Of the hundreds of thousands of children who start to learn the piano around the world each year nearly all of them will say, later in life, that, despite their years of piano lessons, today they can’t play a note.
And then they’ll tell you about a family member who never had a single lesson and who can play anything by ear.
This incredible disconnect between lessons and life-long skill doesn’t get discussed much by piano teachers, despite the overwhelming evidence that the hundreds of thousands of brand-new beginner pianists will not grow into adults who can actually play the piano.
There is always the exception to the rule, and of course every piano teacher is one of those exceptions who found that piano lessons did help them become better pianists.
And so they teach pretty much exactly the way that they were taught. This even comes down to using the same method books with their students that their teachers used with them. Witness the still amazing sales figures for John Thompson method books. Witness the almost universal use of examinations as a curriculum throughout most countries in the world. And witness the nervousness the majority of piano teachers feel when approaching repertoire from the twentieth century.
The system is self-perpetuating, and it seems that even after more than 200 years of teachers and students experimenting with different approaches we still don’t know what might have made a difference for the 99% of students who never touch the instrument again, even after a decade’s worth of tuition.
But of course we know. We know that people who can play by ear seem to happily sit down at the piano and play whenever they feel like, and that might be quite often. And we also know that people who can read music easily and well similarly sit down and play whenever the mood strikes them. We know this anecdotally, and in recent times music education researchers (notably Dr Gary McPherson and colleagues) have gone to the effort to document the evidence that this is so.
So shouldn’t lessons be equipping students to do both these things? To play the music they hear, and the music they read?
The fact is that most students are taught with neither of these goals in mind, and with neither of these techniques being employed in lessons or practice. Most students throughout the world learn maybe no more than 6 or 7 pieces in a year once they are past the absolute beginner phase. Most students are encouraged to avoid listening to performances of the music they are learning (it’s seen as ‘cheating’). And most students are encouraged to attempt music at the outer limits of their accomplishments.
If we were talking about teaching literacy to 5, 6 and 7 year-olds we would be shocked at this news. Imagine only reading 6 or 7 books in a whole year while you were trying to learn to read!! Imagine not being able to hear someone else reading the book to you! And imagine being given books to read that mostly comprised words you’d never seen before!
Now not every piano teacher teaches this way, but those teachers who break with these norms are still teaching with reference to them. So, instead of students learning 6 or 7 pieces in a year maybe they learn 11 or 12. Instead of only practicing from the score maybe the teacher plays the piece to the student before the first attempt, or the student works from a book and CD package.
It’s time to change the culture, and quickly. Each year there are hundreds of thousands of eager-eyed beginners who trust us to teach them how to play.


The Cemala Foundation has provided North Carolina A&T State University with a $500,000 grant in support of Project LLIFE. The purpose of Project LLIFE is to facilitate increased skills and performance in language and literacy for children between the ages of 1-4. Moreover, the project is aimed at recognizing and assisting underrepresented families in southeastern Greensboro.
LLIFE stands for Language and Literacy Impacting Families and Educators, and is guided by several key goals and objectives. These include:
- Enhancing language and literacy development of children from diverse populations in southeast Greensboro.
- Supporting culturally responsive practices of educators and families in promoting appropriate literacy development.
- Training pre-service students to become language and literacy facilitators of diverse children’s development and learning.
Additionally, the project will conduct a needs assessment of educators and develop culturally responsive, play-based language and literacy activities.


At St. John Bosco’s “Learning is meaningful and creative, empowering all to be active participants in a contemporary world.” (St John Bosco’s Vision Statement)
We recognise the role of home learning as a vehicle for the family to have an opportunity to share in the education of the child. Home learning may consist of practising skills learned in class, essentially literacy and numeracy skills, through daily reading and number fact activities. We also encourage our parents to involve their children in a variety of extracurricular experiences, thereby developing the whole child. This may include music and dance lessons, and individual and group sports.
As St John Bosco’s is a Catholic school, home learning may include some faith sharing activities within the family. Occasionally teachers may include extension or preparation activities related to classroom learning.
It is vital that both parents and teachers are actively engaged in the education of their child therefore at St John Bosco’s home learning will be an extension of where each individual child is being targeted in their learning. Targeted teaching is the result of ongoing teacher assessment which assists us to identify the developmental stage of each child’s learning in both numeracy and literacy. Home Learning reinforces what is being done at school and as such all children should be capable of completing set tasks.
Home learning that is at the ‘point of need’ for the child will allow parents to develop a greater awareness of their child’s current stage of learning and the next steps to be undertaken.
At St John Bosco we acknowledge and understand that each child’s learning journey is individual and that within each year level there is a diverse range of learning needs (extra support and extension). As a result there are times where we are required to look beyond the ‘standard’ curriculum in order to meet the needs of all children.
Home Learning Procedures
Prep Numeracy – In Term 1 parents will be provided with an information sheet that covers the Key Concepts we aim to develop in Foundation. These include activities on how to support your children in developing their numeracy skills. This is not compulsory and can be completed at home if parents wish.
|Prep - Year 2||Year 3 & 4||Year 5 & 6|
|Reading (x5 per week) 10 mins – Take home book and online platforms||Reading (x5 per week) 15-20 mins - Take home book and online platforms||Reading (x5 per week) 25-30mins - Take home book and online platforms|
|Spelling (x3 per week) 5 mins - Catergory sort, Blind sort, sentence work||Spelling (x3 per week) 5 mins - to be determined by teachers||Spelling (x3 per week) 5 mins - to be determined by teachers|
|Numeracy (x5 per week) 10 mins - Personal Goal||Numeracy (x5 per week) 10 min - Personal Goal||Numeracy (x5 per week) 10 mins - Personal Goal|
At times students may bring home incomplete work from class to work on, or follow up from class inquiries.
At St. John Bosco’s we believe that teachers, parents and students have important roles to fulfil regarding home learning.
Role of the teachers:
To assess and monitor student learning in an ongoing manner.
To sign weekly, children’s diary acknowledging completion of numeracy and literacy tasks.
Role of the Student:
To display a Growth Mindset by completing all set Home Learning Tasks.
To seek assistance from teachers or parents where required.
To return signed diary and set work (eg. word study books, maths learning goals etc).
Role of Parents:
To encourage children to take responsibility for their Home Learning.
To foster a supportive work environment where encouragement and assistance are provided when necessary.
To communicate with the teacher regarding any concerns about the child’s Home Learning.


Literacy is a word that is easily associated with reading and writing. It is a form of the words literature and literary. But not all literature is written down. Many cultures preserve their literature through oral traditions. In these cultures, a literate person is one who knows the literature from memory and can recall it, … Continue reading Music Literacy is More Than Reading and Writing Music
Unless I make an effort to read scores, there are some musical terms that I am apt to forget because either I just don’t come across them that often in music I am apt to be teaching to my students, or because the definition has become distorted by common misuse. Today, I thought it would … Continue reading A Small Refresher in Musical Terms
The use of solfege syllables in teaching singing and music reading is one of those things that music educators cannot seem to come to a consensus on. some use solfege, some do not. some prefer to use letter names, some numbers, some no note names at all, just a neutral syllable. Some try using solfege, … Continue reading What Solfege Is, And What It Is Not
What is literacy? The word is used across all disciplines, including music, yet I find a surprising range of understandings of just what literacy is. Does literacy refer to just reading? Does it include writing? Must someone be an effective communicator orally in order to be considered literate? Is there any requirement for being able … Continue reading What Is Music Literacy?
Music teachers are often concerned with method. If you go to most music education conferences, you’ll find sessions on the Kodaly Method, the Dalcroze Method, Gordon Music Learning Theory, the Orff Method, Feierabend’s Conversational Solfege, the Suzuki Method, to name a few. Music teaching methods are like Protestant denominations: there are many of them, they … Continue reading Is There Madness in the Method?


Use this free printable moon journal to record nightly observations of the moon. You’ll discover all kinds of fascinating things about how the moon travels and notice the various phases of the moon.
This science activity correlates to Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) 1-ESS1-1.
Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board!
Kids are always naturally curious about the night sky, especially the moon! Lucy and Theo are always wondering why there are nights we can’t see the moon at all and are especially curious about why it always seems to change.
I decided to create this simple moon journal so we could observe the moon each night and notice the changes that occur as the days go by. (This post contains affiliate links.)
Astronomy for Kids: Free Printable Moon Journal
How to Use the Moon Journal
1. Print out one copy of the moon journal for each person.
2. Write the starting date at the top of your journal. (You can even use a fun pencil like this one!) Aim to check the moon around the same time each night. Notate the time at the top.
3. Each night observe the moon. Write the date below the small box you will be using and shade in the circle to resemble how the moon looks. Each night the moon will look different and be located in a different part of the sky!
4. Continue recording your observations each night. (On nights we weren’t able to check the moon, we put an ‘x’ over the box, and on nights it was too cloudy, we drew clouds over our moon.)
5. Once your journal is complete, look for patterns. What do notice?
More Information about the Moon
- It takes 29 1/2 days for the moon to go from a new moon back to a new moon.
- Waxing is when the lighted part of the moon gets bigger each night. Waning is when the lighted portion starts getting smaller.
- The moon rises at a different time each day of the month.
- This website has a nice chart with the phases of the moon and a map of the moon.
- You can check your local newspaper to see when the moon is new. There’s also websites like this one.


Numeracy Learning at SCECS
Numeracy involves children in recognising the role of Mathematics in the world and having the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully. The Australian Curriculum
Children who are provided with opportunities to engage and be successful in numeracy activities when they are young are more prepared to face the types of numeracy challenges they will encounter. This, in turn, means that they will be more likely to succeed not only in maths, but academically. Foundations for Numeracy, Canadian Child Care Federation
At Southern Cross Early Childhood School, we believe all children are capable of learning and should be encouraged to regard themselves as competent learners.
At Southern Cross we provide a Numeracy program that is accessible and builds on the learners confidence through games and play to extend the learners into deeper understandings by encouraging risk taking and innovation.
We encourage the diversity of solutions to problem solving and foster efficient number strategies.
We utilise quality resources and programs including Schedule for Early Numeracy Assessment(SENA), Developing Efficient Numeracy Strategies(DENS), Count me in Too, A Balanced Numeracy Program, Number Sense, Go Maths and I Can Statements. All of which help us to create an inviting and exciting Numeracy program at Southern Cross.
Differences in children's numeracy skills are often a result of the opportunities they are given to think and talk about number in their home and early learning environments.
Together we can build competent and confident Numeracy practitioners.


Common Core Reading Foundational Skills
Phonics and Word Recognition
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4c Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.


Lesson Intentions: Ability to identify and name the 10 main land and water forms; learn the definitions of the 10 main land and water forms; refine visual acuity and fine motor skills; develop cutting skills; language development; manipulate clay to make a land and water form model; and to start to develop beginning research skills.
Materials included in lesson kit:A set of laminated 2 part land and water form cards with definitions; an illustrated lesson plan in an organized folder; a pair of scissors; 10 pieces of 4 x 4 green paper; 10 pieces of 4 x 4 blue paper; 11 pieces of 8 ½ x 11 white paper; a container of blue Play-Doh; a container of green Play-Doh; 10 toothpicks; a glue stick; and two copies of a land and water form report template.
This educational kit was made with love by a certified Montessori teacher of 19 years. I am certified in Early Childhood Education (preschool and Kindergarten), Elementary Education I (grades 1st to 3rd), and Elementary Education II (grades 4th to 6th). I have worked as a lead teacher in all the above grades, Montessori teacher trainer, dance director, and Parent Education director. I hope you enjoy this kit as much as I enjoyed making it.I created the ABC Crate LLC so that I could share the joys of Montessori lessons and philosophies with all who seek wonderful lessons for their little ones. I have many more kits to come ranging from preschool to middle school.Feel free to drop a note about which lessons you would like sooner. ABC Crates are great for Home School programs, parents seeking support material for the home, and for teachers to use in their classroom.


Jono Heale, Director of ACS Custom and bassist, highlights the problems around hearing loss for leisure-time musicians and what you can do to keep your ears safe.
The subject of hearing conservation in the Music Industry, Education and even the amateur music making sector sometimes is not given the attention it deserves. As we may well know, exposure to loud music for long periods of time is a serious concern and a hazard not to be taken lightly.
Damage to your hearing can manifest itself in two ways. If you perceive a ringing or whistling sound in your head, that’s called Tinnitus. Not being able to hear music properly or conversations with friends is noise induced hearing loss. Both conditions can become permanent, which for a musician can be life changing.
Wearing earplugs in any music environment has to some extent seemed taboo. However, more recently the next generation of music lovers and makers do seem to be more aware of the danger.
As a former bassist and having worked on music events and festivals, my hearing became permanently damaged from rehearsing and performing with no hearing protection. I now suffer from music-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. Even playing in an orchestra, brass or pipe band you can be exposed to sound levels this high, which over time could become a problem.
George Odam, former Emeritus Professor at Bath Spa University and Fellow of the Guildhall School undertook a research project inquiring into the health of music students. After a one-year pilot study, statistics showed that 26% of students had tinnitus and 17% had hearing loss. A survey from charity Help Musicians UK shows that as a musician you could be 3.5 times more likely to damage your hearing and 1.5 times more likely to develop Tinnitus than the rest of the general population.
It’s also sad to talk to some young musicians who say they already have problems with their hearing, which could also be due to recreational listening habits and the use of portable music devices – another developing social issue.
However, there are things you can do, and in order to prevent hearing damage, you need to be aware of the impact of two crucial factors: The sound level and your exposure time.
The volume of sound is measured by its energy or loudness in decibels (dB), and it’s important to realise that dB is a logarithmic measurement (a scale of magnitude as opposed to a linear scale). So, a 3dB increase in sound level is twice as loud. If the volume is twice as loud then you should halve your exposure time. Lightly-played acoustic drums can be approximately 94dB (A). Your safe exposure time at this volume is approximately one hour. If you increase the sound level by 3dB to 97dB (A) then your safe exposure is now approximately 30 minutes.
Wearing earplugs in any music environment has to some extent seemed taboo. However, more recently the next generation of music lovers and makers do seem to be more aware of the danger. Important work has been done on raising awareness by the World Health Organisation, Help Musicians UK, the British Tinnitus Association and dedicated hearing protection manufacturers like ACS Custom.
There are many different earplugs on the market, and you should buy the best that you can afford – your hearing is irreplaceable after all! What you need is attenuating or filter type hearing protection – that is earplugs that turn the music down for your ears so you can increase your loud music exposure time. I call these attenuating earplugs ‘ambient hearing protection’. You can still hear and feel the music and they won’t spoil your enjoyment of the sound – music without the muffle, which you can get with other types of earplugs.
There are many different earplugs on the market, and you should buy the best that you can afford – your hearing is irreplaceable after all!
Universal fit earplugs are great as an off-the-shelf, cost effective solution but if you are serious about sound then custom fit earplugs are the way to go. Everybody’s ears are different shapes and sizes and custom-moulded earplugs fit your ears perfectly, forming a seal that will not allow any excess sound through.
ACS has a range of high-fidelity hearing protection suitable for all musical environments from orchestras to samba bands, available to Making Music members at a discounted rate. Hearing conservation is not mandatory in the music education curriculum, which personally I think is shocking. But times, they are a-changin’ – and we, with the support of all those facilitating music making, must raise awareness about hearing conservation so that musicians can play safe now and still hear tomorrow.


Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell.
Knowledge and Skills Statement
A knowledge and skills statement is a broad statement of what students must know and be able to do. It generally begins with a learning strand and ends with the phrase “The student is expected to:” Knowledge and skills statements always include related student expectations.
Show students words with specific spelling patterns to read. A checklist can be used to keep track of the types of words assessed. A scoring guide can also be used.
Mastery—80% + correct
Intervention Needed—59% or less correct
- VC—at, if, on, am, in, up, us, it
- CVC—cup, dot, man, hum, bet, lid, fig, rod, sat
- CCVC—that, shop, chip, this, shut, chat
- CVCC—jazz, rich, cash, much, with, push, math, inch
The teacher can also assess with nonsense words to better identify what spelling patterns the student is struggling with. This is helpful for the students who have good sight-word knowledge because they cannot memorize nonsense words.
Glossary Support for ELA.K.2.B.ii
VC - in, it, on, up, is, if, us, am, at, as
CVC - sad, jam, pan, lap, rat, bed, ten, jet, kid, him, fin, dip, kit, dog, hot fog, hop, rot, cub, mug, tug, gum, run, sun, bug
CCVC - chat, chip, shop, shut, that, this, grab, slam, swim, frog, trap, ship, grin, snip, sled, skip, spin, trim, plan, plug
CVCC - much, wish, with, rush, path, moth, math, miss, buzz, lash, fish, dish
Related 2009 Student Expectation
This student expectation is related to the following SE from the 2009 reading/language arts TEKS.
(3) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics. Students use the relationships between letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and morphological analysis to decode written English. Students are expected to:
1. International Literacy Association. (2018). Explaining phonics instruction: An educator’s guide [Literacy leadership brief]. Newark, DE: Author. Retrieved from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-explaining-phonics-instruction-an-educators-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=1a16a48e_6
Summary: This guide for educator's contains an explanation of phonics and different ways that it is taught.
2. What Works Clearinghouse. (n.d.). Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade: practice guide summary. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Science. Retrieved from https://buildingrti.utexas.org/sites/default/files/booklets/wwc_foundationalreading_070516.pdf
Summary: This practice guide provides four recommendations for teaching foundational reading skills to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Each recommendation includes implementation steps and solutions for common obstacles. The recommendations also summarize and rate supporting evidence. This guide is geared towards teachers, administrators, and other educators who want to improve their students’ foundational reading skills.
3. Baker, S. K., Santiago, R. T., Masser, J., Nelson, N. J., & Turtura, J. (2018). The Alphabetic Principle: From Phonological Awareness to Reading Words. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from https://improvingliteracy.org/brief/alphabetic-principle-phonological-awareness-reading-words
Summary: The alphabetic principle is a critical skill that involves connecting letters with their sounds to read and write. Learning and applying the alphabetic principle takes time and is difficult for most children. Explicit phonics instruction and extensive practice are important when teaching children to learn the alphabetic principle.


4 - 5 year old
Designed to be the launching pad from which your child will embark on elementary education, our Jr. Kindergarten class continues to build on key developmental and academic skills. Maintaining a commitment to exploration and the natural inquisitiveness of children, this hands-on class provides a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn the foundational social and academic skills that develop kindergarten readiness.
In recognition of its role in preparing children to enter elementary school, our Jr. Kindergarten offers additional age-appropriate structure to the academic curriculum, including the following enrichment opportunities:
- Social studies and science exploration using Weekly Reader by Scholastic
- A Get Set for School workbook that builds a firm foundation of letter and number awareness
- Development of healthy attitudes toward movement and exercise through the Movin' and Groovin' curriculum


A set of QR code question cubes to use when working with the Super Six reading comprehension strategies.
Using a free QR code reader, students can roll the cube and scan a code to reveal a comprehension question.
The question cubes include the following Super Six reading comprehension strategies:
- Making Connections
The download includes two versions – one with inferring and one with predicting. The questions on the cubes are the same – two different options have been provided as some teachers use the terminology predicting and some use inferring.
Use these question cubes when working with groups of students or as question prompts for students who may need some extra assistance with a particular strategy.
Download this resource as part of a larger resource pack or Unit Plan.
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Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
The St Stephen’s Curriculum
Our Foundation Stage curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Learning and Development Requirements, as set out by the government.
There are seven ‘Areas of Learning’ in the EYFS:
Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children are also helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write.
Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
We teach our EYFS curriculum through thematic units taken from the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC).
Each term, our Early Years year groups (Saplings, Weavers and Reception) follow a thematic IEYC unit. This gives each class a theme on which to base their teaching and learning. For example, ‘Once Upon a Time’ will link most learning to traditional fairy stories like The Gingerbread Man. Follow the link below to find out more.


REAL WORLD CLASSROOM TESTED
A PROVEN ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM
CREATED WITH FOCUS ON ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS
CREATED BY AN AWARD WINNING TEACHER
"My daughter loves Dezphonics! It's amazing to see how far she has gotten in such a short time."~ Michael N.
"This is a great program. The simplistic style makes it easy for my little girl keep up. Her reading has greatly improved. Thank you."~ Amy C.
GIVE YOUR CHILD THE HEAD START THEY NEED. GET THEM THE #1 ENGLISH as a SECOND LANGUAGE (E.S.L.) PROGRAM TODAY.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. ~ Benjamin Franklin
SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE
Why use Phonics...
There are over one half million words in the English language and the choice is to memorize each word or build a foundation for each child that is based on the letters and sounds of the alphabet. Once a child learns the alphabet with the sounds and the common spellings they have the tools to read any words whether they have seen them or not.
A SEVEN YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY by Rhona Johnston and Joyce Watsons repeatedly found that explicit systematic phonics instruction is the most effective way to teach children how to read. English has a complicated spelling system. It is important to teach letter sound mappings in a systematic way, beginning with simple letter sound rules and then moving onto more complex associations.
Dezphonics starts with the sounds of the alphabet and continues to digraphs and beyond. Effective phonics instruction is important because letter-sound knowledge is the foundation needed to build up reading and writing abilities.
Dezphonics students become fluent readers with greater comprehension. The average student entering kindergarten knows 14 letters of the alphabet. Dezphonics students know the complete alphabet, 120 site words and can read 45 words per minute.
HOW DOES DEZPHONICS WORK?
"Dezphonics is an extraordinarily organized and clear system and it is strengthening Jack's language skills and helping him to make better sense of his reading assignments."
~ Diane C.
Dezphonics was designed for children ages 4-6 and beginning readers. Dezphonics works very well for adults learning the English language. Dezphonics is an interactive website to be used at home or in an individual setting. 20-30 minutes per day, 5 days a week for ten weeks will have your beginning reader reading 45 words per minute and give them the beginnings of decoding the English language.
Dezphonics is an interactive website that walks your child through each lesson. “Dax” will sound out the letters for your child. We encourage parents to spend 20-30 minutes each day helping your child learn to read. Every 5th lesson is a Mastery test so you can see how fast your child is learning.
There are 50 lessons in this Dezphonics package. Everything from learning the alphabet to digraphs. You will notice that after every 5 lessons there is a mastery test so that you can be sure you beginning reader is understanding the lessons. In just 10 short weeks your beginning reader will be reading 45 words per minute and will know 120 sight words.
Was $ 119.95 NOW $ 59.95
FOR ALL 50 LESSONS
Get started today, your child's future and success could be everything you want for them.
SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE
FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS
Click or tap a question below to read each answer.
DezPhonics breaks down the English Language into 20 to 30 minute lessons consisting of: letter recognition, letter sounds, digraphs, blends, and consonant clusters, deck review of letters, sounds, and keywords, reading practice and comprehension, spelling practice, and review of sight words and high frequency words.
Dezphonics can improve your child's reading fluency. In approximately 10 weeks, students can expect to read at about 45 words per minute.
About 92% of the students who participated in the pre-launch showed significant improvement in their reading fluency. Students from various demographics, grade levels, and limited educational backgrounds participated in the pre-launch program. We welcome any institution to participate in a "pilot program", to validate our reading program.
The targeted audience is Kindergarten and First Grade but DezPhonics is used in all the primary grades. The DezPhonics Reading Program is really targeted to the individual students reading ability and not specifically a certain grade but most beginning readers are concentrated in the Kindergarten and First Grade. DezPhonics is also targeted to ELL (English Language Learners) students, Special Education students, and students with Dyslexia.
DEZPHONICS IS FUNDED IN PART BY:


The Hubble Telescope in Action Facts for Kids Video
Entertain yourself watching this cool personally discovered and extremely simple to comprehend The Hubble Telescope in Action video:
The Hubble Telescope in Action Video Information
Do you ever wonder if there is life in outer space? Images in this video are simply amazing on an astronomical scale! These pictures haven’t shown proof of other life in our galaxy yet, but they have shown another planet with an atmosphere. Definitely not the pictures you could find in your back yard, down the street or even on the planet. This video focuses on the Hubble Telescope and touches on the many, many things it has helped the people of planet Earth discover without the necessity of taking a very, very long and expensive trip. Even broken it served to pull people together in a common cause. Now repaired we will have to wait and see what other sights as yet unseen it can bring home for us.
Watch this outstanding The Hubble Telescope in Action facts for kids video and considerably grow your natural interest to learn science fun facts about The Hubble Telescope in Action.
This The Hubble Telescope in Action video is directed for youngsters, from those kids participating in early learning programs for pre-K kids, to kids in grade 5, certainly likewise for preschoolers children and kids who are schooled in the house.
Continue and explore our available totally FREE educational videos for kids, manually advised by our senior editorial staff. These videos are a whopping hoard of science for kids videos available to you on our science kids website. Take a look at a lot more remarkable and instructional yet fun and simple science facts on our EasySCIENCEforKids website about nations, nature, Geography and plenty more, and let your kids learn further more by doing our many COMPLETELY FREE worksheets, quizzes and free educational games for children.
Liked our selected The Hubble Telescope in Action video? Browse through expanded data regarding The Hubble Telescope in Action.
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Welcome to our Early Math Games Series for easy and fun math games to develop and support early numeracy skills.
Our last early math game, Mummy and Baby Dinosaurs, focused on counting and numeral identification. Children learn best when presented with a variety of games that reinforce the same mathematical concept. Today we will continue with another math game that focuses on numeral identification.
Bingo is such a versatile game; you can use it to reinforce so many different concepts. This math game, Teen Bingo is great for kids who can identify and name numerals from zero to ten, but may not necessarily be able to identify and name all the numerals to twenty.
Math Game: Teen Bingo
Focus: Math Number, Numeral Identification
Desired Results: Name and identify numerals 11-20;
Pre-Test: Display a set of numeral cards from 11 to 20, in random order. Ask the child to point to a given numeral. Can the child identify any or all the numerals from 11 to 20? Select a numeral card from 11 to 20. Can the child name any or all the numerals from 11 to 20 with the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’?
Evidence of Learning: The child is able to identify and name all the numerals from 11 to 20, with the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’.
When working with young children, remember to:
- Show them how to do the task before expecting them to complete the task independently.
- Limit the range of numbers being presented when introducing a new mathematical idea.
- Provide children with a variety of early math games, which repeat the same mathematical understanding (e.g. counting, numeral identification, subitising, etc).
Teaching & Learning Experiences:
Download and print out our free printable Math Game: Teen Bingo.
- One page has all the numerals from 11-20; cut these out and place them into a box.
- I have also provided two pre-made bingo sheets with the numerals 11-20 randomly placed in a table.
- There is also a blank bingo sheet template so that you can quickly create your custom made bingo sheet with numerals your child may need more practice with.
As each card is drawn out of the box, name the number. Ensure the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’, (not to be confused with numbers ending in -ty).
Stamp the corresponding number on the teen bingo sheet. A numeral may be placed several times on a given bingo sheet. Encourage children to be thorough as they find the corresponding number on their teen bingo sheet.
The game is completed when all the numbers on their teen bingo sheet has been stamped.
Mr N&M are highly competitive, a trait exacerbated by being twins. When playing this game I remind them that it’s about finishing, rather than being the fastest.
You could use counters to cover the numbers, but my boys love using stamps. There’s only 2 of them, (unlike a class of 20), so I indulge them.
Extension Activity: Kids need to be familiar with the forward and backward number sequence, and be able to count from any given number. Challenge kids to stamp the number before or number after the card drawn from the box.
More Activities for Preschoolers
Three to Five: Playful Preschool is stuffed to the brim with tried, tested and loved playful learning ideas for preschoolers. There are 25+ ideas for preschoolers, ten printable resources and additional links to over 50 more activities. A great resource for parents. Download your copy here.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment; I’d love to hear from you. If you are new here, you might like to subscribe to our RSS feed or receive updates direct to your email. We have many fun ideas to share.


Students continue to utilize Montessori math materials in order to learn basic math facts. First-year students are introduced to the four arithmetic operations, as well as an introduction to fractions and monetary currency recognition. Second-year students focus a great deal on multiplication and division. Third-year students move into more abstract mathematical concepts, such as more advanced fraction and decimal work.
In the lower elementary classroom, children learn to read naturally and “organically” as reading is integrated into every facet of the classroom. First-year students read and are read simple, repetitive books. Second and third-year students continue to develop their reading comprehension skills. The teacher will select some of the reading material, but students are also encouraged to read books that capture their interest. In order to assist students who struggle with reading even further, MMS does use a comprehensive reading program, The Herman Method, which is very effective for students who need additional exposure to reading. Montessori students learn to write in cursive. Students are expected to practice penmanship and are given a variety of activities to improve these skills. Students are introduced to basic grammatical concepts, and grammatical work increases in complexity as the students move through the three-year curriculum.
History at Meadow is taught from the big picture to the small. The child begins with the study of the universe and ends up with the study of specific peoples and cultures. In the first year, history lessons teach the concept of time, moving from hours to years to centuries and beyond. In the second year, the child studies the Fundamental Needs of People throughout time. In the third year, the child begins the study of the universe — when and how life developed on earth.
Students study biology-both botany and zoology-during their three years in the program. Classification, vocabulary, and identification are the primary scientific skills they learn during their scientific studies.Students use the Montessori map puzzles and other materials to learn about the continents and countries. Third-year students choose a continent and conduct an in-depth study of it, learning about the countries and capitals as well as the socio-cultural aspects of the countries. The Time Line of Life material synthesizes the child’s work in history, science, geography, mathematics, etc. It is a fine example of the integrated curriculum of the Montessori classroom.
The early elementary curriculum expands the students’ understanding of the world by requiring students to study either Spanish or Chinese. Language classes meet four times a week and emphasize speaking skills. Students also have daily physical education classes and spend this time outdoors. They also receive instruction in art and, at MMS, music education is a major part of the student’s academic journey. First-year students are introduced to music through playing the recorder. Students can then choose to play the violin, viola, cello, or recorder. The second- and third-year students have instrumental music twice weekly and vocal music once per week.
The lower elementary classroom provides the student with the necessary literacy and mathematical skills to move onto the upper-elementary program, where these foundations are further developed.


Humanities › Literature The Wall by Eve Bunting Share Flipboard Email Print Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Literature Children's Books Children's Book Reviews Top Picks Authors & Illustrators Young Adult Books Best Sellers Classic Literature Plays & Drama Poetry Quotations Shakespeare Short Stories By Elizabeth Kennedy Education and Literature Expert M.S., Instructional Design and Technology, Emporia State University B.A., English Literature, Brown University Elizabeth Kennedy is an educator specializing in early childhood and elementary education who has written about children's literature for over a decade. our editorial process Elizabeth Kennedy Updated August 19, 2019 Author Eve Bunting has a gift for writing about serious subjects in a way that makes them accessible to young children, and she has done just that in her picture book The Wall. This children's picture book is about a father and his young son's visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It's a good book to share on Memorial Day, as well as Veterans Day and any other day of the year. The Wall by Eve Bunting: The Story A young boy and his dad have traveled all the way to Washington, DC to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They have come to find the name of the boy's grandfather, his dad's father. The little boy calls the memorial "my grandfather's wall." As the father and son look for the grandfather's name, they meet others who are visiting the memorial, including a veteran in a wheelchair and a couple weeping while hugging one another. They see flowers, letters, flags, and a teddy bear that have been left at the wall. When they find the name, they do a rubbing and leave a school photograph of the boy on the ground below his grandfather's name. When the boy says, "It's sad here," his father explains, "It's a place of honor." The Book's Impact This brief description does not do justice to the book. It is a poignant tale, made more so by the muted watercolor illustrations of Richard Himler. The boy's obvious feelings of loss for a man he never knew, and his father's quiet remark, "He was just my age when he was killed," really bring home the impact of war on the families whose lives have been changed by the loss of a loved one. Yet, while the father and son's visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is bittersweet, it is a comfort to them, and this, in turn, is a comfort to the reader. The Author and the Illustrator Author Eve Bunting was born in Ireland and came to the United States as a young woman. She has written more than 200 children's books. These range from picture books to young adult books. She has written other children's books on serious subjects, such as Fly Away Home (homelessness), Smoky Night (the Los Angeles riots) and Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust. In addition to The Wall, artist Richard Himler has illustrated a number of other books by Eve Bunting. These include Fly Away Home, A Day's Work, and Train to Somewhere. Among the children's books, he's illustrated for other authors are Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and Katie's Trunk. Recommendation The Wall is recommended for six- to nine-year-olds. Even if your child is an independent reader, we suggest that you use it as a read-aloud. By reading it aloud to your children, you will have the opportunity to answer any questions they may have, to reassure them, and to discuss the story and the purpose of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You might also put this book on your list of books to read around Memorial Day and Veterans Day.


Volcanoes are dangerous and hot.
You can access released test questions in multiple formats. To access released items from the computer-based tests: A released-item answer key, provided for each ePAT, includes a crosswalk between the item numbering in the ePAT and the item numbers used in reports of student results for CBT test-takers.
To access released items from the paper-based tests: View the released items in the released item documentswhich display items from the paper-based next-generation tests and the legacy tests in PDF format.
The item numbers in the released item documents match the items numbers in reports of student results for PBT test-takers. To search for released items by standard, reporting category, item type, or other criteria: Use one of the following resources: The Question Search is a searchable database providing access to released items from the past five years of MCAS test administrations.
The library contains all released items from the first two administrations of computer-based tests and and will continue to grow in future years. These practice tests are an important tool for familiarizing students with MCAS test formats and item types.
For next-generation assessments, practice tests are available in both computer-based and paper-based formats.
Computer-based practice tests include all accessibility features commonly available on the operational tests, and a text-to-speech version offers screen reader functionality.Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Elementary Religious Education A Research Report Catholic Curriculum Corporation Central and Western Region.
The Praxis® Study Companion 5 Step 1: Learn About Your Test 1. Learn About Your Test Learn about the specific test you will be taking Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment .
When students score their own work using elementary writing rubrics, they deepen their understanding of the writing process and increase their confidence as authors.. From a teacher’s perspective, there is a rubric available for nearly any scoring scenario, either online or through your state or district. Performance-based learning and assessment represent a set of strategies for the acquisition and application of knowledge, skills, and work habits through the performance of tasks that are meaningful and engaging to students. I don't know about you, but teaching and assessing writing is one of the hardest things we upper elementary teachers need to do. We have students who still don't capitalize "I" and others and others who are ready to write literary essays with clear evidence, introductory clauses, and figurative language.
A framework of students' information report writing development. From our study of K-5 students' information writing, we have created a continuum of development, which describes the intermediate forms (developmental categories) of students' information reports.
This practice guide provides four recommendations for improving elementary students' writing. Each recommendation includes implementation steps and solutions for common roadblocks.
The recommendations also summarize and rate supporting evidence. This guide is geared toward teachers, literacy coaches, and other educators who want to improve the writing of their elementary. Year 6 writing assessment grids taken from the newly published ITAF for / Bundle includes: Individual writing assessment sheets (WTS/EXS/GD) - Tracking Grid for a collection of work per pupil - great for moderation.
Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Interactive Practice Test Use this interactive practice test to prepare for the Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment test ().


I know you get a lot of pushback from teachers when you say that we should teach with complex text. But I agree with you. I don’t like all the testing and teaching kids in so many different books. This might surprise you, but I wonder why you don’t emphasize teaching complex text with children in kindergarten and first-grade?
Many states have adopted educational standards that emphasize teaching students to read texts at particular levels of difficulty.
This approach was long eschewed in fear that it would frustrate students. The claim has been that if kids were taught from texts beyond their instructional level (in other words texts that they couldn’t already read with 95% oral reading accuracy and 75% comprehension) that learning wasn’t possible.
Research has repeatedly shown that not to be the case, however, and states have finally set text level targets that students should try to reach.
However, no state has set such text requirements in grades K-1.
One of the reasons for this wise omission is because beginning readers need to learn to decode.
Recently I asked my three-year-old grand-daughter why she couldn’t read, and her response was, “I don’t know the words.”
That in a nutshell is the beginning reader’s greatest task…. figuring out how to the read the words.
According to the National Reading Panel and the National Early Literacy Panel, explicit phonics instruction is a big help in surmounting that hurdle. But research also suggests the importance of the words in those early reading books. Texts that include lots of word repetition, spelling redundancy, and conceptual familiarity appear to be facilitative of “code cracking” progress.
Ramping up text difficulty in Kindergarten and Grade 1 would mainly mean using rarer words, repeating them less often, and obscuring the consistency of their spelling patterns. That means making the texts more difficult to read (lower comprehension) AND impeding student learning progress (slowing the students’ grasp of decoding).
Research shows a different pattern with second-graders. Making instructional texts more challenging does interfere with comprehension. But—and here is the important point—it doesn’t make those books harder to learn from. In fact, studies show just the opposite. The increased difficulty provides greater opportunities to learn.
Educators have long confounded the role text plays in comprehension and in learning to read.
They’ve assumed that students needed to comprehend texts easily if they were to learn to read from them. Research has not supported that idea.
Comprehensibility and “learnabilty” are different concepts, at least when it comes to reading in Grades 2 and up.
It makes great sense for students to comprehend the texts they are working with at school, but such comprehensibility is not the starting point. In order to learn from text, one doesn’t have to start out comprehending. Comprehension does not have to happen without diligent effort and support.
It would be shrewder to think of instructional level not as the “price of admission” but as our instructional goal. That means we could work with texts that students cannot read comprehension well, but by the time we finish they’d be able to read them with at least 95% accuracy and 75% comprehension.
We should treat beginning readers differently that we do older readers when it comes to beginning text.
By all means, read wonderfully complex books with sophisticated vocabulary to kids in kindergarten and grade one, but keep the words familiar, simple, and repetitive with the books they are to read themselves.
Sending kids to second grade with solid decoding skills and rich oral vocabularies will give them the foundation they’ll need to be able to learn from books that are beyond their instructional level when they are no longer beginners.
Copyright © 2020 Shanahan on Literacy. All rights reserved. Web Development by Dog and Rooster, Inc.


NKJV, Children's Ministry Resource Bible, Ebook
Helping Children Grow in the Light of God's Word
The Children's Ministry Resource Bible, developed in conjunction with Child Evangelism Fellowship, is filled with almost endless options for Bible study with children, whether at home, school, or church. Teaching aids are designed to be used with children ages 5-12.
Full-page articles and a pronunciation dictionary complement the lessons. Comes complete with a special teacher training section and the Wordless Book, a colorful way to share the gospel message.
- Thousands of footnotes clarify important Bible terms, phrases, and ideas to provide you with cultural and historical background and insights on the Bible's people and events
- Teacher Training Sections help you learn how to communicate important Bible lessons in a kid-friendly manner
- Lesson Outlines take selected Bible stories and break them down into an Introduction, Progression of Events, Climax, and Ending, prefaced with a Teacher's Objective and Child-Related Truth
- Full-Page Articles address foundational skills for evangelising and disciplining children
- The Wordless Book presents the gospel message in a way children can understand
- Full Bible text of the New King James Version
- 7.5-point type size
With the Children's Ministry Resource Bible, you will be fully prepared to present the content of Scripture and the message of salvation to young children in a way they will understand and enjoy.
More than 165,000 Children's Ministry Resource Bibles sold to date
The New King James Version—More than 60 million copies sold in 30 years


Click on the download button below to access the building blocks of author’s thinking in narrative, informative, and opinion writing.
I have watched in fascination how a five year old can build a sophisticated tower out of blocks but cannot write his name. The thought process of putting the tower together usually involves a sturdy base, one that can hold up a lot of weight, and then a gradual hierarchy of other blocks, one on top of the other in varying sizes and shapes. With practice, the five year old learns that if the base or foundation is not sturdy enough the entire tower topples down. Block by block the child constructs the fortress and smiles when the final piece is in place – that satisfied smile that comes with success. Literacy is built in the same way, block by block.
One student comes to mind every time I think about literacy development – Brian. Brian entered my Kindergarten classroom with very little background knowledge, no experience with letters or numbers, but he had a big heart and a bigger smile. He was eager to learn but struggled with the printed word. Brian, however, was a master of construction! He built some of the sturdiest block structures in the class. The other students looked to him for guidance in how to build towers taller than they were and keep them standing. Brian understood the need for a strong foundation! He taught the other students that the base of the building needed to be wide enough to hold the weight of the entire structure and that the top of the building should be the smallest part – tapering to a pyramid. Although Brian continued to need support to learn how to read and write, I often wonder if Brian is now an engineer – I certainly hope so.
Brian taught me a very valuable lesson that year, the foundation of any learning needs to be strong enough the hold the more sophisticated skills. Building a foundation of author’s thinking is the key to literacy development in the kindergarten and first grade classroom. It begins with an understanding and working knowledge of genre and author’s purpose using literature and informative texts. Students need to recognize, from an early age, what kind of book they are reading or listening to. They need to build an awareness of concepts like, how to summarize a story or text, the structure each genre of writing takes, and how to recognize the genre of any text. These concepts are the foundation upon which the inherent skills and strategies of each genre are built. Before ever putting a pencil in the hands of a kindergarten or grade one student they are learning how author’s create writing and will ultimately learn to imitate them successfully. Block by block literacy is developed upon a strong foundation.


Resources › For Educators Education in the Everyday How to Capitalize on Learning Opportunities All Around You Share Flipboard Email Print Hero Images / Getty Images For Educators Homeschooling Spelling Geography Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Elementary Education Secondary Education Special Education Teaching By Kris Bales Education Expert Kris Bales is a long-time homeschool parent. Since 2009 she has reviewed homeschool curricula for providers like Alpha Omega, Apologia, and All About Learning Press. our editorial process Facebook Facebook Kris Bales Updated May 28, 2019 Learning opportunities surround us every day, but we may miss them because the tasks seem so mundane. As you go about your daily activities, look for opportunities to capitalize on the educational moments in your everyday life. Grocery Shopping It’s become something of a humorous homeschool stereotype that homeschooling families can turn a trip to the grocery store into a field trip, but the fact is there are many educational opportunities your kids can experience in the grocery store. You can: Learn to read a scale by weighing producePractice estimation and rounding by keeping a mental tally of the amount you’re spendingDiscuss a variety of measurements such as bushel, pounds, gallons, and pints.Practice percentages by figuring sale pricesLearn how to do comparison shopping using unit pricesDiscuss healthy eating habits Used Car Shopping The experience of purchasing a pre-owned car, while a bit outside the ordinary, is an excellent opportunity for real-life training skills. Some of the skills you can work on include: Learning what to look for in a used car, such as dependable reputation, safety, gas mileage, and vehicle historyHow to comparison shop and use tools such as Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book to gauge value and dependabilityHow interest rates and the age of the car affect the price — for example, we were better off purchasing a newer car through our credit union at just over 2% interest. Cars older than 10 years only qualified for a signature loan and those rates were 10% and higher.How to figure taxes on automobilesConsidering the cost of insurance when purchasing a car — newer cars and sports cars will mean higher monthly premiumsLearning what’s involved in registering and titling a car Doctor and Dental Appointments If you’ve got to take time out of your busy schedule for appointments, you might as well make them educational. You might learn about: Preventative measures for disease controlProper oral and personal hygieneWhy doctors check your blood pressure and how it affects your overall healthHow dentists screen for diseases like oral cancerWhat causes cavities, illness, or infectionWhat is involved in becoming a doctor, dentist, nurse, or dental hygienist Ask questions — especially if you’re at the dentist; it will give your dental hygienist something to talk about, rather than asking you questions that you can’t answer because her hands are in your mouth. Cooking Home ec is one subject that you never really have to go out of your way to teach. You may just need to be a bit more intentional about bringing your kids into the kitchen with you to help you prepare meals. As you do so, talk with them about: Food prep and safetyMeasurements such as cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons, along with common conversions for increasing or decreasing the number of servings in a recipeFollowing directions on a recipeHow to properly use cooking utensilsVarious cooking techniques such as baking, broiling, sautéing and simmering You might want to include some specific recipes as you teach your kids about food, such as biscuits, cookies, a few family favorite main dishes and sides, and some desserts, but all of this can be accomplished in the regular day-to-day of your life. Random Educational Moments Don’t miss the random educational opportunities all around you. Look for opportunities to use daily activities that we may take for granted to put to practical use the abstract concepts your kids are learning in school. For example, say you've been getting price quotes to have a concrete pad poured (so you'll have a place to park that used car you bought). You'll be able to talk about area and perimeter in concrete terms (pun intended!). You can also use real-world math to figure up how many bags of concrete needed and what the cost would be to do yourselves, along with comparing the cost, in both time and money, to hire someone to do the job. Use sales and dinners out (tipping your server) to teach your kids simple ways to quickly calculate percentages in their heads. Ask your young children to choose a color and count all the cars of that color that they see as you’re driving down the road. Encourage your older kids to tally the variety of colors they see and create a graph to see which color is more popular. Learning opportunities are all around us if we just look for moments to capitalize on the educational in the everyday.


Ag-Discovery Pilot Outreach Program, USDA APHIS
Care for Animals
Colorado Foundation for Agriculture (for parents and educators)
Dr. Sue's Pig Fun Pages
Education Corner, Animal Agriculture Alliance (for educators)
ENC, Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
A K-12 math & science teacher center with access to lessons and activities, a classroom calendar with problems for the week, and digital dozen (you have to come check to know)
Environmental Education in Ohio (EEOhio)
Enjoy the Animals but Don't Get Sick, Penn State Extension Resource Circular
Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
Food Safety Mobile, USDA Education Program/Bus Tour
Getting Started - Youth PQA
Goldrush Swine Camp, Shaffer Superior Genetics, Inc.
Scroll to the middle of the page to find how to enter a camp T-shirt design, win a $500 scholarship, see highlights of the 2003 camp, or participate in the 2004 camp.
Junior Pork Day - A Family Experience at Purdue
Just Do The Right Thing, Animal Agriculture
Kids in the House, U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
Kid's Stuff, Novia Scotia Pork
Kidszone, U.S. Department of Energy
Learning Resources, Ohio Farm Bureau (including link to Ag in the Classroom)
Microbiology for Teens and Adults, American Society for Microbiology
NASS for Kids, National Agricultural Statistics Service - Agriculture & Math Fun
North Carolina State University 4-H Youth Livestock
Parent to Parent (P2P), University of Illinois Extension
An online resource that supports parents coping with the challenges of raising children and building a family. Using streaming videos, messageboards, and selected resources, users can see how other parents cope with the challenges childrearing, share problems and solutions, and get research-based advice.
Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick, K. Knebusch, OSU
A weekly science column for kids. Once you click on the title you want, before you read, be sure to click in the gold box to see the PDF file with Twig's picture
Swine Information (Sounds pigs make, cost of raising, etc)
Swine Youth Challenge, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, OH (4-H & FFA)
February 7, 2003
Teen Science Classes Serve Up Lessons in Food Safety, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (includes educator application information)
University of Minnesota Extension Service, Educators
USDA for Kids
Includes links to 4-H in the USA, Ag for Kids, Backyard Conservation, Facts about Agriculture, Food Guide Pyramid, History of Agriculture, Natural Inquirer, Science for Kids, Smokey the Bear, photos, and much, much more
What Can I Tell My Children About War?
This link takes you to a page of resources for families and educators
YouthRules, U.S. Department of Labor
An initiative designed to bring teens, parents, educators and employers together to ensure young workers have safe and rewarding work experiences.
Youth Web Sites for Swine, Purdue


population is about 31 million. In Malaysia, parents have no secure rules on
when children twitch pre-school education, but when they go three, most people twitch
to position their children to education.
Pre-school education typically
continues 2-3 years before incoming primary school at the age of seven. In adding
to official required training and principal guarantee, there are no official
pre-school courses, and they can twitch kindergarten. The training comprises
courses on child mind, education methods and other connected child care and growth.
Pre-school education is not obligatory.
Pre-school education is
mostly if by private for-profit kindergartens, and some are track by government
or spiritual groups. Some basic schools are devoted to preschool classes.
Participation in pre-school education is not world-wide; while city residents
are usually talented to send their children to private kindergartens, country
areas are infrequent. Many preschool classes are situated in high-density housing
areas, and official residential units are rehabilitated into schools.
In 2013, the
“National Education Blueprint” was free. It shelters education from
kindergarten to secondary school in Malaysia. The blueprint method is ground
contravention because it USES manifold viewpoints to measure and measure the presentation
of Malaysia’s education system. The plan is to upsurge education from six years
to 11 years, preliminary at the age of six, with beleaguered holding programmes
to provision it.
In 2017 studied the
“Primary Standard” or “Primary School Curriculum Standard”
(KSSR), by implanting balance of original thinking, novelty, problem resolving
and management knowledge and services, such as location clear standard of education,
brand students and parents comprehend development during each year of school
education, school improvement, the state inspection and assessment in stages.
By 2016, at least 40% of Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Malaysia
Sijil Pelajaran (SPM) are high-level rational glitches; by the end of 2013, theoretical
and vocation therapy services will be recognised in the middle school schedule
to assistance the Stuttgart hollow cure knowledgeable selections on the numerous
education channels providing.
preschool education and primary school education become more significant and
more imperative to parents. Parents have advanced supplies for education approaches
for schools and children.


Artistic exploration is one area of childhood development that often gets overlooked. Especially since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Common Core Standards, many schools have been forced to eliminate arts programs in an effort to reroute funds to more “important” subjects, such as math and reading. However, this move away from visual arts programs can be extremely detrimental to a child’s development.
Children are innately creative and curious individuals: By removing the possibility for them to further explore that creativity through the arts, the result can be an underdeveloped or unfulfilled individual. Montessori schools are among the remaining educational institutions that understand the importance of art education, identifying its value in developing specific skill sets and further preparing students for future academic success.
Skills Learned Through Preschool & Kindergarten Artistic Exploration
When it comes to artistic expression, there’s a lot more at play than what meets the eye. More than giving children the freedom to explore their personal interests and creativity, art classes help develop a wide variety of important life skills, including:
- Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating a paintbrush is a lot more complex than utilizing a pencil, and the more artistic media students explore, the more fine-tuned their motor skills will become.
- Cognitive Development: As students create art, they learn about things like cause and effect, patterning, and other important cognitive skills.
- Language Skills: Children love to describe and explain their creations, providing them with additional opportunities to develop language skills.
- Positive Choices: Through creative exploration, children have the opportunity to make meaningful choices that lead to a positive outcome with their work.
- Self-Discipline: Art can be a painstaking process that requires a lot of attention, patience, and self-control, and art participation helps reinforce these skills — especially in small children.
While these skills can be learned through alternative means, art is one of the most effective methods for instilling these concepts in young children because of its entertaining and colorful nature. Perhaps more important than providing children the opportunity to explore self-expression through art is the lens through which artistic exploration is taught.
Process-Oriented Art vs. Product-Oriented Art & the Montessori Principles
There are two different schools of thought when it comes to art instruction: process-oriented art and product-oriented art. The latter places an emphasis on the end result, with art teachers more focused on children producing something that is aesthetically pleasing and orderly rather than giving them full creative license. While following instructions to reach a final result is an important skill to learn, artistic exploration should be more about self-expression and creation than “following the rules.”
By contrast, Montessori schools tend to enforce process-oriented art. This structure allows children to express themselves freely without focusing on the final results. Rather than being told what they can or should create, children are given the materials to explore and create something completely unique to them. In addition, providing children with a way to showcase their art and explain their creations is essential for implementing a successful art program.
Norbeck Montessori’s Fine Arts Program for Rockville Students
At Norbeck Montessori, our team of highly skilled artistic educators makes process-oriented art instruction a part of their everyday curriculum. We encourage all preschool- and kindergarten-aged children to explore their creativity through the visual arts, providing them with a means to not only create but showcase their newfound capabilities. Our artistic education department provides students with the opportunity to use real art materials, including canvas, clay, paint, and much more.
For more information about our fine arts programs, contact our Rockville preschool by calling 301-924-4233 today!


Music Online: Classical Scores Library is a reliable and authoritative source for scores of the classical canon, as well as a resource for the discovery of lesser-known contemporary works. Score study is an essential part of music education. From conducting and performance to theory, composition, and music history—music students and faculty need access to a score library that addresses their diverse needs.
Music Online: Classical Scores Library is the largest and most authoritative resource of in-copyright scores to support teaching and research in classical music. This multivolume series contains more than 53,000 titles and 1.3 million printable pages of the most important scores in classical music, ranging from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. More than 4,600 composers are included, from traditionally studied composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky to contemporary artists including Kaija Saariaho, Peter Maxwell-Davies, and John Tavener.
See an overview of the database with links to guides, tutorials, and more. Visit the Libguide.
The first volume of Music Online: Classical Scores Library includes more than 400,000 pages of the most important classical music scores and manuscripts ever written. Students, faculty, and scholars will find countless works from classical music’s most studied composers, including Bach, Schubert, Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Chopin, plus thousands more.
Additional material in Volume I includes 100 scores from the Barry S. Brook Center’s collection of French Opera in the 17th and 18th centuries, providing access to the music and libretti of the early operas during an important period in the development of the genre.
Music Online: Classical Scores Library, Volume II provides online access to 200,000 pages of scores. In addition to new works from contemporary composers, Volume II includes a range of important composers not represented in the first volume and alternative editions of many of music’s most studied compositions.
Featured composers include Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, Andrew Schultz, Moya Henderson, Nicholas Vines, Giovanni Sammartini, Michael Haydn, and many others. This volume also includesThe Symphony 1720-1840-- the largest source of 18th century symphonies comprising 550 symphonic works.
The third volume of Alexander Street’s Music Online: Classical Scores Library brings together 400,000 pages of in-copyright editions from composers worldwide. The collection provides editions from major publishers like Chester Music, Novello & Company, Faber Music, Wilhelm Hansen, Donemus, and others. It provides expanded coverage of great choral works and instrumental scores for brass, woodwind, and other instrument groups.
Volume III features modern editions of works by Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Byrd, Gibbons, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Monteverdi, Mozart, and Purcell, as well as classic works by Elgar, De Falla, Franck, Holst, Joubert, Maxwell-Davies, Musgrave, Saariaho, Sallinen, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and many more.
This comprehensive collection of scores places particular focus on canonical contemporary composers from the 20th and 21st centuries, and will provide 300,000 pages of scores upon completion. With many scores newly digitized for the academic market, or licensed directly from the composers themselves, music scholars and faculty will find Music Online: Classical Scores Library: Volume IV to be a reliable source for authoritative scores of the classical canon, as well as a resource for the discovery and dissemination of lesser-known contemporary works.


Year 9 Mathematics
This is an online course that will extend your knowledge of Maths that you have covered in previous years. The three broad areas of study are:
- number and algebra
- measurement and geometry
- probability and statistics.
Within these areas, you will be introduced to new topics such as Trigonometry and Pythagoras’ Theorem that are based on right angled triangles. There are many careers that stem from this knowledge, such as architects and builders.
The course is delivered online, and includes written examples and videos to help you with your understanding. Remember that your teachers are always very happy to assist you.
What do you do?
There are a range of activities that you will be completing. For example:
- online quizzes
- topic worksheets
- projects related to real world situations
- activities requiring the use of technology
- semester tests.
You will also interact with your class mates in regular online lessons and forum posts.
What skills do you develop?
You will continue to develop your numeracy skills for everyday life by studying study financial maths. You will learn mathematical processes to solve routine questions such as solving equations. Throughout the course you will use technology in a range of activities, for example, using GeoGebra for graphing. You will apply your knowledge to solve real world problems when completing your projects.
You will need access to a scientific calculator and the internet.
Things you can do now
Go to the VCAA website for more information about this subject.


MPS Arts theater programs promote both self-discovery and a strong sense of community. Through the process of helping students create theater, talented staff foster deep experiential learning and expanded cultural awareness. Teachers work to meet every student at the creative junction where life experience meets ambition and intellectual curiosity in order to expose, nuture, and challenge MPS students with rigorous theatrical training.
Theater programming is available at a few select elementary and middle school programs and all MPS high schools. Extracurricular theater opportunities include one-act festivals, plays, and musicals.
At the high school level curriculum focuses on developing the complete actor. Essential foundational skills in acting are combined with introduction to technical theater, directing, and playwriting to emphasize the concept that theater is a collaborative art form. Students are encouraged to be critical thinkers, risk-takers, creators and committed skill builders.


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ECE 240 Engaging Young Children in the Learning Process: Integrating Curriculum and Instruction
This course will examine and compare theoretical perspectives and practical applications that have influenced curriculum development in both early childhood and elementary classrooms. The course will revolve around six key goals derived from PDE’s stated philosophy for the preparation of highly effective teachers: (1) Instruction; (2) State standards; (3) Standards-based curriculum; (4) Materials and resources for instruction, including technology; (5) Assessment; and (6) Appropriate interventions. To successfully complete this course, students must demonstrate their understanding of learning as a process that integrates all areas of development (emotional, social, language, cognitive, physical, and creative), and utilize a variety of instructional strategies so that all children can become interested and engaged in learning. Pennsylvania’s Core Knowledge Competencies and Early Childhood Learning Standards are integrated throughout the course to assist teacher candidates in their ability to provide responsive instruction, curriculum, collaboration, and assessment.
Prerequisite(s): ECE 101 / EDU 101
Note: There is a required field component for this course. All students are required to have valid clearances to participate in field experience.
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Innovative educators know the importance of family outreach. They also understand that to build a strong relationship with parents, there needs to be plenty of positive and useful contact made for busy families.
To help with that WNET Education has created Parenting Minutes. These short videos focus on key topics related to early childhood learning and raising children. Each video page contains shareable tips and facts, as well as links to more FREE resources and information.
Here are some of the topics:
- Readiness Check: Find out about the Learning Heroes program. Here parents can have their children answer about five questions to find out if the are ready for their grade level. If they're not, they can receive some fun, free activities to help children learn at home.
- Routines: This video provides information about the importance of establishing a schedule at home with daily routines.
- Healthy Snacks: This video talks about how parents and caregivers can help children eat healthier. Eating healthy snacks keeps kids strong which means fewer sick days and a stronger mind.
There are currently 12 videos which makes them perfect to send out with a monthly text or newsletter home to families.
Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.


The Ministry of Education’s Annual Report (2009) identified that a disproportionate number of Pacific students were not developing required literacy and numeracy skills in line with their peers.
Both national and international surveys of educational attainment at primary level show that Pacific students overall are achieving at lower levels than their peers. The 2005/06 Programme for International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) survey identifies that 16 percent of Pacific students were less likely to reach the lowest reading benchmark. The international median was four percent, and for all New Zealand students it was eight percent. The 2006 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) gave average scores for Pacific (427), Māori (453) and NZ European/Pakeha (510). Researchers, educators and Pacific communities have expressed concern about this underachievement. Since 2001, the Ministry of Education’s Pasifika Education Plans have highlighted a commitment to reducing disparities and improving the achievement of Pacific students in New Zealand.
Recent National Education Monitoring Projects (NEMP) (2005 to 2007) show that although Pacific students do not perform as well as pākehā students they are more engaged with, and more positive about their own abilities in, mathematics, science, social studies, and science.
Ministry of Education data on Pacific presence, engagement, and achievement at secondary school shows complex relationships between the three factors. While Pacific students are more likely to stay at school longer than Pakeha and Māori, they have a higher absence rate than pākehā and Asian students. The visibility of Pacific adults is low, with Pacific students less likely to be taught by Pacific teachers, or to be at a school with Pacific members on the board of trustees.
In 2007, 56 percent of Pacific school leavers obtained National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 2 or higher, compared with 84 percent of Asian, 71 percent of Pākehā and 44 percent of Māori students. Longitudinal research on NCEA and motivation and achievement shows that Pacific students reported more family child-caring responsibilities which correlated with achieving fewer credits in NCEA level 1.
The National Administrations Guideline 1 that requires every board through its principal and staff, to:
This evaluation is closely linked to the Ministry of Education’s Pasifika Education Plan 2009-2012 which sets goals and targets for promoting Pacific students’ achievement from early childhood through to tertiary education. In the school sector, the goals are: increased Pacific parent involvement in students’ education; effective teaching focused on achievement; and Pacific students achieving qualifications. ThePasifika Education Plan also has a goal to increase Pacific children’s access and participation in early childhood education.
The overarching evaluation question ERO asked in schools was:
What does the school know about progress in Pacific student achievement since the last ERO review?
ERO sought answers to this question through six investigative questions about the extent to which there had been improvements in:
Information from individual school reviews was aggregated nationally to provide the findings for this report which are grouped under:
The report includes some comparison between the findings from ERO’s 2009 pilot report in Auckland schools and those from the wider 2010 evaluation.
Pacific students in the 233 schools made up from 95 percent of the roll to less than one percent. Approximately half the schools had fewer than five percent of the roll students of Pacific ethnicity.
Samoan students were the largest group, followed by Tongan. Others were Niuean, Fijian,  Cook Island Māori, Tokelauan and Tuvaluan. Schools grouped some Pacific ethnicities together and classified them as ‘other Pacific’.
In each primary school ERO asked what the school knew about Pacific students’ early childhood education (ECE) attendance.
Fourteen percent of the 173 primary schools said that all their Pacific students had attended ECE. In a further 30 percent of schools most Pacific students had participated in ECE, and 18 percent of schools reported that some had. In three schools no Pacific students had attended ECE. There was no information about this in the remaining 32 percent of primary schools.
In almost a fifth of schools the numbers of Pacific staff and trustees had increased. Most other schools had the same number of Pacific staff members as at the time of their previous education review. Sixty-seven percent of schools had no teachers that were Pacific and 83 percent had none in senior management positions. Two percent of schools had more than 10 teachers and more than three senior leaders of Pacific ethnicity.
Seventy-eight percent of schools had the same number of Pacific trustees as at their previous ERO review. The number of Pacific trustees ranged from none to eight. Seventeen percent of schools had more Pacific trustees and five percent had fewer.


Elementary School Information
Elementary art instruction occurs every other week and is aligned to four anchor standards: creating, presenting, connecting, and responding. Students create artwork using the elements and principles of design, and present them in various art shows throughout the year. Students explore the connections between art and our global society through art creation, discussion, response writing, and hands-on activities.
Dual Language Program
Elementary dual language instruction focuses on supporting students in their attainment of biliteracy in Spanish and English. These programs are currently offered at Golfview Elementary School, Lakewood Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School, Meadowdale Elementary School, Parkview Elementary School, and Perry Elementary School.
Dual language students follow a specific language allocation model depending on their grade level. Based on the language allocation, content areas are taught in English or Spanish for a specific amount of time. For additional information regarding dual language offerings please click here.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Elementary English language learner students are in a general education class and receive language support through the ESL teacher. Eligibility for english language support is based off of student performance on an annual assessment.
English Language Arts
Elementary English language arts instruction allows students to foster an understanding and working knowledge of foundational skills including concepts about print, alphabetic principles and conventions of writing with the goal of ensuring students are effective readers. As students progress throughout elementary school, they will read more challenging texts to strengthen their understanding of what they read while building a strong vocabulary knowledge. Students will also begin to write for specific purposes, including: to inform, explain, or tell a story.
Elementary health instruction provides students with the ability to understand the basic components and importance of being healthy and staying safe. Topics include body systems, hygiene, nutrition, safety, social skills, fitness, and goal setting.
Elementary math instruction will focus on number sense and algebraic thinking in order for students to develop conceptual understanding. In the primary grade levels, students will make tens, practice addition and subtraction, and progress into multiplication and division.
Fractions will become a priority in the intermediate grades. In all grade levels, students will focus on problem-solving, geometry, and measurement and data. Students will learn to reason mathematically, explain their thinking, and justify their answers.
Elementary music instruction occurs twice a week and is aligned to four anchor standards: creating, performing, connecting, and responding. Students learn the principles of beat, rhythm, melody, harmony, and music notation while creating and performing music. Students explore the connections between music and our global society through song, discussion, response writing, and hands-on activities.
Students in fifth grade can elect to participate in band or orchestra. Students can choose flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will develop basic musicianship, note reading skills, and will participate in performance experiences. Please look for enrollment information to be sent home in the spring of their 4th grade year.
Elementary physical education instruction focuses on basic motor and object control skills. Through the usage of engaging games and activities, the physical education program educates students on health enhancing behaviors. Focus will include, but is not limited to, locomotor movements, striking, kicking, throwing, catching, dribbling, volleying, and fitness.
Elementary social studies instruction allows students to become more prepared for the challenges of college, career, and civics. In the primary grades, students explore the community around them and move into an exploration of their nation in the intermediate grades.
Students will learn to interpret maps, examine sources, and will be exposed to concepts in history, geography, civics, and economics through experiences in the social sciences. Social studies instruction will also help support literacy skills through critical reading and writing instruction.
Elementary STEM instruction occurs every other week and allows students to engage in inquiry-based activities specific to the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These disciplines are taught in an integrated manner and provide students with hands-on, problem-solving experiences related to scientific phenomenon.


“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”
At Concourse Village Elementary School our mission is to provide an environment and curriculum devoted to promoting and nurturing creative and critical thinking skills. Our Visual Arts program encourages individual artistic expression and values diverse approaches to art making and design. Through studies in art history, aesthetics, art appreciation and criticism as well as through the process of creating original art our program is designed to foster flexible, divergent, original and imaginative thinkers.
At Concourse Village Elementary we believe art education is a fundamental component of the total education of every child. Our vision is to provide a structured, creative environment that enables students to ask questions, solve problems, and take risks as they gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for meaningful and productive lives as artists, designers, and citizens of the world. The Visual Arts program is a collaborative teaching and learning environment that encourages students to develop meaningful connections across the arts and other disciplines.


This case study was produced as part of Play England’s Exploring Nature Play project, which worked across three adventure playgrounds in London, North Tyneside and Torbay, as well as with schools and environmental organisations, to explore different ways of increasing children’s understanding of nature through play.
Part of the Play Rangers ‘Practical tips’ series from Play England and Playwork Partnerships, compiled by Dan Rees-Jones, a practicising play ranger.
An independent evaluation of the innovative Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) programme, designed to enhance play opportunities for children within school.
DATE: June 2009 At St John The Baptist Church of England School in Hoxton, play is a fundamental part of the school’s curriculum. The head teacher believes that introducing innovative play ideas in their school has had a great impact on the quality of children’s education and their enjoyment in school.
This briefing summarises findings from the Play and Exercise in Early Years research project.
Play England produced a short film that explores how high-quality play facilities in primary schools can help to improve children’s academic performance and enjoyment of school.
Farley Nursery School offers a unique approach to early childhood learning, where children are encouraged to spend their time playing outdoors in natural settings in Salisbury.
Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre provides early childhood provision with free play and structured activities. The providers view risk and challenge as a strong ethic for children’s learning and play, and this is reflected how the provision is run.
This briefing summarises aspects, relevant to the play sector, of the guidance on developing school grounds, which is part of the government’s school building and redevelopment programme.
Free play in early childhood highlights concerns over recent policies that structure young children’s lives in pursuit of targets and testing.