Software for Struggling Learners
Delaware District Launches Reading Intervention To Help with AYP
Seaford School District (SSD) in Delaware is looking to give its adequate yearly progress (AYP) a shot in the arm through the use of a software-based reading intervention. The district has implemented Scientific Learning Corp.'s Fast ForWord educational software in an effort to help its elementary school students achieve AYP and meet state requirements.
While SSD piloted the software in 2005, at the time it was financially unable to purchase the software. However, in December 2009, with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the district was finally able to afford the applications and in spring 2010 began implementation in its four elementary schools, two of which failed to meet state AYP requirements in the 2008-2009 school year.
"We use a variety of intervention programs to help struggling students. The programs are all generally helpful, but none address the foundational cognitive skill sets that are the key to improved critical language and reading skills," said Paula Johnson, director of elementary education for SSD. "Fast ForWord is something every learner can benefit from, including English language learners, special education students, at-risk students, and those who are working below, at, or above grade level."
Johnson and other district leaders have expressed praise for the software's attention to key cognitive factors in literacy acquisition, including memory, attention, processing rate and sequencing.
Seaford School District serves about 3,500 total students in six schools sprewad across 82 square miles in lower Delaware. It has an annual budget of $38 million.
Further information on Fast ForWord, including technical specifications and links to assistance in locating funding, can be found Scientific Learning's site here.
Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.


Reading and mathematics scores of Chicago public school students held steady or showed slight improvement in the last year, especially for 1st and 2d graders, and school officials credit a change in instruction for the gains. The test scores released Wednesday by the Board of Education show that students throughout the city are now close to national standards for their grade levels in reading and math computation but remain far below standards in vocabulary, science and social studies.
Although all students appear to be making real gains in math, the improvements in reading and related subjects appear to have been made mostly by the brightest children.
``Our best students are doing better than ever before,`` said Carole Perlman, acting administrator of the Department of Research and Evaluation.
Some educators, though, expressed concern that efforts to upgrade students` skills this year-particularly of average and slow students lagging behind national norms-will be hampered by proposed personnel cuts that school officials say are needed to pay for a salary increase won by teachers in a 19- day strike.
``We may have to fire some of the people we have relied on for these gains,`` said Howard Denton, assistant to the general superintendent. ``We aren`t out of the woods yet. We see slow, steady progress. But we didn`t get behind overnight, and we won`t catch up overnight.``
First and 2d graders who took the test in 1987 gained a month in reading comprehension, math concepts and the math composite score-which combines several math tests-compared with students in those grades who took the test in 1986.
Overall, 1st graders gained two months in the vocabulary test. But, 1st graders in the lowest 25 percent of the class gained two months in math concepts and the composite math score and did not gain in reading or vocabulary. First graders in the top quarter of the class were better than last year`s students in reading comprehension, vocabulary, math concepts, math problem-solving and total math score.
The tests measure student achievement by comparing results with a national standard of what students at the same grade level are achieving in the month the test is given. A student scoring at grade level would have a score of 1.8 in 1st grade and 8.8 in 8th grade, because the tests are given in the 8th month of each year.
Vocabulary and reading comprehension, though related, are measured by separate tests. The tests that measure reading comprehension deliberately use simpler words so that what is measured is the child`s ability to find the main idea, understand sequences or make inferences. The vocabulary exams test a student`s knowledge of a wider variety of words.
The gains shown among students were attributed to the abandonment by the school system of its controversial Mastery Learning Reading program, which taught segmented skills rather than having children read from books. The program has been replaced with a comprehensive reading program that relies heavily on books and instruction for children to read for information and enjoyment.
Since the new teaching methods were adopted two years ago, the schools have stopped repeating the same math instruction for slower children and have begun using innovative methods to teach them math appropriate for their grade level while reteaching simpler skills to students who need extra help.
The benefits from changing reading and math instruction were most apparent in the youngest children, who were not hurt by the old methods, educators said.
``We changed our reading objectives so that we no longer concentrate on segmented skills but on the whole reading process,`` said Mattie Williams, director of the board`s bureau of language arts. ``We hope to move now to teaching reading in the subject areas so that students will be better able to use reading to help them learn social sciences and other subjects.``
Marie Jernigan, director of the Bureau of Mathematics, said the new math program`s success in the last two years is a good foundation for further development.
``Our students do a good job at math computation but are still weak on problem-solving skills,`` Jernigan said. ``Starting this year we have purchased calculators for students in 4th through 8th grades and have trained 2,500 lead teachers in how to use them to teach higher math concepts.``
Such a program follows current recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Math. Several consultants from the council helped Chicago develop its new math program, Jernigan said.
``The calculators will not replace the children`s ability to compute but will help them move beyond that to higher level skills,`` Jernigan said.
For the top 25 percent of the 8th graders in city public schools, median scores on the various tests included in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills ranged from 9.4 in reading comprehension to 9.7 in math problem-solving.


Learning Sight Words can be a challenge. Worse, it can be boring. But there is help! Here at Quiz-Tree.com you will find a treasure trove of free fun games, videos and printables.
Why Sight Words?
Sight Words (sometimes called the Dolch Word List) are some of the most frequently used words in the English language. Even though they number only about 200, Sight Words make up approximately 50 to 70 percent of any given general, non-technical text (you can verify it here). Therefore, teaching Sight Words as early as possible is considered a crucial part of elementary education.
We hope that you will find our Sight Words materials helpful and easy to use!
This engaging game will help your children memorize 220 Dolch Words. The goal of the game is to touch clouds with the appropriate word while flying the airplane. It takes less than a minute to learn, but offers hours of educational fun!
"I love this site and recommend it to all professionals that ask for computer sites."
- Pamela S., Teacher. Fort Worth, TX.
Sight Words Sentence Builder Game.
With this fun and simple game, your children can practice Sight Words in context. The goal is to assemble short sentences from the given words. The player receives visual and auditory feedback indicating whether the response is correct. Once the student answers correctly, the game moves to the next sentence.
Tip: Don't forget to click on the blinking checkmark when the answer is ready.
Do you happen to have a mobile tablet? This top-rated educational game is also available on iPad, Android and Kindle Fire!
Wordsearch puzzles are a great tool for helping children improve their language arts skills. Manually creating wordsearch puzzles is a time-consuming process. Besides, the number of already available puzzles is limited. So what's a teacher to do? Quiz-Tree.com to the rescue! Our super-fast Wordsearch Puzzle Generator will create a new puzzle for you in seconds.
Here's how it works:
1. Click on one of the links below.
2. On the next page you will see a puzzle generated using 10 or 20 random words from one of the standard Dolch lists.
Hot tip: To get another puzzle variation, simply reload the page and a new puzzle will be created for you automatically.
But there is more! If you want to choose the number of rows and columns, the amount of words, and other puzzle features, please use the Wordsearch Puzzle Generator.
Who Needs Them?
Reading is one of the most critical skills taught at school. It is virtually impossible for a person to live a productive life in our society without being functionally literate. Children with reading difficulties will undoubtedly have trouble mastering nearly all school subjects even if they are motivated to study. Conversely, children who learn to read in the early grades acquire one of the most basic skills needed to continue their education and be fully-functional as adults.
In many schools students are expected to be able to read simple material by the end of the second grade. One of the most important goals in teaching young students to read is making sure they are completely proficient with Sight Words.
There are two additional reasons why it is important to give Sight Words an extra priority. Firstly, phonetic analysis can't be applied to many of these words. Secondly, quite a few of them cannot be taught through pictures (e.g. "if", "soon", "but", etc.).
Even though it may take a considerable effort for children to learn the entire Dolch Word List, it is well worth it. Having the ability to recognize these words can dramatically increase confidence and improve reading proficiency of the beginning reader.
Because complete fluency with Sight Words is the foundation of literacy, a variety of techniques are used to teach them to children. Repetition and practice are very important in making Sight Words recognition automatic. For example, there are numerous group activities that help in teaching Dolch Word List in elementary school setting. These activities are often supplemented by interactive games that involve flashcards and computer software.
Clearly, exercises and games like the ones presented on this website can be most valuable when used as a part of a comprehensive reading education program that employs a variety of materials and activities.
Sight Words Buddy for Windows can help your children master Dolch Word List and have some fun too. The exercises are simple and it takes just a few seconds to learn how to use them. When the exercise starts, the student will hear one of the Sight Words. The student's task is to select the right word. After the student answers correctly, the game will move to the next word.


There's nothing more enjoyable for a kid than an educational game that encourages kids to learn through play. It's especially enticing to parents when children don't even realize that they're playing an educational game. Of course, with so many kids' educational games from video and computer to board and card games, the possibilities are endless for your little ones to grow, learn and have fun, all at the same time.
With rapidly growing technology come a slew of games that both entertain and educate children young and old. These interactive games combine technology with kid-friendly amusement to bring your children animated games that can improve basic skills, knowledge and support their education. The Kurio 7 tablet, which runs Android 4.0, comes packed with popular games that can help your children learn through play. With hundreds of free open source educational games, your child can spend hours learning and playing on their parental-controlled tablet.
If you don't want your child to have access to the internet, you can invest in handheld video game consoles like Lexibook games, where your children can play classic arcade games, learning games and more on a pre-loaded console. More cost effective than a tablet, handheld gaming devices boost hand-eye coordination, logic skills and more. Your child can have fun while playing games that push them to think more creatively.
Of course, standard computer games can also offer educational value to your child's play time. In addition to becoming acclimated to computer usage at a young age, you'll find a variety of kids' games that are perfect for learning. With fun educational games for kids that can help them in everything from math and science to reading and spelling, your children are sure to have hours of learning entertainment. For older kids, you can find trivia games, historical games and more to expand on educational topics that interest your children.
Of course, there's nothing quite like classic board and card games to help your children learn. With cooperative games that teach sharing and working together toward the same goal, your child will learn about social interaction. In addition to interaction with others, your children can also expand on classroom knowledge with games that test their skills. Educational Insights offers a vast selection of games that are enjoyable and excellent learning tools. Games like Wordical and Pass the Peas help children with letter recognition and word-building. Other games, like Free Range Fractions and Even Steven's Odd, are perfect for numbers and math problem-solving.
For older children, you'll find a wide selection of board games that teach them about strategy, boost creative thinking and even expand on already-learned ideas and skills. Scrabble is an excellent strategy and word game that pre-teens and teens can play to improve their vocabulary, strategic thinking and more. Cranium is the perfect game for engaging several parts of the brain. From word puzzles and artistic challenges to communication skills and trivia knowledge, this game pushes your kids to think inside and outside the box.
The excitement of playing games starts with an enjoyable game. Whether it's a single-player video game or a competitive card game with the whole family, your child's learning doesn't have to end in the classroom. With fun educational games for kids, your children are sure to enjoy learning at home just as much as they love playing. Regardless of your child's age, you'll find a variety of games that are suitable for their level of knowledge and understanding.


Elementary Education Teacher: Educational Requirements
Elementary education teaching positions usually require some formal education. Learn about the education, job duties and certification requirements to see if this is the right career for you.
Elementary education teachers help students in grades 1-6 learn about subjects ranging from mathematics to language arts. A bachelor's degree is usually required to become an elementary education teacher. However some schools require teachers to earn a master's. A professional experience is also often necessary. In addition to a college degree, different states have various certification requirements for teaching.
|Other Requirements||Certification or license, internship and training often required|
|Projected Job Growth (2012 - 2022)*||12%|
|Median Salary (2013)*||$53,590 annually|
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Education Requirements for the Career
Elementary education teachers are generally required to complete bachelor's degrees in elementary education. These programs typically last four years and begin with introductory courses in childhood education, development and psychology. Because students will need to teach a range of classes as elementary education teachers, most programs include courses in mathematics, history, science and language arts. Students also receive training on how to prepare and teach these classes.
In addition to their studies, aspiring elementary education teachers must complete professional experience programs. Sometimes called internships, these programs allow students to teach real elementary school classes under the supervision of licensed professional teachers. Students gain experience with designing curricula and teaching classes.
Some states may require teachers to be on the path to earning master's degrees by a set date. Once licensed, most teachers must participate in state-mandated continuing education programs in order to keep their skills current.
Although not mandatory to teach in private schools, licensure is required for all prospective candidates who wish to teach in public schools. Licensure requirements differ by state, but generally include a bachelor's degree, completion of a student-teacher internship and some teaching experience. Additionally, most states mandate prospective elementary education teachers to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing.
Designed to increase the number of licensed teachers, alternative licensure programs are available for college graduates who have not completed degrees in education or teacher preparation programs. For example, working professionals who are considering career changes may qualify to participate in alternative licensure programs. These programs allow participants to teach under provisional licenses while completing the appropriate education requirements. Other programs may provide 1-2 semesters of condensed learning to help students gain the necessary skills to earn their licenses.
Career Outlook and Salary Information
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates a 12% job growth for all elementary school teachers in the years 2012-2022. Elementary school teachers earned $53,590 as a median annual salary in 2013, according to the BLS.
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- Text size:
Every Child a Talker: Guidance for Early Language Lead Practitioners (First instalment)
- Publication date:
- Nov 2008
- Early years foundation stage practitioner
- Guidance, Early years to Key Stage 1, Subject leadership, Subject specific guidance
- Booklet, Key resource
This publication is available as a PDF file (1.1 MB).
Every Child a Talker (ECAT) aims to:
- raise children's achievement in early language
- improve practitioners' skills and knowledge
- increase parental understanding and involvement in children's language development
ECAT is designed to help create a developmentally appropriate, supportive and stimulating environment in which children can enjoy experimenting with and learning language. It can be implemented whether children are in Early Years settings, with a childminder or at home with their parents. Through everyday, fun and interesting activities which reflect children's interests, ECAT will encourage early language development right from the outset, extending children's vocabulary and helping them build sentences so that before they start school, children are confident and skilled communicators.
These materials are designed to support in developing the role as a lead practitioner and in developing high quality language provision and are closely linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
This first instalment includes the following sections:
- audit tools for evaluating your current language provision and identifying priorities for improvement
- features of communication-friendly settings: what does one look and sound like?
- top tips for effective communication: how best to communicate with children
- guidance on supporting children learning English as an Additional Language
- making the most of everyday activities to promote language development
- effective practice in securing parental engagement.
This publication may be available to order from:
- This publication is only available for download.
In this section
- CLLD consultant folder
- Child development overview
- Co-coaching directory
- Communication, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) programme: Materials for practitioners
- Every Child a Talker: Guidance for Early Language Lead Practitioners (First instalment)
- Every Child a Talker: Guidance for Early Language Lead Practitioners (Second instalment)
- IDP EYFS: Teaching and supporting pupils with SLCN
- Inclusion Development Programme Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs: Guidance for practitioners in the Early Years Foundation Stage
- Key Questions Documents to support ITT in reviewing and developing their literacy provision
- Letters and Sounds: Continuing professional development (CPD)
- Letters and sounds: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Mark Making Matters: Young children making meaning in all areas of learning and development
- Provision which best supports children with literacy difficulties
- School Improvement: Communication, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) across Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, North West region
- Supporting boys' achievements case study: Developing action research with practitioners in a nursery class in Gateshead
- Using ICT in the Foundation Stage case study - Brent LA
- 1.1 Child development
- Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
- Every Child a Talker: Guidance for Consultants and Early Language Lead Practitioners (Third instalment)
- Progress Matters: Reviewing and enhancing young children's development
- Seamless transitions: Supporting continuity in young children's learning
- Supporting children learning English as an additional language: Guidance for practitioners in the Early Years Foundation Stage


Check Routine Infant Motor Skill Development
Infant growth process should continue to be monitored. That is why, the baby should be routine for doctors to perform health checks. Not only weigh, measure body length, and head circumference alone. But also need to be examined motor skill development.
Monitoring the baby’s development will give good impact for the growth process. In the clinical report, the panel of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as quoted by Reuters Health, said the diagnosis and treatment can correct problems early hopes of helping children and families receive additional support.
Therefore, parents need to bring the baby to the doctor regularly to get a checkup. The doctor will then examine babies and children in order to determine whether there is a delay in the development of motor skills, such as difficulty sitting, standing, and talking.
By Meghann Lloyd, who examined motor development at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Canada, to recognize abnormalities and motor delays in children, hope, can make them be in a better developmental trajectory.
To that end, Dr.. Nortiz Garey and colleagues, the expert panel neuromotor screening AAP describes the capabilities that a child should make a visit to the doctor when she was 9, 18, 30, and 48 months. Of course that child development can be monitored well.
For instance, the nine-month-old baby should be able to roll to either side, sitting well without support and reaching or grasping objects. At age 18 months, children should be walking, sitting, and standing by itself.
“We hope that people can more quickly to a specialist and get an earlier diagnosis,” said Dr. Garey. Indeed, there are normal variations in child development. For example, when a child is late to run for two months parents should not need too sad.
But the delay is longer or there is a combination of a lot of motor problems, is the perfect excuse for parents to pay a visit to the pediatrician. “This type of development does not seem correct another, such as spasms or stiffness or repetitive motor movements could there be another alert sign for me,” said Meghann.
Motor delays are common and are not a result of other, more serious conditions, can be treated with physical therapy or occupational. Cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy are two of the most common diseases related to motor and both can be identified and addressed early.
In general, it is recommended that clinicians measure the circumference of the head and check the muscles, reflexes, and eye movements.


The PSAT (Preliminary SAT), qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship. It is also a wonderful test to help you practice for the SAT.
The PSAT measures:
- Critical reading skills
- Math problem-solving skills
- Writing skills
Why Take the PSAT?
- Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study.
- See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
- Enter the completion for scholarships from National Merit Scholarships (grade 11).
- Help prepare for the SAT.
- Receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to the Student Search Service.
The SAT tests the subject matter learned by students in high school and how well they apply that knowledge, through critical thinking, mathematics and writing.
- Three sections test critical reading (70 minutes total)
- Three sections test mathematics (70 Minutes total)
- Three sections test writing (60 minutes total)
- One variable (unscored) section tests critical reading, mathematics, or writing (25 minutes total)
Why Take The SAT?
- All colleges accept the SAT as an objective measurement of students' college readiness.
- Taking the SAT gives students access to scholarship opportunities
- Many colleges require the SAT or ACT as an entrance requirement.
The ACT tests what students have learned in high school courses in English, Mathematics and Science.
- English: 45 minutes
- Math: 60 minutes
- Reading: 35 minutes
- Science: 35 minutes
- Optional Writing: 30 minutes
Why Take The ACT?
- Taking the ACT gives students access to scholarship opportunities.
- There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT.
- Many colleges require the ACT or the SAT as an entrance requirement.
SAT II- Subject Tests
Some colleges will require that you take SAT II Subject Tests.
- Subject tests are a way for students to show their thorough knowledge of a certain subject, as well as their academic interest and determination to succeed.
- For more information or to register click here
The MVHS Counseling and Career website provides links to other websites as a convenience for our students, staff, and others who may visit our pages. Our school does not sanction or guarantee the accuracy or propriety of any information, offered services or products contained in any website linked directly or indirectly to our site.


Massachusetts College of Art and Design is the oldest art school in Boston, but its library is even older than the college itself.
In 1871 the Massachusetts Board of Education created a "traveling museum." Plaster casts, drawings, paintings, and art books were transported by horse-drawn wagons to towns across the state. The purpose was to spread art knowledge throughout the citizenry. It was the first collection of visual reference materials in the United States created to support public art education.
The rigors of travel damaged the collection. Within a year the need for its safe storage became an arguing point for founding a state art school. Although we can’t be certain if this was a deciding factor, in 1873 the legislature did create Massachusetts Normal Art School (now called Massachusetts College of Art and Design), and the traveling collection did indeed come to rest under its roof.
As MassArt developed, and the field of art education evolved, the collectionalso grew and developed: more books were acquired, and then journals, slides, films, videos, and digital images. In 1988, the library was named for the late Morton R. Godine, a Vice President and Trustee of the college. This exhibit celebrates the library’s 133 years of democratizing access to art and design information. Unlike the treasures in some libraries, the Godine’s most valuable books and portfolios are worn and spattered. They’re used heavily to support research conducted with paint, clay, wood, plaster, furnaces, and kilns, as well as with pencils, paper, and keyboards.


A new online site for history educators and students at ECU is called The History Educator.
East Carolina University professors Dr. Larry Tise and Dr. Allen Guidry have created an online site for history educators and students. Entitled “The History Educator,” the site is available at http://www.ecu.edu/HistoryEducator.
The site serves as an interactive tool and repository for research projects and writings from ECU faculty and students. The site includes a blog, network, discussion forum and links to additional sites of historical importance.
Tise said the site is a collaboration between historians and history educators at the university “to give recognition, continuing support and professional encouragement to history educators who have been awarded history education degrees from the university.”
“A further goal of the collaboration is to make a more effective use of those works that are already being accomplished by those rising and veteran history educators,” he said.
Tise said the site was designed for history educators, as a place that encourages active collaboration, promotes discussion of ideas and concerns, offers tools and assistance and provides a venue for them to display their research.
Tise is a professor of history in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. Guidry is a professor in the ECU College of Education.
The 2011 Campus Operations Awards for Excellence recipients are Robert Still with Facilities Engineering & Architectural Services for spirit and Phyllis West with Housekeeping Services administration for service.
East Carolina University will host an international Conference on Terrorism April 19-20, 2012. A call for papers has been issued, with a deadline of Dec. 30. Read the Call for Conference Proposals.
This will be the fourth in a series of conferences on morality and terrorism. The organizing committee invites scholars of psychology, political science, security studies, philosophy, theology and all other relevant disciplines to participate.
An image from the digital collection at ECU depicts an attempt to rescue survivors near the USS West Virginia during the Dec. 7, 1941 raid on Pearl Harbor.
In recognition of the 70th anniversary of the attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, members of the Joyner Library at East Carolina University have encouraged individuals to visit the digital exhibit, “Day of Infamy, 1941-2001.”
Professor Jonathan Dembo curated the exhibit 10 years ago, drawing from resources in the East Carolina Manuscript Collection. The collection includes many manuscript collections and oral histories pertaining to World War II, with particular emphasis on naval history.
An image from the eye-tracking study under way at ECU shows eye motion while viewing a work of art. (Contributed photo)
Collaborative work by Dr. Cynthia Bickley-Green (Art Education) and Dr. Nicholas Murray (Kinesiology) examines the relation between vision, cognition and language by collecting eye-tracking data from individuals viewing art work.
The study demonstrates significant gaze changes depending upon the cognitive goal of the view.
Download full description of the study here: ECU eyetracking study


Article posted by PBS Parents - Experts Speak Out - "Clicking with Children"
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is an organization that sets standards of excellence for programs for children from birth through age eight. Their research shows that computers can have important benefits for even very young children, including language development, literacy development, social development, and the development of important problem-solving skills. However, computers are most beneficial when parents and teachers provide appropriate guidance, when computer use is related to other kinds of learning, when high-quality software is used, and when children work on the computer with peers or adults.
The following specific recommendations from NAEYC about the use of computers with young children are based on both current research in child development and the professional opinions of early childhood educators.
- Computers should supplement--and not replace--activities and materials such as art, sand, water, books, music, outdoor exploration, experimenting with writing materials, dramatic play, and socializing with other children.
- Parents should guide children's use of computers. Be on hand to help your child, answer questions, and interact with your child as she works on the computer.
- Take the time to observe and participate in computer activities to gain an understanding about how your child thinks and learns. Observing children at the computer can reveal much about the way children are thinking and solving problems.
- Work with your child on the computer, and encourage him to work with a sibling or friend whenever possible. Using computers with others encourages important social skills, such as turn-taking and cooperation, and helps build your child's ability to speak and listen.
- Learn more about software for young children, and carefully preview the software your child uses. While there are many high-quality products available, some software is not appropriate for young children because it is difficult to use, highlights violent themes, or does not foster language or learning.
Posted by Aparna Datta: (www.aparnadatta.com)


KinderCare Early Foundations® Preschool Program
As preschoolers gain more self-esteem, they feel ready to take on the world. Our Early Foundations Preschool curriculum enhances that confidence by providing activities to help three- and four-year-old children become problem solvers and develop a love of lifelong learning.
Through independent exploration, structured activities, and hands-on learning, children develop a variety of skills and knowledge in areas like early literacy, mathematics, science, Spanish and social skills.
We're proud of the work we do. In fact, KinderCare creates its preschool curriculum and programs to align to approximately 140 learning standards that progress sequentially across six developmental domains. These include:
- Cognitive Development
- Creative Expression
- Executive Function
- Language and Literacy Development
- Physical Development and Wellness
- Social and Emotional Development
Common Core State Standards as well as early learning standards from several states helped inform the scope and sequence of our learning standards, and they’re backed by experts in each domain/content area.*
Add to this a healthy dose of running, jumping and movement to keep children active and you start to see why KinderCare is a true leader in early childhood education.
Our Preschool Program Features
- Themed units that encourage your child's curiosity, increase confidence, and support self-directed activities
- Hands-on experiences designed to boost problem solving and scientific thinking skills
- Daily small- and whole-group activities
- Observation-based assessments that track your child's progress toward developmental milestones and school readiness
- Portfolios that document growth and development through your child's work
- Regular teacher-family communication, including ways you can continue the learning in your own home
KinderCare Early Foundations Preschool Curriculum
A guide to your child's early education
Discover how our six areas of focus give your child endless opportunities to learn and grow.Communicating with OthersWe guide your child in developing communication skills.
We use a language-rich environment to encourage children's development of early literacy skills through activities like daily read-aloud of high-quality children's literature to promote a love of reading, journal experiences that give your child the ability to practice writing letters and words, and multiple opportunities to identify and use letters and words to expand their vocabulary and practice their developing abilities to communicate. Building Brain PowerWe help your child gain higher-level thinking skills.
We encourage the exploration of the physical properties of materials; use daily calendar activities to teach about sequence of events, patterns, and routines; and support the learning of cognitive skills such as counting, making predictions, testing, and drawing conclusions. Making New FriendsWe coach your child in developing strong relationships.
We model social concepts such as "please" and "thank you," have daily classroom conversations and community-building discussions, explore similarities and differences between children, and encourage cooperation with other children.Growing a Healthy BodyWe help your child refine motor skills.
We use lacing cards, stencils, and writing activities to enhance fine-motor skills; strengthen coordination and gross-motor skills through running, jumping, and throwing activities, offer healthful food choices for snacks and meals, and encourage learning about the ways our bodies respond to the exercise and nutrition we take in. Nurturing CreativityWe inspire your child to explore creative ideas and talents.
We encourage children to express themselves through creative arts and provide daily opportunities for children to paint, move, and sing, tell stories with puppets, and build and play in dramatic scenes. Developing Lasting Life SkillsWe develop real-time problem-solving skills.
We support the application of knowledge in new ways. We encourage curiosity and choice, provide children the opportunity to problem-solve, demonstrate flexibility (in thinking) and use daily routines to promote memory.


As public schools across the nation face budget cuts, arts education usually takes the biggest hit. Tricia Tunstall's book Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music profiles a Venezuelan music program for underprivileged youth and serves as an argument against arts defunding. Founded by José Antonio Abreu in 1975, El Sistema is a network of youth orchestras that provide children with after-school musical training to keep them away from the world of crime. Approximately 370,000 students participate in the program. One of its famous students includes Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dudamel has successfully brought the concept to the United States and is making a major impact. The book is an inspiring read and shows just how much music education can transform lives.
Purchase the book here: Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music
Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell /Getty Images


Instructor: Sandra Stadheim
Friday, January 23, 2015 - Saturday, February 07, 2015
Meet January 23 (4-9); January 24 (8-5); January 30 (3-9); January 31 (8-5); February 5 (4-9); February 6 (3-9) & February 7 (8-5), course completion February 27, 2015
Instruction Mode: Combination
Location: Reeder School, Reeder, ND
Academic Level: K-12 Professional Development
NDSU Credit Fee: $375
The Educational Psychology course explains the cognitive, linguistic, personal, social, and moral development of individuals as well as individual and group differences. It also describes behaviorist and social cognitive views of learning, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and informal and formal assessments.
This course is designed to provide information about how normal children develop and learn, as well as about the teaching process. Our knowledge about how children think, feel, and grow is far from complete, but what we do know can help teachers individualize teaching to meet children’s needs. Familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of different classroom practices will enable you to make better classroom choices. We will examine the scientific knowledge base of child development and educational psychology, and explore the implications for classroom practice.
A second purpose of the course is to teach different methods for gathering and recording information in the classroom. There are eight lab exercises involving observation and interaction with children of different ages in different settings. These exercises have a dual purpose- to help you understand the theories and concepts presented in class as well as give you practice at gathering and recording information.
• Describe the key principles and theories that guide teachers in their efforts to adapt instruction to students’ cognitive abilities and promote their further cognitive development.
• Explain how students differ from one another in their cognitive and linguistic development, and how teachers can accommodate such differences.
• Explain how self-concept and self-esteem affect the classroom performance of students
• Identify the strategies most likely to promote good relationships among diverse students
• Explain how students’ moral reasoning and behavior change over time, and what teachers can do to promote moral and prosocial development
• Investigate how to incorporate Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences into your teaching
• Compare and contrast the ways in which students from various cultural and ethnic groups are apt to be alike and different from one another, and identify the implications of these differences for classroom practice.
• Compare and contrast the ways in which males and females are alike and different, and identify what can be done to provide equitable educational opportunities for both genders.
• Define learning, self-efficacy, self-regulation and metacognition and identify the general theoretical perspectives that can be used to describe and explain it.
About The Instructor
Sandra Stadheim received her M.S. in Classroom Management from Northern State University. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from University of Mary. Sandra has 35+ years teaching experience.
A minimum $20 processing fee will be assessed per person for cancellations received after the start of the course. Refunds are not issued after the start of the course or after access to the course has been provided.


Monday, July 29, 2013
No Law Student Left Behind by Deanell Tacha.
Abstract: Dean Tacha examines legal education through the lens of the "no child left behind" discourse. Inspired by the controversy generated by this federal legislation focusing on elementary education standards, Dean Tacha evaluates legal education borrowing themes from the debate. She begins her analysis by acknowledging the critical role that lawyers play in modern society. Lawyers preserve the legacy of freedom and justice for all. A good legal education is an important component of protecting the rule of law for generations to come. Dean Tacha challenges legal professionals to come together in common cause to address the current models of legal education to better serve the profession, the nation, and the world for the future. As part of her analysis, Dean Tacha assesses the economic value of a legal education, the "teaching to the test" aspect of legal education, the need for legal education to prepare new lawyers for a rapidly changing legal environment while also instilling some of the age-old skills of the generalist lawyer, the role of the legal profession in shaping legal education, the role of lawyers in our nation and in the world, and how legal education can and should evolve to meet these challenges.


Reading assignments can be fun – we promise! Here, Hollywood, FL tutor Deanna P. shares her best reading comprehension strategies for students to keep in mind…
Do you like to play detective and solve mysteries? Well, here are the top reading comprehension strategies to use before, during, and after reading to crack the case and think outside the box.
- READ THE TITLE and highlight it; it is the key that unlocks the main idea and what the story is mainly about.
- Read the questions, not the answers. Pay attention to words in bold, CAPS, or italicized print and highlight or underline these words.
- Read the story. Underline or highlight any challenging vocabulary words. Try using context clues to figure out the word’s meaning. If you are still confused, have a dictionary handy. If you don’t understand the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, you will not fully understand the structure of the story.
- Process of elimination… get rid of those silly answers immediately… there are always two!
- Do you know what time it is? Yes indeed, it’s detective time! Let’s tackle those questions at the end, and show them who’s boss! If the answers can be found in the story (i.e. explicit questions), look for clue words in the question, and then go back and look for them in the text. Highlight or underline the answer. This is where your detective skills really come in handy!
- Every detective encounters challenges, similar to those challenging questions that cannot be found in the text (i.e. implicit questions). These types of questions are a challenge but not for us super detectives!
Good detectives and readers must use their background knowledge and new knowledge to uncover the correct answer. These types of questions include main idea questions or what the story is mainly about. Again, read the title and the first few sentences. If you are still uncertain, read the last couple sentences. Look for repetitive words. These clues will guide you toward the correct answer, but remember, the MAIN clue to the main idea is right at the top of the page, directly under your magnifying glass: the TITLE! Many detectives are in a hurry to get to their next case and do not realize that the answers are right under their nose!
Questions about the author’s purpose questions are another type, as well as questions about the genre of text. Here is a helpful clue all detectives need to know in order to understand the author’s purpose. Hint: It’s a type of dessert and it comes in many varieties, for example, pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, apple, etc. Give up? Well, if you guessed pie you are correct! There are three main reasons authors write. These three reasons spell out the word PIE: to persuade, inform, or entertain!
Here are some more clues to unveil the author’s purpose and genre of the text: If it’s nonfiction and has real pictures, chances are it is to inform. This type of text can be found in newspapers, history books, autobiographies, news channels, or anything that gives facts or anything that can be proven. If the text has made-up characters, even if the story could happen in real life, it is to entertain. These types of stories are realistic fiction, fantasy, fairytales, or anything that is not real. A story doesn’t have to always be funny to entertain.
Finally, if it sounds like a television commercial or contains a lot of opinions, the author is trying to persuade you to agree with them, therefore, it is to persuade. Be careful, as it is very easy to confuse persuasive text and nonfiction. If it has a lot of opinions, chances are it is to persuade. I like to make a t-chart with one side labeled fact and the other opinion. Then, I skim through the text and keep track of how many opinions and facts there were. The side with the most is the winner!
Detectives need to work hard to solve each case, as well as good readers. If you follow these reading comprehension strategies, you will solve the case every time! Happy investigating detectives!
Deanna P. offers tutoring in a variety of subjects in Hollywood, FL. She has been a full-time educator in Florida for almost eight years. Learn more about Deanna here!


Carla Hogar teaches math and science to grade 5 and grade 6 students in a level 9 NANS school in Québec. She studied Elementary Education at McGill University. She has been teaching for six years and has taught abroad.
With international teaching experience, Carla Hogar has seen a broad variety of learning and teaching resources. Two of her favorite are Reflex and Gizmos. With ExploreLearning’s best-of-breed products, “learning is interactive and students can explore concepts on their own, so learning isn’t so teacher-directed. Also, Gizmos and Reflex take pressure off the teacher because you don’t have to develop extra materials.”
In Carla’s math classes, she uses stations. Her stations include Reflex on laptops, a strategy station, and a manipulative station. Students travel between stations, spending fifteen minutes at each. Carla shares, “The students really enjoy the Reflex station, and they just get so excited to go on it. It’s not like I am throwing them in front of a website that throws facts at them. They can play games, they can purchase things, they are intrigued… and they are learning at the same time! Even with students that have demonstrated mastery, I just find that I have such smoother classes because they already have the facts in mind.” She is working on including Gizmos as part of her math stations soon, too.
In Carla’s science classes, she uses Gizmos that complement each of the themes she teaches. Once she selects an appropriate Gizmo, she models how to use it. She explains, “All the kids sit in front of the interactive whiteboard and experiment together for 5-10 minutes.” Then she lets the students work independently. “For younger grades, they explore the Gizmo in pairs, for grades 5-6 they do it on a laptop and complete it on their own.”
In addition, if the vocabulary is too difficult for some of her students, she says “it’s easy to change because all the Gizmo Lesson Materials are customizable,” which is great for her English Language Learners. Although she is in an Anglophone school board, she still has many bilingual students primarily from French speaking families. “ESL students have special requirements,” she explains, and “Gizmos are able to bridge the gap in vocabulary.”
One of her students’ favorite Gizmos is the Weight and Mass Gizmo because they can compare the weight of objects on earth and measure the mass of objects on different planets including a pumpkin, a flower pot, a baseball, and even a puppy. “They really like that part, and I like that it’s a cross-curricular concept.”
Carla is always sharing new Gizmos with fellow teachers because the simulations are “such great tools that go along with our curriculum guidelines. It is not like Gizmos are something extra, they complement what we’re supposed to be teaching.” Carla is always looking for new and exciting ways to integrate Gizmos, and shares, “as with any good teacher, I am always in the process of learning and improving my practice.”


Document Number: 7939Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance Matters, EFA Global Monitoring Report - This report offers a warning to governments, donors and the international community. On current trends universal primary education will not be achieved by 2015. Too many children are receiving an education of such poor quality that they leave school without basic literacy and numeracy skills. Deep and persistent disparities based on wealth, gender, location, ethnicity and other markers for disadvantage are acting as a major barrier to progress in education. If the world’s governments are serious about “education for all” they must get more serious about tackling inequity. The report presents some of the public policy and governance reforms that can break the cycle of disadvantage, improve access, raise quality, and enhance participation and accountability. Tracking progress annually toward the EFA goals, the report offers a comprehensive overview of the state of education in the world today. (UNESCO, January 2009)...


About the Program
The Music Together® Preschool program helps all children learn music in developmentally appropriate ways. Music Together's preschool music program uniquely integrates music experiences at home with those in school to create a music-making community which supports a child’s language, cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.
Children experience fifty to seventy-five songs a year and become familiar with important aspects of music-making – moving in rhythm, singing in various tonalities, improvising, listening, using language in musical ways, dancing, and “reading” song book pages.
Weekly Preschool Music Classes
Each week a trained Music Together® specialist leads the children and their classroom teachers in a variety of song, movement, and instrument activities. With the help of the Music Together materials—a special teacher-edition songbookand CD—the classroom teacher then builds on the music-class experience during the week. Music becomes part of daily classroom life, extending to other curriculum areas like language, art, and math.
Bringing the Music Home®Encourages Family Music-making
Music extends to family life, too, as children “bring the music home” to their parents through the Music Together family CD and illustrated songbook. The Music Together® specialist and the classroom teachers work together to create convenient opportunities for parents to experience the music activities at school, including classroom visits and special parent events.
Music in School
- Two fifteen-week semesters, consisting of weekly Music Together classes, are held in each classroom.
- Classroom teachers participate in class and follow through during the week, adapting activities to their curriculum needs and interests.
- Recordings, songbooks, and teaching materials are provided for classroom use.
Music at Home
- Children “bring the music home” for adult-child musical play, sharing the songs and activities learned in school.
- Each family receives their own copy of our professional Music Together recordings and songbooks.
- Parents appreciate knowing what their children are learning—and joining in on the fun!
Music Building Community
- Children learn from the model of music participation in class and at home.
- Children, parents, teachers, and staff make music together at school-wide events.
- The musical experiences provide adults with a new arena for observation, evaluation, and appreciation of the child’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.
- The joy of extended family music at home and in school creates a natural circle of learning that builds parent/child, parent/teacher and parent/school relationships.
How can I bring the Music Together Preschool program to my child's school?
If you would like information about bringing this highly-respected program to your child’s school, please contact our office.
Music Development and Research
The Importance of Music in Early Childhood by Lili M. Levinowitz, Ph.D. by Lili M. Levinowitz, Ph.D.
Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills from Science Daily from Science Daily


Research conducted at the University of Chicago shows that female elementary school teachers who are anxious about math often pass the phobia on to female students. Published in a recent edition of PNAS, the findings are the product of a year-long study on 17 first- and second-grade teachers and 52 boys and 65 girls who were their students. The researchers found that boys' math performance was not related to their teacher's math anxiety while girls' math achievement was affected.
To determine the impact of teachers' mathematics anxiety on students, the team assessed teachers' anxiety about math. Then, at both the beginning and end of the school year, the research team also tested the students' level of mathematics achievement and the gender stereotypes the students held.
The students were told gender neutral stories about students who were good at mathematics and good at reading and then asked to draw a picture of a student who was good at mathematics and one that was good at reading. Researchers were interested in examining the genders of the drawings that children produced for each story.
At the beginning of the school year, student math achievement was unrelated to teacher math anxiety in both boys and girls. By the end of the school year, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls, but not boys, were to endorse the view that "boys are good at math and girls are good at reading." Girls who accepted this stereotype did significantly worse on math achievement measures at the end of the school year than girls who did not accept the stereotype and than boys overall.
Girls who confirmed a belief that boys are better in math than girls scored six points lower in math achievement than did boys or girls who had not developed a belief in the stereotype (102 for the girls who accepted the stereotype, versus 108 for the other students).
Other research has shown that elementary school children are highly influenced by the attitudes of adults and that this relationship is strongest for students and adults of the same gender. "Thus it may be that first- and second-grade girls are more likely to be influenced by their teachers' anxieties than their male classmates, because most early elementary school teachers are female and the high levels of math anxiety in this teacher population confirm a societal stereotype about girls' math ability," Beilock said.
The authors suggest that elementary teacher preparation programs could be strengthened by requiring more mathematics preparation for future teachers as well as by addressing issues of math attitudes and anxiety in these teachers.
More than 90 percent of elementary school teachers in the country are women and they are able to get their teaching certificates with very little mathematics preparation, according to the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education. Other research shows that elementary education majors have the highest rate of mathematics anxiety of any college major.
The potential of these teachers to impact girls' performance by transmitting their own anxiety about mathematics has important consequences. Teachers' anxiety might undermine female students' confidence in learning mathematics throughout their years of schooling and also decrease their performance in other subjects, such as science and engineering, which are dependent on mathematical understanding.
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Whether you are a classroom teacher, a school administrator, a curriculum specialist, or the director of an out-of-school time program, you’ll find resources to help you effectively use educational media to build math and literacy skills in young children.
These standards-based lesson plans provide classroom teachers with activities and related reading resources for building early math skills. Related at-home activities enable parents to reinforce the skills at home.
Find multimedia resources that support math and literacy development, designed for use in after-school programs and other out-of- school settings such as during summer and spring breaks. The resources include materials for extended learning programs of between six and 18 weeks, including orientation materials for program facilitators, full activity plans, related video clips, and take-home activities for families.
These tips provide teachers with detailed lesson plans for effectively integrating online games into their classroom curricula to enhance children’s early math and literacy development. Each set of tips is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and the technology standards established by the International Society of Technology in Education. The tips suggest ways to use the games – 4 to 5 per set – in both whole-class and small-group settings.


(American, 1926–2013) was one of California''''''''s most renowned sculptors. Born to Japanese immigrants, in 1942, her family was sent to an internment camp for six months; while there, she spent time drawing and painting with other artists. Asawa traveled to Mexico City in 1945 to study Spanish and Mexican Art. While attending the Milwaukee State Teachers College in Wisconsin, she was told that she couldn’t complete her degree because of the prejudice that existed against the Japanese people at the time. As a result, Asawa continued her education at the Black Mountain College in North Carolina. While there, she studied under Josef Albers
, Merce Cunningham
, and Buckminster Fuller
In 1947, Asawa returned to Mexico and learned basket weaving techniques, which later inspired her to create crocheted wire sculptures. During the 1950s, Asawa began her art career making paintings and drawings that developed into linear works. Inevitably, her drawings shifted into sculpture. Asawa considers her wire sculptures to be three-dimensional drawings that change with the viewer’s perspective.
In 1966, the artist began to receive commissions for public art, starting with Andrea
, a fountain in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. She also designed the Japanese-American Internment Memorial Sculpture
in San Jose in 1994. Asawa collaborated with landscape artists in 2002 to bring large boulders from former Japanese internment camps to San Francisco State University to create the Garden of Remembrance
. Her belief in making art education available to children from all backgrounds lead her to co-found the Alvarado Arts Workshop (now called the San Francisco Arts Education Project) with Sally Woodbridge and other local parents in 1965. Asawa’s sculptures can be found in the collections of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art in Logan, Utah.
Asawa died in San Francisco, CA, at the age of 87.


Music Education Council:
One Voice for Music Education
The Music Education Council (MEC) acts as a medium for bringing together in a working relationship those organisations and institutions in the United Kingdom involved in music education and music education training, thereby creating a common meeting ground and opportunities for the exchange of information and the promotion of joint or connected activities.
As the umbrella body for organisations connected with music education in the United Kingdom and the UK’s representative body for ISME and other international organisations, MEC is uniquely placed to represent the music education sector. MEC’s strength is its capacity to unite all those who wish to make a difference to the lives of children and adults through the power of music.
What we Believe
All children should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and sing in school
- Music must remain integral to the national educational strategy and remain part of the national curriculum.
- Music supports attainment in numeracy and literacy and MEC will ensure that Head Teachers and community leaders understand its importance in living a well balanced and enriching life.
Government and ring-fenced funding for music education must remain in place
- Music education is a front line service and funding must be maintained, targeted and sustained for long-term results.
- Ring-fenced funding must be available for local authorities to deliver a wide range of inclusive, high quality learning opportunities.
- We must not return to the 1990s when the partial devolution of funding away from local authorities led to the shrinkage of music provision.
We must develop the workforce for the future
- We need a skilled workforce to provide music in every school and community so that people of all ages have access to the best music education possible, whether formal or informal.
Personal statement by Richard Hallam, Chair of MEC
I believe that the Music Education Council (MEC) has the capacity to bring together in a working relationship all those organisations and institutions in the United Kingdom involved in music education and music education training. MEC can facilitate a common meeting ground and opportunities for the exchange of information and the promotion of joint or connected activities.
During my period as chair, it is my intention to continue to improve communications, ensuring we have a strong evidence base for everything MEC says on behalf of music education. There is more that unites than divides us and, by working together, we can unite all those who wish to make a difference to the lives of children and adults through the power of music.
As ISME’s National Affiliate for the UK, MEC also brings a unique international perspective to all we do, as well as the opportunity to learn from best practice all over the world.
It is my intention to ensure MEC is
But, above all,
Through facilitating discussion and debate MEC will enable the sector to be better informed about the views different parts of the sector hold, including understanding why those differences exist. MEC will help to find common ground where possible and, following consultation with its members, the MEC executive will determine how best to move forward where there is disagreement.
MEC 2013 to 2016 will be addressing:
- The school music curriculum
- Funding for music education in and out of school 2015 to 2016
- Funding and policy development for music education 2015 to 2020 and beyond
I hope everyone who reads this will wish to engage and help us to take charge of the future direction of music education for all ages and to be part of the solution to the problems that, together, we need to address.


The report by a presidentially appointed committee on arts education makes the case that art education not only helps young people find their voice but also is an effective tool in improving student achievement in all subjects. It even ends up helping the private sector too.
The report, released by Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and called Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools, is the first federal analysis of arts education data in more than a decade and was 18 months in the making.
It makes the following five recommendations that serve as a blueprint for schools to increase arts education in public schools and integrate the arts into an array of other subjects:
1) Build robust collaborations among different approaches to arts education
2) Develop the field of arts integration
3) Expand in-school opportunities for teaching artists
4) Utilize federal and state policies to reinforce the place of arts in K-12 education
5) Widen the focus of evidence gathering about arts education
To see the entire report, click here: http://www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/photos/PCAH_Reinvesting_4web.pdf


A Briefe Introduction to the Skill of Song, C. 1587
When, in 1584, William Bathe, then just a young student at Oxford, published a tract on the teaching of music, his work became the first musical text book to appear in the English language. No copy of this work now exists, but some years later Bathe produced a new version, now called A brief Introduction to the skill of song. In it Bathe sought to present a new, much simpler way to learn music, in open opposition to the traditional approaches of the day, the "manifold and crabbed, confused, tedious rules", as he puts it. This book, a facsimile of Bathe's work, describes musical methods old and new and will be of great interest to musicologists and players of early music. Introduction by Bernarr Rainbow and published in the series ClassicTexts in Music Education.
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Getting Kids Excited About STEM
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- New Exhibit Takes Kids Inside Their Brain
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Math and science are responsible for the advances that make modern life possible.
They're also a lot of fun for kids to explore. And an interest in those subjects now leads to a promising future.
Career prospects are bright for those in the so-called STEM fields. That stands for science, technology, engineering and math. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that jobs in these fields will grow 17 percent from 2008 to 2018, faster than every sector except health care.
"That's where the economy is going," says James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition. "In order to get almost any job in the economy, you need these skills."
And STEM workers don't just include number-crunching mathematicians and scientists scurrying around labs in white coats. This category also includes people who work in architecture and manufacturing. Plus, adults who get jobs in STEM fields or students who choose them as college majors tend to command higher salaries than the average worker.
Does your child's future lie in STEM?
It just might, if something sparks his interest. Kids' inborn curiosity leads them to want to know more about how the world works.
"We are natural problem-solvers when we're born into this world," says Tony Murphy, director of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. "We build things and we knock them down, and we build them again."
Obstacles for Kids in Science
But most kids lose their fascination in these subjects as they get older. Researchers have found that one-third of students lose interest in science by fourth grade. Another 17 percent lose it middle school.
Much of the reason for this lost interest can be found in the way teachers are trained, says Murphy, former executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University. College-level elementary education programs are designed to prepare teachers how to educate children from kindergarten through sixth grade. With such a large range of developmental stages in those grades, aspiring teachers don't get much training in how to teach science in an engaging way, Murphy says.
Another problem is that most schools' curricula emphasize reading and math more than technology and engineering, Brown says. The tests that students are required to take in public schools assess how well they do in basic subjects, which leave less time for teachers to have fun teaching about science and technology.
And many kids and parents have mistaken beliefs about jobs in STEM fields. Say the word "engineer" to a lot of children, and they'll think of someone who drives a train. And Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, notes that many girls think math and science aren't suited for females. Visitors to his college in Pennsylvania are often surprised to learn that more than half the students are women.


Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve had a pretty exciting week here at Imagine Learning as we’ve brought you recaps from days one, two, and three of the National Title I Conference in Tampa, thoughts on Utah’s immigration stance and the Utah Compact, and a printable activity for Black History Month.
But don’t worry, the excitement will continue next week with free Imagine Learning valentines, an introduction to our new webinar series, and other exciting posts. So stay tuned.
Before we sign off for the weekend, here are a few links that caught our eye this week:
- Challenging the Gifted A look at one amazing program that’s keeping gifted students challenged and engaged.
- Research Finds Text Messaging Improves Children’s Spelling Skills A new study found that text messaging did not hinder kids’ literacy development; in fact, just the opposite.
- Rote Memorization: Overrated or Underrated? If nothing else, click over to this article to watch a 3-year-old recite Billy Collins’s “Litany.”
- Bending and Stretching Classroom Lessons to Make Math Inspire This article links to another great video–Vi Hart’s popular youtube clip about doodling in math class.
- 25 Comical Quotes about the Confusing English Language If you work with English learners, you’ll want to check these out–twenty-five wonderful and hilarious ways the English language confuses us all.


Press Release 10-138
Research Shows a Good Kindergarten Education Makes Dollars and Sense
Harvard University's John Friedman discusses how kindergarten learning affects adult success
August 10, 2010
View a video with John Friedman of Harvard University.
There isn't a lot of research that links early childhood test scores to earnings as an adult. But new research reveals a surprising finding: Students who learn more in kindergarten earn more as adults. They are also more successful overall.
Harvard University economist John Friedman says he and a group of colleagues found that students who progress during their kindergarten year from attaining an average score on the Stanford Achievement Test to attaining a score in the 60th percentile can expect to make about $1,000 more a year at age 27 than students whose scores remain average.
Taking into account all variation across kindergarten classes, including class size, individuals who learn more--as measured by an above-average score on the Stanford Achievement Test--and are in smaller classes earn about $2,000 more per year at age 27.
Moreover, students who learn more in kindergarten are more likely to go to college than students with similar backgrounds. Those who learn more in kindergarten are also less likely to become single parents, more likely to own a home by age 28 and more likely to save for retirement earlier in their work lives.
"Kindergarten interventions matter a great deal for long-term outcomes," said Friedman. "For instance, being in a smaller class for two years increases the probability of attending college by 2 percent.
"We find that both smaller class sizes and teachers with more experience improve long-term outcomes," he said. "We believe that other teacher characteristics, as well as various characteristics of a student's peers, also have significant impacts on later life outcomes, but the data did not allow us to measure those effects well."
Friedman and colleagues from Harvard, Northwestern University and University of California, Berkeley, used a well-known education experiment conducted in Tennessee as a starting point to measure adult outcomes of early childhood learning. In the mid-1980s, the Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project placed students in classes of different size to determine how class size affects student learning. Results showed that students in small classes learn more and have greater academic success.
This new study, funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Social and Economic Sciences, examined adult outcomes of nearly 12,000 students who took part in the original study and who are now 30 years old. It allowed the research team to go beyond what children learned during their year in the STAR project to see how their kindergarten learning experiences affected their lives. Researchers recently presented results of the new study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, at an academic conference in Cambridge, Mass.
To learn more about what the researchers found, see John Friedman discuss the recent study in the accompanying video.
Bobbie Mixon, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email@example.com
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John Friedman, Harvard University, (617) 495-8628, email@example.com
PowerPoint briefing: How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earnings?: http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/STAR_slides.pdf
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2014, its budget is $7.2 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $593 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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A preschool wall in Mesa is covered in words, colors and pictures.
Children in the classroom are learning graphing. One poster shows how many children said they would prefer to travel by plane, boat or car.
Another spot on the wall holds some of the children’s first examples of writing their names.
Kim Freehan, Mesa Unified School District’s early childhood specialist, said the state’s focus on reading by the end of third grade is fueling parents’ wishes for more preschool programs. The district plans to add about 200 spots next year to its community education preschool program, which now has 1,000 students districtwide.
At preschool, children may learn letter recognition, sight words and more during the day. “Center time” allows children to choose different life-skills to focus on, though to them it’s more like time to “play mommy” or “play school.”
“It’s a lot about social skills, but also vocabulary questions and technique,” Freehan said while walking a reporter through a classroom at the Mesa Education Center. “There’s elaboration of instruction. Critical thinking is a big piece of Common Core.”
Common Core Standards have been adopted by Arizona and more than 40 other states. The standards are designed to allow students to move from state to state and still face the same rigorous instruction.
And it starts with kindergarten.
President Obama, in his State of the Union addresses, spoke to the need for more early childhood learning opportunities for 4-year-olds.
Arizona voters put their money behind early childhood learning with Prop. 203 in 2006 that created a program later named First Things First and funded it through a tobacco tax. That organization helps provide grants for preschool programs, as well as address parenting and childhood development as soon as birth.
“Right now research is showing the students who have best opportunities for (school) success have come in with an ability in a social environment, know how to express their needs and delay gratification,” Mesa’s Freehan said. “The children who come in without preschool may not have those skills.”
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"Music can help people relax. It's one of those activities that lets the mind wander freely. We need to let go sometimes and just go with the flow, that's music's main purpose. It can transport the listener to other places, different times in their lives and even give them hope and courage," says Lampert. "Music can also help people focus. My 12-year-old cousin used to tell me how, if he practiced his instrument 30 minutes before each hockey game, his performance [on the ice] was better. Music helps wash away the cobwebs and clear your mind."
"Find an instrument you feel attracted to and buy it," says Lampert. "Try to learn it on your own first (through friends, books, YouTube, etc.), then take lessons. A professor at York University [in Toronto] told his class something years ago and I still spread the message today: 'All you have to do is practice five minutes a day to become a good musician.' I believe in this message and promote it because I know it works."
Music is fun. It's easy. And anyone can play. Music can be silly and different and there is no right or wrong way to create it. Lampert says music can also help build relationships among people of all ages and social standings. "We do team-building workshops for major corporations where the CEO plays drums with mailroom staff. This really breaks down walls and helps promote a healthy work environment. It also increases productivity."
We've all heard the stories about arts budgets being slashed in schools. Lampert says that's a bad idea, because music helps kids establish a sense of well-being and community. "Playing drums or music in an ensemble brings everyone onto the same level. Kids will start to understand that every individual is important to creating the band's sound." Playing an instrument can also build character, helping build self-esteem and confidence, he adds. "Each time you do it, you get better and therefore feel better about yourself. Aristotle wrote, 'Music has a power of forming the character and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young.' That's why I've created Mystic Drumz."
Mystic Drumz provides world music education to people of all ages. They travel to schools and corporations and have performed more than 2,500 shows in four countries, reaching more than 500,000 people. To learn more about music and how to add it to your life, visit www.mysticdrumz.com.
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Rhyme Words : Rhyme Words By: Mary Larkin
ED 205 Section 11 Rhyming with Dr. Seuss : Rhyming with Dr. Seuss Reading Dr. Seuss Books help us to learn rhyming words!
*What makes a rhyme?
*“Hop on Pop” By Dr. Seuss
*What was the story about?
*The Rhyme Words we heard in the story “Hop on Pop”
*My Poem Example
*Your turn to make a poem!
*Fill in the blank rhyming
*Practice with rhyme words
*About the Author
*Resources Quit What Makes a Rhyme? : What Makes a Rhyme? As a class lets think of a group of words that rhyme…..
Start with Cat: ALL THESE WORDS RHYME!!
Bat All we did here was change
Fat the “c” in cat to a different
Mat letter to make new words.
Sat We can do this with all types
Pat of words… So we see that
Rat the ending sound of a word is what makes them rhyme Quit “Hop on Pop” : “Hop on Pop” Click on the Book to hear the story “Hop on Pop” By Dr. Seuss.
*Listen for rhyming words Quit What was the Story About? : What was the Story About? Who were some of the characters?
What words stuck out to you from the story?
Did you hear a lot of words that rhyme? Quit What are some words we heard in the story that rhymed? : What are some words we heard in the story that rhymed? Up, Pup, Cup
All, Tall, Small, Ball, Wall, Fall
Day, Lay, Play
See, Bee, Three, Tree
Sad, Had, Bad, Dad
Pat, Sat, Hat, Cat, Bat Dr. Seuss and our Class came up with the same rhyme words and he used those words to make a story!! Imagine what you can do when you write using rhyme words! Quit Make our own class poem! : Make our own class poem! Lets pick one of the words we heard in the story “Hop on Pop” By Dr. Seuss and create a poem. It doesn’t have to be long just a few sentences using rhyming words. FUN FUN Quit My Poem Example: : My Poem Example: I’m going to choose the word Day:
Sun come out today
I really want to play
I’ll be out all day
If only you will stay It’s fun! And now it’s YOUR turn!!! Quit Your Poem : Your Poem Here is the space where you are able to write your own poem! Refer back to the previous slides if you need help or ideas!
_________________________________ Quit Fill in the blank rhyming! : Fill in the blank rhyming! Fill in the space with a word that rhymes with the given word
Cup _________ 2) Hat __________
3) House________ 4)Dad __________
5) Tall __________ 6) Sun___________ Great Job! Quit Rhyme Practice : Rhyme Practice On this worksheet you are going to circle matching sets of rhyming words using a different color for each group that matches. Lets use our green marker to circle rhyming words that end in “at”, blue for words that end in “all”, and red for words that end in “ouse” Quit About the Author : About the Author My name is Mary Larkin, a college sophomore at Grand Valley State University. I am majoring in English with a minor in Elementary Education. I love working with children and I am excited to begin in my own classroom.
Send me an e-mail! Quit Resources : Resources Hop on Pop Image
Hop on Pop Video
Website with Rhyming Ideas
Another Website for help with ideas Quit


What Is Phonics?
"Phonics instruction is a way of teaching reading based on sounding out letters to read words."
See how >
Why Choose Phonics?
Research shows that phonics instruction produces significant benefits for children of all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Research has also shown that systematic phonics instruction is a valuable and essential part of a successful reading program. The Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read instructional approach is based on this research, building systematically from letters and sounds, to reading words, sentences, and stories for meaning.
It is well documented that the ability to recognize words is a critical factor in beginning reading development. Through the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read workbooks, library of books, and Visual Phonics™ DVDs, children are exposed to words both in isolation and in context, with exercises designed to help achieve automaticity.
The Role of Print Exposure
The more children read, the more opportunities they have to develop fast, automatic word recognition and decoding skills, which are the building blocks of great readers. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read includes books and stories by award-winning authors and illustrators that are integrated into the program to correspond with the child’s specific decoding ability and level.
Children vary in the amount of practice they need to decipher a word, and reading text that is tied to their independent reading level (90 to 95 percent readability) is critical. Designed to instill confidence and success, the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read library of stories and storybooks are at least 90% readable. This means that when a child finishes a lesson, he has learned the decoding skills to read at least 90% of the words in the next story or storybook with no help.
Studies have demonstrated that the best predictor of early reading ability is a child’s understanding of how words are made up of sounds. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read provides instruction in sound-symbol correspondence and practice in these associations at the word and sentence level.
Phonics and Reading Together
Perhaps most importantly, research shows that systematic phonics instruction combined with reading is the most effective way to develop good reading skills. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read includes books and stories woven into the program at the appropriate level so the child can read for meaning and enjoyment.
Learn more about our library of books >


Use supply in a sentence
- Captain Newport arrived with a new supply of seventy persons.
- Go when you will, you find a gravel-train from Marseilles arriving to supply the deficiencies caused by memento-cabbaging vandals whose affections have miscarried.
- The supply of wholesome provisions was inadequate.
- We draw our supply of water from reservoirs, not from torrents.
- It will also specify the measures deemed essential for the national defense and to keep up and supply the requisite military force.
- They were evidently of the well-to-do class, as they had a supply of meal and three or four hogs with them.
- Her new supply of money was sufficient for the journey there, but how could she return?
- A fresh store of courage and enthusiasm filled his breast, for he constantly received a new supply from the stout-hearted woman by his side.
- The family did not complain, except on account of losing their stock, and promptly brought a supply of wood in a flat.
- The words of my part I could supply on the spot.
- The beginning of it we are able to supply in this connection.
- But common sense and common humanity were unfortunately left out from their premises, and a layman had to supply them.
- He has made Troy his headquarters, and to this point boats come for their supply of feed for cattle.
This page helps answer: how do I use the word supply in a sentence? How do you use supply in a sentence? Can you give me a sentence for the word supply? It may also be related to English help worksheet, college, example sentence educating, elementary education, school uniforms learn, and special education.
Example sentences with the word supply, a sentence example for supply, and supply in sample sentence.


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Learn How To Put Money Into American Indian Supply Market
The American Education Diet: Can U.S. Students Survive On Junk Food?
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The first book of American Indian quotations, this volume offers 800 quotations covering more than four centuries of American life. The quotations include the words of warriors, poets, politicians, ...
Recognizing the need for a pedagogy that better serves American Indian students, Beverly J. Klug and Patricia T. Whitfield construct a pedagogical model that blends native and non-native worldviews ...
What is "Indian education" today? What will it look like in the future? The editors and 12 other Native scholars respond with 13 chapters that help readers explore two important themes: (1) ...
A Note on Terminology. Introduction: American Indian Ethnic Renewal. PART I: Ethnic Renewal. 1. Constructing Ethnic Identity. 2. Constructing Culture. 3. Deconstructing Ethnicity. PART II: Red Power ...
A Concise History of American Music Education
This first, in-depth survey of Native American Indian foodways sheds light not only on this group and their history but on American food culture and history as well.
Of all the characters in myths and legends told around the world, it's the wily trickster who provides the real spark in the action, causing trouble wherever he goes. This figure shows up time and ...
Native American languages are spoken from Siberia to Greenland. Campbell's project is to take stock of what is known about the history of Native American languages and in the process examine the ...
The first American national museum designed and run by indigenous peoples, the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC opened in 2004. It represents ...


What Parents Need to Know
You may have already noticed that your children’s homework is getting tougher. They are expected to learn in new ways and educators are expected to teach more in depth. Mississippi’s students and teachers can meet the challenge of these higher standards but they need your support to succeed.
If you notice your child is struggling in a certain area, talk with your child’s teacher to identify strategies and resources that may be helpful. You are empowered to find ways to make sure your child reaches his/her full potential under these new standards.
As parents, we want our children to have the opportunity to receive a great education so they are prepared for the college or career of their dreams. It is our goal to empower families with resources and information they need to help their child be successful in school.
Understanding what it’s like for your child to learn under the higher standards is important. It’s our goal to provide you with the resources and information to help prepare your child for success in each grade level.
You may review and use any of the following resources to help your child. These resources will be updated regularly:
What Kids Can Do
This 20-page handbook summarizes the research on how parents help their children succeed. It offers tips in seven areas: homework, managing stress, self-control, motivation and challenge, keeping at it, curiosity and resourcefulness, and self-confidence.
HotChalk Education Network
It gives parents and students the news, information and other resources needed to stay informed about college and career readiness educational standards.
College and Career Readiness Guide for Parents
Defining College and Career Readiness: A Resource Guide
U.S. Department of Education Parent Guides
The Helping Your Child publication series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities to help school-aged and preschool children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow.
Resources to help students master the basics of mathematics of numbers and number operations. Videos and tutorials explain basic operations and help with the mastery of math skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division--essential building blocks for success in mathematics.
Great Minds: Support for Parents
Parents are their child’s chief advocate and most essential teacher – at homework time and always. To assist in this crucial role, we have assembled a suite of resources that will help you to help your child become proficient in math.
Videos: High School Milestones
This free online collection shows teens demonstrating 13 important communications, academic, and life skills that all high-schoolers need to master, with practical tips that parents can use to help at home.
Homework Help Desk
College and Career-Ready Standards and Students with Disabilities: What Parents Need to Know
Improving Critical Thinking
Math Problem-Solving Skills
Elementary Math Games - Math games for parents to play with their child K-5.
Top 10 Math Websites for parents and kids
How to Learn Math: For Students
Parents and students can explore this free online course that encourages students to learn mathematics without fear.
Bedtime Math website: - (Grades K-3) - Building a Positive Mathematical Mindset. The free activities are located under the “Today’s Fun Math” tab.
Problem Solving with Bar Models: Practice Problems and Tutorials (Grades K-5)
Download the Thinking Blocks App (Grades K-5):
ConceptuaMath (Grades 3-5)
Math Live (Grades K-5)
Number Rock (K-5)
Free Online Graphing Calculator (7-12)
Yay Math (9-12)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES
Read, Write, Think
News ELA – nonfiction texts for comprehension
Time for Kids – nonfiction texts for comprehension www.timeforkids.com