements, students must:
- Have sufficient English language, literacy and numeracy skills to read instructions and write assessments
- Be able to handle feelings of claustrophobia
- Be able to ascend and descend ladders
- Provide their USI on enrolment
- Provide proof of identity, e.g. drivers licence
- Wear or bring long sleeve, long pants and closed in shoes
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Students are required to be able to complete the following tasks:
- communicate with others clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing
- find and use relevant information
- read and comply with work instructions and specifications
- read and record measurements
- record and report information neatly and legibly


Teacher and Student: Two Variables of the Learning Equation
Scherer of North Carolina University recently wrote "The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating the Effects of Poverty: A Response to Tierney" in the Educational Researcher. Tierney, president of the American Educational Research Association, previously published in the same journal recommendations on what educators could do to eliminate the effects of poverty on education. The following are Tierney's recommendations:
...Overall, the really big challenge in the Philippines is how there is such a knowledge and cultural distance between the elites and the poor. If you ask me what our biggest role is, it is a bridge across those gaps. The biggest solutions will only come from our next generation of leaders who will have a better feel for the poverty in the country. People in power have tended to take simplistic approaches to the poverty – consider the businessmen who seek an improvement to our struggling public schools by adding two years to the curriculum. My point is, ‘700 thousand students drop out before grade six, and 1.2 million do not finish the current high school curriculum.’ Solutions like getting more computers or adding years of school won’t work for these student dropouts. Our challenge becomes connecting these leaders with the actual problems the poor have....
Through the student, nonschool factors which are equally powerful as the teacher inside the classroom enter the picture. This is where the socio-economic factors affect learning. This is where capability becomes a factor. "Solutions like getting more computers or adding years of school won't work for these student dropouts." Ensuring that students understand what constitutes a college-ready curriculum by 9th grade would not help those who drop out of school during the primary years. These are just examples that show how reforms on the supply side could miss what is important when it ignores what is on the receiving end. There are interventions that work but all of these require that the student is capable of benefiting from these measures. For this reason, focus on early childhood learning presents the best opportunity. Unfortunately, providing low quality preschool and kindergarten education only exacerbates the situation. Providing support to enhance interest in reading, the sciences and mathematics is crucial in the early years. Losing the students at these early stages preclude any benefit from later interventions.
Addressing what is on the receiving end obviously takes us out of education into a much bigger picture, the society. Problems in education are in fact symptoms of greater ills within society. That is why education is not a solution to poverty. It is the other way around. Solving poverty is part of solving problems in education. Equity is important for an educational system to thrive. Not doing so creates only pockets of excellence, which are mere facades. These pockets only look good when compared against very bad schools. Against universal standards these schools fail likewise. Lastly, equity in schools can only be achieved by an equitable society.
|Above photo copied from Rally for Relief|
"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members."


“Sometimes my skin gets burning hot and my jaw and fists feel hard as rocks (Garcia, 2017).” In her picture book Listening to My Body, Gabi Garcia narrates the main character noticing sensations in his body as he becomes nervous, excited, angry, etc.
When teaching young children to improve coping skills, it is imperative that we teach them how to notice when their body is sending them a signal that stress is becoming overwhelming.
So, what might your child notice is happening in their body as they become stressed? Sweaty palms, increased heart rate, ringing in ears, flushed cheeks, becoming short-tempered, etc. are all signs that the stress being experienced is becoming detrimental to your child’s physical and mental well-being.
How do we teach our children to listen to their bodies? In Some Days I Flip My Lid, Kellie Bailey (2019) writes, “The trick, she said, was to notice and see when I start feeling mad or shake in my knees. She told me to notice when my eyes start to close, and then…breathe on purpose right through my nose!”
Here are a few other tricks you can use at home to encourage body awareness in your children.
5 Ways to Develop Body Awareness in Children
Get your child talking.
Start by simply asking children to talk about what is happening in their bodies when you notice big feelings. If your child is excited, say, “You seem so excited! What do you feel in your body right now?” Or, if your child is upset, you might say, “When I am upset, I notice that my jaw gets tight or my face feels hot. What happens in your body when you are upset?”
Carve out time for mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a practice where children can really tune in to the “here and now.” Some ways to encourage mindfulness is to practice breathing exercises. Here is a wonderful guided meditation for children video on YouTube that you can try to get started. Yoga for children can also be a way to encourage various body sensations.
Read (and learn) about body awareness together.
See the following book titles for more inspiration: Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia, Some Days I Flip My Lid by Kellie Bailey, Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey, I am Peace by Susan Verde, and Positive Ninja by Mary Nhin. These titles all encourage children to notice various sensations in their bodies and use mindful breathing to regulate.
Encourage healthy ways to regulate.
Exercise, art, deep breathing, rest, hydrating, music, etc are all healthy activities your child can try to regulate their emotions. The bigger a child’s coping toolbox is, the better chance he or she will have at learning to manage stress in a healthy way.
Try an online course.
The Lily-Jo Project manages an online learning platform that has specific lessons for children geared on navigating anxiety and other emotions. For more information, you can visit The Lily-Jo Project’s online learning platform here.
As one final consideration, children will not learn how to be body aware and manage stress in healthy ways from adults who do not model these skills on a regular basis. Ensure that you are keeping up with your own self-care and managing stress in a healthy way so that your child has something to emulate.
If you need more help and support, The Lily-Jo Project has a group on Facebook geared towards providing parents and those that work with youth with resources and tips. I moderate the group, and we would love to have you. You can join here.
About the Author
Brandy Browne is an early childhood educator in the United States, as well as a family coach and blogger for UnStuck (www.unstucks.com), her family coaching service aimed at helping families develop positive habits and breaking the cycle of generational trauma and poverty.
Her education is in early and elementary education, and she also has a masters degree in parenting and child/adolescent development. Brandy is a wife to her high school sweetheart of fifteen years, and together they share three children, aged ten, seven, and five. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, writing, and distance running.


Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?
A young person has a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. However, SEN is also relevant to those students who are considered ´gifted and talented´and may need extra support to stretch them.
A young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
- has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or post-16 institutions
Many young people who have SEN may have a disability– that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer.
Special Educational Provision at Palma College
This is educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, provision made generally for students of the same age. This excludes provision the College is making for students who are underachieving to catch up (e.g. literacy or numeracy catch up sessions) but includes different provision without which a student is unable to learn (e.g. preparing modified resource materials for a student with dyslexia). Students who have SEN should have visited an Educational Psychologist to have a diagnosis confirmed.
Specific Learning Difficulties The term “specific learning difficulties” is used to cover a wide variety of difficulties which can often affect a person’s physical skills, the way they process information and their memory.
Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
Pupils with moderate learning difficulties will have attainments significantly below expected levels in most areas of the curriculum, despite appropriate interventions. Their needs cannot be met by usual differentiation in the classroom. Young people with moderate learning difficulties have
? Much greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills
? much greater difficulty than their peers in understanding concepts
? Speech and language delay
? Low levels of concentration
? Under-developed social skills.
Gifted and Talented
Gifted and talented students will be supported in their learning needs through a series of enrichment activities and challenges. They may, in addition to their A Levels, completed the Extended Project which is an independent learning activity recognised by the exam board as a full A Level.
At Palma College, qualified staff offer additional support classes to individuals and also keep the teaching staff up to date with specific needs. When an educational psychologist’s report recommends specific help during examinations the College can arrange this with the examination board in the UK.


|Statement||John L. Rury|
|LC Classifications||LA205 .R67 2005eb|
|The Physical Object|
|Format||[electronic resource] :|
|Pagination||ix, 273 p.|
|Number of Pages||273|
Music Education for Social Change: Constructing an Activist Music Education develops an activist music education rooted in principles of social justice and anti-oppression. Based on the interviews of 20 activist-musicians across the United States and Canada, the book explores the common themes, perceptions, and philosophies among them, positioning these activist-musicians as catalysts for. "I would recommend this book to all educators, administrators, and researchers interested in the historical influences on education and social change. This book is especially important for state, local, and federal policy makers to reexamine the damages of history on marginalized groups." —Education Review. Table of Contents. 0. Now in its fourth edition, Education, Change and Society continues to help readers situate educational activity in its broad social and policy contexts. The study of education can do more than help us understand how individuals may learn and how teachers should teach. In this brief, interpretive history of American schooling, John Rury focuses on the evolving relationship between education and social change. The book considers the impact of social forces, such as industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and cultural conflict on the development of schools and other educational institutions. It also examines the various ways that schools have contributed.
This brief, interpretive history of American schooling focuses on the evolving relationship between education and social change. Like its predecessors, this new edition adopts a thematic approach, investigating the impact of social forces such as industrialization, urbanization, immigration, globalization, and cultural conflict on the development of schools and other educational. In his book Education and Social Change: Contours in the History of American Schooling, John L. Rury traces the evolution of American education from the Colonial period to the present. Rury does not seek to offer the reader an in-depth history of American education. Rather, he gives the reader a broad. This book explores the multiple pathways from scholarships for international study to positive social change. Bringing together studies from academic researchers, evaluators and program designers and policymakers from Africa, Asia, Latin and North America, Europe, and Australia, the book compiles the latest research and analysis on the policy, practice, and outcomes of international. Apr 21, · How to really change education — excerpt from Sir Ken Robinson’s new book I’ll elaborate on what I see as the four basic purposes of education: .
Education and Social Change undertakes a systematic sociological analysis of contemporary educational policy and practice. In doing so it charts the substantial and significant changes that education systems have undergone over recent decades, and places them within a broader context of social change. Dec 16, · The best book about education I’ve recently read is short and pungent, and British. Daisy Christodoulou is an experienced classroom teacher who has herself been subjected to the Seven Myths. Oct 01, · "I would recommend this book to all educators, administrators, and researchers interested in the historical influences on education and social change. This book is especially important for state, local, and federal policy makers to reexamine the damages of history on marginalized groups." —Education Review. From the PublisherPrice: $ We Make the Road by Walking is a beautiful, instructive, and compelling book about education and social change. The conversation between Myles Horton and Paulo Freire is delightful. The techniques and pedagogy discussed are worth contemplating (and enacting, in /5.


The tundra is the the coldest biome on Earth. Arctic tundra spans much of the northernmost regions of the planet including Canada, northern Russia, Iceland and the coasts of Greenland. Alpine tundra covers the higher altitudes of mountain ranges throughout the world, including the Andes, Rockies and Himalayas. Climate change and human development are threatening the survival of these ecosystems, endangering animals like polar bears and threatening to melt layers of permafrost that sustain their plant life.
Scientists are studying the subtle and dramatic impacts of human activity and climate change on the tundra. One study in 2010 led by Janet Jorgensen examined the impact of trails left by vehicles in Alaska that were performing seismic operations in search of oil. The study found that most species of plant had difficulty recovering, and that bryophites, a crucial plant for insulating permafrost, had very low resistance to the disturbances. Research like this allows us to better understand the tundra and thus how to protect it.
Groups such as Polar Bears International (PBI) are closely monitoring populations of tundra animals. In 2009, PBI found that of 12 measured polar bear populations, eight were declining, three were stable and one was increasing. This was compared to their 2005 study in which five were declining, five were stable and two were increasing. They conclude that the greatest threat is the loss of sea ice from global warming, which the bears rely on for fishing and breeding.
Wildlife organizations aim to educate people about the tundra to connect to its beauty, understand its fragility and be more conscious of human impact. PBI, for example, offers video conferences with middle and high school students in classrooms. They discuss topics like global warming, carbon footprints, global perspectives, stewardship and polar bears. Many websites such as Wild Russia have been established to disseminate education and appreciation of the tundra.
National and State Parks
National and state parks have been established to preserve and protect areas of tundra. They also attract visitors to develop humanity's appreciation for these beautiful regions. Alaska has 23 national parks, attracting more than 2 million visitors and $200 million a year. Russia also has many national parks, including the Great Arctic and Gydansky above the Arctic Circle. These parks are home to polar bears, reindeer, walrus and beluga whales, and preserve vast stretches of land untouched by humans.
- Ecological Society of America: Long-Term Recovery Patterns of Arctic Tundra After Winter Seismic Exploration
- Polar Bears International: Stewardship
- Polar Bears International: Will Polar Bears Survive?
- National Park Service: Alaska
- University of California Museum of Paleontology: Tundra Biome
- Wild Russia: Great Arctic Zapovednik
About the Author
Greg Turin is an artist and certified art educator with over five years of experience writing about art. His work can be found at websites such as Deviant Art and Sonic Eclectic. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Binghamton University as well as a Master of Arts in art education from Brooklyn College. He has learned and taught guitar since 2001.


The pioneering female printmaker, Janet Turner, was first and foremost a lover of nature. Her exquisitely intricate prints rely on a keen eye and an intimate connection with the world around her. In this time of quarantines and sheltering when we are forced to pause, Turners work reminds us to also observe the beauty and the pain - the serenity and the tumultuousness - that surround us. Her work does more than capture a snapshot of the landscape or wildlife; her work captures the dichotomy that makes up the human experience. Janet Turner reminds us that to be human is to respect our world and engage with our environment.
Janet Turner in her early years, studying art.She attended Stanford University where she wanted to study biology but was told it was not a field for women at that time. Instead, she studied history and took courses in botany. As a junior she started taking art classes. Her earliest prints were linocuts done at Stanford. She earned a B.A. with distinction in Far Eastern History at Stanford.
After traveling to China, Japan, The Philippines, Manchuria and Korea, she enrolled in the Kansas City Art Institute (1936–1941) where she studied under Thomas Hart Benton and John De Martelly. From 1942 to 1943 she taught history, civics and art at the Girls’ Collegiate School in Claremont, California. She did graduate work at Claremont College where she studied with Henry McFee and Millard Sheets and from which she earned her M.F.A. in 1947. She then went to Stephen F. Austin College in Nacodoches, Texas as an assistant professor in art education.
It was during the next ten years (1948–1958) that Janet established herself in the art world.
In 1950 her tempera painting “Pelicans” was accepted for the 50 Years of American Art exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. She was elected a member of the Audubon Artists of New York, National Association of Women Artists and American Color Print Society. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1952, allowing her to travel to the Gulf Coast to study flora and fauna and experiment with combining serigraphy and linoleum block printing. She was elected an associate lifetime member of the National Academy of Design in New York, an organization of professional artists. New York publishers Rinehart & Company and the Ford Motor Company commissioned Janet to illustrate text and articles in the early 1950’s.
Janet attended Teachers’ College, Columbia University, New York from 1956–1958 to obtain her Ed.D. and served as president of the Nation Serigraph Society from 1957–1959. Her sister Barbara writes about Janet’s life toward the end of its New York chapter:
Despite Janet’s continued successes, she struggled against the critics’ current partiality to Abstract Expressionism.
She decided to commit herself to teaching rather than to pursue recognition in the urban art world. She wanted to return to a warm place, too, because she suffered in cold climates.
In 1959, Janet accepted a position at CSU, Chico where, at that time, art was taught as art education to education majors. Janet was instrumental in developing a fine arts program at the university. She visited graphic workshops, printmakers, museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad for ideas to upgrade the printmaking facilities at CSU. She served on most of the college’s policy-making committees. In 1975 she was awarded the California State University’s Outstanding Professor Award—the first CSU, Chico faculty member to win this prestigious award. All the while, she continued to teach and inspire her students, to produce and collect fine art prints, and to travel the world when possible. The Janet Turner Print Museum opened in 1981 when Janet was a professor emerita.
Janet Turner in her later years, posing with some of her prints.In 1983 in honor of her retirement, the university exhibited Janet Turner: Selected Works 1948–1983. President Robin Wilson, then CSU, Chico president, wrote the following:
Janet Turner has paused for us and observed for us—with the artist’s eye—the remarkable creations of nature…Nature, after all, is a mirror to us all. We are of nature and yet somehow apart. When Janet Turner captures for us the solemnity of an owl, the fierce predatory eyes of an eagle, the limpid softness of butterflies in dancing flight – we pause and reflect and understand something about ourselves we had not understood before.


Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1 with EEi Teacher Manual
Essential Elements for Strings offers beginning students sound pedagogy and engaging music, all carefully paced to successfully start young players on their musical journey.
Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1 with EEi
Series: Essential Elements for Strings with EE Interactive
Format: Softcover with CD-ROM
Authors: Robert Gillespie, Michael Allen, Pamela Tellejohn Hayes
(Essential Elements for Strings and Essential Elements Interactive are fully compatible with Essential Elements 2000 for Strings)
Essential Elements for Strings offers beginning students sound pedagogy and engaging music, all carefully paced to successfully start young players on their musical journey. EE features both familiar songs and specially designed exercises, created and arranged for the classroom in a unison-learning environment, as well as instrument-specific exercises to focus each student on the unique characteristics of their own instrument. EE provides both teachers and students with a wealth of materials to develop total musicianship, even at the beginning stages.
Books 1 and 2 also include access to Essential Elements Interactive (EEi), the ultimate online music education resource – anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Go to essentialelementsinteractive.com to learn more!
• Enhanced Starting System
• Optimum Reinforced Learning
• Theory, History, Cross-Curriculum & Creativity
• Performance Spotlights
Teacher Manual also includes CD-ROM and My EE Library* (myeelibrary.com) for Instant Stream/Download
• Start-up video Learn the basics
• Play-along mp3 tracks for all exercises Features a professional orchestra
• Duets and trios Print and play parts with friends
• Music listening library Hear great pieces for orchestra!
* PC or Mac computer required for CD-ROM use. Internet access required for My EE Library. MP3 files will play on most current CD or DVD players.


Maths lessons at Woodhouse West always begin with a mental and oral starter activity which enables the children to continuously develop their retention of past skills. They are also able to listen and use key mathematical vocabulary whilst problem solving. The main teaching then follows and an activity at the end of the lesson helps to recap on what has been taught.
During the main part of the maths lesson children will complete fluency activities and move onto problem solving and reasoning when they are confident with fluency. Teachers assess children to decide when they need to move on to the problem solving and reasoning and if they need a next step to deepen their understanding.
Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract
In maths lessons, it is important that children see maths visually while also having a chance to feel and manipulate resources. This helps to reinforce their understanding, especially when new mathematical ideas and concepts are introduced. CPA stands for Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract. This means that firstly the children will touch and manipulate resources (such as Numicon and base ten) physically to gain an understanding (concrete). They will then move into the pictorial where they will see visual representations, often on the Interactive Whiteboard. Finally the abstract is where the challenge comes in and children apply their learning so far. This also means that the maths problem may be presented to the children in a slightly different way than they have been taught so far to make sure that they deeply understand the concept.
The maths calculation policy is produced to ensure all children are taught the same methods to make sure they are prepared for secondary school.
Maths Guidance Booklets
The government has announced that from 2020, Year 4 children all around the country will be tested on their times tables knowledge. Being confident with times tables helps children in many areas of the maths curriculum including: short division, area and perimeter, word problems and how to multiply larger numbers.
Each day at Woodhouse West the children have access to activities that support the learning of times tables.
If your child is in the one of the following year groups, their aim by the end of the year is to be confident and to respond quickly to these times tables:
- Y1- count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10
- Y2- 2, 5 and 10
- Y3- 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10
- Y4- ALL up to 12 x 12
- Y5/Y6- Consolidation of times table knowledge
Please encourage your child to practice their times tables regularly. You can download a poster to help you at the bottom of this page.
Times Table Poster
Maths at Home
We all use maths every day, often without realising it. We believe that every child can develop the numeracy skills they will need, both at school and throughout their lives. Helping your child feel confident about maths now gives them a head start.
Here are some ideas for activities you can do with your child to help them see the maths in everyday life.
Maths at Home
Assessment and Monitoring
Maths is assessed through on going formative and summative assessment and moderated against National Curriculum standards. White Rose Maths Arithmetic and Reasoning and Problem Solving papers are completed each half term to track progress against the content domains outlined in the framework.


Does Music Make Children Smarter?
Have you heard of the “Mozart effect”? Does music make children smarter? Do you know where all those claims associating music and intelligence come from? Have you stopped to think about whether it has real scientific basis?
There are many circumstances and activities that probably help boost intelligence in children. Music is one of them, but not the only one. Many studies have tried to establish a link between learning a musical instrument and intelligence. Does that mean that those who do not learn to play an instrument are going to “stay stupid”?
The Baby Mozart project, the cartoon series Little Einsteins and dozens of early stimulation programs have made us believe that music makes children smarter. Classical music has been identified as particularly beneficial, pointing to the works of Mozart as a good reference to follow.
And then we saw — and still see — parents and teachers, even pregnant mothers, playing classical music to their babies and taking their children to music lessons as early as possible, as if they had discovered the secret ingredient of intelligence. The big question is then, has this really worked? Does music make children smarter, in reality?
Well no, or at least not enough to show a great benefit. The idea that playing classical music would make children smarter is still controversial in the light of studies that offer conflicting results.
The study done in 1993 that found that music makes children smarter could not be replicated, nor was an extension of the experiment allowed. That is to say, what they gave us as a scientific study was not truly scientific. However, the idea was a spectacular marketing tool, there’s no doubt it.
Music has many benefits for a child’s brain
We’re not saying that music does not help at all, though. In fact, music has many benefits for children’s brains and also for adult brains. Many studies have focused precisely on looking into the effect that music has on the brain.
It seems that music prepares our brains for certain types of thinking. For example, various studies have found that after listening to classical music, adults can do certain spatial tasks more quickly.
But why does this happen? Apparently, the “classical music pathways” in our brain are similar to the pathways we use for spatial reasoning. Thus, when we listen to classical music, the spacial reasoning pathways will already be “on” and ready to be used.
Listening to classical music beforehand facilitates performing spatial tasks. But the effect lasts only a short period of time. Our improved spatial abilities fade away about an hour after we stop listening to the music.
However, learning to play an instrument can have more lasting effects on spatial reasoning. In several studies, children who took piano lessons for six months improved their ability to solve riddles and do spatial tasks by up to 30 percent. Researchers believe that music training creates new pathways in the brain.
It has also been found that children who study music improve auditory processing, as seen in brain scans. This is important because auditory processing skills are fundamental for language development, as well as for the acquisition of a second language and focusing in noisy spaces.
Other research has also found that music can have benefits in cognitive functioning and can also help reduce aggression, increase calmness, reduce stress and improve mood. However, this does not exactly mean that music makes children smarter.
What makes children truly intelligent is …
We can conclude that music benefits children and adults in many ways, but being “smart” or improving in school is probably not one of its greatest benefits. Yes, music helps, but not as much as it seems or at least not as we have been led to believe.
Several studies show that children who attend music classes or receive music education in schools also perform better in intellectual activities. But it is likely that families and schools that invest in their children’s music education and other arts will differ in many ways from families or schools that do not. That is probably the true cause of these observed differences.
Several researchers have tried to replicate past research where they found modest gains in intelligence, intellectual abilities, and academic performance. However, the results of their randomized trials with music education in children did not find that music makes children smarter. Some of these studies actually showed losses.
What really matters is playing and talking with our children. Hug them, kiss them, sing to them. Dance with them, read with them, explore with them. Stimulate their creativity and feed their curiosity.
It is love that really makes children smart. It is love that will turn your children into the best version of themselves.
Does music make children smarter? What difference does it make! If what you really want is for your children to be smarter, then spend quality time with them, a lot of time. This is undoubtedly a much more decisive factor than music. Don’t be fooled.It might interest you...


The Wonders of Puppet Play
Do you give your child the many benefits of puppet play? When you know about the many benefits of puppet play, you might want to get your child some puppets right away.
Besides being lots of fun and capturing children’s attention, puppets are wonderful educational toys that support children’s development. Let’s see how.
1. Puppet play supports language and literacy development
When a parent or teacher uses puppets, stories become more lively, more fun-filled, and more meaningful. The puppets can sing, dance, touch, laugh, or cry. Because the children are engrossed in what’s going on, their listening skills and vocabulary development are increased. Puppets also encourage creative play by stimulating the imagination. Turn the puppets over to the children and let them recite and retell the story or use their imaginations to create stories of their own.
2. Puppet play for social/behavioral development
Puppets are wonderful tools for role-playing. They make it easier for a parent or teacher to deal with issues such as conflict resolution, empathy, dealing with aggression and bullying from others, being kind, etc.
Through puppet play, many emotions can be expressed that a child may be reluctant to share: pain, fear, joy, aggression, frustration, shame, anxiety, etc. Sometimes a children’s sensitive feelings and concerns, difficult for them to talk about or deal with directly, can be more easily expressed through puppets. In this way, a parent or teacher can better understand what’s bothering a child and help him or her with it.
3. Puppet play for thinking skills
When children tell stories using puppets, they get to practice several cognitive skills. When retelling their favorite stories, they use their memories and sequencing skills are strengthened. If they want, they can give different endings and additional characters to the stories, and they can also project the characters’ lives into the future. They can even create their own stories to further stimulate their creativity and imagination while also developing their problem solving skills and their ability to narrate.
4. Puppet play for motor skills
Whether it’s a marionette, a hand puppet, or a finger puppet, learning to manipulate the various parts of the puppet requires fine and, in some cases, gross motor skills. With puppets, kids get plenty of practice.
Without a doubt, puppets offer heaps of fun and learning opportunities for children from the earliest ages up. And when you and your child play with puppets together, it’s even more fun and it’s great for parent-child bonding.
So be sure that your child doesn’t miss out on the wonders of puppet play.


Kindergarten-The Biggest Excavator
1st Grade-Animal Adaptations: Animal Coverings
Students investigated different animal coverings to understand that different body coverings provide different types of protection. We participated in a scientific investigation, gauging the temperature of feathers, hair, and fur at room temperature and the same coverings after sitting on ice. Each student colored a bar graph to show the investigation results. After the investigation, students searched nonfiction books for animals and charted them by covering.
2nd Grade-Mad Hatter
3rd Grade-Flight Test
For this cycle the students ran flight tests to see which type of paper airplane could fly the furthest and which could do acrobatics. The students each took turns throwing the airplane over a set of measuring tapes. They had to do some math to determine how far the plane flew. Looking at the average distances, students determined that the long, narrow planes went the furthest, while the short and wide planes were more about dips and turns. We talked about the types of planes we would see at air shows and watched the Blue Angels doing a few tricks, too.
4th Grade-Crayons Rock
5th Grade-The Copy Machine
Welcome to the STEAM Studio Blog for Jamestown Upper & Lower Elementary Schools in Hudsonville, MI. Here you will find the latest projects and concepts we've been working on in class.
comes to Hudsonville with 17 years of teaching information and technology skills to elementary students. After earning a BA in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2000, she drew a circle on the map and chose Southwest Michigan.


Working with national arts organizations, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) has developed a first-of-its-kind Arts skills map that clearly defines how arts education promotes key 21st-century skills.
The map, the fifth in a series of core content maps from P21 (others include Geography, Science, Social Studies, and English), gives examples how critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation (P21’s “four Cs”) can be fused within arts curricula (including dance, music, theater, and visual and media arts).
The map comes at a critical time for arts education in schools, which often are the first programs to be cut when budgets are tight. Having an outline of how arts education can reinforce skills that are viewed as critical for success in the new global economy could help keep arts programs in schools.
“We think that this map will work as a motivator for administrators, as well as funders, when considering art programs in today’s schools,” said Michael Blakeslee, senior deputy executive director of MENC, in an interview with eSchool News.
Arts organizations, such as the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, the Educational Theatre Association, the National Art Education Association, the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the National Dance Association, and the National Dance Education Organization, all participated to help P21 craft the map.
“I commend America’s leading arts education professional associations for joining forces to create a tool that illustrates how the four Cs can be fused with arts education,” said Kathy Hurley, senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Pearson and a P21 executive board member. “This new document … provides practical examples that educators can model as they work to ensure 21st-century readiness for every student.”
Along with the four Cs, the map includes skills such as information literacy; media literacy; information and communications technology (ICT) literacy; flexibility and adaptability; initiative and self-direction; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; and leadership and responsibility. Each skill includes a definition.
For each skill, the map cites specific student outcomes and provides examples of projects for grades four, eight, and 12. Each example is marked with a symbol, allowing readers to know whether the example is for visual arts, dance, music, or theater.
Each example also has the option to include interdisciplinary themes, such as global awareness; civic literacy; financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy; health literacy; and environmental literacy.
Some examples include:
Skill: Innovation; Grade Level: 4; Art: Theatre; Interdisciplinary Theme: Global Awareness; Example: Students read or view multiple versions of a traditional folk tale before writing, performing, and video recording their own adaptation set in a radically different culture, historical period, or contemporary context. They review their adaptation, discuss creative choices, and reflect on ways the story stayed the same or changed.
Skill: Social and Cross-cultural skills; Grade Level: 8; Art: Music; Interdisciplinary Theme: Global Awareness; Example: Students trained in music of one cultural style join an ensemble that performs music from a distinct culture, and learn to adapt their existing musical skills and understanding to the demands of the new context (i.e., classical musicians play jazz, a koto player takes up western guitar, or a fiddle player performs in a classical orchestra). The students then interact, either virtually or live, with native performers of the new musical genre to better understand the cultural context and appropriate practices of that genre.
Skill: Media Literacy; Grade Level: 12; Art: Visual Arts; Interdisciplinary Theme: Financial Literacy and Civic Literacy; Example: Students use current technologies to produce an advertisement or web page that demonstrates their understanding of media’s ability to influence the viewer’s perception of a social issue of their choice, such as environmental awareness, mass transit, or the economy.


Scholars suggests that children start to master the phonological, semantic, and syntactic components that all language must have by the age of 3. Most children learn to read by 6 or 7 years of age. Some children learn at 4 or 5 years of age.
In 1997, the US Congress asked the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Secretary of Education to launch a national panel on reading. In 2000, the Panel issued five essential components of reading instruction, which are included in the best reading instruction programs today:
1. Phonemic awareness: Ability to manipulate sounds in words
2. Phonics: Knowledge of relationships between written letters and sounds
3. Vocabulary: Understanding the meaning of words in reading and in written and spoken language
4. Fluency: Ability to read rapidly
5. Comprehension: Ability to gain meaning while reading
Parent’s and caregiver’s role in children’s reading
In early childhood stage, parents or caregivers are recommended to read to and communicate with young children to instill the language and vocabulary skills that lead to proficient reading for their later development. At the same time, sending the messages and giving children the sense of ‘reading is a pleasure thing to do’ is very important. They should also encourage their children to choose reading as a free-time activity as well as let them know the benefits of reading, especially when children are in Third or Fourth Grade.
School’s role in children’s reading
In order to provide better a holistic education and enhance young children’s reading skills, schools need to make sure that children have access to high-quality materials, learning environment and resources. Here are some elements that schools should be equipped with to support students’ literacy development: experienced teachers, facilities (that are safe, inviting, welcoming, and conducive to teaching and learning), technology (to advance students’ learning and assessment in the classroom and online), and hands-on or literacy-rich activities.
Are you a bookworm? What kinds of book do you and your little ones like the most? Pick a couple books with your children now and enjoy the time to read together.
*NOTE: Information derived from
1. Healthchildren. org (https://www.healthychildren.org/English/Pages/default.aspx)
2. AECF Report Reading Grade 3 by A KIDS COUNT Special Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
3. Bennett, C. (2019). Comprehensive multicultural education: theory and practice. New York:Pearson.
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- What are development areas?
- What are the 7 areas of development?
- What is emotionally development?
- What are the 5 basic areas of child development?
- What are the 6 areas of development?
- What is total development of a child?
- What are your key areas of development?
- What are 3 areas of improvement?
- What are examples of development opportunities?
- What are the 4 areas of development?
What are development areas?
An area of development is a skill or attribute that benefits your professional life.
As an employee, focusing on improvement in these development areas can help you become a more productive, empathetic and cooperative member of the team..
What are the 7 areas of development?
The 7 different areas of learning and development in the EYFSCommunication and language development. … Physical development. … Personal, social, and emotional development. … Literacy development. … Mathematics. … Understanding the world. … Expressive arts and design.
What is emotionally development?
Emotional development refers to the ability to recognize, express, and manage feelings at different stages of life and to have empathy for the feelings of others.1 The development of these emotions, which include both positive and negative emotions, is largely affected by relationships with parents, siblings, and peers …
What are the 5 basic areas of child development?
Children develop skills in five main areas of development:Cognitive Development. This is the child’s ability to learn and solve problems. … Social and Emotional Development. … Speech and Language Development. … Fine Motor Skill Development. … Gross Motor Skill Development.
What are the 6 areas of development?
The six areas of learningPersonal, Social and Emotional Development. … Communication, Language and Literacy. … Mathematical Development. … Knowledge and Understanding of the World. … Physical Development. … Creative Development.
What is total development of a child?
Child development can be defined as the process by which a child changes over time. It covers the whole period from conception to an individual becoming a fully functioning adult. … Child development incorporates, physical growth as well as intellectual, language, emotional and social development.
What are your key areas of development?
1 COMMUNICATION SKILLS (LISTENING, SPEAKING AND WRITING) … 2 ANALYTICAL AND RESEARCH SKILLS. … 3 FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY. … 4 INTERPERSONAL ABILITIES. … 5 ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS AND SOLVE PROBLEMS. … 6 ABILITY TO PLAN, ORGANISE AND PRIORITISE WORK. … 7 ABILITY TO WEAR MULTIPLE HATS. … 8 LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT SKILLS.More items…•
What are 3 areas of improvement?
Three themes in the areas for improvement — confidence, knowledge, and communication — were in the top 10 for most of the jobs we studied. Yet the top themes for work improvement appeared to be more job specific, compared to those themes provided for the strengths.
What are examples of development opportunities?
Professional Development ExamplesContinuing Education.Participation in professional organizations.Research.Improve job performance.Increased duties and responsibilities.Approaches to professional development:Skill Based Training.Job Assignments.More items…
What are the 4 areas of development?
Children grow and develop rapidly in their first five years across the four main areas of development. These areas are motor (physical), language and communication, cognitive and social/emotional. Cognitive development means how children think, explore and figure things out.


How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins
- 9,858,541 Views
- 67,165 Questions Answered
- TEDEd Animation
Firstly there is the area of music and the brain, which is about how we process music in our brains. Daniel Levitin wrote a great book called This is Your Brain on Music (http://daniellevitin.com/publicpage/books/this-is-your-brain-on-music/) which is all about how we process music.
Then there is the area of music therapy and the brain, which is about how we can use music to assist people who have had brain injuries, physical trauma or have been born with a disability, to improve their physical and cognitive function. It is also being used extensively with people who are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Oliver Sacks wrote a great book called Musicophillia (http://musicophilia.com) and Norman Doige has a book on brain plasticity called The Brain that Changes itself (http://www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge.com/MAIN.html) that talks about the power of music therapy.
Then there is the area of music education and the brain, which is about how music learning can impact on general brain development in children and adults. In the research it is called music training and is generally understood to be the formal and sequential learning of music, through playing music as well as appreciating and listening to it. There are a number of research institutes that are working in this part of the field, the Dana Foundation (http://www.dana.org), the BRAMS Institute (http://www.brams.org/en/) and the Music, Mind and Wellbeing Institute (http://cmmw.unimelb.edu.au).
Keeping up with the research is tricky if you are not a neuroscientists. Here is a resource that can keep you up to date with the research, and here is a list of the references that were used to support the writing of the script for this lesson.
Research into the nature of how the corpus callosum impacts on the brains functions, and how learning a musical instrument impacts on this, is ongoing. Recently, neuroscientists have dug deeper and found that changes in the corpus callosum may be dependent on the type of musical training a musician does and could be localized to the anterior corpus callosum. This area has shown an increase in bi-manual coordination (where the brain coordinates simultaneous multiple movements like using a knife and fork). Here is some of the latest research.
Sometimes it is hard to explain all of this research to someone else so here is a short video you can share with parents, teachers and students about how music education can enhance brain development.
Learning to sing or play a musical instrument can help disadvantaged children improve their reading skills, US research suggests.
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.


Christmas is right around the corner and while there are so many great gift ideas for little ones, here are a few that can support early literacy for children (and that won't break the bank!).
--Did you really think that books wouldn't
be on this list? Board books are a great gift for your little ones. It's important to read with your baby, no matter the age! You might think they are too young to understand, but babies that hear more words in their infancy have a better vocabulary as a toddler and preschooler. Plus, it's just a great time to cuddle with your small one! Reading to babies can be tricky sometimes. They might be too wiggly or even try to eat the book, but that's okay! Remember to never force your child to read with you. If they are too wiggly or not in the mood, try again later! You want your child to have a positive feeling about reading and books. Try reading when they have full tummy or right before nap time or bed time.
Bubbles are a cheap form of educational entertainment. Head to your dollar store and stock up on some bubbles! Bubbles can help exercise facial muscles for speech and even help with eye tracking for babies. Babies learn to see over a period of time, much like they learn to walk and talk. The ability to focus their eyes, move them accurately, and use them together as a team must be learned and bubbles can be a great way to help them.
- Beginner puzzles can help babies develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Look for puzzles with large pieces with a knob for easy gripping for your baby. Puzzles also give you a great opportunity for expanding your baby's vocabulary as you name and place the puzzle pieces. For example, farm or vehicle puzzles give you a chance to name the farm animals and sounds or types of vehicles with your baby. Melissa & Doug
have a great selection for purchase and example.
4. Pretend Props-
Imaginative play is one of the best ways for your child to expand their background knowledge and vocabulary. Play food, pretend tools, costumes, and puppets are great way to spark children's imaginative play.
5. Toy Musical Instruments-
Shakers, bells, and other toy instruments are great tools for early literacy development. Making music and singing with your baby can help increase their phonological awareness.
These are just a few ideas when shopping for your little one this year. Tell us some more of your favorite toys that encourage early literacy!


It’s well known that there are disturbing, pervasive disparities for needy students in their science and math experiences: They attend schools with less lab equipment, have access to fewer rigorous classes, and receive less hands-on teaching. But there hasn’t been an agreed-upon definition for what specifically constitutes a “STEM desert"—and especially, where they’re located across districts and neighborhoods.
Now, the National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit that works to get more students access to advanced classes in science and math, is hoping to create such a definition—and use it to better target its work and that of others in the STEM education space. It is inviting interested STEM education partners to join in the work. (The first to join is the school rating and resource site GreatSchools.org.)
By next summer, NMSI hopes to have finalized the definition and released a report on the state of STEM deserts, as well as highlighting “oases” where most students have access to rigorous programs.
“The idea of putting a spotlight on some of these STEM deserts that exist throughout the country is a recognition that it is going to take many aligned contributors from philanthropies to school districts to corporate philanthropy to identify where these massive opportunity gaps are and, strategically in partnership with each other, scale rigorous STEM opportunities,” said Matthew Randazzo, the CEO of NMSI.
It’s an interesting attempt at cohesion, given that the STEM field itself is fairly fragmented, with coding advocates siloed in one place and informal science fans in another, for instance. And the announcement also marks an evolution of sorts for the now decade-old NMSI.
NMSI’s current core activities fall into three buckets. By far its largest initiative is to support efforts to increase access to Advanced Placement classes in math, science, and English. (In 2015, the nonprofit spent nearly $22 million, or more than 70 percent of its programming, to do this.) NMSI also helps establish math and science teacher-preparation programs on the model of UTeach, developed at the University of Texas at Austin, and runs a professional-development initiative to boost K-12 teachers’ STEM content knowledge and teaching skills.
NMSI has grown quite a bit over a decade (its work has touched a million and a half students), but some of that growth has been opportunities-based rather than with a cohesive regional goal in mind, Randazzo said. It has also, from one angle, been narrowly tailored: The group has favored Advanced Placement access because that program’s frameworks and standards cross state lines, and success on the exams has been shown in research studies to predict future college success.
But with this new coalition, NMSI hopes to better link communities to what they need. It may be access to AP—or it might be other services, like better elementary education science content, that other providers are better-placed to provide, Randazzo said.
And in crafting a definition, the group plans to consider measures of STEM course rigor beyond AP. That will probably include AP’s main competitor, the International Baccalaureate program, as well as dual-enrollment programs that allow students to take some college classes and earn college credit while in high school, and possibly even “honors” classes.
The last two pose some significant challenges: Dual enrollment looks very different from state to state and college to college. And honors recognition, similarly, is decided by states or even school districts, so it is very difficult to compare the quality of the offerings.
Meanwhile, the group is excited at what GreatSchools can bring to the table.
“We can do a lot of work in naming what a STEM desert is and building a coalition, but ultimately, we need parents in local communities to be in partnership around us. GreatSchools has a great brand, and a great reach around parent engagement,” Randazzo said.
A version of this news article first appeared in the Curriculum Matters blog.


Welcome to the first year of the infants! Hedgehog class have settled well into Year 1 and we are developing our literacy and numeracy skills through a creative, topic based curriculum.
Throughout the year we will cover the following topics:
Who Am I?
Flowers and Insects
Dark and Light
Hooray...Let's Go On Holiday!
Our first topic was Toys. We found about the history of toys, investigated the materials toys are made from and discussed our favourite toys. Our literacy and numeracy work centred around the film 'Toy Story'. We enjoyed describing characters using adjectives, using speech bubbles and creating our own Toy Story mini-books. In numeracy we had lots of fun solving money problems in our class toy shop!
In our second topic, we found out about ourselves as part of our 'Who am I?' topic. We looked at the work of some famous artists for inspiration when creating our own self portraits. We looked at photographs of ourselves when we were babies and discussed how much we have changed! We have also been thinking about the similarities and differences between us, we understand that we are all unique and this makes us feel special. We have been thinking of positive ways to manage our emotions and we all made individual worry dolls and instructions to go with these. We have had so much fun in our class doctors surgery, especially when weighing babies and using the stethoscopes!
Our next topic was 'Day and Night'. We went on a light source hunt around the school and investigated light and dark in our role play area. We read the story of Owl Babies and used actions to retell this story! We loved performing our sharing assembly to all of our parents and carers!
Our most recent topic was 'Flowers and Insects'. We turned part of our classroom into a garden centre! We have grown broad beans and cress, and learned about the different habitats some plants like to live in. We loved reading and acting out the story of Aaargh Spider!
We all thoroughly enjoyed this topic, especially our trip to the Wetlands Centre! Take a look at our photographs below!


My grandparents immigrated from Italy, and neither of my grandmothers could read or write. My mother, the eldest of five children, was forced to leave school at the age of 14 to help support her family in the early 1930s. I was the first female in my family to attend college, and I have a master’s degree in elementary education. I’m telling you this because it’s clear to me that education is the access to opportunity and fulfillment of potential. It also makes possible the building of wealth — as a single woman, I am the owner of a house on Staten Island, building on the wealth of my parents. Education is the key to a more just, prosperous and equal future for today’s young people. Today’s generation of young people is the largest ever, and 9 out of 10 live in low-income countries. Even before the pandemic, there were 250 million children not in school. The pandemic has been the largest disruption to education in history, and unfortunately, not all children will return to school, especially young girls. Twenty million secondary school girls are at risk of dropping out. Many will be forced into child marriages. Girls deprived of education are deprived of opportunities and dreams. The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the largest global fund solely dedicated to transforming education in low income countries and providing a quality education. Since 2002, 160 million more children have attended school with GPE support, more than half of whom are girls. GPE works with countries with the greatest need. In 2019, 76% of GPE funding went to countries affected by conflict and fragility. Countries applying for grants from the GPE must show a commitment to education in their own national budgets, and there is a high degree of accountability. On July 28 and July 29, the United Kingdom and Kenya will host a replenishment conference for the GPE for 2021-2025. The Global Partnership for Education’s strategy for the next five years is set to enable 175 million kids to attend school in over 90 low income countries, 88 million more than would be otherwise possible. GPE estimates that its investments over the next 5 years will lift 18 million people out of poverty, and prevent 2 million girls from being forced into child marriages. The estimated cost of this five-year plan is $5 billion, not a huge sum when put in the context of the global economy. The U.S. needs to support this goal with a pledge of no less than $1 billion over five years. U.S. leadership with a pledge in this amount will encourage other countries (such as Britain, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Japan) to also step up with pledges that will make the goals of the GPE possible. To quote Malala Yousafzai, “If we are spending billions of dollars on bombs, why not spend on pens, on books, on teachers.” Many of us take the ability to read for granted. One of the things I am happiest about in my life is that I have taught hundreds of children to become good readers and critical thinkers. Let’s give every child on the planet the opportunity to learn to read. (Joanne DiDato, of Port Richmond Center, is a retired elementary school teacher who taught at P.S. 4 on Staten Island. For 35 years, she has been an active volunteer with RESULTS, a citizens’ lobby group dedicated to ending poverty.)
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#1 Storybird for Language Arts
Looking for ways to inspire a love of reading and writing in your students? Digital storytelling is a great way to get disinterested or struggling readers and writers involved in storytelling. Storybird is a collection of unique artwork that provides a stimulus and a background to begin a story. Young writers can browse through the diverse archives of illustrations to find images that match their story or inspire them. Once a story is complete, students can share their creations with a global community of writers. Check out this article from SimpleK12 for other language arts tools.
#2 Wolfram Alpha for Math
Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that gives you answers to any question. This free tool can be used in any subject area, but many of the uses focus on the math and sciences. Enter any calculation, simple or complex, and Wolfram Alpha will solve it. It can even show step-by-step solutions and offer other ways of solving a given equation. Teachers can use this tool in the classroom or show it to their students for homework help. Check out this article for examples on how Wolfram Alpha works.
#3 Project Noah for Science
So much of education takes place indoors. Help reconnect your students with nature by taking them out-of-doors with Project Noah. Students can take pictures of anything from fungi to mammals and submit them to contribute to the global project for documentation. Project Noah also offers special registration for teachers for more ideas on getting your students to become citizen scientists. Check out this article and video for more information about Project Noah.
#4 HistoryPin for Social Studies
HistoryPin is a user-generated archive of historical photos, videos, audio, and more. Teachers can take their students back in time by exploring the extensive archives in class and even get their students involved in the project. Anyone can contribute by submitting pictures and stories of their local community. Teachers can use this resource to teach their students the importance of getting involved on a local level and taking pride in their community. For more ideas on how to use HistoryPin in the classroom, check out this article.
#5 Duolingo for World Languages
Learn just about any major language with Duolingo. This app and site combines game-play with language-learning to make language acquisition fun and effective. Each account is specific to that individual user, which means that students can build their skills at their own pace and receive personalized feedback. Duolingo even has various lesson plans and activities to help students along their language-learning journey. For more ideas on how to use Duolingo in your classroom, check out this article.
#6 Joytunes for Music
Available on iPhones and iPads, Joytunes is a series of apps that combines game play with music education to help students learn how to play the piano. There are three different levels of learning with these apps. The first is an introduction to the piano, the next is a more in-depth tool where students can learn complete pieces of music, and the final level lets students learn all the basics of music in a step-by-step fashion. Since the piano uses both bass clef and treble clef, it is a great instrument to start music education. Check out this article on the power of music in the classroom.


Individualize Instruction to Provide Targeted Remediation
GSN’s digital curriculum offers the opportunity to individualize instruction to address the unique remediation needs of each student.
Develop Basic Skills with Age-Appropriate Content
GSN’s Foundations courses are specifically designed to address the interests and maturity of students ages 13 and older. Moving at an individual pace, each student is able to take as much — or as little — time as they need to acquire skills appropriate to grades 3 to 8. Interactive multimedia instructional content, extensive scaffolding, frequent opportunities for practice, and integrated formative assessment help students succeed where they did not in the past.
Prepare Students for Success in Algebra I
GSN’s math Foundations courses integrate carefully paced, guided instruction with interactive practice to remediate math skills required for students to succeed in Algebra I and beyond.
Support Literacy Development for Struggling Readers and Writers
GSN’s English Foundations courses offer solutions for below-basic and below-proficient readers and are designed for adolescents who need structured remediation in reading and writing. Scaffolded instruction and extensive practice focus on the development of reading comprehension skills and strategies, as well as writing and composition.


Contemporary Education In The Heart Of uae
Early Movement Education
Specifically targets preschoolers (0-5yrs) and creates an environment that stimulates motor skill development using gymnastics as the vehicle. Research says, "strong motor skills have been linked to academic success."
- Balance Beam walking- Enhances the lateral movements which affects reading.
- Tumbling- The sequencing of steps affects mathematics;
- Trampoline Jumping- Develops kinesthetic perception while the rotary movement aids in communication.
Flippin for Life
Launched to address the needs of school age children and teens. Specialized gymnastics programs and events that convey educational, social and life-skill messages. Activities that expand character building concepts such as teamwork, fair play and respect for all; A constructive alternative to the use of unstructured time Promotes participation in physical activity and the development of fitness habits Empowers youth to say “yes” to good choices, education and leadership
A parent-tot program for 12 months to 2 1/2 year olds focusing on motivation, parent education, and the mastery of simple “tricks” that leads to peer and adult reinforcement for exercise.
5 and 6 year olds who focus on learning fundamental gymnastics skills.
Exposing the kids to a variety of movement challenges which includes trampoline, running, flipping and so on.