Contained within the Sandwell Early Numeracy Test – R are the following items:
- Form A and B Easels
- Form A and B Pupil Response Booklets (10 of each)
- Form A and B Scoring Booklets (10 of each)
- Resource Cards
- Cubes and Plastic Coins.
Sandwell Inclusion Support Service
SENT–R is a one-to-one assessment that enables teachers to assess children’s ability with numbers. The test covers attainments from National Curriculum Level P6 to Level 2A and can be used with children aged between four and eight. It is also appropriate for use with older children whose performance in numeracy is well below average for their age group. The test explores five strands of basic number skills:
Recommended by the DES and the Every Child Counts programme, the revised version of the Sandwell Early Numeracy Test is proving hugely popular as schools try to lift their maths teaching in the light of tougher new Ofsted assessment-for-learning and teaching quality requirements.
Every Child Counts describes the Sandwell Early Numeracy Test as an ‘Essential Teacher Resource’ to be used as a standardised baseline test to establish children’s levels of numeracy at the start and end of their programme, and to monitor children’s progress throughout. The assessment is now used in schools in most local authorities.
SENT-R enables practitioners to assess children’s ability with numbers. Designed for use with children from ages 4 years – 7 years 11 months, it explores five strands of basic numeracy skills: identification, oral counting, value, object counting and language, and provides a baseline of a pupil’s number skills. It is particularly useful in helping to identify targets for pupils who are having difficulties with numeracy up to Key Stage Two.
The two parallel tests allow for the monitoring of progress every three months and there is an online marking tool for easy analysis. SENT-R is easy to administer and enjoyable for the children. Images in the test book are engaging and relate to tasks in every day activities. Any member of the school staff who has some basic training can use the tests.
Online Marketing Tool
SENT-R is accompanied by an Online Marketing Tool. Practitioners enter the score obtained by the pupil for each of the five strands of the test and the tool then generates the following five reports:
- Student Listing – this report lists the results for each students (including Raw Score, Standard Age Score (SAS), Stanine, National Percentile Rank, Group Rank and estimated National Curriculum Maths level).
- Group Demographic Comparison – this table shows Raw Score and SAS means and standard deviations for each group of students.
- Comparison of Group and National Stanine Distributions – the bar chart shows the percentage of students that fall within certain ranges of scores.
- Analysis by Strands – the bar chart shows which percentage of pupils fall within different National Curriculum Maths levels for each strand.
- Analysis by Age Equivalent Band – this table shows the percentage of students by age equivalent bands.


Music learning is much like language learning. Children learn through PLAY and caregiver modeling. Here is a great article from PBS Parents about expanding your child's vocabulary.
I came across this article and had to do a double take when I read the title, "Music Trumps Reading." We know how important reading is, even from a very young age, and we read to our kids all the time. This study suggests that making and playing music with your children is just as important, if not more so, for their development.
The study examines the link between informal music making at home at an early age and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes later on. The University of Queensland, Australia, team found that informal music making can lead to better literacy, numeracy, social skills, and attention and emotion regulation by the age of five.
I like to say that we make music for music's sake. We enjoy it. It strengthens bonds. It brings joy. It's FUN! Your kids' faces light up when we sing, play, and dance together. In a world full of screens, music making/playing is a wonderful way to get some meaningful face to face time.
I see studies like this as a really awesome side effect of what we're doing at home and in the Music Time! classroom. I hope you are enjoying the Music Together® program with your children!
Making Music in the
Classroom and at Home
Fiddle Session 2015
What a great start we've had to our Fall session! I have loved getting to know everyone and working with the kids. They are beautiful music-makers and a joy to play with. I think everyone is having fun, too!
Check out the video above - this is Derek chanting "Here is the Beehive" from the Fiddle collection. Notice his rhythm and the shape of his phrases? Hopefully, after a few weeks of Music Time! you will be able to catch a clip of your little one singing at home like this!
It goes to show how important parent participation and encouragement is in music education. If you are listening to CDs at home and actively participating in class, your children are likely to do the same (and we'll have a ton of fun!). However, don't be discouraged if your child isn't participating the way you think they "should" in the classroom. Some children will observe for a little while - or long while - before they feel comfortable interacting. No matter how your child participates, know that they are little sponges absorbing all the time. You may be surprised to hear them break out singing "Ram Sam Sam" during bath time or "Sweet Potato" in the backseat.
Have a great weekend - and keep on singing!
Did you know that Music Together® is an internationally recognized, research-based program? Hear our friends in Barcelona singing the Music Together song, "Obwisana."


Causes & Cures in the Classroom:
Getting to the Root of academic and Behavior Problems
by Margaret Searle (being read by Bobbi)
What I love about this book is the quick flow charts to get at identifying the root cause of a problem. One flow chart dissects possible root causes of reading comprehension difficulties. I have used the flow charts to begin collaborative discussions during a team coaching session.
Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better
by Doug Lemov (being read by Bobbi)
This book was given to me by a recent acquaintance I made at a CCSS meeting - an amazing literacy coordinator from Appleton, WI.
The Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
by Maryanne Wolf (being read by Jaimie)
This book offers some wonderful insight into the reading brain and has given me many things to ponder, wonder, and think about. A great professional book that is written almost in the form of a novel.
by Adrienne Gear (being read by Jaimie)
This book promotes the use of effective strategies for teaching reading comprehension, specifically focusing on what students do while they are reading.
by Leah Mermelstein (being read by Julie)
This book gives teachers strategies on how to have a successful writing workshop by creating writers who are self-directed. Her explicit strategies include:
- creating an appropriate physical environment
- scaffolding instruction with shared and interactive writing
- planning units, focus lessons, conferences, and shares that are aimed at helping students become self-directed
Close Reading and Writing From Sources
by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey (being read by Andrea)
Interventions that Work
by Linda Dorn and Carla Soffos (being read by Heather)
Dorn and Soffos offer literacy-based interventions that fit into a RtI model.
"Developing Phonemic Awareness in Young Children"
by Hallie Kay Yopp (being read by Heather)
An article that provides a variety of activities for young readers.
"Fluency: Bridge Between Decoding and Reading Comprehension"
by John J. Pikulski and David J. Chard (being read by Heather)
An article that highlights components for an effective program that includes fluency.
"Saving the 'P' Word: Nine Guidelines for Exemplary Phonics Instruction"
by Steven A. Stahl (being read by Heather)
An article that provides an overview of phonics, why it is important, and effective strategies.
Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners - the SIOP Model
by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short (being read by Heather)
A book that provides information on effective lesson plan models for English Language Learners.
Educational Leadership (EL)
from Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (being read by Carrie)
I continue to love by professional subscription to Educational Leadership. The articles provide a quick read for the months when getting through a full book seems impossible, and the topics are current and timely. For example, the March issue on assessment provides great opportunities for staff development and learning, with a text that was accessible and relevant.


Music is a unique form of communication that can change the way students feel, think and act. It is one of the best tools for child’s development. Scientific research has proven that music education is a powerful tool for attaining children’s full intellectual, social, and creative potential. It speeds the development of speech and reading […]Read more "The Multiple Benefits of Music Education"
Cellist and language therapist Dr Elizabeth Morrow describes developmental dysmusia – an inability to read a musical score – and offers guidance for teachers in overcoming the difficulty. About five years ago my professional life took a hard right turn, which has opened up a surprising area of inquiry. As a newly Certified Academic Language […]Read more "Teaching April 10, 2017 Dysmusia – how dyslexic research and therapy can overcome difficulties in reading music notation"


Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to for families to give thanks for all the blessings they have received over the past year. It's also a great time to teach your children to do the same.
Children taking piano lessons, because they are supported by so many people, have a wonderful opportunity to learn this tradition. You can help them realize how many people are in their musical community of support who play an important role in helping them reach their goals.
One of the most difficult concepts young adults learn is how much others give to their success, and not to take such efforts on their behalf for granted. For most piano students these efforts would include the work of:
1. Piano Teachers
2. Their Parents and Family
3. Friends who recognize their need to practice
4. Music teachers at school.
5. Choruses they may also be involved in at school or church.
6. Family members who give them music gifts such as CD's or music books.
7. The Piano Technician who tunes your piano and keeps it good playing condition.
8. Other piano students who share their enthusiasm for music with them.
9. The local music store that provides a great selection of music for teachers to choose for their students.
10. The Piano Sales Gallery that also provides a wonderful piano and Recital Hall where students perform for their family and friends and for auditions.
There is a lot for piano students to be thankful for. Helping kids learn to be appreciative early pays off in the long run. So take a few minutes at the dinner table this holiday season to help your piano student give thanks for all their musical blessings.
To learn the best way to share the gift of music with children visit Amazon.com for my Piano Bears Musical Stories for Children The exciting Piano Bears Musical Stories for children ages 5 to 11 feature the loveable characters, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Children love following along with Albeart to Mrs. Treble Beary's piano studio in Musical Acres Forest. Here they learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand and appreciate! Piano students laugh and giggle while reading "Little Bear's Musical Garden" and "Little Bear's Piano Goals." For a wealth of f'ree information and piano music online visit Piano Bears Music Education Resources Don't Wait to Share the Gift of Music!


Social Studies Research and Practice
Volume 3, Number 2, Summer 2008
Historical Inquiry with Fifth Graders: An Action Research Study
Theresa M. McCormick
This article describes an action research investigation in which I examined the effects that a six-week, historical, inquiry-based unit on the American Revolution had on 119 fifth-graders’ interest in studying history. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from pre- and post-survey responses and observational field notes. Results suggest that the historical, inquiry-based unit positively influenced students’ motivation and interest to study history both in and outside the classroom. Based on the findings of this study, instructional strategies that piqued students’ own questions and interests appeared to be the key to facilitating their motivation to learn history.
About the Author(s)…
Theresa M. McCormick is an assistant professor of elementary social studies education at Auburn University. She serves as the coordinator for the elementary education program and teaches elementary courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her research interests include the teaching and learning of history with primary sources and teacher education. Contact information is Auburn University, Department of Curriculum and Teaching, 5024 Haley Center, Auburn University, AL 36849; phone: (334) 844-6795; email: MCCORTM@auburn.edu.


School singing 'can boost children's well-being'
Singing in school can make children feel more positive about themselves and build a sense of community, research based on 10,000 children suggests.
An evaluation by the Institute of Education of England's national singing programme, Sing Up, found a clear link between singing and well-being.
It also found that children who took part in the programme had a strong sense of being part of a community.
But it is not clear that the scheme will be fully funded in future.
The Sing Up scheme supports schools to increase singing in choirs, lessons and individually, and provides a range of resources to help.
The Institute of Education's independent three-year study, commissioned by the Sing Up programme, is based on data collected from 9,979 children at 177 primary schools in England.
It said: "A clear inference may be drawn that children with experience of Sing Up are more likely to be advanced in their singing development and to have a positive self-concept," the study said.
It also found that Sing Up children were up to two years ahead in their singing development than those of the same age who did not take part in the programme.
Composer Howard Goodall, the National Singing Ambassador, said: "These findings are gold dust for head teachers.
"We've always maintained that singing, alongside its brain-training benefits, can help children to grow in confidence and create stronger communities and now we're able to prove it with hard evidence."
The research comes just days after ministers said they were safeguarding the funding of music in schools at the present level for one year ahead of a major funding shake. But there are no guarantees on music funding after 2012.
And some councils could see music budgets cut by up to 10% next year.
The £10m a year Sing Up scheme was only funded until the end of 2011, but ministers said on Monday they would provide some funding to enable it to continue.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We know that schools and teachers value the resources provided by Sing Up, that is why the government will provide some funding for 2011-12 to enable a sustainable future for Sing Up to be developed."
However the Department for Education has not made clear how much it will provide.
The announcement on the future of the Sing Up programme was in response to the Henley Review of music which warned that music education in England's schools was still "patchy".
And it said there should be more opportunities for singing and playing musical instruments in schools, as well as efforts to bring professional musicians into the classroom.


Whether you're learning to sing or learning a musical instrument, music education is an important subject every child should learn, but with many schools doing away with their music education programs many children are missing out on the benefits of music education. For our family, being a homeschool family means it's my job to incorporate music education into our homeschool curriculum. Thankfully, Fender Play has an online learning program that teaches new guitar players to get playing in minutes with a series of instructional videos and hands-on exercises, to help kids like ours foster a new love for music as they learn to play guitar at home.
Fender Learn to Play Guitar at Home
Adding music education to our homeschool curriculum was a top priority for my husband and me. Not only did my husband play in a band throughout college and beyond, but I have fond memories of playing in our high school band growing up. While we both have experience fluently reading music and playing musical instruments, teaching new students music education felt a bit overwhelming.
That's why I was so excited to try the Fender Learn to Play Guitar at Home program. The Fender Play curriculum is designed so that after a few short lessons, a player will be able to learn something new, whether it’s a skill, a recognizable riff, or a full song. Plus, since Fender Play is fun and song-based, our kids have loved learning to play the songs they love once they've been broken down into to the basics first.
Another important reason to incorporate music education into your child's study is that kids who learn musical instruments like guitar do well socially. Not only are they more confident, they develop better coordination, math skills, concentration, and more. Here are a few benefits children enjoy when they learn to play guitar at home:
- Musical training helps develop language skills, reasoning, mastery of memorization, and can teach a valuable lesson in discipline.
- Learning music gives children a sense of achievements which encourages kids to improve their work in school.
- Many students who have musical training score higher on the SAT.
- Introducing music in the childhood years can build imagination and curiosity towards the arts even beyond music.
But best of all, and more importantly, Fender Play has created an unforeseen musical bond between our children and their dad. A bond I know he cherishes more than words will ever say. I love listening to my three boys, big and small, learn and play new riffs and songs together every day.
Now you too can bring the love of music to your children when you start your FREE 30-Day Trial at play.fender.com. You won't regret bringing music education into your child's life.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


1857 Leonora Rothschild was married to Baron Alphonse de Rothschild at Gunnersbury by the Chief Rabbi.
1858 A special Parliamentary resolution allowed Lionel de Rothschild to take his seat for the City of London. He had been elected five times before but as a Jew could not take a Christian oath. He remained an MP until his death in 1879.
1859 Darwin published The Origin of Species.
1859 The Great Western Railway leased a branch line to Brentford Dock. It crossed the canal where Augustus Close does now and again near Danehurst. Brentford Town Station was north of
the bridge over London Road near Commerce Road. Passengers were carried from this station as well as freight.
Access to the station up on the embankment was looked on as being hazardous for ladies in windy weather.
1861 Prince Albert died from Typhoid Fever.
1863 St George’s parish, Old Brentford became independent of Ealing Parish.
1865 The end of the American Civil War and the death of Abraham Lincoln.
1866 The Parliamentary Oaths Act cleared the way for Jews to enter Parliament without taking a Christian Oath.
1866 The Roman Catholic Church transferred from the Market Place to its present building in Boston Park Road (St John’s).
1867 The foundation stone of St Paul’s Church was laid by Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck.
No other town in England was thought to have more poverty in relation to its size than Brentford.
The large number of inns in the town was thought to encourage the vice of drunkenness
The standpipe at the waterworks was damaged by frost and was rebuilt within the protective tower still standing at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum.
1869 The Suez Canal was opened.
1869 Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was loaned funds by the Rothschild banking family to finance the British shares.
1869 A new police station was built at 42, High Street to replace the one at the corner of Town Meadow.
1870 The Education Act made the provision of elementary education a requirement where suitable provision did not already exist. School boards were elected to build schools and administer government grants.
1871 The Trade Union Act defined allowable methods of collective bargaining.
1872 The Ballot Act meant that voting in elections became secret.
1873 The tolls were abolished on Kew Bridge.
The Brentford Advertiser reported the town as being associated with ‘everything stagnant and disgraceful’ and again labelled it the filthiest place in England.
1874 When Northumberland House at Charing Cross was demolished, the Sixth Duke of Northumberland had the statue of the lion that had been on the front of the house removed to Syon where it was added to the east front.
1875 The Public Health Act was passed which incorporated and extended urban sanitary authorities into local boards. They were concerned with such matters as the erection of new buildings, the laying new streets, the sanitary condition of the property, the provision of means of drainage and other general health functions.
1875 Old and New Brentford and Brentford End were amalgamated to implement the terms of the Public Health Act, administered by the Councillors of Brentford Local Board.


Grade Level: 3-5 Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Line, Shape, Pattern
Art Skills: Using a Ruler, Using a Compass
Art History: Op Art, Victor Vasarely
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
This lesson is a great way to talk about Line, Shape and Pattern with 4th Grade Students. Optical Illusions build excitement, because it is fun to see the way the different illusions can trick the eye. The motivation for this lesson is fairly simple, because the images alone make the students excited to start the lesson. The best part about this lesson is that none of the Op Art pieces look the same when they are finished. Each student can plan out his or her design as long as they follow the simple guidelines. Many examples of Optical Illusions are provided for the students to help them generate their ideas as they plan. Erasing all pencil lines at the end is a must! It helps make the product really look sharp!
This great Art Ed lesson plan is 100% FREE to download! Use it in your classroom and share with your colleagues. For more free lessons like this one, visit our Lessons Page and download them all!


- 74% students of class 6 cannot read a paragraph from Hindi textbook
- 46% students cannot read a simple story of class 2
- 8% students cannot identify letters in Hindi
- 67% children cannot do simple three digits by one digit division
These and many more shocking aspects were revealed when the education ministry of Delhi conducted a detailed survey of the government schools in Delhi. The survey was carried out under the programme named "Chunauti-2018". These are just a few of the many loopholes of the government schools in our country.
According to Zee News, the Education Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia mentioned a few more shortcomings of government schools through his tweets. As per the minister's tweets, 67% children could not do simple three digits by one digit division.
Whereas, 44% children were found to be unable to do two digits subtraction with borrowing and 5% could not recognise single digit numbers.
It is the same in case of English also. Sisodia said that 75% children could not read a story of class 2 in Basic English and 13% children could not identify English letters.
What is Chunauti 2018?
"Chunauti 2018" has been formed with the aim of training all class 9 students during the academic year 2016-2017, irrespective of their learning levels and they will be trained and mentored in order to help them to successfully appear for Class 10 examinations in the academic year 2018.
Soon after the launch of "Chunauti 2018" on June 27, all class 6-9 students of government schools were assessed for their learning levels. This intervention comes on time when determining the current learning level of children and keep track of their progress every now and then is quite essential.
The school teachers played a major role in this assessment by conducting it between July 14 and 16.
They went on to assess 2,01,997 students of class 6 from 1,011 government schools.
What are Nishtha and Pratibha groups?
Now, the students with low learning levels are being assigned to two groups namely, Nishtha and Pratibha.
Nishtha group will strive to build basic reading, writing and numeracy skills of the chosen children in the coming days. On the other hand, Pratibha will stay focused on the grade specified curriculum.
The purpose behind introducing Nishtha and Pratibha groups is to help the children of Nishtha group learn to read. Once they are capable enough to read, they will be moved to the grade specific curriculum in order to make them confident and ready to participate in learning activities.


This session demonstrates how to create a strong Fusion Chordal Vocabulary reminiscent of Allan Holdsworths's chordal work.
In this video sample of my Skype Guitar Lessons Sessions, I look at the chords from the first phrase of Holdsworth's "Looking Glass" and demonstrate how to generate new chordal vocabulary and generate ideas for writing original chordal compositions using the concepts within the tune itself.
I studied ten years with the great Jazz Teacher/Composer Dennis Sandole who taught John Coltrane, James Moody, Jim Hall, Pat Martino, and many others and I have played and recorded with musicians as Bassists Michael Manring and Percy Jones, Producers Neil Kernon and David Torn. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater played on two tunes of my 2001 disc "Addition By Subtraction" as well.
Please go to my Skype Instruction Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?... to contact me and sign up.
My Biography is here: http://www.scottmcgillguitar.com/
My Skype lessons are customized for each player and I have extensive experience as a teacher and music education administrator at colleges such as BIMM in the U.K. and The University of The Arts in Philadelphia USA.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Skype Guitar Instruction Scott McGill: Allan Holdsworth Fusion Guitar Chords "Looking Glass"


An Important Resource For Your Child
Early experiences are vital to your child’s growth and development. Experts have determined that personality, identity, and language are largely formed by the time a child is six years old.
Early Childhood Learning Center is an important resource for children during these formative years. We believe that guidance by our skilled, trained teachers will allow your child’s physical, social, emotional, and mental development to progress smoothly and rapidly. Our family grouped program encourages imagination and a natural love of learning.
Fine learning materials and our trained staff combine to enhance children’s skills, and help each child develop social and cognitive abilities through guided learning experiences. Your child discovers friendship and sharing, and most importantly, develops a positive self-concept. Developmental early childhood programs, trained staff, and an orientation to the individual child make ECLC uniquely qualified to help support you as you raise your child.
We will post any sites, book, programs, etc. that we think may be of benefit to our parents.
- Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber & Elain Mazlish
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish


One of the defining characteristics of a child with autism is difficulty acquiring language skills. Given this fact, the traditional educational focus is on developing social, behavioral and verbal language with comparably little resources dedicated to developing literacy independence. Due to the impact of autism on language acquisition these children will often not follow the typical patterns of acquiring literacy skills. Literacy development must be addressed in an individualized program, which is developed for the unique needs of the child. The main guide posts which comprise literacy are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each of these guide posts has subcategories of differing importance. However, at the core of literacy is phonemic awareness, the ability to effortlessly process and manipulate the sounds which make up language. Phonemic awareness is often times over looked in traditional literacy programs. Children facing the difficulties of autism have trouble acquiring and utilizing the cognitive skills necessary to process language and therefore transfer their language skills to reading and writing.
Literacy Starts with Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness has been identified as one of the most reliable early indicators of how well a student will learn to read. The human brain must be able to process language by distinguishing phonemes milliseconds apart. This can often be the difference between academic success or frustration and eventual failure. For a child with autism phonemic awareness can be demonstrated in everyday life as the ability to follow multi step directions, differentiation of common phonemes, receptive and/or expressive language skills, decoding skills and reading comprehension.
Phonemic awareness is not phonics. Phonics is the relationship between sounds and their symbols (letters), and the methods of instruction used to teach those relationships. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate speech sounds. It is also the understanding that speech is comprised of a sequence of sounds (phonemes) that are combined and can be recombined to form words. This ability must be present if a child is to successfully map the sounds to print in order to decode words.
Using Science and Technology to Improve Literacy
In what has become known as the concept of brain plasticity, scientists have shown that the application of specific, targeted learning paradigms can change the activity patterns of neurons, which are the fundamental processing elements of the brain. We know today that the brain is continuously modifiable. This realization has opened the door for novel approaches to facilitate learning for students of all aptitudes. Science and technology have made it possible to create individually adaptive and interactive computerized language-learning programs which incorporate the latest neurological research in brain plasticity.


By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
BARRY, Ill. -- Dylan Ross reads aloud in Lisha Fee's kindergarten class.
Clyde Dunker nibbles a few Lucky Charms as he sorts the marshmallows. Brianna Wombles and Tyrone Sessions work on sight words at the pocket charts.
While the students and their classmates work at centers, Fee jots down a note or two on her observations tied to the new Kindergarten Individual Development Survey program being piloted in the Western School District.
"It's the same things we were watching for in the past, but a lot more social skills," Fee said of KIDS. "By providing us with a tool and seeing things we should be doing at each level ... it helps us know if there's any gaps in the children's learning."
Even simple exchanges between students can provide indicators of how ready they are to learn and how much they have learned.
Fee and fellow kindergarten teacher Amy Strubinger are wrapping up the second of three KIDS assessments for this school year, recording data measuring skills in language and literacy, self-regulation and other areas to shape what they do in the classroom. If a student is at the explorer, or beginner, level of a skill, the teachers make sure to provide them opportunities to move up to the developing, building, integrating and applying levels.
"One of the most exciting things is, it really helps them to be able to drive their instruction and meet the needs of all of their students in kindergarten," Western Elementary Principal Michaela Fray said. "It's going to be a really valuable tool."
KIDS aims to measure kindergartners' skills and knowledge, informing educators about the learning and developmental needs of students in preschool through the early grades, and generating more effective classroom instruction.
Sixty-four districts are piloting the program expected to be implemented statewide in 2015-16. Western is the only area district involved in the pilot project, launched with an intense training session last summer in Chicago.
Overwhelmed at first, the Western teachers say they're getting more comfortable collecting the data and recording it on iPads provided by KIDS.
"It's new to us. We're learning, also," Fee said.
The program's not a test or a one-time snapshot of a student's readiness at one point in time. The process involves observing kindergarten students over time, within the context of typical activities such as English language development, self and social development, self-regulation, language and literacy development and mathematical development.
"It has the students kind of identify themselves in relationship with others," Strubinger said. "Toward the beginning of kindergarten, you might notice them saying I've got blue eyes. Later on the in the year, they might be saying Jimmy has blue eyes like I have blue eyes and make comparisons with themselves to others. They're becoming more aware of their environment."
The KIDS assessments help identify gaps in school readiness.
"We've been sharing with our pre-K teachers, and we're looking forward to sharing the observations with the first-grade teachers so it can be a seamless transition into first grade," Fray said. "The first-grade teachers will be able to immediately utilize the data the kindergarten teachers have."
The students take their teachers' extra note-taking in stride.
"Sometimes the students ask, and I say, ‘I'm writing down good things you're doing so I can remember and tell your parents,' " Strubinger said. "We're taking pictures occasionally. We can document with pictures or video."
Collecting data is key to shaping instruction, Fray said, and she expects students to be increasingly involved.
"It's still brand-new to us, but I think we can start sharing the framework with the kids," she said. "Kindergartners are very well-aware of looking at data, setting goals. We're making it kid-friendly."


We can help you now!
Make Learning to Cut Easier
Help children learn to cut while developing coordination and fine motor skills with this resource created by occupational therapists and classroom teachers. The book includes developmental milestones that can be used for planning, assessment, and creating individual educational plans (IEPs). The PreK book focuses on learning to hold scissors and paper and how to cut along a line.
- Promotes fine motor skill development and coordination
- For all kids in PreK and kindergarten
- Ages 4-6
8.5"H x 11"L x 0.25"W
PreK book has 96 pages
Scissors not included
very expensive.The product is not so good.Articles like that are available free of cost on google.you cannot tear the pages .I have to scan and print the pages.I thought that it would have scissors. Fun and Function response: We are sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with this item. It is because the pages of this product cannot be torn, it is a lot tougher than a regular paper book making it better value for you.Read More
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The building blocks of the English Language Arts—phonics, reading, writing, speaking, listening and grammar—are the means through which people learn to communicate with one another and, indeed, the world at large. These facets of communication allow us to receive information, to respond to it by applying both logical and creative thought, and to express our ideas in many varied formats, including verbal, nonverbal, and written forms. Literacy, as defined by the State of New Jersey Department of Education, is “. . . a way to acquire knowledge for thinking and communicating; it is more than the acquisition of a specific, predetermined set of skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. Literacy is also recognizing and understanding one’s own purposes for thinking and communicating (through print or non-print, verbal or nonverbal means) and being able to use one’s own resources to achieve those purposes.”
Within our curriculum documents, the areas of reading, writing, foundational skills, speaking, listening, and grammar are addressed at each grade level, meeting the standards set forth by the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Because the English Language Arts are so highly integrated and interdependent, a balanced approach to instruction is therefore required. Characteristically, the development of literacy skills requires a spiraled curriculum where concepts are introduced, developed, and reinforced. Once introduced, most skills are repeatedly revisited within that grade level. They are reinforced in successive grade levels with increasing rigor and in greater depth.
Common Core Roadmaps
Health and Physical Education
Visual and Performing Arts


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Producing-based Music Pedagogy: a Solution to the Problem of Authenticity inMusic Education?
Transcript of Producing-based Music Pedagogy: a Solution to the Problem of Authenticity inMusic Education?
a Solution to the Problem of Authenticity
in Music Education?
One of the core practices of today’s popular music across the genre lines
(Rose 1994; Gracyk 1996; Butler 2006)
In the context of music education:
includes the whole span of artistic-cultural processes of creation
The use of technical and psychological tools (Vygotsky 1978)
Producing-based music pedagogy
E.g. acoustic, hardware and software instruments
E. g. instrumental skills, skills in music technology and musical formulas
Producing-based pedagogy is not genre related
The problem of authenticity in education
The dialectical relation between
Identity (Taylor 1991; Karlsen 2010) and
“Real-world” (Green 2008; Martin 2012)
Solution 1: The use of authentic technical and psychological tools in the classroom.
Solutions that producing-based pedagogy can offer
to the problems of authenticity
Solution 2: Authenticity of the learning community
Solution 3: The teacher as a producer (of learning)
Solution 4: Education as extension of the realm of authenticity
Inauthentic sounds of the classroom
Aspects of the problem of authenticity
in the context of music education
Broken pedagogies of “glocal” music cultures
The reality of the classroom
The role of the teacher
The role of mediation
standardization of musical tastes
Aleksi Ojala & Lauri Väkevä
Butler, Mark J. 2006. Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music. Indiana University Press.
Folkestad, G. (2006). Formal and informal learning situations or practices vs. formal and informal ways of learning. British Journal of Music Education, 23, (2), 135–145.
Freire, P. (1970/2000). Pedagogy Of The Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Elliot, D., J. (1995). Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. Oxford University Press.
Gracyk, T. (1996) Rhythm and Noise: an Aesthetic of Rock. Duke University Press.
Green, L. (2008). Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Jorgensen, E. (1997). In Search of Music Education. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.Karlsen, S. (2010).
Kant, Immanuel. (2003). On Education. Dover.
Karsen, S. (2010). BoomTown Music Education and the need for authenticity – informal learning put into practice in Swedish post-compulsory music education. British Journal of Music Education 27 (1), 35–46.
Lilliestam, L. (1996). On playing by ear. Popular Music, 15, (2), 195–216.
Martin, J. (2012). Toward authentic electronic music in the curriculum: Connecting teaching to current compositional practices. International Journal of Music Education.
Rose, Tricia. 1994. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Wesleyan University Press.
Taylor, C. (1991) The Ethics of Authenticity. London: Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, Lev. 1978. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Väkevä, L. (2009). The World Well Lost, Found: Reality and Authenticity in Green’s ‘New Classroom Pedagogy’. Action, Criticism & Theory for Music Education, 8, (2). Retrieved June 10, 2009, from http://act.maydaygroup.org/ articles/Vakeva8_2.pdf


How does someone make taking out the trash fun for kids? By making it a trash relay, of course.
And teaching some important environmental lessons along the way. Early Release Enrichment programs like this are designed to give elementary school students in the Bellingham School District an alternative to traditional childcare, and happens seven times a quarter.
This session Thursday, Oct. 15, was called “Go Green,” but some of the other themes for this quarter are, “Yucky Science,” “Out in Space,” and “Things that Fly.”
These students get to come onto Western’s campus and experience its resources, like the environmental science building, the outback farm, as well as experience chemistry and science, program coordinator Juliet Holzknecht said.
The goals for the program is to give children the chance to have more of a hands on experience with science, and to grow art programs. Western uses this program as an early recruitment tool as well, Holzknecht said.
“The program helps students see themselves on a college campus, it is one more step to help them think about applying to college and exploring that option,” Holzknecht said.
The “Go Green” session consisted of the students learning about the three R’s, reduce, reuse, recycle. The students did many different activities to learn about recycling and sustainability, like sorting pieces of trash between three different categories: garbage, compost and recycle. One of the outside activities the students did was have a garbage sweep relay race.
Aside from providing opportunities to children, the Early Release Enrichment Program also helps pre-teaching students from Woodring get a chance to experience hands on training in a classroom setting, Holzknecht said.
Elijah Davis who is majoring in elementary education with a focus on general science, is one of the Early Release Enrichment teachers.
“This program benefits Western because it gives you experience that is more hands on. It is more self-driven, and you can test different lesson ideas,” Davis said.
Olivia Shawen is the program support assistant, and said she finds the program beneficial because it helps makes science fun.
“We show the students that science is fun and exciting, and try to inspire them,” Shawen said.
It is good to introduce the kids to a university early and they build up expectations, it is important for them to know they can go to college regardless of their background, Shawen said.


Category: Dictionaries & Languages|
The author of the book: Isabel L. Beck
Format files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX
The size of the: 724 KB
Edition: Guilford Publications
Date of issue: 12 January 2006
Description of the book "Making Sense of Phonics: the Hows and Whys":From bestselling author Isabel L. Beck - an experienced educator who knows what works - this concise volume provides a wealth of practical ideas for building children's decoding skills by teaching letter-sound relationships, blending, word building, and multisyllable words. Straightforward and accessible, the strategies presented for explicit, systematic phonics instruction are ideal for use in primary-grade classrooms or with older students who are having difficulties. Many specific examples bring the instructional procedures to life while elucidating their underlying rationale; appendices include reproducible curriculum materials.
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Download EBOOK Making Sense of Phonics: the Hows and Whys for free


A monotype is a unique, one of a kind print; it is a printed painting. Researching the history of the monotype process I learned that many of Edgar Degas' pastels started as monotypes. Willam Blake used egg tempera with the monotype process. The above image was painted on a plate, printed with a press, and adjusted with Prismacolor pencils. I am excited about reinvestigating this process after teaching it to a high school art class. The Monotype Guild of New England, is holding a national exhibition this year.
May 21, 2010
A monoprint uses a matrix, block or stencil which can be repeated with variations. A series of prints can efficiently be produced. These monoprints were made with 2 squirrel shapes cut out of acetate. They were inked and printed on an etching press. The cut outs can be moved around and printed again, producing a "ghost" image. Additions were made with Prismacolor pencils.
May 20, 2010
May 19, 2010
I found this great little book about a kangaroo, "Marsupial Sue" who ate the wrong kind of food: fish. Marsupials are vegetarian.
The high school class 9-12 really liked this technique. Pine boards were cut with a V groove using an X-acto. The paper is taped to the board. Each color wash is printed one at a time.
May 17, 2010
We talked about surrealism, expressionism and Alberto Giacometti. His life size bronze sculpture (below) "Walking Man", sold for $104.3 million at a 2010 Sotheby's auction in London. Surreal! The students first planned their sculpture by drawing sketches expressing an emotion or attitude.
May 16, 2010
Dry point is a delicate printmaking process which produces only a few consistent prints. A line is gouged directly onto a surface. The bur wears down very quickly with each successive print. The Chine colle' technique adds a piece of color tissue paper on top of the inked plate before running it through the press.
We did it! Anna Arnold, Cory Sampliner, Me. (The fourth grad is from Music Education.) Anna and I were the two "non-traditional students", in the graduate program at CWRU. "Non-traditional" means older, among other things. Cory Sampliner recieved a certificate for the highest Praxis scores! We really supported each other throughout the program.
May 14, 2010
My lesson plan for the T-Shirt project included repetition and compositional movement across the shirt with tints and shades of one color. This was a multicultural unit so, elements of the Japanese aesthetic were stressed: nature, asymmetrical composition. Some students used manga and anime images.
There is a huge multiculturalism element to the Master of Arts in Art Education degree at CWRU. This printmaking project focused on the Japanese aesthetic. The high school students designed and produced T-shirts using contact paper and silk screen ink.
This is the third Chinese Astrological Animal I've painted for the Saint Clair Superior Development Corporation. The fiberglass sculpture will be auctioned off and the funds will be used to provide art classes for Cleveland inner city school children. The art classes focus on Chinese culture.
Tammy Tran, a sophmore biology major created a fantastic wire sculpture of an ancient Greek vessel for CWRU's Virgil Week. There was an all day reading of the Aeneid, with visiting schools. I helped organize an art competition and exhibition. Most of my 2D students created scratch board drawings based on Greco Roman themes. Tammy, who was in the 3D design class won a prize!
May 13, 2010
This is a sophisticated and challenging project for 2nd. graders. They loved it. I presented a Power point on the Pennsylvania Dutch, William Penn, religious freedom, and hexagonal rotational symmetry. The children each designed a personal symbol of welcome and colored it with watercolor & crayon resist.
The children designed their signs by using one initial from their name, one organic shape, and one geometric shape. They were instucted to choose colors based on cool and warm hues.
Posted by Martin Boyle at 8:58 PM


English Language Arts Elementary Certificate
The English Language Arts Elementary Certificate Program consists of six 2-credit graduate courses that include content in reading literature, reading informational text, reading foundational skills, writing, speaking and listening, language, and digital literacy.
The primary objectives of the English Language Arts Elementary Certificate Program are to
- Develop and increase teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the Common Core English language arts standards for elementary grades;
- Develop and increase teachers’ knowledge of and expertise with instructional strategies, including technology, to implement the Common Core English language arts standards effectively; and
- Design and evaluate assessments that inform their instruction of the Common Core English language arts standards.
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
- One of the following:
- An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.85 on a 4.00 scale, or
- An average of at least 3.00 in the last half of all undergraduate work, or
- An average of at least 3.00 for no fewer than 12 semester credits of graduate study at another accredited graduate institution.
(Six 2-credit courses aligned with the content from the Common Core State Standards)
|EDU 715||Common Core Assessment in English Language Arts Elementary||2|
|EDU 716||Effective Communication Through Language||2|
|EDU 717||Foundation of Literacy for Professional Educators||2|
|EDU 718||Writing and Language Exploration||2|
|EDU 719||Research Based Best Practice in Reading||2|
|EDU 720||Digital Literacy and the Common Core||2|


Early Reading Benefits
Teaching children to read is often seen as the sole responsibility of our nation’s schools. For the most part, children’s success or failure in reading is seen as a function of the quality of their elementary education. Most kindergarten teachers would strongly disagree with these assumptions. Their experience reveals marked differences among children in their ability to learn, their familiarity with books and language, and their confidence level. In short, long before a child has experienced formalized education, there are already children far ahead of the curve and even more lagging far behind. In a 1991 (Boyer) study, kindergarten teachers reported that 35% of the children arrive at school unprepared to learn. Playing “catch up” is a very difficult proposition both for the child and the teacher.
A growing body of research now supports the experience of teachers. It suggests that from birth on the learning environment has a tremendous impact on the short and long-term reading capability of the child. According to Karoly et al (1998), children develop much of their capacity to learn in the first three years of life, when their brains grow to 90% of their eventual adult weight. Start Early, Finish Strong, a Department of Education publication; emphasizes the importance of a child’s interaction with his/her environment rather than intelligence as a key factor in determining the ease with which a child will learn to read. The publication cites a National Research Council report that states, “Just as a child develops language skills long before being able to speak, the child also develops literacy skills long before being able to read.”
Just what are these literacy skills? Letter names and shapes, associating sounds with letters, familiarity with books, associating reading with love and fun are all key areas of development. Dr. Perri Klass, Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, states, “With confidence, I tell parents to read to their children, secure in the knowledge that it will help their language development, help them be ready to read when the time comes, and help parents and children spend loving moments together.”
The key is to start at birth. Immersing a child in a rich literacy environment can be a stronger predictor of literacy and academic achievement than family income. The more words a child hears, the larger the child’s vocabulary, and the larger the child’s vocabulary, the more likely the child will be a proficient reader.
However, in order to read with a child, books must be in the home. In a 1991 study by Needlman, parents given books by their doctor were four times more likely to read and share books with their children. This rate increased to eight times more likely with lower income parents.
It is also instructive to examine the consequences of failing to build an adequate foundation for reading. The most stunning revelation is just how difficult it is to become a proficient reader if a child is trapped by initial difficulty. In a 1988 study, Juel found “…that 88% of children who have difficulty reading at the end of first grade display similar difficulties at the end of fourth grade.” Researchers at Yale discovered a similar trend. In their 1997 study, “…75% of students who are poor readers in the third grade will remain poor readers in high school.”
The Ferst Foundation cannot address all the issues of early literacy; however, we can eliminate one of the reasons why parents do not read to their child – the availability of quality books in the home. Books delivered not just once, but 60 times in the child’s critical years of development. Each delivery is wrapped in love and excitement and each is another step toward helping children to arrive at kindergarten ready to learn.


I like using summary frames (fill-in-the-blanks) to help students work on the content of their writing, while providing a structure for their ideas. When paired with explicit instruction about the parts of a summary, it helps students internalize the structure. In releasing my responsibility, and helping students become more independent in this process, I find that a… Read more »
Learn About: Differentiation
When it rains, it pours! Here are my latest articles about Learning Differences & Reading on Noodle.com. They cover a range of topics, so there should be something for everyone… 7 Best Ways to Help your Kids Learn to Read: an article about reading comprehension strategies Transitioning from High School to College: What Students with… Read more »
A lecture from the Churchill School and Center. For those of you not familiar with the institution, it is a school for students with learning differences in New York City. They spend a great deal of time on professional development for their staff, and this is a lecture about differentiation that I found online from Dr. Jane… Read more »
A wonderful resource of easy-to-implement differentiation ideas. I also love the sentiment: All Children Can Learn! Which are your favorites?


Nahuatl: “Smoking Mirror”) god of the Great Bear constellation and of the night sky, one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon. Tezcatlipoca’s cult was brought to central Mexico by the Toltecs, Nahua-speaking warriors from the north, about the end of the 10th century ad.
Numerous myths relate how Tezcatlipoca expelled the priest-king Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, from the latter’s centre at Tula. A protean wizard, Tezcatlipoca caused the death of many Toltecs by his black magic and induced the virtuous Quetzalcóatl to sin, drunkenness, and carnal love, thus putting an end to the Toltec golden age. Under his influence the practice of human sacrifice was introduced into central Mexico.
Tezcatlipoca’s nagual, or animal disguise, was the jaguar, the spotted skin of which was compared to the starry sky. A creator god, Tezcatlipoca ruled over Ocelotonatiuh (“Jaguar-Sun”), the first of the four worlds that were created and destroyed before the present universe.
Tezcatlipoca was generally represented with a stripe of black paint across his face and an obsidian mirror in place of one of his feet. The post-Classic (after ad 900) Maya-Quiché people of Guatemala revered him as a lightning god under the name Hurakan (“One Foot”). Other representations show Tezcatlipoca with his mirror on his chest. In it he saw everything; invisible and omnipresent, he knew all the deeds and thoughts of humans.
By Aztec times (14th–16th century ad), Tezcatlipoca’s manifold attributes and functions had brought him to the summit of the divine hierarchy, where he ruled together with Huitzilopochtli, Tlaloc, and Quetzalcóatl. Called Yoalli Ehécatl (“Night Wind”), Yaotl (“Warrior”), and Telpochtli (“Young Man”), he was said to appear at crossroads at night to challenge warriors. He presided over the telpochcalli (“young men’s houses”), district schools in which the sons of the common people received an elementary education and military training. He was the protector of slaves and severely punished masters who ill-treated “Tezcatlipoca’s beloved children.” He rewarded virtue by bestowing riches and fame, and he chastised wrongdoers by sending them sickness (e.g., leprosy) or by reducing them to poverty and slavery.
The main rite of Tezcatlipoca’s cult took place during Toxcatl, the fifth ritual month. Every year at that time the priest selected a young and handsome war prisoner. For one year he lived in princely luxury, impersonating the god. Four beautiful girls dressed as goddesses were chosen as his companions. On the appointed feast day, he climbed the steps of a small temple while breaking flutes that he had played. At the top he was sacrificed by the removal of his heart.
Outside of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, Tezcatlipoca was especially revered at Texcoco and in the Mixteca-Puebla region between Oaxaca and Tlaxcala.


This research paper illustrates how schools and programs are using online learning to provide credit recovery for students with a wide spectrum of academic needs. The report investigates credit recovery and its impact on today’s students, state and district approaches to providing credit recovery, as well as case studies of exemplar programs and lessons learned.
In 2008, iNACOL published a series of Promising Practices papers in K-12 blended and online learning. In the last five years, transformative policy and practice changes accelerated the shift toward personalized learning and iNACOL is updating the promising practices research for pioneering educators and policy makers working toward transformed, student-centered learning environments.
Our country has been trying to address the graduation crisis in many ways. We are seeing the impact of the efforts to improve graduation rates over the past twenty years including agreement among states to implement a common cohort-based graduation rate, research-based efforts to improve the transition to 9th grade, increased academic and social supports, individualized instruction, effective use of educational technology and building new capacity of districts to provide multiple pathways to graduation including re-engagement centers so young people that had previously disengaged from school can re-enroll in school to complete their diplomas.
Initially, when students were over-age and under-credited, school districts had to depend on alternative schools designed for students that need more support and/or flexibility, and used by students that may have disengaged from school, seeking a different learning environment or pushed out through disciplinary policies. With online and blended learning, districts are beginning to develop flexibly paced credit recovery to help students stay on track to graduation instead of finding themselves in senior year with no way to graduate. Alternative schools like other schools have been integrating online learning to create more options for students.
Today, one of the root issues is the older students who are missing a significant number of credits do not have the time to sit in class again, thus competency-based programs are a better option. Online learning is inherently modular. Allowing more time to build mastery and experience smaller successes along the way would also function to prevent huge gaps in their learning that ultimately requires them to retake full courses today.
At the heart of the issue, when students have gaps in learning, competency-based education approaches can let kids focus in more closely on where there are gaps in learning—rather than waiting until students have to catch up by re-enrolling in entire credits. Just focusing on making up credits may not help them strengthen their skills. Adaptive learning and educational software can really help students strengthen their basic foundational skills and increase fluency on the lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy on appropriate learning goals. But, that is not enough. Students need to be able to engage in higher order thinking skills and demonstrate deeper learning to build their analytical, evaluation, synthesis and be able to apply their learning on the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. It is important for students to get to the higher levels of depth of knowledge, and an especially critical issue for kids who are having trouble in school. It is important that our system begin to transform around the needs of students.
To ensure success, the focus should be on how we help students graduate with the skills to be successful in life.


Purpose: To determine whether a student has difficulties with phonological awareness. Phonological awareness involves being able to hear the sounds in words and manipulate those sounds. This skill is vital for efficient decoding of written words and forms a critical foundation for reading spelling.
Age: This screener can be used for any age above 4.
Download Phonological Awareness Screener (PDF)
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(61 words, estimated 15 secs reading time)
Purpose: To determine whether a student has difficulties with decoding. Many students who struggle with reading have learned to read many words through memorising whole words. This test uses non-words, so that the student must use only the decoding method, rather than visual recognition.
Age: This screener can be used for any age 5 and above.
Download Decoding Screener (PDF)
Permanent link to this post
(60 words, estimated 14 secs reading time)
By Rosalie Zerna, B.Speech Pathology
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, “Who Sank the Boat”, “Spot”, “Just Shopping with Mum”, “Possum Magic”….are just a few of the favourite books from my childhood!
I have many fond memories of books that were read to me by my parents and grandparents growing up. As well as being a fun and engaging way to interact with your child, books have an important place in the development your child’s speech, language and literacy. Reading provides foundational skills for a lifetime of storytelling and communicating.
This is a preview of
The Power of Books – Reading to Your Child from Birth
. Read the full post (1803 words, 2 images, estimated 7:13 mins reading time)
My son starts school next week. My first born child is about to become a school boy. I managed to forego the tissues at school transition last year, but it lead me to think about the big changes he is going to face this year.
As I’ve been beginning this school journey, I’ve chatted with lots of other parents making the same transition. Parents often wonder whether their child is ready to enter into the big new world of schooling.
Is it just me who finds myself frequently in need of finding a way to distract a toddler or pre-schooler? I’m sure I’m not alone in this. You know those times, right? For me it looks like:
- Both kiddies getting worked up about something in the car.
- My toddler is in the trolley at the supermarket and demanding everything she sees.
- My toddler is on the change table and starts to kick and wriggle.
- Either of my kids is fussing and a tantrum appears imminent.
- Kids are hungry and grumpy and it’s still 10 minutes until the meal is ready.
I love apps! I love using the iPad and iPhone with my clients who don’t engage easily with other tasks. Children on the autism spectrum seem to engage very readily with iPads. This means that I’m always on the look out for great apps that will benefit these kids.
Click image to enlarge.
(Autism App Wheel Developed by Mark Coppin 2012.)
The following is a Question and Answer from the ‘Ask and Expert’ section of the ‘Go Ask Mum‘ website, answered by Liberty Gates from Liberty Speech Pathology.
Back in my days as a new grad speech pathologist, I formed this idea that dummies were a terrible, ghastly device that would cause all sorts of issues in a baby’s development. When I was pregnant with my first baby, my feet were planted firmly in the anti-dummy camp as I proudly ticked the box on my pre-natal form to declare that I did not want my baby to be given a dummy in hospital. (Turns out they don’t have them anyway, so I’m not sure why it’s on there in the first place.)


In our current era of deep budget cuts throughout education and high-stakes standardized tests which focus predominantly on reading and math, art education can quickly be pushed to the margins. Restoring the arts to a prominent place in our education system may occur only with the help of a surprising ally – 1:1 technology. But how can student access to technology make things like visual art, music, theater, and dance come alive in the classroom? Here are three key roles 1:1 devices can play in improving the quality of art instruction for students of all ages.
Digital Art and Music
Creating art and music through traditional tools – painting with watercolors, for example, or playing the trombone – is incredibly valuable. 1:1 technology should be used to enhance, not detract, from such experiences. For students and schools struggling to afford musical instruments, however, inexpensive IPod apps exist that offer realistic simulations designed to teach students the basics of how to play any instrument. Even better, students can take their expertise with traditional tools and turn them into impressive finished products through tools like IMovie (for video), GarageBand (for music), and Google SketchUp (for 3-D sculpture and design). Once finished, students can document and publicize their work by posting it on a personal blog or sharing it on a site like PhotoBucket (for photography) or ITunes (for songs and videos). No longer will a student’s audience be limited to his teacher and classmates – now students can potentially sing, dance, and create art for viewers around the world!
Districts which cannot afford highly qualified specialists to teach art, music, theater, and dance can turn to online arts courses to expand their class offerings. These distance learning classes are thankfully not limited to video lectures and paper/pencil tests, either, because the types of tools described above can allow students to submit their real artwork (via video, podcast, etc.) to an instructor located anywhere.
Virtual Field Trips, Guest Speakers, and Collaboration Across Schools
In addition to giving students powerful ways to create better art and to share that art with the world, 1:1 technology allows art opportunities from around the world to come into the classroom. Through the power of videoconferencing, for example, students in 1:1 classrooms can talk to expert artists from anywhere around the world. Students can take virtual field trips to museums, for free, from the comfort of their classroom.
Collaboration with art students across multiple schools can also be cultivated. Virtual art fairs can be held involving students from any number of schools, partnerships with other art classrooms can be formed, and “art buddies” within a district (such as a 4th grader from a town’s elementary school being paired with a 12th grader from that same town’s high school) can communicate together about similar art interests using 1:1 technology.
People sometimes see computers as a tool primarily for enhancing science, technology, language arts, and math education. Education in the arts, however, can also be dramatically expanded and improved through a 1:1 technology program.
About the author: Mark Pullen, 1:1 classroom teacher, on behalf of Worth Ave. Group.


This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Elementary school students have short attention spans. Teachers must change gears every 15-20 minutes, which means having multiple activities and resources at their fingertips. Transitioning so often will become easier with these 7 must-have apps for elementary school teachers. Whether used as a whole class or individually, students will be so engaged their attention may last beyond its usual short span.
Spelling tests are an integral part of elementary education. Super Speller helps students prepare for those all-important spelling tests. From word searches to fill-in-the-blank exercises, Super Speller gives students multiple ways to practice their weekly spelling words so that by Friday they are ready to ace their spelling tests.
The BrainPop Jr. Movie of the Week app gives teachers, particularly those in kindergarten through third grade, educational videos to show In their classroom. Each week a new BrainPop video is featured for free through the app. Subscribers to BrainPop Jr. can also access the quizzes and more videos through the app.
SpellBoard gives students multiple ways to build their vocabularies. The app features word search puzzles, fill-in-the blank questions and scrambled words. Teachers can track student progress and assign different spelling lists through the app.
Help students build their vocabularies or just fill time with the Word Search app. The app allows you to create your own word searches. Words can be highlighted in fun colors and students are timed as they search for the words.
Teachers focused on teaching basic math skills may find Math Board useful. Problems are randomly generated, but the content included in the questions can be customized. Quizzes can be taken in a timed or untimed format.
K12 Timed Reading
K12 Timed Reading helps build students’ fluency by providing them with short reading passages and other activities. Passages are searchable by Flesch-Kincaid level. Teachers may use the app with multiple students and track their reading progress over a period of time.
Brain Quest Blast Off
With Brain Quest Blast Off, teachers can download grade appropriate trivia lessons. Each grade-level app features four games students can play to practice their trivia. The subject of the questions vary, but it is a good way to do a general review in class or just get students engaged


Guitar players at Joel Barlow High School will have an opportunity to hone their skills next school year after the Region 9 school board unanimously decided to include Guitar I as part of its elective curriculum.
Board member Thomas Logie introduced the guitar class as part of the changes for the 2011-12 program of studies. The reason for the change was "[to] enrich the electives to meet the needs of the students."
Initial class costs were set at $2,000 to purchase new guitars, but no funds have been appropriated. Funding considerations will take place during the upcoming budget sessions. No new staff members will be hired for this position, the school board said.
The board also agreed to include a music appreciation class to "allow the extension of experiences established with focused music listening and understanding of music as an art form. "
The positive effects of music education on intelligence are a well-documented phenomenon. A study published in the Journal of the Association for Psychological Science stated: "Compared with children in the control groups, children in the music groups exhibited greater increases in full-scale IQ."
The school board also introduced a science research class to better prepare students for college-level courses. Chair Mark Lewis indicated that the board might have to consider hiring an additional teacher to meet the demand generated by the new class.
What do you think? Is the introduction of a guitar class a good use of school and teaching resources?
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This week’s link round-up is the place to be if you’re looking for project ideas and insight into the neurology of your students.
Let’s get started!
10-Year-Old Develops Car Safety Device
In inspirational news for anybody wondering just what fifth graders are capable of, 10-year-old Bishop Curry in McKinney, Texas has developed an impressively complex device designed to protect children left alone in a car.
The innovative pre-teen was inspired by the death of a local child and he told his local news station, “I knew exactly where the house was. I heard about babies dying in car seats and they could have grown up to be somebody important. It makes me pretty upset.”
Bishop’s device, “The Oasis,” alerts parents via text message when a child has left the car and can even begin blowing cool air onto the car seat’s occupant when the ambient temperature rises too far.
Can a SparkFun Grant Kick Start Your Maker’s Classroom?
Educational technology company SparkFun has announced the launch of a new and ongoing grant program with the aim of helping educators beat their budgetary woes when trying to bring maker technology into the classroom.
The SparkFun Community Partner program asks educators to explain what need they’re trying to meet, and awards grants (usually valued in the sub-$500 range) of relevant maker technology and products, including inventor’s kits, programmable circuit boards and more.
Inspire Your Budding Dungeon Masters
With “Stranger Things” still capturing the zeitgeist, it’s no wonder that table top gaming — especially Dungeons & Dragons — has seen a resurgence of popular interest. If you’ve got a classroom full of young gamers dying to find their own Eleven, what better way to spark their interest than letting them learn to design their own tabletop experiences?
This article from Makezine provides a great collection of tutorials, tips and advice about teaching your kids to design everything from buildings to entire worlds!
Using Technology to Close the Art Education Gap
It’s no surprise to any of us that arts funding in our classrooms has been slashed to the bone over the last 30 years. An increasing number of kids are likely to go their entire educational careers without ever taking a dedicated art class, leaving it to other teachers to try and incorporate the world of creative making into their curriculum.
Edudemic’s write-up takes a look at the issue and examines how technology can be used to inspire creative thought processes and hands-on, art-based learning in your classroom.
Are We in Danger of “Check-Listing” Design-Based Thinking to Death?
A constant obstacle in the road toward building a maker-based classroom is figuring out how to walk the fine line between guiding your students and “prescribing” to them. So much of traditional education is about memorizing a set-in-stone list of tasks and steps to take, but are we in danger of stifling growth and creativity when we bring the same mindset to more creative endeavors?
In a thought-provoking piece at the Atlantic, author Jessica Lahey takes a deep dive into the semiotics of design thinking when it comes to education.
Using Spatial Reasoning to Teach Mathematics
The most effective teaching methods are the ones we’re able to tailor to the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of our students, especially in elementary school when so much of their learning is driven by the hard-wired processes in their little brains. This investigative look from Mind/Up makes a compelling argument that it’s vital for young children to explore the world of mathematics through special activities, especially those that promote a hands-on, self-driven learning environment.
That’s it for this week’s round-up! Are you itching to get started on your next maker-based project? Get started by using our Tinkercad design tool to start building today!


A Child’s Day
- The children engage in developmentally appropriate activities to not only facilitate math and reading skills but to develop a greater understanding of the world around them. We provide a multidisciplinary approach.
- Classrooms provide interest areas in which the children can select where they work and play during an assigned free choice time. These areas include a block area, a dramatic play area, a sensory area, a book area, a writing area, and a manipulatives area, for example.
- A broad spectrum of arts and craft materials are used for daily art projects to promote creative expression, fine motor coordination, and thematic exploration.
- A predictable and structured daily plan is provided so children can gain a sense of comfort as well as be stewards of their own day.
- Teachers prepare both small group and large group activities to balance the day.
- Self help skills are introduced in the 2’s and reinforced throughout our program so children leaving for Kindergarten can feel comfortable in managing their needs in larger settings.
- Our large well-equipped playground area and indoor playground are both used for active play, social interaction, and gross-motor skill development.
- Mondays: Yoga/Creative Movement with Ms. Emily Flay from The Children’s School of Yoga. The Toddler and Preschool program blends real yoga poses, breathing and relaxation techniques, yoga songs and props in age appropriate, theme based lessons. The goal is to create a fun and engaging class that also offers the benefits of yoga and mindfulness. Through yoga children experience increased flexibility and physical coordination, a reduction in stress and anxiety levels as well as improved self-awareness and self regulation skills.
- Tuesday and Wednesdays: Music Classes provided by Mr. Randy Stuart. Cognitive studies demonstrate that we utilize all areas of our brain while making music. Mr. Randy emphasizes engaging all students at all times. He facilitates the children making music with rhythm and pitch instruments and their voices. He helps them utilize music as a form of communication and a medium for social interaction. Children enjoy testing their voices and learning about different sounds through listening and active participation.
- Thursdays: Science activities and age appropriate experiments are provided in each classroom each Thursday. Our teaching team introduces children to the scientific process by allowing them the opportunity to experience each step. By allowing them the chance to predict, prove and reflect they will be using their minds to the fullest extent and gaining an understanding of how to form a hypothesis. Children will be provided a safe setting to explore the many fascinating levels of scientific experiments.
- Fridays: Sensory Exploration is not only fun but a necessary component to an early childhood curriculum. Activities are provided throughout each day, of course, but on our “Sensory Fridays” the children get to visit our ever changing Sensory room. Each week one of our classroom Teachers plans for the whole program to come visit and use their whole bodies to learn and experience more. Sand and water tables are always open, smelling and tasting experiences are safely provided, experiments with sound are introduced and explored and, of course, the room is a visually stimulating as well.
- Community Worker visits such as Dentists, Chappaqua Librarians, EMT’s etc.
- Chappaqua Fire Department visits during Fire Safety Month each October
- Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium traveling program when offered
- Otto the Auto from AAA to teach safety in and around cars
- Two by Two Zoo Day each Spring
- Music and Movement Performances given by the children for their parents Celebrations of diverse cultures and holidays
- Special events including Pajama Day, Crazy Hat day, Halloween Costume Parade, Thanksgiving Feast, Celebrations of All Holidays, 100th day of school, etc.
- Graduation Ceremony for children who are finishing the 4-year-old program


The Physical Education program at OHDS provides all students with motor skill development, a healthy self-image as they grow and develop at their own individual rates, and social development to engender teamwork, sportsmanship and respect for others.
Motor Skills and Movement Knowledge: This involves understanding of how the body moves and what external forces affect that movement.
Self-Image and Personal Development: This focuses on the understanding that each person’s body develops and grows at different rates. This gives each student the acceptance and appreciation of individuality.
Social Development: Our emphasis is on learning to respect others, appreciating diversity in our society, and applying positive social norms and values. This reinforces the acceptance of fairness, equality, and working together toward a common goal.
Each grade is at a different stage of development. Here are some age-appropriate goals:
K-2nd grade – They will learn to perform simple motor skills while stationary and in movement. Walking, running, jumping, skipping, kicking, throwing, and catching are some of the skills we focus on at this stage. We encourage students to develop a positive self-image and attitude, a sense of teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Activities to enhance these skills include group games and relays that focus on skill and effort, rather than competition.
3-5th grade – They will learn volleying, dribbling various objects, rope jumping, and throwing and catching, while applying various forces. Activities to improve these skills include group games along with individual skill games to promote growth and development. Students will participate in exercises and stretching to enhance their physical fitness.
6-8th grade – Students will learn that teamwork and participation in games and activities are key to reaching common goals. They will focus more on the development of skills to increase success in games. Students will work to increase speed, stamina, strength, accuracy and overall fitness level. Students will participate in physical-related tests throughout the year.


Now, the UK government has announced plans to include internet safety lessons in primary school curriculum from 2010. The lessons are a component of ‘click clever, click safe’ campaign which is being initiated by the government.
The campaign will also focus on encouraging children to follow an online ‘green cross code’ and block or report any offensive and abusive web-content they come across apart from advising them against giving out personal information on the web.
The particulars of the campaign have been formulated by the UK council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) which includes members like Facebook, Microsoft and Google who have promised to support the cause with full dedication.
The 140 members of the council are also working on a self-regulatory code of conduct regarding online behavior which will be published next year. The set of rules will act as a yard-stick against which the government will review websites.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls commented that the code of conduct will allow the children and their parents to protect themselves against myriad kinds of threat on the internet.
The new government initiative will also coach the kids about blocking unwanted messages on social networking sites. The news come shortly after Facebook unveiled an online safety council and, together with others, announced its plans to integrate a so-called panic button.


What to do with this activity?
If your child needs help with reading, writing or talking in English or Irish, or if they particularly enjoy learning online, try Duolingo.
Duolingo is a free educational website or app (application) that offers learning courses in 23 different languages. We think that you could use Duolingo to boost your child's confidence in English and Irish as school subjects in the Irish Primary School Curriculum.
If there are two languages spoken in your home, your child might enjoy using Duolingo to get practice in expressing themselves in English. Duolingo is great for learning Irish too. Each lesson lets you hear how words are pronounced and gives you short exercises. Even if your child is confident with English and Irish as school subjects, they might enjoy Duolingo as an interactive learning website.
Duolingo asks you to register, but it's 100% free, with no adverts! As a learner, your child can set their own goals, decide how often they want their lessons to be and for how long. Help your child to register and see if it suits them. Don't forget to supervise any internet activity to keep your child safe.
Children gain confidence in speaking through demonstrating their knowledge to others. Chatting and listening to your child will help build their communication skills. Talking about words and their meaning in everyday life will also help build your child’s vocabulary – and your own!
Funny stories are interesting and a good excuse to get your child talking. At mealtimes, each family member could tell something interesting or something funny that happened during the day. Watching TV together can also provide a good opportunity for chat and to discuss what you are watching. Check if your child understands different things they hear and encourage your child to teach you new words and things they have learnt.
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Kinderpillar has a specially designed program that caters to every age and every stage that falls within the preschool spectrum. This exciting new program is based on the very best research and teaching techniques used in the United States of America to educate young children. The program is a unique blend of brain-based research and creative teaching techniques that not only teach your children, but actually inspire them to learn!
Your child is a natural learner, investigator and thinker. It is our job to provide the materials and activities that support and enhance your child’s ability to learn. Kinderpillar is a whole-child curriculum, which means the content of the program supports ALL aspects of your child’s growing and learning. Each day at Kinderpillar offers your child opportunities to learn key Science, Math, and Literacy concepts and the Social, Creative and Physical skills that are essential to school success. Together, they create a balanced program that emphasizes the natural way your child learns through experiences.
With an engaging mixture of fun and learning, children at Kinderpillar will gain essential skills that will be the foundation for learning success throughout the rest of their schooling and life. Come join us for the joy of learning…the Kinderpillar way.
Our Smart Start Teaching Technique
Kinderpillar’s Smart Start Classroom methodology delivers 3 key, developmentally appropriate early childhood learning experiences through engaging classroom spaces and responsive teacher-child relationships. Our daily routine allows time for group learning and individual experiences. In the classroom, your child will engage in activities that encourage him to:
- Move: In the unrestricted floor space, children can use their muscles and bodies for enacting, dancing and playing games. This increases physical coordination skills and is a way young children make connections in their brains.
- Explore and Express: Our area for sensory exploration encourages children to explore their inquisitive nature by experimenting with materials, trying new things and engaging in pretend play.
- Relax: Our classrooms provide place for quiet and cozy reflection where children and teachers can read books, tell stories and have one-on-one conversations.


|“Bright Child vs. Gifted Learner” – Challenge Magazine
Classic list form makes it easy to differentiate…
|“Characteristics of Giftedness” by Linda Kreger Silverman
The characteristics associated with giftedness become apparent early in life. This list of descriptors has been used successfully…
|“Definitions of Giftedness” by Judith Hewton
To find a satisfactory definition of giftedness it is necessary to understand its origins in the history of humankind… Terman’s longitudinal studies… the work of Hollingworth…
|“Giftedness as Asynchronous Development” by Stephanie Tolan
It is vital to remember that giftedness (in childhood and beyond) is an internal reality, mental processing that is outside of norms. Achievement, as important as it is, is merely an expression of that mental processing
|“I Remember…” by Wendy
Why identification of gifted children is SO important!
|“Is It a Cheetah?” by Stephanie S. Tolan
The classic essay on the characteristics of a gifted child in a regular classroom
|“Parents are the best source of information about their children’s abilities” by John Worthington
“Parents are a highly accurate and reliable source of information about their children’s intelligence and abilities with most able to predict their child’s IQ to within a few points, according to a University of Queensland PhD study…” Also see A Longitudinal Study of Early Literacy Development and the Changing Perceptions of Parents and Teachers
|“Self-test on giftedness (for adults!)” by the Rocamora School
From general characteristics to entelechy to overexcitabilities, and more…
|“The Role of Grandparents in Talent Recognition and Development” by John Feldhusen
from Gifted Child Today.
The identification of gifts and talents is a long-term process. Tests and rating scale scores on one occasion can give us insights about the level of children’s abilities, but long range observations by parents, teachers, and grandparents can provide the information needed to clarify the nature and levels of children’s talents and pave the way to effective educational programs and services…
|An Interview with Dr. Edward R. Amend: About the Emotional Needs of Gifted Kids
Meeting the educational needs of the gifted and talented child will also help their social and emotional adjustment. The research has been fairly clear in suggesting that the degree to which a gifted child’s educational needs are being met is an important factor in their overall adjustment…
Many different analogies explaining gifted education…
|Distinguishing Myths From Realities
Here’s a quiz to test the extent to which you can really identify what the research says…
|Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of the Issues
by Linda E. Brody and Carol J. Mills.
Many people have difficulty comprehending that a child can be gifted and also have learning disabilities. As a result, children with special needs that result from both their high abilities and their learning problems are rarely identified and are often poorly served. This article explores the current policies and practices with regard to defining, identifying, and educating this population…
|Giftedness and the Gifted: What’s It All About? (ERIC digest #476)
There are many misconceptions of the term, all of which become deterrents to understanding and catering to the needs of children identified as gifted
|How Do I Know If My Is Child Gifted?
This is the $64,000 question, and Valorie King does a terrific job of answering it
|Is your child gifted?
A quick checklist for kids of various ages, particularly useful with younger children…
|What is a Gifted Child? – trying to define the beast
NSW Assn for Gifted & Talented Children Inc.
A good question to start with… follow the links to Characteristics for a great set of checklists, Article Index, and much more…
|What Is Gifted?
National Association for Gifted Children’s Parent Information summary…
|What We Have Learned About Gifted Children 1979-2009
Linda Silverman’s summary of 30 years of observations, including “Parents are excellent identifiers of giftedness in their children,” “the ideal age for testing is between five and eight years,” and “When parents fail to recognize a child’s gifts, teachers may overlook them as well,” ” Gifted children are asynchronous,” “Gifted children have better social adjustment in classes with children like themselves; the brighter the child, the lower the child’s social self-concept in regular classrooms,”…