KALAMAZOO—The creator of an innovative museum containing a large collection of racist artifacts will address teaching tolerance in a visit this week to Western Michigan University.
Dr. David Pilgrim, vice president for diversity and inclusion at Ferris State University, will speak at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in 2008 Richmond Center for Visual Arts. His presentation, free and open to the public, is titled "Using Objects of Intolerance to Teach Tolerance and Promote Social Justice: The Case of the Jim Crow Museum."
In his talk, Pilgrim, founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, will discuss the museum's mission and its strategy of using historical and contemporary racially demeaning artifacts to teach about race, race relations and racism. Audience members are warned that the presentation contains images some may find offensive. Pilgrim also will conduct a workshop for WMU Frostic School of Art students and will be honored by the Kalamazoo Black Arts and Cultural Center.
Pilgrim, an applied sociologist, is one of the country's leading experts on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity and race relations. His research has shown that racism can be objectively studied and creatively assailed. The museum contains a 7,000-piece collection of racist artifacts and uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance. His writings, many found at ferris.edu/jimcrow, are used by scholars, students and civil rights workers to better understand historical and contemporary racism.
The museum will be profiled in an upcoming PBS documentary, while Pilgrim has been interviewed by NPR, Time, the BBC and dozens of newspapers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. In 2004, Pilgrim produced with Clayton Rye a documentary on the museum. The film won several awards and was described by Los Angeles film critic, Marc Haefele, as a "grisly low-key masterpiece."
Pilgrim's visit is supported through the generosity of the Gwen Frostic School of Art, the WMU Art Education Program, the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations and the Kalamazoo Black Arts and Cultural Center.


Montessori is an approach to working with children that is carefully based on what has been learned about children’s cognitive, neurological and emotional development. The Montessori approach has been acclaimed by some of America’s top experts on early childhood and elementary education as the most developmentally appropriate model currently available. The Montessori method focuses on teaching for understanding. Active learning through hands-on activities and exercises rather than “book learning” is emphasized in order to encourage the development of the creative and analytical mind.
At SMMS, our primary goal for the child is to cultivate his/her own natural desire to learn. In the classroom this is approached in two ways. Each child is able to experience the excitement of learning through his/her own choice of lesson rather than being forced to do something. Secondly by helping the child to perfect his/her natural tools for learning, which can be used in future learning situations.
Dr. Montessori always emphasized that the hand is the chief teacher of the child. In order to learn how to concentrate, the best solution is to fix the attention of the child on a task performed by his hands. All equipment in a Montessori classroom allows a child to use his hands in the learning process. The tactile and kinesthetic system of learning permanently reinforces the skill to be learned – ‘muscular memory’ is a strong tool in the learning process.


Here's some information I often give to young oboists and music education students learning how to teach oboe for the first time. If you want to use this as a handout for your students, please go to the www.oboeforeveryone.com site, click on the scroll to the bottom of the page and download as a PDF document.
Reed Care 101
1. Always brush your teeth before playing. Food and plaque can clog up reeds and make your key pads sticky.
2. Always store reeds in a case that holds reeds securely in place.
- Go to this post to learn how to make an inexpensive reed case
- The plastic 3-reed cases sold by Fox are also an affordable option
- Clear plastic tubes and "coffin" cases that commercial reeds are purchased are not study enough for long-term use
4. Soak reeds in water for 2-3 minutes in FRESH water, not saliva. Our saliva has enzymes in it that will over time break down reed fibers. If you want your reeds to last as long as possible, soak them in water!
- Only soak the cane part of the reed in water, not the thread or cork
- Try dipping your reeds in water and setting them on your music stand or in your case to hydrate. This way they won't over-soak
- Reeds soaked longer than 5 minutes will become over-soaked and be more difficult to play
- If possible, quickly rinse out reeds in water and let dry for a few minutes before storing in a reed case. This will remove some of the lip skin cells, etc, that can collect on reeds and help your reeds last longer.
3 Signs That It's Time to Buy a New Reed
A reed can last anywhere from 2-3 or much longer, depending on how much it is played on and how well it is cared for.
1. If your reed is cracked:
Very small cracks in the tip of the reed will usually be OK to play on. If the crack extends beyond 1 millimeter and it is difficult to articulate notes and/or have sudden flatness or unstable pitch, then it's time to buy a new reed.
2. If the tip of your reed resembles Bart Simpson's haircut, has poor response (especially in the low range), and articulation is difficult, then it is time for a new reed.
3. If the reed looks OK, but doesn't make any (or only very little) sound when you blow through it, try these tests:
- Soak it an extra 3 minutes in WARM WATER
- Run water through the reed to clean it out (hold the reed upside-down with the water from the faucet running into the cork section first)
- Pull a small pipe cleaner (Dill's brand is best) from the bottom of the tube through the top of a well soaked reed to clean out an accumulated gunk
Try your reed after each stage. If all three suggestions don't help, consider the reed "dead" and purchase a new one.
|"Don't have a cow, man! Just take care of your reeds!"|
Ok, that's all I've got for now. I bet you never believed I could work in Bart Simpson to a blog post about reeds, did you? :)
Oboe and out,


An Introduction to Primary Physical Education
Edited by Gerald Griggs
Routledge – 2012 – 238 pages
Physical Education is a core component of the primary school curriculum. The primary years are perhaps the most significant period for motor development in children, a time during which basic movement competencies are developed and which offers the first opportunity for embedding physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is the first comprehensive introduction to the teaching of PE in the primary school to be written exclusively by primary PE specialists, with primary school teaching experience.
The book highlights the importance of PE in the primary curriculum and the key issues facing primary teachers today, such as inclusion, training needs and the development of creativity. Central to the book are core chapters that examine each functional area common to many primary PE syllabi – including games, dance, gymnastics, athletics and outdoor learning – and give clear, practical guidance on how to teach each topic. Rooted throughout in sound theory and the latest evidence and research, this book is essential reading for all students, trainee teachers and qualified teachers looking to understand and develop their professional practice in primary Physical Education.
SECTION 1: Introducing Primary Physical Education 1. Surveying the Landscape of Primary Physical Education - GERALD GRIGGS 2. The Importance of Primary Physical Education - IAN PICKUP 3. The Challenges and Potential within Primary Physical Education DOMINIC HAYDN – DAVIES 4. The Future of Primary Physical Education: A 3-14 Developmental and Connected Curriculum - MIKE JESS SECTION 2: Curriculum 5. The Development of the Physical Education Curriculum in Primary Schools in the United Kingdom - SUE CHEDZOY 6. They can’t catch so what’s the point in teaching them to play a game? Teaching Games in the Primary School - GAVIN WARD 7. Gymnastic activities in the primary years - the foundation of learning to move with enhanced confidence, competence and imagination - LAWRY PRICE 8. Dance: Teaching and learning possibilities within the early years and primary school context - RACHAEL JEFFERSON-BUCHANAN 9. Getting athletics off the track, out the sack and ‘back on track’ - GERALD GRIGGS 10. From Desks to Dens - Outdoor and Adventurous Activities- NALDA WAINWRIGHT SECTION 3: Issues in primary Physical Education 11. Addressing training and development needs in primary Physical Education - JEANNE KEAY and JON SPENCE 12. Towards a more inclusive provision - RICHARD MEDCALF 13. Placing an importance on health and physical activity - KRISTY HOWELLS 14. There is always another way! Creative Physical Education - JIM LAVIN
Gerald Griggs is Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sports Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Dr Griggs trained as a primary teacher with a specialism in physical education, before teaching in several primary schools in the UK. He is a member of the British Educational Research Association, including the Special Interest Group for Physical Education, the Association for Physical Education and the British Sociological Association.


Majoring in Music Education involves the study of pedagogy, or the method and practice of teaching. You’ll develop the skills and insights to become an effective vocal or instrumental music teacher (K-12) and lifelong learner. You’ll gain knowledge and skills that are important for any teaching career as you take 93 to 104 credit hours towards a Bachelor of Arts degree, and the music education curriculum meets the Minnesota Department of Education requirements for a teaching credential (passage of standardized examinations of content and pedagogy are also required).
You’ll also keep it real in a series of classes, field experiences, and student teaching opportunities that make for an effective blend of theory and practice, plus take content courses in the music department. Because we design our music education program to be responsive to the exact needs of the marketplace, it will be a relevant degree if you’re considering a career teaching vocal or instrumental music in grades K-12 within private or public elementary and secondary schools.


EDU 202 Literacy in Middle School Curriculum and Instruction
This course has two primary foci: a study of the philosophy of and key curricular models and debates around the contemporary middle school in the United States, and the role of literacy in the teaching and learning of the content areas at the middle school level. Students will be introduced to the major philosophies and curricular theories behind the current middle level education movement along with theories of literacy learning and current research on adolescent literacy methods. In the context of teaching young adolescents and promoting their literacy levels at this important age, students are also introduced to Classroom-Based Research (CBR) and will complete a pilot study of their own questions on literacy development in young adolescents. Required field experience (20 hours) will culminate in a two-week team-teaching experience in a middle school setting. The course is required as part of the AOC in Education and for state licensure.
Note: Open to students not yet admitted to the Teacher Education Program; recommended students take this course in the sophomore year.
Prerequisite: EDU 101


They are nobody’s children.
You see them huddled in little groups at traffic signals. chatting, laughing, occasionally cajoling a motorist for some money. Standing in the rains, on a cold winter’s night, on a scorching hot day. Their presence makes me uncomfortable. At one level it is knowledge that giving money encourages more such behavior. At the other is the knowledge that the will starve if you don’t. So I have come to a compromise with myself – when i travel, it is with little bottles of water (the children have no access to clean portable water on the streets), packets of biscuits. But, it is never enough.
But the question here is why are these children on the streets ? The uncharitable answer is that each of them is an economic unit able to earn money for their ‘family’ unit. There is some vestigal remanents of the “desi ethos’ that says that a woman has a right to her motherhood – and i don’t mean reproductive rights, but the right to bring up a child with mamata. And then there is an overloaded system. In all this the kids are left on the streets to fend for themselves.
There are a plethora of laws that have come into place that may end up reducing the incidence of children on the streets. The first is The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. It very clearly states that
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years and provides protection to all children under the age of 18 years from the offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. These offences have been clearly defined for the first time in law.
The second is the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2010It provides the
i) Right of children to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education in a neighborhood school.(ii) It clarifies that ‘compulsory education’ means obligation of the appropriate government to provide free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education to every child in the six to fourteen age group. ‘Free’ means that no child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education.(iii) It makes provisions for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age appropriate class.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for amending the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, to ban employment of children aged up to 14 in any form of industry. It will be an offence to employ such children not only in factories or industries but also in homes or on farms, if their labour is meant to serve any commercial interest.


Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]”).
- Anchor Standards
- Reading: Literature
- Reading: Informational Text
- Reading: Foundational Skills
- Speaking & Listening
- Standard 10: Range, Quality, & Complexity
Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects


The NY Times reported yesterday on another study that supports the enormous value of early music lessons. This time it was a Northwestern University study that looked at brain waves of college students. Those that had been exposed to music and music lessons at at early age showed “more robust responses — their brains were better able to pick out essential elements, like pitch, in the complex sounds when they were tested. And this was true even if the lessons had ended years ago.” Reading skills were especially improved by early music study. “There’s a fascination — and even a certain heady delight — in learning what the brain can do, and in drawing out the many effects of the combination of stimulation, application, practice and auditory exercise that musical education provides.”
In order to make this music education possible it takes a entire system of parents, teachers and musicians. Here in San Antonio, we are fortunate to have active music performance programs in our schools (Disclaimer: my wife is a middle school orchestra teacher in NEISD. She has also taught in SAISD.) Many cities have eliminated most of their elementary and middle school music programs. We also have groups like YOSA and The Children’s Chorus of San Antonio that take music students to a more advanced level.
But, the great thing about music education is the students eventually have to teach themselves. It is called practicing. It is in the time spent alone with your instrument that you develop self-discipline and critical listening skills.
In order to get this opportunity, you first need to be exposed to music. I got involved in a very typical way:
1) My parents signed me up for music lessons before I was in first grade.
2) In school, touring groups (I especially remember loving the US Army Band in elementary school) came to my school and played concerts.
3) I was in chorus and band in school.
4) And, finally but most importantly, I had a few FABULOUS and inspiring private teachers.
The San Antonio Symphony and its musicians play an important part in supporting our school music programs. Our Young People’s Concerts for third, fourth and fifth graders are often a child’s first exposure to live music. Many of our musicians teach private lessons to young children. They also teach at all our local colleges and universities.
The hardest part is to start. It takes a lot of patience by parents to keep young kids on track. They don’t like to practice at first. But, kids love to improve and learn. With the right school programs and the right private teacher, any child can make quick improvement on a musical instrument they love. When a child feels like they are making progress, they will continue to learn.
This isn’t easy on parents. Most are so busy just keeping ahead of work and other parenting duties. It takes a real commitment to find the time to take your kids to that concert or school program or the weekly private lesson. But, the rewards will last a lifetime.
For more blogs by Jack Fishman visit: www.sasymphony.org/blog


New YouGov research commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra, released to mark the launch day of iOrchestra, their major new music education initiative in the South West of England, dispels the notion that today’s youth are an inactive generation, whose leisure is dominated by little more than computer games and social media.
The most popular musical instruments were the recorder (22%), guitar (19%) and the piano (18%) highlighting how throughout the country the recorder is still the classroom staple. The research showed that 83% of children from the West Midlands are learning a musical instrument and children from the North East are learning the most varied selection of different instruments. Singing also continues to be nationally popular, particularly in Yorkshire and the East of England.
The orchestra of tomorrow
The results gave a clear indication of which instruments were most popular across the different regions of the UK suggesting where the ‘orchestra of tomorrow’ may be coming from.
- The North East
Perhaps channelling the legacy of local legends Dire Straits, the saxophone proved to be more popular with young learners here than anywhere else in the country. The north east also, scored highly for pupils of the trumpet, organ, double bass, harp, trombone and viola, the area proving a hotbed of musical diversity.
Every good pipe band needs a rhythm and, with 8% of Scotland’s schoolchildren learning percussion instruments, the nation’s next generation of drummers seems to be secure. Evelyn Glennie watch this space…
Perhaps it’s time Karl Jenkins composed a violin concerto? String instruments scored very highly in the valleys, with the violin and cello, more popular here than anywhere else in the country.
- The West Midlands
Looking for a new woodwind section? Get yourself on the M6! The flute, clarinet and bassoon (joint highest with London) scored highest in Britain’s second biggest county
- South West
The results come ahead of the launch of iOrchestra, a music-learning initiative in the South West of England headed by the Philharmonia. Whilst instruments such as the piano and guitar maintain popularity in the South West, and the oboe proves to be more popular there than any other region, the research suggests over a third of all children in the Plymouth area do not currently have instrumental music lessons.
The research also found that girls are more likely to learn a musical instrument than boys (71% versus 66%), although boys today were more likely to learn an instrument than boys in the generation before them (66% in musical education today as opposed to 56% in the past). When it came to orchestral instruments the violin remains the most popular choice for both genders.
David Whelton, Managing Director of the Philharmonia orchestra commented: ‘These enlightening results provide a great insight into the current condition of classical music, offering encouraging signs of its future status as both a form of entertainment and educational tool. iOrchestra, which launches in the South West today, promises to radically improve the position of musical education in the area, offering new communities a chance to interact with classical music in a variety of engaging ways. We want to help shape the Orchestra of tomorrow and make sure the South West plays a big part.’


Spanish, Beginning I, II, III (B)
Fall 2014, Winter 2015 and Spring 2015 quarters
Students in Beginning Spanish I gain foundational skills and begin efforts to communicate in the language. This immersion-mode Spanish course is designed for students with little or no experience in the language. Initially, students listen closely, acquire useful vocabulary and learn basics of pronunciation. Students practice speaking and share readings in small collaborative groups. All along we strive to create an active, stress-free learning environment. In-context topics include people, school, pastimes, time, home, food, and travel. Elements of grammar are integrated into written practice exercises. The textbook, audiovisuals, music and games complement the learning. This Beginning Spanish sequence continues on with courses in winter and spring quarters.
In Beginning Spanish II, students build upon what they learned previously to develop Spanish language skills in listening comprehension, conversation, reading and writing. One prior quarter of college-level Spanish or one year of high school Spanish is required. The course takes place entirely in Spanish in an interactive learning environment. Conversation sessions in small groups involve practical topics. Class discussions and audiovisual presentations cover diverse issues related to Latin American societies and Hispanic cultures. Students expand their range of vocabulary, with emphasis on verbs in past tenses, pronouns and other key elements of grammar. Written assignments are extensive, with opportunities for self-directed creative writing and reading. This course sequence continues into spring quarter.
Beginning Spanish III prepares students for future language studies at intermediate level, as well to communicate in Spanish during travel and studies abroad, and in the workplace. Two prior quarters of college-level Spanish or two years of high school Spanish are required. Emphasis is placed on reinforcing writing and grammar skills, and on developing conversational fluency. In-depth readings and basic level research help to expand knowledge of vocabulary and syntax. The course involves readings and interactive discussions of Latin American and Hispanic cultures, societies and environment. Students will have opportunities to carry out individual research and writing projects on topics of their choice.
Fields of Study
Location and Schedule
Offered during: Evening
Advertised schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6-8 pm. First Winter meeting will be Monday January 5, 6:00pm, in Sem 2 C2107.


Susan Hoffman used to look forward to continuing her career in elementary education, walking her dog and playing tennis.
Now she wonders if she'll ever be able to walk without a cane.
Hoffman, of Petoskey, suffers from a disease called FacioScapuloHumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). FSHD is a form of muscular dystrophy defined by a specific set of symptoms that collectively characterize the disease. Initial signs of FSHD include difficulty reaching above the shoulder level, foot drop, scapular winging and facial weakness. In most cases, FSHD muscle involvement starts in the face and slowly progresses to the shoulder and upper-arm muscles and then down to the abdominal and foot-extensor muscles. Foot drop and foot weakness are early manifestations. Its major symptom is the progressive weakening and loss of skeletal muscles.
While diagnosed only a year and a half ago, Hoffman has been living with symptoms including joint pain and muscle aches for the past 20 years.


Educating the Educator
Most Missourians say they want their children to learn about conservation in school, and most teachers say they would like to integrate conservation into the subjects they teach.
Teachers know that students love creative, challenging and fun lessons. What better way to make learning more interesting and effective than with outdoor and interpretive activities, materials and experiences?
The Conservation Department’s educator workshops specialize in providing teachers and group leaders with the knowledge, experience and resources required to infuse a conservation message into subjects they teach.
The workshops immerse teachers and group leaders in the hands-on, real world of the conservation professional. Participants may spend a day at a local conservation area learning the art of timber management or an afternoon on the river learning aquatic studies.
Each year the Department offers educator workshops on a wide variety of topics. Last year’s offerings, for example, included: “Voices from the Ozark Hills,” “Nature Journaling,” “Comparative Ecology: Invaders vs. Natives,” “Animal Adaptations and Behavior” and “Out at Night.”
Throughout each workshop, participants learn the answer to the question every educator dreads: “Why do I need to know this?”
Conservation workshops clearly demonstrate how academic concepts and the real world are connected. Educators can then explain to their students why foresters need to understand weather, and why biologists need a background in math.
The three-day “Voices from the Ozark Hills” workshop, for example, demonstrated how the presence of the Grandin Mill, known as the “Big Mill,” changed the physical and cultural geography of Shannon County.
These are only a few of the many workshops offered. Some workshops are open for statewide enrollment, while others target a specific region, county or school district. Workshops can even be designed to meet a group’s specific needs.
Teachers and leaders of a variety of groups and disciplines are eligible to attend educator workshops. We’ve had physical education, science, art and elementary education teachers at our workshops, as well as Scout leaders and the leaders of Stream Team, 4-H and FFA groups.
As one participant remarked, “The workshop was great fun; the staff was knowledgeable; and I loved how it taught so many interdisciplinary objectives.”
Many workshops are conducted in cooperation with colleges and universities for undergraduate or graduate credit hours. Participants are required to pay the necessary fees to the university for the college credit. Other workshops are free or are offered at a low cost.
For complete information on current educator workshops, visit www.missouriconservation.org/teacher/development.htm or contact a nearby Conservation Department office


The HighScope Difference:
Active Participatory Learning
Children and adults learn best through hands-on experiences with people, materials, events, and ideas. That principle — validated by decades of research — is the basis of HighScope's approach to teaching and learning.
A range of specially designed programs. HighScope's Curriculum includes components for
- Infant-toddler care and education
- Preschool education
► A HighScope training participant talks about the HighScope difference: "I can understand why the 40-year study revealed the long-term impact of HighScope with children at risk. HighScope is ... about teaching children to initiate, discover, experience, and learn about ideas, events, and people; it is about children creating, experimenting, problem-solving, and resolving conflicts as they learn. HighScope builds children up and changes lives." — Alice Escobar, Dallas, Texas
- Movement and music
- Elementary education
- Youth programs
Each individual program consists of a complete system of teaching practices, defined curriculum content areas for each topic and age group, assessment tools, and a training model. The practices and content are flexible by design, easily adapted to individual needs and institutional requirements.
Proven, research-based strategies for learning. The HighScope Curriculum emphasizes adult-child interaction, a carefully designed learning environment, and a plan-do-review process that strengthens initiative and self-reliance in children and young people. Teachers and students are active partners in shaping the educational experience.
The HighScope advantage: A balanced approach for young learners and the people who teach them. The HighScope Curriculum integrates all aspects of child and youth development. Using research-validated strategies, this approach enhances each young person's growth in the foundations of academics as well as in social-emotional, physical, and creative areas.
By adopting the HighScope Curriculum — and learning to use it effectively — thousands of educators and caregivers worldwide are making a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families.


|Nicaragua Table of Contents
When the Sandinistas came to power in 1979, they inherited an educational system that was one of the poorest in Latin America. Under the Somozas, limited spending on education and generalized poverty, which forced many adolescents into the labor market, constricted educational opportunities for Nicaraguans. In the late 1970s, only 65 percent of primary school-age children were enrolled in school, and of those who entered first grade only 22 percent completed the full six years of the primary school curriculum. Most rural schools offered only one or two years of schooling, and three-quarters of the rural population was illiterate. Few students enrolled in secondary school, in part because most secondary institutions were private and too expensive for the average family. By these standards, the 8 percent of the college-age population enrolled in Nicaraguan universities seemed relatively high. Less surprising was that upper-class families typically sent their children abroad for higher education.
By 1984 the Sandinista government had approximately doubled the proportion of GNP spent on preuniversity education, the number of primary and secondary school teachers, the number of schools, and the total number of students enrolled at all levels of the education system. A 1980 literacy campaign, using secondary school students as volunteer teachers, reduced the illiteracy rate from 50 percent to 23 percent of the total population. (The latter figure exceeds the rate of 13 percent claimed by the literacy campaign, which did not count adults whom the government classified as learning impaired or otherwise unteachable.) In part to consolidate the gains of the literacy campaign, the Ministry of Education set up a system of informal self-education groups known as Popular Education Cooperatives. Using materials and pedagogical advice provided by the ministry, residents of poor communities met in the evenings to develop basic reading and mathematical skills. Although designed for adults, these self-education groups also served children who worked by day or could not find a place in overcrowded schools.
At the college level, enrollment jumped from 11,142 students in 1978 to 38,570 in 1985. The Sandinistas also reshaped the system of higher education: reordering curricular priorities, closing down redundant institutions and programs and establishing new ones, and increasing lower-class access to higher education. Influenced by Cuban models, the new curricula were oriented toward development needs. Agriculture, medicine, education, and technology grew at the expense of law, the humanities, and the social sciences.
One of the hallmarks of Sandinista education (and favored target of anti-Sandinista criticism) was the ideological orientation of the curriculum. The stated goal of instruction was the development of a "new man" whose virtues were to include patriotism, "internationalism," an orientation toward productive work, and a willingness to sacrifice individual interests to social and national interests. School textbooks were nationalist and prorevolutionary in tone, giving ample coverage to Sandinista heroes. After the 1990 election, the Chamorro government placed education in the hands of critics of Sandinista policy, who imposed more conservative values on the curriculum. A new set of textbooks was produced with support from the United States Agency for International Development (AID), which had provided similar help during the Somoza era.
Despite the Sandinistas' determined efforts to expand the education system in the early 1980s, Nicaragua remained an undereducated society in 1993. Even before the Contra war and the economic crisis that forced spending on education back to the 1970 level, the educational system was straining to keep up with the rapidly growing school-age population. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of children between five and fourteen years of age had expanded by 35 percent. At the end of the Sandinista era, the literacy rate had declined from the level attained at the conclusion of the 1980 literacy campaign. Overall school enrollments were larger than they had been in the 1970s, however, and, especially in the countryside, access to education had broadened dramatically. But a substantial minority of primary school-age children and three-quarters of secondary school-age students were still not in school, and the proportion of students who completed their primary education had not advanced beyond the 1979 level. Even by Central American standards, the Nicaraguan education system was performing poorly.
Source: U.S. Library of Congress


Suzuki Music Practice Tips and Inspiration - Suzuki Method
Hello, dear Suzuki families,
Here are some Suzuki violin (but good for any instrument) tips and teaching points for your daily practicing sessions at home. I welcome your own personal suggestions, opinions, and testimonials. I greatly appreciate your comments and feedback on these articles.
Thanks for being part of our Suzuki music family!
Rigo Murillo, Suzuki Strings Specialist
Suzuki Violin Pre-Twinkle Skills
By the completion of the Twinkle Variations, the student should have developed the following skills (Many of which may be at a basic level of development):
- Rest Position
- Stance, focus, endurance
- Listening skills, attention, habits
- Following directions, quickness
- Opposites (high-low, loud-soft)
- Bow hold
- Heavy head holding violin
- String names and pitches
- How to Bow
- Basic E string posture
- String crossing, E and A string
- Bow control, tip control
- Relaxed, natural weight of bow arm
- Square of the arm
- Bow held silently on string
- Stop form bowing on middle of bow
- Left hand shape
- Finger numbers
- Finger patterns
- Preparation fingers
- Quick placement of fingers
- Soft left thumb/ relational left fingers
- Coordination of bow and fingers
- Pizzicato partners
- Kreisler highway
- Care of instrument and bow
- Practice Skills
- Memory skills
- Ability to be positive
© Copyright 2000 Rigo Murillo. All rights reserved.
The problem with review is NOT that students don't want to do it. It is that it's difficult to do it consistently throughout the Suzuki repertoire.
"Bucket" Review Technique:
Write all the pieces' names on separate pieces of paper, put them in a "bucket". Everyday, have your violinist draw a few pieces of paper one at a time, reviewing each one, then, put the ones played in a second bucket.
When you're through, change buckets and go through then again. When your child learns a new piece, add a paper with its name to the bucket. You can also include all of the pieces in the current book, and have your child LISTEN to it when it comes in the drawing.
This is the easiest way to "hit" all of the pieces before the "favorites" get played more, letting the others get relegated.
One of the most challenging tasks for a young child in learning the violin is to stay concentrated long enough to stay in place and hold the instrument. Here are some fun exercises that have proven highly successful for keeping pre-Twinklers on task and improve concentration skills.
Dig into some practice tips from other experienced parents of music students like yours. These are ways they have found that help during the "dreaded practice time" each day.
Much has been taken by numerous music education scholars from Shinichi Suzuki's approach to music learning. The Suzuki method is based on the notion that all children learn to speak their mother tongue easily without having to formally study the language. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
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Worth the drive?
Because of our high-quality instructional program and un-compromised commitment to excellence, we have families from all over the metroplex coming to take violin lessons at our program. Don't sacrifice excellent Suzuki music education for your children by saving gas.
These are some areas where our Suzuki music families drive from:
- Farmers Branch
- Highland Park
- University Park
- White Rock


"The music around us" (Book) - This book aims to provide music teachers with a basic knowledge of music from Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco. These three countries represent each one corner of the North Africa-Middle East-West Asian region, which is next door to Europe and with which we have long historical relationships. Moreover, all three represent significant music historical tradition, at the same time related, while clearly different from each other. This justifies these musical culture's placement in Danish music education. In addition all three countries have supplied Denmark with immigrants from 1960 onwards. In this context, the book therefore also makes music teachers able to teach music in relation to the three immigrant groups. At the same time the book hopefully makes teachers able to insert the music that immigrants from those countries are carrying with them, the music the young people with that background are listening to, and what teachers may experience themselves in these countries, into a broader perspective. Therefore the book is not only about the small musical universe that migrants and migrant youth actually are engaged in in this country. The Danish conditions only play a minor role. This choice should be seen as an attempt to challenge the very unfortunate tendency in the Danish public wherethe immigrants are made ??the primary reason to engage other cultures in our (music) education. It is unfortunate because there are many other and far more important reasons to expand the musical horizons. The resident migrants from the three countries often give a very one-sided and narrow view of the (music) culture in their countries of origin. This is mainly because of the immigrant's backgrounds, both geographically and socially. In order to increase understanding and respect for other parts of the world, it is important that we all understand that the culture of these countries, including the music, is part of a long historical development and part of a varied mosaic of contemporary trends. The publication is produced with support from the Ministry of Education.


Geology is the study of the Earth and its environs. It is primarily concerned with deciphering the processes which have operated on and within the Earth in the past, shaping and forming the Earth as we know it today. Geologists study the Earth's past history, as well as present-day processes acting on the Earth, in order to better understand what the future might hold for us. The Earth really is a dynamic, "happening" place, with continual and complex interaction among the Earth's many systems, including those of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, as well as the biosphere and the external solar system. The relationships of these Earth processes to humankind is at the core of many contemporary issues. A full understanding of the Earth system and its processes requires a multi-disciplinary approach based on detailed field observations and including the collection, interpretation, and application of quantitative geochemical and geophysical data.
Clearly the science of Geology has always and will continue to play important roles in the identification, evaluation and protection of energy, mineral, and water resources; in the assessment and mitigation of natural hazards; in the assessment and remediation of human impacts on the environment, and in the mitigation of potential future impacts. These are all important, even necessary, contributions to our society. "Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice" (Anonymous). In addition, the science of Geology also plays a fundamental role in helping to meet our human desire to understand our origins and our place in nature.
The goal of the KSC Geology program is to teach students about the methods of scientific inquiry and about the Earth, its materials, processes and systems, and thus about appropriate stewardship of the Earth and its resources. We wish to develop in students an appreciation for the uniqueness of our home planet and foster their wonder of the natural world. We promote strong relationships among students and faculty that emphasize creative and critical thinking, scholarship and research, and a passion for learning, with a commitment to service.
Geology is a field science, which means that the fundamental observations upon which our questions are based, and often the observations that make up our experiments, are observations which are made out in the field, studying the rocks and landforms of the Earth in their natural habitat. Within the Geology curriculum, we have tried to emphasize the integration of detailed field observations (albeit mostly qualitative in nature) with "big picture" tectonic and earth-system syntheses. We also strive to involve all our students in progressive, level-appropriate, student-centered, inquiry-based, active participatory learning experiences that engage them in authentic scientific process, ultimately preparing them for independent and student-faculty cooperative research.
Our graduates may pursue advanced degrees in earth or environmental sciences; or seek employment with environmental, hydrogeologic and engineering consulting firms, energy and mineral resource companies, or state and federal geological surveys. Those choosing the teacher education option are prepared for certification as Earth Science teachers in secondary schools. Geology students are equally well prepared for other careers in which a liberal arts and sciences education is beneficial, such as in elementary education, business, law or medicine.
Last modified 2/22/2001


3rd Grade: Need for Teacher Assistance Beyond That Typically Provided in General Education 3rd Grade Classrooms for Language and Literacy Development by Former Preschool Special Education Services
The more integrated the preschool special education service, the less extra assistance was required from general education teachers on 3rd grade language and literacy tasks.
Students not classified until school age have needs for assistance very much like those of students formerly served in preschool special class programs.
|Related Services Only||SEIT Services Only||Related Services and SEIT||Special Class in Integrated Setting||Special Class Program||No Preschool Services|
|No Extra Assistance Required||0.49||0.38||0.17||0.31||0.25||0.25|
|Requires Periodic Assistance||0.29||0.38||0.49||0.31||0.24||0.26|
|Requires Frequent Assistance||0.11||0.23||0.29||0.27||0.34||0.29|
|Requires Continuous Assistance||0.12||0||0.06||0.11||0.17||0.2|
Preliminary summary of findings
Source: independent research by MGT of America, Inc.
NYSED VESID, DVJ
Oct. 3, 2007


Modeling Aspects of Nature of Science to Preservice Elementary Teachers Documents
Nature of science was modeled using guided inquiry activities in the university classroom with elementary education majors. A physical science content course initially used an Aristotelian model where students discussed the relationship between distance from a constant radiation source and the amount of radiation received based on accepted "truths" or principles and concluded that there was an inverse relationship. The class became Galilean in nature, using the scientific method to test that hypothesis. Examining data, the class rejected their hypothesis and concluded that there is an inverse square relationship. Assignments, given before and after the hypothesis testing, show the student's misconceptions and their acceptance of scientifically acceptable conceptions. Answers on exam questions further support this conceptual change. Students spent less class time on the inverse square relationship later when examining electrostatic force, magnetic force, gravity, and planetary solar radiation because the students related this particular experience to other physical relationships.
- Download PERC06_Ashcraft.pdf - 124kb Adobe PDF Document
Published January 30, 2007
Last Modified January 29, 2011
This file is included in the full-text index.


As a geriatrician and an ethnomusicologist, I have had ample opportunity to observe the impact of music upon gait among my patients. Whether singing “Tumbalalaika” in order to help a Parkinsonian patient avoid freezing on a threshold, or singing “Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey,” in order to help someone with dementia get up and walk to the dining hall, I have watched as halting, shuffling gaits develop a steady rhythm. In each case, the patient begins to walk in synchrony with the song and the caregiver.
It was with delight, therefore, that I read the article by Trombetti, et al., in the upcoming issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. They have taken such anecdotal experiences and subjected them to the rigors of the randomized clinical trial. Powered to detect measurable differences in gait, they have demonstrated in medical parlance what many of us have seen, that gait can improve with music.
Trombetti and colleagues offer us an interesting piece of information: that community-dwelling elders can have improved ability to ambulate when their steps are accompanied by piano music. They used Jacques-Dalcroze Eurythmics (an established music pedagogical approach that was developed in the late 19th century) in a 12 month-long RCT involving 134 community dwelling elders and an accepted research methodology. For the first time it has been shown, they say, “that participation in music-based multitask exercise classes once a week over a 6-month period can improve gait performance…and reduce both the rate of falls and the risk of falling in at-risk elderly community-dwelling adults” (online advance publication, November 22, 2010, p. E7).
It’s a great article, accepted in a highly reputable medical journal. My only question: where’s the music?
For the most part the authors appropriately cite the handful of music therapy articles that deal with gait. It's a shame, though, that they miss Alicia Ann Clair’s interesting work on rhythmic-auditory-stimulation (RAS). In one of the rare “negative finding” publications, she demonstrated that RAS did not lead to a significant difference in gait, but discovered that the caregivers involved in the study reported that ambulating a patient seemed easier when the music was playing.
The inclusion of music therapy literature in a medical journal is important here. There is more, however, to music research than music therapy and music’s therapeutic value. In the fields of ethnomusicology, music education (the academic home of Dalcroze Eurythmics), pscyhomusicology, psychology, neurology, gerontologic nursing, and geriatrics, some of us examine the music itself as well as its habilitative and rehabilitative effects. There is even a new analogue to medical anthropology, called medical ethnomusicology, which is devoted to issues of music, culture, health and healing.
As a musicologist, I would like to hear more about the music chosen in these sessions. Was it all improvised? And if so, how was the give-and-take established between the instructor and students? Were there direct musical references to melodies from childhood? Were there performances of familiar songs? Did the choice of music make a difference in its efficacy? It is unreasonable to ask a group of physicians and researchers to take an article this far in the Archives. But it is absolutely reasonable to begin a conversation.
Now is the time for each of us to step outside of our academic silos, following in the footsteps of Trombetti and colleagues. They have built a bridge between geriatric falls prevention and music education in order to keep older people from falling. Our older patients will benefit from this stretch between the disciplines.
Reaching out across disciplines brings a multi-faceted understanding of the problems, and a better understanding of potential solutions. Will I be able to start a Dalcroze school at the nursing home where I practice? No. But I will feel more confident as I continue to encourage my patients to sing as they walk. And I would be delighted to start building more bridges across the academy.
Trombetti, A; Hars, M.; Herrmann, FR; Kressig, RW; Ferrari, S; Rizzoli, R. Effect of Music-Based Multitask Training on Gait, Balance and Fall Risk in Elderly People. Archives of Internal Medicine. Published online November 22, 2010. http://www.archinternmed.com/
by: Theresa Allison


Stephanie David, Fletcher Elementary School literacy coach, recently met with reading teachers Lori Bird, Mindy John and Cassandra Monaghan during their weekly meeting to discuss and monitor students' progress in reading. The teachers use data to discuss students' strengths and challenges and to make adjustments in instruction. They work together to best place students in intervention programs.
Through a Response to Intervention pilot 5-year grant from New York state, Fletcher Elementary School was fortunate to be awarded a literacy coach. A literacy coach is trained to work effectively with peer colleagues to help strengthen the overall reading program. All district schools, however, are doing similar response to intervention for their students who are challenged.
"We work very hard to tailor and target instruction based on each student's specific needs," said the group. "We are constantly digging into the data to find out what the exact needs are and to then develop a strategy, as a group, that will help improve that skill. Students grow at different levels and we want to figure out what interventions will work best for each student."
The way students are studied in the weekly meetings is multi-fold. The Jamestown Schools assesses all students regularly on the big ideas of early literacy development using DIBELS, a standardized research-based assessment. From this information, literacy strengths and challenges are identified for each student. Based on an overall score, the students are placed in to one of three groups or tiers of literacy development: benchmark, strategic and intensive. To provide even more prescriptive instruction for students within these tiers, classroom and intervention data is also collected, shared, and analyzed during weekly grade level meetings as well. Individual student concerns are addressed, goals are set, goals are set, interventions are implemented, and students are continuously monitored. Instructional decisions are made based on all of this data.
All district elementary students receive a daily, uninterrupted 90-minute reading block that includes whole-group instruction and differentiated small-group instruction. Students are engaged in meaningful literacy practices in literacy workstations while the teacher meets with small groups.
In addition to the 90-minute reading block, students who are on track, or benchmark, also receive enrichment activities or help in a literacy "gap" they may have. For the "strategic" students who need support, an additional 30-minutes in skill groups, with a classroom teacher or a reading teacher, is provided. These students are monitored every three weeks with data to make changes.
The "intensive" or at-risk students, not only receive the 90-minute block and 30-minute support, but also an additional 15-30 minutes with a Fletcher reading teacher working on very specific skills that are challenging for the student. The intensive students are monitored weekly, often using out of grade level assessments.
After evaluating the students, the literacy coach, reading teachers, and/or classroom teachers may make changes in the current reading program in either the intervention used, the group size, and/or the amount of time for the intervention.
"We are working hard to track student growth, close literacy gaps, and help every student improve at an appropriate rate. We want parents to know that all students develop in literacy at different levels. Keep in close contact with your child's teacher to know how your child is doing and what skills they may need to develop," said the Fletcher reading teachers. "It is invaluable if parents continue to support in-school instruction at home by reading with child daily and working on developing those skills."


Introducing your child to music education at a young age offers an incredible array of developmental benefits. more
It's always stressful when your child is sick. But, illnesses that you can't even identify can make the situation even more stressful for both you and your child. Unlike the common cold, flu, or a fever, Kawasaki disease is not an illness most mums find they are familiar with.
Kawasaki disease, named after the doctor that discovered it, is a disease that causes inflammation of the arteries. It occurs mainly in young children - usually in kids under five - and can damage the heart muscle and coronary arteries.
Kawasaki disease is treatable
The good news is that Kawasaki disease is treatable and most kids recover without any long-term effects.
Doctors aren't really sure what causes Kawasaki disease but it might be linked to bacteria, a virus, or some sort of environmental factor. Many researchers believe that there is a genetic link, too.
Some scary symptoms
Kawasaki disease has multiple symptoms, beginning with a high fever that usually doesn't respond to paracetamol. The fever can continue for more than five days. The other symptoms of Kawasaki disease are mainly due to the inflammation of the arteries and heart muscle. They include:
- Rash - possibly on the torso, groin, the palms of the hands and the bottom of the feet
- Swollen and cracked lips
- Red eyes
- Red, swollen tongue
- Swollen hands and feet
- Swollen lymph nodes
As the condition gets worse, your child might experience:
- Peeling of the skin on the hands and feet
- Joint pain
- Abdominal pain
Even though the symptoms of Kawasaki disease are pretty scary, getting treatment for your child within ten days may lessen the long-term damage the disease can do. Whenever you suspect that your child may have Kawasaki disease (or any of the symptoms of the disease), contact the doctor immediately. The key to avoiding lasting damage is a fast diagnosis and treatment.
Testing and treatment
Although there is no specific test to diagnose Kawasaki disease, blood tests and an echocardiogram, a test that looks for changes in the coronary arteries, can help the doctor see how far the disease has progressed.
Treatment includes intravenous gammaglobulin (immunoglobulin), blood proteins and and antibodies, and aspirin therapy. Be sure to never give aspirin to young children unless your doctor tells you to do so because of the connection between aspirin and Reye's syndrome.
Related immunity articles
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health, and Health Insite.
Last revised: Thursday, 29 April 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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Keywords: eurhythmics, movement, music classroom activities, music education, music education of young children, rhythm, Emile Jacques-Dalcroze
Abstract: This article explores Dalcroze Eurhythmics and its use in music theory education, both at a young age and at the college level. The author shares her own research and experiences as an instructor and presents Dalcroze activities that can be incorporated into the music classroom. The exercises discussed address visual, aural, and kinesthetic learning styles. Topics include solfege syllables, rhythmic solfege, interval training, active listening, phrasing, chord building and chord resolution.


Note: We are now in the process of building an Informational Text Reading Academy run by and taught by students during academic hour. Students can attend to 1) be taught the foundational skills for doing an analysis of informational text, or 2) attending students work with student coaches to collaborate on an analysis of informational text.
I specialize in creating measurable classroom evidence of new standards and strategies. The most difficult part of implementing change is producing this formative evidence of teaching and learning. Focusing beyond lesson plans to adapting actual teaching materials, I ensure teachers are ready to enter the classroom, teach new standards and strategies (including Common Core), and measure results. Teachers create and analyze common formative assessments; the evidence of new teaching all learning communities need for frequent Plan-Teach-Revise learning cycles. Before lessons are taught, learning standards, teaching strategies, including students mastering informational text, need to take form in planning so they provide the real-time data required for ongoing improvement.
Distinctions between levels of planning are critical. In our standards-based system, we work in a logical sequence from standards and maps (Level 1) to units and lessons (Level 2), and finally to formative assessments and teaching materials (Level 3). The capacity to produce evidence of classroom results is determined in Level 3; however, this is where things usually go wrong due to a shortage of time for PD and planning. Level 3 is precisely where teachers achieve a confidence and readiness threshold for new teaching. Without quality, classroom-ready, formative assessments and teaching materials, lessons do not go well and Plan-Teach-Revise teacher learning cycles are impossible for PLC's. We have to use provem methods in innovative ways.
There are two pairs of two informational text "power" structures found in most informational text, which helps students at all grade levels immediately begin to think critically about the text: Pair 1: Decription-Compare/Contract, and Pair 2: Sequence-Cause/Effect. You'll see these at work in almost every paragraph.
Common Core Resources: CLOSE READING PLANNING AND TIPS. Note: We (K-12) have advanced analytical structures that are beyond resources available here. Call and I'll provide you tips you can use that day. (928-243-1927)
Time for teacher PD and planning is a problem. Our collaborative teacher training is designed to demonstrate ways to respond rapidly when adapting and aligning curriculum to meet urgent needs.
The capacity to implement the Common Core is the same capacity required to adapt and improve lesson plans and teaching to meet a variety of needs. We’ve refined a way to adapt actual teaching materials so learning teams produce results in the “hours” available. Using a streamlined version of Understanding by Design, teachers focus on ready-to-teach classroom materials that represent and support the desired change.
Regarding Common Core, or more importantly informational texts, we’ve used informational text structures since 2006 as a prism through which we design new classroom-ready materials; we naturally support literacy while choosing better ways to teach. We translate the “what” to teach into materials of practice that define “how” to teach it. Both levels of curriclulum alignment are addressed. Teachers feel ready. Brief cycles of improvement become possible. Teachers unite in a common purpose, language, and the tools become learning teams.
"Thank you for making Common Core not scary!"
"This training has been intense but ultimately so valuable in giving me knowledge I need to successfully implement Common Core ELA standards into my CTE classroom! I have lesson plans, activities and resources that I can walk into my classroom and use NOW!"
"I have specific lesson plans that outline what I will be doing and what standards I am reaching. I have student handouts - graphic organizers - ready to be copied and handed out. I have teacher models to use for assessing what I want my students to "get"
"I am so excited to now have resources and an explanation of how to carry everything out. I now have a deeper understanding and a wealth of resources both from the presenter and participants. Thank you."
"They opened my eyes to a way the Common Core Standards can be embraced and not feared. They provided time to model, explain, and explore the program in relation to our needs."
"I am overjoyed with the strategies and resources I received to aide into the transition of the Common Core Standards."


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Educator: Like many other difficult pursuits, music requires [#permalink]
03 Jun 2007, 18:18
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Educator: Like many other difficult pursuits, music requires intense study and practice from an early age in order for one to become proficient. But many school music programs encourage only children who demonstrate early aptitude to continue studying music, while children who do not appear especially musical are directed towards other activities. Having learned to think of themselves as musically inept, these children do not devote any time to music, and thus some of them deprive themselves of the opportunity to develop latent but potentially significant musical talent.
The educator's statements, if true, would best support which of the following conclusions?
Music education should not devote special attention to talented students.
Everyone has the potential to learn music.
The number of proficient adult musicians is less than it could be.
Children are particularly sensitive to criticism from adults.
I'd stick my neck out for B. While C does sound good, we really cannot conclude that the number of proficient adult musicians could be higher - though it can be inferred. Why I don't like C is because for all you know it could have been what it is because it's possible even after spending time and learning the children could not develop into proficient musicians.
What the educationist is trying to make us believe IMO is that everyone has the potential - though it's not necessary that each one will necessarily become proficient.


Rhymes for kids is a great way to enhance language skills. Today we are super excited to have a guest, Melissa Taylor from Imagination Soup to tell us more about kids rhymes. She has a passion for teaching literacy in a fun and unexpected way. Kids Activities Blog is really excited about Melissa’s new book, Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader. Her book goes on sale today! Read below for a secret way to get special discounts this week…
I love that learning to rhyme and playing with rhyming are foundational skills for reading.
Rhyming is so much fun!
Rhymes for Kids
Here are my top eight favorite ideas for fun, playful rhyming activities for kids.
1. Sing Rhyming Songs
Sing these familiar songs to practice rhyming.
Silly variation: When you get to the last word in a line, change it!
Example: In the Ants song, see what other words you can rhyme with the number words.
Down By the Bay
Miss Mary Mack
The Ants Go Marching One by One
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
2. Rhyming Thumbs
Take rhyming with you anywhere – like this easy-to-play game that is perfect for the waiting room, a restaurant, or a sister’s lesson. Say two words that may or may not rhyme. Have your kids decide if the words rhyme or not. Thumbs up if they rhyme. Thumbs down if they don’t.
3. Toss, Rhyme, Catch
My daughter who is seven still loves to play this with me. We get a ball and stand (or sit) facing each other. The person who tosses the ball says a word. The other catches and throws it back, saying a word that rhymes. Keep going until you run out of rhyming words. Then, start with a new word.
Example: Hall – ball and turtle – surtle (yes, you can use nonsense words in our game!)
4. Rhyming Treasure Hunt
Write your own treasure hunt clues using rhyming end words. Or, print out a free rhyming treasure hunt from the Book Love website.
5. Magnet Letter Words
Do you have magnetic letters for your fridge? Use them to start a word tower. Make an easy word like HAT. Ask your child to make list of rhyming words underneath. This way it’s easy to see the letter family in the pattern:
6. Nursery Rhymes
Read nursery rhymes together. Find several that you can learn by heart. Now, try to say them in silly voices: cowboy, fancy person, squeaky mouse, loud talker.
7. Read Rhyming Books
As your reading these rhyming stories, see if your child can guess what rhyming word is coming up. (Especially in Guess Again! Because there’s a trick!)
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin
- Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car by Eileen Christelow
- Guess Again! By Mac Barnett
- King Hugo’s Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
- Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
- Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Fingerplays are chanting rhymes with hand movements. You probably know more of these than you think. They’re great because they add movement to rhyme!
The Itsy, Bitsy Spider
I’m a Little Teapot
Open, Shut Them
So rhyme and play,
this very day.
Your kids will say,
For more fun ideas to encourage literacy and a love of books, you’ll want my new book, Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader. Now available in Kindle and soon in paperback. Click here for information about extra bonuses available during the week of November 15 – 21!


The Role of Fathers in Their Child's Literacy Development: K-3
By: Reading Rockets
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How should I start?
Stop by the children's area at your local library, or check out the recommended books by Reading Rockets. Select books that interest you or your child — read about famous athletes, historical events, or how things work. You can read chapter books with older children (like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter), reading a little bit each day. Be patient! If you haven't read with your child before, she may need time to get accustomed to this activity.
What if I'm not with my child every day?
If you don't see your child each day, try arranging a regular time to read books over the phone or create your own podcast! Your child will look forward to this individual time with you, and you will also be modeling behavior that will keep your child on a path toward learning.
What if I don't like reading?
- Tell stories about your own life or when you were young
- Talk about the print that is in your environment. For example, read and talk about road signs or brand names on food containers
- Check out books of photography or art and talk about the pictures
- Involve your child in everyday writing tasks like shopping lists, thank you notes
- When you are doing household projects, describe what you are doing. Use interesting words!
- Ask your child about his day. Engage in conversation that extends simple sentences
Conversation with adults helps children learn new words and practice telling a story — both linked to better reading skills.
Walk the walk
Your child learns from what you do. Make sure the messages you are sending about reading tell your child that knowledge and literacy are valuable, achievable, and powerful.
*To view this file, you will need a copy of Acrobat Reader. If it is not already installed on your computer, click here to download.
Reading Rockets (2008)


In 2010, under the nationwide Elementary Education Program called Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), an education committee in Bhagwan Garhi in the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh, India completed the construction of an eight classroom school for the cost of $80 per square meter, whereas the cost incurred for a contractor lead construction of a comparable school structure in the nearby district of Lucknow was $124 per square meter.
According to review reports, the Community Beneficiary Committee in Bhagwan Garhi had completed the work drawing labor from the community and buying the required amount of materials at a lower rate with technical guidance from the district level engineer.
How does this happen?
A study conducted in four World Bank supported Community Demand Driven (CDD) projects in four states in India in 2009 shows a similar picture of substantial savings when the sub project activities are carried out by the immediate beneficiaries. Analysis of 47 constructions works show that Community Based Procurement (CBP) saves cost and time when compared to conventional estimates made by Public Works Departments and the savings are even higher in labor-intensive sub-projects. The savings ranged from 12% to 56% across the four States.
Another World Bank research reviewing Economic Results of CDD Programs in Burkina Faso, Indonesia and the Philippines undertaken in 2007 has shown that classrooms in Burkina Faso built by the PNGT are less than half the cost of those procured through competitive bidding to private contractors and adjudicated by the national procurement board on behalf of the Ministry of Education.
In all the above projects, the following key factors were identified as the real reasons that made the difference:
-In all cases, the common link was beneficiary involvement. Ownership of the need along planning and implementation is an excellent incenstive. Knowledge that their children will sit under the school roof that is constructed for the school ensures consciouness to quality.
-For the most part, no contractors were involved. This resulted in savings through minimizing overhead and some taxes that contractors pay to authorities;
-The contributions went beyond cash and labor. With beneficiaries also working as masons and laborers, the cost savings also stemmed from reducing wastage to near zero and buying only what was just required for the work being undertaken. Their zeal and commitment for making something that would influence their lives also lead to minimize costs for technical supervision and storage costs of materials;
-A noticeable practice that helped save costs from the India study was that of Relationship Based Procurement, wherein the communities established a mutually beneficial and accountable commercial relationship between purchaser and possibly the lone the supplier in the village for delivering the best products at best price for a common cause in their community; Conventionally, Relationship Based Procurement systems based on family and kinship arrangements could align with elite capture and nepotism, however the sub-projects review showed that accountability is motivated by common need as long as institutional structures are in place and that all parties want better outcomes. There were instances of social boycotts of suppliers who have tried to cheat the community and growing market for those who had won the trust by providing best products and value for money;
-Success depended on the technical complexities involved and the kind of support and commitment the community received from the engineering authorities. In most cases, we could sight at least one highly motivated engineer supporting the community in decision making and quality assurance;
-Studies have also identified that at individual sub project level, numerous factors like isolated locations, double and triple handling of materials and frequent on-site design modifications all conspire to make it virtually impossible for commercial contractors to compete with the community lead implementation on a cost basis.
Look around and let us know if you've noticed similar experiences...


Free Reading Strategies Pack 1
Reading and Word Solving Strategies Pack 1 is now free right on BuySellTeach, in the Wise Owl Factory online store. What’s in this pack? There are 162 pages with 20 reading comprehension and word solving posters, for one thing. Also included are some book companions for Scholastic books to help mentor the strategies. Other books are included, too. Pictures tell the best story, so see for yourself what is included. I prepared a PDF with more information, including the CCSS addressed for grades one and two.
By the way, did you see Reading and Word Solving Pack 2?
First, the word solving reading strategies are included, pocket chart cards for these strategies are also included, along with cards for any mentor text resources included in this pack. Auto the Otter is so perfect for sight words automaticity!
Next, there are posters for the reading comprehension strategies. Pocket chart cards for these strategies are also included, along with a card for any mentor text resources included in this pack. Quackers the Duck is my favorite!
Now for the Scholastic book companions/resources included in pack one. Seven Blind Mice can be used to help teach several strategies. This section includes work pages, activities, and also pocket chart cards for vocabulary.
The Arthur’s Valentine section has some sweet activities.
Chunky Monkey and Spinner the Spider are part of the Cinderella Penguin section.
Next, Scholastic’s sight word readers (or any emergent readers with the same words) help reinforce automaticity with Auto the Otter. By the way, here is a second Auto the Otter (only) freebie on Buy Sell Teach.
Next, Digger Dog helps mentor non-fiction conventions.
Finally, Clifford for President is used as an anchor text for several word solving strategies. Quackers the Duck is perfect for noticing dialogue in the text, also.
Thanks for reading!


Our children must learn to speak computer – and fast
Education reformers are like generals of old: always fighting the last war. For all all his good intentions, Michael Gove’s English Baccalaureate proposals and rejigging of the primary school curriculum will leave children woefully under-equipped for the world they face. Learning languages has long been an area where British students lag behind their global rivals, but now it’s speaking computer that’s being neglected.
The updated primary school curriculum focuses on reading, writing and arithmetic – the three Rs for people without a sense of irony – but also bolts on a commitment to teach a foreign language from age seven onwards. Mandarin is a valuable inclusion on the list, given the inevitable rise of China. But while Chinese children are mastering English and computer skills, in the UK programming is still predominantly a geeky hobby.
In January, Gove spoke candidly about the need for reform: “Imagine the dramatic change which could be possible in just a few years…instead of children bored out of their minds being taught how to use Word and Excel by bored teachers, we could have 11-year-olds able to write simple 2D computer animations using an MIT tool called Scratch. By 16, they could have an understanding of formal logic previously covered only in university courses and be writing their own apps for smartphones.”
It’s commendable that the Department for Education intends to ditch the current moribund ICT curriculum and put computer science in its place – but the approach is worrying. The plans seem to hinge on free materials provided in part by companies including Microsoft and Google. Corporate interests should not be allowed to drive education in computer science, as that will produce short-term thinking. Programming should be introduced at an early age to give British children an advantage over their rivals. Even those who don’t go on to work in the area will gain vital understanding of how the tools they use every day work.
The confidence that comes with speaking the tongue used by the world’s political and business elite has left us lagging behind in learning a second language. Sixty-eight per cent of British people speak no other language to any proficiency. Meanwhile, in China, over 250 million people are learning English. Our advantage as native speakers of the global language will seriously erode over time. That’s where ensuring proficiency in programming – the other world language – becomes so important.
There are great examples out there we can follow. CoderDojo began in Ireland, but has become a multinational operation running coding clubs for young people. In groups, children learn the basics of coding before going on to develop websites, apps and games under the instruction of skilled volunteers.
On the hardware side projects such as the Raspberry Pi, the ultra-affordable, programmable computer, are lowering the cost of providing tools to schools. Not since BBC Basic has there been such a fundamentally transformative tool for getting children inspired and knowledgeable about computing.
As Gove says, we must ensure that children now in school attain computer literacy that goes far beyond mere competence with word processing software and spreadsheets – but that will require greater focus than the current proposals suggest. It’s not enough to produce another set of app developers.
The cloud – networked computing – now underpins so much of the technology we rely on every day. The future will see the divide between the programmers and the programmed grow wider. Action now to improve computer science lessons will ensure our children are on the right side of it. If we fail, for those who aren’t naturally drawn to explore programming, the future will incomprehensible.
PornIQ is the most addictive pornography site ever built. This is going to ruin relationships
October 23rd, 2013 16:40
iPad Air, the new iPad Mini and Mavericks: an audacious Apple has thrown the gauntlet right in Google's face
October 22nd, 2013 19:45
Will Apple's new iPads be joined by the iWatch? The iPhone 5S holds the answers
October 22nd, 2013 9:34
What does Gordon Ramsay think he's doing? Installing surveillance equipment to watch your kids is wrong
October 21st, 2013 7:33
A plan for a New Britain: sell the UK and move somewhere nicer
October 19th, 2013 19:01


by Jenna Pirrie, business manager
Surviving winter in Chicago is one giant game, and the only prize for winning is retaining your sanity (and fingers and toes). There are plenty of rules and essential strategies, most of which are fairly simple if you have played the game your whole life. But for students from warmer climates, winter survival strategies sometimes feel as complex as learning Greek.
The first roadblock for Rebecca Arliskas, junior TESOL major from Arizona, was buying a coat. “My roommate makes fun of me because I ordered it online. It was a foreign concept to me to be able to go to a store and buy an appropriate coat for Chicago.”
Peter Cooper, sophomore youth ministry major from San Diego, California, said layering was the first thing he had to learn when he transferred last winter. “I did not understand the importance of [it] … it is not about having one big winter coat, but it is about having a few layers and the air trapped between them.”
Unlike newcomers to the game, Megan Gillespie, sophomore applied linguistics major, has been surviving Indiana winters since birth. She said, “If your hands are cold, do not blow on them … the moisture in your breath makes them colder in the long run.”
Personal strategies are equally important in this game: find out what helps you the most. For Cooper, gloves are essential, while Arliskas, who says she is miserable as soon as her ears get cold, gives a hat a higher priority. Others would emphasize the importance of wearing leggings or long johns under jeans, keeping your neck warm at all times or taking advantage of wool socks.
But staying warm and dealing with the physical effects are only half the game. The psychological effects of the lack of sun, especially for students raised in the South, can be a surprise. Consider taking vitamin D or getting a full spectrum sun lamp, and research Seasonal Affective Disorder if the winter doldrums seem worse than usual. Sometimes simply being aware of the psychological effects that can come with a cold and dark winter can help you get through it.
Being active and finding joy in the season is also an important strategy. Arliskas recommends bundling up and spending some time outside at least every few days. “If you stay inside for three months, you just aren’t going to feel good about yourself.”
“Do not isolate yourself,” advised Melissa Mancari, senior elementary education major from Clearwater, Florida. “If you are surrounded by people going through the same thing together, it makes it more fun than depressing.”


YOUNGSTERS will be number-crunching in schools across Hampshire this week as part of a national drive to improve numeracy skills.
Maths Week is an initiative aimed at getting youngsters engaged in maths and numeracy with the hope of continuing to learn the skills as they go through school and later life.
Pupils at Springhill Primary School in Southampton will be throwing themselves into the initiative by taking part in a whole week of maths-based activities that have been organised by staff.
Everything from PE to art lessons are being themed around maths and numeracy as part of the dedicated maths week.
Youngsters were even encouraged to wear odd socks to school to illustrate learning ‘odd and even’ numbers.
It comes as Hampshire MP Caroline Dinenage launches a new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Maths and Numeracy which was set up in light of last year’s OECD figures, which showed that 8.5 million adults in England and Wales have numeracy skills weaker than the average ten-year-old.
The aim of the group is to raise awareness about the importance of basic maths skills and to inform policy on improving adult numeracy and the future teaching of maths in schools.
The group will be launched by Education Minister Liz Truss.
Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said: “Not only are basic maths skills essential to our daily lives, they are also essential to Britain’s economic prosperity.
"If the UK is to be successful in the global race, it is essential that we take action to tackle this problem and raise the mathematical ability of people of all ages.”
Liz Truss said: “Maths is a vital subject for our children to master and for our country’s prosperity – maths qualifications command the highest earnings premium and are the best protection against unemployment.
"We have instigated a top-to-bottom overhaul of the subject so that all the way from the start of primary school through to 18 our young people have the best chance to succeed in maths.”


Weinberger, Jo (1993) A longitudinal study of literacy experiences, the role of parents, and children's literacy development. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.
This study investigated the literacy experiences and attainment of 42 children aged 3 to 7, who had attended preschool education in a city in the North of England. Data were collected through parent interviews before nursery entry; literacy assessment at school entry, and at age seven; and by parent, teacher and child interviews. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed. Four measures of literacy development at age seven were used: children's reading book level, writing ability and standardised scores for reading and English at seven. Factors before school entry shown to be significant were: vocabulary scores, number of letters known, how well children wrote their name and a phrase, whether they listened to stories at nursery, and how often they were read to at home. This was influenced by earlier home factors; by having access to books, being read to from storybooks, and having books read in their entirety, the age parents started reading to them, how many nursery rhymes they knew, and parents pointing out environmental print. By seven, other significant factors were parents' knowledge about school literacy, and how often children read to parents at home. Several findings confirmed those of previous studies. Others were new: having a favourite book before nursery, choosing to read books in nursery, access to home computers at seven, children storing literacy resources indiscriminately, parents reading more than newspapers and magazines, and parents providing examples of day-to-day literacy. Process variables appeared to exert greater effects on children's performance than status variables, such as social class, mother's employment and qualifications, and relatives with literacy difficulties. Home literacy experiences for the majority of children were barely acknowledged in school, and home learning for children with problems was often unsupported by school. For most children, homes provided rich, complex and powerful environments for literacy learning.
|Item Type:||Thesis (PhD)|
|Keywords:||Reading; Writing; Learning|
|Academic Units:||The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Education (Sheffield)|
|Depositing User:||EThOS Import Sheffield|
|Date Deposited:||25 Oct 2012 13:32|
|Last Modified:||08 Aug 2013 08:47|


The annual Learning Through Art exhibit features a selection of artworks created by 203 students between the ages of 6 and 12 who took part in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao education program during the 2005-6 academic year.
The goal of this education program is to reinforce areas of primary school curriculum using art-based activities. Resident artists work in public schools in close collaboration with the classroom teachers. Each program is unique and custom designed based on the interests, deficiencies and skill level of each class, and can be used to reinforce any area of school curriculum, ranging from Environmental Awareness to Mathematics. The classroom teacher identifies the targeted subject area, and the objectives, behaviors, and skills he or she wants to achieve. The artist and the Museum educator then work together to create a series of workshops organized into resource units. The 90-minute workshops—in photography, painting, sculpture, video, digital art or music—take place at the school one day a week for a period of 20 weeks.
Bizkaia: Velázquez in Basauri, Gandasegi in Galdakao, Txomin Aresti in Leioa, and Buenos Aires in Gallarta; two schools in Álava: Adurza in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Fabián Legorburu in Laudio; and three schools in the province of Gipuzkoa: Aitor in Donostia-San Sebastián, San José in Mendaro and Intxaurrondo in Donostia-San Sebastián.
Alex Carrascosa, Ibón Garagarza, Iñaki Gracenea, Julio Hernández, Aiora Kintana, Maider López, Manu Muniategiandikoetxea, Mercedes Périz, and Jorge Rubio.


Queen Elizabeth II is the queen of 54 Commonwealth countries. 16 of these countries are called Commonwealth Realm countries and Canada is one of them.
When Elizabeth steps down or dies, her son, Prince Charles will become King. If he steps down or dies, his first-born son, Prince William will become King–even though Princess Anne is the Queen’s only daughter and is next in age to Prince Charles.
In other words, because she is female, the crown wouldn’t go to Princess Anne.
Since the beginning of the British monarchy, men have been chosen first to become the next ruler.
A woman can only be chosen when there are no men in the monarch’s direct line, (like a brother or a brother’s sons).
That is how Elizabeth became queen. Her father, King George VI, had two daughters and no sons.
Last October, Commonwealth countries agreed that this centuries-old tradition was old-fashioned and should change.
Last week, at the opening of British Parliament in London, the Queen proposed a law to allow women to become Queen if that woman is next in line.
The Queen proposed other changes, as well.
She proposed that monarchs in Britain should be able to marry Roman Catholics.
This has been forbidden since the time of Henry VIII, who wanted to get a divorce (which was not allowed by the Catholic Church).
Henry VIII split the church into two parts — the Church of England (Anglican) and the Roman Catholic church. Since then no King or Queen of England has been allowed to marry a Catholic.
Stephen Harper has said Canada’s government approves of these changes but doesn’t consider them a priority for Canada.
He said he doesn’t believe there should be much time in Parliament spent debating them when there are other issues that are more important.
By Kathleen Tilly
What is your opinion on this issue? Do you think that girls and women should have the right to the crown if they are the first born? Why or why not?
Do agree with Stephen Harper? Is this issue less important than others? If so, which issues would be more important and why?
Reading Prompt: Comprehension Strategies
Read the title of the article and make predictions about what the text might be about.
How do your predictions change when you notice the picture of Queen Elizabeth II? Now what do you think the article might be about?
When you finished reading the article, discuss whether your initial prediction was correct or if it needed to be changed.
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME, Reading: 1.3).
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand increasingly complex texts (OME, Reading: 1.3).
Grammar Feature: Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that joins two words or phrases (groups of words) together. Some conjunctions include: and, but, or, nor, for, and yet.
Read the article and identify which sentences use conjunctions. In each sentence, identify which words/phrases are joined together by a conjunction.


Literacy development is the key component in the learning of all
school subjects and preparation for productive individual and community
Struggling readers experience great difficulty in reading and
comprehending everyday work documents, textbooks, websites, and other media. Dr. JoAnne Caldwell and Dr. Molly Shiffler designed an
intervention model reflecting the complex nature of literacy acquisition titled
CLIFFTOPS, an acronym for the plan's primary components:
layers, and (metacognitive)
Although highly adaptable to individual student needs, lesson
formats grounded in the CLIFFTOPS model and including the well-researched
components of successful literacy intervention were developed.
The current intervention formats use basics from this template
but, depending on the results of clinical quality literacy assessment, provide
more specific instruction in phonemic segmenting and blending (Hatcher,
Hulme, & Ellis, 1994), flexible metacognitive processing (Cartwright,
2008), fluency (Kuhn & Stahl, 2000; Wolf, Miller, & Donnelly, 2000),
and writing research (Baker, Gersten, & Graham, 2003).
This model is unique because not only is it research based, but
the individualized instruction that each student receives is determined by
student need, growth, and interests.
Learning to Read
When students are learning to read, we stress the building
blocks of successful lifetime literacy: rich language, sound play, rhyming,
word study skills including phonics, fluency, vocabulary comprehension, and
At these stages of reading, we choose fiction and
nonfiction materials based on the student’s interests.
Lessons include research-based comprehension
strategies, word study, and spelling activities to ensure reading progress.
Reading to Learn
We help maturing readers understand how to gain information
from all forms of electronic and paper print.
We teach thinking strategies, word analysis, and study skills
students need to read for information, study more effectively, learn content,
and read for pleasure.
Students learn to recognize how textbooks are organized, take
notes, identify unfamiliar words, analyze new information, and derive word
meanings, learn content, and read for pleasure.


Frequently Asked Questions
- I've got some feedback about the resources on this site. Who can I contact about this?
- Will there be more resources like this produced in the future?
- What is an archive?
- How do you know that these resources actually made a difference to pupils' literacy and numeracy skills?
- How can I get the best from the resources on this site?
- Why was this project developed?
Please contact the archives that worked with the schools to develop the resources. You can feed back directly to the archives by clicking on the "Feedback on this resource" link on the lists of learning resources pages.[ top ]
This is a stand alone project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund; and there are no plans to add more resources to this site at present. However, the archives involved in this project have developed a range of learning resources which can support and enrich the teaching of national curriculum areas. Archives may also be able to identify and select primary source material to suit your particular needs. Please contact the individual archives for more information.[ top ]
An archive refers to a collection of historical records, and also refers to the location in which these records are kept.
Archives are made up of records (primary source documents) which have been accumulated over the course of an individual or organisation's lifetime. For example, the archives of an individual may contain letters, papers, photographs, computer files, scrapbooks, financial records, diaries or any other kind of documentary materials created or collected by the individual, regardless of media or format. The archives of an organisation (such as a company or government), on the other hand, tend to contain different types of records, such as administrative files, business records, memos, official correspondence, meeting minutes, and so on.
In general, archives consist of records which have been especially selected for permanent or long-term preservation, due to their research value. Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique, unlike books or magazines, of which many identical copies exist. This means that archives (the places) are quite distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organisation, although archival collections can sometimes be found within library buildings.[ top ]
How do you know that these resources actually made a difference to pupils' literacy and numeracy skills?
MLA North East have commissioned an external evaluator to assess the difference the project had made to the pupils' learning in literacy and numeracy as a result of the project. Findings have indicated that there is immense interest in the project from both teachers and pupils and there has been progression in attainment.[ top ]
Detailed lesson plans and activities are available in Word format, so you can adapt them to suit your needs.
We would advise viewing the medium term plans initially in order to get an overview of each topic and also as a source of ideas for planning work over a period of time.
If you are looking for activities to support the teaching of specific literacy and numeracy learning objectives, use the Learning Objectives search function (link) to identify suitable activities and the sources which accompany them.
The resources on this site are organised around topic areas, linked into National Curriculum history units.[ top ]
This project was developed in response to a review of archives education, which MLA North East commissioned in 2004. A number of recommendations were made, including the idea that the archives worked more collaboratively and developed joint regional initiatives. It was also suggested that the archives approach national funding bodies for education projects, such as the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Primary Sources project evolved from these recommendations - developing participatory experiences for children and young people through the use of regional material and skills.[ top ]