Become a Reading Teacher or Reading Specialist
Learn how reading teachers open up worlds of imagination, creativity and learning for their students.
The Crucial Job of Reading Specialist
Without a mastery of reading skills, students are at a great disadvantage—not just in English class—but in all of their school classes. A reading teacher (also known as a reading specialist) works closely with children to help them achieve reading skills appropriate for their grade level. Reading specialists strive to increase the reading capabilities of all students through school-wide reading programs, literacy materials and resources, and ongoing collaboration with classroom teachers, parents and school administrators.
Using a diverse set of strategies and methods, reading teachers provide individualized lessons and the support children need to learn to read and comprehend meaning from printed words.
As a reading teacher, your day-to-day duties might include the following tasks:
- Conducting assessments to determine student reading levels
- Creating reading plans to match student ability and learning styles
- Guiding children through reading and writing activities to help them overcome obstacles to literacy
- Consulting with parents and teachers to recommend at-home strategies to improve reading skills
- Working with school librarians to include materials on literacy education
- Coordinating school-wide reading intervention and literacy programs
Reading Specialists at Work
In general, reading teachers work in classrooms where they help students who are struggling with reading on an individual or group level. They might also work with classes or grades as a whole to present special reading programs or promote particular books or authors.
Many reading teachers work full-time schedules, employed by a school district to manage reading programs and provide services at the elementary, middle or secondary levels. Some districts may also hire part-time reading specialists to cover morning or afternoon teaching sessions at a specific school or set of schools.
Education and Training
If you’ve ever wondered how to become a reading specialist, read this:
Educational requirements for reading teachers vary from state to state. However, most state school boards require a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in reading and literacy with a focus on specialized reading. Course work in these programs typically covers essential reading specialist information and skills training, such as the following:
- Components of reading curricula and programs
- Techniques for teaching reading in the classroom
- Assessing students’ reading progress
- Researching and evaluating reading and literacy data
- Identifying trends and issues in reading research
In addition to your degree, attaining a reading specialist job will also require student teaching experience, a current teaching license and possibly a reading teacher certification.
Reading Specialist Certification
Similar to the educational requirements for other teachers, reading specialist certification requirements vary from state to state. Check with your state Department of Education to see what the requirements are in your area. If you are looking for a highly transferable, comprehensive certification, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) offers national certification in literacy.
Certification candidates who meet education and experience requirements must submit portfolio entries and complete assessment exercises to demonstrate knowledge in their field. The NBPTS estimates that its certification process can take up to three years to complete.
Because student literacy remains one of the most fundamentally important national education goals, reading teachers have a vitally important role for the future of our nation. Instilling confidence and capability in a child struggling to read and creating programs to expand literacy across a student population make a powerful impact not only on the generation you serve but on the generation to come.
FIND A SCHOOL TODAY
Tell us a little about yourself and we’ll connect you with schools that offer elementary education degree programs.


Algebra 2 builds upon previous algebraic concepts such as Powers, Roots, and Radicals and expand to more advanced levels such as Polynomials and Factoring and Conic Sections – Hyperbolas. Sophisticated applications are found in Exponents and Logs where you will develop special scales for measurement, used for the Richter scale for earthquake magnitude, and the pH scale for acidity. Methods for solving Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities and Rational Functions are covered in our more basic topics which provide strong proficiency to master Matrices and Determinants. Algebra 2 is a highly integrated subject that establishes strong foundational skills and supports mastery at more advanced levels that are sure to challenge you.
Study fundamental topics in college-level algebra with emphasis on application.
Grasp core concepts of statistics such as probability distributions, approximations, and hypothesis-testing.


Alberto Beltran (1923 - 2002)
The graphic artist and painter was born and died in Mexico City. Raised in poverty, he was able to complete only elementary education before beginning work to help support his family. However, his inherent drawing talent led to attendance at the Free School of Art and Advertising in Mexico City, and subsequently in The Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas in 1943, where he studied engraving.
In 1944 Beltrán, a reserved and solitary man, became a member of the Taller de Gráfica Popular and remained active in the organization until 1959. His strong belief in progressive social engagement and a selfless attitude toward wealth persisted throughout his life and career. Beltrán regularly donated his work to worthy causes. In due course, he became one of the most prolific and successful Mexican graphic artists of the twentieth century, producing engravings and political cartoons for several leading newspapers and magazines, founding and co-founding several progressive publications, and actively promoting literacy and education. Much of his public commissions were executed in Veracruz, a region for which he had a particular affinity.
Much of Beltrán’s work in woodcuts, linoleum cuts and lithography has been lost in large part due to the artist's indifference to materialism. The largest extant body of his work was donated by Beltrán to the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Other significant holdings include the archive of the Taller de Gráfica Popular and several other universities.
Ingenio Azucarero (Grinding Sugar Cane), Puebla
Lithograph, 1946; edition ca. 250. Image size 13-7/8" x 11-1/8"; sheet size 17-5/8" x 15-1/8". From Mexican Art - A Portfolio of Mexican People and Places, jointly published by Taller de Gráfica Popular and Associated American Artists. A nuanced image in fine condition, with small tape remnants from earlier mounting.


The resource library is a collection of multimedia sources intended to help teachers deepen their understanding of research-based literacy practices and apply them in their classrooms. In addition to offering a sound theoretical framework, these resources have been selected because they provide strong practical application and include useful tools that can be easily implemented in the classroom.
Roll over buttons to learn more:
General literacy sources
Achieve Now's general literacy resources offer a comprehensive introduction to 21st century evidence and research-based literacy practices. These sources provide a theoretical framework based on the five pillars of literacy and offer tools for teachers to develop successful readers and effective classroom practices.
Provides research-based classroom strategies to help strengthen skills related to the five pillars as well as writing. Downloadable templates and recommendations for differentiation are included.
Offers self-paced module sets that provide professional development for K-3 teachers. Topics include the five pillars and writing. Teachers may test themselves for understanding.
Compiles information from the PBS television series Launching Young Readers. Each 30-minute episode explores a stage in young readers' development and features prominent reading experts.
Provides a reference list organized according to topics such as the five pillars; principles of effective instruction and intervention; emergent literacy; and parent resources.
Details a comprehensive literacy instruction model and provides diagnostic tools for assessment. Includes instructions for meeting the needs of unique learners through differentiation.
Provides lesson and unit plans, searchable by keyword and grade level, for ELA/ reading teachers. Parents and caregivers can find resources to support literacy development outside of school.
Offers lesson plans and strategy guides for ELA educators working with students in PK through high school. Gives information about professional development opportunities, organized by NCTE.
Synthesizes the findings of more than 100,000 studies, determining best practices for teaching children to read. The "Five pillars of literacy" were generated from the findings of this landmark report.
Sums up the findings of the NRP's 2000 report into practical and accessible guides with applications. The recommendations are organized by the five pillars and offer guidance for K-3 teachers.
Proposes a simple model where Reading = Decoding + Comprehension. The authors identify three reading disabilities: decoding inability; comprehension inability; and a combination of both.
What Research Has To Say about Reading Instruction
A. Farstrup and S. Jay Samuels, EDS
Offers a balance between research and effective classroom literacy practices. Includes topics relating to early literacy, adolescent literacy, and preparation for high-stakes reading testing.
Knowledge to Support the Teaching of Reading
C. Snow, P. Griffen, M. Susan Burn, EDs
Gives recommendations for teachers regarding the development, acquisition, and teaching of language and literacy skills. Aims to prepare K-12 teachers for challenges that readers may face.
Improving Reading: Interventions, Strategies, and Resources
J. Johns and S. Lenski
Organizes interventions, strategies, and reproducibles for elementary literacy education by the five pillars. Useful, practical tools include word lists and graphic organizers.
Focuses on research-based language and literacy methods for supporting students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Includes explicit lessons that feature multisensory techniques.
Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., Osborn, J., & Adler, C. R. (2009). Put reading first: The research building blocks of reading instruction: kindergarten through grade 3 (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Institute for Literacy.
Farstrup, A.E., & Samuels, S.J. (Eds.). (2002). What research has to say about reading instruction (3rd ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7, 6-10.
Johns, J.L., & Lenski, S.D. (2009). Improving reading: Interventions, strategies, and resources (5th ed.). Toms River, NJ: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Snow, C., Griffen, P., & Burn, M.S. (Eds.). (2005). Knowledge to support the teaching of reading. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wolf, B.J. (2011). Multisensory teaching of english language skills (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.


Chall-Popp Phonics takes a systematic approach to direct phonics instruction and has been a teacher favorite for years. A student-friendly book design and a variety of stories and characters keep students engaged and ready to learn.
Research-based: Respected reading specialist and well-known literacy consultant, Dr. Jeanne Chall, coauthored this series with the extensive research she conducted at Harvard University.
Direct instruction that works: This research-based, classroom-proven approach takes students step-by-step through advancing levels of phonemic awareness and sound-letter knowledge. The skill-sequence is easy for students to follow, leading to mastery.
Eye-catching photos and graphics help student comprehension:Chall-Popp Phonics engages students and helps them draw more meaning from text.
Simple, easy-to-use unit structure: Content is streamlined to make it easier for you to manage instruction.
Support for learning at home: Each student book includes a fun take-home booklet for each unit. Plus, you'll find letters that let parents take an active role in their child's learning. Parent letters are also provided in Spanish.
Meaningful assessments for individualized instruction: Every unit includes an assessment that helps you identify students who need additional intervention.
Text in multiple genres: Students move from basic phonemic recognition to decoding and comprehension of a delightful mix of poems, stories, and nonfiction articles.
Teacher-tested classroom strategies: Teacher's editions include: teaching and intervention strategies, related reading suggestions, charts, games, and other resources—right where you can get to them, fast! The teacher's editions for Levels A and B also include alphabet cards that feature the characters introduced in the student book.
Teacher's editions recommend specific Early Phonics Readers (short vowels) and Phonics Readers (long vowels and consonant blends and digraphs) to support many lessons. These books provide targeted phonics practice to help transition students from instruction to independent reading.
For your convenience, prices are listed below and can be printed for reference. Please place your order in the section above.
Need more information? A pop-up will appear when you narrow your selection in the drop-downs above. Depending on your selection, you may see our free teacher’s guide policy, the components within a product grouping (sets, collections, etc.), and much more.
GRADE / LEVEL: FORMAT
Grade 1 / Level B : Student Book
Grade 1 / Level B : Annotated Teacher's Edition
Grade 2 / Level C : Student Book
Grade 2 / Level C : Annotated Teacher's Edition
Grade 3 / Level D : Student Book
Grade 3 / Level D : Annotated Teacher's Edition
Grade K / Level A : Student Book
Grade K / Level A : Annotated Teacher's Edition
Grades K-3 Support Materials : Student Alphabet Cards
Grades K-3 Support Materials : Alphabet Wall Strips
Grades K-3 Support Materials : Photo Alphabet Cards
For your convenience, FAMIS prices are listed below and can be printed for reference. Click here to view the complete FAMIS price list for New York City purchases.
For FAMIS ordering, use the ISBNs listed below or call Sussman Sales at 800.350.7180.
Product Pricing for NYC FAMIS Purchases For FAMIS ordering, use the ISBNs listed above or call Sussman Sales at 800.350.7180


AFTER LOSING HIS WONDERFUL
CROAK, WHAT DID THE LITTLE FROG
LEARN ABOUT HIMSELF?
THE FROG THAT LOST HIS CROAK
(from back of book)
A little frog who loved to croak night and day,
Was very sad when his croak suddenly went away.
While waiting and hoping for his croak to return,
What valuable lessons did the little frog learn?
- Paperback: 26 pages
- Publisher: Outskirts Press (December 24, 2015)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1478764139
- ISBN-13: 978-1478764137
There was very little about the book on Amazon. It would be nice if a little more was entered about the book and author. The little paperback has 26 pages (unnumbered). It would be suitable to those learning to read or the little ones you read to. It has a lesson to be learned about boasting. The illustrator made some colorful and bright pictures to go with the story. The story, like most of Ms. Toole's is in rhyme. This is nice, since it keeps the little one's attention. The little frog that had a lesson to learn finds out that no one likes him since he has bragged too much. He learns to listen instead of croaking and discovers a valuable lesson. This is a easy to read book that will help teach the little ones that not everything is always about them but to think of others too.
This is a great little book for your child's bookshelf to be read and re-read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Anne Toole, and Outskirts Press, in exchange for my unbiased review. No other compensation took place.
I would give this book 4 STARS.
Anne Toole grew up in Williston, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Anderson Jr. College in Anderson, South Carolina and the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She taught in a first grade classroom in Augusta for thirty years. Ms. Toole has always enjoyed reading and writing poetry. As a child, she loved to listen to nursery rhymes and stories written in verse. When she became a teacher, she used nursery rhymes and simple poems in the class to enhance the regular Language Arts curriculum. After retiring, Ms. Toole worked part time for several years as an ESOL teacher and also began writing stories about children and animals. Most are written in verse. Ms. Toole is an avid traveler and has traveled extensively in the United States, Canada and to many countries in Europe. She has also traveled to Northern Africa and the Middle East. Ms. Toole presently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.


M.A. in Subject Matter Teaching: Music
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Education
College of Education
First grade (Education); Musical ability in children; Musical accompaniment; Singing--Instruction and study--Juvenile
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this research was to determine how harmonic accompaniments affect first grade children. The specific problems of the study were to understand how harmonic accompaniments affect children in their 1) tonal development, 2) use of their voice, and 3) interest in singing. Furthermore, a fourth problem was to determine the relationships among interest in singing, use of singing voice, and tonal development.
One hundred and six first grade students in five classes were randomly selected to participate in this study. There were three treatment groups; one received song instruction with the accompaniment of piano/guitar, the second used CD recordings and the third group received song instruction a cappella.
The PMMA test was administered to all students as a pretest and posttest. The researcher audio-taped each child singing a criterion song individually which was then evaluated by two judges using the Singing Voice Development Measure. A motivation questionnaire was administered to all students.
The data were organized into designs for differences. For problem four, a one dimensional design for relationships was used. The researcher failed to find statistically significant differences for the first three problems. For problem four, the correlation between interest and singing voice development was statistically significant.
Pelphrey, Ruth, "The effects of harmonic accompaniment on the music achievement, aptitude, and musical effectiveness of first grade children" (1998). Theses and Dissertations. 1970.


The program’s major goal is to support the early literacy development of pre-school children so they will be better prepared to succeed in school and ready for kindergarten.
- Provide opportunities for exposure to books and language for children before entering elementary school.
- Empower parents with family literacy strategies and materials to use at home.
- Serve as a community resource for early literacy and support child care providers in implementing early literacy activities in their programs.
- Disseminate a “Literacy Benchmarks” document to track each child’s progress and help parents identify targeted interventions to support each child’s reading development.
- Reaches out to low-income families and those with limited literacy or English proficiency.
- Strategies for parents who do not read English are included in parent trainings.
What is Raising A Reader?
Raising A Reader is a take-home book bag program focused on increasing children’s exposure to books and reading before they enter Kindergarten. Each week book bags filled with a variety of books, including multi-cultural and multi-lingual vocabulary-building materials, go home from school. Parents are taught fun, interactive ways to share books with their children, and the book bag and its contents become a child’s ticket to imagination and knowledge. The result is an irresistible request: “Please read to me!”
Access to books is essential to reading development. In fact, the only behavioral measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home. However, children from low-income families have extremely limited access to books. A recent study shows that while in middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of age-appropriate books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 book for every 300 children.
We are currently seeking to expand our community partnerships. For more information on the Early Literacy program or how to collaborate with us, please call LDA Minnesota at 952-582-6000.


“Shichida Education is a soul education. The main aim of the Shichida method is not just to give children knowledge but to cultivate their heart and soul. We don’t just give knowledge and skills, but we also teach how to live as a human.” The main characteristic of the Shichida method for early childhood learning is the fact that we are taking up sensibility education besides logical education.
The sensibility is the power itself that a human being lives for. The sensibility grows soundly as children receive lots of love from their parents. When children receive much love from their parents, they grow with feelings of the importance of their existence. The essence of sensibility are the feelings of wanting to be loved, to be free, and to be happy. The basis of the sensibility are the feelings of seeking freedom and love.
Whole brain education focuses on the sensibility. In the words of Makoto Shichida, he refers to the right hemisphere of our brain as “Love of Eva”, and it is where love is nurtured.
The value of a human is measured by what one has done for others and how well one has worked. What matters is how useful you are to others. Ask children what their dreams are. Every dream is precious. Every child must be encouraged to shine through their dream and help people in the field of their dream.
The Shichida method focuses on encouraging children to nurture their own dreams, to become useful to others, to have qualities befitting leaders and to be the leaders of each field of their dreams.
We do not just give children the education that provides knowledge and skills. We offer them an unprecedented education, which can polish their heart and soul.
The Shichida method focuses on early childhood education that treasures children’s hearts and helps them to have dreams and ambitions as their driving force.


Born: August 9, 1875; Venezuela
Died: January 28, 1947; France
Period: 20th Century
Reynaldo Hahn is often considered an archetypal French composer -- a product of effective French music education coupled with the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Paris. The fact that Hahn was not actually French (he was born in Caracas, Venezuela) has never deterred this notion -- even among the nationalistic French -- since he made Paris his home for nearly his entire life. Today, as he was during his life, he is best known for his vocal works,Read more ranging from serious opera and operetta to solo songs. His affinity for both the stage and the human voice eventually led to his appointment in 1945 as director of the Paris Opéra.
Hahn's parents were of German and Venezuelan extraction; when he was three years old the family relocated to Paris, where Hahn entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1886. He studied harmony with Théodore Dubois, piano with Decombes and composition with Jules Massenet. Massenet's influence is clear in one of Hahn's earliest, and most famous, songs, Si mes vers avaient des ailes (If my verses had wings); written when the composer was only 13, it is a charming setting of verses by Victor Hugo. The combined forces of Massenet's advocacy on his behalf (enough to have his cycle of songs on the poetry of Paul Verlaine, Chansons grises, published in 1893) and Hahn's own fine singing voice (enabling him to accompany himself in salons and concert halls) helped to establish his reputation in the city.
Early in his career, Hahn made the acquaintance of Sarah Bernhardt and Marcel Proust; Proust, especially, would instill in Hahn a deep appreciation and understanding of poetry, which had a profound effect on Hahn's approach to vocal composition. Hahn once wrote, "The genuine beauty of singing consists in a perfect unison, an amalgam, a mysterious alloy of the singing and the speaking voice, or to put it better, the melody and the spoken word." Hahn found himself seduced by the poetry of Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier, and Paul Verlaine; he put his efforts toward creating musical phrasing and rhythmic gestures that would allow the words to speak for themselves. Hahn believed that "[o]nly form can give a piece a chance of lasting...." This perhaps explains his predilection for the older, repetitive formal structures evident in some of his songs, such as "L'automne" (Autumn), "Le printemps" (Spring), and "Quand je fus pris au pavillion" (When I was Lured to her Pavilion).
Hahn's first stage composition was incidental music for Daudet's L'obstacle in 1890; his first opera to reach the stage was the three-act L'île du rêve, performed in Paris at the Opéra-Comique in 1898; a more successful serious opera appeared in 1935 (Le marchand de Venise, in three acts, with a libretto by Zamacoïs, after Shakespeare). Notably, with Le marchand de Venise, Hahn deliberately returned to the "old-fashioned" division between musical numbers and recitatives and returned the orchestra to a purely accompanimental role. Hahn's most important ballet, Le dieu bleu, was composed in 1912 for Diaghilev's company (to a scenario by Cocteau and Madrazo). By far, Hahn's most successful theater piece is his operetta Ciboulette; it premiered to instant acclaim in Paris in 1923, and has received innumerable performances since.
As a conductor and impresario at the Paris Opéra, Hahn favored the operas of Mozart; he found the earlier composer so fascinating, in fact, that he composed a musical comedy on his life (Mozart, 1925), in which he included pastiches of Mozart's own music. Read less
YOU MUST BE A SUBSCRIBER TO LISTEN TO ARKIVMUSIC STREAMING.
TRY IT NOW FOR FREE!
Sign up now for two weeks of free access to the world's best classical music collection. Keep listening for only $0.0/month - thousands of classical albums for the price of one! Learn more about ArkivMusic Streaming


I read two great articles in the New York Times this week about innovation in elementary education and early childhood.
One article highlights a school in New Haven that is utilizing art installations as teaching tools for math and science. The school, which was constructed last year, has integrated all kinds of high-quality art works into its building, including sculptures, mosaics, and architectural elements. This is part of a growing movement of schools commissioning “museum-quality” works that form the basis for learning activities inside and outside of the classroom. What I found so fascinating about this article was not just the notion that environment plays an indirect role in productivity (i.e. – when we work in pleasant and engaging surroundings, we are inspired to work better and harder), but the idea that a school building could be designed in such a way to directly facilitate learning.
The other article in this week’s Times explored how kindergarten and pre-school classrooms are engaging their children in activities designed to promote “executive function” (which, I learned in the article, is a fancy term for self-control). According to the article, assignments and tasks that force children to manage their impulses on their own – instead of being regulated by adults – can help them to develop variety of cognitive skills that enhance future academic and professional success. It is also easier to teach kids executive function when they are young; by middle school it becomes very difficult to modify these kinds of behaviors. The most amazing the article revealed, though, is that researchers have discovered the best way to promote executive function in young children is to allow them to play. But, according to the article, kids need
not just any play. The necessary ingredient is what Leong and Bodrova call “mature dramatic play”: complex, extended make-believe scenarios, involving multiple children and lasting for hours, even days. If you want to succeed in school and in life, they say, you first need to do what Abigail and Jocelyn and Henry have done every school day for the past two years: spend hour after hour dressing up in firefighter hats and wedding gowns, cooking make-believe hamburgers and pouring nonexistent tea, doing the hard, serious work of playing pretend.
With Making Sparks just around the corner, both of these stories gave me a lot to think about in terms what kinds of projects have the best potential to impact on kids in our region. There is a fluidity and a connectedness in children’s experiences that disappears as we get older. Play, learning, feeling, socializing all blend together and influence one another, and it seems as though the best interventions and innovations are those that impact children in a way that is holistic and organic – letting them develop self-control by playing dress up or learn about science by looking at a sculpture. Hopefully Making Sparks, with it emphasis on collaboration, will yield some similarly creative ideas.


If you are thinking of pursuing one of the online teaching degrees there are many careers in education if you enjoy working with young people of different ages.
Teachers give instruction to those in preschool or kindergarten, all the way to high school and on to college.
With enough and the right kind of education, those that earn educational doctorates or Ph.D.'s in education can work at universities training teachers or doing educational research.
Alternatively, you can be principals, superintendents, or do any number of other jobs in teaching within school districts. You can even teach in foreign countries at international schools. Some positions do require certain degrees in educational administration or curriculum.
Teacher salaries nationwide range from approximately $30,000 annually in rural districts to over $80,000 in some urban districts for teachers with a few years of experience. High School principals can make in excess of $100,000 and superintendents, many times, make two or three times that.
You can see what your future teacher salary could be by going to the Postsecondary/College Teacher Salaries Table or the K-12 Elementary Education and Higher Teacher Salary Table and entering the year you expect to graduate.
Postsecondary Teacher Salaries Table
K-12 Teacher Salary Table
Optionally, you can enter a salary growth rate (or leave the 2.5% as is). Press "Update" at the bottom of the table and you will see the data change for your personal plan.
Online teaching degrees are fulfilling to the kind of people who enjoy mentoring and working with young people. Teachers are the kind of people who get enjoyment from the process of seeing incremental growth in their students.
The college programs for online degrees in education are all slightly different but they have a set of common basic classes - many can be taken online. The traditional degree takes four years but you should be able to complete an online degree in less than three years while you work at a lesser position, such as a teacher's assistant. Some states or districts even offer tuition discounts to those who are currently working for them, so be sure to check out these opportunities in your area.
Where would you like to be in 5, 10, even 20 years down the road? Would you like to be a long-term teacher, or would you like to teach for a few years, and then move into a less hands-on position? It pays to think ahead.
The minimum degree that you must have to teach in a classroom in the United States is an accredited Bachelor Degree and teacher certification. This certification is gotten by taking the PRAXIS test. Most states require the PRAXIS test, which covers math and English. After you have gotten that and have begun teaching, you can think about different teaching career paths. If you feel that you want to be a long-term teacher or concentrate on training teachers eventually, you could go for a Masters Degree in Teaching in the emphasis of your choice. Many of these are available online.
If you would like to begin thinking about being a principal or superintendent, you should think about getting a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership or Educational Administration (these have different names in different states, but basically have the same purpose). You could also get a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, and you could move into teaching at a university. Other possible advanced degrees, both at the master's and doctorate level, include educational technology, curriculum and instruction, and many more.
Your jobs in teaching search can begin by looking at a teaching specialty and viewing the estimated income. From the Postsecondary/College Teacher Salaries Table or the K-12 Elementary Education and Higher Teacher Salary Table, you can see that teacher salary levels are respectable, based on adjusted statistics from the US BLS.
As with many distance learning degrees the specific college selected will determine what classwork can done online. It is not an all-or-none proposition; you will most likely find that you will have to attend some upper-level or teaching practicum seminars. Many first year and second year level classes can be completed online either by CLEP test or by attending a virtual class room. Plan ahead and you can get online teaching degrees while you gain experience and earn money to keep your debts lower.
Return from Online Teaching Degrees-Education to First Online Degree HOME


TAMPA, Fla. (PRWEB) April 10, 2013
From the author of the family-oriented books, “Mom Had a Problem,” “Dad Had Issues,” and “Show Me! Teach Me! Guide Me! - Poetry through a Child’s Perspective” comes a brand new children’s fiction that deals with topics like bullying, social acceptance and friendship. Author Cynthia Gadson weaves these topics into an endearing story with valuable lessons in Big Bully Bob.
“Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions, states the American Psychological Association. “The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to “cause” the bullying.”
Gadson’s storybook follows the story about a boy who chooses to live life in such a negative way. He would bully others around him hoping to get attention and gain friends. Big Bully Bob eventually discovers that he would receive attention but not the type of attention he really is seeking. Big Bully Bob becomes lonely, bored, and nonproductive. Big Bully Bob has to make better decisions that will change his life forever.
Eye-opening and empowering, Big Bully Bob is a colorful picture book that sheds light on the real causes and consequences of bullying. With the advent of the internet and social media websites, a new form of bullying has come to the forefront— cyberbullying. With her creative no-nonsense look at this prevalent issues in young people, Gadson is paving the way for an open dialogue and discussions regarding this concern.
For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.
About the Author
Cynthia Gadson was born in Tampa, Fla. on March 24, 1963. She is one of ten children by parents Mrs. M. Gadson and Mr. E. Gadson of Seffiter, Fla. She has two sons, Marcus and Maurice Lindsey. Marcus has given her three grandchildren, Sadari, Quinten, and Jamel. Maurice is the illustrator of Gadson’s three other books: “Mom Had a Problem,” “Dad Had Issues,” and “Show Me! Teach Me! Guide Me! - Poetry through a Child’s Perspective.” Gadson served in the United States Army from 1983-1988, earning an honorable discharge. Gadson’s church affiliation is with the Church of God in Christ. She has a Master’s Degree in Special Education, certified in Elementary Education, and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Walden University. She is currently an elementary teacher. Gadson has been teaching for over 17 years.
Big Bully Bob * by Cynthia Gadson
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Picture Book; $21.99; 28 pages; 978-1-4797-9208-5
Picture Book Hardcover; $31.99; 28 pages; 978-1-4797-9209-2
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4797-9210-8
Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.
For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.


|An early attempt at mapping writing skill transfer (spelling errors are included to test readers like you)|
The picture above is what I worked on yesterday. I was attempting to clear up some concepts.
Here's what I'm going for in the picture:
I drew a timeline representing the writing development of an imaginary student named Pat. There's a hexagon to represent a task Pat composed in her freshman-year writing course. And there's a square representing a writing task she composed years later for an upper-division course in her major. These two events are described as separate, but they are really fragments of Pat's literacy development.
Here's the issue I'm attempting to get at: The type of writing Pat did in her freshman writing course is very different than the writing she did later in college - and later in life. This raises the following question: What skills did Pat learn in her freshman writing course that helped her with her later coursework?
The answer to that question should describe the skills teachers emphasize in freshman composition, but the work I've done for the past few years has shown that instructors often dodge this question or answer with vague unmeasurable abstractions.
The diagram is an attempt to get at something instructors can act on. It's still rough, but it is moving me in the right direction - away from the abstract.
Let's say that after Pat finished her freshman year she declared a major in mechanical engineering. Later, near the end of her junior year, Pat is told to write a technical report about some work she's done on wireless networking.
Take a moment to think about all the differences between between the two tasks
- Time has past
- The audience is different
- The purpose for writing is different
- The writing conventions are different
- The subject matter is different
- Pat is different!
The sidewalk in the video here changes over time, gains a new audience, and a new purpose. The chalk drawing fools the eye into thinking that the sidewalk is no longer a sidewalk at all. For someone hoping to create something like this, however, it is crucial to remain aware of the qualities the sidewalk had before the first line was drawn.
Getting back to Pat, which skills used to write her freshman composition paper are still useful when writing the technical report?
Here's the direction my drawing has taken me: Beyond a firm command of grammar and spelling, we expect a college-level writer to have skills that facilitate independent learning in new writing environments.
In other words, after completing college, Pat should have the skills required to join a new community and teach herself how to effectively write in that setting. Of course she can't do that alone. In order to learn to communicate in a new setting, the new community must afford Pat the time and resources required to learn about the ways people in that community write.
So, Pat has to know how to find and evaluate the writing of others. She has to know how to solicit, recognize, and utilize feedback. She must be practiced at self-assessment. She must know how to identify clues that will help her adjust her writing practices, which assumes she knows how to adjust her writing practices. And Pat needs to have the self-confidence and patience to recognize that these skills will only get her foot in the door - that writing for a new community will require the application of these skills to produce new knowledge - knowledge that will eventually help her gain a voice and authority in the communities she seeks to join.
I also believe that Pat should be intellectually wary of any community that makes it either too easy or too difficult for new members to move through these processes. But that's for another blog post.
So that's what I'm working on. I may take the blog along this road for a while. Trying to express these ideas for people who are not compositionists seems like a good way to maintain the blog while staying focused on my work.


Imagine Español is uniquely crafted to address the specific features of the Spanish language (for example, letter-sound instruction, syllable awareness, and transparent orthography). And while many Spanish-language software programs are literal translations of original English versions, Imagine Español features culturally responsive content specifically designed for young children learning to read Spanish.
- Direct instruction and contextualized practice
- Highly engaging and motivating content
- Not an English translation
In Imagine Español, young students experience a balanced approach to literacy that includes not only phonics instruction but also comprehension and vocabulary development. Within this approach, students learn the basic building blocks of literacy as they develop critical language skills through exposure to both oral and academic vocabulary. This balanced approach to literacy is applied with correct modeling and sufficient practice.
- Building blocks for literacy
- Critical language skills
- Correct modeling and sufficient practice
Authentic music and art help students connect to strong cultural traditions. While standard Spanish is used for instruction, multiple accents are strategically used to expose students to the nuanced differences in the Spanish-speaking world. By highlighting the cultural and linguistic richness of Spanish-speaking countries, Imagine Español provides a more meaningful educational experience to students.
- Authentic music and art
- Culturally relevant themes
- Exposure to regional accents
- Key facts about Spanish-speaking countries
Teachers depend on solid data to help track student progress and comprehension. With True Data™, it’s easy to generate both individual student reports and reports for the entire class. Teachers and administrators can also see usage patterns over time and determine if students have spent adequate time on the program.
- Individual detailed reports
- Summary reports by class
- Usage data


Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss, a favorite of mine from way back. (I know I’m not the only one who can say that, but it’s worth mentioning.) Several years ago, I decided I wanted to collect all of his books because they remind me of my childhood, and they’re just fun to read. (There are also bragging rights involved, but that’s a lesser motivation because not many people would be impressed by such a collection.)
What I respect most about Dr. Seuss is not his talent, though his use of meter and rhyme is creative, witty, and extremely challenging. (Try it.) And it’s not his beautiful illustrations, so imaginative and sometimes, haunting. (See: the darker pages of Oh, The Places You’ll Go.) What I love best about Dr. Seuss is that his contribution to and impact on literacy and elementary education has not only lasted, but is celebrated in schools and libraries across the country every year.
If you don’t know the history on Dr. Seuss, allow me to tell you. In the 1950’s and earlier, most grade school reading classes were taught from the old “Dick and Jane” stories. The stories, as I’m sure you know, are dry, unimaginative, and repetitive. Yes, repetition is important in learning, but it’s not the only important element. In my days of teaching, I always said, “Before we can do anything else, the student has to want to be engaged. S/he has to be interested in the material in order to pay any attention to it.” Kids weren’t interested in Dick and Jane. Let’s face it, all they did was “run”, “throw”, “look”, and “see”. Not a lot of intrigue there.
On one hand, one can kind of understand the difficulty in writing for beginning readers. Most elementary reading books and stories are entirely focused on Dolch sight words. This word list is comprised of 220 most common words, and 95 frequently used nouns. Therefore, you can see why the authors of the Dick and Jane stories felt so restricted.
Dr. Seuss, on the other hand, was a clever and witty writer. He used these 220 words and from them was able to compose The Cat in the Hat. We all know from reading this book, that it is exciting, and funny story – the impish antics of the Cat in the Hat creating a mess, and the fear of punishment when the parents come home. Every child can relate to that. Combine an interesting story, and early reading sight words with a reliable meter, and you have an easy and fun way for children to learn to read. That is what Dr. Seuss means to the worlds of education and literacy. And for that he should be celebrated every time any of us picks up a book!


A few years ago, in a series of articles on music education in the Triangle, we described the new Suzuki violin program for grades K through 4 at R.N. Harris Elementary School in Durham. Last Friday morning, April 7, we heard the great strides the children in this program made, as they played in Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium before famed violinist Midori, in town for a performance with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra. Before their own concert, the children attended a rehearsal of Beethoven's Violin Concerto by Midori and the Symphony, watching in rapt attention as the conductor, NCSO's Associate Conductor William Henry Curry, worked at bringing all the musical elements together. From the children's excited comments, it was clear how impressed they were, and also how observant, and how much they have learned. "She holds her bow differently than Mr. ... shows us," commented one little girl.
The concert that evening was a study in contrasts. It opened with a spirited performance of the overture to Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, but dominating the first half was Paul Hindemith's symphony Mathis der Maler (Mathis the Painter). Unfortunately, the legends that arose 60 years ago over the creation of this great work persist to this day. It is not, as is usually claimed, an expression of protest against the Nazis, but just the opposite, the composition of an artist who wanted to make music instead of politics.
The symphony was composed in 1934 for the Berlin Philharmonic, at a time when Hindemith was working on the libretto for an opera with the same title. The opera is based on events in the life of a 16th-century German painter, Mathis Neithart (also known as Grünewald, a misnomer by his first biographer), whose most famous work is an altarpiece in a monastery in Isenheim in Alsace. The artist, who goes to fight for the peasants during the religious wars of the Reformation, finds out that he is unsuited for combat and should stick to his art. Hindemith created the symphony describing three panels of the altarpiece, and only later incorporated the music into the opera. In composing Mathis der Maler, Hindemith was trying to give an apolitical message to the new Nazi authorities, but to no avail--Adolf Hitler marked him as one of his growing list of degenerate artists. Hindemith had to leave Germany in 1938 and ended up at Yale University.
Mathis der Maler is a work demanding that every player, especially the winds, be a virtuoso. The performance by the NCSO was a good demonstration of the quality of our Symphony players, helped by Curry's approach, which was to gradually build up the tension and climaxes. In the first panel, Angelic Concert, three angels sing and play to the Virgin and Child. Hindemith's music alternates complex counterpoint with simple melodies on the woodwinds, and Curry's precise cuing and direction made for exceptional clarity of the musical lines. The second panel, Entombment, describes the entombment of Christ. It is solemn, haunting, funerary music, and Curry emphasized the halting nature of the movement to a point where you could virtually hear the sobs of the mourners. In the third panel, Temptation of St. Anthony, he brought out the demonic nature of Hindemith's music, describing the grotesque creatures--always a stunning part of Saint Anthony's iconography--that torment the saint to the point of insanity, and contrasting it with the reaffirmation of the saint's faith in a grand finale in the style of a Bach chorale prelude.
The second half of the program was devoted to Beethoven's Violin Concerto, with Midori as soloist. This work is so frequently played that violinists find it difficult to come up with an innovative approach to its performance. But Midori clearly found one. She is a serious artist and certainly thought long and hard about her approach to this work. Hers was without doubt the most introverted, introspective and gentle performance of this concerto we have ever heard. Never louder than mezzo forte, Midori's intensely expressive playing riveted the audience and forced a silence that is rarely heard in the nearly full Memorial Auditorium. Curry and the orchestra matched her gentle tone superbly, never overpowering and drowning it.
But too much of a good thing can be a detriment. Midori maintained this style of playing into the third movement, thus denying the listener the release that this playful virtuoso piece is meant to give after the gentle larghetto. There is no such thing as a definitive interpretation and, whether we agree with every interpretive decision of a performer, it is exciting to hear a fresh and well thought-out approach to a familiar work. Overall, Midori's was a performance to remember.


dyspraxia how you can help
Whilst there is yet no known treatment for dyspraxia, regular physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy may improve motor and coordination skills. You can help a student with dyspraxia, by using Multi-Sensory Teaching Methods, developing skills through play and strengthening exercises.
dyspraxia – developing skills through play
Dyspraxia – Playing with things like:
* Practicing letter formation in sand/salt trays. (I use cat litter trays they are very cheap.)
Shape and pattern copying.
* Using ‘Spirograph’ to practice writing – write, shake it and it goes away.
* Colouring by number.
* Following the line to find out which rabbit belongs to which hutch.
* Threading coloured beads.
Dyspraxia – Improving Co-ordination:
* Playing games: ball games: tennis, football, rounders, cricket; marbles; skipping, hoola hoops, etc all help develop vital skills.
* Hand/Finger strengthening (helps handwriting)
* Squeeze balls,
* Trampolines are excellent for co-ordination skills.
dyspraxia – developing skills, including:
* Space organisation
* Directional awareness
dyspraxia – some items have been found to be useful including:
* Pencil grips – help to hold the pencil correctly.
* Templates – help to keep paper in the right place/angle.
* Pre-formed letter shapes, children follow with their fingers.
* Dexball, (uses “a unique method to hold a pen (Insight Medical Products).
* BigKeys Plus – A keyboard designed for nursery/keystage 1
* Mobile Phone – Fantastic full size mobile phone, you can get to grips with.
keybigkeys plus lower-case
A starter keyboard designed for nursery/keystage 1
BigKeys Plus is a lower-case keyboard with a colourful and simple layout and is particularly useful at nursery, pre-school and Keystage 1.
It helps in the teaching of handwriting, literacy and numeracy skills as well as developing the important basic IT skills which every child needs.
All confusing and unnecessary keys are removed so that young children find the appearance simple and motivating the remaining keys are larger, which facilities accuracy for young hands and fingers, and choice of colour coding makes letter recognition more straightforward. You may have your favourite classroom software – these special features make this keyboard the perfect partner.
On the practical side, BigKeys simply plugs into the keyboard socket of the computer – no software is needed.
‘dyslexia and other learning difficulties – a parent’s guide’ – book
My book: ‘Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties – A Parent’s Guide‘ has been updated and re-released in January 2010. It contains extensive information on dyslexia, dysgraphia and other specific learning difficulties (SpLDs).
For a fuller description of ‘Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties – A Parent’s Guide‘ please click here.
‘dyslexia and alternative therapies’ – book
My book: ‘Dyslexia and Alternative Therapies’ contains information on a wide range of alternative therapies and the way they can help people with dyslexia, dysgraphia and other specific learning difficulties (SpLDs).
For a fuller description of ‘Dyslexia and Alternative Therapies‘ please click here.


Cytogenetics: Chromosome Mutations, Aberrations & Evolution. Chromosomes. Prokaryote Eukaryote. Eukaryotic chromosomes. Human karyotype. Why do we care?. Many diseases and birth defects are a direct result of missing, broken, or extra chromosomes. Down Syndrome Cri du chat Syndrome
Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author.While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server.
Many diseases and birth defects are a direct result of missing, broken, or extra chromosomes.
Ionizing radiation (production of free radicals, which act like little atomic "cannon balls", blasting through strands of DNA or c'somes.
Why do they rejoin?
Break points of chromosomes are highly reactive ("sticky"), whereas normal ends of c'somes are capped by telomeres, which do not readily bond to other molecules.
_________________ __________________ will affect both newly formed chromatids, & all daughter cells arising from them.
Slow motor skill development
Low birth weight and slow growth
Small head (microcephaly)
Partial webbing of fingers or toes
Wide-set eyes (hypertelorism)
High-pitched cryCri-du-chat Syndrome
______________ __________________ will affect both newly formed chromatids, & all daughter cells arising from them.
______________Duplications: source of evolutionary novelty?
Duplication is a source of new genes over evolutionary time: e.g., gene families like globins and MHC genes


You may have noticed a couple of new displays in GSA Library over the last few weeks. While one of these displays, the one on Level 2, is devoted to Talwin Morris and bookbinding, GSA Archives and Collections and Library staff have dedicated the other to anatomy.
Anatomy drawing has historically formed an important part of art education. Up until 1900, Glasgow School of Art followed the National Course of Instruction, or the South Kensington system. Of the 23 stages that the system prescribed, Stage 9, “Anatomical studies”, included drawing from the human figure, animal forms and from nature.
Glasgow School of Art’s Archives and Collections holds a selection of material related to the history of anatomy drawing at the School, including prospectuses which outline the place of anatomy drawing in the School’s curriculum; photographs of students drawing in the School’s Anatomy Room; anatomy drawings by former students of the School; lantern slides of anatomical subjects; and some correspondence related to the teaching of anatomy drawing, such as a letter from the Director to Professor Bryce, Regius Professor of Anatomy at Glasgow University, requesting permission for GSA anatomy students to work at the
GSA Library holds a number of rare anatomical treatises in its Special Collections, which have served as inspiration to renowned artists such as Christine Borland and more recently Kate Davis for her exhibition ‘Not Just the Perfect Moments’ in 2012. The Library is also lucky to hold a number of original 1887 plates from Eadweard Muybridge’s seminal photographic study Animal Locomotion. In total the library holds a representative selection of 63 plates from Muybridge’s total set of 781, which were purchased for the use of GSA students in June 1917. More information about the Muybridge plates can be found on the GSA Library Treasures blog.
The display is located on the mezzanine level of the Library (Level 1), just before the stairs up to Level 2. An introduction, captions and bibliographies with suggestions for further reading can also be found in the ‘Library Display Cabinets’ folder as part of the Archives and Collections course on the VLE. Call in at the librarians’ office on Level 2 or at the Archives and Collections Centre in the basement of the Mackintosh Building for more information (you can also email Delpine Dallison, email@example.com, or Michelle Kaye, firstname.lastname@example.org with any questions).
Look out for future posts about our library displays here and on the Library’s GSA Library Treasures blog.


Imagine Learning’s Imagine Language & Literacy is a program of digital tutorials that supports the development of language and literacy skills for students in grades PreK-6. The supplemental program uses assessment and performance data to customize instruction for individual students. Its highly visual lessons are designed to engage struggling readers, English learners, and early elementary students. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grades K-5. [Read more…]
Posts Tagged "Imagine Learning"
Imagine Math provides supplemental, online mathematics programs for grades 3 through high school. Resources support self-paced instruction in remediation and intervention programs. Across grade levels, Imagine Math’s adaptive software adjusts content to meet individual learning needs, provides immediate corrective feedback, and motivates students through a system of extrinsic rewards. Learning List recently reviewed Imagine Math’s resources for high school Geometry and Integrated Math I & II, which are described in Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). [Read more…]
Imagine Learning is a supplemental program of computer-based tutorials that supports the development of language and literacy skills for students in grades K-5. Instruction addresses reading, vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills, and is targeted to meet the needs of English language learners, struggling readers, early elementary students, and Response to Intervention programs.
Content is presented in short, interactive tutorials that are highly visual and engaging. At grades K-2, tutorials address the foundational skills for reading, such as letter and word recognition and basic vocabulary. Tutorials for grades 3-5 build on foundational skills and address academic vocabulary, grammar, and strategies for reading and understanding informational and literary texts. Across grades, content addresses phonological awareness, reading comprehension and fluency, and speaking and listening skills. Instruction incorporates games, age-appropriate characters, and videos of students in authentic situations (e.g., borrowing a pencil from a classmate).
Imagine Learning uses pre-test and performance data to customize the sequence and pace of instruction for individual students. The program includes Evaluative Checkpoints to provide an ongoing measure of student learning. Checkpoints consider performance in previous activities to determine the type of support needed for an upcoming set of lessons.
Online activities include easy-to-understand instructions, guided and independent practice, immediate corrective feedback, and first-language support for English language learners in 15 languages. Imagine Learning also provides printable resources, such as stories and articles, vocabulary flashcards, graphic organizers, worksheets, and journal pages to supplement computer-based instruction.
About Imagine Learning
Imagine Learning was founded in 2004 by a team of education and software professionals committed to helping students develop language and literacy skills. Today Imagine Learning’s programs are used in schools in the United States, Korea, Costa Rica, Brazil, and the UAE. Imagine Learning delivers award-winning language and literacy solutions to elementary students throughout the US and around the world. The team creates educational software that uses engaging, one-on-one instruction to meet students’ individual learning needs. The software is research-based, instructionally differentiated, and fun to use. Also available on iPad and Chromebook, Imagine Learning supports a dynamic blended learning experience. For more information, please visit www.imaginelearning.com.


Read More About
A study conducted in 1985 by the Commission on Reading found that the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children. The BOOK IT! Beginners Program is an eight-week program for children in preschool and pre-k which encourages teachers and parents to begin reading to children when they are very young. "Pizza Hut is deeply committed to devoting more funds and accepting larger responsibility to make this happen," said Eunice Ellis, Director of BOOK IT! Beginners. A recent survey shows that 17 percent of young children are rarely read to, and 28 percent are never read to.
BOOK IT! Beginners makes reading fun. This year's interactive classroom poster shows a squirrel sitting on the branch of a tree reading a book. Each time the teacher reads a storybook or poem to the class, he or she writes the title on an acorn or leaf cutout. One of the children then places the cutout on the poster. The class can keep track of their reading while they watch the tree leaf out and the pile of acorns grow. Parents are invited to participate by reading to their children at home and adding more leaves and acorns to the poster.
There's more fun—and reward—for the children at Pizza Hut¨ restaurants. After each four-week period, during which teachers are asked to read to children at least 60 minutes a week, the teacher gives every child in the class a certificate to take to a Pizza Hut restaurant for praise, a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza¨ and a fuzzy sticker.
"Praise is even more important than the pizza and sticker," explains Ellis. "It tells children that they are special and that reading is special."
This year's BOOK IT! Beginners Program will accommodate approximately 1.5 million children in 24,000 preschool and pre-kindergarten facilities. That represents about 12 percent of the children in managed child care.
"We planned a 20 percent increase in our program's enrollment this year," said Ellis. "Because the program has been so well received, we expect growth to continue at this pace in the future. Our long-term goal is to reach as many of the estimated 13 million children in managed child care as we can to help them develop a love of books and reading at an early age."
This year, Pizza Hut has joined several early childhood learning and reading initiatives. One is a national media campaign called Child Care Reads. In a second initiative, Pizza Hut will be a sponsor of the Scholastic Early Childhood Today magazine's Early Childhood Professional Awards, recognizing Infant Teacher, Toddler Teacher, Preschool Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher, Family Child Care Provider and Director. The awards will bepresented at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference in Atlanta in November.
Pizza Hut also sponsors the BOOK IT!¨ National Reading Incentive Program, which began its 15th year in October 1999. More than 20 million students in 50,000 elementary schools are enrolled in this award-winning program.


|1867 - 1875 Europe
Saint-Gaudens, who wanted a formal art education, worked days and took art classes at night At the end of his apprenticeship he left for Paris, arriving with $100 saved from his wages. He took courses in sculpture modeling, composition, and execution, ornamental design, anatomy, and drawing from life and casts of ancient sculpture. Living frugally and working at a cameo cutting job, he was able to stay in Paris and study first at the Ecole Gratuite de Dessin and then at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1867 to 1870, when he left to study architecture and classical art in Rome until 1873.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Mary, Queen of Scots, cameo (Williams version), 1873,
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire


Both have their benefits, and both have draw backs, however it’s important to know where each form of teaching will help with becoming a better musician, especially if the student has ambitions in pursuing music professionally as a career.
Beyond it’s abilities to develop performers, music has a number of benefits that come along with it:
- It can improve creativity
- It can increase confidence
- It can help improve social skills
- It is a constructive and healthy hobby
- It is an outlet both mentally and emotionally
Depending on where you are looking to take your music, you need to select your instruction style appropriately – certain skills can be gained in individual classes, and other skills can only be gained in group classes.
Both individual as well as group classes require commitment.
In a group class scenario, there is a level of reliance that is placed upon all students turning up, as often the repertoir of music will be more suitable for groups, and each member of the group will have their own part to play. This is no different than being a part of a band or an orchestra, and is great training if this is where a student wishes to take their music.
Naturally, a student will make mistakes in front of their peers, but they will also learn from their peers too. Peer learning is actually very effective when you are in group situations.
This ability to interact with both fellow students and teachers is not only socially beneficial, but is great for confidence. This is no different from a team based sport – the success of the team is reliant upon individuals doing their part.
Individual lessons on the other hand are brilliant for people who need to fine tune, who need individual guidance and preparation, intense training and remediation work, or for those who are looking to become elite performers or soloists.
Students will recieve individual and tailored attention, and in return they are expected to provide the utmost dedication, and follow through upon prescribed actions. It also ensures that the student will pay attention during the lesson, as they are the sole focus of that particular lesson – this is particulary useful if the student gets easily distracted.
Ultimately each student has their own needs when it comes to music education. Often a hybrid approach works well: regular classes can be in the group format, and where required, supplement with individual classes so to fill the gaps.


Curriculum & Educational Philosophy
The underlying premise of Arts in Action VAP is that all children are artists. Our process-oriented curriculum demystifies drawing, painting, and sculpting in a logical and analytical way, empowering children to create with confidence.
Learning a visual arts language deepens a child’s perspective and insight just as it does in math, reading, and academic subjects.
The sequential curriculum for children and adults builds basic component skills of: the perception of edge & line, form & space, understanding of composition, creation of colors, light & dark, negative & positive shapes, mass & volume; all are concepts that ultimately fuse into a finely tuned sense of visual awareness. Each lesson introduces one or more of these skills & concepts, along with art materials & techniques.
The subject of each lesson becomes a catalyst for children to see in a richer & more accurate way. When a child is able to look beyond their initial perception of the subject, they are free to effectively create what they imagine.
Cognitive shifts into right brain creative thinking produce breakthroughs that are revealed on the faces of students & their artwork: experiences that are key to unlocking creativity in every child.
Visual awareness becomes another language that children use to express who they are, how they feel about themselves and the world around them.
Studies have indicated that a sequential, skill-based fine art education develops crucial abilities for school-aged children:
- Critical Thinking
- Fine Motor Coordination
- Analytical Reasoning
- Lengthened Attention Span
All of these areas enhance learning of other subject areas such as reading, writing and math. The AIAVAP curriculum also fosters self expression, self esteem and a sense of empowerment.


A research project investigating the impact of the art education on artistic production from the 1960s to the present day and its relationship to the wider themes of education, culture and society.
Tate’s research on the interrelated histories of art education, artists’ relationships with society, and the impact of art pedagogy on artistic production supports the museum’s strategic aim of working with a wide community of artists. ‘Art School Educated’ reflects the fact that, despite their long history, distinguished national record and recent transformation, a comprehensive history of UK art schools has never been written.
This three-year project represents a first stage in this work and will identify the decisive reforms in the curriculum of the major London art schools from the 1960s to the present day, and ask how the curricula that were adopted relate to the output of the artists whose work is represented in Tate’s collection.
The project aims
The researchers will explore the impact of art pedagogy on artistic production and advance our understanding of the role that art schools have played in relation to broader educational, cultural and social realms. The project team will include social and education historians working alongside Tate art historians and curators.
They will identify the paradigm institutions and historic periods, which will form the starting points for a set of case studies, and seek to explain how pedagogic goals have changed and what now are the values placed on the liberal tradition of fine art and the (applied) arts of design?
Original, primary research on designated art schools will form the basis of new institutional histories and accounts of curriculum development.
Tate as a national centre for the study of the history of art education
The project seeks to confirm Tate as a recognised national centre for the study of the history of art education, encourage new interpretations of works in the museum’s collection, allow the museum to capture, archive and preserve an aspect of UK history that is largely undocumented and with every passing year more vulnerable to loss, and become an important source for future discussions about tertiary-level art education and its impact on the creative industries and the knowledge economy. These are topics that show no signs of lessening in their national significance.
The project team will produce a range of traditional scholarly publications, develop ideas for exhibitions and displays, and will have a dedicated microsite on the Tate website.
Updated April 2010.
Supported by The Leverhulme Trust 2009–13


At Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, we are proud of our primary school curriculum. Similar to the Infant section philosophy, the Primary section lessons follow a curriculum organised around themes of knowledge. It is based on the idea that children best acquire knowledge when it is presented in the context of a coherent whole (as opposed to a more traditional details-first, big-picture-later approach). In our experience, young students absorb information better when they can see the relevance of an idea in the real world.
You may choose to enroll your child in the bilingual section where English and French are spoken in the same proportions, or in the English section where he/she will have one daily French lesson.
As illustrated below, our lesson plan and curriculum is structured around eight big-picture knowledge areas.
- Science and technology
- History and geography
- Music, dance, art, and drama
- Physical education
- Health and social education
- English and French
Each theme addresses the development of age-appropriate skills in that area. At its core, the goal of the programme is to build up permanent, transferable, life-long learning skills rather than accumulate a collection of facts, letters, and numbers. We encourage our young students to investigate, be curious, observe, and apply their new skills in a playful, fun, and focused environment.
The primary school is divided into five age groups:
- P1 – 6 years old by August 31
- P2 – 7 years old by August 31
- P3 – 8 years old by August 31
- P4 – 9 years old by August 31
- P5 – 10 years old by August 31
Depending on your child’s age and readiness, we will recommend a comfortable starting class level that will offer him or her opportunities to grow. The following pages offer additional details on the specific class themes that may be used in different year groups. Below is the summary of what is taught, by area, across Primary school age-based curricula.
Science and Technology
Use of computers is encouraged as students learn to search for information and acquire basic proficiency with technology. Our teachers introduce basic chemistry experiments, physics concepts, and applied maths. Students learn about different types of energy, reflect on experiments, and refine their observational skills.
History and Geography
Discussions on historical and current events as relevant to the age group are introduced. Students get some hands-on experience with observing and documenting geology, terrains, and climates. We use maps and interactive exercises to teach them about continents, countries, early explorers, pirates, historical figures, and ethnic cultures.
Realistic situations are used to teach maths so that students can grasp complex concepts within relevant contexts. Previous knowledge is consolidated, and division and multiplication are reinforced. Students learn to work with fractions, develop an estimation skillset, and begin to use more complex algorithms. They are encouraged to develop logical reasoning skills as they solve problems and equations.
Music, Dance, Art, and Drama
The importance of self-expression through the arts is emphasised as your child enters the primary school. Our beautiful new facilities allow plenty of space for drama performances, dance, and music. Children continue to create their own artwork in a variety of mediums, as well as learn about famous artists.
Coordination, control, and mastery of physical movement are encouraged through gymnastics, swimming, and team games. Extracurricular sporting activities are also available. Beyond encouraging movement and learning about the capabilities of their bodies, we inspire our students to follow game rules and demonstrate good sportsmanship.
Health and Social Education
Students continue to learn about customs, cultural norms, laws and rules. We model and teach responsibility and collaboration. Students are encouraged to explore and name their feelings, and practice compassion towards others. Health education, including the basics of hygiene and self-care, is introduced. Together, we explore the body’s main systems and their functions. Teachers introduce key concepts related to health maintenance and disease prevention.
English and French
In addition to organic exposure to the two languages, our bilingual school offers formal instruction in English and French vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Reading is encouraged, with a focus on comprehension and basic literary forms (point of view, simile, metaphor, etc.) Students practice the basics of composition by writing book reports and essays on a range of topics.


Sangeet 4 All
Sangeet 4 all brings a brand new music education programme to Indian schools that instills a lifelong foundation and love for classical Indian music. Sangeet 4 All is based on the philosophy that all children are musical and deserve to engage in a fun way with their cultural heritage .
The Sangeet 4 All programme introduces two unique instruments: the Swatarang and Bansi. The general classroom instruments include a small percussion instruments kit and swarmandal.
The S4A curriculum has three main strands: Sing. Play. Learn.
In S4A we believe that proper vocal training from a young age builds essential tools for the child. When we train children from day 1 in the correct use of voice that does not strain the vocal chords, we build a strong foundation for singing. Interestingly, this strand stands for a lot more than singing songs.
There should be a special orientation for parents and class teacher is held on how they can carry the programme forward. Through play is how we all learn best. When we teach children through games and fun activities, they form a lasting bond with the subject that will motivate them to come back to learn more every day.
This strand is based on the belief that all children want to learn. From the day we are born, every day we learn. Music helps children in building a positive attitude towards learning.


Published in the News-Gazette (Champaign, IL), June 5, 2012
The summer reading programs in Champaign for high school students have a worthy and sensible goal: Increase interest in recreational reading. This goal, however, can be achieved far more efficiently.
The new program described by the News-Gazette (“Champaign high schools now require summer reading,” May 28) requires high school students to select among a small set of books on a given theme and read one over the summer. (Students can read a book not on the list, but it must be related to the assigned theme.) Research consistently shows that self-selected reading of books of genuine interest is much more effective in stimulating literacy development than assigned reading.
The program requires written responses to questions about the book when students return in the summer. Research consistently shows that writing summaries and book reports does not increase literacy development and can turn students off to reading.
Another summer program in the Champaign area, the Teen Summer Reading program, awards prizes for reading. Research consistently shows that rewarding people for activities that are inherently pleasurable can result in less interest in doing the activity. Rewards send the message that the activity is not pleasurable and nobody would do it without a bribe.
There is an easier and more effective way. Research also consistently shows that when interesting books are available, teenagers do indeed read them, as demonstrated by the success of Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games. This means that we need to make a greater investment in public libraries, often the only source of books during the summer for those living in poverty, with the goal of providing students with a wide choice of books to read, with no written reports required.
With the increase in poverty in East Central Illinois over the last decade (“Changes in poverty and how schools are affected,” News-Gazette, January 15, 2012), well supported libraries are of more importance than ever.
University of Southern California
Original article: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-05-28/champaign-high-schools-now-require-summer-reading.html
Self-selected reading is more effective: Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Heinemann Publishing Company and Libraries Unlimited; Lee, S.Y. 2007. Revelations from three consecutive studies on extensive reading. RELC Journal 38 no. 2, 150–70. For a report of a successful summer reading program based on self-selected, see: Shin, F. and Krashen, S. 2007. Summer Reading: Program and Evidence. New York: Allyn and Bacon.
Writing summaries and book reports; Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Heinemann Publishing Company and Libraries Unlimited; Mason, B. 2004. The effect of adding supplementary writing to an extensive reading program. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 1 (1): 2-16; Smith, K. 2006. A comparison of “pure” extensive reading with intensive reading and extensive reading with supplementary activities. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2 (2): 12-15.
Prizes for reading: Kohn, A. 1997. Punished by Rewards. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. McQuillan, J. 1997. The effects of incentives on reading, Reading Research and Instruction 36: 111-25.Krashen, S. 2003. The (lack of) experimental evidence supporting the use of accelerated reader. Journal of Children’s Literature 29 (2): 9, 16-30.
Tennagers do read them: Krashen, S. 2001. Do teenagers like to read? Yes! Reading Today 18(5): 16. Krashen, S. 2011. Why we should stop scolding teenagers and their schools: Frequency of leisure reading. Language Magazine 11(4): 18-21.
Library the only source of books: Neuman, S. and Celano, D. 2001. Access to print in low-income and middle-income communities. Reading Research Quarterly 36 (1): 8-26. Krashen, S. Power of Reading.


A 2-year associate's degree program in elementary education includes core courses and a practicum to give students the opportunity to observe and participate in the activities of an elementary school classroom on a daily basis. In some schools, the associate's degree in elementary education is referred to as an associate's degree in teaching with an emphasis in elementary or K-6 education. Online courses and programs are available.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. Some schools prefer applicants who have already completed college prep courses in mathematics, English, a foreign language and social science.
Find schools that offer these popular programs
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- Teaching, Adults
- Teaching, Elementary
- Teaching, High School
- Teaching, Junior High
- Teaching, Kindergarten and Preschool
- Teaching, Waldorf and Steiner Education
- Teaching, Young Children
Associate's Degree in Elementary Education
Liberal arts courses in history, the natural sciences, social science and humanities are often among the requirements in an associate's degree program. Students also take classes in education trends and theories of child development. Additional courses can include the following:
- Theories of learning
- Instructional techniques and concepts
- Education fundamentals
- Elementary education introduction
- Math education fundamentals
- Education technology
Employment Outlook and Salary Info
People who earn an associate's degree in elementary education are qualified to become teacher assistants. The vast majority work in public and private elementary schools. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of teacher assistants was projected to increase 6% from 2014-2024 (www.bls.gov). As of May 2015, teacher assistants earned a mean salary of $26,550 per year.
Continuing Education Information
Associate's degree holders who want to become elementary teachers need to earn a bachelor's degree in education, complete a set number of hours in class as a student teacher, and pass a state licensing exam. Bachelor's degree transfer programs are very common in this subject area.
Associate's degree programs related to elementary education include liberal arts and core courses in subjects like instructional methods and education technology. Practicums are also part of the curricula, which are designed to prepare graduates for teacher assistant careers or related bachelor's degree programs.


Скачать Science Literacy in Primary Schools and Pre-Schools (Classics in Science Education) бесплатно
Science Literacy in Primary Schools and Pre-Schools (Classics in Science Education): Haim Eshach
Springer | ISBN: 1402046413 | October 5, 2006 | PDF (OCR) | 174 pages | 953 KB
When it comes to science, many of today's children experience narrow and impoverished learning opportunities, which, as professor Judah Schwartz writes in the preface to this book, lead ulitmately to a mere caricature of science. One source of the problem is the wrong—terribly wrong—belief that science is an inappropriate subject for early elementary education and certainly for kindergarten education. As a curative to this prevalent and unfortunate situation, this well-written and thought-provoking book presents the state-of-the-art in science education for kindergarten and primary schools. It begins with a thorough theoretical discussion on why it is incumbent on the science educator to teach science already at first stages of childhood. It goes on to analyze and synthesize a broad range of educational approaches and themes such as: inquiry-based teaching; learning through authentic problems; scaffolding; situated learning; learning through projects; non-verbal knowledge; and informal learning. The book also presents fresh novel strategies to science teaching such as learning science trough designing, building, evaluating and redesigning simple artifacts; and Inquiry Events. Numerous examples illustrating how the theories presented may be brought into practice are provided.


100 Ideas that Changed Film - Lights, Camera... Research! This inspiring book chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped film since its inception. Innovative concepts, technologies, techniques and movements, from the silent era's masterpieces to today's blockbusters and art house movies, these highly illustrated pages are a chance to rediscover films from five continents. This title stars in our Academic and Public Core Collections.
Footwear Design - Make sure your fashion collection is on fleek with this title. Aki Choklat explores the footwear design process, explaining the differences between the anatomy of the foot and the anatomy of a shoe, showing how one constrains the other, before moving onto the research and design development processes and the art of creating a complete collection. Shop for it in our Academic and Public Core Collections.
Stem Everyday: Stem Guides To Weather - The world of weather and storms is explored through the use of related math equations and foundational skills. Look for this title in our School Core Collection.


Music education as a child can produce cognitive benefits years after the lessons end, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
We may have let our subscription to that particular publication lapse, but a summary on the journal’s website explains that students who receive music lessons go on to have “more robust brainstem responses to sound” than those who receive no formal instrumental training, and the magnitude correlates to the amount of time that has passed since those lessons.
The story was picked up by the Los Angeles Times, which has more details on its website.
Despite a steep drop in state revenue, IUSD has managed to sustain valuable music education opportunities for students, but not without the help of some valuable community partners.
The Irvine Public Schools Foundation has long played an active role in supporting music programs, and in 2006 the Irvine Company committed more than $20 million over 10 years to enhance music, art and science instruction in grades four, five and six. The latest installment of that pledge, in the form of a check for 2.15 million, was delivered in December.


New primary school tests show schools rising to the challenge
Key stage 2 results for 2016 published.
National results published today (5 July 2016) for the new primary school testing system in maths and English show that the majority of children have achieved the new higher standard expected of them.
This year’s results are the first to be released following the introduction of a far more rigorous curriculum in 2014 that raises the bar in terms of expectations of young people’s mastery of literacy and numeracy, bringing our primary school curriculum in line with the best in the world.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said the results showed there was no limit to our children’s potential and that schools had once again risen to the challenge of ensuring children meet new higher standards and in doing so have equipped pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for success at secondary school and beyond.
Today’s results are not comparable to test results from previous years which were under an entirely different system of assessment.
Today’s results show:
- 53% of pupils met the new expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics
- 66% of pupils met the new expected standard in reading
- 70% of pupils met the new expected standard in mathematics
- 72% of pupils met the new expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling
- 74% of pupils met the new expected standard in writing
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:
Nothing is more important than ensuring that young people master the basics of reading, writing and mathematics early on. The simple truth is that if they don’t, they’ll be left playing catch-up for the rest of their lives. That’s why as part of this government’s commitment to delivering real social justice, we have raised the bar on what counts as a good enough standard in the 3Rs for our children by the end of primary school.
We know we are asking more, but we’re doing that because we are committed to giving young people the best start in life - and today’s results show there is no limit to pupils’ potential. This is the first year we have assessed pupils under the new more rigorous system and it is no surprise that this year’s results look different to previous years, but despite that the majority of pupils have achieved above and beyond the new expected standard.
I want to thank all those involved in the tests this year - including teachers and parents - for supporting pupils through the transition to a more rigorous system. It is important that all involved see these results for what they are - a reflection of how well children this year have performed against a new curriculum. I believe this is a good start that vindicates our decision to raise standards and will help ensure those who need extra help get the support they need to lay the foundations for a bright future.
Today’s results form only one part of how primary school performance is measured - later in the year results for pupil progress will be published. This, taken in conjunction with today’s attainment figures, will be used to determine which schools require extra support and possibly intervention. Earlier this year Education Secretary Nicky Morgan made clear that no more than 1 percentage point more primary schools will fall below our minimum standards for school performance in 2016 in order to give schools time to adjust to the new system. Ministers have also advised regional schools commissioners and Ofsted to take into account that this is the first year under a new assessment system when considering school performance.
Key stage 2 results no longer use the previous system of levels - instead, test results are converted into ‘scaled scores’ - with a score of 100 being the expected standard. Any score below this means the pupil is working ‘towards the expected standard’, and any score above means the pupil is working ‘above the expected standard’. Previously the expected standard was a level 4.
This year the average pupil is performing above the ‘expected standard’:
- the average scaled score in reading is 103
- the average scaled score in mathematics is 103
- the average scaled score in grammar, punctuation and spelling is 104
Notes to editors
The national results published in today’s statistical first release relate to pupil performance rather than school-level performance. A school’s performance is judged on both attainment and progress. Schools will know their progress scores in early September, and we will publish school level performance data in December.
Central newsdesk 020 7783 8300
General enquiries 0370 000 2288


We believe that experience with the visual arts is an essential and fundamental part of personal growth and intellectual development. Every student, kindergarten through grade 5, receives instruction in the visual arts. Art Education is grounded in age-appropriate developmental practices. Elementary lessons focus on process, discovery and exploration in order to gain experience with skills and concepts relating to art. Through art, most aspects of human potential can be identified, encouraged and nurtured.
Discipline Based Art Education
Lessons are based on a sequential curriculum of developmentally appropriate experiences. We are committed to stydying art disciplines, reflecting a comprehensive program as recommended by the American National Standards for Education in the Arts.
- Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts
To promote the students’ understanding and appreciation of artistic and cultural heritage and the role of art in contemporary society.
- Creating Art and Art Production Process
To provide expressive and creative opportunities for experiences with art tools and materials in sequential process acknowledging the schematic development of the student.
- Art Analysis and Criticism
Through talking about art, the learner will gain the ability to observe, describe, analyze, interpret, and make critical judgments about the form and content of art.
- Aesthetics: A Philosophical Basis for Art
An understanding of the nature, meaning and value of Art is an important component of art education. The discussion of these philosophical questions sets art apart from other areas of the curriculum.
Students use a variety of art materials and techniques. Studio activities are designed to develop creative expression as well as visual language and vocabulary. Problem solving skills are enhanced as students learn to make aesthetic decisions, judgments and develop informed opinions about art. Each year students at all levels will gain experience using the following media and skill sets: ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and textiles. Please check the link below to see what each grade level will be covering.