How Kids Can Play Their Way to Early Reading Skills
The government is concerned about it. Schools are worried, too. For many moms and dads nationwide, their children’s literacy has become a way of measuring whether they are “good enough” parents. What can parents do to ensure that their kids learn to read?
One key is in the link between good, healthy play, and reading. Children’s literacy development begins at birth, and research has confirmed that one of the best ways for children to master the early skills that lead to reading—everything from eye muscle control to understanding how and where print is used to knowing the alphabet to wanting to be a reader—can be learned during the natural, fun, and motivating activity of good, old-fashioned play.
Here are suggestions—all supported by research—about ways parents can promote literacy development:
Read to your child daily. Board books or soft cloth books for babies help them learn to savor the warm feeling of cuddling up with a story. Many books for babies incorporate play materials like mirrors, different textures, or peek-a-boo flaps to engage young “readers.” As kids get older, they will be eager to name objects, colors, shapes, and characters—and will thrive on simple question-and-answer games parents can make up on the spot.
Engage in “eye tracking” play right from birth. From the first few days of a baby’s life, many parents engage in simple play with their infant that encourages the little one to follow movement with his eyes. This starts to build the eye muscle control skill that is essential later on for following print on the page. As the baby and toddler get older, they will enjoy toys that encourage the child to follow movement with the eyes—everything from crib mobiles to racing cars around a track.
Include printed words in the materials kids use for play. Children learn to read words during play—e.g. signs, labels, lists, charts—that are central to the content of their play. Play provides a motivation for understanding and mastering what a sign, label, or other print material means. Products like kits and games are often good sources of words that children can quickly learn to read.
Encourage your kids to act things out. Dramatic play or pretend play is a great way to build the language skills kids need to become good readers because it introduces so many words, situations, and problems to be solved. The possibilities are endless— children can pretend occupations (doctor, teacher, firefighter, farmer, hairdresser); family activities (going to the beach, camping, doing laundry, parenting); various forms of shopping (groceries, shoes, restaurants); activities related to transportation (airplane, school bus, cars) and much more.
Just because reading is associated with school and causes so much anxiety for kids and grownups doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun. Visit your local neighborhood toy store for expert advice on toys that promote both fun and early literacy.


:: Math for Educators II
|Dates:||01/07/2013 - 05/10/2013|
|Course Prerequisites:||"C" or higher in MATH 111|
|Course Description:||This course deals with
representations of and operations on the
natural numbers, integers, rational
numbers, and real numbers. It also
explores properties of those operations.
|Textbooks:||Books may be purchased at the Kauai CC bookstore or ordered online at http://www.bookstore.hawaii.edu/kauai/home.aspx. If you do not have access to the Internet or unable to travel to the bookstore, you may also order by phone at 1-800-UHBOOKS|
|Technical Requirements:||The Internet allows students to take a course at home using a personal computer. Familiarity with using a computer and basic Internet skills (browsing, sending e-mail, saving/sending files) is required. Students must have a computer with Internet access. Depending on the online course, students may be required to log in at a specific day and time or at anytime. Students taking an online course should always contact their instructor after registration or prior to the first day of class to get detailed information regarding the course.
Minimum Computer Hardware/Software Requirements:
|Additional Notes:||This course is intended for prospective elementary education majors only.|
|Updated:||Thursday, October 4, 2012 09:21:06|


Our good friend Rebecca Dunn is back on the Library as Incubator Project with another great post in her popular Pages to Projects series! She shares how to incorporate elements of art education and appreciation into storytime; if you’ve been inspired by Rebecca’s projects or have used her storytime plans at your library, we’d love to hear about it! Share your experience in the comments. ~Erinn
by Rebecca Z. Dunn
Strong, fascinating, beautiful spirals are present all around us. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes, explores spirals, a shape that occurs in nature over and over and over again from the basic construction of a spider’s web, to the way a spiral galaxy spins. Swirl by Swirl is both poetic and visually stimulating, a storytime crowd pleaser, and the inspiration behind this latest Pages to Projects.
Most well known for her picture book, The House in the Night, which won her a Caldecott gold, Beth Krommes, the artist behind Swirl by Swirl, used her signature technique, scratchboard, to create detailed and elegant illustrations. Scratchboard’s meticulous illustrative technique is accomplished by using sharp tools to carve into special clay. After reading Swirl by Swirl, a unique way to explore spirals is by using a like-minded art technique and by prodding children to make spirals of their own.
Since scratchboard requires special materials and sharp tools, it isn’t a storytime project, but there is a kid-friendly alternative. Children can mimic the art of scratchboard by making scratch art. Using only a few items that you might already have in your supply cabinet, follow these easy steps:
- Oil pastels
- White Cardstock
How to Make Scratch Art:
- Have the children cover their entire piece of white cardstock with various bright colors of oil pastels.
- Using black oil pastels, color over the entire area that was colored in step one.
- Once the colored area is covered with a layer of black oil pastel, scratch the sheet with a toothpick to reveal the colors underneath. If you’re doing this project in conjunction with reading Swirl by Swirl, consider persuading the children to create their own spirals.
An option instead of using black oil pastels to cover the colored side of the paper is to substitute black tempera paint for the black oil pastel. Wait for the paint to dry and it will be prepped for scratching. If you happen to find yourself short on time and materials, a quick fix is to purchase pre-made scratch art sheets through a craft store or party supply outlet like Oriental Trading Company.
Wanna sneak some STEM literacy into your storytime? After you read Swirl by Swirl, talk about what a spiral is (“Spiral: a shape that curls around a center point”) and where they occur in nature as illustrated in your book or in the environment where you reside. Hold up picture examples like these, or make a flannel board demonstration like the one created by Piper Loves the Library.
Math, nature, and art… Spirals are just one way for kids to scratch the surface of the whirling and wonderment found in the world around us.
Check out other books illustrated by Beth Krommes:
- The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes
- Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
- The Hidden Folk – Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies and Other Secret Beings by Lise Lunge-Larsen, illustrated by Beth Krommes
- The Sun in Me – Poems About the Planet by Judith Nicholls, illustrated by Beth Krommes
- The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Beth Krommes
- Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Beth Krommes
For More book recommendations and crafts that introduce fine art to children, be sure to check out the Pages to Projects Pinterest Board!
Rebecca Zarazan Dunn is a Youth Services Librarian Assistant for the Lawrence Public Library, and was recently named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker for 2013. When she’s not at the library or running after her 2-year old daughter, she is most often found at her blog home, Sturdy for Common Things, where she writes about books, library programs, and living the simple life in Lawrence, Kansas.Pin It


1. Author’s Purpose
- This brief presentation defines the relationship between author’s purpose (first slide) and provides a quick interactive opportunity to the author’s reason for writing (2nd slide).
2. Author’s Purpose
– An animated song about all the reasons authors write.
3. Story Time: Water Pollution / Cause and Effect
– This video focuses on cause and effect using water pollution as the topic. Although a 3rd grade lesson, this can be used at the 2nd grade level as well.
4. Helping Students Focus on Text Structure
- This video is part of the “Improving K-3 Reading Comprehension” module at the Doing What Works Clearinghouse. Although, at first glance, the video appears to be on narrative text structure, informational text structure comprises as large part of the video. The video does not directly focus on this standard, but provides helpful guidance to teachers.
5. Uncovering Text Structure
- In this 5 minute video, Dr. Joanna Williams discusses the importance of teaching children about narrative and informational text structure and describes some instructional tools she has used in her research with teachers.
6. Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies and Selecting Appropriate Text
- Although not directly related to this standard, this video provides an overview of strategies useful in teaching reading comprehension.
7. Reading Comprehension
- At this site, view the brief video clip titled “Comprehension” featuring Sharon Walpole. (The videos you can choose from are listed under the “Featured Video”.)
8. Roundtable Discussion: Literacy Workstations
- This video clip shows a discussion among a 3rd grade and a 5th grade teacher and the author, Debbie Diller, about literacy work stations. Note: This video is also listed under this standard’s Activities/Centers tab with additional information.
9. An Introduction to Comprehensive Assessment
- Although this video, and the one following, are not directly related to teaching informational text, they provide a good overview of the assessment process in elementary grades.
High Expectations: Students Learn To Rise to the Occasion
10. Author’s Purpose - Authors have reasons or purposes for writing
. What are they and how can students use this knowledge to describe how those reasons support key points? In this short interactive, learners read a passage, then answer multiple –choice question about the author’s purpose.


I like to see all beginning level piano students start practicing the major scales. There is a wealth of information hidden inside a scale! Knowledge of scales will help you to understand all of the major keys, along with where chords come from and how they are structured. Eventually it will enable you to understand the different types of minor keys and how they function. The melody of a song comes from the scales too. A melody is simply a scale that is rearranged to make a beautiful song or a beautiful work for piano.
The way I present the scales is by explaining that they are actually in two families: the sharp family and the flat family. Each family has its own finger pattern, because of the way the scales are structured. Most of the flat keys contain many black keys and the student understands right away why a different approach is needed to master them. The sharp keys work a bit differently. As you are practicing, you will notice that some keys actually have a more beautiful sound quality than others. In your piano lessons, we’ll talk about this and discuss why it seems that so many pieces are written in D Flat major or C sharp minor, or A major, for example.
Scale study should never be a tedious chore. Five or ten minutes a day is plenty of time for a beginning student to practice the scales and work all their fingers to become proficient and strong and develop the dexterity they are seeking. The great composer and piano teacher Chopin said it best. In his opinion, practicing the scales should never be tedious. He believed that students would get all the technique they need when the practice many different pieces, such as etudes or a polonaise or a piano sonata.
Eventually the day will come when you will see the big picture – how it all fits together. You will look at a piece of music and instead of seeing what looks like a lot of separate notes, you will look at it and see the chord pattern, the melody, and the structure of the composition. At that moment, you will begin to feel very competent and in control. You are now on your way to becoming an excellent musician!
Always remember – the scales are the foundation of everything in music!
The C Major Scale (below) is nice a little exercise to get started. This scale does not have any sharps or flats, so you can focus on the finger pattern.
Janice S. teaches music performance and piano lessons with Wakefield, MA. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Berklee College of Music, and her specialties include classical, show tunes, jazz, and popular music styles. Janice joined the TakeLessons team in Learn more about Janice, or search for a teacher near you!
Photo by bennylin0724


Carla Hogar teaches math and science to grade 5 and grade 6 students in a level 9 NANS school in Québec. She studied Elementary Education at McGill University. She has been teaching for six years and has taught abroad.
With international teaching experience, Carla Hogar has seen a broad variety of learning and teaching resources. Two of her favorite are Reflex and Gizmos. With ExploreLearning’s best-of-breed products, “learning is interactive and students can explore concepts on their own, so learning isn’t so teacher-directed. Also, Gizmos and Reflex take pressure off the teacher because you don’t have to develop extra materials.”
In Carla’s math classes, she uses stations. Her stations include Reflex on laptops, a strategy station, and a manipulative station. Students travel between stations, spending fifteen minutes at each. Carla shares, “The students really enjoy the Reflex station, and they just get so excited to go on it. It’s not like I am throwing them in front of a website that throws facts at them. They can play games, they can purchase things, they are intrigued… and they are learning at the same time! Even with students that have demonstrated mastery, I just find that I have such smoother classes because they already have the facts in mind.” She is working on including Gizmos as part of her math stations soon, too.
In Carla’s science classes, she uses Gizmos that complement each of the themes she teaches. Once she selects an appropriate Gizmo, she models how to use it. She explains, “All the kids sit in front of the interactive whiteboard and experiment together for 5-10 minutes.” Then she lets the students work independently. “For younger grades, they explore the Gizmo in pairs, for grades 5-6 they do it on a laptop and complete it on their own.”
In addition, if the vocabulary is too difficult for some of her students, she says “it’s easy to change because all the Gizmo Lesson Materials are customizable,” which is great for her English Language Learners. Although she is in an Anglophone school board, she still has many bilingual students primarily from French speaking families. “ESL students have special requirements,” she explains, and “Gizmos are able to bridge the gap in vocabulary.”
One of her students’ favorite Gizmos is the Weight and Mass Gizmo because they can compare the weight of objects on earth and measure the mass of objects on different planets including a pumpkin, a flower pot, a baseball, and even a puppy. “They really like that part, and I like that it’s a cross-curricular concept.”
Carla is always sharing new Gizmos with fellow teachers because the simulations are “such great tools that go along with our curriculum guidelines. It is not like Gizmos are something extra, they complement what we’re supposed to be teaching.” Carla is always looking for new and exciting ways to integrate Gizmos, and shares, “as with any good teacher, I am always in the process of learning and improving my practice.”


David Constantine White (1948 – 2011) – was a well respected, innovative working potter who was fascinated by the challenges of clay and ceramics.
David spent his childhood and youth in Halifax where he relished the fact that, although surrounded by the trappings of an industrial town, he could be in the midst of nature and wilderness within fifteen minutes.
With his sketchbook to hand, he recorded the colours, textures and diversity of the natural life around him. His observations were to inform his use of colour, design and texture throughout his career in the studio pottery to which he devoted his life.
David had a formal art education but did not find the direction he sought through academic study. In his early twenties he worked his way round France, becoming fluent in the language and making life-long friends. He had enjoyed working with a local potter, Isaac Button, at weekends and holidays and upon his return to England put the experience he had gained towards forging his own career as a craft potter. He taught himself geology so that he could identify his own sources of clay and studied methods of firing pots, building his own kilns if necessary, to achieve the results he wanted.
David was particularly interested in tin glazes and was an expert in majolica techniques. He spent many years imparting his experience and knowledge, teaching in the local community, both in colleges and at his own pottery workshop in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire.
We are currently producing a book to show David’s work and to demonstrate his unique views of life and pottery. If you have any contributions which you would like to offer, please get in touch.


Individual differences |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
A person who is tone deaf lacks relative pitch, the ability to discriminate between musical notes. Being tone deaf is having difficulty or being unable to correctly hear relative differences between notes; however, in common usage, it refers to a person's inability to reproduce them accurately. The latter inability is most often caused by lack of musical training or music education and not actual tone deafness.
The ability of relative pitch, as with other musical abilities, appears to be inherent in healthy functional humans. The hearing impairment appears to be genetically influenced, though it can also result from brain damage. While someone who is unable to reproduce pitches because of a lack of musical training would not be considered tone deaf in a medical sense, the term might still be used to describe them casually. Someone who cannot reproduce pitches accurately, because of lack of training or tone deafness, is said to be unable to "carry a tune." Tone deafness affects ability to hear pitch changes produced by a musical instrument and/or the human voice. However, tone deaf people seem to be only disabled when it comes to music, and they can fully interpret the prosody or intonation of human speech. It has been observed that in societies with tonal languages such as Cantonese and Vietnamese, there are almost no tone deaf people. This might point to it being a learnt skill.
Tone deaf people often lack a sense of musical aesthetics, and much like a color blind person would not be apt to appreciate colorful visual art, some tone deaf people cannot appreciate music. Tone deafness is also associated with other musical-specific impairments such as inability to keep time with music (the lack of rhythm), or the inability to remember or even recognize a song. These disabilities can appear separately but some research shows that they are more likely to appear in tone deaf people.
Tone deafness is also known variously as amusia, tune deafness, dysmelodia and dysmusia.
- Amusia, the medical loss of musical ability
- Absolute pitch, the rare ability to name a musical note when played or sung
- Relative pitch, the normal human ability to accurately discriminate pitch intervals
- Deafness, the inability to hear sound
- Color blindness
- John Slobada


Deputy Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the OECD's Secretary General
Numeracy test scores of tertiary graduates and teachers
But, again, does all that mean that in those countries the top third graduates chose to become teachers rather than lawyers, doctors or engineers? In the past, nobody really knew because it is very difficult to get comparative evidence on this. That has now changed. A few weeks ago, we published results from our first Survey of Adult Skills, which tested the skills of countries’ workforces – including teachers – in key areas such as numeracy, literacy and problem-solving. With a back-of-the-envelope calculation (teachers are only a small group of the 5000+ workers in each country who were tested) it is possible to compare the numeracy and literacy skills of teachers with those of other college and university graduates (see the chart above).
So what do the results show? In short, among the countries with comparable data, there is no single country where, based on their average numeracy skills, teachers are in the top third of workers with a college degree; and there is no country where they are among the bottom third of college graduates. In fact, teachers tend to come out remarkably similarly to the average worker with a college or university degree. There are just a few exceptions: In Japan and Finland, for example, the average teacher has better numeracy skills than the average college graduate while in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Slovak Republic and Sweden it is the other way round.
But you can look at this another way. While, in each country, teachers tend to score similarly to college graduates on our numeracy test, the numeracy skills of the workforce themselves differ substantially across countries, and so the numeracy skills of teachers vary too: Teachers in Japan and Finland come out on top, followed by their Flemish (Belgium), German, Norwegian and Dutch colleagues, while teachers in Italy, the Russian Federation, Spain, Poland, Estonia and the United States come out at the bottom.
So, how then do the numeracy skills of teachers square with student learning outcomes in mathematics? We will all find out on 3 December when results from the next PISA round, the global metric of student performance, will be published.
In the meantime, we can turn our attention to the things we already know. Unless countries have the luxury of hiring teachers from Finland or Japan, they need to think hard about making teaching a well-respected profession and a more attractive career choice - both intellectually and financially - and invest more in teacher development and competitive employment conditions. They can also learn from high-performing education systems how to transform the work organisation in their schools by replacing administrative forms of management with professional norms that provide the status and the high-quality training, responsibility and collaborative work that go with professional work. They can develop effective systems of social dialogue, and appealing forms of employment that balance flexibility with job security, and that grant sufficient authority for schools to manage their talent. And, perhaps most crucially, many countries need to do better in attracting the most talented teachers to the most challenging classrooms to ensure that every student benefits from high-quality teaching. The alternative is clear: a downward spiral - from lowered standards for entry, leading to lowered confidence in the profession, resulting, in turn, in more prescriptive teaching and thus less personalisation in learning experiences –that will risk driving the most talented teachers out of the profession, that will then lower the skills of the teacher population.
First result of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
TALIS (OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey)
Chart source: © OECD


Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education program prepares students educationally to immediately become assistant teachers, teachers, or site directors in early childhood settings such as early learning (child care) centers and preschool programs (Professional Track). It also prepares students to transfer to bachelor degree programs in early childhood education, child development, or elementary education (Transfer Track).
The curriculum balances general education courses with courses specifically designed to develop an understanding of the learning needs of young children. Many opportunities for “hands-on” experiences with children give students a firm foundation for immediately entering the workforce or continuing their formal education.
After completing the Associate in Science of Early Childhood Education degree at Lackawanna College, students will be able to:
- Explain the history, foundational theory, governance, and persistent issues in education, as well as the responsibilities and behaviors of a well-organized and responsible educator
- Define, analyze, differentiate, and create effective assessments that align with objectives appropriate for children from Birth to Grade Four, considering student strengths and weaknesses
- Self-assess and reflect on teaching effectiveness in light of student’s learning styles, development, and ability levels and use that reflection to contribute to current debates in early learning curricular and assessment reform
- Identify and apply knowledge of all developmental domains as well as the implications of that development for effective teaching and learning
- Demonstrate application of models, theories, and laws of inclusive education in curriculum and lesson planning and identify and demonstrate application of assistive technology and other strategies to implement IFSP goals
- Explain and demonstrate how educational theory informs best practice through the creation and application of developmentally appropriate, standards-based learning environments and materials
- Differentiate, discuss, and create classroom management plans with consideration of teacher behavior in time management and organization in space, methods, and materials adaptations; and expectations for student behavior with age-appropriate, educationally-focused accountability
- Describe and evaluate the process and progress of children’s literacy acquisition, including the role of literature in cross-curricular activities
- Establish and implement respectful, collaborative relationships among family, school, peers, community, and media, while identifying laws that govern the release if student information
- Carry out play-based lessons and assessments
- Demonstrate knowledge, skills, ethics, and experience sufficient to be “work ready” as well as “transfer ready”
- Participate in level I and II field observation to analyze and apply program level objectives


Reading Textbook Selection
Commercial reading programs form the basis for reading instruction in many classrooms. Instructional manuals with detailed lesson plans, reading materials, and activities are generally included in these programs. Analysis of available commercial programs for early elementary grades was done in 1993. At that time very few programs included explicit teaching and application of the alphabetic principle, the very instructional components that are among those whose importance is most strongly supported by research. Many of the programs have since been revised to more clearly reflect the findings of the NICHD research. Noted below are the underlying instructional activities that serve to teach the skills identified in this document (Snow, 1998):
- Oral language activities for fostering growth in receptive and expressive language and verbal reasoning,
- Reading aloud with children to foster their appreciation and comprehension of text and literary language,
- Phonemic analysis activities that focus on words and their phonemic elements, oral segmenting and blending activities, oral syllabication, and rhyming activities,
- Decoding instruction. Sound symbol relationship activities that promote the relationship between letters and sounds,
- Text characteristics that include word lists, and connected text; text and activities designed to provide multiple examples of the phonics instruction in the program.,
- Activities to promote opportunities for students to build reading fluency,
- Writing activities for developing children's personal appreciation of the communicative dimensions of print and for exercising printing and spelling abilities,
- Activities to promote understanding of the text prior to reading. Comprehension skill strategy training,
- Print-directed activities for establishing children's ability to recognize and print the letters of the alphabet,
- Word-directed activities for helping children to acquire a basic sight vocabulary and to understand and appreciate the alphabetic principle.
Commercial programs that meet the above criteria and correlate to the Idaho Achievement Standards are identified in the annual Adoption Guide.


The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Dielman, Frederick
DIELMAN, Frederick, American painter: b. Hanover, Germany, 25 Dec. 1847. He removed to the United States in childhood, and was graduated at Calvert College. He was a topographer and draughtsman in the United States Engineer Department 1866-72; studied art under Wilhelm Diez at Munich, and established a studio in New York in 1876. He designed the mosaic panels, ‘Law and History’ in the Congressional Library at Washington, D. C., and was president of the National Academy of Design from 1899 to 1909. He was most successful as a genre painter. His best pictures are ‘The Patrician Lady’; ‘My Own Puss’; ‘Lunching’ and ‘The Young Gamblers.’ In 1903 Dielman became professor of drawing at the College of the City of New York and about the same time was made director of the art schools at Cooper Union, New York. He also assisted in promoting the Society of American Artists; was president of the Arts Federation of New York and an important figure in all art education and advancement.


Third Grade Reading Guarantee Family Resources
The ability to read is the foundation of learning. Research shows that children who are not reading at a third-grade level by the end of grade 3 are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades.
Resources to Help Your Child
Struggling readers greatly benefit from their families’ involvement and help at home. The following links will give you the tools you need. Take special note of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee Parent Roadmaps for Grade 1-4 families. These will tell you what to expect and how to help at every point.
Additional Resources from INFOhio
Beach Bags - "Beach Bags," are an online set of printable books and other helps that give parents an easy way to keep their children's reading skills sharp, with fun summer activities arranged around five themes: weather, pets, transportation, food, and neighborhoods. Each downloadable Beach Bag includes two free "little books" you can print out at home, two related activities, a list of classic picture books for further reading and a list of suggested websites to explore. Beach Bags are offered free to all Ohio families by INFOhio and the Ohio Department of Education.
BookFLIX - pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction e-books. This engaging combination of read-aloud stories and read-along nonfiction builds phonemic awareness; develops phonics decoding skills; and strengthens vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, all while introducing children to a world of knowledge and exploration. Many of the nonfiction titles cover STEM and social studies standards. Lexile scores are included.
The Early World of Learning - offers students in grades K-3 narrated stories, interactive reading games, leveled reading practice, and an online encyclopedia. Early World of Learning's 'Welcome to Reading' section offers new readers stories, games, and activities to help them increase their skills. Two other areas on the site--Trek's Travels and Know It--help children develop vocabulary and comprehension. Early World of Learning also offers teachers a quiz feature that lets them assign quizzes and track progress on a variety foundational skills, including early childhood themes such as colors and numbers. Teachers can assign quizzes to specific students and even design their own quizzes to complement classroom discussion.
Searchasaurus - gives young learners a chance to practice reading and searching skills. Students can search by Lexile score, which lets them find articles at the right reading level. It includes many articles, pictures, and tools for educators to help students develop reading skills. Articles can be viewed in HTML or PDF format.
Outside Intervention or Tutoring Provider
Districts and community schools must make available and pay for intervention or tutoring services if the parents request them. Because local circumstances and needs vary, each district has authority to select its own service provider. Districts and schools may, but are not required, to use this screening tool to help evaluate potential service providers.
Last Modified: 9/23/2014 10:20:38 AM


Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
>Performance Objectives: The students will learn about the advantages of
>a computer as an art tool vs. the use of conventional art tools.
>1. The history of computer graphics
>2. Learn how local artist are using computers to produce their art and
>3. Use current methods to produce their own computer graphics
Seems to me that you are covering a lot of territory here--you don't
indicate the time allowed....
The most dramatic--and hands on-- method of comparing the two mediums would
probably be to assign half of the class to do a project on the computer and
half to do the same thing in traditional media Or ask each person to do
two very similar projects -one in traditonal and the other on the
computer. The comparisons will point up not only differences in procedure,
time, thinking required, but also individual differences in response to
>why the mainsteam artists don't consider the computer to be a true art
There are still folk who don't consider photography an art
form!......Cameras and computers don't make art--artists do! My personal
web page below has some computer graphics done with Painter--and there are
may artists on the web....
You might want to check out the Missouri Art Education Association's web
site. I don't know whether it will help you specifically or not, but we're
trying to include lessons for the one (or no) computer classrom where a
lesson can be done in both traditional and computer media.
Hope this helps a bit.
Lily Kerns CWKerns
Art Teachers-- http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/9575


The international community has responded generously to the human suffering occasioned by the famine in Somalia. The World Food Program has acted swiftly by providing relief food to millions affected by the famine and vaccines and medical assistance are being offered in Mogadishu and refugee camps to address the spreading cholera epidemic, cases of measles, and acute malnutrition. The response to the famine is not limited to traditional donors such as the United States and European Union; other countries have been generous in their humanitarian assistance, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan and China. With resources continuing to pour in, the long-term consequences of the famine, in terms of the country’s future human capital endowment, must now be given sufficient attention, especially with the limited access to quality educational opportunities by impacted children and youth.
The immediate needs in the region are dire as conditions continue to deteriorate. The consequences of the worst drought in 60 years will extend long beyond the next rainfall. In Somalia, children are among the victims who have suffered the most at the hands of the famine and, without access to learning opportunities, the crisis could set them back for life. A recent study by UNICEF cautions that half of the teachers in southern Somalia will not return to their schools once they reopen due to permanent population movement to the capital and the loss of essential teaching incentives. Additionally, 200,000 children may drop out of school as a result of the famine, adding to the country’s already dismal 33 percent primary enrollment rate.
Severe malnutrition and starvation can handicap children later in life. Research shows that critical brain development occurs from pregnancy to age three and quality early childhood development is a key priority for ensuring that children enter primary school prepared to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills with the rest of their peers. Quality early childhood development opportunities have shown to increase school attendance, lower rates of repetition and attrition, and improve learning achievement. A promising sign in Somalia are the therapeutic feeding centers and supplementary feeding programs. These ensure children receive the nutrients essential for brain development, which will help children not only survive this travesty, but thrive later in life.
Furthermore, children and youth living in conflict and crisis-affected areas often face additional disadvantages and marginalization in accessing quality education. In Somalia, students contend with ongoing security concerns that are now compounded by the challenges brought on by the famine. Together, these conditions have resulted in a massive refugee crisis, with over 400,000 people now living in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, and thousands more outside its gates. Worldwide, a displaced individual lives in a refugee camp for an average of 17 years – a lifetime for those displaced as children or born into refugee camps. Almost half of all children who are not in school live in countries affected by conflict; furthermore, learning outcomes for girls living in conflict-affected regions are among the worst in the world.
In Somalia, emergency assistance to address the famine and health situation is needed immediately and must be the priority of all donors and humanitarian organizations. However, providing education opportunities should also be part of the medium and long-term response to the crisis. Ensuring children have adequate nutrition through school meal programs and receive adequate health care through school-based vaccinations will encourage parents to send their children to school and improve children’s performance while enrolled. Establishing schooling environments – whether formal or non-formal – in refugee camps and providing educators with training and incentives will help create safe spaces for children and youth to receive a quality education. Because of the ongoing conflict in Somalia, some students have already lived in a state of vulnerability for much of their lives. Ensuring youth develop workforce and livelihood skills through opportunities beyond primary school is critical to the development of the next generation of leaders and citizens who can help to stabilize the nation and prevent the next famine. These are all steps that will mitigate the long-term social effects of an otherwise debilitating crisis and help the country rebuild a strong workforce and enhance human capital.


Art teachers not happy with No Child Left Behind
By huge majorities, art teachers think No Child Left Behind has not helped their students, has not made them better teachers and has not had a positive effect on art education, according to a national survey released last week.
That's probably not a surprise, given widespread concerns about narrowing curriculum and the arts and music being shortchanged by accountability programs. But the survey, commissioned by the National Art Education Association, is the first we've seen that sought to measure how much discontent is out there from this group of teachers specifically. More specifically, the survey found:
- 67 percent of teachers said NCLB has not helped their students become better learners.
- 89 percent said it had a negative impact on faculty morale.
- 73 percent said it had a negative effect on their attitude about being an art teacher.
- 58 percent said their workloads had increased because of it (apparently because they're backing up teachers in other subjects such as reading and math).


Yahaya Bin Jusoh, and Azhar Bin Muhammad, (2010) Kesepaduan falsafah sains AL-Qur’an dalam kurikulum sekolah rendah sebagai asas pembentukan masyarakat hadhari di Malaysia. Jurnal Hadhari, 2 (1). pp. 23-41. ISSN 1985-6830
The civilizational (hadhari) community could be shaped in the Malaysian community through a formal education system. The approach which uses Qur’anic science philosophy combines social science and natural science with theological knowledge in the primary school curriculum could also realize and establish this community. It is undeniable with the emergence of modern science in the era of globalization causes the principle thinking of Qur’anic science philosophy to be isolated. The teachings of social science and natural science started to be separated from theological knowledge of which is more to the direction of materialistic elements compared to spiritual elements. Through reforming the national curriculum, primary school students, as the new generation, will form the foundation of thought in Qur’anic science philosophy which focuses on the existence of a civilizational community. This paper work will present the importance of this philosophy in the national education system exclusively in the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (KBSR) which is the foundation to create the civilizational community.
|Keywords:||civilizational (hadhari) community; Qur’anic science philosophy; education system; national curriculum.|
|Deposited By:||Mr Fazli Nafiah -|
|Deposited On:||09 Dec 2010 14:26|
|Last Modified:||20 May 2011 09:01|
Repository Staff Only: item control page


There is a laundry list of unsafe foods and beverages to consume while pregnant—chief among them is alcohol. However, a new study funded by the CDC out of Denmark has concluded to the contrary that “low to moderate average weekly alcohol consumption” had no effect on the neurodevelopment of children at the age of 5, NPR’s health blog SHOTS reports.
The study measured the IQs, attention spans and decision-making skills of more than 1,600 5-year-olds as well as the drinking habits of the mothers in early pregnancy. The mothers’ questionnaire showed a little less than half refrained from alcohol completely, the next largest group had 1-4 drinks a week, roughly 175 women had 5-8 drinks a week, and only 20 of them drank 9 or more drinks containing alcohol each week.
Although the results of the study were technically conclusive, a number of remaining variables—other age groups, motor skill development, etc—still exist, making the results highly focused and lacking in a definitive answer to the general question.
"The danger of it is that people consider it definitive research and definitive reassurance that any alcohol use, including binge drinking, during pregnancy is innocuous," says Janet Williams, a pediatrician at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
Williams continues on to say that the safest option for the child during pregnancy is for the mother to abstain from all alcohol. The Danish researchers agree, adding, "small quantities consumed occasionally in pregnancy do not appear to pose serious issues.”
How do you feel about this new research, and what is your opinion on drinking alcohol during pregnancy?


Welcome to our Elementary School!
Thematic teaching will be the basis of instruction in the elementary department. The joy of this level of education is that so much can be included while teaching social studies, science, and other content areas within developmentally appropriate activities. Language and literacy development (in both ASL and English), art, math, gross motor, and fine motor will be wrapped into the development of those themes. We will be including field trip experiences to support the themes taught.
Our goal is to have a variety of literacy activities within each theme. Daily Read-alouds, guided reading, and independent reading will be expected and modeled; as will the use of ASL literature and drama. The Friends of OSD granted us the ability to purchase the Signed Stories App and bundles for use on our students iPads and over the classroom projectors. (http://www.signedstories.com/
We have seen Writers’ Workshop be an effective and meaningful way to provide instruction across the elementary grades and plan to put that into place. In addition to the direct instruction mini-lessons that kick off writers’ workshop, We have seen how the students encourage and teach one another as they work on authentic projects and explore the many ways print is used.
The math curriculum we are using currently comes from The Math Learning Center. http://www.mathlearningcenter.
We have purchased Project STEM from Pearson to be used in the elementary department. We will be trying out the K-2 student modules (6 project based topics and labs).
We are currently investigating two additional curriculum components. One is The Incredible Flexible You, a Social Thinking and social emotional learning curriculum that is geared for the early elementary years. We also participate in the school wide PBIS program and are discussing ways to continue to support the development of students’ self-regulation and problem solving skills.
The second is MindWing Concepts materials which link language development to literacy development with some hands-on tools. Story Grammar Marker, Talk to Write, Write to Learn, and Holding Stories in the Palm of Your Hand are the components we are currently investigating. Braidy, the StoryBraid is the initial component that would be used in the Kindergarten classroom to develop narrative development and critical thinking skills. Holding Stories is the application of the Story Grammar Marker to Deaf students who use English and ASL.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Greg Coughlan, Grades K-2 Teacher
Mr. Scott Pfaff, Grades 3-4 and PE Teacher
Ms. Michelle Hardey, Grades 3-4 and Language Lab Teacher
Ms. Gayle Robertson, Art Teacher


Infant Toddler Development Training
|Age||Examples of Language Play behaviors||Typical Adult support with objects or others||Adaptive Adult support with objects or others|
|Young Infants Birth to 8 Months||- cries to signal pain or distress
-smiles to make contacts with others
-responds to voices and gazes
-uses vocal and non
-vocal communication to express interest or delight
|-use exaggerated speech while facing the baby to stimulate cooing
-make silly expressions for baby's intent expressions and overall body responsiveness
-name the baby's body parts as you touch each one
-sing to the baby for auditory intrigue and emotional comfort
|-put the babies head next to your chest as you talk so he can feel the sounds, too
-use brighter colors of object
-use soft objects to name or show -turn the baby's head to you as you speak
-look directly at the baby eyes when you speak to him/her
-use rattles to get his/her attention
|Mobile Infants 8 Months to 18 Months||-understands more words that can say
-looks at objects when named
-creates longer babble sentences
-shakes head - NO!
-looks at and points in picture books
-uses other vocal sounds to get attention
-uses me, I , you
|-pretend to talk on the phone and then hold the phone for the baby to speak
-look at picture books together and make the animal sounds in the book
-repeat their sounds, ie ba-ba-ba back to them
-provide simple pictures for the baby to name
|-provide phones and books that talk and repeat phrases
-use more simple language and ask them to repeat it
-provide larger photos with less people in each photo
-teach "baby-signs" (language) of common objects
|Toddlers and Twos 18 Months to 35 Months||-combines words -listens to stories for a short while
-may have 200 word vocabulary -develops fantasy in language
-defines household items
-uses compound sentences
-uses adjective and adverbs
|-look at family photos together and say - "point to..."
-engage in fantasy play and ask "what are you pretending?"
-count with the child
-have the child tell you about his drawings and paintings
|-provide a simple PECs (picture cuing) system for the child to point to pictures to let you know what he/she wants
-provide more guidance and suggestions in fantasy play to enrich the experience
-provide books with audiotapes and headphones
From: Brain Wonders (Bredekamp & Copple, l987; Frost, Worthington, Reifel, 2005; Gozalez-Mena, Eyer, 2004; Johnson, Christie, &Yawkey, 1999; Johnson-Martin, Jens, Attermeier, & Hacker, 1991; O'Brien, 1997.
Language and Speech: Critical Points for Interventions
Read the Introduction to Early Literacy informational topics listed below.
- What We Know About Early Language and Literacy Development
- Early Literacy Does Not Mean Early Reading
- What Infants and Toddlers Can Do - Early Literacy Behaviors
Next, read Repeated Readings Here, you will find the answer to the following question "Why does a young toddler insist on having the same book read over and over again?"
Consider these questions:
- Sometimes families say they are too busy to read to their child. What would you as a service provider say and do to work with the family?
- What community resources are available to help families with their child's literacy development?
- Do you know how to make a book with a family that they can read with their child?


A Situated Evaluation of Using Computers for Writing in Classrooms
Routledge – 1992 – 248 pages
Series: Technology and Education Series
This volume centers on the words and experiences of teachers and students who used QUILL -- a software package developed by the authors to aid in writing instruction. It looks in detail at the stories of these early users and considers questions relevant for other teachers, students, researchers, and developers of educational innovations. Questions posed include:
* What does it mean to develop an environment for literacy in an actual classroom?
* How can a teacher create an environment in which students work together toward meaningful goals?
* How can a teacher promote the rich communication so necessary for developing language?
* What is the role of technology in the practice and development of literacy?
The examination of the QUILL experiences provides a fuller and more revealing account of what it meant to use QUILL than would have been possible through standard evaluation techniques. At the same time, the focus on the particulars also finds analogues in analyses of similar pieces of open-ended software or educational innovations in general.
"This excellent book describes in detail the inauguration processes and results (realizations) of varied field testing of the Electronic Quills literacy curriculum….This scholarly work is well organized, succinctly written, and is supported by numerous tables and figures which explain the Quills program. Scholars and students will find the references current and productive. Highly recommended for acquisition by academic libraries…especially useful for professionals and for university faculty, graduate students, and scholars with special interests in curriculum development, educational innovation, and teacher education."
"…its central theses and ethnographic detail make it a worthwhile read for those interested in designing computer writing environments, especially across educational levels….well based in educational theory, but its real power resides in its anecdotes, its summaries of student and faculty exchanges, and its presentation of computer-mediated texts."
—Technical Communication Quarterly
Contents: Introduction. Contexts for Literacy Development. QUILL: A System to Support Literacy Development. The Alaskan Context. Alternate Realizations of Purposeful Writing. Revision. The Alaska QUILL Network: Fostering A Teacher Community Through Telecommunication. Situated Evaluation. Conclusion: What We Have Learned.


Mixcraft is a fun and easy-to-use program that instantly turns your computer into a fully-stocked music recording studio. Mixcraft Teacher's Guide is the ideal compliment for educational programs that use Mixcraft in the classroom.
The book examines Mixcraft’s many capabilities including composing music, recording, mixing, adding effects, and working with video. The Teacher's Guide provides numerous examples of how to incorporate Mixcraft into both music and non-music assignments, including marketing and advertising, podcast creation, and spoken word performances.
The Teacher's Guide contains 13 inventive lessons designed for grade school through high school classes. Together, these lessons address all of the National Standards for Music Education (NSME).
Along with the book is a free “Additional Materials Download” which includes helpful teaching aids, such as printable lesson plans, fun example projects, video clips, and other useful resources.
Mixcraft’s Teaching Guide is designed to compliment educational programs that use Mixcraft. The book examines Mixcraft’s many capabilities including, for example, digital signal processing and music composition. Suggestions on how Mixcraft can be incorporated into both music and non-music assignments (such as marketing/advertising, podcast creation, and the spoken word performances) are provided throughout the course of the book. Also with the book is an “Additional Material Download” which includes teaching aids, such as printable lesson plans (in .pdf form), that give students and educators the ability to work through assignments together. Most importantly however, the text offers strategies for teaching these principles and articulates complex concepts in terms that students will understand. In addition, the internet contains many tutorials on various areas of Mixcraft use. Acoustica’s YouTube page contains dozens of Mixcraft tutorial that are guided by Craig Anderton. Finally, Mixcraft has an excellent “Help” section accessible once the software has been opened. Feel free to use these resources in conjunction with this manual.
There has been a strong demand for lesson plans specifically designed for Mixcraft. Consequently, the final two-thirds of this manual offer detailed, exemplary lesson plans that are designed specifically for grade school, middle school, and high school students. The lesson plans are divided by estimated classroom time and by relevance to interdisciplinary topics.
Chapter 1 begins with suggestions on constructing a music lab. Various designs are offered to help educators create an ideal teaching environment.
Chapter 2 examines Mixcraft’s various functions and features including details of the interface and preferences for tweaking the software to match the demands of the individual classroom.
Chapters 3 and 4 offer brief tutorials on two principal areas – how to use both audio and MIDI with Mixcraft. For educators interested in developing film or video lesson plans,
Chapter 5 covers Mixcraft’s video functions. All of the software’s extra features, such as plugins, virtual instruments
Chapter 6 covers audio loops.
Chapter 7 covers what presumably the majority of educators will be interested in – music composition using Mixcraft.
Chapter 8 covers the formal introduction to these comprehensive lesson plans.


Encouraging a civic literacy: A pedagogy of self -reflection, agency, and action
Students enter college composition courses with preconceived ideas about literacy. Literacy myths restrict the ways that students engage in writing activities and limit their development and perceptions of themselves as writers. To overcome these barriers, writers should become active participants in the construction of their literacy development. ^ A composition pedagogy should encourage writers to redefine their literacy as continuously changing and as a fluid concept—a literacy of possibilities. Composition researchers and pedagogues should find ways to re-conceptualize literacy as fluid changing from context to context—or, as Deborah Brandt (1998) suggests, literacy in flux. Jay Robinson (1998) calls for a pedagogy that encourages civic literacy among students: developing agency, engaging in conversations, and drawing on Freire's “praxis,” taking actions that produce change based on critical self-reflection. ^ This study contends that a pedagogy of civic literacy encourages writers to critically reflect on their literacy practices in different genres and contexts. Literacy narratives provide opportunities for writers to engage in necessary critical self-reflection. ^ This qualitative teacher-research study examines the literacy narratives of fifteen writers in a first-year composition course. Student-written narratives were analyzed to determine ways in which continuous self-reflective writing encouraged civic literacy. Discourse analysis of students' narratives was conducted. Descriptions of the category development process and coding system are provided. Three criteria are indicated that suggest awareness of civic literacy in students' narratives in this study. ^ Literacy narratives are valuable genres for writers to reflect on their literacy development. Reflective writing helps students to (1) identify roles and responsibilities as writers; (2) define literacy as continuous rhetorical choices and as a fluid process; and (3) become active participants in their literacy development. As active participants, students are encouraged to engage in civic literacy, to enact change through writing, and to contribute to a broader critical dialogue on literacy issues. A composition pedagogy that asks writers to be self-reflective, re-define their “literacies,” and use writing to enact changes in communities encourages a civic literacy. Conclusions suggest that literacy narratives offer pedagogical benefits and benefits to writers. Further composition research is needed to explore connections between self-reflective discourse and civic literacy. ^
Language, Rhetoric and Composition
Susan L DeRosa,
"Encouraging a civic literacy: A pedagogy of self -reflection, agency, and action"
Dissertations and Master's Theses (Campus Access).


ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Teacher Resources by Grade
|1st - 2nd||3rd - 4th|
|5th - 6th||7th - 8th|
|9th - 10th||11th - 12th|
Word Recognition Strategies Using Nursery Rhymes
|Grades||K – 2|
|Lesson Plan Type||Standard Lesson|
|Estimated Time||Four 20-minute sessions|
Nursery rhymes are the perfect vehicle for teaching word families because they are rich with examples of rhyming words. In this lesson, students learn to identify written words with similar endings by singing and reciting nursery rhymes. Students begin by reciting Humpty Dumpty, identifying two words with similar ending sounds, and creating their own lists of words with the same ending sound. Students repeat this procedure with words from Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Jack and Jill. Finally, students access a website to identify the word families featured in other nursery rhymes and then create an illustration and text based on their favorite nursery rhyme.
Juel, C., & Minden-Cupp, C. (1999/2000). One down and 80,000 to go: Word recognition instruction in the primary grades. The Reading Teacher, 53, 332–335.
- Children benefit from both direct phonics instruction and the reading and discussion of texts.
- Children entering first grade with minimal reading skill seem to have the greatest success with the following practices: modeling of chunking, sounding, and blending, comparing and contrasting words sounds and spelling patterns, and small group lessons.


Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM)
MIOSM® Home • What is MIOSM? • The Concert for MIOSM • MIOSM Advocacy Inserts and broader minded Advocacy Inserts for Concert Programs • Show Your Support • Change Your Profile Photo for MIOSM • MIOS Tour II • MIOSM and Advocacy • Register for Your Flag Certificate • Activity Ideas • MIOSM Awareness Items • MIOSM Chairperson • Press Information • Download Logos
Change your profile picture for Music In Our schools Month® during March!
What is Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM)?
Music In Our Schools Month® or “MIOSM” is NAfME’s annual celebration during March which engages music educators, students, and communities from around the country in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools.
Music In Our Schools Month® began as a single statewide Advocacy Day and celebration in New York in 1973 and grew over the decades to become a month-long celebration of school music in 1985.
How can I get involved in Music In Our Schools Month®?
Music teachers celebrate MIOSM in many ways by offering special performances, lessons, sing-alongs and activities to bring their music programs to the attention of administrators, parents, colleagues, and communities to display the positive benefits that school music brings to students of all ages.
NAfME provides many special resources for teachers and schools to use in their concerts, lessons, and advocacy events that highlight the importance of school music.


All vehicles with a manual transmission will have a friction clutch between the engine and gearbox, allowing the driver to pull away from a standstill and change gears. Clutches are hard wearing, but do need periodic replacement as the clutch wears down.
1Identify the symptoms of a worn clutch. Usually this is characterised by the clutch slipping as you apply power- the engine speed will increase greatly when you try to accelerate, even though the clutch pedal is not pressed. Under normal driving, a healthy clutch will 'lock' the engine to the transmission, so its speed should be directly linked to changes in the vehicle speed.Ad
2Make sure the clutch itself is at fault. If your vehicle has a hydraulically-operated clutch, eliminate air in the system by bleeding the hydraulic circuit, as you would with the braking system. A cable-operated clutch could be suffering from a seized or jammed cable, preventing the clutch from taking the full torque from the engine.
3Have the clutch replaced as soon as possible. Clutch replacement is an involving job, requiring removal of the transmission to access the clutch. Unless you are an experienced home mechanic, book your car into a garage to have the work done.Ad
We could really use your help!
Science for Kids?
Careers in the Military?
- A sure fire way to know your clutch is worn out, select 3rd or 4th gear at around 30Mph/55Kph with the clutch engaged, and open the throttle wide (hit the gas). If your engine starts revving at high RPM and vehicle is not picking up speed, the clutch plate is worn out. The engine revs over because the clutch does not have enough contact with the flywheel, causing slip.
- Don't drive the car with a worn clutch. Fuel economy and available power will be reduced, and the clutch could fail completely at any time, leaving you stranded by the roadside.
- Clutch replacement is time-consuming, involving removal of the transmission. While on a rear-wheel-drive vehicle this may be relatively simple, on a front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle the task is more difficult. Because of this, it's good practice to change the clutch whenever the gearbox is removed from the vehicle. This can save time and money in the long run, especially if you are having a garage do the work.
Categories: Engine Parts
In other languages:
Español: saber si un coche necesita un embrague nuevo, Italiano: Sapere se una Macchina ha Bisogno di una Nuova Frizione, Português: Saber se o Câmbio Precisa ser Trocado, Русский: определить, что в автомобиле пора менять сцепление
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 137,312 times.


Experimental Drawing TechniquesPaperback
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- Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications Inc.,U.S.
- Format: Paperback | 192 pages
- Dimensions: 208mm x 274mm x 15mm | 612g
- Publication date: 1 August 1992
- Publication City/Country: New York
- ISBN 10: 0823016226
- ISBN 13: 9780823016228
- Edition: 30
- Edition statement: 30th
- Illustrations note: 200 b&w illustrations
- Sales rank: 31,314
Stimulating exercises to help beginner to advanced students push the boundaries of traditional drawing. As with most art forms, it's best to comprehend traditional drawing techniques before you break the rules. But once you've mastered the basics, you may find that you gravitate to more abstract ways of rendering everything from still lifes to figures. However, this book is not only about avant-garde style; it is experimental in that it forces the artist out of his or her comfort zone, whatever that might be. In this book, renowned New York University professor, Robert Kaupelis, shares the tutorials that he used with his students, offering illustrations of drawings and paintings from old masters to contemporary artists (and even some outstanding works from his students) to explain techniques. Covering everything from creating form through contour drawings to drawing with new technology, "Experimental Drawing" helps you zero in on concepts and form ideas that may take your work to a new and more intriguing level. Some of the innovative exercises you'll find here include: - Drawing models while blindfolded - Engaging in group drawing sessions popularized during the Dada era - Utilizing different drawing materials like glass, plastic, feathers, string, sponges, metal dust, and more - Reducing a post's brushstroke from six to one - Using cross-contour lines for a more abstract still life - Integrating a grid system on a carefully rendered scene to create an illusion of distorted space and movement - And much more... This classic volume's inventive and stimulating projects will help serious artists develop their own vision and their own way to draw. Includes more than 200 spectacular drawings by old and modern masters from Michelangelo to Jasper Johns.
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Robert Kaupelis (1928-2009) was a Professor of Art and Art Education at NYU for nearly three decades. He was cited by Herbert Livesey in "The Professors" as one of the outstanding teachers of art in the nation; an entire chapter in the book was devoted to his career.
Table of contents
Table of Contents: • Chapter One: A Few Words • Chapter Two: Some Basics—Contour, Gesture, and Modeled Drawing • Chapter Three: Organization/Structure—Making Things "Work Together" • Chapter Four: Using Light and Dark • Chapter Five: Photographs, Grids, and Projected Images • Chapter Six: Probing a Single Form-Idea • Chapter Seven: Old and Modern Masters—Appreciated and Exploited • Chapter Eight: Drawing Extended • Chapter Nine: Now to Begin...


Music education with digital technology : changing identities, researching digital classrooms, and strategies for change
Ruthmann, Alex, Finney, John, Seddon, Frederick, Dillon, Steven C., Leong, Samuel, Burnard, Pamela, Savage, Jonathan, & Collins, David (2008) Music education with digital technology : changing identities, researching digital classrooms, and strategies for change. In International Society of Music Education Conference : Symposium, 17-25 July 2008, Bologna, Italy.
This Symposium is about change and innovation in music teaching. It comes at a time when music education, schooling and learning are being redefined. The school can now be accessed from home, home accessed from school, and the rest of the world from both. A revolution is taking place with the demands for creativity, innovation, fresh models of learning and the melting down of traditional school subjects into a wash of generic skills. And at the centre of this revolution, sometimes referred to as the third industrial revolution, is Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Music and ICT, or what is now preferred in official talk within many countries as music technologies, has come to be viewed by governments and their managing agencies as a primary catalyst of change. Indeed, technologies are considered to be the drivers of change inviting frontier thinking and boundary breaking.
Music has long been at the forefront of technological advancement, with music educators harnessing its potential, long before the advent of digital technology. Music and music learning is at ease in the digital age. Yet if this is so, then why is there a gulf between what needs to be done in music teaching and the resources available to do it?
In this Symposium, each presenter illustrates what we can learn from research, concerning both the potential of technology to enhance music teaching and learning, and the potential of research to fuel the change process in teacher practice. Presenters will remind us about what teachers can learn from how students experience collaborative music making and how to use the notion of musicianship to define the computer as instrument. A new use of music technology arises through the development of case study research within virtual and present collaborative learning spaces, which have the potential to fuel the change process for teachers. The potential of e-learning environments to provide collaborative and supportive learning spaces along with ways of changing practice, policy and teacher professionalism will also be discussed. Valuable ways for music educators to engage and extend students learning using online technologies which simultaneously develops the skill of reflective practice are suggested. How technology can play a creative role in music teaching and be used as a tool to create a more inclusive music curriculum will be complemented by lessons from education reform experiences of Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong with testimony to the advantages of locating teachers in the context of imposed change while taking into account the influences of their beliefs on their practice. Ways of rethinking how music teachers can become more active agents of change in music education with the imperative of placing music teachers at the front and centre of the research process will be shared.
The perspectives shared in this symposium present a unique international view and open the doors to further understanding of the complexities of teaching music in the digital age. The contributors from America, England, Italy, China and Australia highlight the need to look for learning across and beyond the walls of classrooms and schools. Their contributions emphasize the teacher’s role in educational change and provide a comprehensive view of how students interact with and utilize technology in music learning. Such recognition, research and sharing of good practice by teachers as practitioner-researchers is fundamental if we are to develop the best teaching and learning pedagogy in our music classrooms today.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from and citation databases.
Citations counts from theindexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
|Item Type:||Conference Item (Other)|
|Keywords:||Music technology, digital and e-learning, strategies for change, music education research, innovation|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY (130200) > Creative Arts Media and Communication Curriculum and Pedagogy (130201)|
|Divisions:||Current > Research Centres > Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID)
Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Creative Industries Faculty
Past > Institutes > Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation
Current > Schools > Music & Sound
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 2008 [please consult the authors]|
|Deposited On:||19 Feb 2009 21:57|
|Last Modified:||10 Aug 2011 17:20|
Repository Staff Only: item control page


was the scholar and poet. He became the best-known cotemporary collector,
copyist and trader of Greek manuscripts, which enriched some of the greatest
Libraries of Europe. His poetical work, Lament for the Fall of Greece
was published in 1544.
Another Corfiot Nikolaos Sophianos is
chiefly known for his Modern Greek Grammar. He also translated a number
of Greek classics into Modern Greek. He established the Sophianos printing
press in 1544.
The historian Andreas Marmoras (1618-1684)
is well remembered as the author of the first history of Corfu, published in
1672 in Italian and entitled Della Historia di Corfu.
was the eminent divine, philosopher and mathematician. He wrote a monumental
translation of Virgil’s Aenid and Georgics in Homeric
hexameters. His most important works are his Book of Logic, Elements
of Metaphysics, and Principles of Philosophy.
was the great ecclesiastical scholar, theologian and mathematician. He was the
first to introduce into Greece the study of mathematics and natural sciences;
he was also the first author of high standing to use Modern Greek in his
Boulgaris and Nikiphoros Theotokis, both illustrious men, and
enlightened ‘teachers of the nation’, Greece owes a great part of its cultural
was a writer and poet. His main work comprises four volumes of prose and
poetry, published under the title Opere di Mario Pieri Corcirese. His
historical work in Italian Compendio della Storia del Risorgimento della
Grecia dal 1740 al 1824 was awarded a prize by the famous Accademia
became famous for his Italian verse translation of Homer’s Odyssey. In
Corfu he taught law in the Ionian Academy and was elected Professor of
law at the Ionian University.
Michael-Stephen Trivolis-Pieris (1784-1829)
was the botanist, and the first Corfiot to write a work on botany, under the
title Flora Corcyrensis Centuria Prima.
established the first school of mutual instruction in Greece. Thanks to his
efforts elementary education was promoted in all the Corfu villages and in the
other Ionian Islands.
was the author of a number of medical works, of which his Descriptive
Anatomy was translated into Italian and used as a textbook in many Italian
universities. In 1852 he founded the first Greek private School for Girls.
lyric poet, who is regarded as the greatest poet of modern Greece. His works
include the Hymn to Liberty, composed in 1823, the first stanzas of
which were adopted later as the National Anthem of Greece. The movement
known as the Corfu Literary School was initiated by the group of
friends and disciples, who gathered around Solomos and followed his example by
using the everyday language of the people in their original work, and their
is a noted novelist. He is considered the initiator of the
social and naturalistic novel in Greece, depicting Corfiot life and customs.
He is also known for his translations into Modern Greek of Plato,
Aristophanes, Virgil, Goethe, Shiller and Shakespeare. Among his original
works belong, The Value of Money, The Life and Death of Karavellas,
The Condemned and Slaves in their Chains.
was a leading Modern Greek Philosopher. He founded the Greek weekly newspaper
‘Patris’ of which he was the chief editor. His most important works are
Theoretical and practical Philosophical Works, and Philosophical
STAMATOPOULOS, N.: Old Corfu, History and Culture,
K. Mihalas s.a., Athens, 1993
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About Corfu" Menu


The Tuneables is an award-winning children's music education DVD and CD series designed to teach the key building blocks of music at a critical time in a child's development. Sponsored by the Music Intelligence Project, this fun, interactive program engages children in songs and activities that provide a foundation of music understanding and growth in intellectual development. Ages 3-8.
Buy your copy today at: www.thetuneables.com/the-music-shop/
Blog » Does Music Make Young Children Smarter?
Engaging young children in music experiences can have a strongly positive influence on their intellectual development. But you have to be smart about choosing what experiences produce the best result. The key consideration is to make sure the children are actively involved—focused listening, singing, moving rhythmically, playing simple instruments, and forming musical concepts—all with the aim of producing a musical result and knowing that it happened.
The research shows that this multi-sensory and multi-cognitive engagement is what makes you smarter. This means that music programs for young children should actively engage children in musical activities that go beyond passive listening or observing.
Parents can be smart about their young children’s music instruction by choosing instructional materials and programs that are carefully sequenced to provide age-appropriate challenges for music learning and musical skills development. Such experiences provide the foundation for continued intellectual development in music and other cognitive areas.


MONDAY, June 25, 2012 — We all know about the importance of using sunscreen. Did you know it isn't allowed in public schools?
As mom Jesse Michener discovered, public schools in 49 of the 50 states — including Washington, where she lives with her family — consider sunscreen to be a medication that requires a doctor's note to apply. (California is the sole exception). When her daughters Zoe and Violet came home from a school field day with serious burns, Michener was furious. Both children were taken to the hospital that night with headaches, chills, and pain.
"Prolonged sun exposure leads to burns," Michener, a freelance photographer and videographer, wrote on her blog. "Either put sunscreen on or, at the very least, remove the child from the sun. A simple call would have brought me to that school in minutes to assist my kids."
To make matters worse, fair-skinned Zoe has a form of albinism that increases her sun sensitivity, a situation that the school teachers and staff were fully aware of, Michener wrote.
Kids Need Sun Protection, Too
"We know that having a sunburn at any time in your life, particularly in childhood, increases your risk of skin cancer — including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer," says Jennifer Stein, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine. "And in the short term, a sunburn can be really painful."
Because it was raining the morning of the field day, Michener didn't apply sunscreen to her kids before they left for school. While making sure that children have sunscreen on before they leave the house is a good idea, says Dr. Stein, "you have to reapply it every two hours. If you put it on your kid in the morning, by lunchtime it's sweated off."
What's the reason for the sunscreen ban? "Because so many additives in lotions and sunscreens cause an allergic reaction in some children, we have to really monitor that," Dan Voelpel, a spokesman for the Tacoma Public Schools (where the Michener children are students), told ABC News.
"There's lots of different things in sunscreen that you can be allergic to," says Stein. "It can be the active ingredient, or something else, like the fragrance used." She recommends that both kids and adults test any sunscreen first on the inside of the arm for any reaction before applying it all over. Ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide a physical barrier against the sun's rays and may be better for sensitive skin.
Cover Up for Sun Protection
But as Stein notes, sunscreen is just one part of a sun protection plan. Wearing clothing that covers your shoulders, chest, and back is a smart idea, and add on a hat. "They make clothing now that's accessible at all price points that's designed for sun protection — it's breathable and waterproof." It's also wise to avoid peak times when the sun is directly overhead, usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The cover-up advice is especially important for infants, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Because delicate infant skin absorbs sunscreen chemicals more easily, the best sun protection strategy for babies is to keep them out of direct sun entirely. "Little babies can overheat very easily," says Stein. "If your baby needs to be in the sun, protect them and use a sunscreen — just make sure it's something you've tested beforehand."
School Sunscreen Ban: What You Can Do
Since the sunburn incident, Michener reports on her blog, she's heard from the director of elementary education in Tacoma that a new law has passed allowing individual school districts to decide what is and isn't allowed regarding sunscreen application at school.
Parents may want to check with their local schools about any policy affecting sunscreen use. "I'm a mom," says Stein. "For my kids, a parent can sign a permission slip to say it's okay to put sunscreen on." She recommends that along with the slip, parents provide a "safe" sunscreen — one that's been tested to make sure there's no allergic reaction — for their kids to take to school.
Michener told the Huffington Post she's heard from people all over the country and is working with others to research what can be done to revise sunscreen policies in public schools: "I'm out to change policy that ties their hands from making good decisions."
Is the sunscreen ban justified, or just plain dumb? Do you think sunscreen should be allowed in schools? Share your opinion in the comments.
Credit line: Courtesy of Jesse Michener
Last Updated: 6/25/2012


This is an innovative and rigorous program that prepares students to be extraordinary teachers and teacher leaders. Graduates are prepared to become candidates for a Vermont Initial Educator License with endorsements in both elementary education and special education (K-6) after just four years.
Dual endorsement is possible because the professional standards for both elementary and special education are woven throughout the curriculum, creating a comprehensive, fully integrated four-year program. Other programs address these two specialties separately and sequentially, requiring graduate study in special education in order to gain that endorsement.
Inclusive elementary education prepares graduates to work with all students — the general student population as well as those with special needs and students from different backgrounds and cultures, which is the face of education today.
Students start by taking coursework in the Childhood Education program and apply to enter the Teacher Education Program in Inclusive Elementary Education during their first semester. See the Office of Educator Licensure for entry requirements, which include a minimum GPA, minimum scores on an academic exam (such as the SAT, ACT or PRAXIS I), and an interview.
Students accepted into the program complete three sets of academic requirements: Background Study in the Liberal Arts and Sciences — the Nine Components; Childhood Education; and a Liberal Arts or Science concentration.
Background Study in the Liberal Arts and Sciences: The Nine Components: In order to be prepared for the breadth of material that elementary teachers instruct, students complete coursework in composition, quantitative skills, literature, historical thinking and citizenship, artistic expression, scientific thinking, diversity studies, identity studies, and interdisciplinary studies. This coursework is typically satisfied by selecting specific courses in the undergraduate general education program. A list of recommended courses is available from faculty advisors. Contact the Inclusive Elementary Education program director to discuss equivalencies. Graduate students should consult with the program director regarding sufficient coursework.
Childhood Education: Students complete coursework in Childhood Education with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better. They also complete a set of endorsement-specific courses that satisfy both the elementary and special education requirements.
Liberal Arts or Science Concentration: With the assistance of their advisor and the program director, students complete coursework for a second major or a 30-credit concentration in an approved liberal arts or science field of study. Options include a major in liberal arts or a major or concentration in English, math, history, biology, environmental science, health science, art, music or theater and drama. Anthropology/sociology, political science, or psychology also may be taken.
Fieldwork at Partnership Schools
The best way to learn to be a great educator is to gain practical experience under the mentorship of a practicing professional at a JSC partnership school. Students accepted into JSC’s teacher education programs undertake the following fieldwork experiences at our partnership schools:
Inquiry projects: Students complete 20 hours of observation and participate in teaching various courses.
Practicum I (Introductory Methods): Students teach lessons in English language arts and mathematics.
Practicum II (Advanced Methods): Students teach integrated lessons employing inclusive strategies.
Student Teaching: Students complete a comprehensive, 15-week internship (five days each week) focused on designing and instructing an integrated and inclusive unit of study.
Students are expected to complete fieldwork assignments during typical public school hours (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and to arrange their own transportation to fieldwork sites.
Teacher Education Workshops
Teacher Education students attend five Teacher Education Workshops (EDU-TEW1 through EDU-TEW5) throughout their program. These are one-time meetings held each semester in multiple sections; see the “Course Sequence Plans” in the Teacher Education Handbook for details. Each workshop provides guidance for completing the next set of requirements for the program. Students who do not meet the benchmark requirements may not proceed in the program.


Provo, Utah (PRWEB) September 29, 2011
To help parents and teachers provide engaging educational activities for children of the digital age, Imagine Learning, developer of the award-winning children’s language and literacy software program Imagine Learning English, has released its second mobile learning application, Gamester. The app, which is compatible with iOS devices, is now available as a free download in the iTunes store.
Gamester features three interactive kids’ games designed to help young learners master the letters of the alphabet:
Gamester is designed for both home and school use. “This would be an excellent addition to any early literacy curriculum,” said Clydie Wakefield, executive director of curriculum development at Imagine Learning. “Teachers and students will love the way Gamester makes learning the letters of the alphabet fun and easy for even the youngest of learners.”
While Imagine Learning is best known as the company behind Imagine Learning English, an engaging language and literacy software program that helps students read at grade level, the company has also produced successful mobile apps. Bookster, the read-along storytelling app from Imagine Learning, was recently updated with new books and features. The company sees mobile apps as another way to deliver effective reading instruction to children.
“Kids growing up in the digital age need educational activities that are also engaging and interactive,” said Susan Preator, president and CEO of Imagine Learning. “With Gamester, children can have fun learning critical early reading skills anytime, anywhere.”
Additional games for the app are in development. The company appreciates feedback from parents, educators and kids who use the app. Consumers are encouraged to download Gamester and submit reviews to the iTunes App Store or to apps(at)imaginelearning(dot)com.
About Imagine Learning
Imagine Learning is the company behind Imagine Learning English, an innovative language and literacy software program designed to meet the needs of four key student populations: English learners, struggling readers, students with disabilities and early childhood education students. With first-language support and continual assessment, Imagine Learning English gives students one-on-one instruction and scaffolded support while keeping teachers abreast of student progress through real-time reports.
Visit http://www.imaginelearning.com to find out how Imagine Learning English gives students, parents and teachers essential tools for language and literacy development.


(Written by Elle Yi and Justin Miller) Music has many roles in daily life, from providing energizing dance tunes, serving as the sounds to wake one from a sound slumber, calming a fussy baby, and even inspiring the creative juices to flow.
Benefits Of Music: Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits
What is truly inspiring are the piles of research showing that music can motivate learning and provide an intellectually stimulating environment. Currently, music companies strive to create these learning environments by providing safe, affordable, fun music lessons to kids of all ages.
There are several reasons why listening to music works to create an ideal learning environment. One primary function it serves is to keep the mind awake and stimulated. Along with that it provides a relaxing stimulation that helps to relieve the pressure some may feel in an academic setting.
Most composers are aware of the mathematical elements of music, and many educators play classical music lightly in the background to promote what has been deemed as the Mozart Effect. Lastly, music helps to anchor things to memory, serving well for all ages when trying to store information.
Anyone having spent long hours studying or doing some other academic minded task eventually feels the effects of sitting still too long in a quiet environment. A cup of coffee or a quick walk provides a momentary arousal, but music can be played throughout the study session for long lasting stimulation.
Music is great for keeping one awake, that is why it is played by drivers on long rides and used by many as an early morning alarm. Choosing the ideal music to provide enough stimulation to heighten learning, while not serving as a distraction, is necessary. Many opt for classical or other instrumental choices, but this can be a personal choice.
Part of choosing the right musical selection is to ensure that while it is stimulating, it is not overly aggressive. Calming music helps to relax nervous learners and put them at ease so that they may perform at their best ability. Many find that when calmed by music they are easily able to recall all that they have learned, making it great for pressure ridden situations such as testing. Some have even cited that calming music can cause the body to release endorphins, much like exercise. The releasing of endorphins has been linked to faster learning.
Composing music requires a complex understanding of math and music. The connection of the two is further demonstrated in what some refer to as the Mozart Effect. This is the belief that classical music, such as that composed by Mozart, enhances the ability to learn and understand math.
Many who are proponents of this learning environment especially say that early exposure is important, as this is when the fundamental elements of mathematics are learned. It is a somewhat controversial idea, as some proponents say that it increases I.Q. and others say there are only short term effects on testing. As classical music can still provide the simulating and relaxing benefits there are no doubts that it will provide for an improved educational setting.
Putting ideas or words to music makes them easier to remember, simply think how easy it is to recall the lyrics of favorite sings. Many educators explore these benefits in childhood education with popular children’s learning songs.
Consider the popularity of the seriesSchoolhouse Rock; it not only made it easier to remember the songs but it made it fun. Music has the ability to help students commit something to memory with the added bonus of making learning more appealing to the interests of young children.
All of these benefits of learning with music have been discussed here primarily with elementary education settings in mind, but these concepts can be applied to any range of age groups and learning scenarios.
Using these concepts at home for personal learning allows greater room for personalized preferences, whereas educators using music in the classroom tend to stick to classical music as it offers the greatest range of benefits to the largest audience.
* Photo Courtesy of Pinterest


Teachers may copy this with © for their own students. Other copies and/or posting or publishing is NOT allowed without permission. Contact at www.bartelart.com. Links to this page are welcome. Art Education HOME
TITLE OF THE ASSIGNMENT OR TEAM PROJECT _________________________
Directions for students: Give the names of all the others on your team here.
_________________________ ________________________ ______________________
_________________________ ________________________ _____________________
Teams work well when members bring all kinds of contributions. For each attribute below, name the person(s) that were best contributors. You may use initials or just first names so long as there are no duplicates on your team. You may list one or two persons for each item below. You may use each name as often as you wish.
1. Prepares well & brings outside resources? _____________
2. Who made the most creative suggestions and ideas? _______________
3. Who was a good questioner? __________________
4. Who encouraged others to join in with ideas and questions? __________________
5. Who was a careful and positive listener? ________
6. Who was positive, encouraging, and affirming? __________________
7. Who was best at explaining things? ___________________
8. Who has the ability to summarize and clarify? ___________
9. Who brought enthusiasm, energy, and passion? ________________
10. Other (please explain) _______________
11. Who did anything else that you want to mention?
12. Which one or two from your team would you most like to have on your team next time? ____________________
Why would you want this
person on your team again?
If you were the teacher, why
would you use teamwork next time for this kind of assignment or project? Or, explain why you would not use teamwork next time?
This page has some more ideas for teamlearning.


Phonics And Synthetic Phonics
Provides a home taught reading course using phonics to help preschoolers and older children read sooner.
Debbie Hepplewhite of the Reading Reform Foundation has launched her own site promoting the use of Synthetic Phonics as the most effective method of teaching reading and spelling.
Access to Debbie's considerable expertise in the area of literacy and phonics teaching are available through her training seminars and INSET training days around the UK.
ElephantCube English ABC Blocks (alphabet, spelling and phonics cubes); flash cards; English teaching supplies; language toys for kids
ClicknRead teaches children to read in 100 online lessons. Use it with young children ready to learn to read, learning English as a second language, or for anyone facing the challenge of dyslexia.
Frontline Phonics has helped thousands of children to read over the past 15 years. Opening up the world to a child by teaching them to read is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. The Frontline Phonics Assessment will give you insights into your child's reading readiness.
The Fun Family Phonics program helps you teach your children to read with colorful interactive stories and aids that make learning fun and easy. Join Detective Dave Fun as he discovers phonetic clues in the world around him and teaches his younger siblings how to discover the wonderful enjoyment of reading.
Phonics materials for teachers, worksheets, free printable phonics workbooks, and printable phonics worksheets
Publishes Synthetic Phonics Fully Decodable Books and Free Resources to Support Teachers and Parents in the Teaching of Early Reading and Spelling
This phonics program can be a great help to you if you're learning to read English as a second (or third or whatever) language.
Your online resource for phonics products, phonics research, and phonics advocacy
Play an online phonics game
Phonics rules and worksheets to teach students how to spell and pronounce English words.
Phonics Plus Five is the only system that teaches
your child ALL SIX skills needed for reading success
Phonics is THE path to reading. But traditional phonics is not enough. Success in reading calls upon five other essential areas
Designed for children from 4 to 10 years of age, this amazingly effective and easy-to-use program also benefits older children who are experiencing difficulties in reading, writing and comprehension.
A website dedicated to providing information on learning to read - from phonics to Orton Gillingham to product reviews.
Provides resources and offers software products designed to help adults and children improve up to three reading levels. Effective in helping those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia learn how to read. Also successful with ESL readers.
There are schools in both the state and private sectors, where for many years, virtually every child has achieved consistently high levels of reading, writing and spelling skills. These schools share a common method of synthetic phonics teaching.
Most people have heard of The Phonics Game. This Learn to Read program is an improved version and is a hands-on program that parents can use with their children to actively teach them to read. It uses phonics instruction, a number of audio tapes, games, flash cards, and more.
A literacy skills program designed to improve spelling, writing and reading for any age group, from children and students to adults and employees.