Numicon is a fantastic resource for helping children with their core number skills. We have been using it in school for more than a year now, with both children and staff becoming more confident and enjoying using it.
Numicon uses different coloured tiles to represent each of the numbers 1 to 10. This helps to give children a concrete concept of what each number actually is - for example they can see, in their mind's eye, that '5': is a red tile with five holes, it has an odd number of holes, it is smaller than a ten but larger than a 1... this image helps with so many of the basic facts about number!
We use Numicon to help us with all aspects of maths. The tiles fit together to help with addition, can be laid over each other to represent take away and difference, can be grouped for repeated addition and multiplication and can be used to represent fractions of numbers for division. We even use them for measuring lengths and weights!
The children get really excited about using Numicon in school, and we have found that their increased confidence with numbers has had a positive impact on their overall attainment.
Numicon Curriculum Evening
We had a curriculum evening for parents and children from Years 1 and 2, sharing information and ideas about Numicon. Mr Corcoran gave a talk to explain about the tiles and how we use them, and the children helped to teach their parents what to do! It was really well attended, with exactly 100 people (parents and their children) learning together in the hall. Please see below for some of the really positive feedback that we received about the event.
"Great for visual and colour, and will definitely help my son with his maths homework. Love it!" - Year 1 Parent
"Impressed with the Numicon and how (my son) is already using them well to support his Numeracy skills. I think the visual part really helps with the learning and look forward to using them with him at home" - Year 1 Parent
"It was really good to be involved with the use of the Numicon and it will help us at home" - Year 2 Parent
"I think the Numicon way of learning maths is really useful and much easier for the children to learn, making it much more enjoyable because it's so visual. I definitely think (my son) will enjoy learning this way. - Year 1 Parent


Konstnärliga undervisningspraktiker Genealogier, diskurser och makt
Sammanfattning: This dissertation is about art teaching practices at upper secondary schools with a focus on theatre and at university arts programmes with a focus on film. More specifically, it addresses the factors that have contributed to current teaching practices in art education today and how students and teachers in interaction with each other shape, become part of and identify with the norms and values that emerge through these practices.The overarching question concerns how norms and values emerge as power/knowledge processes in the teaching process. The genealogical study presented examines how art education is constructed at a policy level. The study discusses how, in past eras, investigators, researchers and educators described what students needed to do during their education to develop into professional artists, how teaching practices were designed and justified, and how art was distinct from other activities and forms of knowledge in education. The interaction study presented examines the act of teaching. It discusses how, the participants shape each other and establish norms and values in relation to notions of what art “is” and can be.The conditions of possibilities in art teaching practices has been identified in three discourses. The discourse of conversation governs the format and organisation of the teaching practice. It is assumed that through conversation the students can develop their artistic ability. The discourse of freedom identifies how students submit to the vague, flexible and ever-changing notions of what art signifies. The discourse of production describes how the artistic work in the teaching practice takes precedence over an acquisition of established knowledge.The importance of the participants’ own experiences and feelings, therapeutic conversations, the liberation from conventional education discourses, confession practices and the establishment of a production discourse all emerge as important techniques in art teaching practices. Core values and norms are expressed through these techniques.The study shows that participants in art teaching practices develop the skills of self-evaluation, self-analysis and self-governance. The notion of an individualised, exploratory educational experience clashes with a process that directs the students to align themselves with the shared norms and values of the art world, of its content and expression. Students perceive their artistic output as unique while the art produced can be understood as expression of a normalisation process that strives to maintain the values and norms in art teaching practices. In summery the dissertation shows that the participants’ learning process is of an exploratory nature. Rather than acquiring and assimilating established knowledge, the participants learn by finding their own paths in a knowledge-formation process in which they discover the artistic potential of their own experiences and insights.
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Drum Corps and marching bands come in all different shapes, styles, sizes but when it boils down to it most of them share commonalities. Those similarities have less to do with performance and more to do with life skills such as teamwork, commitment, dedication, cooperation, responsibility, time management and perseverance.
Having students participate in drum corps can provide some challenges to the high school marching band. Drum corps students may miss summer marching band rehearsals or indoor rehearsals for drum corps auditions or camps. Drum corps students may return to the high school band with knowledge of other ways of doing things and depending on the personality of the students, this could be a challenge.
However, having high school students participate in drum corps can be beneficial to the high school program. Depending on the part of the country, the time conflicts can be minimal or non-existent. The majority of drum corps kids return to the marching band tired but very knowledgeable and motivated. The level of commitment and dedication usually is tremendously increased in a drum corps student and most of the time that rubs off onto other students in a very positive way. If students participate if a world-class junior corps, they learn to live on their own and be responsible for themselves. This pays dividends to a high school marching band because these are the students that can model responsibility for the others in terms of behavior on overnight trips, remembering all items needed for rehearsals and performances and how to behave in public.
Students in open junior corps or all age corps, may not be travelling for the entire summer, but they do gain immense knowledge or time management and how to prepare for events. Their travel is usually on the weekends and since they probably don’t drive themselves to the events they are often participating in carpools, which require good communication and organization skills. This is helpful to the high school marching band when other students start to complain about not having rides to events. The all-age corps students will jump right in and describe how getting a ride five miles is much easier than coordinating rides for a rehearsal 90 miles away and a performance 120 miles away on the following day for the entire summer. Those students also start to appreciate the organization and convenience that a high school band program provides by doing things such as organizing and providing transportation to performances.
After students experience a summer of drum corps, they typically are more knowledgeable than their peers in terms of movement, music and performance. Most of them have a thorough understanding of chain of command and keep their thoughts to themselves. However, discussing their experiences with them and allowing them to take on leadership roles based on their experiences can be invaluable. If they have learned new techniques or different ways of doing things, they may have some good ideas for incorporating them into the high school band rehearsals. If that’s not your cup of tea, they can at least serve at an outstanding model for the rest of the students as well as learn that there are many different rehearsal and performance techniques and methods.
It is important to celebrate the high school students that participate in drum corps and encourage the rest of the marching band to attend shows and watch them perform. This will also increase the background knowledge of the entire ensemble, motivate all students to achieve more, give the ensemble a sense of pride and make the drum corps students feel great.
Having high school band students participate in drum corps can be a huge benefit to the high school band program.
About the Author
TONIA ASEL KAUFMAN is the band director at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in suburban Philadelphia and the Choral/Instrumental Coordinator in the Colonial School District, a 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 NAMM Best Community for Music Education and 2014 and 2015 Grammy Signature School Semi-finalist. She was awarded a Citation of Teaching Excellence from the Pennsylvania Music Educator Association and has been recognized as a Master Teacher by the Colonial School District. Under Kaufman’s leadership, the PW Band Program has won 24 championships and is regionally acclaimed for being a highly creative band program. She has had groups perform at and has presented at the PA Music Educator Association State Conference. In addition to serving as high school band director, she has worked in a variety of roles including adjunct professor of music education, concert band guest conductor, jazz adjudicator, marching band consultant, show designer, drill designer and musical arranger and has taught a wide variety of music electives from elementary to high school. She also has held various leadership roles in the local band competition circuit. Kaufman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and Music Performance from Slippery Rock University, a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from Temple University and National Board Certification in EA/YA Music.
The content of this Blog article or Banded Story is the intellectual property of the author(s) and cannot be duplicated without the permission of KHS America and/or the author(s). Standard copyright rules apply.


Time for Bed, Let’s Read!
Reading to infants and toddlers is important to literacy development. You can begin reading to your infant as soon as you begin talking to him or her. Reading aloud will help your child develop the language and listening skills necessary to begin a lifelong love of language and the printed word.
At three or four months, hold your infant and read books with rhythmic language and brightly colored, simple pictures.
- In a few months, add books that have pictures your infant will recognize.
- Read from cloth and board books that your infant can hold and touch.
- Be dramatic. Use different voices, make faces, and feel free to wiggle, bounce, and sing to engage your infant.
From the age of two to five, children can turn the pages in a book and follow the pictures, repeat the words they have heard you read, follow the story, and “read” on their own.
- Be dramatic and read often, varying the length to accommodate your child’s interest.
- Involve your child by talking about the book while reading.
- Sound out some words and play with sounds.
- Have conversations about the book that you read last or will read tomorrow.
Five- and six-year-olds can begin the ritual with books they can read or almost read. Extend the bedtime hour as children get older so that they believe the reading period is an extra gift of time.
- For more information and tips on how to start growing your child’s love of reading, visit Growing Readers Online.
- For a list of award-winning books and classic works for children compiled by Horn Book Inc., click here.
- Visit the American Library Association’s Web site for a list of Caldecott Medal Winning Books.
- Visit the American Library Association’s Web site for a list of Newbery Award Winning Books


Pumpkins have more vitamin A than any other vegetable and they’re loaded with fiber and vitamin C. Although we tend to think of pumpkins as Halloween decorations, the Pilgrims relied on them for food.
- Pumpkins are a type of winter squash. They are harvested in late fall and can be stored through the winter. They have a hard shell that protects them from rot.
- Pumpkins came from The Americas. It is said that Christopher Columbus took pumpkin seeds back to Europe. American Indians planted them with beans and corn (The Three Sisters).
- Dogs love pumpkin puree. Offer this delicious, healthy treat any time, but especially if your dog has an upset stomach.
- Pumpkins are related to watermelon, cucumbers, and zucchini. They’re technically a fruit, not a vegetable.
- Pumpkins come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. They can be short and squat or large and round. Although traditional jack-o-Lanterns are orange, pumpkins can be white, green, brown, light orange, striped, or even purple.
- Americans tend to use pumpkins mostly for decoration or in baked goods. Native Americans added the blossoms to stews, dried the pumpkin flesh for flour during the winter, and used the shells for bowls.
- The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns started in Ireland, where farmers would carve faces in turnips to scare evil spirits away during the Celtic holiday, Samhain.
- The Three Sisters: a method of planting corn, beans, and squash together. Each plant offers some benefit to the others.
- Puree: a food that has been mashed
- Celtic: a culture originating in Europe, particularly in the British Isles.
Questions and Answers
Question: Are pumpkins hard to grow?
Answer: Pumpkins are fun to grow, but they do take lots of room in the garden and they need plenty of sunlight. Some gardeners grow small Cinderella or sugar pumpkins. Others grow giant pumpkins, such as ‘Big Moon.’ These giant pumpkins can grow to weigh 250 pounds or more.
What’s the secret to growing giant pumpkins? Watch this video to find out.
Visit a pumpkin farm to learn about this crop.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Pumpkin Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 25 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/pumpkin/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Pumpkin Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/pumpkin/
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Improving education outcomes in Laos
Client name: Australian Government – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Duration: June 2015 - ongoing
Location: Lao People’s Democratic Republic
The Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos program is working towards improving children’s basic primary education, especially for the poor and marginalised, across 65 educationally disadvantaged districts across the country.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic is ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse with 49 recognised ethnic groups and more than 200 sub-groups. This diversity presents real challenges in delivering social services such as education with many non Lao-Tai (ethnic persons) facing language barriers while living in remote regions.
The goal of the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR program is to ensure all girls and boys, especially the poor and marginalised, finish their primary education, giving them important literacy and numeracy skills.
The program forms part of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Australian Government’s 10-year strategy for investing in basic education in Laos. The program aims to achieve three main outcomes:
Participation: disadvantaged children and young people participate on a regular basis in primary education and attend school ready to learn
Resourcing: learning environments in targeted locations are accessible and equitable for all children and are properly resourced
Effective teaching: better teaching with more qualified teachers so that disadvantaged children have improved access to education
By the end of the program we expect to see an increased number of children enrolled in primary school across 65 disadvantaged districts.
To do this Coffey is focusing on five key areas. We are working with other donors and non-government organisations to address education policy, planning and coordination with the Government of Lao PDR and to assist disadvantaged children to overcome barriers to participation in education.
We are also helping teachers with increased pre-service and in-service training, and by providing improved materials to assist Lao language teaching and learning, will the program will also deliver improved school infrastructure with new and renovated classrooms and sanitary facilities.


Battisford Village School – 1873 to 1963
The Battisford Board School in Straight Road, Battisford, was erected in 1873 and the School Board was established on 14th July 1873. In 1891 the population of Battisford was 399 and the Board School was enlarged in 1892 to accommodate 117 children. The average attendance at that time was 91. The attendance was affected by illness, the weather and the agricultural calendar. Children were sometimes absent to help their parents on the farm. All the children walked to school, whatever the weather and distance.
The children were taught in two rooms, with a large central stove. They sat in rows according to age. In the early years the teacher was assisted by older children who had reached the required standard.
School Boards were public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary education, which was not yet free. Board members were elected and had the power to pay the fees of the poorest children. The school boards were abolished by the Education Act 1902, which replaced them with Local Education Authorities.
Early Board members for Battisford Board school were Mr. S. Harwood (Chairman), Mr Lingwood (Vice Chairman), Mr Man and Mr Cooper. Mr Harwood remained on the Board until it was closed on May 30th 1903. Battisford Council School was established at a meeting on 30th June 1903. The Managers appointed were; Mr S. Harwood (Chairman), Mr. T. Harwood, Mr D. Dickerson, Mr. T. Nearn, Mr. J. Cooper and Mr. W. Baker.
The last meeting of the Council School managers on 26th February 1963 recorded 34 children enrolled (see photograph). The school was closed that summer and from September Battisford children traveled by bus to Combs Primary School on Hillside and then the current site. The population of Battisford that year was 427.


Do centipedes and millipedes give you the creeps? They do seem a little scary with their wiggly bodies and many legs, but they can’t hurt you. Millipedes look a little like brown or gray worms with lots of tiny legs. They live in dark, wet places, like under an old log. They eat rotting leaves and wood and they’re not poisonous. Millipedes are shy and they don’t like light. Doesn’t sound too scary, right?
Centipedes have fewer legs and they move more quickly. They eat bugs. Centipedes do have poisonous front claws, but their claws are too small to bite through human skin. Only the giant desert centipede is strong enough to bite a human. A bite from a giant centipede feels a little like a bee sting, but it won’t case any permanent damage.
Fun Facts About Centipedes and Millipedes for Kids
- Millipedes sometimes come indoors when the weather gets cold. They can’t live in dry areas, though, and they usually die within a few days.
- Some millipedes have a sticky substance that can cause redness and itching.
- You might find centipedes stuck in the bathtub or in cupboards in the morning. They scurry away if you approach them.
- Centipedes and millipedes are related to insects, but they have more body parts.
Centipede and Millipede Vocabulary
- Rotting: decomposing, breaking down
- Shy: afraid of people
- Permanent: lasting
- Scurry: move away quickly
Learn More All About Centipedes and Millipedes
Get familiar with the centipedes and millipedes with this informative documentary clip:
A documentary video about the nature of forest centipedes and millipedes.
Centipede and Millipede Q&A
Question: What do their names mean?
Answer: Centi means 100; milli means 1,000 and pede means feet.
Question: What is the largest centipede?
Answer: The largest centipedes in the U.S. live in Arizona and grow to 7 inches long. In the West Indies, you’ll find centipedes that are 18 inches long. Yikes!
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Centipedes and Millipedes info? Take the FREE & fun all about Centipedes and Millipedes quiz and download FREE all about Centipedes and Millipedes worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.


Helping Students Overcome Dyslexia
One Student at a Time
Dyslexia is a brain-based (i.e., neurobiological) learning disability that inhibits a person’s ability to read. The primary areas of difficulty are:
With explicit, multisensory, structured language instruction with the Wilson Reading System by a Certified Dyslexia Practioner, your child can gain the knowledge and skills of the language system he/she needs to become an independent reader.
What is Dyslexia?
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development:
"Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read. Individuals with dyslexia typically read at levels significantly lower than expected despite having normal intelligence. Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia are difficulty with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds), spelling, and/or rapid visual-verbal responding. Dyslexia can be inherited in some families, and recent studies have identified a number of genes that may predispose an individual to developing dyslexia.”
Wilson Reading System
From the Wilson Language Corporation:
The Wilson Reading System® (WRS) is an intensive Tier 3 program for students in grades 2-12 and adults with word-level deficits who are not making sufficient progress through their current intervention; have been unable to learn with other teaching strategies and require multisensory language instruction; or who require more intensive structured literacy instruction due to a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia.
As a structured literacy program based on phonological-coding research and Orton-Gillingham principles, WRS directly and systematically teaches the structure of the English language. Through the program, students learn fluent decoding and encoding skills to the level of mastery. From the beginning steps of the program, students receive instruction in:
Decoding and word study
Sight word recognition
Oral expressive language development
A Bit About Me
Certifications, Experience, Services
Finding the right tutor for your child can be difficult. I want families to feel confident that I have the experience it takes to provide children with the necessary expertise to help them become independent, lifelong readers.
I have 26 years experience in education and tutoring students. My career began at SUNY Old Westbury with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. I taught 2 years of Pre-K Head Start in Brooklyn, NY and 3 years of second grade in North Carolina. During that time I developed a passion for teaching students with disabilities. I earned my Master's Degree in Reading and Special Education from NCSU in 1999. I have been a Literacy Intervention Teacher in Wake County since 1998 as well as a private tutor for students after school. I earned Level I Wilson Reading Certification and the title of Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner in 2018.
I provide one-on-one tutoring to students using the WRS program for 2-5 sessions per week.
I am also a parent of two children (ages 19-15) and I can relate to the concerns of finding the right services for children and the needs of families.
References are available upon request.
Location, Rates, and Cancellations
Explicit, systematic, individualized reading instruction for your child:
In my NW Raleigh Home
Intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Ebenezer Church Road/5 minutes from I-540 Leesville Rd. Exit
At the Leesville Community or Duraleigh Public Library
In student's home
$65 an hour in my home
$70 an hour in Leesville Community or Duraleigh Public Library or in student's home within 5-10 miles of my location.
$75 an hour outside of 10 miles of my home
Payment can be made through cash, check, or Paypal. Payment can be made after each session or weekly.
Advance Notice Cancellations
need to be made as far in advance as possible. Sessions can be cancelled without penalty or rescheduled if a mutually convenient date or time can be found.
Last Minute Cancellations
cancellations made without 24 hour notice and no rescheduled session will be charged the full session.
Emergencies and unexpected events do happen! Each student will be allowed one "free" last minute cancellation.
Get in Touch
Questions, comments or requests? Feel free to reach out, I'd love to discuss tutoring your child in the Wilson Reading System!


The Department of Energy has a wide range of resources for K-12 classrooms at it Energy Kids Page.
The Energy Department provides online content, resources for parents and teachers, internships and student partnership programs, and national events like Solar Decathlon and the National Science Bowl.
This resource includes two workbooks -- Energy Savings and Electrical Safety -- with activities and information you can print out and share with your students.
Other topics include Tips for Getting Your Kids to Save Energy, 5 Kid-Friendly Ways to Re-Purpose An iPhone and a teacher grant program.
What better way for students to learn about energy and energy transformation than building their own windmill. This post from PBS includes a lesson plan, worksheets and templates.
Biofuel From Algae At MIT
The viability of biofuels has been debated, especially among scientists. Since it requires multi-disciplinary understandings, students would be well-served to learn about it.
- YouTube URL
The Center for Environmental Journalism in Colorado is a useful 'zine model from which students can learn publishing skills in this particular domain.
Should a Person Touch 200,000 Volts?
An entertaining video by Steve Gagnon showing what happens when you touch 200,000 volts, how lighting rods really work, and why 120 volts could hurt you but 200,000 volts might not. Hint: it's the amperage that counts.
- YouTube URL
The University of Oregon site consists of courseware primarily but these materials include very interesting projects for schools to replicate.
At the Boston Museum of Science activities for teaching electricity (grades 3 and up) are presented in a theater-like environment.
What resources do your local museums provide?
The Edison Electric Institute offers 80 some experiments in basic concepts of electricity for grades 4-8.
Learning about fuel cell technology always rears up when an energy crisis appears. Go to How Stuff Works for an understanding of alternative fuels.
The Alternative Fuels Data Center provides maps, data sets and tools on alternative energy options.
Before accessing sites it would be wise to review your local curriculum guides and then match resources to your framework. Articulation with other grades is important. As exciting as these resources are, students can easily become confused if this topic is jumbled across different grade levels.
Related Topics ...
Other Areas To Check Out ...
• Assessment of Hands-On Elementary Science Projects
• Internet Resources Sampler
• Evaluating the Quality of Information
• Gifted Children
• Water and Air Systems
• Art Education For The 21st Century


Common Core State Standards ARE Working in Kindergarten ~ Lisa BassJanuary 16, 2015
Lisa is a National Board Certified Teacher from Ohio. She has been teaching first grade for 13 years. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science Degree from The Ohio State University. She worked in the business sector for 13 years before returning to school to earn her Masters in Education and Reading Endorsement from John Carroll University’s prestigious school-based master’s program.
Mrs. Bass prides herself in being a Language Arts Advocate, Consultant, and Specialist. She is a National America Achieves Fellow and a Teacher Champion Fellow. Through these professional opportunities, Lisa is an expert on Common Core State Standards and supports educators in teaching Common Core State Standards-based differentiated lessons.
Reading doesn’t just “happen.” Reading develops! Students begin the process of reading when first introduced to letters, books, and pictures. In Kindergarten, reading consists primarily of building critical foundational skills, such as letter-sound recognition and familiarity with text structure, in order to be ready for success in later grades. Strong, cohesive, and comprehensive early childhood development is supported by the Common Core State Standards, which focus on introducing and building a strong foundation of literacy and language skills, beginning at the kindergarten level.
In Ohio, every child must meet reading benchmarks by the third grade by passing the Ohio Achievement Assessment in Third Grade to be promoted to the next grade level in reading. Our state made this research-based decision in order to guarantee academic success for their children. States support literacy development with funds that specifically target early literacy skills, beginning with kindergarteners. If we do not begin teaching these skills as early as Kindergarten, students will miss critical learning opportunities.
Recently, learning literacy skills in Kindergarten has come under attack by those who falsely dichotomize reading and play in early grades, claiming that our young students are not developmentally ready. As an expert in the field, I wholeheartedly support the Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten. The standards exist only to help me benchmark my students’ learning expectations, but I decide how they will learn and we often learning literacy skills through play!
My students act out the stories we read. They perform text through reader’s theater while they develop fluency and learn to read with expression. They enjoy connecting text to illustrations by creating their own. They develop confidence as they connect the text to their own experiences with reflection activities.Engaging in reading at any level is challenging, so why not start with the imaginations of kindergarteners, where they are happy to be with their peers: giggling when the characters act silly, smiling when the characters are happy, and losing themselves in the beautiful illustrations?


is one of the most profound human activities. Music really helps at development of emotional and intellectual capabilities of children.
We want to offer you trainings that will help you introduce music to children. At first, we will be focusing on age 3 - 6 years. This may help you playing with your own children, or even enable you to conduct music classes for children, if you wish to do so (like we do).
We have also published a book about music education of children and another book - 5 Best Music Games.
You are also welcome to check out our blog and EduMusica Yotube channel for some of our free advice on how to introduce music to preschool children (some educational children music activities and games, and some explanations of the pedagogic principles behind it).


This chapter, the notion of defining intelligence, is a rigorous process. There were so many ideas to reflect upon but I have chosen just a few to bring up for discussion......
There were several ideas discussed in this chapter that made me link my experiences as a mother and my own children and the way they learn and the way I teach in my classroom. First, the idea that learning in context is the key to intelligent learning. There are so many experiences that my children learn from at home that allow them to function independently when they are not with me. It also allows us to communicate effectively because we share similar experiences. However as a teacher, I have to get to know my students, and learn about their experiences before I can help them to make inferences, and connect prior knowledge to classroom experiences in order for them to make connections in the learning. A good example is a lesson I was doing in social studies. We were discussing cities, I was asking the children to describe a city and in turn I would illustrate their description on the board. I laughed to myself after we had "built our city" because by the end I realized it was Atlantic City. Many of the children in my class that year had parents who worked in the casinos. The reason I laughed is because in my mind I think of Philadelphia because that is the city I have spent the most time in.
Going back to learning in context, I equip my own children with knowledge and a set of tools they will need in order to function when I am not with them...many of our students come to school without a set of tools. Many are unfortunately are not even independent in daily living skills. My goal in the classroom is to support them so that they become independent thinkers and to give them classroom resources that they can use when they "get stuck". I hope that they use their classroom experiences and are able to go home and make connections.
The book brings up programs the government has put in place to support early childhood learning with the goal of making them competitive learners in a global society. I strongly support these intitiatives and understand the need for accountability in our schools. However the question has been raised about confusing intelligence and achievement. As a teacher I am often in a quandry about testing. I see so much progress in the classroom and so much effort being made to make sure our students receive the interventions they need to be successful in the classroom that I am often upset when we are told that our students are not proficient. It would be beneficial to have a national system of tracking individual student progress. A system that would give each student a number and that number would move with the student as the child moves, changes schools ect. I know it is way too costly but so many other factors need to be taken into account when looking at student test scores. And although at this time the students are being short changed because we are testing their achievements and not their intelligence, it would be very costly to change the process.
Finally it is noteworthy to remember, working within the child's zone of development, scaffolding, using encouragement, teaching them to be persistent, fostering their ability to extend time on task, modeling perseverance, and complimenting effort can all help develop a child's creativity and independence.


“Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it.”
– Aristotle, Politics
YMA provides music education to at-risk/underserved children in Alamance County
WHO WE ARE
A Distinctive Approach to Education and Community Building
Young Musicians of Alamance is a music instruction program offering ensemble instrumental and general music instruction to at-risk elementary, middle and high school students. Most of these students attend schools where 85% or more students qualify for free lunch. Qualified music teachers provide after school and Saturday lessons. Instruments are loaned to students so they may practice at home. These benefits are offered free, to children who otherwise would have little opportunity for this kind of instruction. Students receive six hours of instruction during the week. They receive healthy after school snacks and a hot, healthy lunch on Saturdays.
In addition to music instruction, Young Musicians of Alamance focuses on important social values such as respect for self and others, sharing of assistance and resources, mutual support and caring, self-discipline, and hard work.
The opportunity for educational enrichment in a safe and nurturing environment promises greater readiness for school among young children in low-income communities. Music is one way to counter some of the life-long disadvantages that are the result of a lack of economic stability, helping develop a positive sense of self and community, and empowering students. For instance, frequent performances of small ensembles and combined orchestral groups help develop pride and self-confidence in our students. Studies indicate that the earlier children – especially low-income children – are provided with music education, the greater the impact or benefit.
Young Musicians of Alamance is a proud member of El Sistema USA. The members of ESUSA envision a world where every child has access to music through intensive ensemble training and performance to promote positive youth development and thriving communities.
“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” – Gerald Ford
Most recent blog posts:
Students explain "What Music Means to Me"


ANTH3801 Migration, Mobilities, Belonging
- 6 points
|Semester 1||UWA (Perth)||Multi-mode|
- Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 option in the Anthropology and Sociology major sequence
- The area of knowledge for this unit is Society and Culture
- Category B broadening unit for students
- Level 3 elective
- We are living in an era when unprecedented numbers of people are moving ever further and faster, both within and across national borders. What are the implications of growing levels of permanent and temporary migration, undocumented migration, and movements of people seeking asylum? What are the implications of recent policies curtailing movement? Are we really becoming superdiverse and hypermobile? How are internal movements, and movements across national borders, to be understand through a sociological or anthropological lens? Have multiculturalism and social cohesion been co-opted, and to what ends? How do culture and belief systems reflect or challenge (im)mobility? What role has technology played in these changes, and in the maintenance and creation of relationships locally and globally?
The aim of this unit is to examine these questions and more by considering the work of anthropologists, sociologists and others who have explored and attempted to conceptualise the movements of people and their social effects. The unit further aims to familiarise students with the variable theoretical perspectives that have been brought to bear on migration, ethnicity, citizenship and belonging, and the ways in which ethnographic research may be undertaken in cities.
- Students are able to (1) demonstrate an understanding of key conceptual and methodological issues in the anthropological and sociological study of migration and mobilities; (2) demonstrate knowledge of the history of ideas related to the study of migration and relevant ethical considerations; (3) demonstrate an ability to engage with, critique and understand the main theoretical approaches used by social scientists to study refugees and human rights; (4) demonstrate an ability to understand, investigate and discuss the key concepts, theories and debates in the literature on migration, mobilities and belonging; and (5) develop a written and oral capacity to present clear, lucid, well-documented arguments, drawing on both theory and empirical or ethnographic material relevant to this unit in a collegial manner and setting.
- Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation; (2) test; and (3) assignments. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit except in the case of a bachelor's pass degree student who has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 overall and is currently enrolled in this unit, and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Catriona Stevens
- Unit rules
- any level 2 ANTH unit
- ANTH2211 Cities, Culture and Globalisation
- Contact hours
- up to 3 hours per teaching week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Books and other material wherever listed may be subject to change. Book lists relating to 'Preliminary reading', 'Recommended reading' and 'Textbooks' are, in most cases, available via the Booktopia Textbook Finder, which has the functionality to search by course code, course, ISBN and title, and may also be posted or available at the appropriate school's administrative offices. Where texts are listed in the unit description above, an asterisk (*) indicates that the book is available in paperback.


Can I really rewire my brain?
The plasticity of the brain and its potential
both in terms of prevention and rehabilitation
The neocortex is incredibly flexible in that it can adapt and change in response to environmental experiences; we call this neuroplasticity. The way in which the neocortex is wired dictates how we perceive the world around us, what is filtered in, relevant, of conscious attention, the basis by which we construct our reality, and determines how we respond or react to our experiences. When our experiences are new, we create new connections, and neural “circuits.” The more important or intense an experience, the stronger the wiring and the more difficult it would be to change the wiring.
While the brain is plastic our entire lives, it is particularly wired for change, learning, language acquisition, motor skill development, and general memory formation and storage from the early ages of around 3 years old through adolescence. During this time the brain is continually wiring and re-wiring. That means, if we want to engender healthy behaviors, beliefs, and practices, it is best to start working as early as possible. The American ex-slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglas said, “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken [adults].” This is such a critical point to remember. But it is also important to keep in mind that we can all change, we can all rewire our brains, throughout our lives.
If our environment is safe, nurturing, and healthy, we learn faster, make rational decisions, and respond to challenges objectively and with a resilient mindset based on the wiring of the neocortex. On the other hand, if our environment is unsafe, hostile, or unhealthy, we are unable to learn, make rational decisions, and more often react quickly to challenges and adversity to protect ourselves. What scientists need to understand now is how to identify when a brain has been wired in an adverse or hostile environment (i.e. the person is traumatized), what the consequence of this neocortical brain wiring is, and importantly, how to re-wire it.


Types of Lava
Lava can be defined as molten rock erupting from volcanic vents. A large amount of lava stays within the earth known as magma in geological terms. During a volcanic eruption, magma is forced out of the mouth of the volcanic vent in the form of molten lava.
There are various types of volcanoes like: – wide shield volcanoes, mounded lava domes and steep volcanoes. The type of a volcano depends on the type of lava it is made up of.
Types of lava: –
- Pahoehoe lava: – It is a continuous and smooth lava crust. This type of lava forms when the effusion rate is low as it decreases the velocity of lava flow. Pahoehoe lava can be formed by only low viscosity lava. This type of lava is also known as ropy lava. The best example for this type of lava flows are from the Big Island of Hawaii.
- Aa lava: – It is a very common form of lava flow. Aa lava is a rough and rubble crust of a lava flow. The word ‘aa’ has been derived from the Hawaiian language. This type of lava flow is not safe for walking at all because the uppermost layer is made up of loose clinkery blocks that are not stable. You may easily loose balance while walking on them as the rock keeps moving. Southern tip of La Palma is a good example of the internal structure of aa lava.
- Blocky lava: – Block lava flow forms when the silica content is higher in lava. Blocky and aa lava flow resemble each other. Lava blocks have irregular surfaces but their edges and sides are smoother compared to separate pieces of aa lava. Nea Kameni Island in the caldera of Santorini, Greece is an excellent example of Blocky lava flow.
- Pillow lava: – Pillow lava is the most common type of lava. It is always associated with water. This type of lava flow forms when lava flows out of the earth’s crust underwater. Generally pillow lava erupt at mid ocean ridges but they can also form in shallow water bodies like lakes or glacial ice. Each and every pillow looks like a bag. This lava flow has a glassy surface because it cools down quickly in contact with water.
Cite This Page
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
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Declan, Tobin. " Fun Kids Facts About the Different Types of Lava ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 25 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/types-of-lava/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Kids Facts About the Different Types of Lava. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/types-of-lava/
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The following areas of study are offered in grades K-4:
Curriculum and educational program choices are teacher-directed, developmentally appropriate, differentiated and grounded in research. All components will be evaluated regularly and modified as needed based on student performance and ongoing success. Lessons will be delivered at an individualized pace for the student to ensure mastery at every level. Best teaching practices for beginning learners will be incorporated in reading, math, science and social studies instruction. Writing will be used throughout the school day.
The reading curriculum will include the use of flexible reading strategies, written response, and meta- cognitive modeling. This curriculum will allow students to reflect on reading strategies and monitor their comprehension while they read literature, narrative, and expository texts. Math will incorporate direct instruction, guided practice, structured review and continuous assessment with ample opportunities for problem-solving and real-world connections.
Social Studies courses will utilize inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and research as students link the past to the present. In Science, students will use the scientific method, inquiry, research, and in class “lab” experiences to explore life, earth, and physical science. Social studies and science concepts will be taught simultaneously with English/Language Arts Skills to support ongoing literacy development and English Language/Reading proficiency.
Ample opportunities will be provided for students to delve into cross-curricular topics through an integrated curriculum approach so that students recognize that subject areas do not stand in isolation from one another.


As we continue to look at physical development this month, this week’s blog is exploring fine motor development! Fine motor skills refer to movements involving smaller muscles – like those in the hands, wrists and fingers, which are used to manipulate small objects.
Fine motor skills allow kids to:
- Stack blocks
- Grip peg-puzzles
- Thread & lace beads
- Eat with a spoon, knife and fork
- Hold a crayon, pencil and paintbrush
- Scribble, draw, write or paint
Fine motor skills are seen as an important aspect of pre-school development and key for school readiness and academic achievement.
What does the normal progression of Fine Motor Skill Development look like?
- Very young babies have little control over their bodies – though by about 5 months they may begin to hold objects for brief periods.
- Around 6 – 9 months, babies generally scoop objects up with both hands, grasp rattles and small toys, before progressing to using a thumb and index finger grasp by 9 months. This is referred to as the pincer grasp.
- Scribbling usually starts after the first birthday – usually holding a crayon with a fist grasp or palm grasp.
- By 18 months, most babies are accurately picking up objects with the pincer grasp, building small towers of blocks, and showing hand-dominance.
- By 2 years, most toddlers can pick up and place objects neatly, turn pages in a book and build taller stacks of blocks (6-7 blocks).
- Between 2 ½ to 3 years, toddlers start to hold a writing utensil in a tripod grasp – using the thumb, index and middle fingers. Many are also able to screw & unscrew lids.
Pre-School & School:
- Most 4 year olds can trace, draw and scribble, and by 5 years are holding a pencil correctly, and using scissors to cut and paste.
- Around age 6, kids can usually cut with a knife, coordinate their fingers to hold a pencil correctly and tie their shoelaces.
How can toys help?
During play, kids have the opportunity to explore and manipulate their environment with their hands – these interactions have been linked to developing fine motor skills.
A 2017 study of preschool children in Germany looked at specific fine motor activities to see which ones helped fine motor skills. They found kids who participated in more fine motor activities had better skills – particularly kids who did craft activities like threading and drawing, and kids who played with small toys that needed to be dressed using fine motor manipulations like buttons and clips.
When looking at toys to help practice fine motor skills, they don’t have to be the most expensive or fancy – they just need to be interesting to the child and meaningful! Here are some of our favourite ways to play and build fine motor skills:
Peg puzzles are good for babies, especially as little ones have the tendency to put everything in their mouth it allows for practising grasping small objects but eliminates choking hazards as the peg is attached to a larger puzzle piece.
For toddlers, playing with blocks requires good manipulation skills and accuracy when picking up and placing objects.
Craft requires multiple skills including holding and controlling scissors, colouring & painting, pasting objects and manipulating play-dough or clay. These skills improve the muscles in the wrists, fingers and hands, strengthen hand-grip, and practise the coordination of different muscles to build dexterity.
Stringing and sorting beads and buttons are a great way to strengthen the thumb and index finger muscles and practise highly coordination movements required to hold and write with a pencil.
Dressing small dolls is a great way to practice the complex movements required in daily life for dressing or using locks and clips. Also, pretend playing in the kitchen with cooking utensils and stirring or using tongs is great for building strength.
Click here to see our full range of ‘Fine Motor’ products.
Council, H. C. (2015). Supporting Children with Dyspraxia and Motor Co-ordination Difficulties. Routledge.
Sprenger, M. B. (2008;2014;). The developing brain: Birth to age eight (1st ed.). US: Corwin Press.
Suggate, S., Stoeger, H., & Pufke, E. (2017;2016;). Relations between playing activities and fine motor development. Early Child Development and Care, 187(8), 1297-14. doi:10.1080/03004430.2016.1167047


Inquiring Minds would like to share this informative post from one of Richland Academy’s SK teachers, Ms. Paola Ciocio, about emergent literacy. We look forward to sharing more posts from Ms. Ciocio, along with other Faculty members, who bring a wealth of experience and insight to the learning every day at Richland.
What is it?
“Emergent Literacy is a gradual process that takes place over time from birth – until a child can read and write in what we consider to be a conventional sense. A key to the term literacy is the interrelatedness of all parts of language: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and viewing.” – Emergent Literacy
Learning to read and write begins early in a child’s life. Most children can identify common signs and logos by the age of 2-3. They will begin to experiment with written forms of communicating by scribbling long before they can read. Reading and writing develop at the same time in young children and are interrelated. Children do not learn how to read first and then learn how to write. Writing is often easier for some children to begin with than reading. Literacy often develops from the need in real life situations to get something done or to read so that they can learn. Literacy is not a set of isolated skills, but rather a set of processes that children see as a means to achieve goals.Children learn literacy through active engagement with books and writing opportunities. Children reconstruct their knowledge by rereading favorite books and by using invented spelling. Listening to books plays a very important role in the literacy development of children. Reading to children each day is one of the most beneficial ways to promote literacy. Children develop a feel for the nature of written language at a very early age by listening to books read aloud. They begin to understand the function of reading and develop a positive attitude towards it.
Children pass through the stages of emergent literacy in different ways and at different ages. These developmental stages lead to the skills needed for both reading and writing acquisition. – Emergent LiteracyEmergent Literacy
What does Emergent Literacy look like in the SK classroom?
Children see and use print daily in the SK classroom in a variety of ways. Literacy is embedded in their environment, and in their interactions with each other.
- The children enjoy playing restaurant and use notepads to take orders. They notice pizza and cereal boxes and use these items to print out customer orders.
- The children ask to check off the items completed on the daily schedule. They are asked to be responsible for setting up the next day’s schedule. Reading has a purpose for them and therefore they take on this task with enthusiasm.
- The children enjoy hearing the story “Pete the Cat” and continuously seek out this book to read out loud together. The repeating pattern and rhythm of the story leads to success and enjoyment for reading.
- The children ask for favourite stories to be read to them over and over again. Strega Nona and Eggbert the Dragon are current favourites.
- The class paints with watercolours to construct a class word wall. Our names are the first important words to go on this word wall.
- Children’s own names are motivating for young learners because they are meaningful. Using a variety of materials to represent their names becomes important to them. They sign their names upon arrival every day.
- The children use a moveable alphabet and magnetic letters to make their names and words.
- The children read a morning message every to start the day and begin to see and read about the rules of print, such as starting on the left and leaving a space between words.
These are a few of the ways that Emergent Literacy is being embedded into our SK Classroom. Already, the children are showing their knowledge of reading and writing through a balance of facilitated teaching workshops to clarify specific concepts and understandings, and the use of carefully planned out classroom experiences. The SK children are showing their joy of learning in meaningful and emergent ways.


The benefits of music have been proven to stretch well beyond the pleasure of listening to it. Research shows that students who study music also have higher grade point averages. The top three U.S. schools all place a strong emphasis on music and the arts, and the top three academic countries in the world place great importance on music education and participation.
Certain types of music have been proven to allow the mind to concentrate more easily. Music education has also been shown to improve listening skills, maximize learning and aid in the retention of information. CREATION HIGH’s MUSICAL ARTS programs approach music from key areas including singing, songwriting and rhythmic exploration.
Singing engages both sides of the brain, enabling one to be more capable of processing information. We believe that no one should be excluded from the joy of singing. In this program, students are taught how to sing both on their own and in groups as they learn about the basics of melody and harmony.
Our unique teaching methods also enable us to tailor strategies to each student’s experience level while working within a group context. Our CHOIR classes are judgment-free zones that allow students to feel validated and comfortable getting to know the power of their own voices.
In addition to raising self-awareness and self-esteem, our methods will improve a student’s tonal qualities, musical instincts and performance abilities. For those students who want to sing but struggle with pitch issues and/or tone-deafness, we also offer special techniques to tackle these issues.
The amazing technology that exists today makes it easy to record our own songs with little more than a computer or smartphone. Songwriting is a wonderful form of self-expression because it takes something we are all intimately familiar with, namely language, and helps us find new ways of using it.
In addition to teaching the foundations of musical and melodic structure, our classes offer techniques to help remove the unconscious filters used during normal conversation. Once these filters are removed, students can develop a new relationship with language and create wonderful free-form wordplay that evolves into lyrics.
Rhythm is an important aspect of music which actually helps organize physical movements in the body. Incorporating rhythm and music into learning strategies can help children conquer physical tasks that they are struggling with. Studies have also shown that listening to the same music (or different music of the same tempo) during learning and testing has been shown to improve recall and test results.
CLICK HERE to inquire about bringing the CREATIVE MUSICAL ARTS program to your school, summer school or camp.


Atlantis Quiz – Fun FREE Interactive General Geography Quiz for Kids
Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Atlantis Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this FREE online interactive quiz on Atlantis. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun quiz about Atlantis again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about Atlantis.
Atlantis Quiz – FREE Online Geography Quiz
Our world Geography questions and answers are a free quiz resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Atlantis Geography quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about Atlantis while enjoying this FREE easy quiz questions for kids.
If your kid is home-schooled by you, or is in an after-school enrichment program, then this is a fun activity, with reading comprehension benefits for grade one to grade five kids.
Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who scores the best, doing this entertaining free online Geography quiz on Atlantis.
As a reading comprehension training for your kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension faster and better, or set a limit on the number of times the kids can read about the Atlantis quiz topic, before they do the actual Geography quiz for kids.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing this Atlantis quiz and our other science quiz games, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the quiz question and answers.
You will select the Atlantis quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the quiz score.
Your child can try again and again doing the Atlantis quiz, till gets the perfect score faster, as he or she learn to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
Enjoyed doing this free online quiz about Atlantis? Check out all our other fun Quiz Questions for Kids and other fun Geography facts for kids. Visit the Natural Science for Kids website all about the Lost City of Atlantis page. Get lengthy info here.
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Atlantis Quiz – Fun FREE Interactive General Geography Quiz for Kids - ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 24 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/atlantis-quiz-fun-free-interactive-general-geography-quiz-for-kids/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Atlantis Quiz – Fun FREE Interactive General Geography Quiz for Kids -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/atlantis-quiz-fun-free-interactive-general-geography-quiz-for-kids/
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Why music? Viewed by some as simply icing on the cake, music is so much more! Our propensity for making music is universal and it’s one of the uniquely human ways that we express ourselves, throughout every stage or our lives. From our cooing as infants, to the rhythm of our heartbeats, to the childhood chants and songs we create and sing, to the music we use to celebrate special events and recall memorable occasions, we are musical beings.
Making music uses every part of who we are – our voice, feet, hands, memory, emotions, imagination, breath, voice, heart and soul. What other learned life skill can make such a claim? Active music-making nurtures cognitive, physical, language, social, and emotional learning. It comforts us when we’re sad, soothes us when we’re upset, energizes us when we’re tired, inspires us when we’re indifferent, and aids us in creating bonds with those we love. Every human being has the right and the capacity to be a music maker. Without melody and rhythm, where would we be? The world would be an awfully quiet place. To learn more about why research is the touchstone of the Music Together program, we invite you to read on.
As part of its ongoing research and development in early childhood music, the national Music Together organization operates a "lab" school in Princeton, NJ. Both Music Together and the Music Together Princeton Lab School are committed to helping families, caregivers, and early childhood professionals rediscover the pleasure and educational value of informal musical experiences. Rather than emphasizing traditional music performances, Music Together encourages family participation in spontaneous musical activity occurring within the context of daily life. Music Together recognizes that all children are musical and that every child needs a stimulating, supportive music environment to achieve basic competence in the wonderful human capacity for music making.
What do we mean when we say that Music Together is a "research-based" program? Music Together does ongoing research through the "lab" school as well as programs implemented around the country. In addition, we look to areas outside the scope of early childhood music such as brain development, play research, and the areas of cognitive, language, physical, and emotional development among others. All of these sources continually inform Music Together's creative work on program content, varied applications of the program, and teacher training.
Articles of Interest
1. The Importance of Music in Early Childhood by Lili M. Levinowitz
2. Early Childhood Music Education in the New Millennium by Ken Guilmartin
3. Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills by Alix Spiegel from NPR.org
4. For more articles, visit the national Music Together website blog.


For adults, messy play can be a lot of work and feel stressful. However, there are many benefits to messy play. Early childhood education experts say that play is the work of the child. Here are some fun activities...
by Patricia Hughes
For adults, messy play can be a lot of work and feel stressful. However, there are many benefits to messy play. Early childhood education experts say that play is the work of the child. This is true for all kids, but especially for babies and toddlers. Don’t be afraid of the mess. Roll up your sleeves and enjoy some messy play time with your little one.
Messy play stimulates the senses. The tactile experience gained during messy play helps little ones experience a variety of textures. During messy play, babies and toddlers are developing eye hand coordination and fine motor skills. What looks like a mess on the surface is truly a learning experience for your child.
Fun and Messy Activities
A sand and water table is a great messy activity. In warm weather, this activity is perfect outside. When the weather is chilly, kids can still enjoy water play indoors. A small water table can be put on top of towels and filled with a small amount of water. The table can be filled with just water for younger infants and toddlers, if you are concerned about sand in the eyes.
The bathtub is another place for your little one to enjoy playing with water without the mess. Provide some small plastic cups for your child to fill and dump. Babies and toddlers love pouring the water out and then filling the cup again. Fill the cup and hand it to the baby. Soon she will be filling and dumping the water on her own.
Finger paint is a great messy activity for older babies and toddlers. This can be done in the high chair to make clean up easier. Cover the tray with paper and put a small amount of finger paint in the middle. Let the baby have fun smooshing and spreading the paint around. Some parents do this activity when the baby is in a diaper just before bath time.
You can make painting more fun by providing tools for your little one to use to spread the paint. Craft sticks, large pieces of sponge and big chunky paint brushes are easy for babies to manipulate. They get to experience a variety of different textures when they are using tools in painting.
If you are concerned about your baby eating the paint and don’t want to use commercial finger paints, you can make edible paint at home with a few simple ingredients. You won’t have to worry about your little one sampling the paint when it is made from food items. Saving the artwork is a bit trickier, but you can take pictures with your digital camera to preserve the moment.
Paint can be made with instant vanilla pudding and food color. Make the pudding according to the directions on the package and add a bit of food coloring. Another easy edible paint recipe uses instant Jell-O and water. Let it cool for a few minutes and then give it to your baby. These recipes can be used on finger paint paper or directly on the tray.
Play dough is another fun activity that has benefits for small motor skills and eye hand coordination. You can make edible play dough at home, just as with finger paints. You can find a ton of recipes online by searching for “edible play dough recipes”. One very simple recipe uses two parts oatmeal to one part each of water and flour. Mix the ingredients together to form the dough. Let your baby have fun squeezing and squishing the play dough in his high chair.
Parents are often hesitant to engage in messy play with their little ones. The mess and time needed to clean up are a big part of the reason. By making time for messy play before bath time, you can allow your child time to enjoy the mess without making additional work for mommy. Keeping messy activities in the high chair is another way to help reduce clean up time.
Patricia Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four. Patricia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. She has written extensively on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding. In addition, she has written about home décor and travel.
No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2008 All Rights Reserved


When a student is falling behind in reading, time matters. We created the Sonday System with Orton-Gillingham expert Arlene Sonday to create a powerful tool that preserves the widely studied and proven Orton-Gillingham method while improving its usability and accessibility. The Sonday System is the only tool that gives anyone — from experienced reading educators to volunteer tutors — the opportunity to identify, intervene with, and help struggling students catch up with their peers using effective multisensory instruction.
Let’s Play Learn offers structured, systematic, multisensory practice for students in preschool through kindergarten. It is used as a tool to develop foundational reading skills and prevent reading difficulties or as an intervention for those who need to strengthen pre-reading skills. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in whole-class and small-group settings.
Sonday System 1 offers structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for readers at the students at the beginning stages of reading through the end of the 2nd-grade reading level. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in small-group settings.
Sonday System 2 offers structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for intermediate readers in reading levels from third through eighth grade.. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in small-group settings.
Teach Orton-Gillingham to the whole class.Sonday System Essentials is a systematic, direct, and explicit way to teach phonics and other essential reading skills to the whole class using multisensory Orton-Gillingham methods. It is designed to supplement Tier 1 core curriculum by filling the gap of incomplete phonics instruction left by the typical core curriculum.
Created by John A. Caliso, Ph.D., SIBS (Student Inventory for Behavior Support) helps educators make objective, data-driven intervention decisions for students challenged by academic, emotional, and behavioral issues.
Student Inventory for Behavior Support (SIBS)
- PRICE: $25.00 per user per month
- Purchase an Online Access Code
This instructional program teaches number sense, place value, the four arithmetic operations, money, and numbers of up to nine digits. As an intervention, it introduces students who struggle with math to new instructional approaches, strategies, and ways of thinking.


Digital assessments of early learningResearch 12 Nov 2012 5 minute read
Danielle Anzai reports on an innovative computer-based early-years literacy and numeracy assessment that puts young learners at the controls.
ACER has developed a computer-based monitoring and assessment tool for the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training (DET) that will be used to assess Year 1 students’ literacy and numeracy skills from 2013.
While other computer-based assessments for early years do exist, they generally involve one-to-one administration by teachers. The ACER assessment pioneers an approach where early years students independently interact with the program by navigating the site, tackling the questions and recording their own responses.
From the very early stages of the test development, an attempt to replicate or replace the teacher-student interview style was felt to be counterproductive so the focus of design became about ‘what are the good points about using a computer’?
Many benefits were discovered for the computer-based model.
Firstly, research shows that children, including those from migrant and Indigenous backgrounds, engage strongly with the technology. They enjoy the independence and interactivity of using computers and computer games, even with software that does not reflect their own backgrounds.
The audio features of a computer enable standardised delivery to all students. Instructions are recorded by professional voice actors who can be directed to give emphasis to intonation where the question’s intent requires. Students can listen to the instruction as many times as they need to, which saves the teacher reading the same text over and over again.
Due to the autonomous nature of engaging with a computer program, students are less likely to feel pressure when they realise they have made a mistake. Clicking the Undo button allows for easy self-correction and a larger scope for thinking through a variety of answers before committing to one. This feature, combined with an engaging format, has the ability to allow students to feel less likethey are being assessed and reduce performance anxiety that can be created in other test environments.
The model also enables the capacity to contribute to student profiles by recording computer behaviours such as number of seconds spent on a question, use of the pop-up text before recording an answer, and number of times an instruction was listened to.
Finally, only those questions that can be asked in a manageable way onscreen were considered. This is the same for response styles also. Hence, while the main assessment is mapped against the new Australian Curriculum with additional diagnostic modules reflecting the Northern Territory’s own T-9 Diagnostic Net, the components of writing and speaking from the Australian Curriculum are not covered. To reduce confusion, there are only two item format styles, ‘clicking on’ and ‘drag and drop’.
ACER will also deliver a practice program so that teachers can troubleshoot the administration and students can familiarise themselves with the navigation prior to the trial test. To make the most of computerbased features and avoid the navigation itself becoming an obstacle, students will be able to engage with the practice program year-round. This will allow students to become comfortable with the technology, style and language.
In commissioning the work, DET was very clear that the assessment should feel local and familiar, and reflect the students’ context. The assessment features remote scenery and bush images, and one of the texts has an Indigenous family as the main characters and is read by an Indigenous voice actor. ACER secured a range of actors to read the stories for the comprehension section, and Julie Nihill – from Blue Heelers and now a teacher at Collingwood College in Melbourne – is voicing all the audio. Every instruction and question is available as an audio and text option.
ACER piloted the assessment in several Northern Territory schools, including a remote Indigenous school in West Arnhem Land, in May 2012. Feedback from the pilot indicated that the young learners enjoyed the assessment and were able to navigate the computerbased materials. The teachers who participated were enthusiastic about the potential of the tool to inform their own planning.
A larger trial of the assessment will take place at the end of 2012, and will reveal important information about this new form of testing including how well six-year-olds cope with multiple-choice questions and how well they can work independently on computers.


Take a bow
Kala Ramnath is breaking barriers with an initiative to teach music to underprivileged children.
Her’s is the singing violin. When Ustad Zakir Hussain heard a 14-year-old Kala Ramnath, niece of violin legends N. Rajam and T.N. Krishnan, he greatly appreciated her musical dexterity but asked who would listen to a copy when her illustrious family was still around. Thus, began a quest to fuse a new musical expression which took her to Pandit Jasraj and as they say, the rest is history.
A foremost classical instrumentalist, a Grammy nominee, a frequent collaborator with the London Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestra and a much sought-after teacher, Kala Ramnath is currently endeavouring to train and take music to the underprivileged children of India through her Kalashree Music Foundation (KMF). Excerpts from an interview.
How was Kalashree Music Foundation conceived?
During my extensive concert tours abroad, I was surprised to discover two countries that have achieved 100 per cent literacy in music: Hungary and Venezuela. For instance, in Venezuela, I encountered how music was used to keep their underprivileged children away from drugs and violence, give them good values and a positive focus in life, and also enable them to support themselves. These efforts have inspired me to do something for the children of India. I felt that Indian children, especially the poor, could benefit from being exposed to music, and find a way out of the hopelessness often induced by a life of poverty and hardships. So I started a non-profit foundation called Kalashree in both Mumbai and Kolkata, and also in California.
What are the current projects of KMF?
We are working with a number of NGOs who will provide us infrastructural support: the children themselves, their time and the space for teaching them. We have a five-year curriculum whereby we educate the children enough for them to pursue music seriously later if they wish to. If not also, we know we have created a discerning listener with a love for music and an individual who’d contribute in some way to society.
Shouldn’t there be music education in India cutting across class boundaries?
Absolutely. I feel the whole of India should be music-literate keeping in mind that we have such a hoary tradition in music. The rich and the middle class have greater access today to learning music than the underprivileged. Kalashree welcomes everybody but we feel it’s the underserved who require our support far more.
Have organisations like Spic Macay not performed a desired role?
Organisations like Spic Macay — through the medium of concerts, lecture demonstrations and workshops — create an awareness of music only but not teach music to the children. We intend to do the latter in a significant way.
How has the response been from fellow musicians? Do you think more musicians should spearhead such initiatives?
KMF is not even a year old. We are just starting out and I am sure not many people are aware of what we are doing. But those who are aware have been supportive of our attempt. Whether other musicians should spearhead such initiatives purely remains a personal choice of the individual concerned.


A study published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly reports on a randomised controlled trial of an intervention designed to improve the quality of teaching in early childhood education and increase children’s school readiness.
“Play and Learn” is a low-cost, 20-week, teacher-delivered early childhood education programme that targets both teacher and child skills. For teachers, the intervention aims to improve their teaching and interactive skills. The aim of the intervention for children is to improve their language and maths skills and increase school readiness.
The randomised controlled trial involved 1,116 children ages 18-36 months who were enrolled in 87 childcare centres in Denmark. Childcare centres were randomised to either an intervention or control group, with childcare centres in the intervention group implementing Play and Learn. Teachers implementing the intervention programme received training materials and tools to support their teaching and help them to be more explicit and intentional in their interactions with children to target language, maths language and numeracy skills.
The results of the study showed that the intervention had a positive short-term impact on children’s language and maths skills relative to control-group children in all four areas examined: general vocabulary (ES = +0.27), language use (ES = +0.19), maths language (ES = +0.80) and numeracy (ES = +0.55). However, children receiving the Play and Learn intervention did not improve skills relative to the control group on measures of social-emotional skills (self-regulation and cooperation = +0.12; empathy = 0.00).
Source: Low-cost teacher-implemented intervention improves toddlers’ language and math skills (March 2020), Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 53, 4th Quarter 2020


How to Turn Africa into an Edtech Hotspot
Across the world, millions of children are out of school. Since 2000, millions of African children have benefited from better access to education, but Africa still has 30 million children out of school. And for those in school, learning is limited because teaching can be poor and resources limited.
In some African countries, parents spend half of what they earn on education and half of that on textbooks, if they can find any.
It is clear that Africa is in great need of an education turnaround. Fortunately, there is a lively Edtech scene across the continent, from Nigeria and Kenya through Uganda and Tanzania to Zimbabwe and South Africa, Edtech is transforming education on the continent and creating more solid futures for its vast population.
Africa is leveraging mobile technology to meet its educational needs. A number of Ed tech companies is using mobile technologies to distribute learning materials, promote reading, and support peer-to-peer learning.
The AppsAfrica.com Awards
The Best in African mobile and tech solutions are recognized by the AppsAfrica.com Awards. The 2018 round attracted entries from 39 countries across the continent and 14 award winners were recognized as the best in African mobile.
First in the Edtech category was Ever Africa for Xander Educational Apps from South Africa.
Xander is an educational mobile application for young children aimed at promoting mother-tongue learning. Children learn basic literacy and numeracy skills by engaging with technology. The apps comply with school curriculum requirements and prepare children for school in their own language.
Another entrant was Kytabu, a textbook subscription app developed in Kenya. The app provides access to digitalized versions of all Kenyan textbooks from Standard 1 to Form 4 at rates that are affordable for African families. Kytabu uses machine learning to help provide personalized learning for learners.
The learners can access educational content that includes books, videos, audios, tests, as well as exams. A great advantage of the app is that it can be used offline. This is a crucial issue in Africa where internet access is limited and often unreliable.
The educational app, BeBlocky, boldly proclaims that it’s not just an app, it’s a child’s future.
BeBlocky provides learners with a gamified way to learn the basics of computer science.
The app uses augmented reality technology to bring the friendly robot, BlockyBot, into the real world.
BeBlocky is designed to be programmable by kids. BeBlocky presents code concepts in puzzle-like blocks designed to look attractive to children. It teaches children critical thinking, problem-solving, persistence, and tech skills.
Brainshare is an EdTech startup based in Uganda. The Startup has developed a web app that creates an online learning platform where teachers and students in Uganda can interact.
The eLearning platform allows teachers to upload notes, teaching materials, and assignments. For students, it’s easy to access content anytime wherever they are, with or without the internet.
M-Shule, based in Nairobi, is an award-winning eLearning platform. It was the runner up at the 2017 Global Edtech Startup Awards in London.
The M-Shule platform makes use of artificial intelligence and SMS to deliver personalized education to primary school students across Africa.
M-Shule also works without an internet connection, an outstanding plus point for an Edtech startup in Africa where only 10% of schools have internet access.
These companies and many others are finding innovative ways to bring education to millions of people in Africa.
Creating online learning platforms that can work without an internet connection, is one of the innovative ways that Edtech startups are using to transform education across the continent, turning it into an Edtech hotspot.


The man enters into this universe and exits with music. The music is the only common to every one in the world. Though there are many different kinds of music, it is only one and the same. The music is one and only though we call them by different names. Music is the only art which makes you to forget yourself. Music is a way of communication, to some it is a way of life. There's a saying, "All things shall perish in life, and music alone shall live". Music is used to soothe the savage beast, the crying child, the sick and the dying, the lonely, the scared. Music can bring people together. Music is by far one of the most important things in most people’s lives because it is a universal language that can show emotion without words. Music is what makes life what it is. It can make us happy, sad, romantic, aggressive etc. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workspace. It focuses on “doing”, as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Music performances teach young people to conquer fear and to take risks. Music is shown to be beneficial to students in four success in society, success in school. So, music should be included in the school curriculum.
YPS recognizes all the above, and it gives great emphasis to music education. It is a compulsory lesson up till class VIII. Students learn shabads, group songs, prayers, etc. Also, to make a foundation of classical music in students, they are taught classical ragas. Music is one of the popular hobby pursued by the students. In the music hobby, students have a option to select the instrument of their choise like casio, Harmonium, Tabla, Violin, Sitar, Jal-Tarang, Plate Tarang, etc. This hobby lesson is an optional lesson for class VI VII and VIII. All the students in the hobby class learn their respective instrument and form the school orchestra.


Salary in accordance with teachers' pay and conditions
Primary Music Teacher - Camden
Main purpose of the role:
The music teacher provides a high quality music education so that pupils develop a love of music and develop their talent as musicians
The music teacher coordinates extra-curricular music activities, including any instrumental tuition provided by Camden Music Service
The music teacher creates music based opportunities and events both in school and the wider community
One of the key responsibilities of the role is to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and to promote fundamental British Values.
The music teacher will undertake any teaching or other professional duties reasonably delegated by the head teacher.
Teach music as set out in the National Curriculum to all year groups. This will include teaching pupils to:
- Learn to read and write music on the stave
- Understand and use musical language - dynamics, tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, beat and texture
- Learn about a variety of styles, genres and composers
- Learn to improvise and compose on a variety of instruments
Lead on curriculum design for music
Work alongside instrument tutors in whole class music lessons.
Be responsible for tutor management and support and instrument maintenance
Rehearse and lead choirs in KS1 and KS2.


“Culture of Reading” Initiative, New Brunswick, NJ
A literacy coordinator/reading coach is an educator with knowledge of reading instruction and preferably second language acquisition.
Assess Literacy Skills
The GLP literacy coordinator/reading coach will liaise with teachers to determine student reading levels and specific areas of difficulty that the Global Literacy Project, Inc. reading enrichment program should target. As a coach, they will also meet with small groups of students to practice reading skills and provide periodic progress reports on student development.
Recruit and Manage Volunteers
The literacy coordinator/reading coach will assist in recruiting, training, and managing volunteer tutors who work one-on-one or with small groups of students. Coordinators provide on-going support to tutors so they too can refine their skills.
Support Early Literacy Development
If the program is for young children, the literacy coordinator/reading coach may provide parents with information and resources to help their children begin developing pre-reading skills such as concepts of print and phonological awareness. If the program is for adults, the literacy coordinator/reading coach can encourage students who have young children or grandchildren to apply their learning to help these children develop literacy skills from the earliest ages.
Campus & Community Liason
- Supervise student volunteers in the program with respect to volunteer activities in New Brunswick and outreach to the participating elementary to high schools.
- Conduct formal and informal trainings for student volunteers
- Maintain regular contact with faculty, staff, and students on campus
- Create materials, such as handouts, and other props that facilitate engagement between readers and students.
- Develop/compile and distribute various resource lists and literacy information as needed to volunteer readers and the directors and teachers of the partnering reading sites.


Choosy’s paper folded bookmark not only encourages literacy, cognitive and motor skill development, but helps children to develop eye-hand coordination, problem solving skills, reasoning skills, memory skills, and attention skills. Incorporating Choosy into the various domains of learning can open up discussion like, “Choosy loves to read and go on adventures! What kind of adventure do you think you and Choosy could go on?”
Materials: Printable template, crayons, scissors
Estimated Time: Less than 30 minutes
Template: Click here for template.
Print Directions: Click here for printable version.
Print, color, and cut template. Be sure to color the back of the template too.
Fold paper in half.
Open paper up and fold in half again.
Open paper up and fold in a triangle shape.
Fold bottom corner up. (Be sure that the template on the reverse side has Choosy’s glasses. See 2nd image below.)
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Have you heard of “audiation” before, but perhaps weren’t exactly sure what it meant? Have you wondered: why do we need this new word? Why should audiation matter to us as musicians and music educators?
Audiation isn’t an idea that is going away anytime soon. We are going to continue hearing more about audiation within music education circles. As the term “audiation” is becoming more widely known and increasingly used, it would benefit us to ensure that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the term.
Why did Edwin Gordon coin the term “audiation”?
The term “audiation” was coined around 1976 by music professor, researcher, theorist, and author Dr. Edwin Gordon (1927-2015). Audiation is the central focus of a collection of theories about how music is learned, known as Music Learning Theory (MLT).
Audiation refers to a mental process that is both a natural and integral part of music making — and has been since the beginning of time — but has gone unnamed (at least, in the English language) until Gordon came along.
There is power to naming something. Giving something a name means acknowledging it. Continue reading “What is Audiation, Exactly?”


Mathematics is deliberately incorporated into themes and the daily life of the classroom. It also needs to be taught independently. It is important to balance our exploration of different math “strands” such as geometry and algebra with foundational arithmetic skills. In this way students become capable mathematicians who are excited by the wonder of numbers. Communication in math is key to students’ conceptual understanding, and students learn to develop their ability to explain their math thinking both orally and in writing.
Prairie Creek teachers draw from an array of sources to craft math education that addresses student needs and interests. Math professional development is an ongoing focus for the staff since it is much more challenging (and rewarding) to deeply understand children’s numeracy than to simply deliver a prepared curriculum. Teachers draw curriculum materials from a variety of programs, including:
A master of math assessment, Burns’ work helps us see the difference between “understanding” a concept and “doing” math. Burns’ curriculum focus on math communication, problem solving and conceptual understanding built with manipulatives.
A program out of the University of Chicago that emphasizes problem solving, data handling, and algebraic skills
Teachers and students especially like the bar models this curriculum teaches as a way to approach problem solving and algebra.
A curriculum that breaks down early numeracy skills and teaches them explicitly
Lessons that focus on mental math skills and constructing an understanding of arithmetic concepts
Hands-on lessons that teach math concepts through projects
Math instruction at each grade level looks different, but if you walked into a classroom you would always see children working toward solving problems efficiently, using math in real-world settings, talking about math and developing their understanding through the use of appropriate manipulatives (physical items designed to model mathematical concepts).
Want to practice some engaging math practice at home? We invite parents + students to spend some time investigating a fun, challenging array of math lessons, games, and interactivity on our Learning Resources page.
We have made video explanations of some of the algorithms we use at Prairie Creek.


Integrate Matariki – The Māori New Year into your reading programme with our Matariki Year 3 and 4 reading passages and questions. This pack includes three non-fiction and Maori Myth and Legends passages with six pages of engaging text-dependent questions and higher-order thinking tasks. It also includes two sets of activities based on popular Matariki storybooks. Learn more about the history of Matariki, how Matariki is celebrated today, and a popular Māori myth based on the Matariki star cluster.
***This resource includes new research findings of two new stars in the Matariki cluster.***
The texts provided are purposely more involved than a basic text and are designed to be read and explored on multiple occasions.
These activities are great for your guided reading program, or as homework tasks. These link directly to the New Zealand Curriculum, Level Two, Listening, Reading and Viewing (see the Activity Information pages for more details on the exact skills found in each activity).
This resource features British/NZ spelling and paper sizes.
In this Matariki Year 3 and 4 reading resource you will receive:
1. Three texts:
- What is Matariki?
- Matariki Today
- Matariki and the Stars legend
2. Two sets of Higher Order Thinking Activities based on the following stories:
- Daniel’s Matariki Feast by Rebecca Beyer and Linley Wellington (great for lower readers)
- The Seven Stars of Matariki by Toni Rolleston-Cummins
This resource is jam-packed with exciting, thought-provoking activities to grab your students’ attention AND hold it. The activities begin at the lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (Remember, Understand, Apply) and move through to the higher levels (Analyse, Evaluate, Create).
Please note: You will need a copy of these stories to complete the activities. They are widely available in public libraries, and are highly likely in your school library.
3. SIX corresponding NO PREP Higher Order Thinking Activities based on Blooms Taxonomy and aligned with the NZ Curriculum
Reading Comprehension Strategies included:
- Making Connections
- Find Facts and Details
- Make Inferences
- Identify the main idea
- Ask and Answer Questions
- Compare and Contrast
- Make Predictions
4. Four Graphic Organiser Examples
- Information Web
- Flow Chart
- Main Idea
- Character Web
5. Teacher Answer Key for applicable questions
6. Two ‘Tips For Use’ pages with ways to use this resource in your classroom.
7. Close Reading Bookmarks
Please note: This is a digital resource and will be emailed to you as a PDF.