One of my favorite TV commercials is the AT&T, “Bigger is Better, It’s Not that Complicated” ad that features unscripted responses of elementary school children about why faster, bigger, larger, etc. is better. Unlike cell coverage, bigger lecture size is not necessarily better. Over the years, I have done a number of things to make a large lecture more manageable, but my switch from a functional group organization to a mechanistic organization made the most noticeable difference.
At Old Dominion University, I teach sections of organic chemistry that average 300 students. There are many challenges to teaching such a large lecture. It is more difficult to communicate with each student, students are less likely to ask questions during lecture, and they often leave lecture without a full understanding of the day’s objectives. Students in a large lecture class are often forced to do more learning on their own because of the limitation of my time. Concerned, I started to use clickers (an interactive response system) in my lecture to monitor student understanding. I discovered students struggled to understand any mechanism longer than 1-2 steps, were not equipped with the skills to approach a new problem, and often “forgot” about topics in previous chapters.
With the functional group approach, I felt as if I was dumping a lot of information on them at once. For example, the alkyl halide chapter includes nomenclature, physical properties, synthesis, and SN1, SN2, E1 and E2 mechanisms. No connections are made between each mechanism and the students approached the mechanism as if each one is something new to memorize. Students frantically wrote everything down (without much comprehension), and figured they would memorize the material later. Participation was low and it felt as if everyone was just trying to get through the lecture. When I switched from the functional group organization to a course organized by mechanism, I noticed that more of my students were engaged, understood the reading material, and approached multistep mechanisms with more confidence. Mechanistic organization helps students build critical thinking skills and teaches them how to problem solve. More students are more confident which results in a higher level of student engagement.
The ease at which students can determine the reasonableness of a mechanism is noticeably improved with mechanistic organization. For example, if a reaction is conducted in acidic media, strong bases are not permitted in a mechanism and vice versa. In the SN1 reaction, (CH3)3COH + HBr à (CH3)3Br + H2O, the reaction medium is acidic and the mechanism involves three steps—proton transfer, heterolysis, and coordination. I found that most students can memorize that HO− is a bad leaving group, but beyond that, they still could not write the mechanism for this reaction correctly. When a student is asked to think about the reasonableness of the mechanism, as in the mechanistically organized approach, they see that HO− is not a reasonable species in an acidic medium. The mechanistic approach encourages students to develop a chemical intuition.
Another important difference in my course organized by mechanism compared to my previous functional groups course is the increased amount of time, in the former, devoted to foundational skills in the first three chapters and the emphasis on common steps between all reaction mechanisms. In the fall semester, ODU has three sections of Organic I, but in the spring semester we have only one section of Organic II. We also have a lot of transfer students who took Organic I at other institutions. Organic II is a subject that depends heavily on the knowledge and background of Organic I so I devote my first two lectures to the topics mentioned above—foundational skills and common elementary steps in mechanisms. I need all my students to have the same starting point and understanding of expectations.
Today, I posed a question that the students will not see until later on in Organic II, but they knew the elementary step from Organic I. The majority of students were able to correctly identify the two elementary steps, though it was a mechanism they had never seen before:
Even though my large lecture classes have many challenges, the mechanistic organization helps students by teaching them to think more independently and aiding them in their problem solving approach. Students have the confidence to approach problems that they have never seen before and reason out answers.
In this way, maybe bigger is better because I’m teaching important skills to a large group of students at one time.
– Marie Melzer, Old Dominion University
Marie Melzer teaches a mechanistically organized course at Old Dominion University. She plans to use Joel Karty’s book in the fall (2014). Click here to learn more about Prof. Melzer.


Our academic focus is on enriching lives through a proactive philosophy of teaching with the child at the center of our efforts. Our multi-dimensional curriculum design combines the best of traditional and modern educational practices delivering a holistic approach to education.
Our education methodology involves:
- Integrating curriculum based on progressive teaching methods like Jodo Gyan, Sparkles Science and Rocket Readers
- Cognitive, language and motor skill development
- Phonics Development
- Social, emotional and personality development and a lot more
For the pre-primary, we have combined the best practices of Montessori as well as traditional systems of education, to create an atmosphere which is focussed on growth with values. Learning is through a multi-sensory approach, in which all five senses are tapped. (For instance, reading is introduced through phonics and whole language.) Different spaces are assigned for different activities.


"When students can see things like current and projected wages, job demand, employer needs, and employer gaps where opportunities are waiting, they make the pivotal connection between their education and their ability to work and earn a living."
Kingston, TN (PRWEB) March 04, 2013
Growing industries in science and technology have more job openings than workers who can do the jobs. As a result, improving America’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has become a top priority. Yet, a new national report finds that while student interest in STEM majors and careers has risen over the last decade, that interest fades the closer students get to high school graduation.
One solution, according to thousands of schools across the country, is the Personalized Career Readiness System from WIN Learning, a national leader in career readiness initiatives, with more than 10 million learners worldwide.
The report — “Where Are the STEM Students? What Are Their Career Interests? Where Are the STEM Jobs?” which was covered by U.S. News and World Report on Jan. 31, — shows that nearly 28 percent of high school freshmen express an interest in pursuing a STEM major or career each year. However, 57 percent of those students will lose interest in STEM by their senior year.
“The challenge for educators is to keep students engaged and excited about STEM as they progress through high school,” said Kathy D’Antoni, assistant state superintendent for the West Virginia Division of Technical, Adult and Institutional Education. “One easy way to do this is to show students the relevance and the connection between what’s happening in the classroom and in their futures. By matching a student’s education to workforce requirements and giving students a personalized path to prepare for success in careers and college, educators can increase student learning, motivation and achievement in STEM or any subject area.”
WIN’s Personalized Career Readiness System is a series of standards-aligned web-based programs that helps students understand and prepare for the realities of the workplace through personalized project-based learning and career exploration. It provides real-time career and job analysis data to inform pathways, a universal screener to assess foundational skills, and instructional courseware to improve proficiency and close skill gaps.
“Our Personalized Career Readiness System allows teachers and counselors to bridge the gap between school and the workplace with real-time labor market information for key industries in STEM fields,” said Joseph Goins, executive vice president of WIN Learning. “When students can see things like current and projected wages, job demand, employer needs, and employer gaps where opportunities are waiting, they make the pivotal connection between their education and their ability to work and earn a living — which is crucial to keep students engaged and motivated through graduation and beyond.”
With STEM jobs expected to rise in the coming years, there will continue to be a growing national interest in encouraging more students to pursue education and careers in these fields. The report estimates that there will be more than 8.6 million STEM jobs in the United States in 2018, up from 7.4 million today.
Since 1996, WIN has become the leading provider of career readiness solutions to help districts prepare pathways for students’ futures, whether they are college, trade school, military or workplace bound. To date, more than 10 million students worldwide have participated in the specialized career–driven courseware and education intervention initiatives as well as career-readiness certification programs. For more information, go to http://www.winlearning.com or call 888-717-9461.


Why Music Education Is Being Cut
Many schools around the country are cutting their music program because of budget cuts in their counties. The arts for some reason are always the first to be cut; apparently the school doesn’t think they are essential to their students learning. Schools try to focus on the more important academic classes because of the high testing standards they must now meet. (Nesoff 2003) This is not just happening in poor school districts it is happening in large districts across the country including magnet schools for the arts: “When Albert Margolis and his wife attended the final music program for their son’s kindergarten class in May, they were shocked when a teacher stood up after the performance and announced that the music program was cut indefinitely…Bathgate Elementary School in Mission Viejo in California’s affluent Orange County, is a magnet school for the arts…” (Nesoff 2003) When magnet schools for the arts start cutting music you know there is a problem. The problem is the schools do not know the importance of music and the arts and how necessary they are for children to grow and become cultured in our society.
The Importance of Music Education
There have been many studies done to find how music influences a child’s development. The College Entrance Examination Board discovered that students who took music appreciation classes had higher verbal and math scores than those who did not take the classes. (Stephens 2003) The U.S. Department of Education found that in 25,000 secondary schools, students who were highly involved in the music program did much better in math than any other students. (Stephens 2003) These studies and more have found that involvement in music increases chi…
…, D. (1993). Music and the Mind. MENC, Retrieved August 25, 2003 from MENC, Academic Achievement and Music database.
Dixon, K. (2003). Can You Help. E-mail, Retrieved November 23, 2003
Fletcher, A. (2002, August 24). Inspired students ensure symphony will endure. The Sun, pp. 5C.
Higdon, K. (2003). Please Help. E-mail, Retrieved November 23, 2003
Nesoff, E. (2003, August 26). Sounds of budget ax falling. Retrieved November 16, 2003
Sheftel, B. (2002). Music Education Curriculum in Public Schools. PageWise, Inc, Retrieved August 6, 2003
Smith, S. Bringing Music Into Classrooms. Retrieved August 25 2003 from BillboardStephens, D. (2003, August 27) California: The Birthplace of Napster, the IPod and the Sounds of Santana and the Grateful Dead Leads the Nation in Cuts to Music Education in The Public Schools. PRWEB. Retrieved November 16, 2003


Oxford Castle & Prison is a 1000-year-old castle which also served as a prison for over 800 years. The visitor attraction opened on 2 June 2006 and gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the real people who lived and died throughout the site’s turbulent past. Visitors are able to walk through the ancient buildings and experience the stories that connect the real people to these extraordinary events.
Step inside and do 1,000 years of time...
Enrich your tour of the historic Castle and Prison with a hands-on workshop delivered in the Key Learning Centre by our friendly and knowledgeable learning team. There is a large selection of cross-curricular workshops available to choose from at Oxford Castle & Prison, using the 1,000-year history of the Castle and its environment to engage your class with a range of topics. We are also happy to tailor these to meet your learning objectives.
Workshops offer a mixture of activities including:
- Evidence handling
- Literacy development
- Practical problem-solving.
Suitable for KS1-KS5, sessions can be linked directly to the national curriculum: history, geography, citizenship, literacy, design technology, art and many more. All workshop prices include a guided tour of Oxford Castle & Prison, and time to explore the Castle Mound and wider site. A free familiarisation visit is available for all group organisers, along with our free Teachers’ Pack, with essential visit information and ideas; devised in collaboration with practising teachers.
King of the Castle
What was it like to live inside the walls of a mighty medieval castle? In this interactive session, pupils will use their senses to understand some of the differences between ‘then’ and now, at a site that has been an important local place for over 1,000 years. Suitable for Foundation Stage and KS1 and can also be adapted for KS2.
Empress Matilda and the Great Escape
Develop pupils’ storytelling using costume and original objects to recreate an episode with a famous character from Oxford Castle & Prison’s history. Suitable for KS1 and KS2.
This popular collage-making workshop is a great way for all ages to create an artistic response to their experience of visiting the Castle and Prison. Older pupils may wish to explore the feelings evoked by the prison setting, while younger ones can enjoy illustrating some of the stories of our Castle characters—we’ll clear up the mess! Suitable for KS1 and KS2.
A chance to get creative by taking inspiration from the amazing views of the Oxford skyline from the Castle Mound and St. George’s Tower. Pupils will use viewfinders to compose their sketches, before making their own relief prints to take back to school where you can create a colourful panorama around your classroom. Suitable for KS2 onwards.
Centuries of Crime and Punishment
From pillories to porridge! Pupils will explore the theme of crime and punishment over a wide period of time. Using objects, documents and costume, they can find out more about changing attitudes to crime and how criminals have been captured and punished over the years. Suitable for Year 4 onwards.
Clues from the Past
A ‘hands-on’ session, including costume, documents and mystery objects, designed to familiarise pupils with different types of historical evidence—how we know about the Castle and Prison, how the site has changed over the course of time and who lived there. Suitable for KS2.
Mary Blandy on Trial: Villain or Victim?
Pupils will learn how a court case works and re-enact the trial of notorious poisoner Mary Blandy, by using original evidence to decide if she deserved her fate in a case that scandalised eighteenth-century society. Suitable for Year 4 onwards.
How do you build and attack a castle? Pupils will work in teams to consider shapes, materials and forces to find the strongest structure and most successful attack weapon in this practical workshop. Suitable for KS2.
Oxford Use aerial photographs to explore changes to the city and discuss the social and environmental consequences and compare the past with what you can now see from the top of St. George’s Tower!
Maximum 30 children per educational workshop, however for special requirements please contact us on the enquiry form below.
Yes, we have a lift within the attraction and an access ramp into the gift shop. Unfortunately, due to the site's historic nature, we don't have disabled access to St.George's Tower.
Teachers interested in this Oxford Castle and Prison trip also viewed the learning experiences below.
We are bursting with ideas on places that deliver first class teaching both outside the classroom and as in-school workshops. Feel free to use our tailor-made trip form and we can help you find the perfect experience for your class!


Early language and literacy skills are basis of all future learning in schools. If these are not developed well in early years, children will not be able to catch up in later grades with school texts becoming more dense and abstract. Therefore, strengthening teaching-learning for developing early literacy skills among students is crucial. The Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) was formed in 2015 with the aim of developing and implementing a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers, teacher educators and other stakeholders in the area of early grade student learning with a specific focus on language and literacy.
Our vision is that all children will have strong foundational skills and abilities of language and literacy, thinking and reasoning. Based on this strong foundation, all children will learn and grow to their full potential.
By 2023, influence classroom practices of 8,00,000 teachers and teacher educators in collaboration with State Governments. This will potentially benefit the learning experiences of 30 million children.


Hand-eye Coordination and Visual Discrimination Key to Literacy
Hand-eye coordination is a necessary skill for written language and the best way to help your child develop this skill is to let them play with toys and activities that involve looking at, using, and discriminating a-number-of elements.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your child’s early literacy development is simply to let them play. Turn off the TV and anything battery operated then let your child pick up their toys, build blocks or legos, or manipulate puzzles or game pieces. Not only are you giving your child the gift of childhood, something we so often fail to do in today’s hectic, achievement-oriented world, but you actually are helping them build skills that are key to learning to read and write.
Hand-eye coordination is a necessary skill for written language and the best way to help your child develop this skill is to let them play with toys and activities that involve looking at, using, and discriminating between a-number-of elements. Puzzles are obviously a great activity for this but so are manipulative toys such as blocks and legos.
My son just spent over an hour playing dominos with me. He was setting up complex patterns and then knocking them down — but I didn’t tell him he was engaged in a preliteracy activity. We were just having fun together.
Studies have shown that spending time on hand-eye coordination activities improves children’s ability to learn to read and lessens the difficulty they face during the process. In fact, engaging in a variety of craft activities, which most kids love, can be very beneficial so add play dough, stickers, and glue sticks to your list of educational supplies.
Puzzles help develop hand-eye coordination because learning to control hands and fingers according to information received from sight is a coordination skill that aids children in early attempts at reading and writing. Determining which piece goes where, working to fit pieces into place, by making adjustments, and seeing a sequence develop in an organized pattern can be a great learning experience as well as very satisfying for children.
Puzzles, matching games, and the like are also important to help children learn visual discrimination. Visual discrimination is the ability of the brain to quickly tell the difference among visually similar letters, like “p,” “b,” and “q” or between words such as “was” and “saw.” Students with difficulty making these distinctions often struggle with learning to read, write, and spell. Playing games, engaging in activities, or with toys that help children discriminate among similar objects can be fun for the child and help them master an important preliteracy skill such as sorting change before rolling it to be deposited at the bank. Sure, we could use an electronic sorter, but allow your child to engage in the activity and it is a valuable learning experience for them.
Visual discrimination can often be learned with your child’s existing toys. Matchbox cars, dolls, and action figures all offer the opportunity for your child to learn visual discrimination.
Encourage children to work their wrist and finger muscles as well as work on their coordination and small-motor skills to help prepare them for the handwriting practice in their future. Activities to help with these goals include legos and other building sets, playdough, puzzles, pegboards, beads and other table toys. These fun, natural activities help children improve their cognitive and fine motor skills without frustration or boredom.
Encourage your child to engage in many activities every day that encourage hand-eye coordination and visual discrimination. Don’t suggest the activities to them. Make the toys and manipulatives available to them and they choose them on their own. The activities vary, and they may go an entire week building and rebuilding a wooden train set every day and then the next week their blocks dominate their play time. Some days they may play with both together and pull in other table toys for added fun. It doesn’t matter which activity they choose because you know they are having fun, challenging their imagination, and learning.
Being a successful reader builds self-esteem. Learn more about Mrs. C’s reading assessment and tutoring at:
Don’t know your child’s independent reading level? Assessment and monitoring by parents are essential to your child’s reading success. Nuts About Reading™ offers parents a FREE and condensed, informal, supplemental, reading assessment online. For more information VISIT: https://buckaroobuckeye.com/register/ or https://buckaroobuckeye.com/reading-assessments/
Kristin Anderson Cetone, Reading Specialist & Author


Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre is playing a leading role in developing innovative programmes of outdoor learning.
Notable successes to date include projects using the outdoors to develop:
- Community cohesion.
- Literacy and creative writing skills.
- French vocabulary understanding.
- Numeracy skills.
Case studies of some of these projects can be found by following the links below:
- Community Cohesion
- Personal Learning and Thinking Skills with Crown Hills Community College
- Creative Writing with Lancaster Secondary School
- Personal Learning and Thinking Skills with Fullhurst Community College and Ellesmere College
- Creative Writing with Rushey Mead College
- Mathematics with Babington Community Technology College
- Raising the Achievement of Boys at Key Stage 3
Time for Change in Outdoor Learning
Randall Williams, in conjunction with the English Outdoor Council, has produced the following document containing hard evidence on the value of the outdoors and a challenge to deliver fair access for all.
Learning Outside the Classroom Website
Case studies for various organisations can be found on the Learning Outside the Classroom website here.


Bringing the farm to the child takes on a very? special meaning on The Farmyard Bus.? A converted double decker bus becomes a wealth of? information for school children in Darlington, Durham in the UK.
Larger animals are penned on the lower level for children to easily meet domestic animals face to face.?As they pass the pens, staff on board provide an educational introduction to children, with material that links into the primary school curriculum. Teachers are able to access classroom follow on lesson plans.
On the upper level smaller animals are able to be handled by children, who may never have connected eggs with chickens; or ducks with Peking Duck in the local Chinese menu. Ensuring that the students have a safe time, every detail is covered, including hand sanitisation as children disembark.


About Us - Learner Success - BC's Redesigned Curriculum
BC’s Redesigned Curriculum
Today’s children live in a society of constant change. At New Westminster Schools, we are supporting the success of our learners by focusing on the skills and competencies they need to be productive and successful citizens in a rapidly changing world.
We are doing so in the context of BC’s Redesigned Curriculum, which was implemented in BC in Kindergarten to Grade 9 classrooms in the 2016/17 school year and is slated for implementation across all grades in 2019/2020.
Why a new Curriculum?
The curriculum in British Columbia has been modernized to meet the changing needs of our students. Students today require skills and competencies that will help them thrive in an ever-changing world. BC’s redesigned curriculum aims to personalize learning, making it more student-centered and flexible. There is a focus on literacy and numeracy skills, as well as an emphasis on deep, active learning. The BC curriculum is concept based and competency driven to ensure that students are engaged in learning opportunities that go beyond memorizing facts. The “Know-Do-Understand” framework supports deep learning through active engagement. For more information about the redesigned curriculum, please click here.
What has changed?
The redesigned curriculum puts the student at the center of learning and emphasizes:
- greater flexibility to allow for personalization;
- increased opportunities for students to pursue their passions and interests;
- a focus on foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, with a strong emphasis on concepts and “big ideas” that allow for deeper learning;
- Aboriginal culture and perspectives integrated throughout all grades and areas of learning;
- the development of core competencies (thinking, communication, social and personal).
The Know-Do-Understand framework consists of three elements:
- What students will know
- The Content – important knowledge within each area of learning.
- What students will do
- The curricular competencies – skills, strategies and processes that students develop over time to engage deeply with areas of learning.
- What students will understand
- The “Big Ideas” – the most important concepts in an area of learning that go beyond a single grade and contribute to future learning.
Assessment and Reporting
Assessment and reporting practices are being refreshed to better align with the curriculum redesign. Assessments will continue to be rigorous and based on the learning standards and competencies identified in the curriculum. However, a more flexible and personalized approach to assessment will be taken that emphasizes measuring deep learning and complex thinking. Parents as partners in education will be included in ongoing communication about student learning. Educators will support students in a number of ways including:
- providing timely and meaningful feedback,
- multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning, and
- engagement in self-assessment, reflection and goal setting.


Updated: Sep 10, 2019
The statement above is heard too many times and still sends chills down an educator's spine.
A common misconception, that surprisingly continues to be embedded deep in the minds of many parents, is that early learning is only for parents who want their children to be geniuses, high-flyers or GEPers.
This is not true. The sole intent of thoughtful early learning is to ensure that children are given sufficient time to pick up, and more importantly master, foundational skills that would undergird their ability to learn and develop.
To not provide them with such a foundation is in fact, ironically, depriving them of a childhood.
How? When the reality of unavoidable academic responsibilities come knocking, a child whose foundational skills are underdeveloped will face high pressure -- having to back-paddle to pick up those skills, while the rest of his cohort and peers power ahead.
It breaks our hearts when parents only come to us when a child is entering primary school to try establish basic reading skills. Such a delay is a true loss as by this time, many children are literate and are ready to explore the power of the written word, as well as express their creativity through it.
Early learning simply encourages incremental learning, and incremental (proper and steady) learning is always the most meaningful and effective.
The world has changed significantly since we, the parents, were kids. Singaporean households (among other first-world nation households) are more affluent and educated, which in turn results in more informed parenting.
Such translates into a raised national academic standard as a large segment (increasing every year) of children are learning at a much higher level than what we would have expected of a child their age, say twenty years back.
How can such learning progress be achieved without placing unnecessary pressure on an individual? Consistent systematic learning that makes sense, coupled with enough time given for mastery.
Of course, to swing into the other extreme in response to this article and expect your child to learn complex skills without setting the foundation right, or when he/she is not developmentally ready, is silly.
Even exposing your child to every untested cognitive sharpening method or strategy in an extremely commercialised and profit-driven education market can be very damaging.
We just urge you to be informed, be aware, be participant in your child's learning development.
The discipline of slow, steady and consistent learning is a habit that needs to be set from the most developmentally appropriate age -- not ridiculously young but none of us want to fall into the trappings of complacent parenting either.
We thank you with all our hearts. Here's a happy video of our children reading to add some cheer to this pretty sombre post!
The I-CL Team


Five Simple Reading Comprehension Strategies
Building students’ reading comprehension skills doesn’t just improve their academic achievement—it also increases their motivation to read for enjoyment. Try these reading comprehension strategies to help students learn to monitor and enhance their understanding of whatever they read.
- Form a connection. Before reading, ask a question to activate students’ background knowledge or to help them link their personal experience to the text. For informational texts, a question like What do you already know about <subject>? works well. For fiction, try a question that connects to a plot event or theme. For example, before starting Charlotte’s Web, you might ask, What makes someone a good friend?
- Listen up. Research shows that listening to fluent readings of challenging texts increases fluency and vocabulary, even for proficient readers. Reading some or all of a text aloud—or listening to a recording of it—also creates a shared experience that promotes collaboration.
- Encourage questions. Instead of asking students if they have questions about the text, let them know that questions are expected and welcome. Letting students see that curiosity and confusion are part of the reading process builds their confidence and helps them recognize what they need to know.
- Reread purposefully. Rereading is vital, but students often resist it. Spice up revisiting the text by having students mark their reactions and reassess them after rereading (for example, you might have students mark places where they do or do not sympathize with a character). This is a great way to show students that evidence doesn’t speak for itself.
- Embrace big issues. Discussion is one of the best ways to show students why reading matters. When you use a significant open-ended question to center a collaborative conversation, students learn that reading can inform their ideas and that they can learn from one another. Be sure to ask students to explain and give evidence for their answers, and to agree and disagree with each other civilly.
To see reading comprehension strategies in action, watch these video examples of Shared Inquiry activities.
Senior Professional Learning Consultant and Editor.
Nancy Carr has over 20 years of experience as both a professional development coach and a curriculum developer, working in schools throughout the country and with a wide range of student populations. Her work focuses on the intersection of curriculum materials and classroom practice, and she has helped develop many of the Foundation’s current K–12 materials. Nancy holds a PhD in English from the University of Virginia.


What is a sensory room?
A sensory room is a place designed to be a safe space for children with physical and/or sensory needs but is also used to support children with communication and interaction difficulties and social, emotional and mental health needs.
How are sensory rooms used?
Sensory rooms provide a safe space to relax, de-stress and diffuse anxieties. They can be used for children with a wide range of needs and difficulties.
They can be used to stimulate or calm the senses — sight, touch and hearing — and provide a space for people with social integration disorder, autism and other special educational needs to explore and develop their sensory skills.
They can calm pupils’ mood, improve focus, build social skills as well as cognitive and motor skill development.
They can also be used by other students as a relaxing zone or to develop skillsets.
They are proved to reduces the risk of crisis situations occurring which affect all students and help pupils manages their emotions in an effective, gentle way.
Sensory Rooms at Julian’s
At Julian’s we have two sensory rooms, one at each site. They are used for individual children, pairs and small groups. The sessions are always supervised by an adult and they are timetabled and offered when beneficial/needed.


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Agriculture is Ireland’s oldest industry. From our first settlers almost 10,000 years ago, it continues to evolve, tending to crops, caring for animals and providing for its people.
We invite you to learn about our farms, discovering the various people and families who are producing your food, and the environmentally friendly farming methods that they are using to ensure our shared future is protected for generations to come.
Our Programmes for
Agri Aware offers a variety of primary school programmes that are inclusive of Junior Infants through 6th Class. All of our programmes are linked into the primary school curriculum and have been designed to engage students through fun, hands-on activities.
Additionally, these programmes provide teachers with all the information needed, including lesson plans, keywords, objectives, learning outcomes, suggested activities and supplemental materials, to confidently deliver the various agricultural topics.
Our Programmes for
Agri Aware offers a range of secondary school programmes and events that are available to Transition Year and Agricultural Science Leaving Certificate students and teachers.
These programmes and events are linked into the agricultural science curriculum and provide students and teachers with activities and materials to immerse themselves within the various agricultural topics.
News, Insights and Media
Agri Aware has lots going on. See where our campaigns have been hitting the headlines recently
Welcome to Agri Aware Agri Aware has launched its Faces of Farm Safety Campaign to mark National Farm Safety Week…Read More
Welcome to Agri Aware The series, which will be posted on Agri Aware’s social media platforms and website from Tuesday,…Read More
Agri Aware launches Incredible Edibles Family Challenge to educate and entertain primary school families during social distancing period
Welcome to Agri Aware Agri Aware is launching its popular Incredible Edibles primary school programme to families to participate in during the…Read More
Agri Aware and UCD come to the rescue of Ag Science students and teachers with virtual educational resources
Welcome to Agri Aware Due to the threat of Covid-19, Agri Aware was forced to cancel its recent planned Farm Walk…Read More
Welcome to Agri Aware Over 3,000 Agricultural Science secondary school students will swap their school books for welly boots this…Read More


Visar resultat 1 - 5 av 10903 avhandlingar innehållade ordet SAMe.
Sammanfattning : Introduction: The desire to have children and form a family is for many people central for life fulfilment and the desire does not differ by sexual orientation. Due a series of societal changes during the last decade, today we see a lesbian baby boom. LÄS MER
Sammanfattning : This study explores how same sex couples in Sweden, a country with strong gender equality policies and discourses understand their lives and relationships. Central to the study is the analysis of the tensions between a public discourse favoring openness for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals and a lack of acknowledgment of non-heterosexual family practices; as well as the tensions between gender equality policies and discourses and the specific construction of same sex couples. LÄS MER
Sammanfattning : BackgroundThe Sami are the indigenous people in Scandinavia. They have a long history of discrimination, racism and conflict which has had a significant impact on Sami self-esteem and possibly also on their health, especially mental health. LÄS MER
4. Samma lärare – olika praktiker? : en studie av literacy och meningsskapande i grundskolans tidiga ämnesundervisning
Sammanfattning : This thesis focuses on school subjects as arenas for students' literacy development and meaning making. How instructional practices are formed create different preconditions for students' opportunities of literacy development and meaning making. LÄS MER
5. Same Mother Tongue - Different Origins : Implications for Language Maintenance and Shift among Hungarian Immigrants and their Children in Sweden
Sammanfattning : This study investigates intergenerational language transmission amongst Hungarian immigrants, using in-depth interviews and participant observation as the main methods. The analysis examines the experiences of parents and their school-aged children in 61 families living in Sweden´s two main cities, Stockholm and Göteborg. LÄS MER


The Importance of Teaching Science to Preschoolers
Science is not just for college chemistry courses or the high school student taking biology. Preschoolers, like their much older counterparts, are quite competent to understand scientific concepts and develop scientific thinking. As important as this topic may be to the advanced student, early science experiences are equally as vital to the young child's educational growth and development.
1 Building Foundations
Teaching a child science topics at a young age during preschool can help to build a lifelong interest in the subject. Additionally, early science experiences can set a child up for school success by fostering positive attitudes toward learning. The foundational science skills that a preschool teacher imparts to the young child can help that student to think critically, problem solve and better understand the world around her. More specific concepts such as learning about animals, plants, weather and the physical world are also important components to the early science education that can benefit the child later in life.
2 Literacy Development
Reading books is not the only preschool activity that encourages language and literacy development. Any lesson or project that relies on the use of verbal and written language can benefit this important area of academic growth. Group science experiments and projects invite discussion, which helps to increase positive language use. Making predictions, observations or coming up with conclusions provides young children with the opportunity to use critical thinking skills and verbalize what they mentally reason. In conjunction with class discussions, appropriate vocabulary use through science lessons also plays a pivotal role in increasing early literacy development. Teachers who use scientific vocabulary words such as microscope, life cycle, species or habitat help preschoolers to build new language skills to use in later schooling and beyond.
3 Enhancing the Curriculum
Science doesn't have to stand alone. Other curricular or content areas can easily tie to scientific concepts and learning. From art to math and even social studies, science is a vital link in connecting the preschool curriculum. For example, preschool teachers can extend a science lesson on arctic animals to include creating polar bear puppets in art, reading arctic temperatures on a thermometer (i.e., mathematics number recognition) and learning about the culture of people who live in arctic regions of the world.
4 Exploration and Behavior
Young children are naturally curious about the world around them. Teaching science to preschoolers can enhance this interest and help little ones to learn to explore their environment. Hands-on science activities, experiments and projects allow the preschooler to make discoveries about natural phenomena, the outdoors and other scientific concepts. By engaging the young child in science exploration activities the preschool teacher can help young children to focus on the discovery process and possibly even decrease unwanted behaviors. For example, inviting a disruptive or rambunctious preschooler to explore the science of color through a paint mixing experiment can redirect negative actions.


Our core beliefs are:
Everyone is a scientist -- especially children, who are born naturally curious.
Science is about questions, not answers.
Science is in everything, all the time. It is not something you memorize for a test or leave at school in a book. It is not something scary, hard and boring, or something only adults can do.
Children learn through their environment. Like the Suzuki Method for early music education, exposing children to STEM concepts and vocabulary from the earliest possible age lays a powerful foundation for lifelong learning.
Children learn through doing. Our programs are child-directed; adults are facilitators, but the children are the scientists.
STEM subjects should be taught as an interconnected whole, with emphasis on problem-solving and creative applications. For example, combing engineering, physics, and chemistry to create a new lightweight building material that will allow space travel to Mars.
Diversity of thought is essential to discovery.
Failure, when embraced and combined with learning, leads to advancement.
Kindness and respect are fundamental.
We have tremendous anecdotal evidence of our success in inspiring and educating young children. Please take a minute to read a few of our unsolicited customer stories.


M.A. in Music Education
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Education
College of Education
Music--Instruction and study; Sight-reading (Music)
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this study was to discover the positive effect on sight-reading ability of 100 third grade recorder students reading music notation when color-coding was applied to notes and manipulatives were used in note value instruction.
The problem was to compare effects on the learning and application of music reading skills between color-coded notes and monochromatics when students sight-read music playing their recorders.
The classes were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The researcher, also the music teacher, taught each class once a week for 50 minutes. The treatment extended approximately 23 weeks. The experimental classes were instructed with color-coded materials and made manipulatives representing duration of note values. The control group was instructed with traditional monochromatics.
At the conclusion of the treatment, each student was tested on his sight-reading skills by chanting rhythms and playing their recorder. Each student was tape-recorded for tonal and rhythm and evaluated by two independent judges. A Pearson correlation of <.05 was used to determine the inter-judge reliability.
The statistics to be evaluated were organized into three one-dimensional designs for differences and were used to determine the effect on the control versus experimental group. A t-test was calculated for each design to determine the difference between the control and experimental treatments. No statistically significant differences were found for any of these designs.
Although previous research has shown a positive effect in the use of color-coding and manipulatives, the current study failed to prove these aids advantageous in the music reading skills or transfer of knowledge.
Gunsallus-Donachy, Kathy J., "The effective use of manipulatives and color coding in the achievement and application of music reading skills of third grade recorder students" (2005). Theses and Dissertations. 1006.


Contact: Neil Thompson
For immediate release: 27th May 2020
Selected mainstream schools will have the opportunity to get free support in using communication symbols with children with communication and learning difficulties in class.
We are conducting a short survey to look at the range of general strategies that mainstream teachers use to support children who struggle to access lessons. These include children with communication, learning or literacy difficulties.
Specialist teachers and speech and language therapists often recommend using visuals to support these children, and recent research backs up this recommendation (1). However it is often difficult for teachers to use this strategy effectively in practice. We are particularly keen to find out about teachers’ use of communication symbols and what barriers lie in the way of their use.
Following on from the survey we hope to offer selected mainstream schools free support and software for using symbols in a way that can be easily and painlessly integrated into existing lesson planning and delivery.
Fill in the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JS629YJ
More information about the proposed project: https://home.commtap.org/2020/05/18/commtap-symbols-in-schools-project/
- The incidence of special educational needs amongst children across the UK is around 15% (2) (3) (4).
- A typical classroom will have 3-4 children with a known special need which in many cases will impact on reading and/or communication.
- Accessing lessons through text for these children will be difficult and can lead to disengagement from lessons.
- As children return to school after months at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be even more important that strong supports are in place to help them with the new routine – communication symbols can play a key role in strengthening this support.
- About communication symbols: https://en.commtap.org/additional-resource/symbols-overview-and-sources.
Commtap CIC is a not for profit company which supports those who support children and adults with communication difficulties.
It does this through:
- Commtap resources website: https://en.commtap.org – free materials targeting specific communication skills and linked to education scales.
- Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint: https://symboliser.commtap.org – which makes it very easy to add communication symbols to documents when working in PowerPoint.
- Providing enhanced versions of public communication symbol sets: https://symboliser.commtap.org/online-symbols-sets/
1. Evidence for the effectiveness of visual supports in helping children with disabilities access the mainstream primary school curriculum. Foster-Cohen, Susan and Mirfin-Veitch, Brigit. 2, s.l. : NASEN, 2017, Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, Vol. 17, pp. 79-86.
2. UK Government. National Statistics Special educational needs in England: January 2018. GOV.UK. [Online] 8 August 2018. [Cited: 3 July 2019.] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2018.
3. Scottish Government. School Pupil Census 2013. STATISTICS.GOV.SCOT. [Online] 2013. [Cited: 03 07 2019.] https://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fstatistics.gov.scot%2Fdata%2Fschool-pupil-census.
4. Wales Government. Special educational needs. StatsWales. [Online] 2016. [Cited: 3 July 2019.] https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Education-and-Skills/Schools-and-Teachers/Schools-Census/Pupil-Level-Annual-School-Census/Special-Educational-Needs.


Transitioning from kindergarten to first grade is an exciting time for children but can also be frightening for many. They will be leaving the more sheltered, home-like atmosphere of their room and entering a more structured environment with teachers who will introduce many more skills and have increased expectations of them. Schools and parents can work together to help kindergarten students feel more secure about this upcoming change in their lives by communicating with each other and using various methods to make the transition easier for them.
Kindergarten students have become accustomed to sitting at tables where they are encouraged to interact, while a typical first grade classroom has desks and the teacher delivers most instruction from the front of the room. Parents can help their children prepare for this by taking them to visit the first grade classrooms at their school. Seeing the room ahead of time instead of on the first day of school can help alleviate fear of the unknown. If the first grade is located in a different building, a trip to the new school exposes the child to all the new surroundings so she will not feel overwhelmed in the fall.
Parents can help their child adjust to the academic expectations of first grade by reviewing skills they learned in kindergarten. During summer vacation, parents can take advantage of learning opportunities. For example, when looking at animals at the zoo, parents can review the alphabet by asking their child to say the letter that an animal begins with, like Z for zebra. A trip to the grocery store can be a learning experience with parents reinforcing number skills by having their child say the numbers they see on products at the store.
Increased responsibility and expectations are another major change for kindergarten students. They are used to having very little homework, and they are usually always in groups when working in class. First grade teachers will assign homework that is more challenging, and they will expect the students to complete most classwork independently. Parents can reinforce this by encouraging their children to complete homework by themselves and then bring it to them to check. Parents can also give their child a few more responsibilities at home like being sure his backpack is ready to go every morning.
Transitioning to first grade may not seem as frightening to kindergarteners if it is a shared experience with classmates and adults, including their parents and school officials. Parents can take opportunities to participate in school activities that will ease the transition for their child. Many schools have special days set aside for transition emphasis when parents can come to the school, meet the first grade teachers, the principal and the counselor. This is the time to ask questions about academic objectives and discuss any educational or emotional concerns they have about their child.
Karen Hollowell has been teaching since 1994. She has taught English/literature and social studies in grades 7-12 and taught kindergarten for nine years. She currently teaches fourth grade reading/language and social studies. Hollowell earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Mississippi and her Master of Arts in elementary education from Alcorn State University.


Music is an indispensable aspect of the human experience. The benefits of music education for people of all ages are well documented —socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically, the practice of making music helps us lead richer and more fulfilling lives.
At the Portland Conservatory of Music, we help students get where they want to go, whether that’s being able to play along with friends on the ukulele, or pursue a prestigious education and lifelong career in music. We are proud to serve southern Maine as your non-profit community music school, striving to make music education accessible to all.
Music Education for Kids
Music education has been shown to accelerate and support brain development in children, particularly language development, speech perception and reading skills.
The Mozart Effect is a term used by researchers to describe the many ways regular, sustained music education leads to enhanced academic performance in other disciplines such as math.
In addition to the individual benefits, music helps kids learn to collaborate and succeed in group settings. Research suggests that kids who engage in music education at a young age become lifelong patrons and performers in the arts, helping the arts to thrive in our communities.
At PCM, we offer a wide variety of opportunities for kids to study and make music together. We offer private lessons in over 30 instruments, as well as group classes/summer camps, ensembles, and youth choirs. It is never too young to start a music education! Lessons in violin and piano can start as young as 3.
For older kids, our Jazz Studies Program offers courses in jazz history, as well as ensemble courses where students learn improvisation and jazz performance. The College Prep Program, the premier program of its kind in the state, provides a comprehensive education with a classical foundation for students looking to pursue higher education or a career in music. Our youth choirs, Boy Singers of Maine and Girl Singers of Maine, bring youth together in the joyful act of singing, and provide performance opportunities throughout the year.
Music Education for Adults
Research shows that learning music can improve physical health and emotional well-being for adults, but there are often limited options for those looking to take up an instrument later in life. Portland Conservatory of Music works hard to fill the gap!
Our private lessons are open to all ages and all abilities— we strive to meet people where they are. Students who feel ready to play with others can apply to join an ensemble and be matched with musical peers at a similar level of learning.
At PCM, music education does not end in the classroom. We provide opportunities for students to perform throughout the year, including recitals at the end of every semester. We also provide students with opportunities to experience performances by local and traveling world-class musicians.
The Back Cove Contemporary Music Festival features New England’s top composers and performers, often showcasing world-premieres of original works. Our Early Music Festival, sponsored from 2011-2019, offered performances, workshops and lectures by leading musicians in the field of Early Music.
Throughout the academic year, our free Noonday Concert Series provides southern Maine with weekly performances by Maine’s most talented musicians, advancing our mission to make high quality music accessible to all.
Our Dimensions in Jazz series brings esteemed performers from around the world to Portland stages.
With arts funding threatened in our public schools and in our communities, PCM seeks to complement and enhance music opportunities for people at every stage of life.
Thank you for being part of the PCM community, and supporting a thriving arts and cultural life in southern Maine!


- What is the importance of arts?
- How do we use art in our daily lives?
- Why is it important to study contemporary art?
- What is the importance of contemporary arts in our lives?
- What is the most significant function of contemporary art?
- How does contemporary art reflect the modern world?
- What art can teach us?
- What is the most important thing in art?
- Why is it important to study contemporary world?
- What is contemporary art in your own words?
- Why art is very important in life and society?
- Why is it important to recognize artistic individuals?
What is the importance of arts?
In addition to providing commentary about the larger culture, art makes life more manageable, tolerable and enjoyable.
One may not think about more utilitarian items and places as “art,” but they do contribute to one’s aesthetic experience..
How do we use art in our daily lives?
All kinds of art can affect our mood in a positive way, making us feel happier, calmer, or even inspired to do something. Everywhere you go art is evident. Parks often use sculptures to add interest and to inform people. Posters on walls give information and motivation.
Why is it important to study contemporary art?
Studying contemporary art allows students to broaden their understanding of themselves, their community, and the world. It helps them become critical thinkers as they consider the influences that led to the creation of each work of art, such as sociopolitical climate, the artist’s training, and cultural influence.
What is the importance of contemporary arts in our lives?
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced by artists who are living in our time. It provides opportunities to reflect on society and the issues that are important to us and the world. It is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger contextual frameworks such as identity, family, community, and nationality.
What is the most significant function of contemporary art?
Answer. Answer: One of the biggest benefits of Contemporary Art is its aesthetic value. This means that the art possesses some capacity to elicit a sense of pleasure in the viewer.
How does contemporary art reflect the modern world?
Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society. … Contemporary artists working within the postmodern movement reject the concept of mainstream art and embrace the notion of “artistic pluralism,” the acceptance of a variety of artistic intentions and styles.
What art can teach us?
We took a look at some important skills that students can learn from art education.Creativity. Creativity is an obvious but extremely important skill gained from art education. … Observation. … Self-expression. … Focus. … Discipline. … Perseverance. … Collaboration. … Risk-taking.More items…•
What is the most important thing in art?
For painting: literally; for other arts: figuratively– because, without this humble appliance, you can’t know where The Art stops and The Real World begins.
Why is it important to study contemporary world?
The aim of the Contemporary World program is to help adult learners become interested in contemporary world problems and issues that all societies face, develop competencies and construct knowledge. … They become aware of the role they must play in society and of their responsibilities as citizens.
What is contemporary art in your own words?
Contemporary art is the term used for art of the present day. Usually the artists are alive and still making work. Contemporary art is often about ideas and concerns, rather than solely the aesthetic (the look of the work). Artists try different ways of experimenting with ideas and materials.
Why art is very important in life and society?
Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. … Art in this sense is communication; it allows people from different cultures and different times to communicate with each other via images, sounds and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change.
Why is it important to recognize artistic individuals?
It enables one to critically analyze a work, along lines of design, mastery and techniques. Most importantly, however, art appreciation stimulates though and analysis, provokes an individual to look past what meets the eye and open our mind to the views of others.


It is now common knowledge that music is important for the development of the brain. Countless studies have demonstrated that music is fundamental to a child’s intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development, and that children who learn to play a musical instrument do better in other disciplines, such as mathematics, languages, and creative writing.
But our investment in music education is likely at its lowest ever. Children are less likely than ever to witness a viola being played live at all, well or otherwise.
Enter the Nonesuch Orchestra. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2021, the orchestra’s initial aim was to further music appreciation among young people through the provision of live, semi-professional performances in schools, colleges and local communities.
Music education is still at the heart of the Nonesuch Orchestra. Made up of a mix of amateur, student and professional musicians, the orchestra visits five or six schools a year with a concert workshop lasting around an hour in which primary-school children are introduced to the string orchestra and to a wide range of music. The highlight is often when pupils perform with the orchestra.
Their newest venture, this year in collaboration with CoMA (Contemporary Music for All), is a composition project working with GCSE and A-level composition students to provide them with the opportunity to write for a string orchestra and to record the results. Composer Andrew Toovey will be on hand to assist.
At the end of the day, the pieces will be performed in a concert primarily for local secondary schools. They may also appear in the programme for a public concert, in conjunction with the orchestra’s performance of a CoMA commission from Sally Beamish and other women composers from the 20th century.
The orchestra’s work with schools has never been more important. In far too many schools, music is becoming a casualty of competing demands on school time and budgets. At their school workshops, the Nonesuch Orchestra aims to share the excitement and enrichment of live classical music with children of every background, and they hope to encourage as many young people as possible to embark on learning to play an instrument.
Their lunchtime public concerts are often free of charge to the audience and bring excellent music-making and exciting repertoire to the community.
They now seek financial support to help them to continue this vital work. If you are able to help, please get in touch with firstname.lastname@example.org. Also please get in touch if you’re a school or a music hub and would like the Nonesuch Orchestra to play for your children. Please see the Support and Outreach pages at www.nonesuchorchestra.org.uk.


Student Engagement Websites
Frankfort 157-C Students & Parents,
During this mandated school closure we would like to provide opportunity for students to remain engaged in learning as much as possible. On this page you will find a variety of free website links that offer learning and practice. In addition to the links below, each teacher will be providing continuation of learning activities that are pertinent to their class. Please visit your child’s teacher webpage to learn about more learning opportunities that are available. Thank you for assisting your child in remaining engaged in their learning during this time.
ISBE has added a site for students and parents to continue learning during school closures. The link can be found here.
(Student log-in) Zearn allows students to complete independent digital activities which reinforce Eureka math lessons.
Khan Academy Offer practice exercises and instructional videos. There are short lesson in the form of videos. It also includes practice exercises.
Math puzzles, games and worksheets based on skills.
Math lessons and games broken down by topic.
Games sorted by skills. Skills are labeled with grade levels.
Provides educational games and activities sorted by standard.
Computer science for all ages.
(Teacher must provide class log-in) Teachers can assign topics based on standards. Teacher must have made class code for student to make a free account.
SmartMusic is a web-based suite of music education tools that support efficient practice, helping musicians to develop and grow.
National Geographic for Kids
Mystery Science activities
Some sites may require flash to be enabled on your device/browser.
Create crossword puzzles by entering your own words or play the puzzles that are already provided. Choose puzzles by grade and topic.
Mix and match affixes and root words, and then insert the words into a paragraph using context clues to put them in the correct place.
Students organize words by their connotation, from negative to positive, or relative register, from informal to formal. They add a statement explaining their placement of the words.
Use inferring skills to identify character traits to create a Biocube.
This tool allows students to create their own character cards by using inferring skills. Specific prompts ask students to describe the character, examine his or her thoughts and feelings, or explore how he or she develops over time.
Young learners employ inference skills when using clues to figure out what is in the bag.
Encourage students to think critically by comparing characters, important events, and key concepts or ideas.
Everyone's favorite resource high interest topics and current events. Articles available at different Lexile levels.
Similar to NEWSELA, but with paired texts and links for literature.
This site from the Library of Congress is a great way to access primary resources in a simple formats for elementary and middle school students.
A fantastic collection of first person accounts throughout history, as well as analyzing different points of view about events.
Check out the awesome articles about Smithsonian Museum exhibits, research, and more.
This resource is ideal for finding reference texts to complement your units.
WTTW PBS Learning
This tool can be used as a graphic organizer for stories with a circular plot structure.
This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline for one of three types of comparison essays: whole-to-whole, similarities-to-differences, or point-to-point.
Identify the key features of the plot with this interactive tool.
This tool prompts students to add key information from a text to create one of the following maps: character, conflict and resolution, or setting.
History for kids
ENCORE & PE Bingo


What is Deaf CAMERA?
CAMERA is the short form for Communications and Math Employment Readiness Assessment. Deaf CAMERA is for Deaf learners in literacy programs who want to develop the skills they will use in a job.
Deaf CAMERA is right for learners at Essential Skills levels, 1, 2, and 3. Deaf CAMERA is used to assess learners’ skill levels and strengths in reading, writing, document use, and numeracy. Tasks are like real workplace tasks.
What can Deaf CAMERA do?
Deaf CAMERA can:
assess reading, writing, document use and numeracy skills
help practitioners understand what skills a learner needs to develop
show learners their overall progress in their literacy programs
help practitioners and learners decide if a learner is ready to go to a higher class level or to graduate from a program
How is Deaf CAMERA used?
Deaf CAMERA can be used with learners who are able to follow instructions given in ASL.
Because Deaf CAMERA is standardized, only a trained assessor from Deaf Literacy Initiative (DLI) can administer Deaf CAMERA. The DLI assessor communicates with learners in ASL. Sometimes learners respond in ASL and sometimes they write their answers in English. The assessment can be given from time to time during a program so a learner can show progress in reading, writing, document use, and numeracy. After the assessment, the trained DLI assessor assigns a score and tells the learner the results.
The results are also shared with practitioners so they know the learner’s strengths and also what the learner still needs to work on.
This way, the practitioner can develop classroom activities that help learners build the skills they need.


Many children with autism struggle to find the words to express how they feel. But when it comes to music, it’s an entirely different situation.
Evidence suggests children with autism may enjoy music and show an early desire for music education.
I am a mother to three young adult sons with high-functioning autism. I got them involved in music from a young age, and they learned to communicate their emotions by playing bassoon, French horn and baritone. As a doctoral student and music teacher, I have seen the emotional transformation from music happen in both my music classroom and my home. I’d like to share what I have learned.
From 2003 to 2018, I owned and operated the Center for Education School of the Arts and Sciences in Tampa, Florida. It was a K-12 school of the arts for students with learning and developmental disabilities.
Everyone in the school was required to join a music group, such as concert band, musical theater, jazz band or chamber ensemble. They all studied in private lessons on their instruments with me, as the school’s music teacher. I saw what I believe to be incredible musical and emotional growth in students with autism after they began to study music.
For example, there was one student who was unable to speak but could hum melodies. I gradually realized that she hummed different tunes for the emotions she was feeling, even though she couldn’t communicate them verbally. Her eyes always matched her emotions as she hummed the story she couldn’t tell.
Another student with Asperger’s disorder took private piano and composition lessons with me. He could talk, but he couldn’t explain how he felt. On days he felt sad, he played a piece of music he had composed to express it. Likewise, he had composed pieces for happy, angry and lonely.
Studies show that children with autism can understand both simple and complex emotions in music and are more responsive to sensory stimulation compared with other children—especially in music, even over speech or noise. This may explain why some children with autism are musical savants.
Musical emotions aren’t understood the same way as regular emotions. They don’t require complex facial expressions or a “tone of voice,” which are particularly difficult for children with autism to recognize. Musical emotions are easier for children with autism spectrum disorder to grasp because they are less socially complex.
Music can have a positive impact on children with autism in several ways. Educators can use songs to reinforce speech in students with autism that struggle with language. One technique is to sing with vocabulary cards in order to teach vocabulary skills. Research shows that singing can considerably improve language skills in students with a type of autism that has language delays.
Educators can also use music to help a child with autism recall important information when the information is linked with a musical sound, like a melody or rhythm. One critical study found that music can be used to focus students’ attention, keep those with disabilities on track and decrease their anxiety from stress. Just as important, providing opportunities for positive emotional responses to music for children with autism can help them reach their social and language goals.
The musical elements are pitch, melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, structure, texture and expression. When children hear a piece of music, the combined musical elements are inside it. However, some children with autism have auditory sensitivity, causing them to experience a lack of tolerance to everyday sounds, which can impact their ability to handle loud or complex music.
One way to assist children who struggle with this sensitivity is to simplify their music by using separate musical elements. Let me share one possible teaching example. Beginning with a song, the educator could teach in stages by isolating pitches on the piano first. As the student becomes comfortable with the first element, the educator could slowly introduce the others one at a time.
If one element became too much for the child to tolerate, the educator would remove that element from the mix.
Once the child could accept all the elements, that would signal that the child was listening to whole music, was ready to move to more challenging music and could begin again with the element cycle. Using this strategy, both the educator and the child learn what musical sounds the child can handle.
Resources are available online for use with children with autism. They are exciting programs and easy to obtain. To introduce your late elementary or older child to the orchestra’s instruments and timbres, I recommend:
From my experiences, I have discovered that although many children with autism may struggle to find the words to express how they feel, music can help them understand and experience emotions, while giving them an outlet to express themselves. I wish you success on your journey of discovery with your students and children with autism, as well.


This course is someone who is both technical and creative and wants to learn skills that will continue to be in demand in the future. By studying computer programming you will gain a strong foundational from which you may choose to enter the world of programming. This course will teach you how to use Java and C-sharp, two of the most popular programming languages in the industry. It will also teach you to create a User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) as well as creating intuitive user interfaces and experiences. Another important course component you will learn is diagnosing and debugging a site for flaws and errors as well as comprehending and applying the principals of object-oriented programming.
Diploma of Website Development (Duration 1 year)
Certificate IV in Programming (Duration 41-65 weeks)
This qualification unites technical knowledge with design skills. The Certificate IV in Programming will provide you with strong foundational skills from which you may choose to enter the world of programming. This course will teach you how to use Java and C-sharp, two of the most popular programming languages in the industry; create a User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) as well as creating intuitive user interfaces and experiences; Diagnosing and debugging a site for flaws and errors as well as comprehending and applying the principals of object-oriented programming.
The Course Details
Potential Career Pathways:
- In-house Web Developer
- Independent Web Developer
- Web Developer
- Junior Programmer
- Web Programmer
- Web Aministrator
Higher Education Opportunities:
- Bachelor of IT
Common Course Requirements
- Australia requires an ILETS 5.5 or equivalent
- Students need to be a minimum of 18 years old
- Comprehension skills equivalent to Year 10 pass level to successfully complete the Certificate level courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do as a computer programmer?
Common duties that a computer programmer would undertake include:
• researching, consulting, analysing and evaluating system program needs
• identifying technology limitations and deficiencies in existing systems and associated processes, procedures and methods
• testing, debugging, diagnosing and correcting errors and faults in an applications programming language within established testing protocols, guidelines and quality standards to ensure programs and applications perform to specification
• writing and maintaining program code to meet system requirements, system designs and technical specifications in accordance with quality accredited standards
• writing, updating and maintaining technical program, end user documentation and operational procedures
• providing advice, guidance and expertise in developing proposals and strategies for software design activities such as financial evaluation and costings for recommending software purchases and upgrades
Where can I study to become a computer programmer?
What qualifications do you need to be a computer programmer?
How much does a computer programmer make an hour?
How long does it take to become a qualified computer programmer?
How do I get started?
Will these qualifications be recognised in my home country?
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What are Range Maps in PebbleGo?
Each PebbleGo Animals article includes a range map to help students identify where that specific animal can be found on Earth. This helps students develop spatial thinking and visual literacy. Range maps also can be helpful in providing young students scaffolding to support literacy development.
How to find Range Maps in PebbleGo
Navigate to an animal article of your choice by first selecting Animals from the home screen.
For this example, let's drill down to African Elephants. Start by selecting Mammals.
Next select Grassland Mammals.
Continue on by choosing African Elephants.
Now we are in the article for African Elephants. Under 'Media' you'll see a globe icon with 'Range' below which you can select.
This is the range map for African Elephants showing where exactly in African they can be found.
PebbleGo Pro Tip: Range maps can be a wonderful way to introduce your students to maps, continents, and animal habitats to connect curriculum standards in one lesson.


In this post, I share my favorite multi-sensory learning activities for L blends, along with a set of multi-sensory L blend worksheets and activities.
It’s no surprise that I love to use a variety of multi-sensory activities when teaching letter blends. Multi-sensory learning is the cornerstone of the Orton-Gillingham method. Struggling learners simply learn best when they use multiple senses.
Teaching L Blends To Struggling Readers
Below are my favorite multi-sensory activities to teach L blends to struggling readers.
The key to all of these is to integrate more than one sense into each activity. You could modify even the simplest worksheet into a multi-sensory one by having students say the letter sound as they write or by color coding the sounds.
- Say and trace the L blend in a word list or on a worksheet. Have students trace the l blend in each word with a highlighter and say the sound the blend makes as they trace it.
- Sky write L blends and say the sound and letters aloud. This activity builds symbol imagery for the blend. I like to hold up a flashcard with only the blend and have students sky write and say the sound. For example, I hold up a “bl” card and students write and say the sound 3 times.
- Use a sand or salt try to spell words with L blends. I like to use coarse salt in a pencil box. I say a word with a blend and students write it in the salt. For more targeted intervention you could say the blend only instead of words. For example, say the sound for “sl” and the student writes “sl” in the salt.
- Sort words by L blends. Using a list or set of cards, have student sort the words by the blend.
- Color code the L blends on a worksheet or list. Use a different color highlighter or marker to trace the blends on a worksheet or a written list.
- Play a memory or matching game where students need to find another word with the same L blend. I print out l blend words on cardstock paper, cut them into cards, and play a variety of games with them.
- Play a dice game using the L blends. I have one in my set of l blends activities. Based on the number rolled, students will write a word with a specified blend.
- Play a spinner game with L blends. This is another game in my set. Students spin for an l blend, then find a word with that blend.
- Play a board game with L blend cards. You can use cards with l blend words along with any board game. At each turn, the player has to pull a word card and read it. You can add another step like sky write or spell on a whiteboard as well.
- Use letter tiles to write words with L blends. It helps if the l blends are a different color from the consonants and vowels.
- Use elkonin boxes to read and write words with L blends. I love using elkonin boxes for blending, segmenting, and spelling. This is a great visual for students to see l blends as one since they have to see or write both letters in the blend in one box. You can grab my Elkonin template in this post.
- Make lists of nonsense words with L blends. Incorporating nonsense words is very important and lets you know if your students truly know the blend or not.
- Practice reading and spelling nonsense words with L blends. Use the elkonin boxes, a whiteboard, letter tiles, or sky write to make this multi-sensory.
Looking for ready-made L blends worksheets and activities? Check out my set of no prep L blend activities.
If you’re looking for more tips on teaching reading to struggling learners, check out these other posts:
- Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers – Elkonin Boxes
- Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies – My Secret Tip To Improve Reading Comprehension
- Multisensory Strategies for B & D Reversals – Dyslexia Intervention
- Multisensory Spelling Strategy for Struggling Learners – Dyslexia Spelling Strategy


5 Ways to Engage Your Active Kindergartener
Aid your child in learning foundational skills when they really don’t want to.
Kindergarten is a tough year for most parents and nearly all children. Once the sadness of separation is gone (I promise it will only take a month or less!), the real challenges may show themselves. The real lesson in Kindergarten is not necessarily the curriculum itself, but in learning HOW to learn.
If you’re anything like me, you want your child to have the highest marks, to be well-liked by every student, and to be a dream for the teacher to work with. Reality is much different than what we desire. My child is an active child. He does not sit still very well, doesn’t pay attention to the teacher, will engage students in play while the teacher is talking. The first couple months of school I would get emails from his teacher that sounded like she was at her wit's end. If this sounds anything like your child, let me tell you, this is completely normal!
It is absolutely normal for a five or six-year-old child to have challenges with attention, and even behaving in a way that is expected of them. So take a deep breath and read on. Here are five tips on things you can do at home to aid their learning process.
1. Become involved.
Becoming involved will help you to understand your child’s daily interactions. Volunteering in the class room, being a coach or assistant coach for their sports teams, maintaining regular contact with the teacher just to touch base. These are all great ways to observe your child, to find out if the issues maybe stem from an external source such as seating arrangements with another active child, or if the teacher is the right fit. When I volunteered in the class I was shocked to find out how many other kids were just as active as my child! Volunteering might also give you an opportunity to mimic some things that work during school hours at home. Giving an experience of minimum shift between home and school life will help your child process events in a more stable environment.
2. Introduce different hands-on activities to promote the school curriculum.
Cycling through different activities will keep study time exciting and fresh. Incorporate different textures and level of physical involvement. For example, if you are able to buy an alphabet mat ($25 at Target), these are great for letter recognition. I would call out a letter and my son had to jump to it. Another example would be window crayons ($5 at Target...I love target!) easily washable with water and cloth and writing on windows is not something someone gets to do every day! Writing out words with pipe cleaners or writing words in sand are other ways of incorporating varying textures.
3. Recognize when your child needs a wiggle break.
Your active child is likely not able to sit and focus for any longer than 20 minutes at a time if we are lucky. Taking plenty of breaks during homework time to change scenery, get fresh air, drink some water can maximize the desire to get the work done when they sit back down. Chances are if they need a break, you might need a break too!
4. Casually expose your child to good influences.
Now, I say casually because chances are, if you were to shamelessly promote “so-and-so,” who can write full sentences, from their class, they won’t feel encouraged so much as they would feel put down. Surrounding your child with children they look up to, who they enjoy the company of, is the best way to elicit the behaviors you want to see in them. It sounds a little mean, and it would be if you black ball certain friends that they also enjoy, but a part of the socialization process during kindergarten is that those around them have the most influence on their own values. If your child spends time with a classmate who enjoys listening to the teacher during story time, chances are your child will want to mimic that behavior.
5. Keep your child active!
Past just playing outside, becoming involved in organized sports is an amazing way to introduce another social structure within a totally different context. At the kindergarten level, sports are more centered around being a good team mate and listening to the coach and your team. It may also give them an opportunity to learn lifelong skills for staying active and healthy as well as gaining new friends.
Please do not feel discouraged if your child seems especially active. It is completely normal and just the fact that you took the time to read this proves that you are a supportive, active parent!


Kindergarten students across the region have been exposed to an entirely new world this past month, some embracing it with enthusiasm, others somewhat daunted. Gone are the day time naps, casual clothes, and extended ‘free play’, and in their place are school, a more structured learning environment and often sharing the attention of a single teacher.
As an Early Education Centre Director, I am often asked, “how can I assist my child to prepare for ‘big school’?” There are many factors that will contribute to a child’s readiness for school, but research strongly supports the benefit of enrolling children in early education for at least two days per week, in the year before they start school.
My years of experience as a mother and educator tell me that a child’s emotional and social development is the most important criteria for a smooth transition. While literacy and numeracy skills are highly valued, if a child comes to a classroom prepared to learn, in most cases the ability to write the alphabet and solve maths problems will soon follow.
St Nicholas Early Education Centres adopt a holistic approach to preparing children for school. We guide children proactively with the knowledge that their experiences in the first five years lay the foundation for sound emotional, social and cognitive development for the rest of their lives. In addition to supporting children’s foundational skills through activities that include exploring language by reading books and practising the fine muscle movements needed to enhance pre-writing skills, we have developed a Transition to School Program. This program is independent of the schools’ orientation programs and is designed to support confidence and resilience. As part of the exercise, children embark on regular excursions to local schools where they are able to improve their attention span by watching school assemblies, increase their confidence by purchasing goods from the canteen, have their curiosity encouraged by borrowing library books and elevate their social skills by interacting with primary school children.
St Nicholas parents have embraced the Transition to School program, with many telling us that it has opened up their children’s social networks and allowed them to develop their sense of identity with the community.
Sarah is the mother of two boys who have both attended St Nicholas Early Education and was thrilled with the progress they made in readiness for school, thanks to the Program.
“The transition program over to big school has been an amazing head start for them. It’s given them the confidence that they needed to start kindergarten. They’ve been there (to the school) and they know the environment,” said Sarah.
Parents can reinforce their children’s early education centre experiences at home and so further develop school readiness.
- focusing on participation and involvement rather than competing and winning
- helping to develop pro-social behaviours such as sharing, listening, and patience
- encouraging the gaining of sufficient confidence to ask for help and also to self-regulate emotions
- providing opportunities for the child to be responsible for his/her belongings
- supporting independence in relation to toileting, hand washing and dressing.
- allowing the child to engage in physical activities that involve challenges and risk-taking.
Investing time in social and emotional learning will help your child to manage feelings and friendships, as well as the ability to solve problems. These are essential life skills that will support wellbeing and positive mental health long after that apprehensive first school drop off.


Babies are receptive to open minded learning and are more connected in the brain than adults, mainly due to more neural pathway’s being available in the young brain than in the adult brain. As we get older our brains strengthen in the areas most often used and weaken in areas that don’t get used as much, basically much like exercising the body. Apparently this shift in open – mindedness is a neurological reality and we can become habitual and set in our ways, which is why change can become challenging but not impossible in later life. At Circus Day Nursery we encourage stimulation in young babies by planning focused activities, which promote cognitive development. Personal, social, emotional and behavioural development activities are designed so babies come together to participate in the same activity, encouraging social interaction, experiencing different expressions, bonding with their peers and sharing.
When children of similar age are brought together in this way they are able to observe and learn from each other, whilst our trained practitioners stimulate their learning experiences by providing equipment, tools and resources that promote exploration, curiosity and engagement. This month, babies have been coming together in joint activities such as paddling pool play involving water games, exploring the texture of pumpkins and table play using shaving foam and papier-mâché.
Communication and language is promoted using clear repetitive speech, songs and rhymes, signing and the use of flash cards, and facial expression throughout the day. Body language is the first and foremost way of communication with voice tone being second. The babies have been enjoying the practitioners singing ‘if your happy and you know it’ and the ‘wheels on the bus’ during the past month, and are now recognising patterns of repetition and joining in with their own forms of communication when practitioners pause during each song. This progression is, also referred to as scaffolding allows children to develop learning experiences.
Physical development is supported by the practitioners maintaining high levels of interaction with the babies, stimulating them to seek further challenges. By setting up engaging activities allowing children to be inquisitive, it promotes both gross and fine motor skill development. The babies have experienced hand and feet painting, texture play with different sources, such as glitter, paint, glue, cotton wool and sand, using various implements for stamping prints.
We hope you have enjoyed this topic shared by the team of Baby Suite Staff, Trina, Becky and Michelle and collated by Hayley, our Early Years Professional.


Early ChildhoodServing our youngest learners, ages 2, 3, and 4, with a nurturing environment to explore individual interests while establishing a firm foundation with reading, writing, and mathematics. Our talented faculty help students build the foundation upon which futures will be built.
Related ArtsIn addition to focusing on the core academic fundamentals, students have instruction in a number of related arts classes including art, world language, physical education, and religious instruction.
Extended ProgramsThe student experience extends beyond 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Extended Programs provides morning and after-school care and a robust set of enrichment activities to ensure that students have an engaging experience throughout their entire day at Heathwood Hall.
Habitat DayOur youngest students learn about habitats by exploring our 122-acre campus and being introduced to research. Students present their work at the annual Habitat Day celebration.
Building Fundamentals While Nurturing the Whole Child
Heathwood Hall’s Early Childhood program, comprising the twos, threes, and fours classes, helps children develop in every area by providing a comprehensively nurturing environment. Through experiential learning opportunities such as nature walks on Heathwood’s beautiful campus, visits to the on-site Tinker Lab, and preparation for the annual Habitat Day event, students explore a rich curriculum under the care and guidance of compassionate teachers.
The Early Childhood division at Heathwood is dedicated to following the interests of the children, and that makes for a variety of experiences and avenues to reach the fundamental academic skills of writing, reading, and mathematical fluency. Being prepared for the Lower School and elementary education is important, but the means by which students learn about their individual passions and become life-long learners is just as vital, and both are clear priorities in the Early Childhood program.
As an Episcopal school, Heathwood values the spiritual, emotional, and social development of every student in addition to their academic growth. Children will have daily devotions to that end, but the emphasis on creating a loving, serving, respectful environment permeates all aspects of the Early Childhood program. A child is more than a future college student and professional; they are living, growing beings that evidence and deserve God’s love.
In some of the most developmentally crucial years of a child’s life, they should learn not just facts and figures but how to explore and learn in general. The Early Childhood program works to help every student become a respectful, responsible, and self-advocating member of a community of learners by giving them space for personal choice as well as guidance in their development. A student is more than a passive repository for knowledge; they are a voice and perspective that needs to discover itself. This work with curriculum and citizenship while building individual voice and discovery forms the foundation upon which students begin building their individual futures. The Heathwood community invites you to start that discovery in the Early Childhood program.
Head of Early Childhood and Lower School
B.A. SUNY Purchase
M.Ed. Fordham University
M.P.S. Manhattanville College
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Mary Kay Deese
ASST. Head of Early Childhood and Lower School
B.A. Furman University
M.Ed. Fordham University
M.Ed. Converse College
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