Using music to teach music
It has been well documented that we recall information better when it is set to melody. (How did we all learn our ABC’s?) It seems obvious that if music is used to teach other subjects, we might as well use it to teach music! Let’s Play Music contains over 25 original songs and games specifically designed to teach musical concepts. We learn staff relationships, intervals, key signatures, chord inversions and much more all in song lyrics!
Full Body Movement
Children learn best by just doing. Lessons are structured with minimal talking and explaining which leaves plenty of time for playing, dancing and singing! Research has shown that the more physically involved a child is in the learning process, the more he/she will internalize the concept. That’s why we involve as much of the body as possible. i.e., the voice, the eyes, the ears, the hands, and even the full body.
Children are much more likely to enjoy the setting when there are other children around. The synergy of a Let’s Play Music class naturally encourages children to participate and to excel.
Further Benefits for Your Child
Researchers, teachers and parents are discovering that music education promotes:
• Excellence in math
• Increased ability to read
• Enhanced brain functioning
• Decreased learning and discipline problems
• Better social skills
• Superior communication skills
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to view the Let’s Play Music FAQ


Our ideas are the fuel for taking us on a journey. A Creative head gets the capability to make discoveries and create innovations. The best minds out there like Einstein, Beethoven, and Steve Jobs had something in common because they were always exploring their imagination and originality.
By listening to instrumental music, one is challenged to listen and tell a narrative about what one hears. In the same sense, playing a musical instrument provides you with the capacity to tell the story. Maximum right brain use which not only exercises ones imagination but also ones intellectual is required by both. The strength of the Arts including writing, dance, painting, and theater possess the opportunity to generate a similar effect.
2. Music makes Education more pleasing.
Music can be extremely engaging in the classroom and is a good instrument for memorization. One’m certain if tune was used by more teachers to teach the multiplication tables, kids would keep that information much quicker.
A song to teach us the past tense endings was used by my spanish teacher in 10th grade and even today, I havent forgotten the tune. It’s as if she imbedded it in my mind and now it will never be forgotten by me.
Aside from the obvious, Music educates us time management and self discipline abilities that you simply can’t get elsewhere. When you study an instrument on a regular basis you work on definite notions and take little things to do to reach bigger goals.
In raising children, Music education may be used to keep kids focused and keep them off the streets. Rather than running around and causing mischief, your son or daughter could be practicing rehearsing or piano music with buddies.
Sadly, some types of music can influence kids in negative ways. It is well known that music has a power to affect the way we dress, think, speak, and live our lives. Lyrics that are profane and violent may have a negative influence on kids. I understood how much it pervaded my lifestyle and after i got into Jazz, when I got to college, my whole lifestyle started to transform.
3. Music is the Language.
What exactly does this time and time again mean exactly, although you have learned it? Music is universal in that there are not any boundaries to comprehending music. Even creatures like Dogs Birds, and Whales can understand music to some specific degree.
It transcends all bounds of communicating despite the fact that you both do not speak the same language as you are able to speak and tell stories to someone on the other side of Earth. But I believe its important for one to have an open mind to be able to be in touch with that sense of comprehension.
Lots of people instantly push particular styles of music away without having researched what it provides. Not all fashions will appeal or resonate having a person, when you are open to all of the possibilities but one may detect a brand new section of ones self.
Music can whisk you apart on an extended journey. Music additionally has got the power to suggest movement. The human senses are dealt with by every one of these things.
I’m certain you’ll be able to remember a moment in which a tune has made you particularly sad or very excited and joyful. But how does organized tones create this effect on our senses? No one actually understands why or where it comes from but there are numerous studies that have been done to show there is an understanding of which emotions pertain to harmonies, chords, and certain scales.
Read this Wiki that are amazing on Music and Emotion. Part of what inspired me to play piano when I was in college was that I became obsessed with specific Jazz musicians were able to convey a state as well as despair through this one piece: Blue in Green. Think in what would entering right into a fancy eatery or driving be like without music?
4. Music Brings People Together.
If they open themselves up, everyone can understand it and feel something. Playing music with other musicians is an incredible feeling. It is described by some people as rowing down a river together.
There exists a specific type of connection that comes when you make music in an organization. The same is true for those listening to music in a group and interacting through Dance with music. This sort of behavior is rooted as human beings in our discoveries as well as our history.
I have had many encounters where a random individual would ask to play me and inside an instant we were having a dialogue through guitar or the piano. Its an amount of communicating, playing around, and replicating each other that creates the link. Many of those instants have been a few of the very most rewarding experiences of my own life. Check out my previous article on the blues!
Music and the Brain on Youtube:


MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.: Fine Art Commentary
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
George Rickey blended many styles to create his kinetic sculpture. Like his predecessor, Alexander Calder, Rickey was interested in the possibility of movement in sculpture and like his contemporaries, such as Sol Lewitt or David Smith, Rickey created minimalist works which examined the beauty of individual shapes. Rickey’s combination of movement, and minimalism created dynamic sculptures that are able to totally change and rearrange the environment they inhabit and truly capture their audience.
Rickey was born in 1907 in Southbend, Indiana. He spent the first part of his life studying art at various art schools in the United States and in Paris. After receiving his art education, Rickey taught art at many Midwestern schools, including Know College, the University of Indiana and Olivet College. In this part of his career, Rickey was a painter. Inspired by artist in the Workers Progress Administration (WPA) Rickey’s early work was influenced by Social Realism. However, after his years in the army during WWII and after he studied at the Bauhaus Rickey’s art began to change.
In the late 1940’s Rickey began his work with moving geometry. He started to attach simple forms like rectangles and metal spears to podiums and stands. The shapes would be secured by an intricate system of bearings which would allow the shapes to shift or sway from movement. These works exemplified the beauty of possibility. The chance that the shapes might move creates a type of suspense for the sculptor’s viewer. The sculpture has the possibility to change each time it is looked upon and it is this dynamism which makes Rickey’s sculpture so unforgettable.
Rickey continued to make sculpture until he died in 2002. He created several public art works, installing his work in many places all over the globe, including his 57 foot sculpture at the Hyogo Museum in Japan. His work remains in museums, private collections and at the universities he taught at. Rickey’s work will be remembered for its ability to blend the styles from many periods to make unique sculpture which combined geometry with action.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
In an effort to improve our blog, we are in the process of making some changes:
- First of all, our blog is under new "management"!
- Secondly, we are transferring our blog platform from Blogger to Word Press. (You will be able to reach our new blog through this site for a limited amount of time.)
- When our new site is ready to launch I will post the new address, please be sure to visit & subscribe!
- We are also looking at some content & format changes.
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- Welcome to our blog site! MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. is a fine art and personal property appraisal company dedicated to serving clients throughout the United States and abroad since our incorporation in Chicago in 1994. We specialize in the multi-faceted field of appraising fine art, jewelry, antiques, and decorative items. We also provide professional fine art restoration and conservation treatment for various media, including but not limited to, artworks on canvas, board, masonite, and paper. We offer professional and precise appraisal services carried out by our team of accredited appraisers for the purposes of insurance coverage and claims, charitable donations, estate planning and probate, equitable distribution and fair-market value. We started our art commentary blog site as a venue for colleagues and fellow art enthusiasts to share their experiences within the art community.
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Unemployment and Earnings for College Grads Vary by Field
College graduates in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math have the best chance of getting a job and making a high salary compared with those with nontechnical degrees, a report released today from Georgetown University says.
As the country recovered in 2010 and 2011 from the recession, about 9 percent to 10 percent of people older than 25 without a college education were unemployed compared with about 4.6 percent of those with a degree. Overall, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates was 7.9 percent and 3.3 percent for graduate degree holders.
Yet there was great variation in the jobless rate when looking more closely at the recent graduates and their chosen majors, according to the report Hard Times: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings from the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce.
Unemployment for new college graduates ranged from 4.8 percent to 14.7 percent depending no their field of study.
Majors with the lowest unemployment rates:
Nursing (4.8 percent)
Elementary Education (5 percent)
Physical Fitness/Parks and Recreation (5.2 percent)
Chemistry (5.8 percent)
Finance (5.9 percent)
Majors with the highest unemployment rates:
Information Systems (14.7 percent)
Architecture (12.8 percent)
Anthropology (12.6 percent)
Film, Video, and Photography Arts (11.4 percent)
Political Science (11.1 percent)
The jobless rates were also low for those in engineering (7 percent) and health and the sciences (4.8 percent). About half of degree holders in psychology and social work found work in health care or education, helping keep their unemployment rates to 8.8 percent.
Getting a job was particularly challenging for students in the arts (unemployment rate of 9.8 percent) and law and public policy (9.2 percent).
People in technology-related fields fared well in the job market. The jobless rates among computer-science majors was 8.7 percent and for math majors just 5.9 percent.
Median earnings among recent college graduates range from $54,000 for engineering majors to $30,000 for those studying arts, psychology, and social work, or life and physical sciences. Americans with graduate degrees typically earn between $60,000 and $100,000.
Georgetown researchers used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey in 2010 and 2011 in their analysis.


The Reading Paradox and the ESSA Solution
On May 11th the Knowledge Matters campaign and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute discussed using the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to increase reading achievement in the elementary grades. The key lies in understanding the reading paradox: Focusing on reading to the exclusion of science, social studies, and the arts actually slows growth in reading comprehension.
Reading comprehension largely reflects a child’s general store of academic knowledge and vocabulary. But under NCLB, schools were pressured to seek short-term gains, so they focused on skills, strategies, and test preparation drills.
ESSA gives states the flexibility to solve this problem by incentivizing districts and schools to patiently invest in building students’ knowledge and vocabulary on day one.
On May 11, from 10:00–11:30, the new Knowledge Matters campaign released a policy brief on improving reading achievement under ESSA and hosted a lively discussion with:
- Nell K. Duke, professor at the University of Michigan, who focuses on literacy development among children living in poverty;
- Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers;
- Corinne Colgan, deputy chief of literacy and humanities at the District of Columbia Public Schools; and
- Robert Pondiscio, executive director of Knowledge Matters and senior fellow with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
For briefs on incentivizing a knowledge-rich education through ESSA and well-rounded education as a matter of social justice, see "Job One: Build Knowledge" by Lisa Hansel and Robert Pondiscio, and "What School Can Be" by John B. King, Jr.


CLARK — Kumpf students took part in a “Mystery Whodunit Night” event, Hehnly third graders are learning about area and perimeter, and Valley Road second graders are practicing how to tell time. (Photos courtesy of Clark Public Schools)
In honor to celebrate the upcoming Education Week, students at Carl H. Kumpf Middle School in Clark participated in a Whodunit Mystery Night. Suzanne Hamilton, a seventh grade language arts teacher at Kumpf, hosted the nighttime event for all the school’s students. They read short stories in groups while using highlighters and pencils to identify information that would be used as clues to solving the mysteries. Each group was provided with an illustration of the scene of the crime so that the students could compare their evidence. The students attended the event dressed in detective-style costumes and provided clever team names such as “The Bows Know” and “The Sherlock Homies.” Prizes for the winners were donated by Marbles The Brain Store in Garden State Plaza.
This week students in Ashley Guarino’s third grade class at Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School in Clark practiced area and perimeter through the use of geo boards. The students created a shape using rubber bands based on a given area or perimeter. “This activity helped students visualize dimensions of shapes and construct polygons to increase understanding of area and perimeter. Experimenting with different numbers to create these shapes also involved the use of many foundational skills such as addition and subtraction,” Guarino said.
Students in Christine Cemelli’s third grade class at Frank K. Hehnly School in Clark are also exploring perimeter and area during an “Everyday Math” lesson. “After the lesson, the Everyday Math program encourages students to then use the skills taught and play educational games to master the strategies,” Cemelli said. In the picture above, Isai Osorio, Maia Lane, Mark Kniezov, Jessica Sot, Matt Lordi, and Marisa Lipari perform an “Everyday Math” exercise.
Students in Miss Emma’s second grade class in Valley Road School in Clark have been practicing telling time. As the students explore the function of the minute and hour hands, they are gaining knowledge of how the clock works, as well as the relationship between the minute and hour hands. The students created their own clock booklet full of activities they do at specific times. For example, Hannah goes to bed at 9 p.m. and Nathaniel has karate at 4:30 p.m. Pictured above, Dylan Costa shows off his clock booklet.
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Music Education is Needed!
A-B-C…easy as 1-2-3…or simple as Do-Re-Mi…
The Jackson 5 had it right when they said learning is easy. Even easier when children are exposed to music and learning about it. The studies have shown that by playing a musical instrument
time and time again children do better in the areas of math and science. Not just a little bit better but a whole lot!
There are other lessons children learn besides getting better grades. They learn responsibility. They must take proper care of their instrument whether it be guitar, piano, flute or flugal horn. They learn a good work ethic because they take the time every day to practice and become better at their craft. That spills over into their studying habits.
Not only do they learn to read music but they learn to write it as well. Children normally don’t like to read or write but with music it’s an entirely different story. It’s something CREATIVE that they can’t be wrong at because music is expression.
I have seen first hand how a child’s life has changed for the better because of a simple, cheap, acoustic guitar. The once shy boy suddenly came out of his shell when he found there were others who shared his joy of music. Friends, and girls, starting hanging around, grades started going up and his whole disposition changed for the better.
Music in schools is so important. Let your child have the opportunity to play an instrument. Yes, it might be something as quiet as a flute or something as noisy as a drum or trumpet, but the hours of noise soon become hours of melodies. Soon they will come to you and say “Listen to this!” and you will actually recognize the tune. Your child will be proud of his or her accomplishment. You won’t believe what it will do for their confidence and belief in themselves. Let music in your child’s life and watch them grow as a student and a person.


The Love of Learning program devised by the Pyjama Foundation is creating a dramatic improvement in the literacy and numeracy skills of children in foster care in Australia.
Unlike the conventional text book learning in the education system, The Pyjama Foundation uses a personalised one on one interactive concept. Working in this responsive approach to the individual children in care’s needs has seen impressive results in both their school reports and their personal behaviour.
Statistics show that the 43,000 children in care are far less likely to finish school, be tertiary educated or indeed stay out of jail than the average child in Australia.
Founder of The Pyjama Foundation, Bronwyn Sheehan, believes education is the key to empowering children with the life skills and confidence to change the direction of their lives.
“Our Pyjama Angels, skilled volunteers who deliver the learning program in the child’s own home, make learning fun through games and relaxed interaction. The Love of Learning is a subtle almost subconscious learning with sound educational fundamentals and principles. It is delivered with care and concern for the child with a dedication to see it
through together,” says Sheehan.
The program works by first assessing the base learning stage of each child through a series of non threatening assessments. Once this level is decided, the proficiencies of Literacy and Numeracy are presented at the appropriate level.
Simplified these Literacy skills are:
- Basic principles of how to read which may be a simple as reading left to right, and page by page
- The alphabet- recognising both letters and sounds
- An understanding of how words are formed from various letters and how to sound out a word
- Understanding the meaning of a word
- Learning “sight words”- the 200 words that form over 50% of all writing.
Simplified Numeracy skills:
- Understanding and recognising different numbers
- Knowing the value of each number
- Basic skills of adding, subtracting multiplication and division
This learning is then reinforced on each weekly visit so that a bond of learning is created between Pyjama Angel and child that gives the child in care a chance to find their wings and reach their life potential despite their fragile start.
“The Pyjama Angels are in the program for the long haul,” adds Sheehan. “A growing body of evidence in resilience has demonstrated that every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult. For many foster kids, the Pyjama Angel is that person.”


Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice. ASCD. This text introduces a model of how the brain processes information and discusses its implications for classroom practice and teaching strategies.
Carew, T. J., & Magsamen, S. H. (2010). Neuroscience and Education: An Ideal Partnership for Producing Evidence-Based Solutions to Guide 21st Century Learning. Neuron, 67(5), 685-688. This article discusses Neuro-Education as a relatively new research discipline that taps into the fields of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and education to better understand how children learn and how this information can be applied to teaching practices, curricula, and educational policy.
Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2010). Mind, brain, and education science: A comprehensive guide to the new brain-based teaching. WW Norton. This text summarizes the research pertaining to brain function as it relates to education and teaching strategies.
Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Faeth, M. (2010). Building smart students: A neuroscience perspective on the role of emotion and skilled intuition in learning. Mind, brain and education: Neuroscience implications for the classroom, 66-81. This book chapter discusses the role of emotion in learning and offers teaching strategies.
Saleh, S. (2011). The Effectiveness of the Brain-Based Teaching Approach in Generating Students’ Learning Motivation Towards the Subject of Physics: A Qualitative Approach. US-China Education Review, 63-72. This study demonstrated that brain-based teaching was more effective in motivating students to learn physics than conventional teaching approach.
Lipsett, A. B. (2011). Supporting Emotional Regulation in Elementary School: Brain-Based Strategies and Classroom Interventions to Promote Self-Regulation. Mind, Brain, and Education: Implications for Educators, 157-175. This article describes a small intervention study that demonstrated that brain-based strategies could be helpful in regulating students’ emotions.
Thornton, S., Galluzzo, G., Quinane, M., & Taylor, D. (2010). One on one numeracy intervention: A pilot project in low SES communities. Shaping the future of mathematics education, 555-562. This study demonstrated that brain-based approach to teaching mathematics was successful in improving cognitive and affective abilities of students attending low SES schools.
Erbes, S., Folkerts, M., Gergis, C., Pederson, S., & Stivers, H. (2010). Understanding how Cognitive Psychology can inform and improve Spanish vocabulary Acquisition in High School Classrooms. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 37(2), 120-132. This study demonstrated that brain-based approach could be effective in teaching Spanish vocabulary.
Akyürek, E., & Afacan, Ö. (2013). Effects of Brain-Based Learning Approach on Students’ Motivation and Attitudes Levels in Science Class. Mevlana International Journal of Education (MIJE), 3 (1), 104-119. This study demonstrated that brain-based learning approach was more effective in improving students’ motivation to learn Science when compared to control groups.
Gökhan, B. A. S. (2010). Effects of brain-based learning on students’ achievement levels and attitudes towards English lesson. Elementary Education Online, 9(2), 488-507. This study demonstrated positive effects of brain-based learning on students’ achievement and attitudes towards English compared to traditional teaching practices.


by Marc C. Whitt
If your community or local region is blessed to have a community band, you may wish to check it out as a perfect complement to your high school child’s musical experience. Rehearsing and performing with such an ensemble can certainly be a highlight to their music education and budding performance career.
During much of the 18th and 19th centuries, many towns and villages across the United States supported a community band. Many of us have read of the picturesque Sunday afternoon in the park concerts where time, in many ways, stood still while audiences set aside the stress and challenges of “real life” to relax and soak in the stirring sounds of a band.
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, community bands have continued to enjoy somewhat of a renaissance.
Organizations such as the Association of Concert Bands and the Sousa Foundation’s National Community Band have seen community bands coming back stronger than ever. In fact, the adult community band is one of the fastest-growing music ensembles in the nation.
Festivals such as Danville, Kentucky’s “Great American Brass Band Festival”, celebrating nearly 30 years, are springing up across the nation and are quickly becoming musical magnets for traditional community bands and brass bands.
Here are a few reasons you may wish to encourage your band student to join:
- A community band is an excellent outlet for a serious young musician to hone his or her art and craft. The additional playing time spent on their instrument will allow them to benefit from music lesson-like opportunities. Please don’t misunderstand. Joining a community band does not replace private lessons. However, performing with such an ensemble heightens one’s playing skill, sight reading ability, and performance confidence.
- A community band often performs challenging pieces of music, including classic wind band masterpieces. Your child will benefit from this experience by rehearsing and performing such music. Should your child already be a member of a competitive, distinguished high school band program, an additional experience with a community band will make them even better and prepare them even more so for their college performance years. On the other hand, should your child not belong to a competitive high school program, a community band is a wonderful outlet for them to be exposed to practicing and performing the finest in wind band literature.
- A community band enables the student to stay musically sharp throughout the year, particularly during the summer months. Several community bands feature summer performances in their local parks, concert halls and at festivals. Participating in this type of ensemble will keep their embouchure in tip-top shape and will allow them to excel once the marching and concert seasons resume at their high school in the Fall.
- Last, but certainly not least, a community band encourages “community” among a wide range of ages, diverse backgrounds, and musical skills and experiences within a group of bandsmen who are dedicated to quality and excellence. I have seen first-hand from my own playing experiences with the Madison Community Band in Richmond, Kentucky, the social and musical growth a teenager can receive seated beside someone who has been playing their instrument for 20 years or more. You simply cannot put a price tag on such an experience.
To locate a community band in your town or area, first consult with your child’s band director. The director can offer the best advice when considering such an involvement. Also, most community bands charge a small participation fee or none at all.
As noted by the Association of Concert Bands, your child will enjoy musical excellence, gain civic pride, and provide live musical enjoyment for enthusiastic audiences.


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News | October 24, 2012
IRA and NCTE Offer Resources to Address Common Core State Standards
IRA and NCTE are pleased to offer a wide array of resources to aid in the successful implementation of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
IRA recently released guidelines to address the need for a link between reading instruction and the ELA CCSS. These guidelines provide teachers and educational leaders with recommendations on how to integrate many of the central ideas of the standards into effective practice. They represent a consensus of the thinking of literacy leaders in the field who support thoughtful implementation of the standards for student literacy achievement.
The guidelines from IRA capture the most pressing issues in clear language, point out their significance for those responsible for implementation, and then offer clear guidance on accomplishing the task at hand. Seven specific issues are addressed, including:
- Challenging texts
- Foundational skills
- Disciplinary literacy
- Diverse learners
Visit the CCSS guidelines webpage to download for FREE the guidelines white paper/statement entitled Literacy Implementation Guidance for the ELA Common Core State Standards and to join the IRA CCSS Resources mailing list for future notifications. To see IRA’s current offerings of CCSS-related materials, including books, journals, webinars, and more, visit www.reading.org/elacommoncore.
NCTE offers books, online courses and events, journal articles, and more to support the teacher’s focus on keeping students at the center of instruction. These can be found on the Common Core State Standards Resources page. These resources from NCTE show how to keep students at the center of every classroom, providing examples of upholding NCTE principles in a time of Core Standards, and supporting teachers and schools with interpreting the CCSS and planning units of instruction keeping students at the center and teachers as decision-makers.
In addition to general materials, NCTE also offers resources on the instructional shifts associated with the Common Core State Standards:
- Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are grounded in evidence from the text.
- All students need regular practice with complex texts.
- Students need to build knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts.
- Literacy is a shared responsibility.


I recently read a few interesting articles in my EDU800 Research Foundations course on reading hypertext. My studies prompted me to do a little more research due to my curiosities with web reading and researching for classroom learning. I feel assumptions are sometimes made when assigning students web reading work. As a profession, I feel we assume students (oftentimes middle schoolers) have the necessary skills to read web materials to acquire knowledge which they will then apply to classroom activities or projects. Web reading is a very complex process and many learner variables need to be considered so that classrooms can capitalize on reading through connectivity. Listed below are some additional articles or research articles I read to grow my understanding of the why, how and what of web reading for lower elementary students as well as middle school students.
- Coiro, J., Dobler, E. (2007). Exploring the Online Reading Comprehension Strategies Used by Sixth-Grade Skilled Readers to Search for and Locate Information on the Internet, 42(2), 214-257.
- Sayler, D. (2015). Reading the Web: Internet Guided Reading with Young Children. Reading Teacher, 69(1), 35-39.
- Wang, T. (2011). Developing Web-based Assessment Strategies for Facilitating Junior High School Students to Perform Self-regulating in an E-Learning Environment. Computers & Education, 57(2), 1801-812.


Start reading early. Your child loves to hear the sound of your voice. So go ahead and snuggle with your newborn and a good picture book. Talk about what you see on the page. Let your child feel the pages. Board or bath books are ideal for young readers, who may prefer to “mouth” the book while listening.
Let go of expectations. Reading to your child does not always usually look like you might think. A baby may prefer to stick a book in her mouth or a toddler may not sit in your lap, much less sit still. If your child loves to move, choose books that encourage it, such as From Head to Toe by Eric Carle, Wiggle by Doreen Cronin, or Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig. Children learn by moving so why not tap into it with the books you read!
Read e-books together. Research shows that e-books can encourage even reluctant readers to love reading. Look for e-books that highlight the word as you read along. Check with your local library for a selection of e-books available. We also recommend the Reading Rainbow App with more than 500 e-books, including the Kindermusik Music Mountain!
Let your child pick out the book. Yes, this might mean reading (again and again) the same book or a gigantic book about dinosaurs or snakes or ballerinas who wear cowboy boots. Yes, we know it might not be what YOU want to read, but your child will love hearing it!
Turn up the reading by turning on the music. Actively participating in musical activities supports early literacy development by increasing a child’s ability to process sound, introduces them to new vocabulary, imbeds the rhythm of spoken language, and boosts comprehension skills–all foundational reading skills.
Eat Your Green Eggs and Ham. Being able to hear and identify words that rhyme is the earliest phonemic awareness ability. That is just a fancy way to say that you understand that words are made up of different sounds (phonemes). It is an essential skill to reading. So, go ahead and eat your Green Eggs and Ham.
Looking for more recommendations and tips on reading with young children? Follow our “Books for Kids We Love” board on Pinterest.


Solfege is free music education software.
Use it to train your rhythm, interval, scale and chord skills. Solfege - Smarten your ears!
* Recognise melodic and harmonic intervals
* Compare interval sizes
* Sing the intervals the computer asks for
* Identify chords
* Sing chords
* Remembering rhythmic patterns
Solfege will play a harmonic or melodic interval, and you should name it.
Solfege will show you an interval in music notation and play the first note. You try to sing the second. The correct answer is then played so you can compare.
Solfege plays you four beats of random rhythmic cells. You try to recognise them.
Solfege shows you a chord in music notation and play the tone A (440 hz). You try to sing the rest of the chord. The correct answer is then played so you can compare.
Solfege has more than 80 different scale exercises practising more than 70 different scales.
Changelog for this release:
* win32 build fix: don't run generate_theory_ly.py
* added generic idbyname help file
* New C-locale screenshots of the preferences window
* MIDI instrument selection bugfixes
* rhytmdictation: add count-in
* alsa_sequencer: implement the stop method
* rhythmwidget: add more keyboard accels and autoscroll to that the cursor always is visible + tie bug fix
* identifybpm: play rhythms with the normal mpd API instead of gobject.timeout_add
o bug fixes to the new mpd code
o visual improvements to tuplets + handle tuplet with a single note.
* don't crash on unicode BOM in lesson files.
* select to use the ALSA sequencer when choosing which sequencer to use


Computerized Music Composition by Adolescents Working at Home: an Experimental Project
Levinsky College of Education, Tel Aviv, Israel
This study investigates the process of computerized music composition by 14-16 year-old adolescents working on their own at home.
Personal computers are currently used by adolescents as a major source for music listening, downloading music files, scores and chords, as well as a tool for music composition. There is a growing need to develop new, non-traditional teaching methods that would be compatible with the thinking patterns of today's adolescent students.
This study examines ways that expand the learning environment, seeking connections between the students' musical world and the subjects that they learn in school.
The method for the study used mostly qualitative tools: questionnaires, open interviews, and study of the students' compositions. The 20 students who took part in this experiment did so voluntarily and had never before studied computerized composition. They received computerized music composition learning kits, which they used at home. Each student used the kit to create a simple composition environment at his/her home, and their musical composition activities were documented throughout the summer of 2006. Central issues of the study were: students' ability to learn, their motivation, the qualityof their compositions, the kit being helpful to computerized composition, and the implications for similar activities in music composition classes at educational institutions.
Only ten out of the participants completed their activities throughout the duration of the experiment. Each of them composed between five to ten pieces, in a variety of styles differing from one another. The technical aspects of the computerized composition process did not present a problem. The majority of students preferred to get to know the work environment on their own and develop their own style in composition. This was achieved through minimal use of the written instructional material that they had received. Being isolated from colleagues and teachers, participants demonstrated significant creativity and originality.
Major implications for music education are: 1) Computerized composition, when done voluntarily and independently, requiring that the student possesses motivation as well as perseverance. Most students will need further instructions, attention, and supporting environment. 2) Isolation encourages originality, but limits the musical scope. 3) Effective distance learning needs to use a wide variety of media for instructions, since many students prefer not to read.


The domain of education with its promise of fostering awareness, consciousness and knowledge achieves a phenomenon that we often don’t realise: stratification. The system of entrance examinations assumed by the educational institutions is a strategy for segregating students who are eligible from those who are illegible. This segregation can be perceived to be necessary to select the best from the rest but this also paves the way for a calculated differentiation in the social fabric. This is the preliminary step towards stratification. The semester examinations conducted by the institutions is to assess the intellectual capability of a student. The subsequent scores attained by the students will be an indicator of differentiation in context to the student who has secured a first class first position to a student with low grades. The marks scored by students will always remain an aide-memoire of the ability of one and the inability of another.
The accentuation upon quality education is dependent upon the institution from where one is achieving their education. Two individuals pursuing the same academic course can be distinguished from where they are pursuing the academic course. Institutions in turn implement the policies of awarding the Best Student/All-rounder student which instils a sense of superiority in the students being felicitated.
One’s mere understanding of the course is not enough, the person who works hard, burns the midnight oil, possess additional knowledge with proper grooming will have an edge over others. These kinds of attributes of an individual, positions her or him in a hierarchical relationship in comparison to individuals who do not resort to the same.
A college that employs innovative methods of teaching and a college that pertains to the run-of-the-mill techniques are not evaluated at par. The use of technology in classrooms indicates the financial prowess of the institution. Since all institutions do not enjoy the boons of technology in their classrooms it becomes needless to say that students will be looking for state of the art education premises. The prioritization of technology aided classrooms against a technology deficient classroom among students and parents alike establishes the hegemony of technology. These tech-aid classrooms can ensure features of LCD Screens, Power point presentations, speakers to enhance the process of learning. Hence, a preference for these tech-aid classrooms over traditional classrooms is another dimension of stratification in the sphere of education.
The most severe form of stratification pervades among the illiterates and literates followed by the ascending order of educational qualifications constructed by the sector of education. Stratification becomes a mechanism of control and regulation of abilities, distribution of occupation and persistence of social fabric. However, this differentiation also brings about insecurity, envy and inferiority complex among the actors.


5 Mobile Apps To Help Teachers & Students Adapt To The Common Core Standards
It’s easier to get where we are going if we are all working off the same map. At least that’s the premise behind Common Core, a detailed K-12 curriculum intended to implement a uniform set of academic standards among learners nationwide.
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have already adopted the curriculum, according to the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, Alaska and Puerto Rico have not yet adopted the Common Core.
Common Core Praise & Criticism
Proponents say the shared curriculum helps teachers focus their classroom instruction with particular goals and outcomes in mind. Having a set of expectations should make it easier for student thrive and for parents and teachers to gauge success.
Critics, however, have voiced concerns over a possible “one-size fits all” approach to learning. Some worry that states might be giving up some autonomy in taking a national approach to education, which has traditionally been a state function.
In general, though, Common Core has drawn praise from both educators and industry leaders. The Common Core “can give all kids a robust curriculum taught by well-prepared, well-supported teachers who can help prepare them for success in college, life and careers,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“State by state adoption of these standards is an important step towards maintaining our country’s competitive edge. With a skilled and prepared workforce, the business community will be better prepared to face the challenges of the international marketplace,” said Edward B. Rust Jr., chairman and CEO of State Farm Insurance Companies.
Whether or not this is true, as states begin to implement Common Core, the education technology community has stepped up to the plate with a number of free or inexpensive mobile apps. Some help teachers understand the curriculum at a glance and make it possible for them to tailor instruction, some help parents guide their children’s practice, and others speak directly to learners with fun and instructional exercises in reading and math.
1. Common Core Standards by MasteryConnect
The Common Core is more than just a broad outline of educational objectives. It’s a detailed program of action with specific aims and goals for every step of the learning experience. As such, it can be a beast to muddle through. This app makes it easier for teachers, students and parents to see at a glance just what the curriculum requires. Sift by subject, age and requirements to get right to the specifics of any given element within the curriculum. This offers a fast and easy way to view the Common Core.
2. Common Core Tracker by Common Core Tracker
Teachers have a new administrative burden when they adopt the Common Core. In addition to tracking student grades and milestones in the usual way, they now must chart those outcomes against Common Core milestones. This $2.99 app helps reduce some of that burden. Educators can easily align their assignments against Common Core standards, then track student scores against those benchmarks. By putting the learning plan and the Common Core standards into a single place, teachers can more easily visualize student progress and can plan lessons according to Common Core elements not yet achieved.
3. Alphabet Zoo by Third Rail, LLC
For the youngest readers, literacy begins with associating letters and sounds. Designed around Common Core competencies, this 99 cent app lets kids ages 2 through 5 play with animals, generating simple sounds in a way that is fun and entertaining. They may not know they are learning, but kids who engage in these simple phonics exercises will be working toward the foundational skills for reading at the kindergarten levels, as defined by the Common Core.
4. Learn Math 1 by Mingoville
On the cheerful island of Mondiso, early learners can acquire Common Core math skills in an array of entertaining ways. In this free app, kids can learn to focus by following simple instructions to stack boxes, shop in the junk shop and play basic board games. It all adds up to fun for kids, while parents can know their young learners are getting an early start on the Common Core math requirements.
5. Scootpad by Scootpad
This app offers both math and language for K-5 according to the Common Core guidelines. The app can be configured for multiple kids, each receiving personalized learning exercises according to his or her abilities. Parents and teachers can track student progress, measuring overall performance in real time and settings targets for proficiency in various topics. The basic app is free, with additional features available in paid versions.
About the Author: Adam Stone writes on education, technology, business and government from Annapolis, Md; iamge attribution ilamontcom


Playing house is a lot of fun, but it’s so much more than that. Pretending to be mommy or daddy (or a doctor, a mailman, a firefighter, a super hero, etc.) teaches them a lot about the world around them. Pretending to be someone else both helps a child act out and understand the things they see and gets their imaginations moving. Most of children’s imaginative play comes in the form of role playing, but you’ll also see it when playing with doll houses and action figures.
A child’s supply of energy is seemingly unlimited, so they need some type of physical play on a daily basis (and so do you, if you ever want them to sleep again!). Physical play is anything that gets them moving, running, jumping and being active. Not only is it great for exercise, but it also helps with large motor skill development and coordination.
Any time two or more kids play together, they’re engaging in social play and working on social interactions. It may look like they’re just having fun, but they’re learning to play together, cooperate, take turns, share and more. These are skills that will be beyond value for the rest of his life, so do what you can to encourage social play. If you don’t have other children in the house, consider joining a play group, visiting story time at a library, going to a playground or visiting a play area at the mall. Playing together also inevitably results in little (and major) quarrels, but they learn from those, too! Those first fights hurt, but they learn about apologizing and making up, as well as how bad behavior can lead to social isolation.
Hand your kid a set of blocks and see what happens -- before too long, you’ll have an entire city on your hands. Any time your child builds something from objects around him or her, he or she’s participating in constructive play. This doesn’t have to mean blocks. It includes playing in sand, stacking cards, playing with sticks and much more. This type of play teaches kids how to manipulate things to become something else and how to figure out how things work together. He or she’s also learning how to manipulate objects and brushing up on hand-eye coordination.
Don't underestimate the power of solitary play! It's just as important for kids to learn to play alone as it is to learn to play with others!
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Our music program uses the Core Knowledge Sequence, which aligns with the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Frameworks and the National Standards of Music, as the base for our music curriculum. Music students meet once peer week and are exposed to the classics as well as modern composers. All the senses are used to help familiarize the student with music basics.
Starting with the younger classes, students are engaged with movement, rhythm instruments and pitched instruments, such as the xylophones and glockenspiels. This is an approach to music education designed by Carl Orff (pictured right).
Orff, a German composer, felt movement and activity should be incorporated into a child’s music education. The Orff philosophy combines the elements of speech, rhythm, movement, dance and song with participation, creativity and personal musical growth.
Also used in collaboration to this method are concepts from the Dalcroze method of music. Emile Jaques-Dalcroze was an Austrian composer who integrated movement into music education with the concept that children learn more effectively by using as many of their senses as possible. Students learn music through a combination of these methods. They move with music, play instruments and sing.


200 Hillvue Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
District Mission Statement
The mission of the North Allegheny School District is to prepare all students for success in a changing world.
NASD Music Department Statement
The North Allegheny School District Music Department espouses this mission statement through meaningful experiences that allow children and young adults the opportunity to explore and create music. Through a broad range of music lessons and activities, students are able to become lifelong learners of music and prepare for life in a changing world.
Music has an important role in society. The K-12 curriculum is designed to develop the skills necessary to promote creativity and an aesthetic response to music as performers and listeners. The North Allegheny Music Department believes that the music education curriculum can provide a diverse musical experience that enhances the understanding of various cultures and promotes opportunities for cross-curricular experiences. As a result, students cultivate skills in language development, reasoning, coordination, engagement, cognitive development, emotional intelligence, personal discipline, self-confidence, and teamwork. Through meaningful musical experiences, students feed their intellectual curiosity and engage in a rigorous pursuit of knowledge to establish a clear understanding of collective intelligence. Students become critical and creative thinkers, collaborators, and communicators, thus becoming contributing members of their school community and productive members of society.


Messy Little Monster: Simple step by step instructions for how to make a bird feeder using a biscuit cutter. Simple kids activity suitable for preschoolers, early years, eyfs.
THE GROUCHY LADYBUG. Potato stamp ladybugs, fun and easy preschool craft for bug or ladybug week. Perfect art project to go along with the Grouchy Ladybug or Ladybug Girl books.
How to Grow Cress Initials by imaginationtree: The wonderful thing about cress is that it grows SO remarkably quickly that it is fantastically satisfying for young children.
Caterpillar Pom Pom Craft – Spring Craft Ideas, could be altered for older aged kids
so tempting to go on a nature walk. Spring Activities for Kids: Make a Wind Catcher
Art and Science for Kids: Explore chromatography using coffee filters and markers! Fun STEM / STEAM activity for children. Turn the results into a butterfly craft- perfect for spring!
Easy, simple spring crafts for toddlers to make and do with you at home so that you can get creative together all season long.
The Ultimate Guide for the Best Spring Activities, Family activities for Spring, fun outdoor activities, Spring Activities for kids, Free Printable Remarkable stories.
Digging for "worms" - Kids Club Stand Activity
Check out these fun spring experiments! // Article by Growing a Jeweled Rose


Purpose of Study
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discernment to the best in the music in the world.
To ensure that all pupils perform listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
To ensure that all pupils learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
To ensure that all pupils understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: Pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.


ERIC Number: ED348140
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1990
Reference Count: N/A
School-Age Ideas and Activities for After School Programs.
Haas-Foletta, Karen; Cogley, Michele
This guide describes activities for school-age children in after-school day care programs. These activities may also be used in other settings. An introductory section discusses program philosophy, room arrangement, multicultural curriculum, program scheduling, summer programs and holiday care, field trips and special programs, age grouping, communication between parents and teachers, and conflict resolution. Sections of the guide describe approximately 150 activities that relate to: (1) problem solving in general and social problem solving in particular; (2) rough-and-tumble play; (3) painting; (4) printing; (5) making cards and gifts; (6) making masks, puppets, and gifts; (7) candle making; (8) making three-dimensional artworks; (9) cooking art supplies from recipes; (10) craft projects involving nature; (11) planting and growing plants and vegetables; (12) science experiments; and (13) indoor and outdoor games. A resource list of more than 120 publications is appended. (BC)
Descriptors: After School Programs, Childrens Games, Class Activities, Cooking Instruction, Day Care, Elementary Education, Handicrafts, Horticulture, Painting (Visual Arts), Play, Printing, Problem Solving, Science Projects
School-Age NOTES, P.O. Box 40205, Nashville, TN 37204 ($16.95).
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Guides - Non-Classroom
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Social Problem Solving


Mild Intervention Certification
A Mild Intervention (special education) certification gives you additional background and education to help you work with all types of learners. Because special education is a high-need area in many schools, this license may provide additional career options.
The program is 18 credit hours for those with an Indiana State teacher's license in elementary education.
Flexible classes are offered in multiple modes of delivery: online, hybrid and on campus.
See what classes will be offered in the next term ►
(Select your term and choose "Education" for the subject. )
Additional courses for secondary or all-grade license holders are marked with an *.
An introduction to the characteristics, history, and identification of students with mild disabilities. Particular attention is devoted to understanding disability as a social construct, the impact of labels on children and families, and the concepts of cultural competence and normalization. Strategies of working collaboratively with other professionals and families to optimize the outcomes of the child in the inclusive classroom and community are stressed.
Models of effective instruction for students with diverse learning needs are presented. Emphasis is placed on promoting culturally responsive teaching and strategies to differentiate and adapt instruction to accommodate exceptional learners within the general education classroom. Curriculum that promotes the academic, social, and behavioral competence of students will be demonstrated in addition to data-based instructional systems such as curriculum-based measurement.
Prerequisite: EDUC 572
This course presents various models of formal and informal assessment to discern the needs of students with diverse learning profiles. Assessment and intervention are linked to promote optimal student outcomes. Candidates learn to administer, evaluate, and interpret various tests, rating scales, and classroom-based assessments to determine appropriate instructional strategies. Assessment procedures by other service providers such as occupational therapists are identified. Curriculum-based assessment and measurement are examined as an operational model to inform teaching and learning. Application of assistive technology to support instruction and assessment are explored.
Prerequisites: EDUC 572, 573
This course presents a framework for creating an instructional environment based on positive behavior support and school wide discipline. Knowledge and skills of proactive classroom management to promote the academic, behavioral, and social success of students are presented. These approaches range from the techniques of self-management to collaborative problem solving. Functional assessment and analysis as methods to determine causes of challenging behavior and academic failure are stressed. An overview of conflict resolution curricula is provided with strategies to prevent and manage school-based crises.
This course examines the dynamics of empowerment as a means of developing effective school-family partnerships. Starting from a "system of care" perspective, effective strategies for supporting families as they negotiate educational challenges and for promoting collaboration among the various professionals serving learners and their families are discussed. Required field-based assignments are designed to help participants identify and understand community-based resources beyond their individual school settings.
This class is designed to help both candidates and practicing teachers assess and teach literacy in classrooms. Emphasis is placed on working with students with learning disabilities. Candidates develop proficiency in administering, scoring, and analyzing interest/attitude surveys, individualized reading inventories, and writing samples with a small group of students. Using the results of these diagnostic tools, the candidates designs and implements one-on-one lessons to build on the strengths and meet the needs of students.
Find ways to infuse math across the curriculum. In this highly interactive seminar, strategies are developed to promote the meaningful learning of math concepts. Learn new techniques to incorporate manipulatives, games, critical thinking, and literacy activities to enhance the effectiveness of math lessons.
This is an internship in the student's field of teaching under the direction of a supervisor or mentor teacher.
- Bachelor's degree in education and an instructional teaching license from a regionally accredited institution (prefer nationally accredited institution)
- 3.0 GPA preferred
- Completion of the supplemental information on the online application
- Copy of most recent teaching license
Tuition is $420/credit hour for the 2016-17 academic year. Financial aid is available for this program. Learn more about financial aid for graduate students ►
When can I start?
Classes are offered each semester and during the summer. Once accepted into the program, you can start at the beginning of any term. Apply online for the Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction and choose the Mild Intervention from the drop-down box.


There are plenty of great resources out there on the internet. However, to find those resources, you often need to expend considerable time and energy. We’re going to make things a little easier for you.
Here are a selection of ten websites, which can help you within the classroom and even outside of it! To visit the websites in question, click on the headings, they should lead you straight to the website!
1. Calm.com – Calm.com is a website which offers guided meditation tours for short periods of time. Why do teachers need this website? After a long day of teaching, wrangling students and correcting homework, you can go to calm.com and take a small meditation tour to calm yourself and also relax!
2. Free Rice – Free rice is a fantastic website where, in the quest to gain knowledge, you can donate rice through the World Food Programme. For each answer you get right on the quiz, 10 grains of rice are donated. There are plenty of categories that you can take a quiz on and you can also utilize the application within the classroom!
3. Project Gutenberg – Project Gutenberg is an volunteer-run archive that is houses over 47,000 books that have been digitized and proofread by volunteers. You might not find the most current books there. However, you are sure to find plenty of classics there, which can be extremely helpful when it comes to introducing your students to various literary classics.
4. Crafster – This website has hundreds of DIY-craft ideas which can be utilized during the Arts period or even during any other subject period. All you have to do is carefully sift through a pages worth of craft ideas to find the perfect craft for your students to do.
5. Any.do – Any.do is a lovely to-do list app that encourages productivity. Instead of logging onto a computer or checking your email to see all that you need to do for the day, you can simply swipe through your smartphone and set up your tasks and reminders.
6. Science for Kids – This website is a minefield of resources for any science teacher. Science for Kids has an exhaustive list of various scientific experiments that you can utilize within the classroom to demonstrate concepts or even carry out with your students – in the interest of science of course.;)
7. Ted.ed – Ted.com has long been revered for the wonderful video talks its carries on topics, which range from health to science to education etc. Ted.com now has a website which is solely dedicated to a variety of educational concepts some of which are animated and some which are not. The quality of videos is such that most videos are complete lessons within themselves, well-thought out, well researched and very beautifully shot.
8. Scholastic – Scholastic has a wonderful set of resources, which have been created by teachers for teachers. The resources range from lesson plan, classroom management tips, learning activities, project activities etc.
9. VSauce – As far as interesting facts go, the YouTube channel VSauce has a number of interesting videos, which talk about facts that range from mundane facts that are interesting, but which you have no use for to facts that you can use to supplement lessons and spice them up.
10. Teacher Tube – Teacher Tube is video sharing website, similar to You Tube in that, users can post content their of their own and view content posted by others. However, Teacher Tube is different from YouTube in that, all the content that is posted there is solely educational and instructional and is intended for teachers!
We hope you found these websites useful! Are any gems we’ve missed out? If so, share them with us in the comments section below and tell us how useful they are to you!


BY HENRIK DAHL
Over the last years, interest in esoteric art has increased greatly. Yet still relatively few are familiar with Swiss artist Emma Kunz. She herself thought that her drawings belonged to the future. If we are to believe Kunz, the time is now ripe to discover her art.
Her images functioned as therapeutic tools rather than pieces of art.
Emma Kunz (1892-1963) was a healer and a visual artist. But as for the latter she never had a career. Instead, Kunz was posthumously included in art history, and today she is looked upon as a visionary artist. Since her images are suggestive of the Buddhist maps of the universe that are known as mandalas, the description is fitting. In a review of Kunz’s drawings art critic Jerry Saltz wrote, “You look at them with your third eye.” Originally, her artworks were not meant for the museum walls, but instead placed on the floor next to the clients the artist was seeing; her images functioned as therapeutic tools rather than pieces of art.
The artist grew up in Brittnau under poor conditions. (Her family worked as weavers.) When Emma Kunz was about 18 she started practicing healing, and claimed to have telepathic and prophetic capabilities. Later, her work made her go looking in the Swiss countryside for materials with healing properties. The search was a success. In the beginning of the 1940s, Kunz discovered a stone that she said was unique. The stone, which she found in a quarry in Würenlos, was named AION A. She was convinced of its power to heal, and felt that it had to be known to the whole of humanity. Today the stone is an approved herbal medicine and can be bought at chemist’s shops in Switzerland. The cave where the stone was found is called the Emma Kunz Grotto.
Between 1923 and 1939 Kunz worked for the artist and art critic Jacob Friedrich Welti. It was at the end of this period, in 1938, that she started to make her typical square metre sized drawings on graph paper. The artworks were created using graphite and colour pencil, as well as wax crayon. At that point, Kunz was in her mid forties and had no formal art education.
In the early 1950s the artist lived in Waldstatt overlooking the Säntis mountain. During this period, she published the books The Miracle of Creative Revelation and New Methods of Drawing. The books were self-published and paid for by herself. They were not the only titles that she released though. Already in 1930 she published a book of poetry called Life.
At the time of her death in 1963, Emma Kunz left behind about 400 works of art. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that her images were beginning to be exhibited in museums. It’s not unlikely that more people will pay attention to her art. This was something Kunz herself prophetically stated: “My art is destined for the 21st Century.”
By Henrik Dahl
Featured image: Swiss visual artist Emma Kunz (via Emma Kunz Zentrum).


Jules-Alexis- Muenier (1863-1942)
He Sound Versoulis . Muenier received art education Beaux-Art Academies in Paris . Muenier studied at the Jean-Léon Gérôme cataract alle. He was a close friendship relations realistisch Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret ‘ga. Muenier lived most of his life Vesoul around. the larger part of their He works depicting villagers Coulevoni your daily activities. Sometimes, he used photographic equipment to capture the activities of villagers. Muenier Julies was fully embraced naturalism humanism .
As soon as photography was invented Finden was gradually made available by the artists, but in the 19th century, a debate arose over the use of photographic art. 19thcentury was finally Muenier experienced photographer.
[ edit ]The best-known works
- "Les Cheminaux" 1896
- "Jeune Paysan faisant boire Sohn Cheval" 1891
- "La leçon de catéchisme, 1890
- Aux Beaux jours "
- "Le Jeune Posant modèle dans l’Atelier"
- "Woodburners auf Französisch Coast"


Many departments have small numbers of data loggers, stuck at the back of cupboards with flat batteries, neglected because no-one really knows what to do with them. Perhaps they don’t get used because you haven’t got a class set or because the teacher lacks the confidence to use them in front of a group of tech-savvy students.
My advice – if you have PGCE students get them on the case. PGCE students have to show capability in ICT skills and what better way to learn than by mastering data logging equipment and rolling out activities to the rest of the department.
Data loggers are excellent tools for SEN students – hopefully the ideas below will encourage you to dig yours out and get them up and running again!
Using data loggers as a digital measuring device
At the simplest level just using a data logger as a digital thermometer works. It is easy to read and using like this is a good way to introduce the technology to students.
Using data loggers on the IWB to show live data
Most data logging equipment can be connected to a PC and used to show live data from an experiment on the IWB. You could even get students to take regular readings from this live data, building up skills like timing and recording results, whilst keeping the activity simple. This is especially useful where there could be health & safety implications from the experiment.
The image shows the data captured from an experiment investigating the insulating properties of dog fur! This graph was displayed at the end of the experiment, with live data being displayed on the screen as the experiment was underway.
Data loggers also allow many students with poor numeracy skills to visualise the results and answer questions like ‘did the temperature go up or down?’ which they might not have been able to do from a table of numbers.
Using data loggers to capture data and create a graph of results.
For students who lack the necessary coordination or organisational skills to collect results over a period of time, why not give them a data logger and get the hardware to do the work for them. Students are released from the requirement to collect readings at fixed intervals, they don’t have to struggle to read the thermometer and the data is even graphed at the end by the data logging software. More advanced students can even export their data into Excel.
This graph shows the temperatures collected during the dog hair insulation experiment (unfortunately I didn’t start the data logging collecting data until we had finished using the live display on the IWB). Again this allows students with poor numeracy to visualise the results, and to make comparisons between the different data sets collected (e.g. which temperature dropped the fastest? the most? the slowest?)
Do you use data logging hardware/software with SEN students. Leave me a comment and share your ideas with others.


Barrie Prep: Visual and Performing Arts
Learn More About the Lower SchoolThe Barrie Prep Visual Arts program begins with a strong foundation in the sixth through eighth grades. The Middle School curriculum is guided by the common Barrie themes for these grades with the following essential questions specific to Visual Arts:
- 6th grade theme: Respect for the Environment
Visual Art Essential Question: How can art represent the environment?
- 7th grade theme: Respect for Self
Visual Art Essential Question: How can art represent the self?
- 8th grade: Respect for Others
Visual Art Essential Question: How can art breed empathy and respect for others?
These themes tie in to Visual Arts classes as students exhibit these themes in their artwork and to express themselves creatively. For example, seventh grade students participate in a recurring interdisciplinary project in which they learn about and work on self-portraits in Art while they simultaneously learn how to speak and write about themselves in Spanish. The project culminates with a trip to the National Portrait Gallery.
Art lessons in Middle School are tailored to fit the developmental needs of the learner, which allows time for experimentation as well as guided use of materials. Lessons also begin to transition students working from their imaginations to using memory and observation to inform their art. Students learn how to look at and discuss visual elements that surround us, from fine art, to architecture, artifacts, product designs, student artwork, and other everyday objects. Although specific foundational skills are taught in each grade, and a variety of materials and tools are used, students also provide feedback that influence their art units. For example, in the sixth grade, students learn perspective drawing, but the class influences the subject matter and media used.
Upper School Visual arts electives range from Applied Arts (in which students can explore artistic careers) such as Illustration, Design, Advertising, and Digital Photography, as well as Fine Arts electives, such as Portraiture, Ceramics, Community Arts, and Nature Art. If a student becomes interested in something not offered as an elective, or a specific art subject, he/she has the opportunity to create an Independent Study. Independent Studies in the past have included Extruded Ceramics and Sequential Art.
The goals of the Visual Art electives provided in the Upper School are to:
- Excite and invite students to learn and develop new artistic passions,
- Prepare students to apply to and succeed at an arts college,
- Provide the physical and emotional skills needed to become life-long creators,
- Build confidence and skills needed to display art,
- Create visually literate young adults who are observant and critical of their world.
In the Barrie Prep Music program, students participate in the process of selecting music, learning songs on a variety of instruments, and preparing for performances throughout the year. Students also develop the ability to read tablature and notation as needed, and they are expected to develop and train their ears to recognize changes that determine musical structures. Close listening activities are a key part of this process. Although students have varying levels of experience, individuals may continue to build upon their skills or try out an instrument they have never played before. Students may or may not have access to their instrument at home, so there is no expectation that they rehearse outside of the time provided in class.
The Music program for students in grades 9-12 is elective based. Electives vary from one year to the next in response to interest and the interests of students. Advanced Band is the one course that runs consistently each year. Much like the program in grades 6-8, students in Advanced Band select and rehearse material in preparation for performance. There is an expectation that students in Advanced Band rehearse outside of class. Finally, the Music program at Barrie Prep values student voice and choice when determining content. Students have a significant role in selecting material to examine, and the role of the instructor is to help determine the best options based on student input.
The Voice & Movement class at Barrie Prep covers the following areas in grades 6 through 8:
- Drama (Monologues; Scene Studies; Script Analysis; Character Development; Dramatic Composition; and Playwriting);
- Public Speaking
- Voice for the Singer
- Dance and Movement (Expression without words)
Content for the Voice and Movement class reflects grade-level themes. For example, monologues selected for 6th graders address content that speaks to Respect for the Environment, while the 8th grade class performs a song or scene that is a lyric or story about respect for people less fortunate than themselves.


Decodable Books and Phonics Lessons
Direct Instruction for Sound/Symbol Relationships
Sounds and their corresponding symbols are taught in phonics lessons that are systematically organized, use direct and explicit instruction, provide blending and segmenting practice, and provide word manipulation practice. Based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to phonics instruction, the Decodable Passages Packs provide short texts and multisensory activities to assist struggling readers.
Why Use Decodable Books and Phonics Lessons
Students who learn phonics master the sound/symbol code that enables them to read and spell. Each phonics lesson is built on research-based strategies for introducing, teaching, and practicing a sound (phoneme) and its related symbol or symbols (grapheme or graphemes).
Lessons include activities using manipulatives, such as letter cards, phonogram cards, workmats, decodable and high-frequency word cards, games, and worksheets that support instruction and practice with skills such as:
- Phonemic awareness
- Sound/symbol relationships
- Writing and spelling
- Blending and segmenting
- Word families
- High-frequency words
Designed to support the Orton-Gillingham method of reading instruction, the Decodable Passages Packs emphasize systematic, sequential, multisensory, synthetic, and phonics-based instruction. The short passages with decodable words and various activities pair with supplementary, multisensory lessons, to provide multiple pathways for students to understand the sound/symbol relationships as well as the “how” and “why” behind reading.
How To Use Decodable Books
Teaching effective phonics means using systematic instruction and practice. Each new lesson and book introduces a new phonics element while supporting previously taught phonics elements and high-frequency words, or sight words.
Each of the 68 lessons spells out activities for each instructional session. The lessons are organized according to the following sequence:
- Consonant, Short Vowels, and Word Families – 35 lessons
- Blends – 6 lessons
- Long Vowels - VCe Pattern – 4 lessons
- Consonant Digraphs – 6 lessons
- Open Vowels – 1 lesson
- Vowel Digraphs – 5 lessons
- Other Vowel Patterns – 1 lesson
- Variant Vowels – 4 lessons
- Diphthongs – 2 lessons
- R-controlled Vowels – 4 lessons
Instruction of sound/symbol relationships is most effective when combined with plenty of practice and application through the reading and writing of words. In addition to Decodable Books and Phonics Lessons activities, Leveled Books from levels aa–P also contain a phonics component in their guided reading lessons. Search by skill type or look on each book’s home page to find the phonics element supported by that book.
Start with the Program Overview for detailed information on how to use the Decodable Passage Packs as well as additional, multisensory classroom activities.


Developing a life-long love of learning
An introduction to our Language and Arts curriculum
Bilingualism and Multilingualism
At AcadeCap, we believe that the development of languages and arts skills is of the highest priority.
At the PYP and the MYP, the language of instruction is French and English, with both languages being considered the primary language. The aim is for students to become competent communicators, understanding and expressing ideas and information confidently, orally and in writing, in both French and English.
In addition, students in Grade 2 and up have the opportunity to study a third language, primarily Spanish or Mandarin, as well as German, Polish, or Arabic, contingent on demand and teacher availability.
Furthermore, AcadeCap staff and the student community are from diverse backgrounds and the diversity of languages is celebrated at AcadeCap to further enrich language learning.
This programme purposefully sets out to stimulate and nurture all students’ creative potential as well as to integrate Units of Inquiry. Broadening students’ knowledge and deepening their perception of art history, aesthetics and design, we offer gallery and studio visits; a wide variety of drawing, painting, printmaking, collage and sculpture projects; supplemented by slides, videos and excellent reference books.
As they progress through the interactive programme, students’ social, affective, cognitive, technical, critical, aesthetic and sensory skills improve.
The annual full scale Vernissage of students’ work is a testament to their diversity and uniqueness.
Students participate in a variety of drama activities such as play writing, improv, shadow puppetry, role-play, storytelling, debating, and public speaking. They learn drama techniques such as proper breathing, articulation, and listening. They create and become a character and use this knowledge to participate in plays. Through the Units of Inquiry, students become time travellers learning about eras; wild animals when studying animal extinction; doctors, dentists, fire fighters etc… when exploring the community.
The focus of the MYP drama class is to work in groups and to study the basics of drama. The drama curriculum is intended to help students to develop an understanding and appreciation of drama, as well as the ability to create works using the forms, elements, and techniques of various art disciplines. Through exploring drama, students will develop an understanding of themselves and others, and will learn about the lives of people in different times, places, and cultures. They will develop practical artistic skills, as well as critical-thinking skills and communication skills.
At AcadeCap, we believe music plays a very important role in the development of a young person. Music activities stimulate development in every area of the brain, and enable the connection between the two brain hemispheres. Physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and language centers are engaged.
Music is an integral part of IB PYP curriculum, linking closely with Units of Inquiry. Students learn music through active involvement in music-making, even music writing.
The programme correspondingly emphasizes learning the violin in group settings. Children have the opportunity to perform in school concerts, as well as outside the school participating and competing in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Ensemble performances are a very important part of music education, enhancing the self-esteem of a young person, and reinforcing an aesthetic understanding of music on a personal and social level.
Reading & writing success for all
At AcadeCap, we are aware that students with Dyslexia as well as other reading and writing difficulties often exhibit many of the characteristics of gifted and talented leaners. Since our teachers use a variety of teaching methods applying the principles of Bloom’s Taxonomy and of Multiple Intelligence approach, students with Dyslexia can be very successful at AcadeCap.
For some students, learning to read is a gradual process requiring a systematic teaching methodology. We therefore provide the Simultaneous Multisensory Teaching Method, developed by the Canadian Association for Dyslexia and based on the Orton-Gillingham Method. We also offer the equivalent E.M.S. method in French, for francophone students.
The objective of the S.M.T./E.M.S. method is to teach reading, writing and spelling, with an emphasis on reading accuracy in the early stages, followed by thorough comprehension of written language and its structures. The material is presented in short sequential steps to help students develop self-confidence. Students always progress at their own pace.
Learning to overcome dyslexia allowed me to problem-solve in unexpected ways and to broach certain topics with a perspective many don’t have, until much later in life.


Music Makes the Brain Grow Stronger
A recent study found that musical aptitude seems to have a relationship with reading ability. This study directly relates literacy with inherent musical aptitude that the researchers are able to measure, which is something that you’re born with and that does not magically appear by listening to classical music on repeat. While they do examine the inherent musical aptitude, the study suggests that we might be able to prescribe some sort of musical curriculum that could potentially improve literacy in children. So, yes, all those weird to-be-moms holding heavy duty headphones up to their baby bumps blasting Mozart may be on to something.
This study prodded at the likely relationship by examining 42 normal hearing children. Each child was tested on their reading ability as well as their musical aptitude (specifically whether they can distinguish different melodies and/or rhythms). During the musical aptitude tests, brain stem activity was measured as well. After collecting all this data and completing a few statistical measures, the researchers discovered a significant relationship between musical aptitude and reading abilities.
How did the researchers end up at this finding? Well, when presented with rhythmic sounds or a melody, children with poor reading skills had less brain activity compared to those with higher reading ability. In the study, it appears that both rhythm and tone have a correlation with reading. The results show that there are “common neural and cognitive mechanisms for reading and music abilities that may operate, at least in part, via corticofugal shaping of sensory function.” They were even able to conclude that musical aptitude is estimated to predict about forty percent of the difference in reading ability between children.
Impressive, no? If researchers, educators and parents take this information to heart, we may have some super species of musical and well-versed children on our hands. But in all seriousness, this study does conclude that if we can pinpoint the parts of the brain that connect music and reading skills, we could definitively show the strong relationship between musical aptitude and reading ability.
If the relationship is concrete, maybe more arts and music education would be worked into public and private schools to improve literacy in children. And what a fine world that would be.


Aligned to Common Core: Fiction & Nonfiction Reading Just for Girls! What girl can resist topics such as rainbows, best friends, picnics, and unicorns? This outstanding collection of original short stories, articles, interviews, biographies, advertisements and more is sure to capture - and hold - the interest of all your young female readers. The subject matter, characters, and graphics have been carefully chosen to relate to girls of this age group. Real world applications address students' literacy development as they analyze a newspaper advertisement, a recipe, poetry, and magazine articles.The before, during, and after reading exercises incorporate effective, research-based reading comprehension strategies including: activating prior knowledge, predicting, visualizing, questioning, drawing inferences, summarizing, synthesizing, monitoring and repairing comprehension, and evaluation. Includes 27 short fiction and nonfiction readings, a teacher guide, teacher and student rubrics, read aloud observation form, and answer key. Supports Common Core Standards for Reading, Literature & Informational Text.


HIPPY - home interaction programme for parents and youngsters
HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents & Youngsters) is a home-based programme that supports parents in becoming actively involved in their four- and five-year-old children's learning. Parents and children work together for fifteen minutes a day with storybooks, puzzles and learning games that help children become successful learners at school.
The HIPPY programme builds on the bond between parents and children. HIPPY believes parents play a critical role in their children's education. HIPPY offers support that builds upon parental strengths so parents can provide their children with necessary skills and confidence to begin school with a positive attitude toward learning.
The work children and parents do together in their own home with the HIPPY materials is complemented by what they can gain from attending their local early childhood education.
The HIPPY staff and delivery method
Parents who are currently working on HIPPY with their own child, or have recently completed the HIPPY programme, train to become paraprofessional HIPPY tutors. They in turn coach other parents by showing them how to use the HIPPY materials with their own children.
The tutors are trained and supported by a local coordinator. They meet each week to work through the next workbook that they will deliver to the parents at a home visit, or on alternate weeks at a group meeting.
During the weekly training sessions the tutors are afforded many opportunities to build on their experience and gain knowledge and skills that they will take to the workplace, or to further study, after their two years as a HIPPY tutor.
The fortnightly Home Visits ensure all families are able to participate on HIPPY. The home is the child's primary learning environment. It is a comfortable environment, and childcare and transport are not barriers.
The Group Meetings provide an opportunity for parents to come together, practise the new activities for the next week, and to take part in discussions and workshops about topics related to child development, parenting, and other topics they choose to learn more about. This is also an opportunity to meet others in their community, to find out what is happening in their community and develop new friendships.
Because the tutors are of the same community and have young children, they have a deep understanding of the families they are supporting, and form trusting relationships. The tutors become role models for other parents, many of whom may become HIPPY tutors themselves.
- HIPPY children arrive at school ready to learn, and settle into the learning environment
- HIPPY children score better on measures of literacy, numeracy and understanding appropriate school behaviour than their non-HIPPY peers
- HIPPY children retain their competency in reading and numeracy skills
- HIPPY parents are more likely than their peers to engage in positive educational activities with their children
- HIPPY parents are more likely than their peers to become involved in school activities with their children
- HIPPY parents are more likely than their peers to seek further education for themselves


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You’ve probably heard all about the manner in which art education benefits cognitive development in children and how it contributes to creating a foundation for success across all academic subjects. Although these are inarguably positive benefits, there are many additional reasons to introduce your kids to art at an early age that go well beyond cognitive development and the establishment of an educational foundation. You might remember from your own childhood experiences that art is — and should always be — a lot of fun that represents a perfect opportunity to let your kids be their messy selves while engaging in an enjoyable form of creative expression.
So, how do you introduce art to your kids in a way that is both educational and a whole lot of potentially messy fun?
The following strategies are a great way to start, but it is worth mentioning that every subject is best introduced through the example you set through your day-to-day habits. Simply making art a part of your daily life — whether it is by creating original paintings, discussing art, or incorporating some aspect of art into something else entirely — will go a long way toward ensuring that your kids are introduced to a subject that will remain a permanent and important part of their lives going forward.
Begin With Regular Visits to Museums and Galleries
Image source: flickr.com
The museum is always a great place to introduce kids to art, and you can maximize this benefit by taking regular visits to museums and galleries while focusing on a specific and age-appropriate subject. Your younger kids might not be ready for more complex discussions, but they are absolutely ready to explore different shapes, angles, and perspectives. Sculptures are especially effective in this regard, so allow your kids to develop their observational skills during these initial visits.
As your kids get older and begin to acquire a more sophisticated understanding of art, return trips to museums and galleries might focus on examining bright colors in modern art, artistic themes or narratives in oil paintings, and the relationships between the subject of a painting and its surroundings. These skills build upon one another and ensure your kids are not overwhelmed by a variety of relatively complicated subjects all at once. Each visit can involve a brief overview of previous concepts before any new concepts are introduced, allowing your kids to feel confident in their knowledge and their understanding of art in general.
Encourage Consistent Practice and Offer In-Home Art Lessons
Of course, your kids have to have plenty of hands-on experience if they are to develop a lifelong passion for art. It is certainly best if you reinforce each museum or gallery visit with an art project relevant to what you and your kids have learned at the museum. Make sure the projects are fun and that your entire family participates in the project, as your kids are simply more likely to retain what they have learned and will be more excited about future projects if they know that the whole family will be involved.
Provide Ready Access to Educational Art Materials
Kids really have to be able to explore a creative subject on their own, and they should be able to do so on a whim if they so choose. You can do this by keeping an array of art materials throughout the house — but make sure you limit access to any potentially messy materials that might require your supervision — so your kids can practice whenever the spirit happens to move them. This type of unstructured experimentation is of profound importance, as kids really enjoy this sense of autonomy and are more likely to develop a deeper interest in the subject if they feel a sense of ownership over all of their artistic efforts.


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Why raise the issue literacy?
Literacy and numeracy status is assessed at the beginning of the consultation to ensure communication, information or support is appropriate for individuals whose literacy or numeracy skills are otherwise potential barriers to their full participation.
Evidence shows that patients with low literacy:
- Are more likely to have poor physical and mental well-being
- Are less likely to be aware and make use of prevention facilities.
- Are less able to self manage.
- Are less likely to adhere to prescribed courses of treatment.
- Have poorer health outcomes including knowledge, intermediate disease markers, and measures of morbidity.
- People with diabetes and poor literacy skills have been shown to have higher levels of retinopathy and lower levels of blood sugar control
- People with COPD and poor health literacy have been shown to experience greater COPD severity, higher learned helplessness, poorer respiratory-specific and general health status, and greater risk of COPD-related hospitalisation
- Men with lower literacy levels who drank alcohol were also more likely to consume a higher number of units than those with good skills.
- Are more likely to smoke cigarettes
- Women with literacy and numeracy issues are four times more likely to experience homelessness
How to raise the issue of literacy
Identify any issues
- Ask: “How often do you need to have someone help you with understanding forms, letters, or medicine labels?”
- If patient responds either “sometimes” or more often than sometimes, this is a positive indicator of some degree of difficulty with literacy and/or numeracy.
- Reassure your patient by letting them know that many people have difficulty reading and understanding medical information.
- If they have any type of literacy difficulty, consider in consultation with the patient simple adaptations that may support the consultation and their preferred format for future communications (e.g. phone call instead of letters).
- Please ensure that literacy issues are considered as part of the holistic agenda setting discussion in the Health Behaviours and Life Circumstances part of the consultation.
- Health Literacy can affect anyone at any time for example receiving new or distressing health information.
- People living with long term conditions may be required to deal with larger amounts of technical information about their condition and their care.
- Health Literacy is about people having enough knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to use health information, to be more active partners in their care, and to navigate health and social care system
- Never make assumptions about a person’s health literacy level as it may not always be apparent
The Health Literacy Place has more information and range of tools (such as teach back) which can support your conversation.
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