Can you interpret the graph above? Apparently, U.S. millennials struggle to do so.
Do you think literacy, numeracy and computer-age problem solving skills are required to compete successfully in today's global market place? Well, if so, the U.S. might be in a bit of a jam since the latest data from the OECD's Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) indicates American millennials are at the bottom of the heap. The U.S. came in at 15 of 22 in literacy, 2nd to last in technology-based problem solving, and dead last in numeracy.
I know, you're probably thinking that it was our "weak" students who brought our scores down, maybe our low socioeconomic status students, disadvantaged students, our non-native speakers of English, our ESE students, or maybe even our recent immigrant students. And yes, those students did perform poorly on the PIAAC, and so too did our American PhDs who also scored near the bottom of 22 countries in numeracy. In fact, some countries' students without bachelor's degrees scored higher than U.S. doctorates.
Go back and reread that in case you missed it, recap: our most educated individuals are scoring at the bottom in basic competencies compared to other OECD countries. And the gap between students at academic risk and the top ten percent is the widest of any country, 72% of young adults with a high school diploma or less DID NOT meet proficiency in numeracy. We are not talking fancy math here, this test is designed to assess practical, career-oriented skills. Some sample questions included reading a thermometer and doing simple subtraction, reading a graph and identifying periods of decline, comparing MWh hours in energy production. How can they make sound financial decisions? Can the nation afford such "ilnumeracy" because surely those individuals cannot?
Here's some good news, a higher proportion of U.S. millennials earn a college degree than any other OECD country, but we might question what they are learning (or not learning) while in college because their math scores were lower than 20 other countries (thanks to Poland and Spain for keeping us out of last place). As a final measure of doom and gloom, the percentage of Americans with the lowest-level math skills has been steadily increasing regardless of educational attainment.
I can't say I was surprised by these results, over a decade in the high school and college science classroom has revealed deep breaches in math skills among students, from the highest-achievers to the most academically challenged. And I'm not referencing differential calculus here, I'm talking basic arithmetic, conversions, dimensional analysis, ratios, percentages and fractions. As a life science teacher, numbers and data analysis are integral to understanding the discipline, yet I have witnessed scores of teachers skip the math for one of two common reasons, the teacher believes the students cannot handle the math or the teacher cannot handle the math.
It's time to bring math back to science, not as an add-on but embedded within the curriculum in a well thought-out and meaningful way to build a foundation of numeracy outside of the math discipline, you know in the real world! We cannot expect math teachers alone to be the savior in this scenario, science teachers have the opportunity to apply numeracy skills in authentic situations to provide practice and context for the student.
So here is my challenge, rethink your approach to laboratory investigations: do you include real data collection with grade-level appropriate analysis (and what does that even mean)? Do you have students examine data from scientific articles and challenge them to interpret and assess the analysis? Have you asked your administrator for professional development support to improve your own math skills? Do you have students practice conversions on a regular basis - this is the U.S., the metric system is still foreign to our students!? Have you partnered with a math teacher to improve instruction, you know that dreaded interdisciplinary unit? It is ok to not be a math expert, but as science teachers we've got to step up and support numeracy skills in our classrooms, the first step is probably admitting we don't remember a lot of what we were taught and maybe we need some refreshing and some guidance in best practices for teaching math.
I want to hear from other science teachers, math teachers, administrators, students or anyone else with an interest in this topic. So comment below, let's talk about math, science and millennials, maybe more importantly, what will we do for the next generation to improve their numeracy skills. Come on, let's light a little fire...


Paper Source creates Kids Art Camp
Kids Art Camps continues to support art education
Paper Source, curator of creative inspiration for over three decades, creates Kids Art Camp day where it encourages kids to be creative through art. The program can be used throughout the world to get kids to use various crafting techniques and tools to design something really cool.
“We are excited to bring Kids Art Camp to our communities, inspiring younger generations to do something creative every day,” says Jenica Myszkowski, Chief Operating Officer. “As a mom, I am delighted that children will be creatively engaged, learn new skills and become makers of their own personal keepsakes.”
Some of the items kids can create include slime, watercolors, stickers, masterpiece paintings, collage cards, story book, origami, hot air balloon and marbles. These are great ways for kids to express themselves through the art they’re creating.
As schools cut funding for the arts, it’s important now more than ever for kids to participate in workshops and classes supporting the arts. Many don’t realize how art education affects children.
“Arts education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate, the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence,” says Joseph M. Calahan, Director of Cooperate Communications, Xerox Corporation.


What Is English Grammar? Why Do We Need It?
The term ‘English Grammar’, often uttered with an involuntary shudder, is a considerably misunderstood term. Free to the Oxford Dictionary, grammar can be defined as “the studies or rules of languages’ inflections and/or other means or ways of demonstrating relations between words, including its phonetic system.” Thus, ‘English Grammar’ is the body of rules that dictates the correct way of using the English language in our attempts to convey meaning.
For the uninitiated, understanding English Grammar may seem to be an impossible task. Perhaps it is a bit like somebody trying to be a physicist with only a rudimentary grasp of basic arithmetic. Instinctively we understand the way physics works in the world around us, yet we don’t necessarily spend our days performing calculations with esoteric formulae.
English Grammar Rules are a little bit like these formulae. Even native speakers of English do not necessarily understand them. It is highly likely that a significant portion of the English speaking world would fail to gain a passing grade if they were required to take a series of formal English Grammar tests. Yet, we do intuitively understand the rules of English: we are able to communicate with each other reasonably effectively on a daily basis.
So why do we need to understand English Grammar? Quite simply, while a ‘reasonable level’ of effectiveness in communication may be sufficient for our everyday, informal communication, it is unlikely to suffice for more formal communication purposes.
Communicating with written English has become increasingly important. Interestingly, the increased significance of the written word has corresponded with a general decline regarding competence. Many schools no longer directly teach English Grammar. The study of the effective use of the rules of our language has been relegated to more general disciplines of literacy development.
It is assumed in this holistic approach that English Grammar exercises are unnecessary because all students will magically absorb English Grammar rules through osmosis in their general reading and written expression classes. Unfortunately, this is clearly not the case for many students and the standard of written English continues to decline in our schools and the wider community.
Understanding English Grammar is absolutely necessary for effective and efficient written communication. Success in conveying meaning for students, business persons and those who are pursuing publication is highly dependent on correctly following English Grammar rules.
The Elements Of English
What are the elements of the English language? What are the parts of speech in the English language?
There are eight types of words that comprise the English language. These are the ‘pieces’ of language that we put together to make meaning in our sentences. The eight elements of the English language are:
Nouns are ‘naming’ words. They are the words we use to name people, places and things.
Pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns to describe people, places or things. Examples: ‘him’, ‘her’, ’somewhere’.
Verbs are action words or ‘doing’ words. They are words that identify actions.
Adjectives are words that are used to describe nouns.
Adverbs are words that describe verbs.
Conjunctions are ‘joining’ words. They join words or groups of words. For example, ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘because’.
Prepositions are words that introduce nouns or pronouns. For example, ‘to’, ‘from’ or ‘about’.
Interjections are exclamations that express emotion. For example, ‘wow!’ and ‘hooray!’


The authorization of a new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ushered in a new era regarding the role of the federal government in administering education in the United States. The new law, entitled the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), replaces 2001’s No Child Left Behind Act. Fundamentally, the intent of this new iteration of ESEA (first signed into law in 1965) remains the same: to provide supplemental funds and programs for low-income students and to enable State and Local Education Agencies (LEAs or school districts) to improve the access and quality of elementary and secondary education. ESSA has the same goals, but significantly curtails the federal government’s role in education and instead allows states to set their own standards and accountability systems.
ESSA includes thirteen arts-friendly provisions that help improve the opportunity for theatre and other arts education for all students. Most importantly, the law asserts that arts education should be part of the well-rounded education of all students. The “well rounded” language, replacing NCLB’s core subject area definition of academic areas, is key to understanding where and how in the law theatre education can access federal funds to ensure equal access to our discipline. In every instance where the term “well rounded” or “music and the arts” appears in the law, there is potential funding that can tapped for theatre education. We’ve put together the ESSA Guide to Theatre Education Opportunities to help EdTA members and their state leaders understand the law and how theatre can be part of its implementation in the coming years.
The guide details how theatre educators can ensure that students receive a well-rounded education—as defined by ESSA—no matter their circumstances, addressing specific sections of the law and articulating opportunities and strategies that can be applied. Among other things, attention is given to:
- Availability of Title I programs to provide supplemental funds for a well-rounded education.
- Titles I, II and IV to support professional development for theatre educators.
- Flexible Accountability Systems that require states to include multiple progress measures in assessing school performance, such as student engagement, parental engagement and school culture/climate.
- Protection from “pull out” practices in which students are withdrawn from the classroom, including theatre and arts, for remedial instruction.
The guide is divided into two parts: Opportunities for Theatre Educators explains areas of ESSA and its associated Title areas in which theatre educators can access funding or advocate on behalf of their program on a school or district level; and Opportunities for State Theatre Education Associations articulates state-wide funding options, and areas of the law that state leaders need to be aware of, such state report cards, committee opportunities, and evaluation, all of which can be a factor in how theatre education is regarded and delivered by EdTA members in individual states.
This guide was adapted from the National Association for Music Education document, ESSA Implementation and Music Education: Opportunities Abound.


These educational programs are informed by the very best research and guided by the National Early Years Learning Framework. This framework describes the principles, practices and outcomes necessary to support and enhance learning from birth to five years of age, as well as the transition into school.
Our educators understand the important impact that early childhood education has on lifelong learning and health.
In each room, our educators provide consistent care and attention to a small group of children. Opportunities for play-based and real-life learning are carefully planned to suit the age of these children. We tailor interactions to meet the needs of each child’s individual strengths, interests and needs.
Your child’s educator will maintain an individual profile for your child, which records their learning and development over time. You’re welcome to discuss your child’s profile with their educator at any time throughout the year. At the end of the year, you’ll be given the learning profile to keep and look back on.
In this room, our educators follow a flexible schedule that is responsive to the needs of each child. We understand how important routine can be to a baby or toddler, so we encourage you to share your home routine with us. We’ll work to maintain a routine that’s consistent with your own.
It’s particularly important for babies to develop a secure attachment with educators who are caring and familiar. Our educators will also build a relationship with your family, with a focus on communication, mutual trust and respect. Every day there will be a written log of your child’s feeding, sleeping and toileting patterns so that you’re fully informed.
The educational program focuses on basic first skills in a safe learning environment, including sitting, crawling and walking. Our care environment is language-rich, with conversation, singing and reading with infants of all ages to nurture language skills.
In our Toddlers rooms, we create a safe and secure environment that allows children to develop their emerging abilities, becoming more confident and independent. A consistent routine and familiar educators build a sense of security, so your child can confidently engage in learning. Socialisation will be gently encouraged and guided to help friendships and empathy form.
Your child’s growing independence is supported by caring educators who will help them take the first steps in toilet training. Our educators will communicate openly with you through conversation, as well as a daily record of your child’s eating, sleeping and toileting.
Our play-based educational program is tailored to each child’s learning needs and interests. Emerging intellectual, social, emotional, physical and language skills are built on and extended.
In our Junior Kindy rooms, educators inspire children to learn, creating play-based learning opportunities that cater to the interests of each child. The educators work to thoroughly understand every child’s development and interests.
These learning opportunities extend on the skills gained in the Toddlers room. We keep a consistent and familiar daily routine where intellectual, social, emotional, physical and language skills are practiced and refined.
Our educators will work closely with you, providing a written daily record of your child’s eating, sleeping and toileting.
At this age, friendships and cooperative play skills develop rapidly. Our educational programs foster these peer interactions to extend your child’s learning.
Rich learning environments are provided to encourage your child to explore and experiment safely. Educators work with each child to understand their development and extend them through achievable challenges. We also use resources and opportunities for children to begin exploring the use of symbols during play, a foundation for later literacy and numeracy skills.
Our educators will continue to work in partnership with you, sharing information about your child’s personality, development and daily routine.
Our Approved Kindergarten Program is designed to help children transition successfully into school. The program is highly-regarded by preparatory teachers at Brisbane schools as one that develops above-average educational and social skills.
The specialised kindergarten program is taught by university-qualified early childhood teachers, who are also trained in the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline. Your child will develop knowledge and skills necessary to begin formal schooling, as well as a passion for learning.
Our kindergarten program offers the flexibility needed by working families. The program is available five days a week, year round.


Critical Pedagogy for Music Education developed by Frank Abrahams
Sample Lesson Plan
MUSIC BUILDS BRIDGES and DEFINES WHO WE ARE
Lesson by Lynnel Joy Jenkins, Westminster Choir College of Rider University
Materials: Tamati Soso, Traditional South African Folksong; Cinquain, by Lynnel Joy Jenkins; We’re in Grade Six by Marilyn Davidson
|Who We Are||Engaging Musical Imagination||1 Honoring Their World
Children are asked to close their eyes and think about the following: “You are going to meet a person from another country for the first time. But, the only way you can communicate with this person is through sharing your music. Pick a piece of music that is your favorite to give to or to sing to or to play for this person that would tell them who you are.” Students share their pieces and teacher lists them as a web on the board or on chart paper in the front of the room. If appropriate, children sing some of their pieces.
|Experiencing Music (6, 7)||Exposition|
|2 Sharing the Experience
Teacher moderates a discussion to answer the following: What about the music you picked defines who you are? Are there any patterns among the songs listed on the board that show how we are similar and how we are different?
|Who They May Become||Engaging Musical Intelligence||3 Connecting Their World to the Concept
Students listen to the teacher perform Tamati Soso, a folk song from South Africa with a rhythmic ostinato and asks, “Where you do suppose this song is from? How do you know?” The cultural context of the South African folk song is given. Students are invited to perform the song with a rhythmic ostinato. Students are divided into small groups and create a new ostinato, using body percussion, to complement or replace the existing ostinato. Groups share for the class.
|Connecting Music (8, 9)||Development|
|4 Dialoguing Together
Together, the teacher and the students find all the musical devices in Tamati Soso. Teacher presents the definition of ostinato, explaining how it is used as a compositional device in composing music and how it is notated.
|5 Practicing the Concept
Students devise a checklist of the criteria from the previous step (step 4). They listen to a performance of We’re in Grade Six chant and, using their checklist (i.e., rubric) find the ostinato and perform it.
|Who We Might Become Together||Engaging Musical Creativity||6 Connecting Word to World
Teacher reads a cinquain while the class performs a rhythmic ostinato. Students, again in their groups, are asked to compose their own cinquain with ostinato. The ostinato should contain spoken speech and body percussion. One member of the cooperative group will write the ostinato down using traditional notation when possible.
|Creating Music (3, 4, 5)||Improvisation|
|7 Assessing Transformation
Each group performs their chant and ostinato. The other groups critique and discuss the ostinato in terms of their having met the criteria developed in step 5 of this lesson. How does the music reflect “Who We Are and What We Have –as MUSICIANS—become?
|Engaging Musical Celebration through Performance||8 Acknowledging Transformation
Students perform their ostinati with speech and body percussion for their sixth grade colleagues in another class. Students perform their compositions for their sixth grade colleagues in another class.
|Performing Music (1, 2)||Recapitulation|


Back to school, back in time!Next Post
image credit: Leonard Bentley
After our last blog post about traditional playground games we decided to continue the vintage school theme and take a look at School uniforms past and present.
Loved by some, hated by many school uniforms are a divisive issue, so where did they come from and where are they going?
What were the first school uniforms?
The use of school uniforms has fluctuated, a few decades ago relatively few primary schools for example used them, nowadays (2019) school uniforms are worn by over 90% of school children!
So where did all this uniform-ing start. Unsurprisingly, England appears to be the answer!
In 1222 the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, the rather pedestrianly named Stephen Langton, ordered that students attending school should wear something called the cappa clausa, a cape sewn up at the front worn by monks at the time.
The closed cloak still exists in some forms today, such as the parliamentary robe worn by bishops at a State Opening or Coronation; and in the cope worn by the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University (or his deputy) when conferring degrees. It is a long scarlet robe with a deep hood lined with fur.
In actual fact, Langton’s election as Archbishop was apparently a major factor in the events that finally led to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 - but we’re not interested in that. His contribution to school uniforms being much more important.
Why did school uniform become popular?
In the 1200’s going to school, let alone what you wore when you went, was not an issue that affected the majority of the population until 600 odd years later with the passing of the 1870 Elementary Education Act.
This was the first of a number of parliamentary acts creating compulsory education in England and Wales. If you were between 5 and 13 you now had to go to school!
Just because everyone had to go to school following the 1870 Education Act it didn’t mean that everyone had to wear school uniform - this is where that favourite of British pastimes, class, comes into play.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the majority of UK and US schools (which interestingly have a similar timeline regarding widespread adoption of school uniforms) - but by the 2019 School uniform is worn in over 90% of schools in England.
Ironically, in the debate whether school uniform is good or bad, many argue that uniforms help eliminate social and economic difference - this debate on the subject came out with a slim majority that they do help in this regard.
Other statistics in support of school uniforms is a reported drop in crime, school muggings and sexual offences - they can also save parents money (depending on who the school insists the uniform must come from).
Whatever the plusses an minuses, as this list of pro and cons on the use of school uniforms mentions, in surveys most parents and educators support mandatory uniforms - so they’re not going anywhere anytime soon!
Is there anything we should’ve mentioned?
Do you have any thoughts, comments or views on the history of education?
Is there anything you think we should have mentioned?
By Alastair Baker at 26 Aug 2019, 00:00 AM


Teaching is such a wonderful profession! It develops an individual, so a teacher involve in teaching is truly admirable.
Primary education (or also known as elementary education) focuses on children in the age group 4-11 years. Thus, a major goal of primary education is achieving basic literacy and numeracy. This stage of education is when children explore their interests and develop themselves.
The curriculum in primary education is going to be implemented progressively. Emphasizing a well balanced developments of students and discovering their potentials. The curriculum aims to adopt diverse method to cultivate children’s spirit of exploration and to develop good study habits. One highly recommendable strategy for children’s learning is through games. It is because learning does not have to be merely sitting in a classroom. Games arouses children’s interests in learning.
If you think primary education objectively, the role of a primary teacher is very important. It gives you the opportunity to be with children in their best possible start in life. It is you who introduces the child to alphabets and numbers on the basis of which he could go on to do wonderful things in life. One day, you might change one child’s life.
What subjects are generally taught in primary education then? Well, a primary teacher can teach all subjects except second languages. However, since english and math require a foundation, primary classes may require specialized teachers for these classes.
Teachers are to be funny and kind. Children love to talk about their joys and sorrows so a good teacher should be patient. Yes, a lot of patience! Considering that students have different learning capabilities, time needs to be devoted to slow learners. At the same time, teachers should install discipline and catch children’s attention.


Eyewords™ was created by teacher and special education resource developer Jennifer Orr, in collaboration with children, a team of educators, speech and language pathologists, researchers and graphic designers in an effort to address a need to differentiate reading instruction for young learners. Eyewords™ was initially developed to complement existing phonemic awareness instruction in kindergarten classrooms by providing a multisensory approach to teaching the high frequency words, many of which cannot be decoded phonetically. In addition to boosting the overall effectiveness of kindergarten literacy programs, it was quickly discovered that Eyewords™ has a tremendous benefit to children who struggle to read through systematic phonics instruction alone. Our core belief is that learning to read can be a fun, easy and exciting process for all.
Research shows that pictures can increase the relevance of a sight word and children’s motivation to learn it, and they can also provide an extra cue that assists learners in determining the word’s meaning. Having visual, verbal and kinesthetic input when learning a sight word can also help learners form a stronger memory trace, deepening their association between the sight word and its meaning. Additionally, kinesthetic movement in the form of play increases student engagement and learning retention.
To bridge the gap between auditory short term memory and decoding, I worked with the natural inclination of young children towards visual and kinesthetic learning and focused on the memorization of high frequency words with the use of phonics, embedded pictures, context cues and meaningful actions.
– Jennifer Orr


Hold a butterfly or moth and you’ll likely end up with some dust on your fingers. What is that mysterious stuff? And what does it do?
- The dust on butterflies’ and moths’ wings isn’t dust at all, but tiny scales. The scales probably have several purposes.
- The scales create bright colors that might signal a mate or they act as camouflage, allowing butterflies and moths to blend into their surroundings.
- The bright colors of a butterfly’s wings sometimes tell predators that the butterfly doesn’t taste good or is even poison. The colors are like an advertisement that says, “Don’t eat me.”
- Dark colors on the wings might help the butterfly gather warmth from the sun. Remember, butterflies are cold-blooded and need warmth from the environment to fly and look for food.
- Scales: small bits of a material that usually lay in an overlapping pattern
- Predator: an animal interested in eating the butterfly
Questions and Answers
Question: Will touching a butterfly’s wings prevent it from flying?
Answer: Butterflies are tougher than you might think. Painted lady butterflies, for example, migrate over 4,000 miles. Butterflies have been found high in the mountains at altitudes of 15,000 feet. And researchers have discovered that butterflies flap their wings an average of 20 times per second.
In fact, butterflies lose their scales all the time through their daily activities. You might notice an older butterfly with wings that are faded or even clear because the scales have rubbed off.
The short answer is that you probably won’t damage a butterfly by touching it gently. To hold a butterfly, grasp its wings so they are closed, holding it firmly but gently. Use a butterfly net, not a jar, to catch butterflies. Butterflies can hurt their wings if they flap against a hard surfaced container.
Visit the Amazing Butterfly Store to learn more.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " What is the powder on butterflies’ wings? ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 24 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/butterfly-wings/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). What is the powder on butterflies’ wings?. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/butterfly-wings/
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The Preliminary SAT or PSAT is a test similar to the SAT that gives prospective applicants to US universities practical experience in applying critical reading, mathematical reasoning and writing skills on standardized tests. Typically taken by Grade 10 and 11 students, the test runs for 2 hours and 10 minutes and is broken down into five multiple choice sections: two critical reading sections, two math problem-solving sections and one writing skills section.
The tests dates for the 2012 PSAT are Wednesday, October 17 and Saturday, October 20. You can register for the PSAT at your high school or at another high school in your area.
Some things to know:
1) This test is administered by high schools, not through test centres, so ask your high school counsellor or principal about signing up and taking the test at your school.
2) Registration for the PSAT/NMSQT is not available online.
3) Each high school chooses only one October test date.
For more information about the PSAT, go to: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html


The Sound of T
From the Set The Consonants
Simple text and repetition of the letter 't' help readers learn how to use this sound. Additional features to aid comprehension include a word list for review, a note to parents and educators, and an introduction to the author.
- Beginning of text
- Word List
- Note to Parents and Educators
- About the Author
Author: Cynthia Amoroso
Cynthia Amoroso holds undergraduate degrees in English and elementary education, and graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction as well as educational administration. She is currently an assistant superintendent in a suburban metropolitan school district. Cynthia's past roles include teacher, assistant principal, district reading coordinator, director of curriculum and instruction, and curriculum consultant. She has extensive experience in reading, literacy, curriculum development, professional development, and continuous improvement processes.
Author: Peg Ballard
Dr. Peg Ballard holds a PhD from Purdue University and is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her areas of expertise are assessment, interventions, and response to intervention. Dr. Ballard teaches online graduate courses in the K-12 reading licensure and master's program along with reading interventions in the undergraduate teacher preparation program.


Mount Everest – One of the Tallest Mountains
Do you like to hike or climb mountains? The highest mountains in the United States are found in Alaska, California, Colorado and Washington. These mountains are all around 14,000 feet tall. If you’ve climbed them, you know that 14,000 feet is a long way up! But Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain peak in the world is twice as high as these mountain peaks at 29,028 feet. This is more than 5 ½ miles above sea level! You could stack almost 20 Empire State Buildings in Mt. Everest’s space.
Mt. Everest sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet. It was formed about 60 million years ago when India moved northward and bumped into Asia. This movement caused the seabed between Asia and India to crumple and rise up. The plates underneath the Himalayan Mountains and Mt. Everest are still moving. In fact, Mt. Everest grows about 2 inches every year!
Fun Facts about Mount Everest for Kids
- A climber can expect to pay $50,000 or more to climb Mt. Everest.
- Over 4,000 climbers have attempted to climb Mt. Everest but only 660 have succeeded.
- Over 142 people have died trying to reach the summit. Between 8 and 10 people die every year making the attempt.
- Why is Mt. Everest so dangerous? Avalanches, freezing temperatures, storms, altitude sickness and low oxygen. The temperature on Mt. Everest is 97 degrees below 0. Brrrr!
- The first people to reach the top were probably Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953.
- George Mallory and Andrew Irvine may have reached the summit first in 1924. They died on the mountain so we have no way of knowing if they reached the top.
- The trash left behind by climbers on Mt. Everest is a huge problem. Empty oxygen bottles, torn tents, food containers, broken equipment and poop litter the trails.
Mount Everest Vocabulary
- Border: edge
- Crumple: break or fall apart
- Summit: highest peak
All About Mount Everest Video for Kids
Check out this cool video about Mount Everest for kids:
This is a video documentary about how the Mount Everest was formed.
Mount Everest Q&A
Question: Do people climb Mt. Everest alone or in groups?
Answer: People usually go in groups, along with sherpas, who are native guides. Sherpas are accustomed to the altitude and the fierce conditions.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Mount Everest Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 18 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-mount-everest/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Mount Everest Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-mount-everest/
Mount Everest Quiz / Question Paper
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Are you a C student? Is it the case that no matter how hard you try to prepare for your examinations you are scarcely able to do better than a C or a D? Well, it is the dream of a student to see a results slip with straight As.
Generally though, such results tend to belong to just a few of us. So what do the rest do? Well if you are a C student, this article is for you. The first thing is, relax and do not despair.
In our examination-focused educational systems, the pressure of success and maintaining good grades in school is ever present, and rightly so. With the complexities of modern life, educators constantly remind and admonish students to excel.
It is reasoned that without good grades one would become a failure. The pressure to perform well in school therefore contributes to greater stress on the part of students. So what is a C student to do?
Poor or less than expected examination results can tear into a person’s self-esteem. More so, with parents and teachers breathing down your neck. So what can you do?
The first thing to remember is that you are not alone. Throughout history, there have been many people who succeeded in life in spite of their grades in school. Interestingly, this roll of honour includes Albert Einstein.
Albert Einstein’s teachers in school imagined him to be a dim-wit. Yet, who in his right mind today would refer to Einstein in those terms?
Secondly, a closer look at your results slip will probably demonstrate that you are not a failure in everything. It is likely that there are one or two subjects that you happen to enjoy.
Perhaps, you have a natural flair for language, at the cost of your numeracy skills. Or it may be that you crunch figures very easily but are very poor at prose.
The examples are clichéd but they help put across what I am saying. As a C student note the subjects that you are good at and use them as building blocks for a future career.
However, this strategy is a long-term one. What can you do in the meantime? One, talk to your subject teachers to find out how you can create a partnership for success. It will mean going the extra mile.
While still in school eliminate the word impossible from your vocabulary. Believe that whichever the subject, so long as you are willing to apply yourself, you will be able to succeed. Look at the difficulty not as an obstacle to your success, but as a challenge that you have to, and can overcome.
Various methods have been advocated for effective studying. One that you can use to help you retain more of what you study is the SQ3R method. The first S stands for Survey. When you open your notebook or textbook, survey the contents of what you are going to study that evening.
This gives you an overview of the material. Q stands for Question. Find out from the material what kind of questions to expect, and write them down. It helps to be as thorough in doing this as possible. The first R stands for Read. At this point you read to understand. It requires reading with the aim of retaining the material and answering the questions raised in the previous stage.
The second R stands for Remember. The call at this stage involves closing your book and trying to recall from memory all the things that you have read. The objective at this point is to train your mind in the powers of retention, something that is very critical in an examination setting.
There are a number of memory devices including mnemonics among others that you can use. The last R stands for Read. You read reinforce everything that you have studied at that particular session.
It has been claimed that if this method is correctly applied one can retain as much as 60 percent of what one has read. So, why not give it a try? It might just improve your grades!
It also does some good to talk out your feelings. If you begin to feel that the expectations are too high, that the pressure is so intense, look for someone to confide in. The academic environment can exact a toll, so let it out. Do not try to carry all of it by yourself.


Students in K-5 have Art instruction with an Art teacher weekly. Colorado State Art standards are followed using a "Discipline-Based Art Education" approach. This philosophy incorporates aesthetic awareness, Art appreciation, multicultural recognition, Art history as well as Art process, techniques, production and exposure to multiple types of media. The Shepardson Art program has an emphasis on Art process rather than product, students are encouraged to develop their creativity and imagination, which are useful life and work skills. Student Artwork will be displayed throughout the school but also at district shows like Super Art (The Superintendant’s Art Show) and the district wide Designs and Images Art show, now at CSU.


Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a major program for the timely application of the Flagship of Elementary Education (UEE) of the Government of India, as compulsory by the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India so that 6-14 children are free and Compulsory education can be given. SSA is being implemented in partnership with state governments to cover the entire country and meet the needs of 192 million children in 1.1 million habitations.
The program tries to open new schools in those slums, which do not have school education facilities and strengthen the existing school infrastructure through the provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants. Existing teachers with inadequate faculty strength are provided with additional teachers, while granting the capacity of existing teachers to develop comprehensive training, teaching-learning materials and to strengthen the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level. For being strong.
What is Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan?
SSA has been running from 2000-2001 to provide various types of interventions for universal access and retention to improve the quality of gender and social class in Sarva education and improve the quality of learning. With the passage of the RTE Act, changes in SSA approach, strategies and norms have been included.
Purpose of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
- Provide quality education and better learning results to school students.
- Promote minimum educational standards in school education and promote professionalization of education.
- To support the states for the free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years, the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
- Upgradation of State Education Institute (SCERT) / DIET for teacher training.
SSA Key Features
- Holistic approach to education
- Administrative reform
- Growth in education grants
- Special emphasis on quality of education
- Digital education
- Strengthening of Schools
- Focus on girl child education / inclusion / skill development
- Regional balance and emphasis on sports and physical education


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Teacher page Introduction This webquest was designed for a project for an Educational Technology course at West Chester University of Pennsylvania during the Fall 2009 semester. We are elementary education majors who were interested in developing a lesson based on the science curriculum. This lesson was created as a part of a science unit on global warming. This lesson allows students to practice their research skills and to use the reserach they found to help them develop their own opinion on global warmng. We also wanted to incorporate technology in our lesson so we decided to have the students make the public service announcement in order to voice their opinions. Each student will be responsible for doing their own research in order to form their opinion on global warming. The teacher will provide the student with a worksheet to guide them through their research to help them find the main points. Once the students are finished their research and they have decided where they stand on the issue of global warming, the students will be divided into groups of 3. Some of these groups will be students that believe global warming is occurring and some of the groups will be students that don't believe global warming is occurring. Once they are in their groups, they will be assigned roles within their group. The 3 different roles are the Resonator, the Effector, and the Collector. By having these roles, it will help the students to organize the information that they need for their PSA video. When the videos are finished, they will be shared with the rest of the class. The individual research part of the lesson will take about 30 minutes. You want to give the students enough time to navigate through websites in order to formulate their own opinion. Filming the scenes for the PSA video should take about an hour and editing the video using iMovie should take 1-2 hours, depending on how long the students videos are and how familiar they are with the software. It should take about 30-45 minutes to watch all of the videos as a class. The multiple intelligences in this lesson are: Interpersonal Intelligence - The students work in groups. 2. Intrapersonal Intelligence - The students do individual research. 3. Linguistic Intelligence - The research the students will be doing. The cognitive levels in this lesson are: Knowledge - Students should know the basic concepts of global warming. 2. Comprehension - The students will be taking the information from the websites and putting it into their own words. They will then use this information to make their public service announcement video. 3. Application - They will be using the information they gathered in order to make others aware on their stance. 4. Synthesis - They will be creating a PSA video in order to show their stance on global warming.
This resource was reviewed using the Curriki Review rubric and received an overall Curriki Review System rating of 2, as of 2009-11-29.
Not Rated Yet.


Developing Children's Numeracy
The ability to understand and work with numbers is a key skill for people at every stage of life. People use mathematical approaches in everything – day-to-day activities, shopping, finance and helping others around us. Numeracy is also a big factor in solving problems and thinking logically.
Basic numeracy skills include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. All of which help a numerically literate person through everyday tasks. Innumeracy is an issue that plagues many people with roughly 4 in 5 UK adults having a low level of literacy. The implications stretch further: innumeracy costs the UK economy £20.2 billion a year.
This course will help you to understand the impact that numeracy has on future achievement and self-esteem, while also teaching you techniques that demonstrate the relevance of numeracy to daily life. Your course is delivered entirely online with a wide variety of learning materials that are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the entirety of your 12-month course duration.
KEY LEARNING POINTS
- You will know the early learning goals and aims of the national curriculum as it relates to numeracy, and be asked to consider how the children you support are achieving against this
- You will understand the importance of numeracy skills for the digital age, self-esteem, and employability
- You will learn about intervention strategies, differentiation, scaffolding learning, and involving families in developing numeracy skills
ADVANTAGES OF THE COURSE
- 24/7 access to the course content for 1 year – access our learner management system at any time and continue your studying
- Customer support is available Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm
- Additional course activities and resources to reflect on your learning how explain the relevance of numeracy to real-life situations for children
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Safari 6 or above


A full-time elementary program through grade 5, our curriculum offers a multicultural education taught through the immersion approach. At this level of our program, students learn to read and write in French and are encouraged to speak French exclusively in the classroom. The immersion experience leads children to a more flexible way of thinking, and gives them an appreciation for nuances of meaning. As a result, our students experience success in all subject areas.
The areas of concentration below outline the subjects that our Elementary Students will study. A complete curriculum schedule is available through the school.
English Language Arts
English Language Arts studies begin in second grade, three hours per week. Because the same concepts are taught at an earlier age in the French curriculum than they are in English-speaking schools, English class then becomes a means of confirming concepts and usage, drawing parallels and identifying contrasts. As a result, concepts in language formation are reinforced from both the French and English curriculum and studies, providing children with a steady foundation for language creation.
Our English teacher coordinates in detail with the Classroom teacher to ensure that all content is covered, without duplication. English Language Arts content includes: spelling, math terminology, American money, Measurements (British system), long divisions, U.S. History and Maine history.
We believe it is vital to expose our children to technological resources where they are age-appropriate. Because we are a French school amidst a predominantly English resource area, online educational resources become invaluable tools for our older elementary students. We endeavor to provide a laptop for each student’s use in the upper elementary years.
Music Arts and Suzuki
At its inception, the school’s vision centered upon the relationship between music education and the immersion process of learning a second language. They are partners in a full education. Though the national trend is to reduce this component of education, we believe that a strong music art curriculum lays the foundation for strong mathematical and scientific intelligence. All grade levels at L’Ecole Française du Maine are immersed in our Music Arts Program, which includes Music Mind Games, the Choral Program and an opportunity for private Suzuki lessons.
Music Mind Games: This is a method of teaching music theory and appreciation through non-competitive, imaginative games. Starting in Pre-K, weekly instruction teaches beginning to advanced music theory concepts, including the musical alphabet, intervals, reading rhythms, rhythm math, dictation, the grand staff, musical symbols, tempos, scales, key signatures and chords. Innate in the Music Mind Games method is a duel respect for student’s intelligence and the logical organization of music theory.
Suzuki Program: The immersion method is Listen and Learn. The Suzuki method is the same. We’re proud to work in collaboration with the Maine Suzuki Association to offer our students private, on-site Suzuki lessons in piano, guitar, violin and cello. Parent involvement is required for private lessons.
Choral Program: Our school “Chorale,” comprised of all students, practices weekly with our Chorus leaders and accompanist. The “Chorale” often performs during our monthly school community events, which are a key component of the music program. These community performances may also include musical pieces from Suzuki students, and general songs, dances and skits.
L’Ecole Française du Maine incorporates the benefits of our natural setting into the fabric of our students’ education. The playground and outdoor campus is as much a part of the learning environment as are the indoor classrooms. We put a high value on the play experience and the multiple benefits of daily exercise, and we recognize that the socialization of recess and shared activity teaches important life lessons about respecting and supporting one another.
Throughout the school year, all students participate in soccer, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, orienteering, YMCA swim program, and of course, recess. Best of all, the surrounding woods and nearby nature preserves and seashore provide opportunities for impromptu explorations.
Our school views the arts as a fundamental part of cultural and language education. Integrated with the curriculum, visual arts projects and techniques are discovered in concert with what are typically seen as academic subjects.
In the elementary years, our goals are for the children to be capable of expression through a variety of techniques in drawing, as well as in other two- and three-dimensional media. They learn the experience of creating, reflecting upon others’ images, exploring the differences and similarities between works, and discussing their personal point of view.
We teach skills such as choosing and mixing materials, mediums and subjects, utilizing the tools available, and synthesizing instructions with personal methods. To put techniques in a historical context, we investigate great works through trips to museums, visiting artists and events in the arts world. We teach the children to look for commonalities and differences between the practical experiences of the classroom and the varied approaches of artists.


Pass or Fail: Early Intervention Supports and Strategies
In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively.
While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country?
How is it determined that a child struggles in a particular area? How can teachers and therapists develop the most effective intervention plans possible? The answer lies with the use of diagnostic tools for data collection and analysis.
To develop an effective early intervention model based on supports and strategies, two distinct elements are necessary. First, early intervention depends on diagnostic procedures, which rest on clear strategies. Second, the system also hinges on distinct rules for selecting and implementing supports and strategies, in light of student needs and diagnostic findings.
Functional Behavioral Analysis
Several investigative tools have been developed to assist early intervention. For students demonstrating emotional, social, and behavioral delays and dysfunctions, one of the most important diagnostic tools is the functional behavioral analysis (FBA). As researchers, Robin Hojnoski and Brenna Wood point out, educators are increasingly aware of the connection between the social behaviors of children and early academic skills.
In particular, research has consistently shown that young children who demonstrate challenging behavior may experience disruption to their learning. Negative conduct may interfere with opportunities to learn and effectively interact with peers in classroom situations. Research also recognizes that certain classroom activities, particularly structured activities, place high demands on children who already struggle with behavioral challenges. Investigative studies show that children may engage in challenging behavior as a means of avoiding demands placed upon them.
As a tool, an FBA is a direct and indirect procedure for collecting data related to problem behaviors. Direct data collection methods include classroom observations, while indirect methods of assessment include interviews with parents and teachers and the use of rating scales to assess actions. The subsequent analysis of such data identifies behavioral triggers and their antecedents, the reasons why the behaviors occur, and the functions and consequences of the behavior.
Tools for Data Analysis
Beyond FBA, other diagnostic tools also make use of observation. Occupational therapists will, for example, generally observe students to identify the daily tasks with which children have difficulty. Some diagnostic tools, such as questionnaires, may also be used for occupational therapy assessment, as well as language and behavioral evaluation. Parent participation and preschool involvement may be important in the use of such tools. However, the best observations and data tend to be collected from individual students in a classroom context, subjected to the academic, social, emotional, and general behavioral demands of the classroom environment. Even self-care and language skills can be better assessed in a classroom than in the home or community, and early intervention acts on this knowledge.
Drawbacks of Diagnostic Tools
Despite the strengths of existing diagnostic tools, they still have their weaknesses. For instance, many school districts administer FBAs indirectly, rather than directly. When FBAs are administered indirectly, they concentrate not on direct observations of children in classrooms, but indirect observations. Indirect observations tend to lack multiple elements that, in regular assessment procedures, would include efforts to gather information about instructional variables and early academic skill development.
Criticism of FBAs conducted within early education settings is that the same interview form is used by parents and teachers for students spanning a wide range of ages, with only a few modifications made for different age groups. The actual developmental differences, and therefore the questionnaires themselves, do not allow parents and teachers to accurately describe specific behaviors in sufficient detail to definitively assess developmental appropriateness.
In their assessment of FBA tools, Hojnoski and Wood note that the two interview forms, the forms used for elementary school and the form used for older children, include two general questions to identify areas where skills are lacking. There is, however, little effort to gather data to identify areas of concern related to the development of academic skills relevant to early-childhood and elementary education.
For diagnostic procedures to be effective, a variety of tools should be used, and these tools should reflect age-appropriate analytics for language, social and behavioral interactions. Early intervention might benefit from specifically targeting the problems that most commonly cause academic delays and disruptions in the classroom. With this information in hand, it could be useful to focus on identifying, or otherwise developing, age-appropriate tools to test skills and knowledge. Perhaps even developing a means to identify those students who are most at risk of deficits within certain areas. The goal of early intervention should not be to simply stop or reverse academic delays, but as much as possible, to prevent them entirely.
Are you familiar with the use of diagnostic testing from an early intervention perspective? Would you alter how the evaluation tools are currently being utilized?


When planning a trip, you typically begin by identifying where you are headed and then determine the best route to get there. A Head Start program’s strategic planning effort also begins by setting a direction. Programs examine relevant program and community data and ask dialogue-generating questions to clarify the direction to take toward strategic goals. With the Head Start planning cycle as their guide, programs can purposefully pursue goals to transform their vision into reality for enrolled children and their families.
Whether you are new to Head Start or updating your knowledge of program planning best practices, consider reading through this topic to extend your understanding of program goals, measurable objectives, expected outcomes, and action plans. This topic also explores the importance of identifying expected challenges.
The terms goals, objectives, outcomes, action plans, and challenges are widely used in the research, evaluation, education, and business communities. The purpose of Topic 1 is to define these terms in the context of Head Start.
These terms and definitions are key to strategic planning and are fundamental to the Head Start grant application process. Both the HSPPS and the Head Start Grant Application Instructions highlight key terminology. Consider how these terms are integral to the program planning cycle.
Head Start Grant Application Instructions Key Terms and Definitions
Program Goals – Broad statements that describe what a program intends to accomplish. Program goals should be strategic, long-term, and responsive to the needs identified in the community assessment.
- Goals for the provision of educational, health, nutritional, and family and community engagement program services to further promote the school readiness of enrolled children
- School readiness goals
- Effective health and safety practices to ensure children are safe at all times
- Programs may wish to identify these as stand-alone goals or as objectives related to another type of program goal (e.g., a health goal)
School Readiness Goals – The expectations of children's status and progress across domains of language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge, approaches to learning, physical well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development that will improve their readiness for kindergarten. Terms, 45 CFR § 1305.2
Measurable Objectives – Support the attainment of goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART).
Progress – Forward movement toward the achievement of goals, objectives, and outcomes.
Outcomes – Something that happened as a result of an activity or process. The actual results achieved.
Challenges – Information describing obstacles to achieving program goals and objectives.
Evidence – Facts, information, documentation, or examples given to support an assertion.
Page 7 of the Head Start Grant Application Instructions (2017–2018) highlights key terms and definitions.
Tell Me More
The Head Start resource Five Steps to Community Assessment guides the development of responsive community assessments.
Effective Head Start1 programs engage in a cyclical planning process. Prior to the first year of the five-year project period, the program’s planning team determines strategic goals that are informed by data and findings from the community assessment, annual self-assessment, and related child, family, and community data. These strategic goals set the course for continuous improvement and innovation. New programs that have not yet conducted an annual self-assessment can use the community assessment to develop long-term goals.
As the program planning cycle shows, programs use the five-year planning process to develop, monitor, and evaluate progress toward strategic long-term goals.
Equipped with this wealth of information, your planning team can affirm or revise the program goals and objectives, keeping in mind that program goals should remain the same wherever possible so it is easier to track progress over time. You may find that some objectives have been accomplished over the course of the year, and now the recommendations of the self-assessment team lead to new objectives, along with next steps to move toward the goal.
How is the program planning cycle used in your program?
As part of the baseline application, you will identify expected outcomes and document expected challenges. This process is valuable in encouraging your team to adopt a more critical, thorough, and big-picture perspective. And, in turn, having a more comprehensive perspective will lessen the likelihood that your program will need to change goals.
Programs understand each of the planning elements in the context of Head Start's planning cycle. Learn how they collectively contribute to successful programming, strategic program goals, and ultimately, positive outcomes for children, their families, and communities.
Additionally, programs can recognize how planning elements, and the process in its entirety, offer a critical platform for identifying challenges to a program’s progress.
1. Throughout this document, the term “Head Start” refers to both Head Start and Early Head Start programs and services for children and families.
Resource Type: Article
National Centers: Program Management and Fiscal Operations
Last Updated: December 3, 2019


Roden, I., Kreutz, G., & Bongard, S. (2012). Effects of a school-based instrumental music program on verbal and visual memory in primary school children: A longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 3.
This study measured the effects of school based instrumental instruction on primary school children in Germany. Students were divided into three groups: a group receiving musical training on an instrument, a group receiving additional natural science training, and a group receiving no additional training. The music and science group received 45-minute weekly instructional sessions. Over the period of 18 months, the children were given verbal and visual memory tests three times. While no differences were found between the three groups for visual memory, the children in the music group showed significant increases on verbal memory tests, after controlling for socio-economic background, IQ, and age of the children. These findings are consistent with and extend previous research suggesting children who receive music instruction may benefit from improvements in their verbal memory skills.
Children receiving weekly music instruction showed significantly greater increases on every measure of verbal memory in comparison to the science education and the control group over the 18-month instructional period. No effects were found on the visual memory tests across the three groups. Results for all measures were controlled for age, IQ, and socio-economic status and performance levels across all three groups were similar at baseline.
Significance of the Findings:
These results suggest that musically trained children developed more efficient short-term (verbal learning skills) and long-term (verbal delayed recall and verbal recognition skills) memory strategies compared to their peers in the two control groups. The large effect sizes found, which were higher than expected based on previous research, strengthen confidence in the conclusion that there is a relationship between instrumental musical training and increased verbal memory abilities. This suggests that musically trained children develop more effective memory strategies for words and phrases, suggesting that musical training may promote cognitive mechanisms that underlie child literacy and language development.
These findings are relevant for all stakeholders: parents, students, teachers, school leaders, and policymakers, as they reinforce the previous research that finds that music education supports increased literacy and language development in primary school age children.
The researchers selected 73 primary school children from ten different classrooms in seven schools located in different parts of Germany, and assigned to the three groups; the music group, the science group, and the control group. Participants provided the demographic information of socio-economic background, IQ, and musical background to ensure the groups were as similar as possible prior to the experiment. The students in the musical group received 45-minute classes on an instrument of their choice delivered by trained instrumental teachers from the public schools, and the class size was limited to five. The other two groups continued to receive the regular music instruction at their schools, and none of the three groups received additional music classes outside of the school day, other than self-reported instrumental practice for the music group. Results were measured three different times using a German adaptation of Rey’s Auditory Verbal Test to measure verbal memory and the Corsi Block Test and Matrix Span Test to assess visual memory. Baseline measurements were gathered at the beginning of the school year, the second measurement took place a year later, and the last measurement at the end of that year, with the entire experiment spanning twenty-two months.
Limitations of the Research:
Designed to show the effects of school based music instruction, the groups of five or less students for the research seems to not replicate the common class size structure. Additionally, the group receiving the science training involved larger groups. Furthermore, due to missing data and student self-reporting that varied significantly, it is not known the effect of at-home practice frequency and the effect that may have had on verbal memory.
Questions to Guide New Research:
- Would these results be similar when done with older or younger age brackets, and is there an age where the brain responds best to musical instruction and its effect on verbal memory?
- Did differences on verbal memory arise between type of instrument studied, such as string versus brass?
- Are the same effects found in solitary practice of music, or is the verbal memory ability developed through the listening to another process rather than the listening to self process?


INTERNET CONNECTION FOR IMPROVED EDUCATION IN AFRICA
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), is relevant for education in Africa. The Internet has for long proven to be vital in culture. It grants unparalleled access to information and promotes access to virtual labs, educational resources, ideas, and people. However, access to the Internet is not distributed equitably globally. The African continent is among those lagging much behind in providing Internet connectivity in schools, colleges, and out of school learners.
The relevance of the Internet Matter to Learning in Africa?
Education is the foundation for any form of social and economic development. Africa requires a skilled workforce that makes use of ICTs effectively as a critical factor in ascertaining its competitiveness in the global digital economy and for utilizing its natural deposits for sustainable growth.
The region faces several challenges in education, ranging from the lack of quality teachers, outdated or absence of learning and teaching materials, and inadequate school infrastructure for fast-growing learners. More than 110 million school children between the ages of 6-18 years are out of school in Africa. Thirty-seven (37) million young people need technical and vocational training or other forms of education that enhances paths to their employment. Only about 6 % of secondary school graduates get a chance for higher education in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG4) requires countries to address these challenges and attain universal pre-primary, primary and secondary education and gender equity, and promote youth learning for employability. Such commitments need innovative approaches that are beyond just building more educational institutions. One such innovative approach requires using educational technology in various ways.
Numerous opportunities for using the Internet for learning abound in Africa. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), above a quarter of the African population (341 million) had to access to the Internet back in 2016, the major of such population are potential Internet learners. More than half the population has access to mobile phones. Countries have also witness improved broadband connectivity at national levels and internationally via a diversity of submarine cables that landed on the western and eastern part of the continent over the last decade. There is sufficient broadband capacity that can be utilized in serving the effort of the country to attain Sustainable Development Goals generally and to enhance in particular interactive and equitable learning.
State of the Internet for Learning in Africa
To date, Investment in ICT in education involved the rollout of School net projects and the establishment of NRENs. School net projects naturally start with equipping selected schools with computer labs, training teachers, and if possible, providing students and teachers with necessary learning materials.
Despite the efforts put in place over the last two decades, there has been limited success in the rollout of ICTs and the Internet in African schools, due to deficiency of resources and the lack of a holistic and unified vision and strategy. There is a considerable need for governments to further inclusive knowledge societies, taking into account the universality principles of the Internet adopted by the UNESCO’s General Assembly that campaigned for a human rights-based on the open and accessible Internet to everyone.
It should be noted that progress is different from one country to another. The improved broadband connectivity in countries like Egypt, Rwanda, Botswana, South Africa Morocco, Kenya, Tunisia, and Senegal has already improved the access of learners and teachers to the Internet. In other countries, connections to the Internet are restricted.
Role of Policy Makers in Unlocking the Potential of the Internet for Learning
Policy makers have essential parts to play in creating the required ecosystem for the integration of ICT in education. The enhanced connectivity in the region and the vast learning resources that are available over the Internet can be used to further access and quality of education in Africa. Policymakers primarily need to articulate a real vision for a merged form of learning by crafting and implementing an ICT for education policy that involves the entire spectrum of knowledge.
a. Policymakers must address three related areas proposed by the Internet Society Enabling Environment Framework, these include, fostering entrepreneurship and skills, promoting infrastructure investment, and promoting supportive governance.
b. Data and research are vital in assessing the impact of ICT investment in education. Policymakers need to focus on data gathering on ICT access used by teachers and students, and support centers of excellence that participates in research and spread it to improve learning from past experiences.
c. A significant gap exists in using it for training youth to tap into global ICT Enabled Services and in applying ICTs for job creation. These need initiatives that stir a blended form of learning that brings together traditional and online education in TVET institutions, for example by supporting access to state of the art education present through MOOCs and other available Open Educational Resources.


A native of Athens, Georgia, Kaelah Mickelle received her Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from the University of Georgia in 2009. As a recipient of a School of Music Fellowship, she received her Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 2012, having studied with world-renowned saxophonists Kenneth Tse and Eugene Rousseau.
Fast forward one year, and Kaelah Mickelle is now a published author for children’s books. She has been writing poetry since she was 7 years old, and decided it was time to start publishing her ideas. Her first book, “A-Z Poetry: Fruits and Veggies,” was released August 8, 2013 and is the first of many.
A-Z Poetry: Fruits and Veggies is a collection of 26 hilarious acrostic poems in rhyming verse that help teach children their ABCs and so much more. While teaching your children the alphabet with this book, they are also introduced to healthy fruits and vegetables and poetry. (Click the title to see it in my blog KIDS KORNER).
Each poem contains its own unique story and character, and are accompanied by a colorful illustration that captures the fruit/veggie’s personality while bringing the poem to life.
The acrostic poetry provides a clever mnemonic device to help teach children how to spell their fruits & veggies. If a child simply memorizes the poem, they will have learned how to spell the fruit or vegetable… which is great for spelling tests!
This book is also a wonderful model for introducing children to writing their own acrostic poem! Visualizing the poems in the book will intrigue them to write their own poem by perhaps first starting with the letters of their own name!
With so many teachable aspects in A-Z Poetry: Fruits and Veggies, this book is excellent for teachers and home school parents to utilize in their lesson plans. Each elementary grade school level can focus on the appropriate concept, and laugh out loud as they read these poems.
Children and adults of all ages will enjoy these cleverly crafted and rhythmically delightful poems with whimsical illustrations!
Stay on the look out for Kaelah’s second book, “1-2-3 Poetry: Numbers and Colors,” which will be released in September of 2013.
Follow Kaelah on:


Illiteracy Definition And Its Effects:
Literacy means the ability of read and write.According to this definition,more than 70 percent of our population is illiterate.In a recent report of UNICEF,it has been revealed that more than 20 million children do not have opportunities to get admission in primary schools Pakistan.In modern era,a nation cannot confront the challenges with an overwhelming illiterate population.
Elementary or basic or primary education system must be very strong to cope with the problem of illiteracy.Our policy makers have always ignored the vitality of elementary education.If a person is not able to read and write,he will not be able to get further education.Furthermore,he will remain an illiterate and ignorant person.Because of the deficiency on this basic level of education,the doors of opportunities of a good and high standard life will remain shut for him.
An illiterate person can’t take good decision:
An illiterate person cannot vote wisely.He is not aware of the importance of vote and electoral process.In this way,he remain unconcerned with political affairs.An illiterate person is not conscious of his rights and duties in the society.He may easily be exploited.An employer may give him unjust wages.He can be deprived many of the rights,he deserves.
A Campaign should be launched to eradicate illiteracy:
There is a dire need to launch a campaign to abolish illiteracy and promote elementary and basic schooling,so that we may achieve the target of 100 percent literacy rate.This target can be gotten by working on multiple levels.First of all,more primary schools should be opened to achieve this target.There should be declared an educational emergency.Adult schools must also be opened to adorn the adults with basic education.
By concluding the discussion,we can say that if a person has a strong base at primary or elementary level,he will be able to build a skyscraper of high and higher education on this foundation.Illiteracy is a curse which must be uprooted.By launching a massive and revolutionary literacy campaign,we can abolish illiteracy and achieve 100% literacy rate .This is the only way to make future strong and stable.


RS2 Close Reading Guide Preview
Close Reading Guides
Expertly developed Close Reading Teacher's Guides are designed to help teachers guide students to explore text at different levels of meaning. Teachers model and then scaffold students in grappling with complex text to determine meaning, finding clues in the text and illustrations to help figure out vocabulary, exploring themes and central messages across texts, making inferences and intertextual connections, understanding story grammar, practicing academic language, and inspiring students to discuss and write meaningful responses to text-dependent questions that are answered with support from evidence found in the text.
Book-By-Book Reading Comprehension Assessments
A newly added Close Reading Guide feature in Reading Series 2 is an optional criterion-referenced comprehension assessment that can be delivered after each book’s foundational skills and close reading instruction.


During the early elementary years, a homeschool parent’s focus is typically on the basics. You are helping your child to learn to read as well as helping them acquire basic math skills. These are formative lessons that when successfully learned will become the building blocks for future academic success.
However, some kids need a little bit more help or a program delivered in a more tech-savvy manner.
Reading Eggs is an online game like program which helps kids learn to read. The program can be started during the preschool years (ages 2 to 4) and provides assistance for students up through the age of 13.
The program incorporates the five essential keys to reading success: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency. Working through the program, a student can go from being a non-reader to reading long chapter books.
Over the years, they have expanded to include early math through Mathseeds. This online program for kids aged 3-9 teaches core math and problem-solving skills. Concepts are introduced and modeled before the student works on the associated activities.
For both of the online subscriptions, the programs are structured, yet presented in a fun manner to engage the kids.
Now the team at Blake eLearning have launched print workbooks for math and reading that work alongside the online learning program. These workbooks consolidate all the essential literacy and numeracy skills a child is learning on Reading Eggs and Mathseeds.
Members of the Homeschool Review Crew received one of the new workbooks along with a 3-month subscription to Reading Eggs / Mathseeds.
The workbooks are easily connected to the online programs. For example, Reading Skills Books K – 1 cover the lessons in Reading Eggs and Books 2 – 5 cover Reading Eggspress.
Workbooks that Coordinate with Reading Eggs / Reading Eggspress:
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for Kindergarten
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for First Grade
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for Second Grade
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for Third Grade
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for Fourth Grade
- 200 Essential Reading Skills for Fifth Grade
Workbooks that Coordinate with Mathseeds:
- 200 Essential Math skills for Kindergarten
- 200 Essential Math skills for First Grade
- 200 Essential Math skills for Second Grade
Social Media Links for Reading Eggs:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingeggsUSCA/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingeggs
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/readingeggs/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCReadingEggs
Hashtags: #hsreviews #readingeggs #learntoread
Thank you to Laura from Day by Day in Our World for writing this anchor post.


According to the National Endowment for the Arts, Americans of all ages consume more arts-focused entertainment than ever before. In spite of this, participation in arts programs has declined over the last quarter of a century. The decline began most sharply in 2008, which coincides with the Great Recession. More parents now push children toward what they view as pragmatic study programs. However, there are many benefits of arts programs in schools.
The Effect of Arts Programs on Children
Experts believe drawing should be used as a tool in the classroom. A new study found that students who drew-out their notes retained the material nearly twice as much as students who simply wrote-out the information.
Most people categorize art as a “soft skill” and math as a “hard” skill – however, educational expert Andreas Schleicher argues math and science may become “softer” skills due to the rapid increase of technology, and “hard skills” will become intangible skills honed through the arts-curiosity, leadership, persistence, and resistance.
Bette Fetter, CEO and Founder of Young Rembrandts, tells Parentology that when children learn to draw, they use their “whole brain.” The brain relies on three facets to obtain new knowledge and store it for the long haul. These include motor skills, perceptual representations and language. Art programs give children the opportunity to develop all three facets.
“When children learn to draw, they are also learning to evaluate and analyze visually,” she says. “This improves a student’s visual activity in skills like reading and math. It also improves memory and recall by as much as 50% [as stated in an] article by the George Lucas Educational Foundation from 2019.”
Learning to draw is bigger than art alone and is a skill that can be leveraged in different subjects in school, as well as in the workplace. Students who study art as a child develop skills modern employers are looking for, including how to become creative thinkers and problem-solvers. There is also a demonstrated monetary advantage to art education early on in a child’s life.
Some Useful Skills for Adult Life
The island of Jamaica invests heavily in arts programs, bringing the world the likes of Bob Marley and Grace Jones. However, fame has little to do with the country’s commitment to the arts. According to Jamaica’s Early Childhood Commission, an early introduction to this field helps children to develop motor skills, appreciate numeracy and build self-esteem. It also offers a positive escape for children of lesser means.
Universities in America came to a similar conclusion. Researchers at Michigan State University found that of college graduates who majored in the STEM field, those who launched businesses or generated patents had received up to eight times more exposure to the arts as children than the general population.
The belief that arts graduates will struggle to make a living is also not true. With passion, dedication and the right opportunities, graduates become actors, musicians, graphic designers, animators, and professors. Over time, graduates of liberal arts programs also see a surge in their earnings, particularly when they pursue more advanced degrees.
Here’s the Bottom Line
Experts agree that art programs should not solely be an extracurricular activity for creative children. It should be an integrated part of early childhood education as it helps children to see more accurately, increases their memory and helps them to understand the world from a different perspective.
The research shows that art helps children developmentally, socially and emotionally in addition to building their confidence. Children who feel comfortable experimenting and making mistakes also feel free to invent new ways of thinking, which extends beyond art. Indeed, the data shows that children stand to benefit far more if they are interwoven into the core curricula from early childhood.
Parents, teachers, and schools need to be the biggest advocates. Understanding how beneficial art is for all children will help keep art programs alive.
The Benefits of Arts Programs in Schools — Sources
Edutopia: The Powerful Effects of Drawing on Learning
Andreas Schleicher, Programme for International Student Assessment
National Endowment for the Arts: Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation
Bette Fetter, Young Rembrandts Responses
The Early Childhood Commission: Benefits of the Arts in Early Childhood Development
University of Michigan


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It’s not just about a recital, an adorable, proud bow to the audience, or roses thrown at his or her feet during an encore. Music education has a proven link to improving certain brain functions and skills. Want to increase your child’s abstract reasoning skills, verbal memory and math abilities all while listening to him or her learn to play “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star?” Daily Mom has news that will be music to your ears!
Music education has been linked to an increase in spatial-temporal awareness, commonly known as abstract reasoning skills. These skills give us the ability to mentally manipulate images – (think puzzles, or games where you must think a step ahead of your opponent). In a study involving 78 preschool children, 34 children received private piano lessons, 20 had private computer lessons, and 24 children were subjects for other areas. Children given piano lessons showed a large improvement on the spatial-temporal test. What can you take from this? Music education has been shown to train a child’s brain for abstract thinking, a helpful skill for math and science.
Improving verbal memory
Can being a musician physically “change” a brain? It seems so. A study using MRI’s compared the brains of musicians to non-musicians. Sixty college students with similar backgrounds were given identical visual and verbal tests. Thirty of these students of them had least six years of music training before age 12, and the other half had zero training.
The findings? The musicians had enlarged “left” brains when compared to the non-musicians, and scored higher on the verbal test than the non-musicians by an average of 16%, with no significant difference found between the groups when looking at the results of the visual test. What’s the key to understand here is that a portion of the left side of the brain is attributed with verbal memory, and a portion of the right side of the brain is attributed to visual memory. This study’s findings suggest that music education can train a brain and positively impact verbal memory!
The math and music connection
Is there a math and music connection? You bet, and there are plenty of studies to back them up. One such study involved two groups of second graders; one group of children had piano lessons as well as training in a math program, and another group received English training and piano lessons. After four months of this training, the second-grade students in the math and music group scored 15-41 percent higher than the students in the group that received English and music training on tests that involved ratios and fractions.
Interested in music education for your child?
Sue On, music educator from New Jersey, has some advice for parents:
How can parents encourage music education at home?
“Moms are already encouraging music education everyday without realizing it. Ask any adult or child how they learned the alphabet and they will start singing it for you. Teaching the basics is just listening to music to help develop their ear so that when they do pick up an instrument, they are already familiar with what it’s suppose to sound like.”
How old should my child be when starting formal music lessons?
“Between the ages of 0-5, most experiences are still first time experiences. With that in mind, everything is fascinating in a child’s eyes, and learning something new at every music lesson is no different. At such a young age, a lot of repetition is needed to comprehend the motions required to play an instrument but most of the activities can be disguised as games.”
How do I choose an instrument for my child?
“For children 6 and under, violin or piano are great options just to get the ears training. Even if this isn’t your child’s first choice, either will most likely be a good transitional instrument due to the fine listening that is required. For an older child, ages 7 and up, there are more options because the lung capacity for air is larger for those interested in singing or wind instruments.”
Photo Credit: Erin G.
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"Only the brave teach."
FIM transforms classroom instruction and drives increases in student achievement. This systematic process provides an opportunity for teachers to scaffold student learning and encourages the growth of numeracy, literacy and science skills from an early age. Teachers use the process to monitor their students’ mastery of content area foundational skills and provide interventions as appropriate. It is an integrative, holistic, evidence based approach to teaching built on instructional best-practices.
FIM IN A NUTSHELL
The FIM process consists of three major components, each with specific benefits to student learning and teacher instruction. Together, daily practice, progress monitoring and data tracking create a classroom system. This system provides students with daily interaction to the content, teachers with consistent formative data, and the classroom community with data tracking tools that build patterns for learning and cement mastery.
Using common core suggestions, teachers choose 16 critical areas of focus to cycle through all year long. In just 10 minutes a day, students solve 2 problems with the emphasis on effort. The teacher’s responsibility is to show different ways of solving.
Bi-Weekly Progress Monitoring Assessments
In a month’s time all 16 mathematical standards are assessed through data collection and analysis of student work. Grade level collaboration brings to light areas of strengths and stretches and guides future instructional practice.
Data transparency is key to student ownership and drives growth minded thinking. Check out a first grader as she inputs and tracks her own FIM data.
FIM Brag Tags
FIM extends learning by providing a celebratory way to recognize students who are mastering math content and non-cognitive skills. Brag Tags provide a way for students to keep track of what they’ve learned while having fun earning more tags to put on their backpack rings.
Social Emotional Learning. One of the most powerful gifts given to students is the teaching of social emotional skills. Helping students find their own personal reasons for doing class work and working hard will prepare them for life’s challenges. Perservere young scholars!
FIM Tier II intervention system
Math Strengths and Stretches is a Tier II intervention system that provides teachers a way to be responsive to the FIM data in an intentional manner. Students struggling with a particular standard will progress through a build, draw, solve continuum of learning to ensure they have a strategy on which to anchor their thinking. It only takes 15 minutes a day.


Supporting First Nations and Native American Literature in the Classroom
Famous Canadian First Nations artist, Roy Henry Vickers, teams up with Robert Budd to create a book series eloquently depicting classic Northwest Coast Legends. This unit supports the books: Peace Dancer,Raven Brings the Light,Orca Chief, and Cloudwalker, with reading comprehension strategies bundled together in a student response booklet.
Included in this unit are:
Ties to the BC Curriculum Big Ideas for Grades 2-6 in Language Arts and
Grades 2 and 3 in Social Studies. (Outside of BC, similar curricular
comparisons can be made.)
Student Response Booklet
Assessment Rubric and Answer Key for the Student Response Booklet
The Student Response Booklet includes:
Roy Henry Vickers Biography
Maps locating and labelling significant locations in the stories
Reading comprehension sheets focusing on: Summarizing, Cause and Effect,
Visualizing and Connecting
Connections and the interdependence between Living and Nonliving things
To obtain a copy of this book and others like it, I recommend checking out Strong Nations, an online bookstore supplying indigenous and Native American books. Not only do they have an extensive selection, they provide themed book bundles for all age ranges.


The content standards are found in Chapter 6. In a short lesson each day, students gather as a class alongside their expert writer the teacher to craft and write text in a variety of genres. Most people in the Northern states thought slavery was wrong. Use a variety of leads to hook and engage the reader i.
This strategy could be modeled on the first day of school, and it could continue to be used throughout the school year daily or several times a day, with other books read aloud during the week or other topics of interest to the students. Still, there will be spontaneous and organic aspects of this experience that will be unique and genuine to the interaction.
One never knows in advance the exact wording students will choose for their text and, therefore, cannot always anticipate the conventions and specific aspects of craft that will be relevant to teach.
We have deliberately chosen to provide only a basic introduction to the rock cycle, as this difficult concept is inextricably linked to the theory of plate tectonics, a topic typically reserved for the middle school years.
Homesteaders were required to stay on the land, build a home, and farm the land for five years. Interactive writing is a teaching approach that can simultaneously advance both the individualized needs of writers and any grade-level goals.
How do you feel about the first day of school. This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Universal elements of interactive writing: It is created around a topic that is relevant and engaging for the entire class.
Compose The teacher and students discuss the specific content of the writing. In this rhyming text, a little boy names all of the things he wants to bring to school on the first day of kindergarten, from a sandbox to a chair for his stuffed bear, until his mother assures him that his teacher will have everything he needs.
Second grade sight words - The all-important Dolch words, broken down in three subsets for your convenience. They agree on one sentence during the Compose phase and then write it while sharing the pen. Once students become more fluent writers, there is more flow between the Compose and Share the Pen phases.
Additionally, while one student writes, the class might practice a specific convention or craft on individual dry-erase boards. In the upper elementary grades, finished interactive writing pieces can serve as exemplars for students.
First (1st) Grade Skills | Grade Level Help at Internet 4 Classrooms, internet resources for teachers & students, children & parents Educational for elementary. Members receive unlimited access to 49,+ cross-curricular educational resources, including interactive activities, clipart, and abctools custom worksheet generators.
These Election Day Printable Worksheets are great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents. Grade 2 telling time worksheets including telling time to the whole hour, half hour, quarter hour and nearest 5 minute and 1 minute intervals; reading clocks and drawing clock faces, units of time, elapsed time, am and pm, calendars, days of the week and months of the year.
Interactive student-writing activities include a Process Writing Workshop, Write Your Way quick-writing tool, and Build-a-Book portal. Writing A-Z's safe, kid-friendly interactive resources support writing practice and literacy development.
Free second grade worksheets and games including, phonics, grammar, couting games, counting worksheets, addition online practice,subtraction online practice, multiplication online practice, hundreds charts, math worksheets generator, free math work sheets Second Grade Math Worksheets and Games.
2nd Grade Reading and Writing Worksheets. Interactive Learning: Reading provides reading passages and corresponding activities to reinforce learning in comprehension, vocabulary, story maps, and more.
Click on a grade level to start.
Quick Links.Interactive writing activities second grade


Connecting with Students
As part of our Next X initiative, our district is committed to cultivating healthy connections between our students and staff. One of our curriculum goals is to create content at a pace that mirrors students’ academic abilities along with their interests.
In this video we will see how the bond built between teachers and their student created a unique opportunity for this student to succeed, even when challenges came up. To prepare each student to be Ready for Tomorrow means creating connections that allow the student to acquire foundational skills, including critical thinking, communication, and creativity.
The Next X Initiative is a strategic vision to guide our journey from 2020 to 2030. Over the course of this year, we will share our stories. We will hear from our students and staff about the things we are doing to accomplish the many goals of Next X.