We all want whatâs best for our kids. But, research shows we might be dropping the ball when it comes to the physical literacy of our children.
Now, to be fair, you might not even know what physical literacy is. The idea behind it has been slow to catch on in the United States, but in a dozen other countries, especially Canada, itâs a program that almost every child is participating in. Dr. Mike Sagas, chair of the Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management (TRSM) Department at HHP is committed to making physical literacy a household term in the U.S.
So, what is physical literacy? According to the Aspen Instituteâs Project Play, Physical Literacy is the mastering of fundamental movement and sport skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations.
Dr. Sagas wants to be clear that physical literacy is different than physical education and physical activity, and itâs definitely not about becoming an elite athlete. âPhysical literacy represents the ABCs of movement, and children with higher levels of physical literacy tend to more active during their youth, adolescence, and adulthood. Therefore, it is important not to miss key developmental windows, especially at a young age, where kids have opportunities to learn specific motor skills that they can use for the rest of their life,â he explains.
Decreasing opportunities for physical activity at school paired with societal shifts away from free play, an increase in youth sport specialization, and the overuse of technology has aided in physical activity rates plummeting in the U.S. over the past two decades. According to Rebeccah Mercado, an HHP graduate student working on this project, âit is appropriate to assume that many children and adolescents today lack physical literacy, meaning they lack the basic skills, knowledge and physical activity behaviors that contribute to an active and healthy lifestyle.â
Research shows that physically literate adults have fewer injuries and live healthier and more active lives, as well as having more physically literate children.
An emerging research project being conducted by HHP faculty and graduate students hopes to create and validate a simple instrument to measure the physical literacy in kids. Dr. Trevor Bopp, a TRSM professor, is leading this research initiative.
âWe are aiming to create a program to develop and enhance some of the areas where kids are lacking,â explains Dr. Bopp. âBut, first we have to get an instrument in place to take valid measurements of physical literacy.â
In order to create this instrument, Dr. Boppâs team is visiting kids and their coaches at several Gainesville area sport organizations and having the participants complete nine to twelve exercises. These exercises include tasks like jumping, throwing, catching and hopping. They are videotaped, evaluated and rated on four to six specific criteria for each exercise on a simple three point scale. Once HHP researchers establish if this process is a valid tool of measurement, they hope to get funding to create a digital application for schools, youth sports organizations, and even parents to use to monitor and evaluate physical literacy levels of their students and young athletes.
âBased on the research that has been done in other countries, we truly believe that physical literacy is the most important outcome of any recreational or competitive youth sport activity, yet it is also one that is essentially never measured or monitored for progress. As a society, we are too busy worrying about winning and losing games and as a result we are not creating well balanced and healthy adults,â says Dr. Sagas. âPhysical literacy builds kids into adults who are more confident, healthy, and physically active. Physical literacy development also allows kids to develop as competitive and elite athletes that are more resilient, healthy, and balanced competitors that are able to play more than one sport if they choose.â
Physical literacy is one outcome that is critical to get right for all of our kids, regardless of sport, athletic ability or access.


Musical study is a profoundly important component in the education of young children, and I strongly urge parents, teachers, and administrators to preserve the 5th grade instrumental program in the Boulder Valley School District.
In the past two years, the Boulder Philharmonic has entered into a partnership with the BVSD through our "Discovery Concerts" in which fourth and fifth-grade students are introduced to the wonder of live orchestral music, preceded by classroom visits and supported with curriculum guides and detailed lesson plans. One of the goals of this partnership is to interest students in beginning instrumental study themselves through the opportunities provided in their school programs.
Research has shown that studying music at a young age helps to develop areas in the brain involved in language and reasoning, enhances teamwork skills and discipline, and develops skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Children who study music learn to think and solve problems creatively, develop confidence, are more successful on standardized tests, and achieve higher grades in school.
Most important, however, is that learning music at a young age provides children the opportunity to express themselves beyond words and to make meaningful connections to the world that will last a lifetime. My wife, a professional violinist, and I are both products of music education in the public schools, and our careers and lives have been immeasurably enriched because of it.
Michael Butterman is the Music Director of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.


We love to design, build, push our inventions to the limit until they break, then take them apart, fix them, and learn everything about them. The joy of imagining and then bringing your own instrument to life is infectious and we want to share it. We want to inspire inventors who know what to do when stuff goes wrong. We want to show them how to embrace failure, to boost resilience and to grow, independently, through trial and error.
We thought we would share this with your school: bringing Music, the Sciences and Creativity together, in a fantastic new series of experiences.
They say about us
This is first year THAMES has partnered with Conductive Music and so far it has been a big success. Weâve received positive feedback from schools and the sessions we have observed have been highly engaging, informative and creative. The combination of music, science and technology in one project is unique and an excellent way of bringing subjects to life and demonstrating how things work in the real world.
It was lovely to see our group of students engaged and responding well to the new technology. It was broken down so well that all students were able to engage and succeed in meeting the outcome of the workshop.
A great experience for the children. An exciting cross-curricular link between science and music.
This is a fabulous workshop which really engages the children.
Conductive Music brings a new dimension to our offer for children in Camden, and attracts a different group to our Service. The courses have been well-received and we have excellent feedback from parents about the experience.
Working in partnership with Conductive Music has enabled children and young people in Waltham Forest to have access to opportunities to engage with music technology in a fun and original way. The workshops and holiday courses that CM have delivered with Waltham Forest Music Education Hub have been both enjoyable and educational, and have connected with young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Fantastic to observe children being creative, spontaneous and confident in their exploration of music composition and performance.


Phonics instruction guides vary as to when to teach silent âe.â Some suggest teaching it before teaching digraphs starting or ending one-syllable, short-vowel words. Others suggest teaching silent âeâ after teaching digraphs.
My best advice is that it depends on the student. I have spent months teaching CVC words to a student, and thinking she had âmasteredâ that concept, started teaching silent âe.â But when we reviewed CVC words at the end of the lesson, she pronounced all the CVC words as if they were silent âeâ words.
Yet I have taught another student who understood the silent âeâ concept by the end of our first lesson on that concept. She could accurately go back and forth from CVC words to silent âeâ words. Some students recognize silent âeâ patterns in a single lesson. Some students take months.
I use letter tiles to write a CVC word like âcatâ and beside it to write the silent âeâ word âcate.â I explain that the âeâ is needed for spelling and to signal that the previous vowel is pronounced like its name. I start with âaâ vowel word pairs: ban, bane; fat, fate; hat; hate; mad, made, etc. If the child catches on, I move on to other vowels. But if the child cannot go quickly back and forth from CVC words to CVCe words, I slow down and focus on one vowel, and one or two consonants after that vowel, such as âtâ and âdâ as in mat, mate; Nat, Nate; mad, made, and bad, bade.
As always with young children, I try to break up a half hour lesson with game-like activities to keep them motivated. Even the quickest to catch on prefer to learn using games.
Should you take care to use only real words? I use non-words all the time, but after the student has pronounced a non-word correctly, I mention that there is no such word. This offers more pair combinations, especially for the vowels âeâ and âuâ for which there are not many silent âeâ words.


PROBLEMS GALORE FOR TRIBAL CHILDRENâS EDUCATION OF IN ODISHA
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world living across 90 countries. As distinct peoples, indigenous peoples have developed their own knowledge systems, values, institutions, practices and economies, often based on sustainable management of natural resources. Likewise, indigenous peoples have their own cultural methods of transmitting knowledge. To protect the rights of these people, August 9 is commemorated as the International Day of the Worldâs Indigenous Peoples. This year, the dayâs theme is âIndigenous Peoplesâ Right to Educationâ.
Disparities persist between indigenous and non-indigenous populations in terms of education access, retention and achievement. The gap is even wider for indigenous women and girls.
There are over 500 tribes spread over different States and Union Territories of India, the largest number of tribal communities being in Odisha. Nine States, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and West Bengal, together account for more than four-fifths of the total tribal population in India.
According to Census 2011, the population of Odisha is 4,19,47,358. The Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of the State is 81.45,081, constituting 22.1 per cent of the Stateâs total population and 9.7 per cent of the total tribal population of the country. Malkangiri district has the highest ST proportion (57.4 per cent) followed by Mayurbhanj (56.6 per cent), Rayagada (55.8 per cent) and Nabarangapur (55 per cent). Puri district has the lowest (0.3 per cent). Out of the 62 tribes of Odisha, Kondh is the most populous tribe followed by Gond. The Stateâs other major tribals include Santal, Kolha, Munda, Saora and Shabar. These groups have limited access to basic services like education, healthcare and others.
The literacy rate in India as per Census 2011 is 73 per cent, but for STs it is 59 per cent. Literacy rate in Odisha has seen upward trend and is 73.45 per cent as per the census. But for STs, it is 52.2 per cent. The low literacy rate for the ST community is because of the fact that enrolment ratio decreases drastically after elementary education. The other major factor is the high numbers of dropouts. Language is an important constraint of tribal children which prevents them their access to education. The physical location of villages is another major problem. Tribal habitations remain segregated from each other by some physical barriers like rivers and forests. The physical barriers are a hindrance for tribal children of a village to attend school in other village. The tribes depend on forests for eight months and on agriculture for four months. The children of eight to 10 age groups help their parents in collection of forest products. So, parents do not allow them to attend schools. Tribal parentsâ illiteracy does not permit them to understand the long-term values of education.
The right of indigenous peoples to education is protected by a number of other international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In spite of all such instruments, the right to education has not been fully realised for most indigenous peoples. Government attempted vigorously to educate all children within the age group of 6 to 14 years as per provisions laid down in Articles 45 and 46 of the Indian Constitution. So, time to time committees, commissions and working groups were set up to suggest ways to attain the goal.
In Odisha, Village Education Committees (VECs) have been constituted to preserve and monitor the functioning of the schools. For promoting education of the backward population (SC and ST) in the State, the Government has established special schools for them like Sevashramas and Kanyashramas.
Despite all efforts for overall development of the scheduled tribes, they are still far behind in almost all the standard parameters of development. They are not able to participate in the process of development as they are not aware of most of the progrmmes and policies made for their upliftment. This is mainly due to the high incidence of illiteracy and very low level of education among the tribals.
An extensive literacy campaign may be undertaken on a priority basis to literate the tribals. The attitude of the tribal parents toward education should be improved through proper counselling and guidance. Besides, there is an urgent need for various Government interventions, planners and policymakers to address this problem and allocate more funds in the Central and State Budgets for tribal education. Easy access and more opportunities should be provided to tribal children to create awareness about their right to education and other fundamental rights.


Choosing Research Paper Topics On Early Childhood Education
The most effective way of capturing your readerâs attention with this kind of writing assignment is to choose from a great selection of research paper topics in education. Instructors often give you some pretty good ideas to help stir your creativity, but those ideas are often pulled from an overused list found in standard curricula. You can play it safe and select something from this list or you can choose from this list of original research paper topics for elementary education put together by our team of experts:
- How do anti-bias education techniques compare to traditional education methods currently in use in early childhood school systems? Does evidence exist in support of anti-bias methods?
- Is teaching and celebrating cultural diversity important in early childhood development or should it be left until children are older and can understand diversity even more?
- Is there an effective way of introducing bully-prevention programs in early childhood learning? And if so, should parents be given a choice whether to let their children participate?
- Should children learn words to help them communicate pain, unfairness, frustration, sadness, and even dislike towards others? Does this stimulate these emotions or provide expression?
- How effective are common core state initiatives focusing on English and Mathematics in preparing children to be young adults in todayâs technology-heavy world?
- Do you think schools should institute obesity education and prevention programs in early childhood development courses? What negative and positive impact will this have on children?
- Should more imaginative and social play be put into the daily curriculum? Are young children getting enough of this important social activity in their own time that it needs emphasis?
- Are the STEM learning programs effectively preparing children for practical professions? Is the âwonder about the worldâ fundamentally sound as a teaching alternative to learning?
- Are young children prepared to return to school settings after long breaks (e.g., summer and winter)? Should parents share a greater responsibility in keeping their children in a routine?
These are just a few great research paper topics early childhood education ideas. You can get more suggestions from online professional writing experts, from asking the online community, or by brainstorming topics you read about on your own. Never be afraid to think outside of the box; the more creative you are with your approach the more creative your topics ideas will be.


College of Education
Fantasy fiction--Juvenile literature;Children--Books and reading
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purposes of this exploratory investigation were to determine how fantasy literature helps children explore, process, and discuss real world issues and topics and what other applications the genre had in the classroom. This study was conducted by implementing a genre study in a fifth grade classroom. Seventeen students participated in the research model. Data collected included audiotaped discussions, student projects and artifacts, and my personal teacher research journal. The data was analyzed recursively across all data sets to determine patterns and themes. Data was coded according to the four main patterns and counted across data sets. If the pattern was found to be prevalent across all data sets and with the majority of the students it was found to be conclusive. Disconfirming data was also analyzed and included under the pattern that it disconfirmed. Implications of the genre are discussed including its facilitation as it pertains to identification of themes, text-to-self connections, discussion of real world issues, and enthusiasm and autonomy over learning.
Bowles, Traci, "Magic, monsters, and Merlin: an exploration of the fantasy genre in a fifth grade setting" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 34.


The literacy system presents tools for teachers, administrators, and parents to enhance their literacy instruction skills. Specific aspects of literacy development are discussed, and strategies for instruction are presented. Schools licensing the system are able to say theyâre doing everything possible to improve literacy at their school. Because the system is web-based, itâs always available, so teachers and parents access it when they want to as often as they want to. The low cost usually translates to pennies per user. It can be used for teacher collaboration because the system includes videos, PowerPoint notes, and discussion questions. The system can teach parents how to use literacy learning tools at home.
How will the courses improve literacy in children?
The classes provide specific information related to literacy. The information focuses on research based best practices in reading instruction. Much of the content is focused on the five critical areas defined in the National Reading Panel 2000 document: Phonemic Awareness, Phonic Instruction, Vocabulary Development, Comprehension and Fluency. Dr. Swaby presents instructional strategies and offers guidelines for creating a literacy rich reading program for all children.
How does this learning system fit with many of the other programs schools may already have in place?
The literacy training system presents literacy tools that can be used to compliment and enhance the reading programs schools are already using. It may be used by individuals, small groups, or teams. It may also be used as large group presentations followed by interactive discussion.
We are excited to introduce the literacy system to Education Associations who partner with US elementary schools, US elementary schools, English-speaking areas worldwide, and schools with the lowest literacy rates. Please let us know if you would like to schedule an online Go To Meeting or a personal visit from a member of our team.
How do Dr Swabyâs courses benefit the teachers in middle and high schools?
The course content is focused on helping elementary school students. However, middle and high school teachers who teach low performing students would find the classes helpful.
Are the courses relevant to high risk students?
The courses include numerous suggestions for high risk students.
Besides remedial or high risk students, what other students benefit from these courses?
A course for advanced readers has been suggested. Please let us know if that would be of interest to your school.
Can new classes be added to the program?
Dr. Swaby is anxious to create new classes based on the needs of specific districts.
What is the cost of the literacy training system?
The annual cost to license the system is $1000 per school. Volume discounts and renewal discounts are available. This low cost translates to pennies per user.
Who can I contact if my question is not answered here?


Like the rest of the world, early learning in Melbourne focuses on practical learning and leans on natural methods. From the time Maria Montessori opened the worldâs first Montessori school in the 1900s, her plans have been the foundation of early educational practices. This method of teaching has thrived only because of the merits of its results.
Choosing an early learning program has numerous benefits in store for a child. The curriculum is centred on specially paced learning for each child, fostering independence and a passion for learning.
Research has shown that Montessori students evolve to become more confident, self-guided, and enthusiastic learners. These skills will prove to be invaluable in the 21st century.
How are the Results Achieved?
Schools that cater to early learning in Melbourne emphasize five areas of study. Practical life, Math, Language, Sensorial and Cultural Studies.
How does it help in Practical Living?
Children learn everyday habits and skills like getting dressed, preparing snacks, setting the table, and caring for other organisms (plants, animals, etc.)
They also learn how to engage in appropriate social interactions. Saying please, thank you, being respectful, helpful, kind, and listening without interrupting are all essential foundational skills that the children learn.
Peacefully resolving conflicts is a valuable lesson that young children need to learn early on. In addition to teaching all these skills, practical lessons also include imbibing independence and developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
Each child is a valued student. Children do not learn if they are not given heed or respected. They need to be treated depending on their temperament. Montessori curriculum recognizes the different learning paces and styles in children.
It is a system that accommodates different learning styles. The children are free to learn at their pace, each developing as and when he/she is ready. In this process, the teacher guides them with learning plans.
Catching them young has lasting implications. Montessori training develops concentration, order, independence, and curiosity at an early stage, thereby, solidifying their results.
The purposely designed classrooms, learning materials, and daily routines help the student in self-regulation. It is the ability to think and educate oneself.
Children are part of a close-knit community. Typically the multi-age setup spanning over two-three years reflects a family structure. Older students are given a feeling of responsibility and become mentors to younger children. The latter feel supported and confident to face the challenges. Teachers model the values of respect, kindness, and conflict resolution within the classroom, which leave a lasting impression on the children. The lessons will stay with them for a lifetime.
Children deserve to have fun as that is the age to do so. Adults cannot and should not entirely restrict their creative and imaginative output.
Montessori expects students to enjoy their freedom, although within limits. Working within the given parameters, they learn to be self-thinking and focussed leaders.
Encourages Curiosity and Self-learning:
There is no learning that can happen without an amount of curiosity. Children should be encouraged to have passion for what they learn. They become active seekers of knowledge when guided appropriately.
Teachers create environments where the children feel comfortable to pursue the answer to their questions. A sense of internal satisfaction can be a potential driving force in giving sustainable results.
Proper early education is preparing a child for growth. Every child has a different outlook on living. Each child deserves valued attention for them to bloom into the person they deserve to be. Given the right training and guidance, they can become self-thinking adults that help society at large.
Author bio: Ester Adams is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.


Music is an unique and integral part of life. It has the capacity to inspire all students' creativity and imagination, engage them in the art of expression, immerse them in a language and history that is rich in culture, provide them with opportunities beyond the classroom and excite them about life and learning.
The skills, concepts and attitudes that students acquire as a result of music education benefit them not only during their schooling but also in the years beyond, whatever their chosen career path.
The overarching purpose of the coâcurricular Instrumental Music Program is to provide students with the opportunity to become musicians and experience the expressive qualities of music through learning to play a band or orchestral instrument and to participate in performance ensembles such as concert bands and orchestras.
As a compatible and complementary curriculum to that of primary and secondary classroom music and music extension programs, Instrumental Music provides opportunities for greater participation in music education for the whole school community as well as enrichment experiences for gifted and talented students.
Further information about the program can be found in the Instrumental Music Program policy.


Blogs About Reading
Sound It Out
Dr. Joanne Meier
Along with her background as a professor, researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne every week as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.
Preschool in the news
President Obama's 2014 State of the Union speech put preschool in the spotlight. Obama challenged Congress to build on programs that exist in 30 states to provide high-quality preschool for every child. "Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child's life is high-quality early education," he said. "And as Congress decides what it's going to do, I'm going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need." Daniel Willingham, a UVA professor of psychology and author, (and also friend to the Reading Rockets project) and his colleague David Grissmer wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times, How to Get More Early Bloomers which describes some of the challenges and truths about high-quality preschool programs. In their piece, Willingham and Grissmer frame their statements with an understanding of what we've learned from large-scale studies of programs like Head Start, the HighScope Perry Preschool Project, and The Abecedarian Project. From years of study of preschool programs, we know what doesn't work: programs that focus solely on social activities or strictly academic skills. What does appear to work? High-quality preschools provide experiences that build important foundational skills. This includes lots of exposure to stories, words, rhymes, and songs. They use these experiences to broaden a child's understanding about their community and their world. Interesting words and ideas lay the groundwork for understanding more when the kids start to read. Good preschools provide social experiences where kids learn about sharing and collaborating, skills that are used throughout the lifetime. Want to learn more about quality preschool programs? We've got lots of terrific resources in the Preschool and Child Care section of our website, including video, parent tip sheets, and articles written for parents and teachers.


A video game designer creates the core features of a video game to make it engaging for users. They design the characters in the game, may assist with the storyline and goal of the game, and implement the game design to make the game more engaging to users. They also get to collaborate with others on the game project to ensure a successful launch and fun gaming experience.
Watch a video:
How to Become a Video Game Designer
Though not mandatory to become a video game designer, most video game designers have earned a bachelorâs degree. According to O*NET OnLine, almost 60% have earned a bachelorâs degree and almost 20% have earned an associateâs. Ten percent of the video game designers surveyed had taken some college courses but had yet to graduate. Unless you are already an established video game designer, earning a bachelorâs degree may increase your chance of gaining employment.
You have a few options when considering which bachelorâs degree to choose. Some degree programs may focus solely on video game design and development where other programs can provide you the foundational skills needed to develop games. For example, you could go to school for a bachelorâs in computer science and learn how to develop. This would teach you the skills necessary for game development. Then, you could take electives in video game design. Another bachelorâs degree option would be a degree in multimedia arts. No matter the degree program you choose, youâll want to ensure it teaches you graphic design, coding, and game theory.
Job Description of a Video Game Designer
Video game designers will work in a variety of stages in the video game development process. These designers could be part of brainstorm sessions to think of new game ideas that would engage a wide audience. They may then be responsible to outline the gameâs concept into a storyboard to document the gamerâs experience. This storyboard can become a resource to help plan the project out into the various tasks that are needed to develop the game.
Video game designers may also develop the code necessary for the game to work. They would document their code and share their progress with the team on the project. Ensuring the code works and limiting bugs in the game is vital in this phase. These designers may still recommend engagement elements for the user to ensure the game is challenging enough to keep them interested but not too easy to want to stop playing. Once users are able to play the game, video game designers will also collect user feedback to fix any bugs people may catch or make revisions to the game if able.
Free Teacher and Student Resources
EdX.org hosts many free courses on game design and development that are taught by some of the best universities. If you visit EdX.org and do a search for âvideo gameâ you can review the list of options available. One such option is offered by Harvard called CS50âs Introduction to Game Development (link opens in a new tab). Rochester Institute of Technology also offers a course on EdX.org titled Video Game Design: Teamwork and Collaboration (link opens in a new tab). Taking free courses such as this can allow you to explore a career field before deciding on your major and may even prepare you for your college courses.
Video Game Designer Career Video Transcript
Video game designers create the rich, exciting worlds that allow us to indulge our imaginations and immerse ourselves in an alternate reality. If you play video games, youâve probably thought about turning it into a career, but know there are many dimensions to this occupation. Video game designers start with a list of concepts, narrowed down by a large team of developers to the best one. Teamwork is essential in this field, as designers collaborate with role-play mechanics, storylines, character development, graphics, and everything in between.
They are likely to need expertise in programming languages and game design computer software as well. They usually work in office settings, with typical office hours expanding to overtime as project deadlines approach. A single project usually lasts about two years, and âcrunchâ time can last months â but through it all, these designers still report high levels of job satisfaction. To enter the field, some will create a portfolio of video game designs and concepts that will help them get noticed and hired. Others start out as quality assurance testers and work their way up. A bachelorâs degree in computer science isnât usually required but it can be helpful if you lack other experience. These professionals arenât just making games, theyâre designing the future of gameplay experience.
National Center for O*NET Development. 15-1199.11. O*NET OnLine.
The career video is in the public domain from the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.


8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students learn to add doubles to a total of 20.
It is important that students are able to recognize doubles and are able to calculate their total to help improve ease of calculation.
The interactive whiteboard shows three number sequences under twenty. Students determine if numbers are in order or out of order. They can erase the grey box to show the answer.
Explain that when you add two numbers that are the same, you double the number. You can show this by counting the paintbrushes. The students calculate using the images on the interactive whiteboard. They can count the objects. With the eggs and pencils, ask the students to come up with the addition problem represented by the objects, before having them solve those addition problems. Next show students how to solve an abstract addition problem, without the visual support and only showing numbers. Do this by adding the weights. Next you can discuss adding all the doubles to 10 one by one. The students then calculate a few problems without visual support. Finally they are asked to drag the totals to the addition problems shown.
Check that students understand adding doubles to a total of 20 by asking the following questions:
- What do you do if you double a number?
- What is the total of 8+8?
Students first practice adding doubles with visual support. Next they must add doubles without visual support.
Repeat the goal and discuss why it is useful to be able to add doubles. The interactive whiteboard shows an addition problem. Two students give an answer, and the class must determine which of the two students shown is correct.
Students who have difficulty with this goal can be given blocks or manipulatives to use in calculation. Have them make groups of blocks to represent each addend, and then count the blocks together.
Optional: blocks or manipulatives
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzyâs Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


In reality PE is so much more than sport and is a great way of helping to develop the whole child.
PE has the ability (if taught well) to build up a childâs self esteem, confidence, motivation, teamwork, fair play, independence, leadership and maybe even their ability to play sport. I am currently working with a team (PESS) looking at how PE can also support literacy and numeracy.
The new way of looking at PE is through Physical Literacy. This term encompasses the variety of skills and qualities that can be developed through high quality PE, not just playing sport and certainly not by restricting students to doing things that have always been done.
We are looking at developing practice of teachers at all key stages to help develop a curriculum that engages all students and ensures students take responsibility and ownership of their activities and being creative. This is important as the academic world is quickly being replaced by the creative intellects (though Gove may disagree).
In looking at literacy and numeracy through PE it is important to note that PE is not being used to teach maths and english. PE is an important part of any childâs education. It contributes towards a healthy lifestyle. It can however be a place where students can apply the skills of numeracy and literacy and to see the relevance of why they are learning it.
In mapping the numeracy skills it is clear to see that in lots of physical activity you are using math skills. For instance most sports collect a huge amount of statistics, analyse them, interpret them and use them to revise performance. This is just one area where the numeracy skills learnt will actually develop the skills in PE. In literacy the same applies. The ability to communicate clearly can make the difference between giving feedback that has no impact and feedback that really changes the performance or confidence of an individual.
In conclusion I urge all teachers, both those that teach PE and those that donât, to see PE for what it truly is. Many have had a bad experience of the sport being the main thing and if you were not good you were an outcast. This is not the case anymore and it is essential that PE remains a key part of a childâs education.
(the same can be said of lots of other subjects that allow creativity and education needs to be all encompassing to give students the ability to engage in things that appeal to them. More maths and english in my opinion is not the answer.)


To kick off our latest selections, the Money as You Grow book club is featuring âCount on Pablo,â by Barbara deRubertis, for ages 5 to 7. In the book, Pablo and his grandmother work together to bring fruits and vegetables to the market, and when they face a setback, they use their creativity to overcome it and have a successful day.
In the for âCount on Pablo,â youâll find questions you can ask your child about the story. For young children, itâs important to build foundational skills, like thinking flexibly. As you read, you might ask about other ways Pablo and his grandmother could have solved their problem of selling their produce. Slightly older children, up to age 10, may be curious about the world of money around them. You might ask your child about the different jobs people do at the market and what skills are required for those jobs.
The Parent Guide also includes activities you can do with your child, based on the key ideas in the book. For âCount on Pablo,â the activities focus on:
- Solving problems
- Staying flexible
- Practicing math and counting skills
- Earning money
The Money as You Grow book club gives parents and caregivers a natural way to start money conversations with children. You can read the Money as You Grow book club selections at home on your own. Use our discussion guides for key ideas, questions, and activities for all of the books in the book club.
We hope this story, and the others weâll be sharing in the coming months, help you unlock new ways to talk to your children about money skills, habits, and attitudes that can help them in future. Check out our Money as You Grow resources for even more activities and conversation starters.


GCSE Science (Triple Award)
Title of qualification
GCSE Biology / Chemistry / Physics â TRIPLE AWARD
Students will be awarded three separate GCSEs. One in Biology, one in Chemistry and one in Physics.
What will I learn?
- Life processes depend on molecules whose structure is related to their function. The fundamental units of living organisms are cells, which may be part of highly adapted structure including tissues, organs and organ systems, enabling living processes to be performed effectively.
- Living organisms may form populations of single species, communities of many species and ecosystems, interacting with each other, with the environment and with humans in many different ways.
- Living organisms are interdependent and show adaptations to their environment.
- Life on Earth is dependent on photosynthesis in which green plants and algae trap light from the Sun to fix carbon dioxide and combine it with hydrogen from water to make organic compounds and oxygen.
- Organic compounds are used as fuels in cellular respiration to allow the other chemical reactions necessary for life.
- The chemicals in ecosystems are continually cycling through the natural world.
- The characteristics of a living organism are influenced by its genome and its interaction with the environment.
- Evolution occurs by a process of natural selection and accounts both for biodiversity and how organisms are all related to varying degrees.
- Matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms and there are about 100 different naturally occurring types of atoms called elements.
- Elements show periodic relationships in their chemical and physical properties. These periodic properties can be explained in terms of the atomic structure of the elements.
- Atoms bond by either transferring electrons from one atom to another or by sharing electrons.
- The shapes of molecules (groups of atoms bonded together) and the way giant structures are arranged is of great importance in terms of the way they behave.
- There are barriers to reaction so reactions occur at different rates.
- Chemical reactions take place in only three different ways: proton transfer, electron transfer, electron sharing.
- Energy is conserved in chemical reactions so can therefore be neither created nor destroyed.
- The use of models, as in the particle model of matter or the wave models of light and of sound.
- The concept of cause and effect in explaining such links as those between force and acceleration, or between changes in atomic nuclei and radioactive emissions.
- The phenomena of âaction at a distanceâ and the related concept of the field as the key to analysing electrical, magnetic and gravitational effects.
- That differences, for example between pressures or temperatures or electrical potentials, are the drivers of change.
- That proportionality, for example between weight and mass of an object or between force and extension in a spring, is an important aspect of many models in science.
- That physical laws and models are expressed in mathematical form.
How will this course be assessed?
- There are six papers: two biology, two chemistry and two physics.
- Each of the papers will assess knowledge and understanding from distinct topic areas.
- Each paper is 1 hour 45minutes.
- There are separate Higher / Foundation tiers
- Each paper is worth 100 marks.
- Each paper is worth 50% of each GCSE.
What skills do I need?
- Literacy- the ability to read and write fluently.
- Listening skills.
- The ability to co-operate in group activities.
- Practical skills (predicting, analysing and evaluating).
- Numeracy skills.
What is next for me after this course?
Communication skills, analysis and evaluation are essential for all Post 16 subject areas and a good GCSE in Science is a requirement for many courses and jobs. Skills and techniques developed in Science studies may be continued in a wide range of AS/A2 courses including: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Computer Science.
Many students who study triple award science are aiming to go towards careers in medicine, veterinary and dentistry.
Are there any restrictions with this course?
Students must be tracked at a minimum of a 4- at the latest data track. There must also be an equivalent achievement in maths.
Conversations will also be had with current class teachers to confirm suitability.


Table of contents:
- What is difference between primary and secondary succession?
- What are the primary classes?
- What are primary and secondary classes?
- What is class 10 called?
- What is primary and upper primary?
- What is the difference between senior secondary and higher secondary?
- What do you mean by higher secondary?
- Which class is known as senior secondary?
- What do you mean by senior secondary?
- What are primary grade levels?
- What is difference between high school and intermediate?
What is difference between primary and secondary succession?
In primary succession, newly exposed or newly formed rock is colonized by living things for the first time. In secondary succession, an area previously occupied by living things is disturbedâdisruptedâthen recolonized following the disturbance.
What are the primary classes?
Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. It enables the children to get prepared for future higher classes. The pre-primary stage consists of Preparatory class (pre-nursery), nursery, LKG and UKG. LKG/UKG stage is also called as Kindergarten (KG) stage.
What are primary and secondary classes?
The basic difference between Primary and Secondary is Middle School which prepare students for High School and Secondary schools prepare for college and other higher universities.
What is class 10 called?
Secondary School Certificate
What is primary and upper primary?
The school system in India has four levels: lower primary (age 6 to 10), upper primary (11 and 12), high (13 to 15) and higher secondary (17 and 18). The lower primary school is divided into five âstandardsâ, upper primary school into two, high school into three and higher secondary into two.
What is the difference between senior secondary and higher secondary?
Senior Secondary Education is the higher level of Secondary Education. Kids in Senior Secondary are about 15 to 18 years of age and are in the phase of being young adults. The senior secondary years of a student involves the 11th & 12th grade of a student.
What do you mean by higher secondary?
Which class is known as senior secondary?
Senior Secondary Schools in India include classes 11th to 12th. consisting students aged between 16-18 years. At this level of education students have the freedom to choose their preferred stream and subjects. They can pursue Arts, Commerce, Science (medical & non medical).
What do you mean by senior secondary?
Although definitions vary, the senior secondary years are sometimes defined as being from approximately age 15 to age 18. The term generally includes eleventh grade and twelfth grade, and may sometimes also include tenth grade.
What are primary grade levels?
Primary or elementary education ranges from grade 1 to grades 4-7, depending on state and school district policy. ... Middle schools in the upper grade range (7-9) are sometimes referred to as junior high schools. Secondary or high schools enroll students in the upper grades, generally 9-12 with variations.
What is difference between high school and intermediate?
2- Kindergarten (KG) School - for LKG and UKG classes for age group of 3â6 yrs. 5- High School/ Secondary School - from Class -9 to Class -10. 6- Intermediate/ Sr Secondary School - from Class -11 to Class 10. 7- Graduation Courses - after class 12th 3â5 yrs courses like BA, B.Com, B.Sc, B.E, B.
- What is the female germ cell called?
- What are the main advantages of object-oriented programming?
- What are secondary traits?
- How can I improve my sixth sense?
- What is the characteristic of a good teacher?
- What's a better word for quality?
- What defines a good teacher?
- What is meant by primordial germ cell?
- What are the characteristics of primary succession?
- What qualifications do primary teachers need?
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- Who are the 12 main Olympian gods?
- What is the miracle of Greek mythology?
- What is an interpretive?
- What is presentational features in English?


STEM-Smart: Fossils (STEM Smart: Science for Kids) (English Edition) download gratisDoor: Jim Shymansky
How do scientists figure out what the world was like long, long ago? One way is to study fossils â the remains of prehistoric life that are preserved in rock. In "Fossils," kids get to look at and learn about what life was like long, long ago! They will get to see how scientists, called paleontologists, lead adventurous lives traveling all over the world looking for fossils. From huge dinosaurs to tiny shells and leafs, learning about fossils of plants and animals that lived long ago help scientists understand the environments of the earthâs past and how both the earth and living things changed over time. Studying fossils also helps scientists understand how important natural resources like coal, oil, and gas are formed and how to find them.
Auteur: Jim Shymansky
Uitgever: Amazon Media EU S.Ã  r.l.
Gewicht van: 12981.0 KB


We value the arts and believe in the importance of music and visual art education. All student participate in music and art during a 9-week rotation each year. We seek to provide a learning environment that encourages creativity and welcomes inquiry, to expand cultural awareness and worldview of our students through music and the arts, and to cultivate a desire for all students to strive for excellence. Music and art classes offer the opportunity to pursue these goals.
All PYP students study music four days a week for one quarter, culminating in a performance recital. Kids learn to sing songs and to perform in an Orff ensemble. Orff instruction focuses on a variety of percussion instruments, such as xylophones and glockenspiels. Students learn how to read and write music. They also explore world music and cultures on multiple continents, as well as how music interfaces with culture. Wesley instruction also incorporates Chinese and African drums into PYP music.
All 6th-8th grade students participate in chorus one quarter each year. They learn about vocal technique and performance. Each 9-week session culminates in a recital.
MYP General Music
Wesley offers an MYP course focused on world music and cultures. Students learn about different musical styles throughout the globe and participate in research on different genres and instruments. Students prepare presentations to share their research with their peers. This General Music course explores music and floats of Brazilâs Carnival. Students also learn to read music.
Students study visual art for 9-weeks each year. The instruction is differentiated for each age group, exploring topics like perspective, color, drawing technique, and more. Students create projects to experiment with new techniques and present to classmates.


Arts Just as Crucial as Math and Science, Say Education Experts
(StatePoint) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math -- known collectively as STEM -- has been the buzz phrase for educators for some time. But, with many school districts eliminating art, music and other humanities classes, there has been a recent push by educators to change the focus from STEM to STEAM, and add arts back into the mix for a more well-rounded education.
âMany experts agree that STEAM education is a great way to engage children of all ages in creative play, discovery and learning,â says Dr. Eric Klopfer, Platform Learning Expert and member of the Expert Panel at VTech, a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children.
Whatever the present academic focus of your local school district is, you can help support a more comprehensive education for your children at home, while making it fun. Hereâs how to incorporate STEAM learning into your childrenâs playtime:
The school day may not offer daily opportunities for creativity to flourish, but you can turn the playroom at home into an artistsâ studio. Keep on hand arts and crafts supplies such as glue, construction paper, glitter, scissors, string and paint.
Take a trip to a museum or gallery and learn about different artists and styles to get kids inspired.
Handing over your expensive, breakable mobile technology to your young children may not sound ideal for on-the-go learning, but there are durable tablets built for children that support learning apps combining STEM subjects with the arts.
For example, InnoTab MAX, VTechâs most powerful and versatile 7-inch tablet, features access to more than 650 educator-supported apps, including hand-picked Android learning games and age-appropriate learning software and content through VTechâs Learning Lodge, as well as creative onboard apps such as Movie Maker and Art Studio. The apps feature a wide curriculum of language arts and reading, math, science, social studies, problem solving and creativity, that have been reviewed by a panel of education and child development experts.
Participation in music education has been proven to improve grades in STEM subjects. Not only that, itâs a ton of fun.
If your school offers opportunities such as band or chorus, encourage your kids to get involved. If arts programs are scarce, invest in a keyboard or guitar for the home. Even if private music lessons are out of the budget, there are plenty of online tutorials that can help with the basics.
While thereâs no doubt that math and science comprehension are critical, education experts advise parents to support an interdisciplinary approach to learning that incorporates the arts as well.
Photo Credit: (c) Monkey Business - Fotolia.com


Developing non-cognitive skills like curiosity and persistence are essential to a good education and need to be part of the school curriculum debate, writes Sara Glover.
Iâve been reading with great interest new research on the importance of non-cognitive skills for doing well in life. One paper by the well-known economist James Heckman and colleagues from the National Bureau of Economic Research, and another paper from Richard Reeves and colleagues at the Brookings Institute. In a recent article in The Conversation, Nicholas Biddle and Sarah Ball from Australian National University wrote that schools should be about more than just measuring intelligence.
What I find interesting is the growing body of evidence that non-cognitive skills, or what some refer to as âcharacterâ skills, do indeed matter. They have, according to Heckman and colleagues, a strong influence on educational attainment and additional effects on important life outcomes beyond schooling.
But what do we mean by ânon-cognitive skillsâ?
Persistence, curiosity and resilience are just some examples. Persistent students work hard on a task even when it gets difficult. Curiosity is another important skill, and is pivotal to how students learn. Resilience gives students the ability to overcome setbacks and mistakes.
Literacy and numeracy skills are foundational ones, but concentrating on these, at the exclusion of an explicit focus on developing non-cognitive skills, is short sighted.
These skills are the important ingredients for successful learning and satisfying lives. Teachers, parents, employers, and the students themselves, know this. Yet there seems to be an absence of discussion about these important dimensions of education in the current curriculum and assessment debates.
The good news is these skills can be developed. They are not set in stone. But the bad news is that gaps in non-cognitive strengths open up at an early age and can persist if there are limited opportunities for development.
Non-cognitive skills are highly malleable in the early years. From years 0â3, they build an essential âskills baseâ that promotes later learning and engagement in schooling. In adolescence, mentoring, work-place programs or community projects that explicitly teach non-cognitive skills motivate students in their learning.
Literacy and numeracy skills are foundational ones, but concentrating on these, at the exclusion of an explicit focus on developing non-cognitive skills, is short sighted. If we ignore the importance of these vital life skills, as it appears we might in the development of our national curriculum, we will fail our students and leave them ill-prepared for the workforce of the future.
Feature image courtesy of Flickr Commons.


Arts integration unlocks joyful, active learning for our youngest children. Singing, dancing, role-playing, and storytelling help children develop foundational skills in math, science, and literacy.
Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts has more than 35 years of experience in arts integration for early childhood education. Wolf Trap Teaching Artists provide educators with hands-on ways to incorporate the arts into daily teaching practices.
Lesson plans, videos, and more examples of Wolf Trapâs approach to arts integration in the classroom can be found on our free online platform.
Dance brings abstract science concepts to life
Dance can help young learners begin to explore early science and engineering concepts. For example, based on the story The Three Little Pigs, children move their bodies to become strong and rigid like bricks, or thin and feeble like straw. As they prepare for the Big Bad Wolfâs mighty huffs and puffs, they internalize the concepts of mass and weight.
Drama encourages empathy
Through role-playing, young children take on the bodies and voices of characters and practice acting out perspectives other than their ownâan exercise that fosters empathy. By having students act out Goldilocks and the Three Bears, teachers can ask their students to consider how Baby Bear feels when Goldilocks eats his porridge and what he might say when he sees his empty bowl.
Music builds a foundation for math skills
Early childhood educators and their students can use music to recognize and recreate patterns. In a song about farm animals, for example, teachers alternate making short and long animal sounds in a rhythmic pattern. Students repeat the teacherâs pattern and then create their own. Confidence in understanding and applying patterns supports future math skills, such as counting and multiplication.
Puppetry supports early literacy
Incorporating puppetry and dance into an alphabet lesson can help students see how shapes translate into letters. Using a puppet, educators can demonstrate straight and curvy lines and ask the children to mirror the shapes with their own bodies. By dancing with the puppet, children establish a more meaningful understanding of letters and symbolsâfoundations for early literacy.


Hereâs an idea many families may be wise to note: Research shows letting your kids learn music can help them do better in other subjects and enhances skills theyâll need in other areas.
Lend an Ear to Expert Advice
âThe development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help process music,â explains Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. âLanguage competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.â Whatâs more, a study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, as published in Psychological Science, found an increase in the IQs of 6-year-olds who were given weekly voice and piano lessons.
Another study, led by Ellen Winner, professor of psychology at Boston College, and Gottfried Schlaug, professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, found children who had just 15 months of weekly music instruction and practice had improved sound discrimination and fine motor tasks.
According to many music teachers, the piano can be a great first instrument. There are several reasons. First, pianos are simple to play; children can begin their music studies as soon as their fingers can reach all the keys. In addition, a piano can help students learn to read music because itâs easy to see the relationships between pitches in both melodies and chords and the way they look written out on the staff.
Regular piano playing sharpens fine motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination in the young. Plus, studying piano has been shown to improve memory and build good habits such as focus and perseverance, diligence and creativity.
Keys to Piano Success
If youâre considering investing in music education for your child and purchasing a piano, there are three things you should learn first.
1. Invest in a good acoustic piano. Look for a high-quality tone, not tinny or shallow, but round and warm that fills the room with vibrations. An acoustic piano can last longer, have more aesthetic appeal, and provide a better music educational experience. For example, touch sensitivity of an acoustic piano lets you play the more subtle musical expressions and dynamics required in most musical genres.
As one professional music teacher put it: âLearning to play on an acoustic instrument offers a range of dynamics, responsiveness, tone color and action that a digital piano cannot match.â
Although acoustic pianos tend to be more expensive than digital, the Boston and Essex piano models designed by STEINWAY bring the world-class tone within financial reach. Furthermore, should your child become more serious about his or her piano studies, you can trade in the instrument toward a more expensive STEINWAY piano. If you think you canât afford a piano at this time or youâre not sure you and your child want to commit to the instrument, consider renting a pianoâa smart option provided by authorized STEINWAY dealers.
2. Even more important than the quality of the piano is the quality of the teacher. Itâs important to find someone who is the right fit for your child and willing wholeheartedly to invest in your childâs success. One way to find a good teacher is to reach out to your Steinway dealer for suggestions.
3. Finally, the best teacher and the best piano canât help your child learn to play if he or she doesnât practice. Consistency is key, and a daily routine is by far the most effective practice structure.


Do not be deterred. Learning the sounds and their blends may be disinteresting for young children so you should keep it short and entertaining.
When fluent readers read aloud, the text flows as if strung together like pearls on a necklace, rather than sounding halting and choppy. So why are many students not learning â or learning the wrong Techniques for teaching reading to After selecting a poem, write its lines onto sentence strips, which serve as cue cards, to show students how good readers cluster portions of text rather than saying each word separately.
What I AM encouraging you to do is to begin reading with your newborn within days of welcoming her home! Making a chart that connects the numeral, word, and picture for each number will help reinforce number concepts with your little ones. The cat sat on the mat.
Learning to read is hard work! When teaching letters and letter sounds, incorporate as many senses as possible. Answers are typically found in more than one place, thus requiring students to "think" and "search" through the passage to find the answer. It helps them get away from answering without thinking just to be first.
Following the echo reading, have students read the entire poem together as a "choral read. Ask questions Asking questions while reading to your child is not only great for encouraging your child to interact with the book, but it is also extremely effective in developing his ability to comprehend what he is reading.
As children decode words with more frequency, they will become more proficient at automatically identifying that word. The focus thus becomes interpreting the script rather than memorizing it. Why was Frog sad? And following that instruction in phonemic awareness, about hours of direct and systematic phonics instruction can usually get the job done and ensure that about 90 percent of kids have the fundamentals they need to become good readers.
There are four different types of questions: This tip for teaching 1st grade comes from Make, Take, and Teach. Here are a few suggestions for the types of books to read to your child.
It doubles as an excuse upgrade your kitchen pans! But by all means, read whatever your child responds to and enjoys!
Always keep in mind that our ultimate goal is to foster a lifelong learner who loves to read, not a child who has simply memorized without any significance. This will not only develop his vocabulary, it will also encourage him to interact with the book that he is reading.
The Literacy How approach has increased the scores on interim tests, and results from the first third graders who learned to read this way are expected to be high.
Once your child is about 2 or 3-years of age, begin asking questions before, during, and after reading the book. Start by asking questions to find out what the students interests and hobbies are. This becomes a real problem when we ask those kids to execute the neurological triple backflip known as reading.
But we often forget that children often learn by example. Watchful waiting is a good practice for many aspects of child rearing.The right way to teach reading It doesnât have to be this way.
No area of education has been as thoroughly studied, dissected, and discussed as the best way to teach students to read. However, teaching reading skills in English classes and across the disciplines is an almost guaranteed way to help students retain content.
Unfortunately, the tendency to focus on the content is a real enemy to the ultimate goal of building reading skills. Techniques for Teaching Beginning-Level Reading to Adults. by Ashley Hager I have been teaching beginning-level reading (equivalent to grade ) at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, MA, for the past eight years.
The majority of students in my class have either suspected or diagnosed reading disabilities (dyslexia). Reading Instruction: Tips for Teachers October 15, By Harrison Morgan 1 Comment Reading is the single most important educational skill your students will learn.
Visit Reading A Guide to Teaching Reading and Writing, our self-paced online course on teaching reading and writing. Classroom Strategies Our library of effective, research-based strategies for print awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension - Master Other StrategiesRead killarney10mile.com with books at or below your level, not with books above your killarney10mile.com books over again to gain killarney10mile.com better at identifying words (vocabulary).Read with a helper.Download


According to World Health Organization (WHO), around 7-10 percent of the worldâs population are disabled. Within the refugee population, the amount is even higher: out of 79,5 million forcible displaced people, 5,5-8 million are also disabled.
âPersons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which in interaction with various attitudinal and environmental barriers hinder their full participation in society on an equal basis with othersâ, says UNâs definition of disability.
Most disabled refugees are not born with their disabilities. Living in the middle of war and conflicts and fleeing from them can often result in physical and mental disabilities such as amputations caused by mines. Mental traumas can often occur through anxiety, depression, or inability to focus.
Health care is often insufficient in the middle of conflicts, which also affects the number of refugees with disabilities. Without proper medication or care illnesses and wounds like diabetes or infections may result in permanent damages. With no vaccination available, many children go through polio and the disabilities caused by it.
Finnish Refugee Councilâs operations are justice-based. This means following and advancing the rights of disabled refugees. We aim to diminish and remove various obstacles so that disabled refugees can participate in their communities and get an education. In practice, removing obstacles can mean things like widening the doors and windows, putting participants with a weaker vision to sit in the front row, and enlarging the font size of books.
Another important way to improve the participation possibilities of the disabled refugees is educating and training our staff, community, and families. Education increases knowledge and helps to remove prejudices and stigmas that are sometimes linked to disability in some cultures. Inclusivity and disability are also some of the themes in the training that the Finnish Refugee Council organises.
Besides the skills such as literacy and numeracy skills, Finnish Refugee Council provides many other benefits for the course participants. With studying, refugees suffering from traumas and posttraumatic stress resulting from fleeing find relief and a new path for their lives. Sharing experiences with other refugees increases the quality of life and helps them to connect with their community, which increases their social and psychological wellbeing.
Disabled refugees have a lot to give back to the communality and other participants. In Ethiopia, we have had a disabled person educating our counselors, which has been noticed to be the most efficient to improve the understanding of the staff.


February 3, 2021 | Felicity Greene
During this morningâs meeting, the children of the Sky Class discussed how we have said goodbye to the month of January, and entered a new month â February! While this month is exciting for many reasons, it is special because we get to spend time learning about and remembering the ways that African Americans have helped our country grow and be great.
Each week during Black History Month, the Sky Class will study a Black American, and learn about their many contributions to our lives and culture. The children will study these Black Americansâ work in art, activism, science, invention, and music.
Today, the children were introduced to the artist, Faith Ringgold, and were excited to hear that she is still livingâ¦ here in New Jersey! Ringgoldâs art spans many mediums including paint, mixed media sculptures, performance art, and childrenâs stories. Some of her art can even be seen in Subway stations in New York City. The children watched a short video, in which Ms. Ringgold told about her life growing up in Harlem, her art education, and evolution as an artist.
The children saw some of Ms. Ringgoldâs more well known pieces of art such as her story quilts, that tell the stories of real African American heroes.
Throughout the week, the children will also hear stories that were written by Faith Ringgold, and feature her artwork,
and reflect on her artwork by creating their own Kuba designs with the use of tessellation tiles.
âIs this her artwork? Wow.â


Carrie Peoples' Reading System: From Babble to Reading
By: Carrie E. Peoples
About the Book
As author Carrie Peoples began to teach small children, the ideas for Carrie Peoplesâ Reading System: From Babble to Reading sprung forth by listening to them interact using words they knew how to say but did not know what the words looked like. She then began to experiment by making the symbols we use to make words: circles, lines, and dots. These symbols, through various combinations, make what we call words. This eye-opening text sheds light on how simple reading can truly be when broken down into the fun and surprisingly easy system Peoples has developed. Peoples lays out everything you need to know to help your child develop thinking skills, vocabulary skills and get an early start on reading skills.
About the Author
Carrie E. Peoples began her career in education in the early 1970s as a federal educator. She was fortunate to train and work as staff assistant to President Nixonâs (Commissioner) Secretary of Education. Soon after, Peoples managed the Teacher Corps Networks, which were presented to Congress for funding. She aided in the design, development, and establishment of networks to encourage interaction between the 122 Teacher Corps Projects. Peoples further completed four decades as a Public School Teacher, specializing in Gifted and Talented Education in the States of California and Georgia. Peoples is a disabled US Navy Veteran.
About the Editor
Danielle Yette has worked in education for more than 20 years. She graduated from California State University of Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Learning and a minor in Elementary Education. Yette has worked with students from early childhood education to the twelfth grade. She is currently a Dean of Students in Denver, Colorado.
(2022, hardback, 32 pages)
This book ships in 15-18 business days


This was originally part of a guest post on the WNET Education blog.
Educators have long been familiar with PBS as a go-to source for educational materials, and teachers like me striving to create a playful classroom environment enjoy their wide selection of learning game from Mission U.S and Nova Labs for older students to PBS Kids games for elementary classrooms. Not all games are created equal though and neither are all game players. Accessible games and controllers are more available now, but they are still rare.
As a teacher in New York Cityâs District 75, citywide special education, I have sometimes struggled to find materials that were accessible to my students with disabilities. So when I heard WNET paired up with Bridge Multimedia to create an accessible Cyberchase game called Railway Hero, I was eager to try it out. Just some nostalgic background information, I was watching Cyberchase and using materials and video clips from it with my students when I first got my educational degree nearly 15 years ago. That was back when many still accessed âcyberspaceâ through a CD and the internet that the CyberSquad explored was very different. So my nostalgia, a need for accessibility, a love of games, and a commitment to combating fear and apathy in math classes drove my interest to play Railway Hero.
So in Railway Hero Hacker has stolen pieces of the Information SuperRailway and you are tasked with repairing the tracks and reconnecting the cyber sites. Digit guides the team through increasingly difficult challenges that address early numeracy skills in a by asking students to solve tangible visual math problems to repair the tracks. Students can choose to do it in a number of ways whether utilizing addition, 1:1 correspondence counting, or through spatial reasoning and visual cues. They donât appear as actual equations as students have to determine what numerical combinations will help them fill the gaps. The concepts are open enough to challenge students but the skill to complete the early puzzles are low so even kindergarten students could accomplish early levels.
Some of my students struggled in the later levels when multiple block segments were required. Their ability to solve the early puzzles propelled them to be resilient through the harder work though. They were able to attempt solutions and try again when it didnât work. Since students were able to immediately visualize the consequences of their choices, it made it more understandable and less frustrating when mistakes were made. As an adult player, I wasnât sure the level of task repetition would be engaging, but that was actually a key feature to increase student success. Students learned the basic skills early in the game and were able to use that similar steps and skills to solve more complex problems later. What made the game really special though was all of the accessibility features baked into every part of the game.
The game has a variety of accessibility features that are easily available throughout the game. For visually impaired players they have an audio-only mode, audio descriptions, and adjustments for color, contrast, and text size adjustments. For hearing impaired gamers you can adjust audio levels and turn on captioning. For students with physical and learning challenges, there is also additional help. All text and objects are described when hovered over, the game auto-pauses for off-task students, and you can use keyboard controls instead of on the computer version. The game also has timed play available for an added challenge. The commitment to creating a game that can be enjoyed by all young players is commendable. I suggest using the app versions since touch screens and mobile platforms provide an extra level of accessibility for users. I recommend you take your young students on a numerical quest to fix the information railways which you could use as a springboard to discussions about digital citizenship and actually make the information on the internet a little better.


The reason to learn Music is to make Music. Music touches a part of our psyche that helps us regulate our lives. Music helps us understand and express our moods and attitudes, reorganize our thoughts and feelings and allows us to respond appropriately in social structure that is often confusing and complex. Music is also one of the largest industries in the world offering a variety of job opportunities.
Our aim is to enrich the experience of every ICG student; providing music education to foster and develop our young people in the arts, âbring the gifts out and make them viableâ.
Music is taught throughout the school and encourages students to develop their musical potential by focusing on the three fundamental activities of performing, composing and listening.
At KS3 we encourage our young people to engage in Music making with an air of mutual respect. Students have the opportunity to explore and combine the core elements of Music with diverse local and global cultures and traditions. The course for KS4 prepares pupils for GCSE Music. All pupils who can sing or play any instrument are eligible to do this course and it is suitable for everybody who enjoys music.
Our young people are also encouraged participate in the musical activities outside the classroom environment, including singing groups and instrumental ensembles. In addition, we offer instrumental lessons in Voice, Guitar, Piano, Drum Kit and Woodwind which are facilitated by visiting specialist tutors.
For more information on the subject or any general equiries please click the button to contact the Head of Department, Mrs Mercer.


Donât you love it when you find activities and printables for every theme you create throughout the school year?! I know I do! And that is one reason the Garden Theme Preschool Shape Posters and I Spy Game is simply fabulous! Whether your theme is gardening, farming, or something in between, these shape posters for preschool will fit like a glove!
Preschool themes tie all kinds of learning into interesting topics that engage our youngest learners. Learning about shapes with these adorable preschool garden theme printables will be easy! All you need to do is print the free printable, then decide how you want to use the garden theme preschool activity with your students.
Great Toys & Resources for Learning About Gardens and Seeds:
Educational Insights Plush Vegetable Garden 13-Piece Set, Easter Toy, Pretend Food, Early-Learning Skills, Ages 2+Learning Resources New Sprouts Grow It! Toddler Gardening Set, Outdoor Toys, Pretend Play, Easter Toys, 9 Pieces, Easter Gifts for Kids, Ages 2+Creativity for Kids Plant a Pizza Garden â Vegetable and Herb Starter Kit for KidsCreativity for Kids Grow âN Glow Terrarium Kit for Kids â Science Activities for Kids (Packaging May Vary)Dinosaur Fairy Garden in a Jar Light up Terrarium KitFisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen, Interactive Farm-to-Kitchen Playset for ToddlersLittle Tikes 2-in-1 Garden Cart and Wheelbarrow
Learning Shapes in Preschool
Identifying, naming and classifying shapes prepares young brains for more complex math concepts later on.
Hands-on learning activities with shapes provide concrete information and vocabulary while children explore.
What shapes should preschoolers know? Start with the basics: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, and oval. As children become more fluent at identifying those shapes, you can add on more complex shapes, like trapezoid, hexagon, octagon, rhombus and pentagon.
How to Use the Garden Theme 2D Shapes Posters
Shape posters, shape mats, AND an I Spy game! This low-prep printable has you covered for any shapes theme preschool activities!
Full-page posters include the following 12 shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, oval, trapezoid, octagon, hexagon, pentagon, parallelogram, and star.
Iâve also included half-page versions of the same shapes!
In addition to the posters, your students will love engaging in an I Spy math activity. The printout includes quarter-page cards to cut and hide throughout the classroom. Each card includes the words, âI see aâ¦.â
Students can search and find the shapes, then record their findings on the game board. I have included two versions of that as well. The harder version includes all 12 shapes, while an introductory activity for kids includes the 6 basic shapes.
More Ways to Use the Garden Theme Shape Activities for Preschoolers
Since teachers are master multi-taskers, why not incorporate fine motor activities while we teach shapes?!
- Laminate the posters, mats, or I Spy cards to use as play dough mats where children can practice forming each shape.
- Use popsicle sticks with the same mats to make the shapes instead of play dough.
- Break out the pattern blocks for students to match, sort, or create new shapes using the shape of the mat they are working on.
- Incorporate 3D shapes by asking children to find the block that best matches each 2D shape mat.
YouTube Videos for Learning About Gardens:
Our Favorite Garden Books for Kids:
We canât live without these!
Once your childâs creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
From Seed to PlantLola Plants a Garden (Lola Reads)Rachelâs Day in the Garden: A Kids Yoga Spring Colors Book (Kids Yoga Stories)I Can Grow a Flower (Life Cycle Board Books)Garden Wigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard (Backyard Bugs)Worm Weather (Penguin Core Concepts)A Seed Is Sleepy: (Nature Books for Kids, Environmental Science for Kids)


BookGames for Motor Learning provides you with 110 games your students will enjoy. Each game has been field-tested over 10 years by experienced teacher and coach Ron Dienstmann. These games integrate the schema theory of discrete motor skill learning, cooperative learning, and brain research on emotions and learning into a unified teaching concept. As a result, you get a book of games that are
- easy to use,
- fun and inclusive,
- extensively field tested to promote motor learning, and
- backed by research.
You can quickly and easily find games appropriate for your needs and immediately put them to use in your curriculum. Each game engages kidsâ minds, keeps them active and moving, and can be used for various skill levels. The authorâs extensive field testing has produced games that enhance motor skill development. Guided and shaped by research in multiple areas that affect this development, these games will help students meet the NASPE standards 1 and 6 related to motor learning as well as cooperative and social skills. While students are having a blast playing these games, theyâll be improving their balance, manipulative skills, locomotor skills, and social skills.
In part I, you learn the theory behind the games as Dienstmann delves into the research backing the schema theory, cooperative learning, and emotions and learning. This sets the stage for part II, which delivers the 110 games in these categories: locomotor games, manipulative skills activities, stability games, and combined movement activities.
Games for Motor Learning will help students develop their motor skills based on a sound theoretical model. Your students might not care about the theory, but their laughter and excitement in playing the games will parallel their skill development. And that makes Games for Motor Learning a winâwin proposition for students and teachers alike.
Games book for elementary physical education teachers, classroom teachers, and youth activity leaders.
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Part I: Theory Leading to Practice
Chapter 1. The Schema Theory of Discrete Motor Skill Learning
Chapter 2. Cooperative Learning
Chapter 3. Brain Research on Emotions and Learning
Part II: Motor Development Games and Activities
Chapter 4. Locomotor Activities and Games
Chapter 5. Manipulative Activities and Games
Chapter 6. Stability Activities and Games
Chapter 7. Combined Movement Activities and Games
Chapter 8. My Vacation Stories
About the Author


An Exhibition of works by Poeh Arts Faculty and Students
April 1 â July 8, 2006
The Pueblo of Pojoaque Poeh Arts Program, also known as the Native American Vocational and Technical Education Program, has been providing art education to Native Americans living throughout Northern New Mexico since 1994. The vocational education classes in jewelry, pottery and sculpture are part of an economic initiative to create a âcottage industryâ in art and tourism. The intent is to keep our people at home and in their communities, which keeps both vital while empowering students with art skills that regenerates the reliance upon natural resources and their own creativity. This reliance on our natural resources has been essential to the maintenance of our cultural values of harmony, sharing and providing our communities with necessary items such as pottery for ceremonies, jewelry for dances, and sculpture for architectural and aesthetic features in our homes and villages. Thus, art is rooted in our communities and passed from generation to generation over many centuries of cultural evolution.
In the Tewa language, there is no word for âart,â this is due to the fact that the art that we know today was not made to collect or display but to serve a function. By this, we mean that the pottery we made was for storing seeds, cooking, or for ceremonial use. Correspondingly, jewelry was significant not only for its beauty but for its manufacturing process. In the past, these materials were hard to come by and upon their completion, the coral, shell and turquoise necklaces and bracelets became family heirlooms.
The introduction of new materials (silver) and tools (forged hammers, chisels, and stamps) allowed indigenous artists the freedom to experiment with new designs and engage in non-traditional creative processes. Thus, indigenous artists began their âexperimentation,â which combined old techniques with new methods of creation, which they also passed on and shared with younger generations. Despite this experimentation, if an artist is asked to make pottery for a ceremonial function, she/he is happy to oblige and give back to his community what they so purposefully shared with the artist â tradition.
Poeh Arts formalized this learning process by developing the intergenerational teaching methodology, which has become the keystone of creativity based on tradition and experimentation. Poeh Arts makes a myriad of tools and aesthetic facilities available to students along with guidance and instruction from Native master artists who espouse the ideal of sharing their knowledge with other community members.
The communities that develop within the art studios share the characteristic desire to learn traditional techniques while engaging in creative processes through experimentation to create contemporary art. The art that is created in these âmicrocosmic pueblo communitiesâ are steeped in tradition and reveal a creative impetus that evokes both experimentation and a sense of timelessness that has defined the transmission of knowledge among our Pueblo people both in the past and in the future.


Welcome back to our Balanced to Structured Literacy series!
Today weâre tackling a topic that many people think isnât even part of the science of reading: comprehension.
It feels like phonics get talked about the most â which is probably true. After all, kids must have strong phonics (and phonemic awareness) skills to lay the foundation for reading.
After they get more automatic with those skills, they start to become fluent â¦ which paves the way for comprehension.
But we donât have to wait until our students are fluent to work on comprehension.
In fact, we build comprehension even before they can read â¦ through whole-class read-alouds.
As a classroom teacher, I had many days where I just grabbed a book and started reading.
(Okay, I admit it, that was most of the time.)
Donât get me wrong â thereâs nothing wrong with grabbing a book to fill a few minutes.
But the interactive whole-class read-aloud is different. Itâs planned and purposeful.
And it should be a consistent part of your reading block. Itâs the ideal time to build vocabulary and comprehension!
Letâs take a look at some sample schedules and see how that whole class read-aloud fits in.
Remember â¦ the âWhole Class Read Aloudâ is when your main focus is vocabulary and comprehension.
As you think about what book to read aloud, consider â¦
- What content do you want your students to learn?
- Instead of choosing a book based on what reading comprehension strategy you want your students to learn, choose a book based on the content you want your students to understand. You can then choose a reading comprehension strategy in service of the content.
(Not gonna lie â¦ I had this backward for a while. I started with a list of all the reading comprehension strategies â predicting, visualizing, you name it â and I tried to find a book that would help me teach a particular strategy. I had it backward!)
Spend time with the book beforehand, making note of anything that applies:
- What themes or concepts are most important for your students to learn?
- What vocabulary words will you teach in-depth?
- What vocabulary words will you teach as they come up in the text?
- How will you build background knowledge before reading the book aloud?
- Where will you stop to analyze text structure, address difficult sentences, prompt students to make inferences, or ask questions?
- What guided or independent work might students do after the reading?
Before you read, donât forget to â¦
- Introduce the book by reading the title and illustrator.
- Build background as appropriate.
- Pre-teach any Tier-2 vocabulary words that students need to know to comprehend the text.
As you read â¦
- Stop to briefly address vocabulary words.
- Ask questions and occasionally pause for students to âturn and talkâ to a partner.
- Think aloud as you apply reading comprehension strategies.
After reading ..
- Discuss the story through both low and high level questions.
- Include a follow-up drawing and/or writing activity. Research tells us that writing about reading helps us comprehend the text better!
Most of all, just get started! You will get better and better at interactive read-alouds the more you do them.
Grab our free planning template!
Donât forget to check out the rest of our Balanced to Structured Literacy series!


The Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support initiative
The Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support (MYLNS) initiative provides funding to government secondary schools to improve outcomes for students who are at risk of finishing school without the literacy or numeracy skills they need for future work, education and training. It is the biggest single investment in individualised student support in Victoria's history. The initiative also helps build the capability of all teachers in secondary schools to support these students.
Through the MYLNS initiative, schools are provided funding to release existing teachers as
Literacy Improvement Teachers and / or Numeracy Improvement Teachers.
Improvement Teachers have the following functions:
to deliver literacy or numeracy direct teaching support to students at risk of finishing school without the literacy or numeracy skills they need, and
to build capability in literacy or numeracy teaching across the school.
In 2021, the MYLNS initiative provides funding to provide direct support to students in Year 8 and Year 10.


Phonological awareness involves being able to recognize and manipulate the sounds within words. This skill is a foundation for understanding the alphabetic principle and reading success. There are several ways to effectively teach phonological awareness to prepare early readers, including: 1) teaching students to recognize and manipulate the sounds of speech, 2) teaching students letter-sound relations, and 3) teaching students to manipulate letter-sounds in print using word-building activities.
Reading skills provide the foundation for academic success. From the beginning of school, students should be taught different ways of using language to help them learn and communicate about academic content. This brief discusses two areas of literacy development that students must learn so that they can do well in school: foundational reading skills and academic language.


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The 5th Unit of the Pre-K YOUR Way Level 3 Series.
Perfect for children ages 3-6 years old, this play based unit encourages hands-on play activities to instill a love of learning. Items needed to complete the activities are materials typically found around the home or inexpensively purchased at a local convenience store. This two-part, 53 page, digital download includes:
Part 1: 15 "Construction" Academic Activities address math, science, literacy, art, health/safety, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, music and movement and literacy development. Activities include "House on Stilts", "10 Unique Homes", "Architectural Investigation", "Sandy Beam", "Safety Search" and so much more!
The 15 Activities are divided into 3 Academic areas:
5 Gross Motor/Fine Motor
Part 2: "Project: Building Components and Design" is a multiple-step activity, all-inclusive project that can span over multiple days. It walks your child through how to develop a hypothesis which is then tested and researched through discussions and activities.
The objective of this Project is to: Identify all of the different parts of a hoe and how they come together.


A policy is a statement of intent to guide decisions and achieve particular outcomes. This section indicates Government policy on art, craft and design education and shares policy statements made by organisations and groups with an interest in this area of the curriculum.
- The National Curriculum for schools in England was published in October 2013.
- Click here for the programme of study for art and design.
- Click here for the guidance for assessment.
- Click here for the Department for Education website.
- Click here for the DfE proposals and consultation about a âCollege of Teachingâ.
- The NSEAD has developed a manifesto which defines the quality of art education that should be expected and demanded by teachers, children and parents. The ESAG for art, craft and design fully endorses this manifesto. Click here for the Manifesto for art, craft and design education.
- ENGAGE is the UKâs most effective advocacy and support organisation for gallery education. Click here to find out more about the policies and activity of ENGAGE.
- The Crafts Council has developed an Education Manifesto for Craft and Making Craft and making are vital to our society, culture and economy. This is a manifesto to secure the future of craft education. Click here for the Manifesto.
- The Arts Council Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich peopleâs lives. Click here for more information about the Art Council Englandâs 10 year strategy.
- The Design Council is the UK Governmentâs advisor on design, they set the benchmark for promoting design nationwide. The councilâs research and campaigns aim to show just how much intelligent, creative design can achieve. Click here to find out more about what the Design Council Stands for.